Courtyard House: My Hidden Wheat Seeds Caused a National Sensation

Even if you occasionally come across a seedling that is changing in the ideal direction, it often cannot pass on its traits to its offspring.

He tried, he waited, and finally realized that this was not a reliable path.

Back in his office, he spread out the papers and took out the beans that had been soaked in the medicine.

Soybeans—which can be used to extract oil and are rich in plant protein—are the golden seeds that the land gives to humankind.

He picked up a pearl and examined it against the light, but his thoughts drifted back to another time and space.

That year, the US drove soybean prices sky-high, leaving the Chinese with empty granaries and forcing them to grit their teeth and eat the expensive grain.

No sooner had the transaction been completed than news of a bountiful harvest arrived from across the ocean, causing international prices to plummet.

More than eight billion yuan evaporated in the tide of numbers.

Are you angry? Of course.

But anger is as insignificant as chaff before a monarchy built on grain.

Whoever holds the seed holds the pulse of civilization in their hands.

As I was concentrating, two lines of luminous blue text suddenly appeared in my field of vision:

Achieving a soybean yield of 400 jin per mu

milestone.

】

[Reward: Design drawing of a small mobile sprinkler irrigation machine]

】

Raindrops tapped against the windowpane, making a soft, rhythmic sound.

Li Jianye's gaze fell on the newly appeared text on the system interface, and his breath hitched slightly.

Design drawings for a sprinkler irrigation system.

They came at just the right time.

He closed his eyes, and what flowed through his mind was no longer just the lines and numbers on the blueprints.

The understanding imparted by the system was like a tide, clearly imprinting every part, every process, and every mechanical principle into the depths of his mind.

When he opened his eyes again, the stack of sketches spread out on the table, drawn on the most common paper of the time, were clearly his own handwriting.

This is more than just blueprints.

This is a key.

Over the past period, he has been observing this "magical farm" in his mind.

It's no longer unfamiliar.

It's like a nursery that transcends reality, where sunlight, rain, temperature, and the subtle components of the soil can all be adjusted by his mind.

He can sow, observe, and accelerate time within it, witnessing crops go through their entire life cycle in an instant.

Each successful cultivation, reaching a certain threshold—such as a yield of 400 jin of soybeans per mu—can unlock an "achievement."

In return, they receive gifts from the farm itself or its related creations.

However, the criteria for judging achievement are extremely stringent.

The output must be achieved under the most ordinary and common natural conditions; any additional optimization due to external factors will be excluded.

This is precisely the source of his confidence when he publicly announced those astonishing yield figures per acre: what he presented was a solid and reproducible result, stripped of all luck and exceptions.

The next target for soybeans is a yield of 1,000 jin per mu.

He knew how difficult it was.

Even in the era he came to, this number was almost the limit, a threshold that could only be reached by combining favorable timing, location, and cutting-edge technology.

Here, he can only rely on the power of the seed itself, in the "ordinary" realm.

We explored and improved the soil and climate little by little.

The sound of rain outside the window gradually subsided.

Li Jianye gazed at the hazy sky, his thoughts drifting far away.

He knew perfectly well that what followed would be a long drought.

The rain was just a brief respite.

Existing irrigation methods are cumbersome and inefficient, and fixed sprinkler systems are expensive, which is like drawing a line in the sand and is just a drop in the ocean when faced with vast and thirsty land.

This is a "small mobile sprinkler irrigation machine" in my hand.

The blueprints were like a timely rain.

It is lightweight, flexible, and can evenly distribute water over a wider area at a lower cost.

If this method could be promoted, it could save countless seedlings on the verge of drying up.

The only obstacle is rubber.

Those flexible pipes require rubber, and in this era, rubber is a scarce strategic material, every inch of which is vital to the pulse of national defense and industry.

He needs support.

Without hesitation, Li Jianye picked up the black telephone on the table.

He heard the dial tone indicating a transfer, and a moment later, he received a positive response.

