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0.85% Protect Our Clan Leader / Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Hope of the Whole Family_1

Chapter 11: Chapter 11: The Hope of the Whole Family_1

...

Wang Shouzhe came with a purpose today, but he was still calm and collected, casually chatting with Wang Xiaozhi about strange and interesting things. When he mentioned that he and Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai had caught a 150-pound Red-scaled Eel by chance last night, Wang Xiaozhi excitedly smacked his thigh: "That little rascal Define the Sea wouldn't be able to catch one in two years, you two must have been lucky this time."

Although the Red-scaled Eel is not as good as the Red Tail Spirit Log, it is considered a highly nourishing food and is ranked among the spirit foods.

Spirit food is a great way to quickly replenish the vital energy of a Profound Martial cultivator and is a necessity for every Profound Martial cultivator. Even people like Wang Xiaozhi, who are over seventy years old and whose cultivation base has stagnated and even begun to regress, need to supplement with spirit food from time to time.

Otherwise, their vital energy will be insufficient, and their physical decline and loss of cultivation base will accelerate.

For the younger generation, spirit food is even more necessary for replenishing vital energy, which can help them grow faster and better.

As the two of them chatted and laughed, within half an hour, the cooks and two maids had prepared some farm dishes, including fresh chicken, duck, fish and goose, as well as a large stone bowl of braised pork belly.

"Shouzhe, you come here rarely, and your elder uncle doesn't have anything else to entertain you with." Wang Xiaozhi went into the bedroom and in a short while, brought out an antique wine pot, smiling and saying, "Taste my treasured wine, drink as much as you can and take the rest home."

As they were talking,

A tanned, mud-covered young man came in and said cheerfully: "Grandpa, you are showing favoritism. You always refuse to give me a sip of your White Jade Spiritual Wine. But today, as soon as my fourth brother arrives, you bring out the whole jar."

"You little rascal, how do you compare yourself to Shouzhe?" Wang Xiaozhi laughed and scolded as soon as he saw the young man, "I can't believe you actually made it back for dinner on time, go wash up quickly, I'll count you in for a cup."

"Third brother." Wang Shouzhe greeted with a smile. He knew this was Wang Shounuo, the third ranked among the Shou generation of the seventh generation of the Wang family.

"Four brother." Wang Shounuo quickly returned the salute respectfully, then laughed and said, "I'll go wash up now, and take care of my fourth brother later." Then he quickly excused himself.

By the time the table was set with bowls, chopsticks, wine cups and all, Wang Shounuo had already washed up and eagerly sat down to the right of Wang Shouzhe, smelling the food with a starving look in his eyes. He fervently eyed the pot of White Jade Spiritual Rice Wine, chuckling, "Thanks to brother's visit, we can have a great meal. It's been so long since we had a meal together. I'll toast you a few more cups later."

"You've worked hard enough for the family, third brother. I should be the one toasting you," Wang Shouzhe laughed.

"Luotong, go pour wine for your fourth brother." Wang Xiaozhi was in a great mood, a glowing smile on his bronzed face. He casually instructed.

"Yes, grandpa." Wang Luotong picked up the jug and filled Wang Shouzhe's cup, then Wang Xiaozhi's, and finally Wang Shounuo's cup.

The wine was pure white in color and gave off a rich, aromatic scent. Just one sniff was enough to invigorate the senses.

As the two girls, Wang Luotong and Wang Luo Jing, prepared to return to their small table in the kitchen to eat, Wang Shouzhe took the initiative to speak, "Fourth uncle, I'm not a stranger here. Let the fourth and fifth sisters sit down and eat with us."

Wang Xiaozhi was taken aback, but didn't want to let Wang Shouzhe lose face, so he laughed and said, "Since your fourth brother asked, let's eat together."

"Thank you, Grandpa, thank you, fourth brother." Wang Luotong and Wang Luo Jing both obediently sat down at the last place.

After that, the table was full of liveliness as everyone clinked their cups in joyful toasts.

The two girls ate quietly, refilling the cups when needed.

"Good wine." After downing half a cup, Wang Shouzhe already felt a burning sensation in his belly. His vital energy was surging inside his body, and his energy levels were gradually increasing.

