Ch 21: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

That evening, the village head personally went door to door, notifying the heads of each household to gather at Jiang Ji’s courtyard the next morning around midmorning.

“Village Head, what’s this meeting about? Did something big happen in the village?”

“Yeah, why aren’t we meeting at the ancestral hall? Why at Jiang Ji’s place?”

Explaining one by one would take too long, so the village head simply tossed out a tempting hint: “High-yield rice seeds! They can double production. First come, first served—if you miss out, you’ll regret it.”

“High-yield rice? Seriously?”

“You’ll find out if you come!”

The news spread quickly. Every household was buzzing with a mix of excitement and doubt, going to bed full of curiosity.

That night before bed, Jiang Ji went out to the courtyard and updated the title of his livestream:

[Shock! Introducing New Crops — Watch How Ancient People React to New Things!]

Since unlocking the “seed” reward item, he had replaced all his other reward options with seeds. There were only seven reward slots available, so Jiang Ji chose hybrid rice, sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes, cotton, peanuts, and soybeans.

Over the past few days, his livestream viewership had been exploding, with daily totals reaching two to three million people. On the days he built the flush toilet, the numbers had even peaked at four million.

He had asked his viewers about it—turned out that day had been a weekend, and the number of gifts and donations had also spiked.

So, he decided to schedule the seed-promotion meeting for another weekend.

“Alright, my friends,” Jiang Ji said cheerfully on stream, “I’ve got a mission to hit five million viewers in one day. That’s why I picked tomorrow—it’s your weekend. Please help me spread the word! The meeting starts at nine in the morning—let’s hit the trending list together!”

【You’ve already got forty mu of farmland, and you still care about that little mission reward?】

Jiang Ji grinned. “Come on, that’s all borrowed money, remember? And besides, the reward is the Intermediate Farming Skill! I want to see if there’s anything useful from modern farming techniques I can apply here.”

【Let’s gooo! I want to see how they react!】
【Same, I’m sure the rice will sell, but I’m curious if the villagers will be willing to try the new sweet potatoes and potatoes.】
【Fortune favors the bold—those who dare win!】

Jiang Ji laughed. “Exactly! Those who dare will have full bellies; those who don’t can stay hungry. It’s their choice. Just give it a few months—once they see others harvesting and earning silver, they’ll understand.”

After chatting a while longer with his viewers, Jiang Ji went back to bed.

When the light went out, he nudged Jiang Yan’s arm and whispered, “Hey, Jiang Yan, do you think they’ll be willing to plant sweet potatoes with me?”

Jiang Yan turned his head toward him, his silhouette faint in the dark. “Why? You worried?”

“Worried? Nah.” Jiang Ji lay on his back, one hand behind his head. “I’m not the one who’ll go hungry anyway.”

Jiang Yan’s brow arched slightly. “So… no confidence? Nervous?”

Jiang Ji shot him a sideways glance. “Do I look like the nervous type to you?”

Jiang Yan didn’t answer, but Jiang Ji heard a soft chuckle beside him. He almost thought he imagined it. “You just laughed, didn’t you?”

“Did I?”

“You did.”

“You must’ve misheard.”

Jiang Ji huffed. “Sure, sure. You’re just lucky it’s dark, so I can’t see that smirk. Covering your ears doesn’t hide the bell, you know.”

Jiang Yan: …

Jiang Ji said no more and soon drifted off to sleep.

Listening to his slow, steady breathing, Jiang Yan’s lips curved faintly upward.

He really could fall asleep at the drop of a hat.

But Jiang Yan’s mind stayed restless. His wounds were nearly healed, yet his memories still hadn’t returned—not even fragments.

Once he recovered, what should he do?

Should he go investigate Skull Mountain, where the bandits roamed?

Or…

His thoughts trailed off when a warm body inched closer. His arm was suddenly hugged, and a soft, fluffy head burrowed naturally against his shoulder, nestling into the crook of his neck.

