HUS Chapter 50: That Day
That day, on Phoenix Mountain, it was April in the human world.
Suo Zhanzhi curled up like a lazy Persian cat on the daybed.
Her glossy black hair was styled in a simple bun, adorned with a jade hairpin, looking pure and otherworldly.
Her figure was curvaceous with smooth lines, already possessing the fullness of a young married woman.
Qingmei knelt on the long pile felt mat in front of the daybed. She laid out Yang Can's plan completely before Suo Zhanzhi.
Yang Can's plan was undoubtedly risky. If it failed, he would be in a very passive position. However, his plan was also the most effective method to break the current deadlock.
Yu Xinglong had used Yu Chengye's death to gain advantage over Yu Huanhu.
Yu Huanhu had then cut off his own arm, returned the properties, and vowed to seclude himself, thus escaping disaster but by returning the properties, he had turned the tables back on Yu Xinglong.
My people, if you don't touch them, your prestige will be swept away.
If you do touch them, when the autumn grain harvest decreases, your prestige will still be swept away.
Regarding this, Yu Xinglong indeed had no better way to break the deadlock, so he had produced a "scapegoat."
To deal with the Suo family, use him!
To respond to questioning from all sides, use him.
Kill two birds with one stone, squeeze out every bit of value.
Yang Can wasn't willing to submit obediently. He wanted to demonstrate his value and solve this seemingly unsolvable problem.
In this situation, all conventional methods were either ineffective or there wasn't enough time.
It seemed he could only take a risky gamble.
Thinking of this, Suo Zhanzhi asked quietly, "Does he understand that a pawn that has crossed the river is most dangerous? He cannot retreat, can only advance forward. He's the most conspicuous target, easiest to be eliminated first."
Qingmei answered earnestly, "But he has already crossed the river!"
Suo Zhanzhi was stunned at once. Yes, he had already crossed the river!
At this point, was there any meaning in worrying about whether he should cross the river?
Suo Zhanzhi laughed at herself, "You've awakened me with a single phrase."
Qingmei shook her head, "It wasn't my own thought. I just remembered something Steward Yang said."
"What did he say?"
"He said, from that day on, he could only advance, not retreat."
Suo Zhanzhi's seductive eyebrows raised slightly, puzzled, "Which day?"
"That day!"
Qingmei pressed her lips together, lips as pink and tender as apricots, "Just that day!"
That day...
Not knowing what she recalled, Suo Zhanzhi's face suddenly flushed red then, Xiao Qingmei's face also turned red.
Suo Zhanzhi coughed with a red face, pretending to be dignified, "Alright, I agree!"
Qingmei said in surprise, "Miss, you're agreeing to him just like that?"
Privately, Qingmei also hoped Suo Zhanzhi would agree to Yang Can's plan but Suo Zhanzhi agreeing so readily was still somewhat beyond her expectations.
"Yes, I agree!"
Suo Zhanzhi sat up.
It was currently bright spring, and sunlight slanted in through the opened shoji doors.
Suo Zhanzhi's skin was as pure as glass in the sunlight.
She looked seriously at Qingmei, "We have no other choice but to trust him!"
After a moment of silence, Suo Zhanzhi's voice became lower, "Just like that night, he had no other choice either."
Speaking of this, Suo Zhanzhi's voice became even more wistful, "Qingmei, do you think... I've wronged him somewhat?"
Qingmei remained silent. The man had been doing well as an adviser, when suddenly we pulled him into a life-and-death whirlpool... but things had already come to this, what good would saying more do?
Suo Zhanzhi sighed, "When you're by his side, take good care..."
Speaking to this point, Suo Zhanzhi couldn't help but smile bitterly again.
"No, wait. You can't take care of him. On the surface, you two are still a pair of adversaries."
"Not anymore."
Hearing this, Qingmei quickly explained, "Miss, now the people at Feng'an Estate all think that I... have a secret relationship with him."
"Mm?" Suo Zhanzhi looked at Qingmei, her gaze gradually becoming strange.
Qingmei's face turned red again under her gaze, stammering, "But I haven't! Really haven't, truly, I swear!"
Qingmei raised her little hand, righteously indignant.
Anyway, I haven't slept with him, so it doesn't count.
The two gazes that were putting great pressure on Qingmei finally withdrew.
"Fine, whether you have or haven't, isn't it just a matter of time? You were originally my dowry maid anyway. So then... you take good care of him for me."
"Oh..." Xiao Qingmei answered in a daze.
According to what Miss says, rounding it up and calculating it that way, he's my man then, right?
Ah, pfft! What rounding up, it sounds like being torn apart by five horses, quite scary.
Whether it's rounded or not, it should all count as rounding up!
...
Yang Can's curved-shaft plow was finally completed.
Before this, the plows in this world only had straight shafts.
When plowing fields, straight-shaft plows were very inflexible when turning around, very laborious to operate, with poor efficiency.
Especially in places where field plots were small and the terrain was complex, its defects were especially obvious.
This curved-shaft plow, with creative ideas provided by Yang Can and crafted by Blacksmith Li, perfectly solved these problems.
Not only was it flexible to operate, it could also freely adjust the depth of plowing.
Especially, it was more ergonomic in use.
Using it allowed the person guiding the plow to operate standing upright, rather than bending halfway over as before.
