Courtyard House: Rebirth of a Shopkeeper in 1937

After a peaceful night's sleep, the first rays of dawn broke through the clouds, illuminating the mountains and fields and dispelling the heavy thoughts of the previous night. Today was the day the villagers had agreed to harvest the potatoes from the seed breeding base. As soon as it was light, the village boys rose, each carrying a bamboo basket and a light hoe, and headed in groups to the seed breeding base outside the village to dig up the potato seedlings that carried the hopes of the entire village for a bountiful harvest.

Everyone knew perfectly well that these potatoes weren't ordinary food crops; they were the core seed source for the entire village's expanded planting next year, and there was no room for carelessness. If they used large hoes to dig them up forcefully, they would easily damage the tubers, wasting precious seeds and months of hard work, and they would certainly be severely reprimanded by their elders when they got home. Therefore, no one dared to be greedy or lazy; everyone patiently squatted between the ridges, carefully digging and gently turning the soil around the roots with small hoes.

Everyone was meticulous. After digging up a plant, they carefully combed through the soil around its roots. If they encountered a plant with few tubers, they would dig a deep circle around the rootstock and check repeatedly, making sure not to miss any potato hidden in the soil, for fear of missing even a single seed and wasting months of careful care.

Although this batch of improved potatoes didn't grow as dramatically or produce as large tubers as the first trial planting last year, they still far surpassed ordinary varieties. Every time a plump, round potato, about the size of a fist, was dug out of the soil intact, covered in moist black mud and brimming with vitality, it would always elicit gasps of surprise from the surrounding farmers. The sounds of delight echoed through the fields, washing away the dullness of autumn labor and filling the air with the joy of a bountiful harvest.

The manual digging was already slow, and everyone had to sort the potatoes as they dug. They had to strictly separate the good-looking, plump, and healthy potatoes suitable for seed from the smaller, slightly flawed potatoes that were only edible. The process was tedious, but everyone was meticulous. Fortunately, there were enough young people from the village to help, and they worked together in an orderly manner. From the first light of dawn until sunset, all the potatoes in the entire field were harvested and sorted.

The edge of the field was already bustling with activity. The eldest and second eldest brothers were weighing the potatoes with the village uncles. Baskets of plump potatoes were neatly stacked, and the weighing and counting were carried out in an orderly manner. Gui Xiang squatted to the side, holding a small notebook and charcoal pencil, carefully recording the weight of each basket. Her handwriting was neat, her accounts were clear, and there was not a single mistake.

After the last basket of potatoes was weighed and the data was tallied, the final yield shocked everyone present, leaving them in disbelief. From a mere six-tenths of an acre, the total yield reached over 4,900 jin (approximately 2,450 kg), just shy of breaking the 5,000 jin (approximately 2,500 kg) mark. Even after deducting the hundred-odd jin (approximately 200 catties) of soil and impurities attached to the baskets, the net yield per mu (approximately 0.067 hectares) still firmly exceeded 8,000 jin (approximately 4,000 kg)!

The astonishing yield instantly caused a sensation throughout the area. The news spread rapidly along the field ridges, reaching the entire village in a short time, attracting villagers from near and far to gather and witness the spectacle. Several elderly people, accustomed to the barren land and low yields of their lives, trudged through the crowd. Their withered, cracked hands gently stroked the plump, round potatoes in their baskets, their fingertips trembling slightly, and their cloudy eyes instantly filled with tears. Having endured years of famine and hardship, they gazed upon this extraordinary harvest, their throats choked with emotion, speechless several times, finally managing to utter, with all their remaining strength, the hoarse yet powerful words: "Good! Good! Truly good!"

As agreed upon beforehand, the Song family received over 1,400 jin of potato seeds, filling several large baskets—a heavy load brimming with confidence for a bountiful harvest. The villagers carried the potatoes back slowly, whispering excitedly along the way, their voices filled with excitement and anticipation. It's important to understand that in these times, the highest yield of potatoes per mu (a Chinese unit of area, approximately 0.165 acres) for ordinary farmers was only 700-800 jin, and in poorer fields, even only 300-400 jin. Year after year, their harvest depended entirely on the weather, resulting in meager yields. This nearly tenfold increase in yield from the improved potato variety completely shattered everyone's expectations, injecting immense confidence into the entire village.

A sense of anticipation ignited in everyone's hearts. If this small patch of potatoes could yield such an astonishing harvest, the high-yield sweet potatoes, already being promoted throughout the village and soon to be harvested in large quantities, would certainly not disappoint. In times of chaos and famine, food is the most tangible source of security. The exceptionally high yield of this improved crop brought vibrant life to the mountain village, which was shrouded in heavy taxes and the shadow of war. It allowed the elderly, who had already resorted to drinking herbal teas for sustenance, and the emaciated children to have an extra mouth to eat, and gave the entire village a real glimmer of hope for resisting famine and living a peaceful life.

Just in time for the autumn harvest, my elder brother's Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and the harvest holiday coincided, giving him a full two weeks of free time. The experimental fields we all planted together, my maternal grandfather's fields, and the new late-season rice varieties that each family had contracted to grow in cooperation with the Song family were all ripe and ready for harvest. Looking out, the fields were a sea of ​​golden waves, the heavy ears of rice drooping low, the air filled with a delicate fragrance – a scene of abundance and joy, a testament to a bountiful harvest year after year.

Earlier, my grandfather had been secretly worried about not having enough manpower for the autumn harvest and planned to ask neighbors to help out so he could easily manage the work. Unexpectedly, as soon as the news of the labor exchange spread, without my grandfather even having to personally invite them, the villagers spontaneously gathered around. Everyone had prepared their sickles and farm tools early and came eagerly to help, their attitude exceptionally warm. They said they didn't need to exchange labor or ask for payment; they would be content if they could get priority in buying some new late-season rice seeds after the harvest.

Since the bumper harvest of early rice this summer, the reputation of the new rice variety's exceptionally high yield has spread throughout the surrounding villages. Every household has witnessed its growth and harvest, far surpassing that of traditional rice. Now, each family has only enough early rice left for their own planting, with no surplus whatsoever. Many distant relatives from other villages and villagers from surrounding areas came to ask for seeds, only to leave empty-handed, filled with regret. Everyone knows that in turbulent times, good seeds are more precious than anything else; a moment's hesitation means missing out on these improved late-season rice varieties.

Many lodgings also occurred in these newly planted late-season rice fields, but the extent was much less severe than that of the early-season rice this summer. The rice seedlings have grown strong and robust roots, with significantly improved wind and flood resistance. It is evident that the scientific field drying and meticulous management methods implemented in the early stages were very effective, and it truly proves that the Song family's improved planting techniques can not only produce strong seedlings but also ensure a stable harvest, with tangible and visible results.

The seven mu (approximately 0.8 acres) of newly planted late-season rice in the village were growing exceptionally well, their superiority standing out starkly against the surrounding ordinary paddy fields. Busy figures could be seen everywhere in the fields; villagers who volunteered to help were full of energy and worked efficiently, some harvesting rice, some stacking the stalks, and some carrying baskets—their teamwork was impeccable. Many even brought their own large yellow buckets to thresh the rice on the spot, saving the trouble of secondary labor and significantly increasing the efficiency of the autumn harvest. With everyone working together in a fervent and enthusiastic manner, the entire paddy field was harvested, threshed, and collected in baskets in just one day—far faster and more efficient than the autumn harvest of previous years.