Jiang Yan didn’t move. He was already used to it. Tilting his head slightly, he felt Jiang Ji’s soft hair brush against his cheek—cool and ticklish.

Sleep finally overtook him, and he closed his eyes.

…

The next morning, the weather was bright and clear.

After breakfast, Jiang Ji set up two large tables at the entrance of the main hall. Soon, villagers arrived one after another, bringing their own stools and gathering in the courtyard of Jiang Ji’s home.

The village head had already arrived and was maintaining order, guiding everyone to sit in neat rows.

“Village Head, why are we meeting at Jiang Ji’s house? Don’t we usually meet in the ancestral hall?”

“And you said there’s some kind of high-yield rice seed—was that true?”

Everyone was there because of what the village head had said, and now all eyes were on him, full of curiosity and expectation.

The village head chuckled. “You’ll find out soon enough. No need to rush—some folks haven’t arrived yet.”

Just then, a faintly sweet and savory aroma wafted out from the kitchen, instantly catching everyone’s attention.

“What’s that smell? Jiang Ji, what are you cooking? Haven’t you eaten yet?”

“Yeah, what is that? It doesn’t smell like porridge or rice.”

Jiang Ji grinned. “Something good. You’ll get to try it later.”

“What is it? Can’t you tell us now?” The crowd’s curiosity was thoroughly piqued.

“Don’t be so impatient, Uncle. You’ll know in a bit.”

With both the village head and Jiang Ji being tight-lipped, everyone could only wait.

Inside the kitchen, Zhao Ru and Xiufang were busy with Jiang Xia and Tao’er. They had steamed two large pots of rice early that morning, along with sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn. Now they were cutting everything into small pieces to share later.

The seeds were far too valuable to waste—letting everyone taste the food would be enough.

Outside, Jiang Yan brought out a stool and sat with Jiang Nan and Jiang Bei to the side, watching.

Since his injury, he had hardly left the courtyard except to use the latrine, so many villagers had never seen him in person.

Now, dressed in a simple blue robe, he stood tall and straight. His sharp nose, defined features, and fair skin made him look completely different from the other villagers.

Many people glanced his way; a few young women and newly married wives huddled together, whispering.

“So that’s the young master Jiang Ji rescued?”

“I heard Jiang Ji gave him the name Jiang Yan.”

“He’s so handsome.”

“Really does look like a nobleman—look how fair he is!”

“What, you like him now?”

“Well, he’d have to like me back first.”

Jiang Ji happened to walk by just then, and an older aunt tugged him aside. “Auntie, what’s wrong?”

She nodded subtly toward Jiang Yan. “That Jiang Yan—does he have a wife?”

Jiang Ji looked at Jiang Yan, then back at the group of women. “…”

“Well? Answer us, Jiang Ji!”

Jiang Ji sighed. “I really don’t know, Auntie. You all forgot—he lost his memory.”

“Oh, right, I almost forgot. But even so, he’s probably married, isn’t he?”

“Looks about that age—he must be.”

“A young master from a rich family? Even if he’s not married, I bet he’s got a concubine already. Best not to get your hopes up.”

As the women continued gossiping among themselves, Jiang Ji followed their gaze to Jiang Yan—refined and composed even in coarse homespun clothing. No wonder he was the center of attention.

He shook his head and walked away. Married or not, they’d have to wait until Jiang Yan’s memory returned to know for sure.

*

At that same time, Jin Hua’s family was out in the fields, plowing and weeding.

Her eldest son, Li Laoda, looked toward the distance where villagers were steadily heading to Jiang Ji’s house. Then he glanced at his mother, squatting down and pulling weeds. “Mom, everyone’s gathering over there. Are we really not going?”

“What’s there to go for?” Jin Hua snapped, tossing the weeds aside in anger. “You forgot your brother’s life or death is still uncertain!?”

At the mention of Li Laosan, the second son fell silent and looked over at his younger brother.

Li Laoda gestured with his chin for the second to speak.