He put down the phone, put on his coat, and pushed open the door to walk into the gradually stopping rain.

The bicycle rolled over the wet road, heading towards the heavily guarded place.

After several rigorous checks, he met the old man.

"Is Xiao Li here?"

Mr. H looked up from behind the desk piled with documents, a gentle smile on his face, and gestured for him to come closer.

The old man got up himself, took out a ceramic jar from a cabinet, pinched out a small amount of tea leaves, brewed a cup of tea, and pushed it in front of him.

"Try this, it's freshly made, see if it suits your taste."

"You're too kind, Mr. H."

Li Jianye quickly stepped forward, bowed, and accepted the cup of warm tea.

A refreshing aroma wafted out, and he took a sip as instructed. The tea soup moistened his throat, leaving a faint aftertaste.

He carefully put down the teacup and took out the now-thick stack of drawings from his bag.

The tea soup is clear and bright, with a rich aroma, and a mellow taste with a lingering sweet aftertaste.

Li Jianye swallowed the hot tea, a warm sensation spreading through his throat, leaving a lingering, elegant aftertaste.

"This must be the Lu'an Melon Seed tea that Old Hu favors, right?"

He understood perfectly, but on his face he only showed a simple smile, exclaiming like a farmer seeing fine tea for the first time, "This is truly excellent tea!"

Upon hearing this, Old Hu laughed and took out a flat iron box from deep inside the drawer.

"I guessed you'd like it, so I'll take it home and enjoy it slowly."

Li Jianye accepted the tin box with both hands without hesitation, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

The two chatted about everyday things and asked about each other's recent situations before getting down to business.

"Mr. Hu, I've come to see you today mainly about three things."

Li Jianye took out a stack of papers covered with writing from his pocket. "The first one is this."

Old Hu took the stack of manuscripts and initially just flipped through them casually, but his expression gradually became serious.

His fingers trembled slightly, the pages rustled softly, and finally, tears welled up in his eyes.

He put down the paper, stared intently at Li Jianye, and asked with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice, "Is what's written here... really feasible?"

"Absolutely true."

"Okay...okay!"

Old Hu spoke repeatedly, then suddenly fell silent. After a long while, he sighed softly, "If this thing had appeared sooner... perhaps the children at Changjin Lake would have suffered less from the cold."

Li Jianye lowered his gaze and did not reply.

He recalled the timing of his arrival in this era and felt a sense of powerlessness.

"Xiao Li, I'll remember your kindness."

Old Hu slowly calmed down, his eyes full of praise. "The down jacket incident is of great significance. You have made a great contribution."

Those light yet warm clothes were originally an invention born in another distant land, and were once used as a means of protection in the bitter cold.

The local people did not gradually come to know the wonders of this thing until many years later.

But starting today, some trajectories have quietly shifted.

"I immediately arranged for people to start trial production."

Old Hu said seriously, "According to the rules, the reward can only be issued after the finished product is verified. You will have to wait patiently."

"I didn't do this for the reward."

Li Jianye scratched his head, revealing a simple expression, "I was just thinking that if it could help people suffer less from the cold, it would be good."

Old Hu looked at him, his gaze becoming increasingly gentle.

"Good boy."

You just said there was a second thing?

"I figured out a small, mobile sprinkler irrigation machine myself."

Li Jianye sat up straight. "We urgently need a batch of rubber pipes."

"Rubber hose?"

Old Hu frowned slightly.

Last year, the country's first synthetic rubber plant went into operation. Although the output was still limited, demand from all over the world was already pouring in.

Allocating a batch of specialized hoses is no easy task.

"Is this sprinkler system really that important?"

"Extremely important."

Li Jianye said in a somber tone, "Based on my prediction, the drought may worsen in the next few years."

With this machine, the damage from drought can be minimized.

Otherwise...if the harvest fails, countless people will go hungry.

Old Hu's expression suddenly turned solemn: "Are you sure a severe drought is coming?"

"There are already signs."

Li Jianye said in a low voice, "The signs of a food shortage are already emerging, and we must be on guard."

