You were made to farm, and now you're the emperor of an empire?

Chapter 121 Autumn Plowing and the First Snow
The autumn harvest celebration was lively and bustling; we ate until we were completely stuffed and drank until we were completely drunk.

Even at midnight, campfires were still burning.

There's a strong tendency for all-night revelry.

Roman didn't stop it either.

These idiots have been busy for half a year, what's wrong with them enjoying a couple of days of relaxation?

The day after the celebration, everyone returned to their respective jobs.

Because autumn plowing has begun.

Farming allows no respite; after the harvest, one must return to the labor.

Now that it is late autumn, the cold winds from the far north ice fields are gradually blowing towards the black iron land, and the northern land has entered the harsh season early.

Surrounded by mountains that block the cold winds, Sige Town remains in a clear, crisp autumn, with no signs of winter yet.

However, the daily temperature drop is subtly noticeable.

It's still not too late to plant a round of winter wheat!
Roman takes this autumn planting very seriously. To put it bluntly, the main food supply for Sige Town next year will all come from this winter wheat harvest.

He made thorough preparations for this.

The next step is to plow and till the land deeply, turn the soil over again, and accelerate soil maturation.

When sowing, 1,500 catties of peat and manure must be raked into each acre to turn into nutrient soil, allowing the winter wheat seedlings to spend the whole winter in the most comfortable and nutrient-rich environment, accumulating a lot of energy for the harvest the following year.

This time, he increased the amount of wheat seeds per mu to 40 jin, aiming to increase yield by increasing the sowing rate.

Plant it hard!

Grow really fast!

Roman increased the planting area of ​​winter wheat to 10,000 mu this time - in addition to the 6,000 mu of land that had been cultivated, an additional 4,000 mu of carefully selected land with a foundation for cultivation was added.

Such a vast area of ​​arable land is naturally not just one piece, but is distributed throughout Sige Town.

Steel farm implements have greatly improved production efficiency.

Now, Sige Town has no shortage of steel or livestock, and the old, inferior heavy plows have been phased out.

More than 700 oxen and draft horses pulled sharp, brand-new steel plows, turning over the deep black soil and bringing out the insect eggs and grass seeds buried in the soil. These were turned to the top layer and left to dry and freeze to death.

The benefits of autumn planting are greater than those of spring planting, and Roman would not miss this opportunity no matter what.

He fed the oxen and draft horses unlimited amounts of soybean concentrate, allowing them to plow the land to the maximum extent possible. With the idea of ​​using them to the extreme, he finished the deep plowing task on the seventh day.

Sowing and fertilizing are much simpler.

Last time, Roman was worried that the soil and manure were not fertile enough, so he used strip sowing and strip fertilization.

Nowadays, broadcasting is used. You just need to spread the wheat seeds as evenly as possible on the ground, then throw 1,500 kilograms of peat moss and manure into each plot of land, rake it up, and bury the seeds in the loose soil.

This sowing method yields higher yields than row sowing, but the downside is that it requires even spreading, so clumsy farmers are extra careful.

This pleased Roman; as long as one is patient enough and masters the right methods, the output will not be low.

Numerous farmers toil diligently in the fields every day, sowing and working, their figures stretching to the horizon.

Although the autumn plowing task was arduous, there were plenty of people available. In addition, they worked more than ten hours a day, plowing and deep tilling while sowing seeds and fertilizing. In about ten days, the task was almost completed.

Roman discovered that there was actually some time to spare.

The mountains block the cold air, and the temperature in the basin has not yet dropped completely.

Roman then urged them to hurry up and plant 300 mu of cabbage, 400 mu of radishes, 500 mu of turnips, as well as lettuce, onions, garlic and other vegetable crops.

Although the individual cultivated area is not large, all of them add up to two thousand acres.

Plant as many vegetables as possible that can survive the winter, because if you miss the opportunity, you'll have to wait until next year.

Each crop has a small planting area, but it is quite troublesome to grow.

Because the land was fallow, it was covered with withered weeds and shrubs, and it was impossible to tell that it was farmland.