It could even be operated by a single person with a single ox to complete the entire process, greatly reducing the use of human and animal labor.
Today, they would officially unveil this plow in the estate fields.
Many tenant farmers, villagers, and dependents had rushed over upon hearing the news.
The farming tools they had been familiar with since childhood, they had never thought could be improved.
They all wanted to know whether this thing was really better to use than the plows they currently used.
Several young apprentices of Blacksmith Li carried that curved-shaft plow and placed it carefully in the field like a treasure.
The one summoned to test the plow was an old farming expert.
His face was deeply lined, his upper body bare, his dark skin like cast iron.
He was a tenant farmer of Feng'an Estate, plowing the Yu family's fields.
Upon seeing tenant head Wang Fugui, he complained with a bitter face.
"Tenant Head Wang, today my family was supposed to use the master's ox and plow. Now calling this old man to test this new plow, this delay will waste half a day's time."
Wang Fugui said impatiently, "Alright, alright, why so much nonsense. We're having you test the plow because you're recognized by everyone as a good farming expert. Rest assured, since we're using your land to test the plow today and having you test it, naturally there should be compensation. One day, how about one day? We'll allow your family to use the ox and plow for an extra day."
Hearing this, the old man was immediately overjoyed. Showing his mouthful of big yellow teeth, he kowtowed to Wang Fugui.
"Thank you, Tenant Head Wang, thank you, Tenant Head Wang."
"Alright, alright, hurry and test the plow."
"Ai, ai, this old man will go right away."
The old man happily went down to the field and together with his son removed the rope of the old plow from the old ox and led the ox over.
After he completed preparations and was about to plow the field with his son as before, Yang Can suddenly said, "No, use this plow by yourself."
"Ah?"
The old man was a bit confused. Would this work?
But he also knew that this Steward Yang was an important personage whom even Estate Head had to show considerable respect.
Even if he was giving foolish commands, he didn't dare disobey.
The old man thought to himself that he would exert all his strength today and try his best to plow the field well.
Otherwise, if this great lord flew into a rage from embarrassment, this old man would still be the one to suffer.
Many common people crowded around the edge of the field, watching this experiment.
The old man held the plow and looked nervously at Tenant Head Wang Fugui.
Wang Fugui nodded, and only then did the old man carefully shout, "Giddyup!"
The commands for driving oxen were generally the same as those for horses, except oxen reacted much more slowly than horses.
So when issuing commands like "giddyup," "whoa," "stop," "gee," and such, the sounds had to be drawn out longer.
The plow ox heard the command and straightened the plow rope to walk forward.
Most of the people present were farming households who scratched out a living from the earth. After just a few glances, they discovered this plow seemed very different.
The old man holding the plow felt it especially clearly. This time not only could he straighten his back, he also didn't need his son to pull from the front.
Where the plow passed, the earth turned over with a rustling sound, as if plowing open a wave of mud.
That feeling was not only much easier than usual, even the soil-breaking effect was better.
The old man was both shocked and delighted. The common people at the field's edge became even more excited and clamorous.
Blacksmith Li happily ran over, urging, "Don't stop, don't stop, keep going, finish plowing this furrow and turn around to try it."
"Ai, ai."
The old man responded and continued driving the ox forward.
Those farming households couldn't restrain themselves and ran into the field, walking along with him.
Field Supervisor Peng Jin was dumbfounded, muttering, "It actually works, it actually works."
This Field Supervisor Peng and Lai Gulu followed Yang Can every day, but later they had grown too lazy to watch closely.
He brought good tea and snacks, and every day upon arriving at the blacksmith's shop would sit under a tree chatting with Lai Gulu.
Today was the first time he was properly observing this curved-shaft plow.
Watching the plow reach the end of a furrow and turn around very easily, plowing back toward them again.
When the plow reached nearby, many common people surrounded it at once.
They touched here and there, each one incomparably excited.
The old man dropped the plow and stumbled over, shouting excitedly, "Tenant Head, Tenant Head, this plow works, it really works!"
He was already incoherent. Originally work that required two or three people could now save at least one person.
Not only that, it also saved animal labor.
Originally, one mu of land required three days of plowing. Now basically it could be plowed in one day.
This was a divine tool, truly a divine tool!
The same plot of field, three days of labor shortened to one day!
The manpower needed reduced from two or three people to one person, animal labor also saved...
How much human and material resources and time would that save?
The enormous economic value in this was the most direct thing for these common people.
Yang Can recalled some information he had learned and smiled, "This plow saves more than just human and material resources. Using this kind of plow, the deep plowing and soil-breaking effects are better, and yield will also increase. I don't dare promise too much, but an increase of ten to twenty percent in yield is possible."
What?
Yang Can's words were like pouring a ladle of cold water into boiling dumpling soup. The scene became completely silent.
After a moment, the water boiled even more vigorously.
The old man testing the plow fell to his knees with a "thud."
With tears streaming down his face, he shouted, "Divine tool, this is a divine tool! Steward, great lord, you are a divine being!"
The effects Yang Can described were actually somewhat conservative but hearing it in these farmers' ears, it was already an unbelievable miracle.
The common people exploded.
After hearing this news, the eyes of Lai Gulu, Peng Jin, and Wang Fugui all began to sparkle.
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