All hopes for the autumn harvest rest on this season's grain.

If another drought occurs, the rice and corn harvests will likely suffer severe losses.

—The continuous rains at the end of summer have already reduced the wheat yield. If the autumn harvest cannot be saved, the days ahead will be difficult.

"I need to discuss this with everyone."

He paused for a moment before speaking, "I'll give you a definite answer as soon as possible."

"But whatever the outcome of the negotiations, I will approve the rubber you requested."

"thank you!"

Li Jianye felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

This trust is weighty and more precious than anything else.

"There's a third one,"

He paused, lowering his voice, "I need a pass that allows me to travel throughout the country."

These days, you can't get anywhere without a letter of introduction. He needs a universal one to travel freely between different places.

"Nationwide travel permit?"

The other person paused, then asked, "What are you planning to do?"

"As you know, signs of disaster are already appearing, and this year... is likely to be difficult."

"yes."

A sigh fell.

He was well aware of the country's predicament. But with a shortage of foreign exchange, not only could grain not be imported, but exports had to be reduced to exchange for machinery and technology—it was difficult, truly difficult.

"The granaries are almost empty... Fortunately, your high-yield wheat varieties can be promoted this year. If we can get through these next few years, things will get better."

"Actually, it's okay not to plant that wheat."

"What?"

"I can increase wheat yields even further—and not just wheat, but also corn, rice, peanuts, soybeans… all of them can be even more productive."

"How should I bring it up?"

"Go to the wild and find better seeds."

"Wild land?"

"right."

Li Jianye nodded and explained the vitality hidden in wild crops in the simplest terms: "Disasters are calamities, but also opportunities."

Wild rice and wild grains that can survive famine years have an inherent resilience.

"If I leave this resilience behind, our crops will grow stronger."

You're right.

The other person pondered for a moment, a layer of respect gradually rising in their eyes, "So you're going to travel all over the country to find bastards? This kind of hardship is not something an ordinary person can endure... In this year, there's no food or water in the desolate mountains and wilderness. Even if you stumble upon a village, they may not have any surplus food to share with you."

"That's too dangerous. I can't let you take that risk."

"Let me go."

Li Jianye pleaded once again.

With the system at his disposal, his food sack will never be empty, and he won't starve.

At this moment, all he wanted was to quickly disappear into the mountains and forests, so that if he were to produce high-yield seeds later, he could rightfully attribute it to "good luck finding them in the wild."

—That way, no one will suspect anything.

But the other party didn't know any of this.

In the old man's eyes, this was simply walking down a dead end.

In famine years when there is no food, if you venture alone into the wilderness, you will either starve to death or collapse from exhaustion in some ditch and never rise again.

"What's the difference between this and suicide?"

The voice carried a hint of reproach, "If you're going to search, you should mobilize the masses to search together."

"No!"

Li Jianye blurted it out.

How could outsiders distinguish which were truly wild crops and which were not considered good?

What's even more worrying is that someone might use plants grown in the garden to fill the quota, which would only add more trouble to the breeding process.

Besides, my trip wasn't just about finding crops—I wanted to bring a camera to photograph some edible mushrooms along the way, compile them into a booklet, and teach everyone how to grow mushrooms.

Isn't this also giving us another way to make a living?

"But……"

"I understand what the leadership is worried about."

No problem, just give me more national food coupons, I can carry dry rations on the road.

"Don't worry, I'm not willing to lose my life until things are done."

"You!"

Mr. H shook his head and sighed, ultimately unable to persuade Li Jianye.

"This matter needs to be discussed at the meeting."

"Once I have news, I'll send someone to pick you up, and we'll discuss the rubber matter together."

"good!"

Li Jianye's face immediately lit up with joy.

"Thank you, sir!"

He chatted with them for a while longer before putting away the tea leaves, humming a little tune as he left.

A weight was lifted from my heart. I was just waiting for a few days to go out and take out the seeds that I had prepared beforehand.