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Is there really so much fertile land just at Fenggu Farm, along with two hundred households of tenant farmers?
Wang Shouzhe looked at the crisscrossing paths among the fields, with channels of varying sizes intersecting among them, and he felt a little emotional. This is the family foundation built over a hundred years.
"At Fenggu Farm, we use the traditional winter wheat-summer millet crop rotation. Right now, it's the busy season when winter wheat is about to mature, and summer millet seedlings are being cultivated," said Wang Shounuo, with a hint of happiness on his face. "This spring, the rain has been plentiful without flooding, and the sunshine has been strong yet not scorching, which is very beneficial for the growth of the winter wheat. It looks like it will be a bountiful harvest season."
Even Wang Shouzhe showed some joy. The difference between a plentiful harvest and a poor one is significant; more grain means more funds for the family to develop.
"No, no." Like a little sidekick, Wang Luojing pouted and said, "Third brother, you're wrong. The winter wheat this year might not do well."
What?
Wang Shounuo's smile became somewhat stiff, and he said sternly, "Luojing, you little girl can't speak nonsense. Even grandfather and some of the old experienced tenant farmers say there's a ninety percent chance of a good harvest this year. You're still young; what do you know? If grandfather hears you cursing for a poor harvest, he might scold you again."
Frightened by this, Wang Luojing immediately hid behind Wang Shouzhe.
"Third brother, fifth sister is still young; she doesn't mean anything by it. Why take it seriously?" Wang Shouzhe smiled and patted her head to comfort her.
"Fourth brother, you don't know," said Wang Shounuo with a helpless smile. "You're not aware, but our fifth sister, although young, is quite a clever little imp. She loves playing with all kinds of insects day and night. When she was two or three, she would watch ants in the yard for days. Recently, she begged me to catch some kind of grass what Insect King, and if I didn't help her, she would cry and roll on the ground. I searched high and low for four or five days before I caught two—completely bitten by mosquitoes."
"It's the Grasshopper King, recorded in the ancient Insect Scripture," Wang Luojing poked her head out again from behind Wang Shouzhe and earnestly corrected Wang Shounuo, "Brother, you're so disappointing, with nothing but air in your handsome head. The Black Tortoise Clan may establish their family with martial arts, but culture and knowledge are also the roots of a family's legacy."
Especially the latter half, which echoed the words Wang Shouzhe used to reprimand them, to mock Wang Shounuo.
Sure enough, Wang Shounuo's face darkened, and he could only reply dejectedly, "Yes, yes, I lack knowledge. Next time you ask me, I won't help you catch insects."
"I will ask fourth brother for help. Fourth brother is ten thousand times better than you," Wang Luojing clung to Wang Shouzhe's sleeve as if she had found a protector, full of confidence.
This made Wang Shouzhe chuckle uncontrollably; she truly seemed to be quite a clever little imp, only shy when in front of him, driving Wang Shounuo nearly to fainting with anger.
"All right, all right, Luojing, tell us, why will the harvest be poor this year when the wind and rain are favorable?" Wang Shouzhe casually asked, "Don't be afraid, it's okay even if you're wrong."
With Wang Shouzhe supporting her, Wang Luojing gained a lot of courage: "Last winter was too warm, and there was only a light snow."
Wang Shounuo immediately rolled his eyes: "Although they say a timely snow promises a good year, it's just a saying. Will we really have a poor harvest just because it didn't snow?"
"It's different," Wang Luojing said very seriously. "Last year was a warm winter, and the spring rain this year has indeed been good. But it hasn't rained for more than ten days recently, and the weather is hot and dry."
"Luojing," Wang Shounuo said dismissively, "we have already opened the sluice gates on the Fenggu Valley Tributary, so the winter wheat won't lack water. Also, good sunshine helps the wheat grains grow full."
"But it also helps the honey bees grow," Wang Luojing rolled her eyes.
Honey bees?
Wang Shounuo trembled slightly and hesitated, "Honey bee infestations are unavoidable; they appear every year, and it's normal for them to cause some yield reduction... Besides, last winter, we put insecticide powder in the farmland."
However, while he said this, his confidence was lacking. Honey bees are the nemesis of winter wheat. Small outbreaks are manageable and may only cause yield reduction, but large-scale outbreaks could spell disaster.
In the Wang Family's records, the worst case was the honey bee disaster seventy-three years ago, which affected the entire Longzuo County. That year, winter wheat yields dropped by eighty percent, and grain prices surged in no time. Some families could still maintain themselves with stored grains. But many financially weak freemen suffered terribly, resorting to selling their children.
What's more frightening is that the disaster lasted into the third year, and even some families couldn't withstand it. If the Purple Mansion Academy hadn't intervened, bringing large amounts of grain to Longzuo County and making extensive amounts of ancient insecticide powder, the entire Longzuo County might have been barren and desolate.
For a moment, Wang Shouzhe frowned: "Luojing, do you have any way to prove what you said?"
Fenggu Farm and Xingsheng Farm are two large grain bases of the Wang Family. A honey bee outbreak would compound the Wang Family's current difficulties.
"Brother, you could check more of the filling wheat ears," Wang Luojing's expression was also a bit solemn.
Feeling a little nervous, Wang Shounuo walked to the field and casually grabbed a wheat ear to inspect it. There were some tiny green dots on the just-starting-to-fill wheat ear.
