There was also a fourth group of people who were responsible for examining and harvesting the cornstalks once the ears of corn had been picked.
Because there were many laborers, and the division of labor was very reasonable, the speed of corn harvesting was very fast.
Lian Manman followed the first cart transporting corn to her family’s threshing ground, which, in addition to the ears of corn, also carried two bundles of cornstalks.
At the threshing ground, Lian Manman stopped Lian Shouxin and didn’t let him unload the corn first but instead had him unload the two bundles of cornstalks. These cornstalks were just selected from the fields for being the thickest and most robust, with all their leaves stripped off, leaving bare poles.
"Dad, we need to find a couple of thick hemp ropes," Lian Manman said to Lian Shouxin.
"Manman, what are you planning to do?" Lian Shouxin asked.
"Dad, the corn ears are wet, and we need to dry them, don’t we? Just spreading them carelessly on the ground not only takes up space but also slows down the drying. We can use these cornstalks to build a corn fence, which will speed up the drying," Lian Manman explained.
She had seen this thod of drying corn used by others in her previous life.
"That makes sense," Lian Shouxin, an old and experienced farr, understood imdiately after Manman’s explanation.
Soon, Lian Shouxin found two thick hemp ropes and, together with Zhang Qingnian and Zhang Liunian, they wove the cornstalks with the ropes like making a rainproof curtain with sorghum stalks. Eventually, they secured the ends together to form a cylindrical structure that stood up—it was a corn fence.
Subsequently, the corn ears were poured into the fence, ensuring even distribution to prevent the fence from toppling over. This increased the surface area of the corn ears in contact with air, allowing them to dry in a shorter amount of ti.
Corn with good quality and those of lesser quality were also separated for drying.
Manman had her plans. Her family’s corn was certainly going to be sold. The high-quality ones could be used as seed corn, while the lesser-quality ones she intended to keep for her family to eat.
By the ti the third corn fence was set up, officials from Jinyang County and Liaodong Prefecture had arrived. Among them, Manman recognized Official Li from his previous visit and the Magistrate of Jinyang.
These officials observed the corn harvesting process, and a petty official was seen quickly jotting down notes.
About twenty acres of corn were harvested in just one morning, and Commander Zhang also led people to help harvest most of Lian Manman’s sorghum and broomcorn.
Looking at the neatly arranged corn fences, sorghum stacks, and broomcorn stacks on the threshing ground, Manman couldn’t help but marvel at the powerful effect of many hands working together.
Lady Zhang and Lian Zhizhi ca back from the fields earlier, Wu Yugui had sent a ssage ho, and Lady Wang, accompanied by Wu Jiayu, also ca to help prepare the al.
Since they were sturdy laborers engaged in physical work, lunch at Manman’s house was prepared to be very hearty and substantial. They made arrangents for four tables worth of food, with each table featuring a large pot of chicken stewed with mushrooms, glass noodles, tofu stewed with carp, roast goose, and soy sauce pork knuckles. Additionally, they prepared five stir-fried dishes and four cold dishes. The staple food was arranged to be white rice and stead buns made from wheat flour.
There were a few issues when inviting Commander Zhang to lunch after finishing the noon work.
"Military orders are as immovable as mountains; the Sixth Master has commanded to finish the work and return quickly without disturbing the local area," said Commander Zhang, refusing the offer to have a al, explaining he had to return imdiately to report back.
Commander Zhang’s citing of military orders placed Lian Shouxin in a difficult position. He would feel remiss not to offer Commander Zhang and his n a al, but he didn’t want to make Commander Zhang violate military orders either.
In front of the Lian family, Commander Zhang always referred to Shen Liu as "Sixth Master." By still invoking military orders and calling him "Sixth Master," Lian Manman blinked, wondering if this ant, in both official and personal capacities, Commander Zhang was Shen Liu’s confidant. And could there be room for negotiation regarding not "disturbing the local area"?
"Commander, isn’t there a saying, ’Before the troops move, the provisions must go ahead’? It’s also said that even the Emperor’s house does not withhold food from the soldiers. It’s ti for a al, and the Sixth Master surely wouldn’t want to stop you from eating, right?" Lian Manman said with a smile.
Hearing Lian Manman’s words, Commander Zhang couldn’t help but smile, and the soldiers behind him also chuckled.
"This young lady really has a way with words."
"There is nothing special prepared, only ho-cooked dishes. In our farmsteads, it’s customary to offer a al to those who help with the work; otherwise, it’s like disrespecting the host family," Lian Manman continued, "Commander, didn’t you just say that following the orders of the Sixth Master, everything here can be arranged by us?"
"Then I will follow Miss Lian’s orders," Commander Zhang responded with a clasped fist and a smile.
The feast was arranged inside the shop, where there was ample space and everything was ready. Lian Shouxin brought wine over, but Commander Zhang stopped him.
"We can eat, but absolutely no drinking," Commander Zhang said with firm determination.
Lian Shouxin understood; they indeed had military discipline, and it wouldn’t look right for a group of soldiers to ride back drunk, so he let it go.
After eating, Commander Zhang didn’t leave imdiately but helped Lian Shouxin and the others in the fields, gathering peanuts, soybeans, and even setting a ti with Lian Manman for corn harvesting before bidding farewell.
Five days later, the corn would be dry enough to be threshed and it would be the right ti to calculate the yield.
After Commander Zhang left, Lian Manman’s large family worked a while longer in the fields. As dusk approached, they too stopped working.
There were only fifty-one acres of land. If Lian Manman’s family had to harvest it themselves, it would probably take six or seven days. Even with Lian Shouli’s family, the Wu family, and Zhang Qingshan’s family helping, it would still take two or three days. But thanks to the dozen or so able-bodied laborers that Commander Zhang brought, the work was done in just one day.
The anticipated backaches, leg pains, and blisters from the harvest hadn’t occurred; Lian Manman, with her clothes fluttering, stood at the threshing floor, determined in her mind.
She resolved to earn more money, to hire workers, to beco an absentee Little Landlord!
******
Here is one update, with another coming this evening.
Congratulations to Lanthanum Is Not Blue for becoming the first Hall Master of "Rebirth of the Little Landlord," and the first Hall Master ever in the few books that Ruoyan has written. (To be continued. If you like this work, please consider supporting by voting with recomndation tickets and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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