The Hidden Immortal

Chapter 34 Growing Up to Farm for the Master

Chu Xun now owns nearly a hundred acres of fertile land. Even if he removes the eight acres of abandoned land controlled by a few scoundrels, he can still earn more than 350 taels of silver a year.

This is because the newly purchased dozens of acres of land were handed over to tenant farmers for cultivation, and because it is a bit far from Songguo Village, it is inconvenient to perform the Great Cloud Rain Technique and Soil Control Technique.

While magic may be effective, it can easily attract trouble.

Once enough black bean seeds had been saved, Chu Xun planned to give them to the tenant farmers to plant.

If things are handled well, the harvest from the fields can be improved even further in the future.

There were also three seeds, which, after trial planting, were burdock seed, Paris polyphylla, and Polygonum multiflorum.

Chu Xun specifically sought out experienced herbalists who were familiar with medicinal herbs to examine the three herbs. Among them, Paris polyphylla was the most valuable, even surpassing Polygonum multiflorum.

Also known as Chonglou or Zaoxiu, it can reduce swelling and relieve pain, cool the liver and calm the nerves, making it a precious medicinal material.

However, the planting cycle is extremely long. The seeds alone need to germinate for two winters, and it takes seven or eight years from planting to harvesting.

The seeds of Polygonum multiflorum take even longer to germinate, requiring four years.

Even the old herb farmer advised against planting this stuff, saying it takes too long.

Life is short, how many four-year periods can we afford to waste?

If the seeds fail to germinate, all the waiting will have been in vain.

Moreover, Polygonum multiflorum cannot be planted in the same field repeatedly; once a harvest is achieved on the same plot, a different crop must be planted, which is very troublesome.

The only advantage is that if it actually grows successfully, it can be harvested in three or four years, and the profit is quite good.

As for burdock seeds, the harvest season is short, the price is not high, and they are easy to grow.

In the neighboring county, some people specialize in growing this, and it's said they can earn several hundred taels of silver a year.

After listening to the old herbalist's words and thinking it over again, Chu Xun decided to plant all three kinds of herbs.

It doesn't matter if the seed takes a long time to germinate; there's plenty of time.

Let alone three or four years, seven or eight years, even ten or twenty years is acceptable.

This year, the burdock seeds have produced many seeds, the Paris polyphylla has grown to about a foot tall, and the seeds of Polygonum multiflorum have begun to sprout.

However, it will still be quite some time before large-scale cultivation and making money from medicinal herbs are possible.

Once it's grown, it's much more profitable than rice, at least ten times the amount.

Chu Xun was not in a hurry. After the rain, he used soil control techniques to loosen the soil.

It was precisely because of these two techniques that he was able to grow two kinds of grains and three kinds of medicinal herbs so easily.

If it were someone else, the seeds would probably have rotted.

They ignored the little weasel that had huddled together with several field mice, chirping and playing.

Chu Xun arrived at the door, squatted down, and looked at the Spirit Pearl Grass.

The flower bud has been growing for six years, but it is still only the size of a soybean.

The tight, dense blue outer layer made it impossible to see what was inside.

Reaching out a finger, Chu Xun gently touched the flower bud and sighed, "In another thirty-four years, neither of us will be the same as before. Time flies so fast."

I've been cultivating this Spirit Pearl Grass for a full twenty-six years.

Chu Xun is now thirty years old.

From having nothing to having plenty of money.

From being a lonely man to getting married and starting a family.

A lowly farmer, by gaining the reputation of a local drinking buddy, can directly enter the county government office, exchange drinks with the county magistrate, and gain his favor.

The once youthful face now exudes maturity and composure.

No one calls him a beggar anymore; those who bullied and mocked him when he was a child have all grown up.

When they meet, regardless of age, they will always greet each other politely as "Brother Xun".

As always, a flock of crows perched on the eaves, including a few that were just born this year and were incredibly bold.

She nestled on his shoulder and nuzzled him affectionately with her head.

Chu Xun raised his hand and touched it twice. A voice called from outside the courtyard: "Brother Xun, where's Aunt Anxiu? We agreed to go to the temple fair together, why hasn't she come out yet!"

"They're here! The temple fair isn't going anywhere, what's the rush?"

Zhang Anxiu adjusted her newly made bright red floral coat, then tugged at her thick braid and asked, "Brother Xun, does it look good?"

Even after being married for several years, she still habitually calls Chu Xunxun-ge (Brother Chu Xunxun) instead of "husband".

I always felt that the term "xianggong" (相公) was something only wealthy families in the city used.

Before Chu Xun could answer, several teenagers outside shouted, "It's really good! You're the most beautiful woman in the whole world, Auntie! Hurry up, or everyone will leave!"

Zhang Anxiu glared, hands on her hips as usual: "Shitou, Qi Ermao, if you two keep nagging, believe me, I won't let Xun-ge play with you anymore!"

Fourteen-year-old Shi Tou had a short, flat haircut.

Thanks to the good food my family has been eating over the years, and the farm work I've done for several years, I'm now very healthy.

Judging by its size alone, it's already comparable to an adult.

Summer had not yet arrived, and the weather was still cold. He was only wearing a thin short-sleeved shirt, revealing large muscles.

Young people have plenty of energy and blood, and their temper is also strong.

Standing outside the courtyard, he chuckled, "If we don't play with Xun-ge, who will?"

These words sounded a bit off, but Zhang Anxiu wasn't an unmarried young woman, so she could easily tell what this brat was saying.

