Chapter 166: The Wheat Harvest in Zhang Family Village

"Ping'an, come in and sit for a while." Zhang Ping'an was just about to head home when he was pulled back by Yan Bugui; he didn't know what this old codger wanted now.

"Alright."

"Ping'an, does your factory have any plans to expand recruitment this year?"

"I haven't heard anything, but I feel it's unlikely; after all, they just hired four or five thousand people last year."

"I see."

"What's the matter, Teacher Yan?"

"I'm just thinking about finding a job for Jiecheng."

"Huh? Isn't Jiecheng still in school?"

"I don't know why, but I have a feeling he won't pass the entrance exam for technical school this time either. Ping'an, who do you think Jiecheng takes after? Your sister-in-law is quite sharp, and I'm not stupid—I even went to university—yet he doesn't seem to have inherited any of it."

"……"

"Forget it, forget it. Let's wait until the middle school entrance exam is over."

Yan Bugui looked a bit dispirited; clearly, he had been hit hard by Yan Jiecheng's lack of academic talent. The little old man, who was usually cheerful every day, was now looking utterly miserable.

"Teacher Yan, I think perhaps Jiecheng isn't cut out for studying, but he might do just fine once he starts working."

"I hope so. Ping'an, keep an eye out for me once your factory has any openings."

"Alright."

After being delayed at Yan Bugui's house for five minutes, he returned home.

"Brother Ping'an, why are you back so soon?"

"That girl has someone protecting her; it's that person named A Biao from the other day."

Zhang Ping'an thought it didn't seem right—how could Lou Bancheng feel at ease letting Lou Xiao'e run so far away to visit them alone? Sure enough, someone was following in secret to protect her.

"Oh, that's good then."

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was May. Under Zhang Ping'an's guidance, Wang Xiaoling had already broken through to the fifty-ninth form of the Eighty-one Forms of Body Refining; there was a real chance she would break through all eighty-one forms this year.

Wang Xiaoling's fair skin became even more elastic and lustrous, making Zhang Ping'an unable to keep his hands off her. Now, he didn't even need to urge her every day; Wang Xiaoling was full of motivation herself.

"Brother Ping'an, can I really expel impurities from my body by performing the whole set of movements?"

"Of course you can. Look at you—you've only been practicing for a few months, and you already have the ability to parry when 'fighting' with me."

"Oh, stop it~ I'm talking to you seriously."

"Hehehe."

On this day off, Lou Xiao'e came over to mooch a meal again, though she never came empty-handed.

"Sister Xiao Ling, why do I feel like you seem different?"

Wang Xiaoling was secretly delighted. Several people had asked her this question this month, which made her even more determined to keep going.

"Hey, what kind of change could there be?"

"I feel like you've become fairer and also bigger." Lou Xiao'e pointed at Wang Xiaoling's chest muscles.

"You little brat, you'll have them too when you grow up."

However, after being told this by Lou Xiao'e, Wang Xiaoling also felt they were indeed a little bit bigger. She hadn't really noticed it after taking off her thick clothes.

"Heeheehee, Sister Xiao Ling, is there any secret?"

"I exercise every day, you know. I get up at five or six in the morning."

"Ah? That early?" Lou Xiao'e thought about how she slept until the sun hit her backside every day and couldn't help but feel discouraged.

She was a young lady who had been pampered since childhood and had always had servants to wait on her. It was only in the last two years that the political climate had tightened, and her family had dismissed the servants. As for making her get up early to exercise, let alone getting past Lou Bancheng, she couldn't even get past herself.

Moreover, Lou Xiao'e had never been to school; previously, her father had hired people to teach her at home, so she lacked playmates.

It was fine before, as the families who had business dealings with Lou Bancheng also had children, and they could play together, but now most of them were no longer in the Mainland.

Wang Xiaoling was seven years older than her. When they were little, she could take her out to play, but once she got older, she went to school, and they didn't see much of each other afterward, so they gradually grew distant.

Unexpectedly, a chance encounter before the New Year had awakened her childhood memories. With Zhang Ping'an there, and the fact that she had no other playmates now, Lou Bancheng didn't object, so she naturally came over to visit them often.