First, they burned the wasteland to cultivate the land, then plowed and turned the soil, cleared away debris, and applied a lot of peat fertilizer.

Another ten days have passed.

Finally, the vegetable seeds were planted in the soil.

The manpower and time mobilized for this autumn plowing were so extravagant that salt production and iron smelting were completely halted.

Everyone is looking forward to the harvest next year.

It was at this time that this basin received its first snowfall. ...

Autumn plowing ended rather late.

If it were outside, it would definitely be impossible to grow vegetables.

The approaching cold wave will kill those seeds that haven't even had a chance to sprout.

Fine snowflakes drifted down from the vast sky, like pear petals, landing on the black soil that had been recently tilled, melting away completely and without a trace in the blink of an eye.

The wind wasn't strong, and the snowfall wasn't heavy either; it felt light and airy, unlike winter.

Is this winter in the Black Iron Land?
Agatha sat by the window, gazing into the distance, as if trying to discern the workings of some grand will in the obscure sky.

This is the mess camp, and those familiar with the area also call it the "Big Kitchen."

It started as a large, simple shack, but a summer downpour damaged it, causing the wooden pillars to collapse and one corner to fall.

Fortunately, they were living in a livestock shed at the time and didn't get soaked.

Later, it was transformed into a professional kitchen with a chimney, oven, and stove.

During that hot summer, the young adult had supervised the work of the bricklayers here.

He also personally built the tallest chimney, saving them from the suffering of smoke and fire.

His kitchen layout was also unique, divided into several different areas: baking pastries, washing and chopping vegetables, cooking and simmering porridge. Each task had its corresponding place, with various cooking utensils arranged in categories, and dozens of cast iron pots sitting on the stove.

More than 300 people are busy here every day.

Not everyone has to cook; some are responsible for delivering meals, while others are responsible for serving, collecting, and washing dishes.

There are also special diets that can only be provided to the guards who are undergoing training.

Her job was relatively simple; she only needed to stand by the ovens and wait for the bread to come out.

They bake three to four thousand whole wheat loaves of bread every day.

A row of bellows ovens over two meters high, with six racks, each capable of holding 30 loaves of bread. They can be baked in twenty or thirty minutes. It's not tiring, but sometimes I have to work overtime at night.

After the bread comes out of the oven, let it cool and harden, then slice it with a guillotine; one loaf of bread can be cut into ten slices.

At first, I was a bit flustered, but after getting used to it, it became normal. After finishing my tasks, I could just daydream for the rest of the time.

The snow in early winter was pure white and sparkling, the same color as her hair.

But she had never seen snow so gentle.

It was like lying on a warm bed, the fireplace roaring, waking up from a sweet dream, gently opening her eyes, feeling completely relaxed...

This is the snow on this land.

But Agata still remembers that the snow in her former homeland, that northern land, was not like that.

It comes from the harshness of the gods, and the ancient souls buried in that land wander all day long, so the blizzard never dissipates.

Frozen soil cannot grow grain.

The grain would be taken away by noblemen and priests.

The noble lord took away the grain, trained soldiers, and rushed into the vortex of war.

In those vague legends, the people of Wandong could not escape the northern lands, and only the guardian deity could save them.

The once self-proclaimed guardian clan of the Winter Kings have lost power and the ability to protect them from the wind and snow.

They had no way to survive under the lash of the god of wind and snow; their only option was to flee...

Agatha stared blankly for a long time.

As she recalled those ancient legends, too distant to remember, she couldn't help but shudder. She averted her gaze as if trying to escape, fearing that the howling snowstorm from the north would relentlessly pursue this land, turning it into a land of misery and freezing all life to death.

Will not!
Agatha comforted himself and turned his gaze to the baby girl beside him.

That adorable rosy face, those tiny, delicate white hairs, and that even, steady breathing all indicate that this is an extremely energetic child.

She has completely weathered that crisis and is now soundly asleep in her dreams.

Agatha told himself.

From now on, the bitter fate from the northern lands will never again entangle her; the guardian deity will protect her! That great one will protect her!
……

(End of this chapter)