The White Jade Spiritual Rice Wine was brewed from White Jade Spiritual Rice and a lot of valuable medicinal herbs. Its effects of replenishing vital energy and blood were far superior to ordinary spirit foods.

However, its price was also quite "impressive". A pot of White Jade Spiritual Rice Wine weighing several jin easily cost several Qian Gold coins, so even Wang Shouzhe could only afford to enjoy it once in a while.

Moreover, spiritual wine like this could only be used as an auxiliary spirit food and should be consumed only occasionally. If one became addicted and spent all day in a drunken haze, it would not turn out well.

At this moment, Wang Luo Jing, who was quietly eating her meal, looked at the wine jug from time to time, licking her lips as if she was craving a taste.

"Luotong can have half a glass, and Luo Jing, being too young, can only taste the bottom of it." Wang Shouzhe picked up the jug and poured some for his two sisters.

"Thank you, Fourth Brother," said the two girls gleefully expressing gratitude. It was clear they had been pining for spiritual wine for quite a while.

At that moment, the older Wang Xiaozhi's face twitched as if he felt some sort of pain. He muttered quietly, "Shouzhe, isn't it a waste to let these two girls sip on that spiritual wine?"

Wang Shouzhe responded with a twitch of the eyelid; the unabashed gender bias of his Great Uncle, valuing males over females, was indeed something to be reckoned with.

"Great Uncle, they are our children all the same," Wang Shouzhe replied, smiling.

"Not the same, not the same, girls will get married sooner or later," Wang Xiaozhi continued to grumble, "Shouzhe, you're at the crucial stage of attacking the seventh level of the Qi Refinement Realm. You should drink more; Shounuo, you should sip less, and leave more for Shouzhe."

Wang Shounuo quickly put down his cup with an embarrassed grin.

In the eyes of old folk like Wang Xiaozhi, Wang Shouzhe, the direct-line Clan Leader, is the hope and future pillar of the family. His value is much higher than even his own grandson, Wang Shounuo, let alone two "monetary loss" granddaughters.

Lucky for him, his grandchildren were used to this and managed to enjoy the meal. However, under Wang Xiaozhi's guidance, plenty of spiritual wine remained, along with half a tenderloin. Preparations were made to send both back to Wang Shouzhe's courtyard for his private consumption.

Witnessing Wang Xiaozhi's blatant favoritism, Wang Shouzhe felt rather helpless and decided to let him be for now.

After the meal, Wang Shouzhe proposed, "Great Uncle, the primary reason for my visit to Fenggu Farm was to learn about agriculture from you."

"Agriculture?" Wang Xiaozhi asked, his forehead creasing into a frown, "Shouzhe, you are the Clan Leader. At present, the most important thing is to focus on your cultivation, striving to advance to the Spirit Platform Realm. You must not let farming and other miscellaneous matters distract you. Great Uncle and your third brother will handle all of it."

Wang Shouzhe's aim was to learn more about Fenggu farm and its operations. If possible, he wished to infuse some modern thinking into the farming practices. However, he realized after interacting with Wang Xiaozhi that the old man, despite his loyalty to the family, held stubborn and outdated beliefs.

Unlike Sixth Uncle Wang Dinghai, who was always obedient, Wang Shouzhe feared to upset Wang Xiaozhi with even a casual mention of his plans. He decided to change the topic, "Great Uncle, you're mistaken. As Clan Leader, I should at least know a bit about our family's business operations. How about this? I'll take a tour around the farm accompanied by Third Brother to appreciate the pastoral scenery."

"You.....alright, let Shounuo keep you company for half a day. The wheat is in its grain-filling stage now and there are many tasks to be done in the field; I won't be able to accompany you." Saying this, Wang Xiaozhi picked up his farming tools and rushed off to the field.

Hehe~

Even though he was the Clan Leader, these old men in the family still treated him like a child, hoping that he would utilise his talents and cultivate to attain the Spirit Platform Realm.

It kind of felt like they saw him as a good luck charm or lucky pet, didn't it?

Actually, if everything were comfortable and peaceful, Wang Shouzhe himself was quite keen to be a 'lucky pet'. However, the weakening power of the Wang clan over the years left them vulnerable. If this trend continued, the Ping'an Wang family might soon be wiped out, disappearing from the pages of history.

