Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1369 - 699: Muddy Roads

However, even though the sky has cleared, it’s still temporarily impossible to enter the fields. At this time, even the quickest tenant farmers haven’t finished the autumn harvest. This rain has really worried them. When the rain stopped, many people tried to go into the fields, but even the most eager farmers returned empty-handed.

The rain was too heavy, the fields are too muddy, and impossible to enter.

Lian Shouxin rolled up his pant legs and led a few long-term workers to the fields to take a look. He quickly returned and shook his head at his wife and children.

"We can’t enter the fields today. It needs at least a day or two to dry out before we can go in." Lian Shouxin told his wife and children.

In this era of farming, one mostly relies on the whims of the weather. With things as they are now, people have no choice.

"Did the rain damage the crops in the fields badly?" Lady Zhang asked.

"Not too bad." Lian Shouxin thought for a moment and answered honestly. "Some fell over, but it’s not too many. The yield is bound to be lower."

"We’re lucky compared to others. I’ve heard that moving north, there was hail over there." Lian Shouxin added.

"In that case, next year’s grain will be expensive." Lian Manman said.

"Yes, this year we aren’t in a hurry to sell our grain. Let’s store more." Lian Shouxin said. In tenant farming households, having no money at hand doesn’t cause panic. Grain is more important than silver coins. The Lian Manman family naturally doesn’t worry about hunger today, but every year they stockpile grain. They always exchange new grain for old and continually store it. Grain provides stability and also serves as hard currency. The long-term workers at home and the shop clerks can be directly paid with grain. Every household owning a lot of land does this.

Although there’s no need to go to the fields for now, the family isn’t idle.

Autumn weather is like this; after heavy rain, it quickly returns to high and clear autumn skies. Lian Shouxin and Wu Lang, along with the long-term workers, are busy taking out the grain that wasn’t fully dried before being stored in the warehouse. They remove the oilcloths and curtains used for rain protection and spread them out under the sun again for drying. Lady Zhang, Lian Zhizhi, and Lian Manman are also busy taking care of the chickens and ducks, drying vegetables, and so on.

After a sunny afternoon and night, the next day, the fields had dried significantly. Although still muddy and difficult to walk on, at least it was possible to tread upon.

Tenant farmers couldn’t wait for the land to dry more and gradually went into the fields. Time waits for no one; although it looks sunny now, no one can guarantee the weather won’t change again. Already full and mature crops, if not harvested and dried early, may become moldy or germinate if they continue to remain in the wet fields. Either situation will reduce the yield.

The farmers think that every grain counts.

Even though waiting would be better, Lian Shouxin didn’t continue to wait, and he also took the workers to the fields. Wu Lang led a follower to the farm in Luo Family Village, and Xiao Qi followed Lian Shouxin.

Lian Manman led Xiao Qing and Xiao Xi to pick two baskets of vegetables. As they were coming out of the vegetable garden, they saw the family’s long-term workers driving the cart back from the fields. Today, Lian Shouxin and the team were harvesting corn from the northern fields. The cart was full of freshly picked corncobs, enclosed in a fence made from reeds.

Xiao Qi was sitting in the pile of corn. Whenever Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Young Master Qi went to the fields, Xiao Qi was always assigned the easiest tasks, and now he was helping with the cart. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

The worker driving the cart saw Lian Manman, quickly slowed down the cart, and greeted her. Xiao Qi saw Lian Manman and happily called out "Sister" before jumping down from the cart.

"Hey, be careful." Lian Manman laughed and said, "Look at you like a monkey. If our mother saw you, I can’t imagine how she would nag you."

"Hehe." Xiao Qi chuckled and reached out to help Lian Manman carry the basket.

Lian Manman, holding items in both hands, gave the lighter basket to Xiao Qi, and the two siblings walked shoulder to shoulder home.

"Which load is this? How are things in the fields?" As they walked, Lian Manman asked Xiao Qi.

"The sixth load." Xiao Qi told Lian Manman. "The fields are still muddy where you step; even fast scythes are useless. Also, the road is difficult to travel. We have carts pulled by large livestock, but there were places that were still challenging. On the way, there was a cart stuck in the mud."

Xiao Qi was wearing coarse cloth pants and jacket, sleeves, and pant legs rolled up, revealing a bit of chubby arms and calves. His shoes, arms, legs, and clothes were stained with mud spots. Looking ahead, the large cart that had just passed also had wheels covered in mud and grass.