Li Lao’er pretended not to notice and kept his head down, working the soil.

The eldest son’s wife, who had been eyeing the talk of high-yield rice enviously, couldn’t help saying, “Mother, the village head said these rice seeds can double the harvest. If we don’t go, we might miss our chance.”

Jin Hua shot up, furious. “He says it and you just believe it? What, am I starving you? Did you forget what that little brat Jiang Ji did to us? My backside still hurts!”

Those ten strokes had been ordered by the county magistrate, not by Jiang Ji—but Jin Hua refused to see reason.

The eldest daughter-in-law wanted to retort but was stopped by her husband. Instead, she motioned with her eyes to their fifteen-year-old son, Qiangzi, signaling him to go have a look.

Qiangzi was a clever boy. “I’ll go… to the latrine,” he said quickly, and then slipped away.

Once he was out of sight, he circled through the village and headed straight for Jiang Ji’s house, crouching behind the outer wall to eavesdrop.

By then, it was nearly time. Not only had every household’s head arrived, but many family members came along too, curious about the so-called high-yield rice.

The courtyard was packed, people shoulder to shoulder.

The village head looked up at the sky, then stepped forward. “Looks like everyone’s here. Check around—anyone missing?”

Someone replied, “I think no one came from Jiang Ming’s house.”

A woman called out, “Jiang Ming caught a cold—I’m here on his behalf.”

Another person added, “What about Jin Hua’s family? I don’t see them.”

“She can walk now, can’t she?”

“I heard her third son’s been sent off under escort to the northwest. No way she’d come to Jiang Ji’s place—she probably hates him to death.”

“She’s got no shame anyway. Raising a beast of a son—she ought to keep her head down.”

Outside the courtyard, Qiangzi heard it all and pursed his lips. His grandmother and uncle’s mess had dragged their whole family down in reputation.

After Li Laosan’s incident, Jin Hua had taken ten lashes, and Li Laosan had been exiled. The villagers despised their family and celebrated their downfall—but everyone knew Jin Hua and Jiang Ji’s families were now mortal enemies.

The village head knew all this well. “Anyone who didn’t come, we won’t wait for. Nobody’s being forced. Quiet down, everyone—let’s start.”

The crowd fell silent, all eyes turning toward the front.

The village head spoke clearly, “I called everyone here today for something important—something that concerns our bellies. When I came around last night, I mentioned a new high-yield rice seed. Some of you probably didn’t believe me, thought I was joking. Well, this new seed came from Jiang Ji. Let him explain it to you himself.”

“What? The new rice seeds were brought back by Jiang Ji?”

“Are you serious?”

“Where on earth did that kid even get new rice seeds?”

Amid the murmurs of shock and disbelief, Jiang Ji stepped forward and stood at the center of the courtyard.

He glanced around the crowd, cleared his throat, and raised his voice. “Uncles, aunts, I get the feeling you still don’t quite believe I actually have new rice seeds, do you?”

Someone shouted, “Then show us!”

“Yeah, let’s see them first.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “Alright. Not only will you see them—you’ll taste them too. Then you can judge for yourselves how they compare to the rice we eat now.”

He turned toward the kitchen and called out, “Mother! Aunt Xiufang! Bring out the rice!”

“Coming!” Zhao Ru replied.

A moment later, Zhao Ru and Xiufang emerged, each carrying a large basin of steaming white rice, which they placed on the central table.

Jiang Ji also set a small bag of rice grains and unhulled seeds on another table for everyone to inspect.

When everything was arranged, Jiang Ji addressed the crowd. “Here—this is the seed rice, and this is the polished rice and the cooked rice made from it. Now, I’d like each household head to come forward and taste it for yourselves. There isn’t much, so please—just one bite each. See how it tastes.”

Immediately, the front rows began surging forward.

“Don’t push! Line up!” Jiang Ji quickly called out.

The village head hurried over to help keep order, and soon the men had queued up properly.