While the Wang family still had its foundation, it was crucial to rise, even if it meant having the most basic self-protection ability.

"Fourth Brother, I'll take you around; if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me," Wang Shounuo stood up and bowed, showing courtesy and a bit of awe towards Wang Shouzhe.

On one hand, Wang Shouzhe was the head of the direct line, and on the other, his personal strength was many times greater than his.

"Thank you, Third Brother," Wang Shouzhe replied politely.

"We're going too," Wang Luotong and Wang Luo Jing chimed in and they followed enthusiastically. Wang Gui came after them, carrying Wang Shouzhe's sword and bow and arrows, followed by four armed household guards.

The siblings strolled leisurely on the farm. It was early summer and quite hot. Hot, humid wind blowing on the face made the air feel thick and heavy.

"Our Fenggu Farm was an industry personally opened by our ancestor, Zhou Xuan, a hundred years ago," Wang Shounuo said proudly, "Our ancestor, at that time, organized the redirection of tributaries, dredged silt, reinforced the riverbank, and constructed a water sluice gate at the upper reaches of the Fen Gu tributary, thus forming the embryonic form of Fenggu Farm. In the following years, our people continued to rectify and cultivate the barren land, transforming this arable, semi-dry wasteland into fertile farmland. With their dedicated efforts over generations, today we have 3,567 acres of top-quality farmland and 200 tenant farmers!"

...


next chapter

Chapter 12: Chapter 12 Signs of the Insect Plague_1

...

With just Fenggu Farm alone offering so many fertile fields, there were a couple of hundred tenant farmers too?

Wang Shouzhe looked across the patchwork of fields, crisscrossed with large and small irrigation ditches, and felt somewhat moved internally. This was indeed the family business that had been handed down for hundreds of years.

"Our Fenggu Farm adheres to traditional winter wheat and summer fallow crop rotations. Now is exactly when the winter wheat is about to mature, and it's a busy season for cultivating summer fallow seedlings," said Wang Shounuo, with a slight joy on his face. "This spring, ample rainfall did not flood the field, while the abundant sunshine did not scorch the plants, which is very beneficial to the growth of winter wheat. It seems that it will be a bumper harvest season."

At this, Wang Shouzhe was somewhat pleased. The difference between a good harvest and a poor one of grains was significant. More grain harvest meant the family had more funds for development.

"That's not right," Wang Luo Jing, who was like a little tail-following insect, began to pout. "Third brother, you're wrong. I'm afraid it will be a poor harvest for this year's winter wheat."

What?

Wang Shounuo's smile became a bit rigid instantly, and he sternly said, "Luo Jing, you little girl can't talk nonsense. Even Grandpa and some of the old experienced tenant farmers say that there is an eighty to ninety percent chance of a bumper harvest this year. You're so young, what do you understand? If Grandpa hears you predicting a poor harvest, I'm afraid he will scold you again."

Frightened by his words, Wang Luo Jing instantly hid behind Wang Shouzhe.

"Third brother, our fifth sister is still young, children are innocent. Why are you fussing over her?" Wang Shouzhe comforted her by rubbing her head a couple of times with a smile.

"Fourth brother, there's something you don't know," Wang Shounuo reluctantly chuckled, "What you don't know is that though our fifth sister is young, she is quite eccentric. She loves to play with all kinds of insects all day. When she was two or three years old, she could sit in the yard and watch ants for days. Some time ago, she even begged me to catch a 'grass something king of the insects' for her. She cried and threw tantrums when I wouldn't, forcing me to wander all over the mountains for four or five days to catch just two~ I was bitten all over by mosquitos."

"It's the king of the grass-bug, as recorded in the ancient Insect Scripture." Wang Luo Jing stuck out half of her head from behind Wang Shouzhe and corrected Wang Shounuo seriously, "Brother, it's shame you are so handsome but empty-headed. Even though the Profound Martial prominent family establishes itself with martial force, cultural literacy and knowledge are also the foundation of a family's heritage."

Especially the latter half, she mimicked the way Wang Shouzhe scolded them to mock Wang Shounuo.

