Walking along the canal, Gu Jinghong couldn't hide the envy in his eyes as he gazed at the crystal-clear water.
"Once the Mu River flows through, the fields outside Suining City will never lack water again. Even Songzhou City doesn't have such a well-connected network of canals."
Looking into the distance, a massive waterwheel tens of meters high turned slowly by the riverbank, the faint sound of splashing water reaching their ears.
Song Qiming said, "They were all dug during our free time. With so many conscripted laborers needing to be fed every day, we couldn't just let them sit idle."
Gu Jinghong didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Raiding the bandits' lair and dragging them back to do hard labor was likely something Song Qiming had planned all along.
As they walked further, they noticed a pole planted in the rice paddy, a strip of white cloth tied to its top.
"Is there a grave over there?"
Song Qiming glanced over and shook his head.
"There's no grave. It's a deliberate marker. The seedlings next to it are high-yield varieties, so they will be harvested separately."
Gu Jinghong raised an eyebrow in confusion. "High-yield seedlings?"
Weren't all the seedlings in a rice paddy the same?
Song Qiming gave a slight nod, walked over, and carefully navigated his way through the paddy.
The narrow gaps between the plants could only fit one foot at a time, forcing him to move sideways.
Gu Jinghong's hands grew itchy from brushing against the rice ears, so he simply raised his arms high in the air.
Song Qiming gently supported a cluster of rice. "Look, these few stalks are much plumper than the rest. The stems are thicker, and their color is a deeper yellow."
Gu Jinghong looked closely and saw that it was indeed sturdier, noticeably larger than the surrounding stalks.
Song Qiming explained, "Ah Jie said this is called the ear selection method. We save the seeds from these exceptional stalks separately. Next year, we'll plant them and manage them meticulously. After a few generations, these excellent traits will stabilize, allowing us to breed a completely new variety."
"Pfft, pfft!" A bug flew straight into Gu Jinghong's mouth, and he hastily spat it out.
After spitting out the ladybug, he spat a few more times to clear his mouth.
Seeing this, Song Qiming said, "There are too many bugs down in the fields. Let's head back up."
Gu Jinghong swallowed hard and followed him. "Coming to Suining City was definitely the right choice. With so many great developments happening, why didn't you inform my grandfather? He could have requested a commendation for you."
Song Qiming smiled, brushing off the grass clippings clinging to his clothes. "How could I claim credit before achieving any real results? It won't be too late to ask for a reward once the new variety is successfully cultivated."
Gu Jinghong countered, "Even if this doesn't count, the pedal-operated threshing machine certainly does."
"With the autumn harvest upon us, it's the perfect time to put it to use. When I head back, I'll take one with me, along with a craftsman who knows how to build them. That way, Songzhou City can start using them too."
Song Qiming replied, "I was actually planning to write a report to Lord Gu about it. When are you heading back? If you leave too late, you'll have to wait until next year to use them."
Gu Jinghong frowned, looking troubled.
"It's rare for us to get out like this. I don't mind, but my youngest aunt probably won't want to leave so soon."
"Just this morning, she said she wanted to stay at the clinic to guard Miss Shixue and prevent Yang Cenan from secretly taking her away."
Song Qiming laughed. "Shixue knows martial arts, and the clinic has its apprentices. Ah Jie also sent Lanxi over, and there are bailiffs guarding the entrance. Unless Shixue leaves willingly, no one can take her away, let alone harm a single hair on her head."
Gu Jinghong shrugged helplessly. "That's exactly what I told her."
"I even pointed out that Miss Shixue's martial arts skills might be better than hers, but I just ended up getting scolded for it."
Song Qiming waved his hand modestly.
"I wouldn't say her martial arts are exceptionally high. Shixue is mostly skilled in archery. Even Ah Jie praised her as a natural-born sharpshooter."
Song Qiming needed to inspect the preparations for the autumn harvest, and Gu Jinghong kept him company throughout.
Being around the same age, and with Gu Jinghong being so eager to learn, the two young men found they had an endless amount of things to talk about.