If it weren't for the fact that both Zhang Ping'an and Wang Xiaoling had to work, Lou Xiao'e would probably come to visit them every day.

A month passed in a flash. It was now mid-June, and Zhang Ping'an hauled the wheat harvested from the courtyard back to his hometown, taking the opportunity to return for the busy farming season.

The wheat in his hometown ripened later, but the heavy, golden ears of grain symbolized another bumper harvest this year.

"Brother Laizhong, I still want to thank you for exchanging the wheat from your home with everyone last year. By this time next year, our entire village will be able to plant high-yield grain."

The one speaking was the Zhang Family Village chief, Zhang Laiyou, the paternal cousin of Uncle Zhang Laiyuan, who was fifty-five years old this year.

"Hey, we're all family. If I can help, I certainly will. I also hope our village gets better and better."

"Ding-a-ling."

"Brother Laizhong, it's your Ping'an who's back. I'll be off then; let's chat again after we finish harvesting the wheat."

Last year, the harvest from Zhang Laohan's seven-plus mu of land was nearly 2,500 jin, all of which was kept as seed. Based on 30 jin of seed per mu and a yield of 320 jin per mu, the total amount of wheat seed this year should be around 26,000 jin, enough for every household in Zhang Family Village to plant the new seeds.

"Good."

"Dad, I've brought back the wheat harvested from that plot of land."

"Good, good, good. That's nearly four sacks, so that's about 400 jin. It looks like the soil in your courtyard is indeed fertile."

Soon, Zhang Family Village began the rush to harvest the wheat. Zhang Ping'an stood at the edge of the field, looking at the golden waves of wheat; they were truly a sight to behold. It was no wonder that no matter how tired farmers were, they couldn't hide their joy at harvest time.

In five days, the wheat from Zhang Ping'an's and his two uncles' fields had all been threshed into wheat grains. After weighing, it was indeed about the same as last year's yield per mu, both around 320 jin.

"Good, good, good."

All three families kept enough wheat seed, and the rest was left for the village chief to handle; they would receive the exchanged wheat later.

"Ping'an, I've exchanged 100 jin of the 300-plus jin of wheat seed you brought for each of your two uncles. As for the extra 100 jin from your own share, I've distributed it among your uncles and elders."

"You just handle it as you see fit."

This was the only thing Zhang Ping'an could do to help his hometown. Next year, the Commune system would be implemented, and all sorts of slogans would be shouted to the heavens; if Zhang Family Village could increase its yield a little, it might help them go hungry a little less.

Finally, according to the village head's tally, the more than 2,400 jin of wheat seeds from last year have now yielded over 25,000 jin.

With 153 households in Zhang Family Village, each family can receive an average of 160 to 170 jin, which is enough.

"Dad, I'm heading back. I'll come back when it's time to transplant the rice seedlings."

"Alright, take it slow on the road."

By the time he returned to the city, it was already past six in the evening, and Zhang Ping'an went straight to the Eighty-fifth Courtyard to pick up his wife.

Thinking about how his father-in-law had a partnership with Lou Bancheng, he hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now, after scanning with his space, he found that both his father-in-law's and his second brother-in-law's homes had basements, and there were truly quite a few good things inside.

Good heavens, each house had seven or eight large trunks; although most were copper coins and silver ingots, there were also two trunks of Big Yellow Fish and a trunk of antiques.

Zhang Ping'an couldn't help but click his tongue, though he reckoned his master might have some too, since his ancestors had been wealthy once as well.

"Ping'an, you're here, why are you standing outside like a fool?"

"Oh, oh, I was lost in thought."

"Come in quickly and eat."

"Alright."

"Ping'an, how was your family's wheat harvest?"

"It's alright, the yield per mu is just over 300 jin."

"Whoa, Xiao Ling really wasn't bragging; your family's yield per mu is quite high."

Wang Zhangzhi worked at the Pharmacy, and in his spare time, he liked to read the newspaper; he knew that currently, very few places across the country had a yield per mu exceeding 300 jin.

"Maybe it's because in my courtyard..." Zhang Ping'an used the same excuse he had used to fool his father to fool his father-in-law.

"Hmm, that's possible; it means you bought a piece of precious land."