No doubt, Wang Shounuo's face turned dark and he grumbled, "Yes, yes, yes, I'm not knowledgeable. Next time you beg me, I won't help you catch bugs anymore."

"I'll ask fourth brother for help. Fourth brother is ten thousand times more capable than you," Wang Luo Jing said, hugging Wang Shouzhe's clothes tightly, seemingly having found her backbone, and her tone was full of confidence.

Wang Shouzhe couldn't help but laugh seeing this. It seemed she was indeed quite peculiar, just a little reserved in front of him, so much so that she almost made Wang Shounuo faint due to frustration.

"Alright, alright, Luo Jing, tell me, how is it going to be a poor harvest this year with such favorable weather?" Wang Shouzhe casually asked, "Don't be afraid, it's okay even if you are wrong."

With the backing of Wang Shouzhe, Wang Luo Jing emboldened herself, "The winter last year was too warm, there was only a slight snowfall."

Wang Shounuo immediately rolled his eyes: "It's true there's a saying that 'a timely snow promises a good harvest,' but it's just an old saying. Do you mean that if it does not snow, there will definitely be a poor harvest this year?"

"It's different," Wang Luo Jing said earnestly, "The winter last year was warm, and indeed the rainfall this spring was good. But, it has not rained for more than ten days now, and the weather is dry and hot."

"Luo Jing," Wang Shounuo said nonchalantly, "We have already opened the sluice gate of the Fenggu tributary for irrigation. The winter wheat won't lack water. Besides, the good sunlight helps the wheat grains grow fuller."

"But it also helps aphids grow," Wang Luo Jing countered, rolling her eyes.

Aphids?

Wang Shounuo shivered, hesitating, "The appearance of aphids is unavoidable, they crop up every year, causing some reduction in yield... Furthermore, last winter we did spread Insecticide Powder in the fields."

However, as he spoke, he sounded somewhat unconvincing. Aphids are the natural enemy of winter wheat. A small-scale outbreak is still manageable; it may result in a reduction of grain yield at most. But a massive outbreak would be a disaster.

According to the Wang family's records, the most severe instance was an aphid disaster 73 years ago. This disaster spread across Longzuo County causing an 80% reduction in winter wheat yield that year. The grain prices soared in a short period. The prominent families could survive on their reserves, but many poor freemen had to resort to selling off their children.

What's more terrifying is that this insect disaster lasted for three years. Even some of the prominent families couldn't withstand it. If the Purple Abode Academic Palace hadn't intervened by importing a large amount of grain into Longzuo County and mass-producing traditional Insecticide Powder, Longzuo County would have probably turned into a desolate land with corpses everywhere.

Wang Shouzhe frowned, "Luo Jing, do you have any evidence to support what you're saying?"

Fenggu Farm and Prosperous Farm are the Wang family's two main grain production bases. If there were really an outbreak of aphids, it would be worse for the present Wang family.

"Brother, try examining a few wheat spikes that are in the filling stage." Wang Luo Jing also looked a bit serious.

The words made Wang Shounuo a bit nervous; he walked into the field, randomly picked a wheat spike, flipped through, and noticed some tiny green spots on the wheat spike which had just started to fill.

After turning a few more spikes, some had more, some less, but undeniably, these were all aphids.

Wang Shouzhe was at the High Level Six of the Vital Energy Refining Realm. His physical strength and eyesight far exceeded that of ordinary people. Looking around, he saw that the green spots were all chubby little insects. He was slightly taken aback, "Aphids?"

Wang Shouzhe had few accumulated knowledge about this. He could hardly guess that it was a kind of aphid. He was not interested in agriculture, hence powerful algorithm apps did not push this kind of content to him.

"It's true the number of aphids this year is more than usual." Wang Shounuo said, puzzledly, "But that doesn't mean we're going to have a locust plague, right? They can be controlled with a mixture of wood ash juice and insecticide powder. At most, the production will slightly decrease compared to last year."

"Brother!" Wang Luo Jing stopped in her tracks, "I've already said that there's a big problem with the climate. Too many insect eggs were left in the soil last year. Soon, maybe tomorrow or the day after, a large number of aphids will emerge from the ground. In seven or eight days, it will likely trigger the second wave."

