Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

This new rice was a variety cultivated by Xingbao from the Spirit Spring Space. As soon as it was served, it emitted a rich, mellow aroma, mingling with the savory fragrance of the meat dishes. The mere smell was enough to whet one's appetite, making one want to eat several bowls. The texture was soft, sweet, and delicate, far superior to ordinary rice. Each bite was filled with the sweet fragrance of grains, leaving a lingering aftertaste. The village elders and the grandfather were tasting this rice for the first time. After one bite, they were full of praise, nodding repeatedly. They immediately reassessed the value of this rice variety, looking at Xingbao with admiration and amazement. They all remarked that the rice variety cultivated by the Song family would surely ensure that the villagers would have enough to eat in the future. Laughter and cheerful conversation filled the room as everyone enjoyed the food and praised the rice variety, creating a particularly lively atmosphere.

However, since there were guests present today, according to village custom, Mother and Guixiang were not allowed to eat at the table. Although Mother had prepared food in the kitchen, the portions were generous and the food tasted good, Guixiang couldn't help but feel resentful looking at the lively scene in the main room and then at herself sitting in the kitchen. She pouted and sat sullenly on a small stool, even losing her appetite for her usual favorite chicken. She fiddled with the food in her bowl with her chopsticks, barely touching it. Seeing her like this, Mother gently comforted her, but Guixiang remained uninterested, her mind filled with the laughter and joy in the main room, and the more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.

By afternoon, after seeing off all the guests who had come for a meal and tidying up the tables and chairs in the main room, Guixiang was still sitting on a small stool in the kitchen, her head drooping, looking rather unenthusiastic. Seeing his sister like this, Xingbao remembered his promise to her the day before, so he quietly got up and went to the back room. He dug up some fine, clean yellow soil, brought over a bowl of water, and squatted at the entrance of the bamboo house, slowly mixing and shaping the clay, intending to make a truck model for Guixiang to cheer her up.

In no time, a well-defined mud truck model with a cab and cargo box was finished. Xingbao even made the wheels movable, carved the windows out of twigs, and drew a driver. He proudly held the still-dry model in his hands and walked up to Guixiang, stretching out his hands: "Sister, look, this is the truck model I promised to make for you. As long as these four wheels dry, you can push it around."

Gui Xiang looked up and saw the mud truck in Xing Bao's hands. Her eyes lit up instantly, all her previous grievances and unhappiness vanishing. She quickly took the model, carefully holding it in her hands, examining it closely, and a smile slowly spread across her lips. To let more people see this surprise, she even ran to the door, took Xing Bao's flute, and played a few clear tunes, calling over her friends from the base to watch. The friends gathered around, looking at the novel truck model, exclaiming in admiration and discussing it amongst themselves. Gui Xiang stood in the middle of the crowd, holding the model, her face full of joy; her previous sullenness had completely disappeared.

This year, when it came time to pay the summer tax, the villagers finally breathed a sigh of relief. Thanks to the large number of people fleeing the disaster this year, coarse grains in the countryside had become scarce commodities. Everyone managed to raise some money by selling their own sweet potatoes, potatoes, and other grains, which was enough to cover the summer tax. Except for a few households that were genuinely short of money and had arranged with the village head to pay a few days later, everyone else paid in full. No one had to sell their own food rations to make ends meet. The Song family's life, too, progressed steadily amidst this peace and busyness.

As the double harvest season came to a close and summer taxes were paid in full, the rice transplanters made by the Song family gradually began to appear in households in the surrounding villages. Initially, the villagers were filled with curiosity about this time-saving and labor-saving new machine, flocking to the homes of those who owned it to watch and try it out. Even the elderly, who usually disliked crowds, would gather around to see this novelty. But soon, this initial excitement faded, and everyone's focus returned to what mattered most—this year's early rice yield. Food is the most important thing for people, and the success of the harvest is always the most discussed and timeless topic in the countryside, more affecting people's hearts than any new invention.

Earlier, the Song family had spearheaded a cooperative rice-growing project with other villagers, and the yields of the several paddy fields had already quietly spread throughout the surrounding villages through kinship ties. The experimental field, in particular, personally tended by Xingbao and his group, had an astonishingly high yield, reaching 780 jin per mu (approximately 340 kg per hectare). The heavy rice ears bent the stalks, and the plump grains were incredibly tempting. Coupled with the previously circulated, almost miraculous, claims of composting that could double crop growth and produce fuller grains, villagers from surrounding areas eagerly inquired and tried to replicate the high-yield rice.

Especially after the tasting ceremony, the villagers who ate rice made from the new rice variety had a new appreciation for this high-yield rice, praising its sweet taste and plump grains, saying it was far superior to ordinary rice varieties. Suddenly, people carrying large and small bags, ostensibly visiting relatives, flocked to the village. Most of these people were there for the rice seeds and composting methods from the experimental fields. Even those who weren't there, upon hearing the news, would inquire with their relatives, unwilling to miss such a great opportunity. When they left, they all walked briskly, clutching their packages tightly, their faces beaming with undisguised smiles. Clearly, they had obtained the rice seeds and planting tips they wanted, and were happily preparing to go home and try planting them.

These days, many aunties and sisters-in-law from neighboring villages have been coming to Song's shop, specifically to buy rice seeds from her mother. It's obvious to anyone with eyes that most of the seeds they're buying are for their relatives back home, hoping their families can also grow high-yield rice and harvest more grain next year. Fortunately, the surrounding villages are all small mountain villages, and each family's paddy field area is not large, so the demand for rice seeds is limited. Otherwise, the village's new rice seeds would have yielded only a little over three thousand catties of rice, just enough for their own village's distribution, not enough to share elsewhere, and it would likely have caused a scramble.

Ke Xingbao knew that these people had only bought high-yield rice seeds but hadn't mastered the corresponding planting techniques. Even if they planted them, they wouldn't be able to take full advantage of the rice seeds, and the yield wouldn't be high. In fact, there might be many empty grains and uneven growth. Planting these unstable rice seeds a few more times would accelerate their degeneration and be a complete waste! After thinking it over, he had no choice but to have his mother carefully explain the process to the aunties and sisters-in-law who came to buy rice seeds, and also have them spread the word—after all, most of these new rice seeds were distributed to the villagers, and through their words, more people could learn about the key points of planting.

Following Xingbao's instructions, Mother explained the pros and cons to everyone: "This new rice variety is precious. When transplanting, only two seedlings should be planted per hole. If your own field is fertile, you can only plant them a little denser at most. Remember not to be greedy, otherwise the seedlings will not grow strong and will easily lodge. Subsequent field management and fertilizer supply must also keep up. The water level must be well controlled, and compost must be applied sufficiently. If you really want to achieve high yields, it is best to come to our village and learn the complete planting techniques from the children at the base. Learn the details of water control, fertilization, and field management thoroughly, so as not to waste this good rice variety."

The women who came to buy rice seeds nodded in agreement, saying they would definitely explain the key points to their families. Many even promised on the spot that they would bring their relatives to the village to learn the techniques once they finished their work. The word had spread; only time would tell how well the rice would turn out.