The first two elders at the front could already see the basin clearly—the rice grains were crystal white and glossy, and the aroma alone was enough to make their stomachs rumble.

The rice had cooled to a perfect warmth—just right to eat.

“Alright, go ahead,” Jiang Ji said.

The first elder picked up a chopstickful, popped it into his mouth—soft, chewy, moist, and fragrant.

His eyes lit up. “Delicious,” he said, turning to the others behind him.

“Then hurry up and move! My turn!” the man behind barked.

Still chewing, the first elder stepped aside to inspect the table with the raw rice and seeds.

The polished grains were long and full, bright white with a sheen. He took a handful and sniffed—pure, rich rice fragrance.

“Hey,” said the next uncle, “how did Jiang Ji mill this rice? There’s not a single broken grain!”

“Maybe he sifted it,” another man said, stepping closer.

The first elder nodded. “Whatever he did, it smells amazing. Look at these seeds—plump and firm, not a single shriveled one.”

“You can’t plant the shriveled ones anyway.”

“Of course not. They must’ve been carefully picked.”

“The cooked rice really does taste better than ours—more fragrant and softer.”

One man split open a husked grain and inspected it. “Looks good. But how’s the sprouting rate? What’s the germination like? If it doesn’t sprout well, it’s useless.”

Soon, all the household heads had tasted the rice and crowded around the table to examine the grains and seeds.

Seeing the crowd growing thicker, Jiang Ji called out, “Uncles, if you’ve seen and tasted enough, please make room for the others!”

Someone asked, “Jiang Ji, how’s the sprouting rate? How sure are you it’ll germinate well?”

“Uncle, I’ll explain everything in a moment. Go take your seat first,” Jiang Ji replied.

When the men had all tasted, there was still a little rice left. Jiang Ji then invited the women to come try as well.

After about half an hour, the big basin of rice was completely gone, and everyone settled back into their seats.

Jiang Ji smiled. “Well then—how was it? Does it taste good?”

“It’s definitely better than what we grow now,” one man said. “But you said the yield doubles—is that true?”

Jiang Ji nodded. “It’s true. These seeds come from the south. If managed properly, each mu can yield at least four to five hundred jin.”

He wasn’t exaggerating—without modern fertilizers or pesticides, yields wouldn’t reach the levels of his previous life, but four to five hundred jin was realistic. Considering that local rice only yielded about two hundred per mu, this was indeed double.

He knew just how tempting that sounded to them.

The villagers were stunned.

“Four or five hundred jin?”

“Heavens above—really that much?”

“If that’s true, winter will be much easier this year!”

Jiang Ji let them murmur excitedly for a bit before someone raised a practical question: “How well do the seeds sprout? And how much do you need to plant one mu?”

Normally, with their current poor-quality varieties and old methods, the germination rate was low. Farmers needed twenty to thirty jin of seed just to cover one mu.

But Jiang Ji, with both the body’s original memory and the system’s farming knowledge, quickly compared the numbers in his mind.

In his past life, hybrid rice only required two to four jin per mu—sometimes up to seven, depending on the variety and method.

However, since there were no fertilizers here and it was his first time planting by hand, he added some leeway, just in case.

“If we end up with extra seedlings,” he said, “you can always sell them to others later.”

He continued, “For this variety, you only need six to ten jin per mu. And the growth period is ten to twenty days shorter than our current rice—it ripens faster, so you can harvest earlier.”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

“Only six to ten jin?”

“And it matures faster? You’re not fooling us, are you?”

“Half the seed, double the yield, and earlier harvests? Sounds too good to be true.”

Seeing the skepticism on their faces, Jiang Ji clapped his hands for attention.

“Listen, everyone. The reason you need less seed is because this variety has a higher germination rate and better quality. Germination rate means how many seeds actually sprout. The rice we grow now usually sprouts at about half—sixty percent if you’re lucky.

But this one—this one sprouts at least eighty percent, sometimes even ninety. Think about that difference for a moment.”

