Yang Fan's territory was filled with golden color. The new winter wheat variety planted last October is now ready for harvest. These wheat seeds are all obtained from modern times.
Coupled with the development of the island in the past two years, a large number of prisoners of war were used to dig guano. Boats of guano are transported from Beitangkou to the North Canal. There is enough base fertilizer in the fields. Coupled with such good seeds, this summer's harvest situation is very gratifying.
In this day and age, harvesting is a big deal.
Xiao Niangpi personally came out to organize the summer harvest. It starts from the summer harvest and is not finished until the grains are returned to the warehouse.
The little girl sat on the slider and stroked her already swollen belly contentedly. It is very pleasant to blow the early summer breeze and watch the rolling wheat waves with squinted eyes.
Since Yang Fan introduced the sliding rod, it has quickly become the favorite of the housewives. This thing does not vibrate at all, and the bamboo has its own elasticity, making it very comfortable.
Aunt Mei also thoughtfully provided sliders and set up an awning with canvas. In this way, Madam is no longer afraid of being exposed to the sun or rain. This thing is ventilated on all sides and is extremely comfortable in the early summer climate.
Xiao Niangpi is in the front, Lin Yueru is in the back, and Mei Xiang is in the back. Aunt Mei followed on a donkey. A squadron of servants carried flintlock rifles and escorted them on the left and right all the way to the original headquarters of the Rock Beach Hundred Households.
Now it has become the site of a granary. The walls were rebuilt and there were large granaries inside the city. Madam is presiding over the opening ceremony here today. Then, the summer harvest in the entire territory officially begins.
After the grain is harvested and threshed in various places, it is dried on the field and finally transported here for storage. The lady would pay paper money according to the quality and quantity of the grain. Bankers can buy various daily necessities with banknotes, or deposit them in Xinghe Bank to earn interest.
Now in Xincheng and Yang Fan's territory, paper money is the most useful currency. The grocery store here in Yang Fan and the major department stores in Xincheng only accept banknotes. Even if you have money, you have to go to Xinghe Bank to exchange it for banknotes before you can use it.
Everyone soon discovered the convenience and benefits of banknotes, and their credibility and purchasing power were guaranteed. Soon everyone gave up money. Even outside the territory, Yang Fan's subjects are willing to use silver coins instead of scattered silver coins. Xinghe silver coins are also very popular abroad because of their good quality.
Every shop is willing to accept this three-nine thousand-foot silver coin. This kind of concealment is exquisitely cast, and when you blow it into your ear, it will make a buzzing sound. I don’t know how it was made. Many people tried to imitate it, but after making it, they couldn't make it sound.
The group came to the square, and the maids helped the ladies to slide down the slide. Since becoming pregnant, Xiao Niangpi and Lin Yueru have become squeamish, fearing that they may have fetal motility.
The ceremony is quite simple, that is, first offering sacrifices to the God of Grain, and then to the ancestors of the Yang family.
Finally, Xiao Niangpi gave a sickle with a red cloth on the handle to a seventy-year-old man. The Shiquan old man will use the sickle to harvest the first sheaf of wheat and present it to his wife, and then the sickle can be announced.
At this time, under the notice of the fast horse knight, the entire territory of Yang Fan began to seize.
Yang Fan is not at home, and Yang Fan is the only man in the Yang family. The wife can only preside over the sacrifice on her behalf. The little girl handed the sickle covered with red cloth to the old man kneeling on the ground. The old man cut a bunch of wheat and presented it to his wife.
Xiao Niangpi nodded, and things can begin.
The old man yelled: "Open the sickle!"
Immediately, the people who had gathered around them swarmed to the ground, and the harvest officially began.
Xiao Niangpi was sitting on the high chair, holding a bowl and sipping tea. Lin Yueru and Mei Xiang stood behind her. Although Lin Yueru is pregnant, she is not qualified to be on an equal footing with Madam at this time. This is a serious sacrificial occasion.
"Miss, why do you have to rush to collect it? Do you have to be in such a hurry? I got up at the fourth watch and I feel so sleepy." Mei Xiang asked with a yawn. Even though Mei Xiang became Yang Fan's concubine, she still used to call her Miss Pi.
Aunt Mei smiled and said: "You, you always don't pay attention to these common affairs, you are completely confused."
Xiao Niangpi looked at the golden waves of wheat and was in a good mood today. She explained: "In the main wheat-producing area in the north, summer harvest and planting are between Xiaoman and Mangzhong, which have 24 solar terms. Summer is the rainy season. We have cut it Wheat cannot occupy the rainwater, otherwise it will become moldy."
"We first check what the weather is like before harvesting crops. If the weather has been good in the past few days, then this is the best time to cut wheat, because the cut wheat needs to be dried for two days before it can be stored."
Lin Yueru interjected: "I think the wheat is growing so well. I guess the yield per mu can exceed 300 kilograms."
Xiao Niangpi said excitedly: "It's not just three hundred catties. The master said that as long as the fertilizer keeps up, it will be at least five hundred catties."
As soon as Xiao Niangpi finished speaking, everyone gasped. The yield per mu is 500 kilograms. Oh my God! What kind of seed is this? It’s so powerful.
During the Ming Dynasty, the main food crops grown in the country were wheat and rice. Just like now, when wheat is grown in the north, the yield is about 200-300 kilograms per mu. Rice is grown in the south once a year, twice a year, and the yield is about 500-600 kilograms per mu.
Here in Yang Fan, wheat and rice are rotated, with two crops a year. The yield of winter wheat can reach 500 kilograms per mu, which is almost never before. Yang Fan knew in his heart that the production capacity of modern chemical fertilizers per mu could reach 1,100 kilograms, and no matter how bad it was, it could still be more than 800 kilograms. Although there are no chemical fertilizers now, bird droppings are still useful. It is better for maintaining land fertility.
By this time, the weather was already very hot at noon. Xiao Niangpi took out the stainless steel thermos cup and took a sip of Sprite with ice cubes. With satisfied Mimi eyes, she said: "After a while, folding fans, powder and other items will be given to the ten families with the highest yields. This is called summer wheat. The new wheat will also be ground into powder and made into food to taste. "
When Mei Xiang heard that there was something delicious, she immediately became happy. Said: "Miss, let's eat the palace beef cake. That cake is very delicious fresh out of the oven."
The little girl rolled her eyes, this girl knows how to eat. Although there is no shortage of beef in Yang's house now, and there is sufficient supply on the grassland, how can we eat beef openly at the summer harvest ceremony? Wouldn't it be impeached by the censor? If you want to eat, you have to eat it secretly at home.
"Meixiang, be good, we don't eat beef, we make roujiamo." Xiao Niangpi said.
Aunt Mei nodded, thinking that this was not a taboo.
Later, let Donkey kill the pig for the ladies and stew it in a big pot. Let Mo Zhui make Baiji steamed buns. He is from Shaanxi and is good at this.
As for the servants and farmers, just use frozen fat pork to make meat sauce. This costs less, and fat meat is popular. Giving meat buns made from fat pork to the servants and farmers can be regarded as a kind gesture from the master.
While everyone was chattering about what to eat, Zhao Luer, the head of the village, came in to report, "Madam Qi, the first field has been harvested. After threshing with a hand-cranked threshing machine, the actual harvest of wheat was 697 kilograms. Two or five cents.”
With a bang, the crowd exploded. The stewards and retainers of the Yang Mansion who came with the ladies were shocked that the output had actually reached such a terrifying level. Although this is wet wheat, it will fall off the scale after it is dried and dehydrated. And after shelling and grinding into powder, there will be less.
The actual amount of flour obtained is about 500 kilograms.
