CHAPTER 117: 117 ONE HUNDRED ACRES

When they got home, Tan Shaoting put everything into the woodshed, using a Dust Removal Technique to clean the donkey cart as well.

The next morning, they installed the main door. It looked quite decent.

Su Yuanyuan didn’t cultivate during the day; she slept instead, thinking that one must sleep and cultivation couldn’t replace it.

Tan Shaoting also returned home to tidy up. He saw that Su Yuanyuan had already tidied up the other room, which had a kang and two stoves. This was for herself to live in as she didn’t always want to cultivate together with him.

In fact, according to Tan Shaoting’s previous habits, the biggest taboo during cultivation was having someone nearby. But since coming here, he had gotten used to having Su Yuanyuan around while cultivating.

But this wasn’t the main point. The main thing was that he could live with her, cultivate, and have meals ready-made.

When he got home, he tidied up a bit. Actually, all his belongings were in the Storage Ring. But this place could be used as a storeroom in the future.

Su Yuanyuan looked at the household items Tan Shaoting had laid out. Fortunately, it was in the west room, or else she might have complained in her heart.

Alright then, now the two of them were truly living together. Su Yuanyuan knew this was bound to happen sooner or later. They had no secrets from each other now, so they accepted it casually.

Tan Shaoting was pretty considerate. He didn’t ask questions he shouldn’t, or if she was unwilling to talk, he wouldn’t ask a second time. This way, he wouldn’t make her uncomfortable.

In the evening, when cultivating, Tan Shaoting didn’t leave. His excuse was strong; the two of them together wouldn’t disturb each other, and if one had any issues, the other would know right away.

Su Yuanyuan thought for a moment but didn’t say anything. Anyway, they could be apart when sleeping.

By mid-April, Group Leader Ma visited. He saw the spacious courtyard and noticed that Tan Shaoting was also there. He didn’t say much.

"You two are pretty fast."

"Group Leader Ma, I had prepared a lot of earth bricks earlier. We decided to team up for life, so we built the house when we had free time."

Su Yuanyuan frowned a bit at the phrase "team up for life," but after thinking, she agreed they were indeed teaming up for life. So she didn’t refute it.

"That’s fine. You are both young, so you can help each other out."

Tan Shaoting nodded with a smile.

"I’m here to deliver your tickets. Although we farm, we are officially employed, so these are the tickets issued to us. This is for last month. You’ll get them every month, but we don’t have food tickets. We have all other tickets." He handed the tickets to Tan Shaoting.

Tan Shaoting accepted them with a grin.

"Also, spring planting is up next. You two take over the remaining fifty acres from Tian Xiaohua, or else we’ll have to send someone over."

Su Yuanyuan thought about it and realized it made sense. Previously, when they didn’t cultivate, it didn’t matter if someone was nearby. But now, things were different. They could both practice at night, and if accidentally bumped into, it might scare someone and they could get caught for research, which wouldn’t be good.

So she nodded, "Okay, Group Leader Ma. I also bought a donkey. I’ll try it this year."

Ma Changshun smiled. This was the best outcome. Looking at the girl, he thought she definitely wasn’t like her parents. So he believed she could indeed cultivate a hundred acres.

In Ma Changshun’s heart, nothing was more important than farming. His mind was completely focused on the farm.

After sending off Group Leader Ma, "I’ll plan to plant fifty acres with corn and the other half with potatoes and sweet potatoes."

Tan Shaoting nodded. He’d plant in the same way. To be honest, having lived in this world for so many years, he had some knowledge about agriculture.

Su Yuanyuan led the donkey, and Tan Shaoting supported the furrow from behind. Sweet potatoes required seedling cultivation, and they planned to plant sixty acres of sweet potatoes, which required a lot of sweet potato slips.

Su Yuanyuan had several bundles of plastic film in her hands, perfect for cultivating seedlings.

"Looks like we have to work together," Tan Shaoting said with a smile.

"That would be too slow. Can’t one person both lead the animal and support the furrow from behind? My ewe could do it."

"Then give me the reins, and I’ll try. My little donkey can do it."

Su Yuanyuan watched from the side. It really worked.

"Do you think we should cover the sweet potato ridges with plastic film? That way, we wouldn’t have to weed, and it might also conserve moisture."

"We’ll know if we try. But this many acres of sweet potatoes would require a lot of plastic film."

"Then let’s buy it. It doesn’t matter if it takes a bit of effort now; it will save effort after planting."

Tan Shaoting had no objections. He did whatever Su Yuanyuan suggested.

They spent the day planting sweet potatoes in two acres; the slips were enough.

The temperature was still low at this time of year, but it was manageable with the plastic film.

After cultivating until morning, Su Yuanyuan checked the plastic film and found it dewy inside, indicating the temperature wasn’t too low.

Breakfast was vegetable buns and cornmeal porridge. "Today, we’ll start planting corn. You go find Group Leader Ma to get our corn seeds."

"Sure, I’m planting fifty acres of corn, so it’ll be a hundred acres for us."

"Okay, I’ll start planting at home. I used to soak the seeds overnight in Spiritual Spring Water; they sprout quickly and look better than others’ corn."

"Alright, I’ll go now."

Su Yuanyuan harnessed the donkey, still unable to manage the furrowing alone, so she had the ewe lead the little donkey.

Surprisingly, it worked. The ground had thawed, and it was rather moist, but the ridges were so long they seemed endless, possibly nearly five hundred meters.

Su Yuanyuan worked while thinking of the seed drill she used before. Maybe she could make a seeding box behind the plow?

The more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. After an hour, they planted seeds in two ridges and covered them with soil, then stopped.

"How’s it going?" Tan Shaoting asked upon returning.

"I’ve been thinking about attaching a box behind the plow with seeds inside, calibrated just right so it’s no longer manual. Let’s try it out now."

"Draw it for me, and I’ll make it." After all, he used to be a Golden Core Master; he could refine an artifact like this little gadget without difficulty.

Su Yuanyuan thought for a moment and drew it on paper.

If Tan Shaoting wasn’t sure about something, he asked for clarification, then went inside to make it.

To everyone’s surprise, by lunchtime, he actually made it. Su Yuanyuan tried it with her little donkey—it really worked.