Chapter 38.1

After hearing what Song Dingxiang had to say, Li shi looked at her for a while before saying, "Why didn't I see you being so active before?"

Song Dingxiang felt a bit startled, then stuck out her tongue and smiled, "I used to think about it too, but my parents spoiled me. Besides, I will be marrying into the Xu family in the future, so I don't know if it will work out. Now that I'm married and have some money in my hands, without restrictions from my in-laws, I want to do something on my own."

Li shi thought it made sense. Even if she was talented, she could never have imagined that her granddaughter was no longer the same as before.

So she said, "Buying that pond is not impossible, but several families usually go there to fish. And it would be troublesome after buying it, what if a naughty child falls in, then things would get messy."

In ancient times, the laws were not well-established. If you buy a place and something happens there, you would be held responsible, regardless of whether you were involved in the trouble or not.

Li shi continued, "Actually, our family has already attracted attention. Many people envy us. Those crops and fruit trees are watched every day and no one dares to touch them. Just imagine, if you lease a pond that large, who would keep an eye on it? Whether it's for raising fish or lotus roots, a malicious person could easily cause trouble."

Song Dingxiang agreed with this reasoning and asked, "Grandmother, the pond has running water, right?"

Li shi replied, "It should have running water. Don't we have a river to the south? That's why this place is called Beihenzougou Village. The water in the pond is probably drawn from that river."

Originally just a small stream, the government often conscripted people to dig the river and build embankments, causing the stream to gradually widen. Now, a large boat could sail on it.

Springtime meant one thing for the villagers: forced labor. The government would draft everyone to clean out the river and irrigation canals, a supposed boon for farmers.

This was a good initiative, but working for the government was exhausting and poorly paid. Faced with cruel officials, one's life could even be at risk.

Many people would worry and hesitate upon hearing about conscription, as no one wanted to go. It was like a death sentence, only without the mercy.

In Song Dingxiang's family, because they had separated households, both her father and uncle had to pay money to exempt themselves from conscription. Although they could afford this amount of money, it was still heart-wrenching to see the family having to pay five taels.

"Grandma, imagine this: We purchase a small plot of that unused land by the stream. Picture a lovely lotus root pond there, not overly deep – perhaps just a little over half a meter. We could gently divert some of the stream's water to fill it. Wouldn't it be wonderful? And the best part? We wouldn't have to worry about anyone accidentally falling in. To be extra cautious, we could install a modest fence around the pond and maybe even get a friendly little watchdog to keep an eye on things."

Li shi looked at her and asked, "Are you only thinking about planting lotus roots?"

Song Dingxiang meticulously tallied her fingers as she proposed, "Grandma, let's scale back our planting to a mere two mu of land. Believe me, that's ample space to cultivate a bountiful harvest of lotus roots. And the potential for profit doesn't end there – the lotus seeds, pods, and even leaves are all marketable commodities. Picture this: fresh lotus roots sold directly, transformed into delectable marinated appetizers, or ground into versatile lotus root powder. There's no waste, Grandma! Moreover, compared to traditional crops, lotus cultivation requires minimal effort and investment. In fact, I'm convinced that leasing out additional land to expand our lotus pond would yield far greater returns than toiling away in the fields."

Li shi agreed with this reasoning but was worried about potential disruptions.

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "Grandma, you forgot, we have someone to rely on."

Even though Wang Shanren the Yuanwai in town carried the name of a good person, he was actually a legitimate businessman with a higher-ranking official status. With his help, even if others wanted to cause trouble, they would have to consider their capabilities.

Li shi chuckled and said, "Do you really want Mr. Wang to guard this piece of land for you?"

Song Dingxiang replied, "Of course not. We can buy land in town, invite Steward Wang to have a meal, and then take him to inspect the land."

"You have a whole plan..." Song Lishi was impressed by Song Dingxiang's ideas. "Even if everything goes as planned, where will you get the lotus root seeds?"

Song Dingxiang's laughter tinkled like wind chimes as she replied, "Acquiring lotus root seeds is hardly a challenge. There are cultivators in the southern regions who specialize in their growth. We could easily arrange for someone to procure a supply for us. While we await their arrival, let us commence the preparation of our land. Given that our initial planting will be modest, a half-acre plot should suffice. By the conclusion of the growing season, we can harvest our own seeds and subsequently expand our cultivation."

Li shi agreed with this plan and said, "I think it's feasible, but you need to ask your grandfather and father. Developing and farming the land will need your grandfather's expertise, after all, he is experienced in these matters."

With meticulous care, Song Xingyi cultivated two dedicated patches of earth in his backyard, a fertile cradle exclusively for air-cured tobacco. In the northern expanse, the sun became the patient artisan, gradually drying the tobacco leaves to a crisp perfection.