Everyone grew animated.

“Heavens! If eight or nine out of ten can sprout, that really would save a lot of seed!”

“If that’s true, our family’s using this rice for sure.”

Jiang Ji continued explaining the benefits of the hybrid rice. “And this variety is very resistant to pests and lodging. You all know how during harvest time our rice stalks tend to fall over—it makes harvesting hard and the straw isn’t much use either, right? Well, this kind doesn’t fall. As long as there’s no extreme weather, it stays standing straight until you harvest.”

He kept talking, and by the end, everyone was visibly excited.

Finally, the village head asked the practical question, “And this rice—do we plant it the same way as before? Do you even know how to grow it?”

“Yeah, is it the same method?”

“What if we plant it wrong and ruin the crop?”

“Everyone, calm down.” Jiang Ji raised his hands, gesturing for quiet. “I’ve already asked around and written everything down. The planting method is mostly the same, but I’ve also got improved ways that can boost the yield even more.”

He added, “One key thing—when sprouting seedlings, we can’t just flood the field like we used to. That lowers the germination rate. Anyway, I’ll show you when it’s time—you can all watch and learn.”

Hearing that he had it figured out reassured the villagers.

“Jiang Ji, how much is this seed per jin?”

Since he was the one introducing it, they all knew they’d be buying from him.

Jiang Ji smiled. “Good question, Uncle Daguì. The new seed costs forty copper coins per jin.”

“What! That expensive?”

“Why don’t you just rob us outright?”

Jiang Ji laughed. “Auntie, it cost me a lot to bring these back from the south. And think about it—how much more rice will you harvest from it? When you do the math, does it really sound expensive?”

The auntie went quiet.

“Alright,” Jiang Ji said, “whether you buy or not, go home and think it over. Now, there’s something else important. I also brought back some new foods from the south. Let’s have everyone try them.”

Zhao Ru and Xiufang came out carrying a basin of sweet potatoes, while Jiang Ji and Jiang Yan went to fetch the potatoes, and Tao’er and Xia’er brought the corn.

The three big basins were set down on the tables, drawing everyone’s eyes.

“What are those?”

“There are three kinds—it’s that smell from before!”

“Jiang Ji, what are these?”

“These,” Jiang Ji said, standing beside the table, picking up each in turn, “are all edible foods. This one’s called hongshu—sweet potato. This is a potato. And this is corn. All of them can be eaten. Like before, uncles, come up one by one and take a small taste.”

To show it was safe, Jiang Ji took a small bite of each right there in front of everyone.

That removed any hesitation. Soon another long line formed, and each person got a small sample—just a bite or two.

“Heavens, this red one—what did you call it? Sweet potato? It’s delicious!”

“This yellow one’s good too! Wife, daughter, come here, try this!”

“The pale yellow one doesn’t have much taste, but it’s still edible.”

The courtyard buzzed with chatter as people tasted the new foods. Some even shared their sample with family members.

The women and children liked the sweet potatoes best.

“Father, this one’s so good!”

“The yellow one’s tasty too!”

“Father, can we plant the red one?”

Soon, everyone had finished eating, licking their lips and smacking their mouths, clearly wanting more.

Just that one bite—it wasn’t enough at all!

They wanted more.

“Jiang Ji, you brought back seeds for these too, right?”

“Yeah, can we plant them?”

They weren’t fools. If Jiang Ji was letting them all try so much, then of course it meant he was planning to sell the seeds.

Jiang Ji smiled. “Yes, we can plant these as well. They all grow in dry fields—sweet potatoes and corn are especially drought-resistant. Sweet potatoes can even grow in wasteland. And all of them can be stored through the winter for a long time. I have connections to buy more seed—it just depends on whether anyone wants them.”

He deliberately paused there, teasing their curiosity.

“Grow on dry land? Of course we want them!”

“You can plant them on wasteland? Then definitely yes!”

“How much do you have?”

“Did you figure out how to plant them?”