He immediately grabbed a broom and chased after her, yelling, "You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth! I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Chu Xun stood up and laughed as he watched.

These boys have loved to come and cause trouble in his yard since they were little, and they've argued with Zhang Anxiu countless times.

It feels like just yesterday that Stone was naked, looking miserable, and saying he couldn't write the number "four".

Chu Xun couldn't help but sigh again, time flies and never returns.

The only pity is that, whether it was because of him or Zhang Anxiu, the two had been living together for many years but had never been able to have children.

I did see a doctor to check my pulse, but they couldn't find the cause.

After drinking herbal medicine for more than half a year, there was no improvement.

The villagers sometimes gossip, and you can pretend not to care for a year or two, but after listening to it for five whole years, how can you pretend not to hear it?

Even in secular rural areas, the continuation of one's lineage is highly valued.

In particular, Chu Xun's family is quite wealthy; if no one inherits it in the future, wouldn't people laugh at him?

Zhang Anxiu has become increasingly anxious over the past two years, but there is nothing she can do.

Even though she secretly bought a folk remedy without Chu Xun's knowledge, it was all in vain after drinking it for a long time.

Chu Xun himself didn't care too much about this; living without children was also a way of life.

Knowing Zhang Anxiu's thoughts, he could only offer her comfort on ordinary days.

Soon after, Chu Xun and Zhang Anxiu, along with Shi Tou, Qi Ermao, and a few other boys, crossed the stone beam bridge built over the Songliu River and arrived at the other side.

This stone bridge was built three years ago by Tang Shijun, who allocated 120 taels of silver and raised another 80 taels from various villages to hire someone to build it.

Built with bluestone brought from dozens of miles away, it is ten zhang wide, with three piers and four holes. The gaps are filled with glutinous rice mortar, and several people can walk side by side.

At the bridgehead stands a stone tablet inscribed with "Record of Songliu Bridge". It reads: "In the twenty-third year of Jingguo, Magistrate Tang Shijun led the people of the county to build this bridge, which cost 220 taels of silver, to facilitate the travel of the people."

The names of the donors are listed below, densely packed.

Chu Xun donated ten taels, ranking third.

On the opposite bank of the river, the Pine and Willow Water God Temple stands tall, its incense smoke billowing ever more abundantly.

In recent years, there have been several floods, but the timely construction of flood discharge channels has saved people on both sides of the river from natural disasters.

The people were therefore even more convinced that there really was a water god protecting them in the Songliu River.

Some clever people took the opportunity to set up incense stalls and earn money.

Seeing that it was indeed profitable, more people brought other things to sell.

Tang Shijun was indeed very clever. After the stone bridge was built, he announced that the day the bridge was opened would be the Songliu Water God Temple Fair.

In three years, people from all around would come here to visit before and after the temple fair, making it the liveliest place in the surrounding area.

A peasant woman carrying a load on a shoulder pole called out loudly, her pole containing coarse cloth handkerchiefs and small bamboo winnowing baskets.

The peddler's rattle-drum banged loudly, and his carrying pole was adorned with sugar paintings and sugar figurines.

Several children refused to leave, insisting on having candy figurines.

If the parents are short of money, they can only resort to force and scolding.

An old man selling incense and candles squatted on the stone steps at the temple entrance, smoking a dry cigarette. The smoke from the crudely made incense sticks curled upwards.

A cacophony of sounds rose and fell, a dazzling display of worldly life.

Putting everything else aside, the lively atmosphere alone is enough to make people linger.

Stone and Qi Ermao and the other children were soon lured away by the sugar-blowing or shadow puppet shows.

Although Zhang Anxiu had chased them with a broom not long ago, she was now anxiously shouting, "Don't run around!"

"Got it!" Stone shouted, but then he and his men disappeared in a flash.

Seeing that Zhang Anxiu still looked worried, Chu Xun couldn't help but laugh and said, "They're not children anymore. Even human traffickers wouldn't cause trouble in such a lively place."

Despite my words, he's still a child I've watched grow up, so how can I not worry?

Chu Xun had no choice but to lead her forward, and along the way they encountered several tenant farmers.

Upon seeing Chu Xun, the tenants quickly bowed and greeted him, "Master."

Several children of varying heights nestled beside their parents, watching timidly.

Chu Xun smiled and asked, "The harvests have been quite good these past two years, you must have saved up some silver, right? What did you buy at the temple fair this year?"

The tenants quickly replied, "Thanks to our master, we've saved some money, but we're planning to spend it at the end of the year."

Zhang Anxiu saw a child drooling over the candied hawthorns on the straw sticks next to him, so she went over, bought a few skewers, and stuffed them into the children's hands one by one.

"We can't accept this, absolutely not!" The tenants quickly waved their hands.

Zhang Anxiu said, "They're all strangers, and it's a temple fair today, so we should make the children happy. A few strings of candied hawthorns will do."

Chu Xun was kind-hearted, and she learned to be kind-hearted as well.

The dark-skinned, thin tenant farmer quickly shoved his child: "Hurry up and kowtow to the madam!"

Without saying a word, the child knelt down and kowtowed three times.

Zhang Anxiu quickly helped him up: "It's not even the New Year yet, why do you have to do such a big ceremony? Look how you bumped the child's forehead."

She wasn't putting on a show; she came from a poor family herself and couldn't bear to see children suffer.

The child was quite clever, shouting to Chu Xun and Zhang Anxiu, "When I grow up, I'll be like my father, farming for Master and Madam!"