After checking a few more wheat ears, some had more and some less, but without a doubt, they were all honey bees.
Wang Shouzhe was at the Sixth Layer High Stage of the Qi Refining Realm. His physical qualities and eyesight were far superior to ordinary people. With a glance, he noticed those tiny green dots were plump little bugs. He was slightly stunned; aren't these aphids?
Wang Shouzhe had very little accumulation of knowledge in this area, barely guessing that these were some kind of aphid. He was not interested in agriculture, and those algorithm-driven apps naturally wouldn't push content related to this topic.
"Indeed, there are more honey bees this year than in previous years." Wang Shounuo said with doubt, "But isn't it unlikely to become a pest disaster? Mixing some Insecticide Powder with plant ash should cure it. At most, it might reduce yield slightly compared to last year."
"Brother!" Wang Luojing stomped her foot and said, "I've already mentioned there's something wrong with the climate. Too many insect eggs from last year were left in the soil. In as short as a day or two, or as late as three or four days, a large number of honey bees will break through the soil. In seven or eight days, a second wave is highly likely."
"You few, come over here." Wang Shouzhe called to several tenant farmers working not far away, "Pull out this small patch of wheat and turn over the soil."
"This... Shounuo Young Master..." The tenant farmers looked at Wang Shounuo with doubt and reluctance, unwilling and hesitant to act. These wheat stalks could be harvested in ten days and were precious grains.
"Listen to the Clan Leader." Wang Shounuo dared not offend Wang Shouzhe, so he personally stepped forward to uproot the wheat.
The tenant farmers also shouldered their hoes and began turning the soil.
In no time, that small patch of wheat was pulled out, and the soil was flipped over.
"This..." Wang Shounuo carefully inspected the roots of the uprooted wheat, his face growing intense with shock and disbelief, "How can this be? How can this be?"
On those roots were numerous white dots that were shocking to see. Most of the wheat roots had them, but the quantity varied.
Moreover, if the flipped soil was carefully examined, one would find a large quantity of white dots.
Wang Shounuo felt a chill in his stomach; an ominous premonition arose: "Quick, quickly call grandfather over."
"Quick, notify grandfather and all tenant farmers, to soak the accumulated plant ash immediately." Wang Shounuo had learned agriculture from his grandfather for two years, having some basic skills.
The tenant farmers began working busily.
Not long afterward, Great-Grandfather Wang Xiaozhi had arrived and joined them, his expression was extremely grim, "How can this be? How can there be so many honey bee eggs growing in the soil? After last autumn's harvest, we clearly plowed deep as usual and spread Insecticide Powder. Is there a problem with the Insecticide Powder?"
"Grandfather, last year was a warm winter..." Wang Luojing carefully reminded from the side.
"Little lass, I've been farming all my life, do you think I know less than you?" Wang Xiaozhi seemed as if his tail had been stepped on, angrily rebuking, "Ten years ago was a warm winter too, the climate was exactly the same as this year, and Longzhou had a bumper harvest, grain filled the warehouse! In my opinion, the problem lies with the Insecticide Powder. That damned Qiaan's Trading Company must have sold fake Insecticide Powder, and I even stocked up a large batch at a low price!"
As they exchanged words, random bits of information Wang Shouzhe had learned came to mind, and he frowned slightly, "Qiaan's Trading Company has branches all over Longzhou, usually very focused on their reputation. If they sold fake Insecticide Powder causing a pest disaster in Longzhou, they couldn't bear the consequences. Could it be possible that bees, no, honey bees have developed resistance through repeated confrontations with Insecticide Powder, with some resistant honey bees surviving and gradually forming a widespread resistance?"
In his previous life, although Wang Shouzhe didn't engage with agriculture, he knew that whether bacteria, viruses, or organisms, they constantly undergo genetic mutation and evolution, which are almost entirely unpredictable but mostly naturally eliminated.
However, it is reasonable that honey bees evolving towards resistance survived repeated confrontations with the Insecticide Powder and gradually multiplied.
But Wang Xiaozhi couldn't understand what biological evolution meant, simply furrowing his brow and saying, "Shouzhe, don't spout nonsense here; the Insecticide Powder was working well before, so why isn't it effective this year?"
"Grandfather, I actually think Fourth Brother's reasoning makes sense." Wang Luojing said, "Grandfather, haven't you been complaining over the years, saying the Insecticide Powder seems becoming less effective, why are there honey bees every year?"
Wang Xiaozhi's face stiffened, growing more unsightly. In recent years, especially since the bumper harvest ten years ago, there has been a trend of honey bees gradually increasing, but since it remained within bearable limits, it merely felt troublesome.
Wang Shouzhe could almost confirm that resistant aphids have multiplied extensively. The warm winter last season kept most of the eggs alive, and this year's climate favoring aphid growth resulted in the current situation.
This wave of troubles was considerable, even causing Wang Shouzhe to feel a scalp tingling sensation, as he had no ability to concoct a new 'pesticide'...
Truly, when it rains, it pours! Under this disaster, the Wang Family's days will become even more difficult, right?
"Fourth Brother." Wang Luojing pulled Wang Shouzhe aside, whispering, "I have a solution for the honey bees, but I'm afraid of grandfather, I dare not say it!"
What?
Wang Shouzhe was taken aback, looking at her with disbelief.
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