You guys come over here". Wang Shouzhe called out to a few tenant farmers not far away who were working, "Pull out the wheat in this small patch and turn the soil."

"This… Young Master Shounuo…" The tenant farmers shrank back, looking at Wang Shounuo with doubts. They dare not, and they were reluctant to do it. The wheat would be ready for harvest in another ten or so days. It was precious food.

"Listen to the Clan Leader." Not wanting to offend Wang Shouzhe, Wang Shounuo went forward and started to pull out the wheat.

The tenant farmers also picked up their hoes and started turning the soil.

In a short while, all the wheat in the small patch was pulled out, and the soil was turned over.

"This…" Wang Shounuo carefully inspected the roots of the pulled-up wheat, his face gradually changing from serious to shocked. "How could this be? How could this be?"

Many white spots on the roots were truly terrifying. Most of the wheat roots had them; the only difference was the number.

There were also many white spots in the turned-over soil, if you looked carefully.

A shudder came over Wang Shounuo. He had a bad feeling about this, "Quick, go get grandfather."

"Quickly, notify grandfather, and tell all the tenant farmers to quickly soak the stored wood ash." Having studied agriculture with his grandfather for two years, Wang Shounuo had learned some basics.

The tenant farmers began to busy themselves.

In a short while, Grand Elder Wang Xiaozhi had arrived. His face was extremely distressed: "How could this be? How could there be so many aphid eggs growing in the soil? After the autumn harvest last year, like always, we deep ploughed and spread insecticide powder. Could there be something wrong with the insecticide powder?"

"Grandfather, last year was a warm winter…" Wang Luo Jing gently reminded him.

"You little girl, I've been farming all my life, could I not understand as much as you?" Wang Xiaozhi scolded, as if his tail had been stepped on. "Ten years ago, it was also a warm winter, and the climate was exactly the same as this year. Yet, Longzuo had a bumper harvest with grain abundantly stored! In my opinion, the problem lies with the insecticide powder. That damned Qian Family's store, they must have sold fake insecticide, and I even stocked up on a large quantity of their insecticide when it was cheap!"

Listening to their discussions, Wang Shouzhe remembered some fragmented knowledge and couldn't help but furrow his eyebrows: "The Qian Family's stores are all over Longzuo. They always pay attention to their reputation. If their fake insecticide led to a locust plague in Longzuo, they certainly wouldn't be able to bear the consequences. Could there be a possibility that aphids, no, honey bugs, have survived through repeatedly resisting the insecticide, particularly the ones with strong drug resistance, and have gradually spread?"

Although his previous life's Wang Shouzhe did not deal with agriculture, he still knew that whether it was bacteria, viruses, or organisms, they would all constantly undergo genetic mutation and evolution. This evolution was almost unpredictable, but most of them would be eliminated by nature.

Those honey bugs that evolved towards drug resistance, and survived and proliferated during the constant battles with the insecticide, were also reasonable.

But Wang Xiaozhi couldn't understand what biological evolution meant. He just frowned and said: "Shouzhe, don't talk nonsense here. The previous insecticide worked fine, why doesn't it work this year?"

"Grandfather, I think my fourth brother is right." Wang Luo Jing said, "Grandfather, you forgot, you've been complaining these years. It seems like the insecticide is becoming less and less effective. Why are there aphids every year?"

Wang Xiaozhi's face stiffened, and his expression became increasingly difficult to look at. In recent years, especially since the bumper harvest ten years ago, there was a gradual increase in the number of aphids. However, because the overall impact was still within tolerance, he only found it a nuisance.

Wang Shouzhe was almost certain that resistant aphids had proliferated. The warm winter of the previous season allowed most of the insect's eggs to survive. So, the current situation arose due to this year's climate being suitable for aphids.

This is a big problem. Even Wang Shouzhe felt his scalp tingling. He's not capable of mixing up new "pesticides"…

Indeed, misfortunes never come singly! With this disaster, the days of the Wang family will become even more difficult, won't they?

"Fourth brother." Wang Luo Jing pulled on Wang Shouzhe and took him aside. She whispered, "I have a way to solve the aphid problem, but I'm scared of Grandfather, so I dare not say it!"

What?

Wang Shouzhe was taken aback. He looked at her in disbelief.


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