“How are you selling them? How much a jin?”

Jiang Ji raised a hand for quiet. “I’ve written down all the planting methods—no need to rush. Sweet potato and potato seeds are ten copper coins per jin. Corn seeds are twenty per jin.”

“Why’s corn so expensive?” someone asked.

Jiang Ji picked an ear of corn and plucked a few kernels. “Corn is planted one grain at a time. A single jin has a lot of kernels, so don’t think it’s pricey.”

He then lifted a sweet potato and a potato. “These are tubers—you use the stems or chunks to grow new ones. And listen—once the sweet potato vines start growing, you can cut and replant the vines directly, and they’ll root again. The vines grow long, and each vine produces more sweet potatoes. You can even feed the vines to pigs and cattle, and the leaves are edible for people too. Basically, every part of the sweet potato is useful.”

“As for the potato, it’s a little trickier to grow than sweet potato, but it’s just as versatile. You can steam it, roast it, stir-fry it, or stew it. Once you start growing these and selling them in town, they’ll be completely unique—no one else will have them. Think how much money that could make.”

As Jiang Ji described all the advantages, outside by the gate, Qiangzi grabbed a small serving and ran off at full speed.

“Father! Mother! Great news—amazing news!”

Li Laoda’s wife, who had been watching for him anxiously, hurried over. “What great news?”

Qiangzi handed the food he was holding to his parents. He had managed to sneak a portion earlier while the crowd was distracted—he’d tasted a little of each item but had saved most of it.

“Father, Mother, Jiang Ji brought back high-yield rice seeds from the south—and these new foods too. They’re delicious! Try them!”

At his words, Li Laoda and his eldest son came closer, and the second brother’s family also walked over.

When Jin Hua heard that her grandson had gone to Jiang Ji’s house, she flared up instantly. “Qiangzi! You little brat! Didn’t you say you were going to the latrine? Where exactly did you go? Trying to make me die of anger, are you?”

Qiangzi shrank his neck, not daring to answer.

Li Laoda’s wife patted her son’s arm, signaling him not to be afraid, and looked curiously at what he held.

“What’s this? Really edible?”

Qiangzi nodded eagerly. “Everyone there tried it. This one’s called a sweet potato, that’s corn, and this one’s called a potato. Taste them!”

Li Laoda picked up a piece of sweet potato and took a small bite, then passed it to his wife to try.

The next moment, both of their faces lit up in surprise and delight. They tasted the corn and the potato too.

Li Laoda’s wife quickly asked, “What’s going on over there? How does he have things like this?”

So Qiangzi repeated everything he’d just seen. “…Anyway, the rice seeds are amazing—need less, grow faster, and yield a few hundred jin more grain. And Jiang Ji said we can grow these too—on dry land—and they keep through the winter. He’s still talking right now; it’s too much for me to remember. You’d better go hear it yourselves.”

“Go? No one’s going anywhere!” Jin Hua shoved Li Lao’er aside, scowling. “Get back to digging! When do you plan on finishing this field?”

The two brothers, who had feared their mother since childhood, were about to obey when the eldest daughter-in-law snapped.

“Enough!”

She had endured her domineering, unreasonable mother-in-law for years. Usually, she could swallow it—but now? Now there were high-yield rice seeds to buy!

And these new foods that could fill bellies!

Their children were growing fast, and so many mouths at home needed feeding. She wanted a full meal for once too!

But this foolish old woman—still clinging to that useless third son—was dragging them all down.

In her opinion, Li Laosan deserved what he got. He’d been lazy all his life, lazing around the fields and chasing after village girls after his wife died. The sight of him disgusted her.

She’d long wanted him gone—and now that he’d been exiled, she felt nothing but relief.

Good riddance.

But now, Jin Hua was still forbidding them from going to buy seeds because of that wastrel? She’d had enough.

What mattered more, pride or food?

The eldest daughter-in-law took a deep breath, grabbed her hoe, and started walking toward Jiang Ji’s house.

