Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 417: Distributing Melon Seeds

Afraid she might not understand, Liu Ji directly hinted, "Don’t you want to ask me some questions?"

Qin Yao was taken aback, then raised an eyebrow, she indeed had something to ask.

"Thanks to your reminder, I almost forgot such an important matter."

Seeing Qin Yao about to speak, Liu Ji looked forward with a smile.

"Have you finished the homework Gongliang Liao assigned you?"

Liu Ji’s smile instantly disappeared.

Qin Yao, amused, picked up the letter she had just placed on the table and handed it to him, "The caravan just returned from the Prefecture, your teacher asked them to bring a message for you through me. He’ll be back in ten days, here’s his letter for you. Take your time to read it, I’m heading out to work."

After speaking, she left Liu Ji, who looked as if he had been struck by lightning, gave him a gloating glance, and walked out with big strides.

Liu Ji quickly opened the letter, and upon seeing the familiar handwriting, his face turned ashen.

It’s over!

More than half of the homework is still unfinished!

....

During spring sowing, the drizzle was continuous, the air was filled with a damp smell, mixed with the scent of earth.

In the fields, farmers wore raincoats, slowly walking while manually holding iron plows, turning and breaking the hard soil.

On the country roads, villagers hurried by, carrying large loads of farmyard manure on their shoulders, which they spread evenly in the plowed fields as natural fertilizer.

Occasionally, a few drops fell on the road surface, so this season in Liu Family Village, the air was always filled with an indescribable smell.

Not enough to suffocate anyone, but definitely unpleasant.

Qin Yao, holding a cloth bag of watermelon seeds, came to the community seedling room, holding her breath.

With the experience from the previous year, Liu Gong, Mrs. Qiu, and others could handle the seedling cultivation completely this year, so Qin Yao only needed to come at key points to help control the process.

A few days ago, villagers had asked about the watermelon seeds, and today, having found some time, Qin Yao called the villagers who wanted the seeds to the seedling room to prepare for distribution.

Of course, it was not free. After getting her seeds, they had to give her twenty percent of the first crop grown.

This was a risk-free deal, so many people came.

Qin Yao was not very knowledgeable about watermelon cultivation. Last year was a lucky success by experiment; with so many people wanting to take her seeds to plant this year, Qin Yao dared not be reckless and called Mrs. Zhang, an expert gardener, over.

After all, watermelon is still a melon, and fundamentally similar to vegetable planting.

The light rain from the sky couldn’t dampen the villagers’ enthusiasm for planting watermelons.

As soon as Qin Yao arrived at the seedling room, a large number of villagers, dressed in raincoats, followed her in.

The seedling room couldn’t accommodate so many people, so Qin Yao had them line up at the door, and everyone waited eagerly outside in the rain without complaint.

"I’ll say the ugly words first," Qin Yao said, raising the bag in her hand, "We have only so many seeds, each one is precious, so I hope after you take them back, you won’t just leave them aside and neglect them."

"Also!" She paused, adopting a serious tone: "I will only give seeds to people who genuinely want to plant them. For those who are just here to join the excitement and grab a bargain, I suggest you withdraw now to avoid embarrassment later."

Upon hearing this, some people in the crowd showed disappointed expressions, but since they were already there, they might as well give it a shot.

Last year, Manager Bai came to collect watermelons from Qin Yao’s house, and they were worth two hundred cents each!

So, these were not merely watermelons; they were like golden melons.

Planting them guaranteed a profit.

Hence, everyone assured her that they were serious and would not waste these precious seeds.

Qin Yao nodded slightly and asked again before distributing the seeds, "Do you all know my rules?"

The crowd replied, "Yes, yes, don’t worry, Miss Qin. Once we grow watermelons, giving you even fifty percent would be justified!"

Only then did Qin Yao invite Mrs. Zhang over, "Mother, you handle the seed distribution, and I will take care of the registration."

There were twenty-seven people present, five of whom were notoriously poor in the village. During last year’s famine, they had borrowed food from the clan and still couldn’t repay it this year, hoping to plant watermelons and pay off their debts.

These five were particularly serious; after receiving the seeds, they were about to kneel and bow to Qin Yao, startling her from her records.

"Stand up!" With a tug from Qin Yao, the kneeling person was pulled entirely upright, even slightly lifting off the ground, like picking up a little chick.

The pulled person was instead startled, took a few seconds to regain balance, and then deeply bowed, stepping aside to wait for instruction from Mrs. Zhang on seedling cultivation, unable to conceal their excitement.

For some, these several dozen watermelon seeds were a trial, but for others, they were golden bricks for turning their fortune around, so the villagers’ expressions upon receiving the seeds varied.

Some were calm, some overjoyed, and others were already shedding tears of emotion.

Mrs. Zhang saw all these emotions reflected in the crowd, feeling both satisfied and gratified, her mood extremely complex.

She glanced back at Qin Yao, who was busy recording at a wobbly wooden table, and perhaps it was the light from the brazier in the seedling room behind her, but she felt this young woman was radiating brilliance.

After all the seeds were distributed, Qin Yao closed the registration book, bringing out a prepared sifter of soil and a few small, chipped clay pots with Mrs. Zhang to teach the villagers how to plant watermelon from seedling onwards.

"In fact, cultivating watermelon seedlings is similar to rice seedlings, it’s mainly about controlling temperature, humidity, and fertility..."

As Qin Yao explained, Mrs. Zhang demonstrated, adding her personal tips on growing vegetables.

When it came to vegetable planting, the villagers understood; compared to Qin Yao’s terms like temperature and humidity, Mrs. Zhang’s straightforward language resonated more with everyone.

First, soak them in warm water, like the kind that’s just slightly cool to the touch.

Soak them overnight, then wrap them in a clean damp cloth and place them in the warmest part of the house to sprout.

Since it’s March and still a bit cool, build a fire pit in the seedling room.

Or place them close to where you cook at home. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Then you’ll see if the seeds sprout.

"Everyone knows how to sprout bean sprouts, right? Yao Niang says it’s about the same as sprouting bean sprouts. Once they start sprouting, you can scatter them on a prepared seedbed, and water them a bit to make them grow faster," Mrs. Zhang explained.

The villagers nodded in sudden understanding, finding it simple; after all, they had worked in the fields, it wasn’t difficult.

Qin Yao reminded them, "Choose a good spot for the watermelon field, with high terrain, loose soil, and plenty of sunshine throughout the day."

"Can’t other fields be used?"

A curious voice suddenly inquired from behind the villagers, the tone filled with interest, as if having listened for a while.

Qin Yao curiously looked up, seeing Song Zhang in plain clothes, holding a horse, with a follower also holding a horse behind him. The master and servant duo stood outside the crowd, nodding slightly at her.

The villagers did not know who this was, but seeing the person dressed plainly yet elegantly, unlike ordinary people, they courteously made way for him.