Once nature had completed its work, these sun-kissed leaves were transformed through careful cutting into delicate, paper-thin strips, ready for their intended purpose.

Song Xingyi mostly smoked the air-cured tobacco he grew himself, but tobacco exhausts the soil.

This year, he opened a plot of land in the front yard, and next year, he would need to move it to the backyard. By rotating the land in the yard, the quality of the tobacco leaves could be maintained.

"Grandpa..." Song Dingxiang walked to the backyard and found the old man slowly weeding the tobacco plants with a small hoe.

As long as these two plots of land were well-tended, they wouldn't have to worry about running out of air-cured tobacco next year. They could even sell some for a profit since the price of air-cured tobacco was good, allowing them to earn some copper coins.

He could keep the earnings from selling the tobacco for himself, spending it on treats for his grandchildren or great-grandchildren.

"Dingxiang, what's the matter? Are you looking for Grandpa?" Under the sunlight, the old man squinted his eyes and looked at his granddaughter with a smile.

"Hehe..." Song Dingxiang smiled and approached, taking the hoe from him. "Grandpa, let me help you weed the land."

Song Xingyi smiled as he watched her weed the land, giving her some guidance. After finishing the work on the two plots of land, he asked, "Alright, what did you come to see Grandpa for?"

"Grandpa!" Song Dingxiang hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Can't I come to see you without any other reason?"

Song Xingyi filled a pipe with tobacco, lit it with a flint, and took a slow puff before saying, "It's not that, it's just that you don't usually visit me without a specific reason."

"Grandpa!" Song Dingxiang stomped her foot in embarrassment. "Forget it, I won't say it, I'm angry now!" With that, she turned as if she was about to leave.

After laughing for a while, Song Xingyi followed behind her and said, "You knows how to get angry with your Grandpa now? Alright, alright, it's Grandpa's fault, Grandpa shouldn't have said that. So what do you want to discuss with Grandpa?"

Song Dingxiang stopped her small steps and looked at Song Xingyi with sparkling eyes. "Grandpa, I want to cultivate a piece of land to grow lotus roots."

With a careful cadence, she outlined the strategy she and Li shi had meticulously devised to Song Xingyi. The latter, a contemplative figure, drew deeply on his pipe, a plume of smoke curling upwards as he pondered the proposal. A moment later, his eyes lit up with approval. “That’s an ingenious plan, indeed,” he remarked, his voice carrying a note of thoughtful admiration.

“During my extensive travels for business, I met farmers in the southern regions cultivating lotus roots in a most ingenious manner. They even harmonized fish cultivation with their lotus fields, a symbiotic relationship that maximized the land's potential. Moreover, once planted, these aquatic plants require minimal upkeep, year after year. Alright, if you want to grow lotus roots, we'll do it. How about by the water ditch? I'll go check if there's a suitable spot."

"Wow, Grandpa, you're so great!" Song Dingxiang was extremely happy.

Song Xingyi smiled and said, "It's not a bad idea. Even if we don't sell the lotus roots, at least we'll have some fresh vegetables at home. It won't cost much, just clearing a piece of land, right? Alright, I'll go now. Come on, let's go together."

Although the water ditch was described as just a depression, it was quite large, estimated to be around seven or eight acres. Surrounding the water ditch were lots of reeds and aquatic plants, which cows liked to eat, so they often came to cut these for feeding the cows.

Additionally, reed leaves could be used to make rice dumplings. Although reed leaves were not as large as traditional rice dumpling leaves, they had a unique fragrance and taste.

At that moment, a few elderly men who had nothing else to do had gathered by the water ditch, setting up small stools for fishing. When they saw Song Xingyi, they greeted him warmly.

"Oh, Fourth Old Song Si, are you bringing your granddaughter here to fish?" Recognizing an old friend, many of them started to greet him.

Song Xingyi chuckled and replied, "What fish would we catch here? You guys are the only ones with sons who have time to spare. I'm just here to relax, and my granddaughter insisted on coming along."

Song Dingxiang was somewhat of a topic of conversation in the village. If they had social media back then, the current trending topic might be the irrigation labor conscription, but Song Dingxiang would definitely be in the top five trending topics.

Many men in the village felt that Song Dingxiang was a pity, such a good girl. First, she was jilted by someone, then forced to marry Zhou Tiezhu.

Not long after the happy days began, Zhou Tiezhu went off to join the army. What's the difference between that and being a widow?

But the women didn't see it that way. Song Dingxiang could still enjoy the hospitality of her family even after marriage, just like when she was a maiden.

And her husband earning money from being in the army meant she didn't have to serve her in-laws. Life was much more comfortable.

In the end, whether Zhou Tiezhu returned or died in the outside world, she would have a stable home and could easily remarry. It was truly a situation that made people envy, jealous, and hateful.