“If you won’t go, I will!”

Seeing her defy orders and even yell back, Jin Hua exploded. “You ungrateful wretch! If you dare go, don’t bother coming home!”

The daughter-in-law stopped for a moment. Jin Hua smirked, thinking she’d backed down—

—but then the woman turned to her husband, grabbed his wrist, and said, “You’re coming with me.”

Li Laoda actually wanted to go see, so he followed along.

Their two sons saw their parents leaving and, naturally, went with them.

Jin Hua froze for a second, then shouted, “Do you all even still see me as your mother!? Get back here!”

Li Laoda hesitated mid-step, but his wife tightened her grip on his arm. “Do you want those rice seeds or not? Don’t you want your sons to afford brides someday?”

He glanced at his sons, who both nodded quickly.

“Let’s go, or they’ll run out,” his wife urged, and he finally moved again.

Li Lao’er saw his brother’s family leaving, exchanged a look with his own wife, and thought—food and grain like that? No way he was staying behind to dig. Especially when his brother was going!

They gathered their children and followed too.

Li Laosan’s only son, just ten years old, sensed trouble brewing and hurried after his second uncle’s family.

“Fine! Fine!” Jin Hua shouted after them, hands on her hips, her voice shrill with fury. “You all think you’ve grown wings, huh? Go on, but don’t you dare come back!”

No one responded. She stood there, fuming, powerless.

Meanwhile, Li Laoda’s family reached Jiang Ji’s house but didn’t dare go in. They stood by the gate, listening.

At the front, Jiang Ji stood in the doorway of the main hall, took a sip of water, and continued speaking to the crowd.

“I’ve just told you the benefits of these three crops. Now let me give you the numbers. Right now, the most profitable one to plant is sweet potatoes. Once you buy the seed, you’ll not only harvest them in autumn—you can sell the vines as seedlings all the way through mid-May. That alone will earn back your cost quickly.”

“After the planting season, you’ll need to trim the vines regularly—you can feed those trimmings to pigs, cattle, chickens, ducks, or even stir-fry and eat them. Nothing goes to waste. You won’t lose out, no matter how you look at it.”

“I’m telling you this today because it’s the perfect time to start sprouting sweet potato and potato seedlings. So, if you want to plant, you’d better decide soon.”

Everyone began talking among themselves, debating whether to buy and what kinds of seeds to get.

“Oh right—one more thing,” Jiang Ji paused, suddenly remembering. “Soybean, cotton, and peanut seeds will be available next month too. They’re all high-yield, improved varieties. Everyone should plan your fields carefully—decide what to plant where.”

He added, “And I suggest everyone plant corn.”

An uncle sighed, “We don’t have that much land to plant all these.”

Someone else suddenly realized, “Wait, Jiang Ji, those big fields you bought the other day—are they for planting these crops?”

“Exactly.” Jiang Ji nodded.

Another person said, “The village head and Uncle Tu Gen’s family also bought land.”

“So they already knew! No wonder!”

The village head rubbed his nose, pretending not to hear, while Tu Gen just grinned.

Jiang Ji didn’t bother hiding it. “Yes, I asked them to help me, so I told them early. The gentry near the village still have plenty of fields for sale—they need silver urgently. If any of you have spare money, go buy land quickly.”

“Oh, right—almost forgot because of all this talking.” Jiang Ji looked at the crowd. “I told you to plant corn because corn grows over two meters tall. It can be intercropped with sweet potatoes, soybeans, potatoes, or peanuts.”

“Do you all know what intercropping means? For example, if you plant soybeans on the ridges, you can grow corn between the rows. Corn grows tall, so it won’t block sunlight for the soybeans. They don’t interfere with each other’s growth, which means one plot of land can produce both corn and soybeans. Isn’t that a good deal?”

This explanation amazed everyone—no one had ever thought of it.

“You can do that?”

“Really won’t affect the other crop?”

“If that’s true, that’s great! Same piece of land, but more harvest!”

The crowd asked many more questions, and Jiang Ji answered each one patiently.

Finally, he said, “It’s getting late—almost noon. We’ll stop here for today. Go home and think it over. Those who want seeds, come register at my house later. The quantity is limited, so it’s first come, first served. And those who want sweet potatoes and potatoes, decide soon—after two days I’ll start preparing the seedlings.”

The crowd gradually dispersed, though a few men and women lingered to ask more questions. Another quarter-hour passed before everyone finally left.

Aunt Xiufang helped Zhao Ru wash the wooden basins clean before taking Tao’er home.

Before leaving, she told Jiang Ji, “I just saw Li Laoda’s family standing by your gate, listening in.”

Jiang Ji glanced toward the entrance. Aunt Xiufang added, “They’ve left now—probably off asking around.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “I figured. Thanks, Auntie.”

“You going to sell seeds to their family?” she asked.

Jiang Ji shook his head. “No. We’re enemies now—no way I’d sell to them.”

Aunt Xiufang laughed. “Fair enough. We’ll head back then.”

Jiang Ji carried the wooden table back to her house, and on the way, he heard the familiar voice of System 2977.

[Congratulations, Host, on achieving 5 million viewers in a single day. Reward: Intermediate Farming Skill.]

Jiang Ji’s eyes lit up. “Well, look at that—it worked!”

“Thanks, brothers! Now let’s guess—how many people do you think will come register for seeds?”

[Judging from what we saw earlier, probably quite a few.]

[Not necessarily. Some cautious ones might wait and see first.]

[My guess—about half the village.]

While the chat scrolled with guesses, Jiang Ji returned home, where Zhao Ru was cooking lunch.

In the courtyard, corn cobs, potato peels, and sweet potato skins lay scattered from the earlier demonstration.

Jiang Yan stood tall with a broom, quietly sweeping the mess into a pile.

“I’ll do it,” Jiang Ji offered, walking over.

“No need. My wound’s healed,” Jiang Yan said, stepping aside to continue sweeping.

Seeing he wouldn’t yield, Jiang Ji didn’t insist. “Alright then—can you help me with something else?”

“Go on.”

Jiang Ji scratched his head. “You’ve got neat handwriting. Can you copy down the planting instructions for me?”

Jiang Yan looked at him and smiled. “Sure.”

“Great. I’ll go to town this afternoon and buy a few blank notebooks.”

Curious, Jiang Yan asked, “You’re selling seeds to the villagers—but where are your seeds?”

Jiang Ji’s home was small; one glance covered the whole place, and there was no sign of the sweet potatoes, potatoes, or corn from earlier. He hadn’t seen anyone carrying sacks either—it was as if they’d appeared out of thin air.

Jiang Ji hesitated for half a second, then smiled. “Once everyone finishes registering, they’ll arrive.”

Seeing he didn’t want to explain further, Jiang Yan didn’t press. Instead, he said, “That intercropping idea of yours—it’s really clever.”

“Right? It makes the best use of land. Whoever came up with that method must’ve been a genius.”

Jiang Ji genuinely admired it. With all the agricultural knowledge the system had given him, he was constantly amazed by the ancient farmers’ ingenuity.

Jiang Yan’s brow lifted slightly. “I thought you came up with it yourself.”

Jiang Ji blinked. “Why would you think that?”

Jiang Yan met his gaze, smiling faintly but saying nothing.

After a moment, Jiang Ji looked away, coughed lightly, and said, “I heard it from the southern merchant. He was selling these crops—of course he’d have to teach me how to plant them. Otherwise, who’d buy?”

“That makes sense,” Jiang Yan nodded. “Still, remembering all of it so clearly is impressive.”

Jiang Ji raised his eyebrows proudly. “Well, I do have a decent memory.”

Jiang Yan looked at his animated expression, the lively sparkle in his eyes, and his lips curved slightly—but he didn’t reply.

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