Chapter 114: Plowing the Land
Editor: Atlas Studios
Mu Yangling was not tired, but Madam Ma-Liu was exhausted by now. She turned around and saw that they had already plowed two acres of land, so she hurriedly said, “Alright, alright. That’s all for this morning.”
Mu Yangling turned around to take a look. “Let’s plow some more. Otherwise, when will we finish plowing?”
Madam Ma-Liu rebuked, “Do you really want to plow all 180 acres? First plow those 23 acres of high-grade land, then plow the medium-grade land. Let’s leave the rest as it is. It’s already not bad if we can plant 50 acres.”
Mu Yangling still felt that it was too little. She said, “Let’s take a look first. Perhaps we can do more.”
Mu Shi glared at her as he went forward to support the iron plow. “You’re not tired, but your great-aunt is. Go rest.”
Only then did Mu Yangling see that Madam Ma-Liu’s hands were trembling. For a moment, she smiled awkwardly. “Great-aunt, I was distracted just now. You should rest.”
Madam Ma-Liu was dumbfounded. “You can even pull a plow when you’re distracted?”
Mu Yangling said nonchalantly, “Isn’t it just walking straight? It’s very simple.”
Madam Ma-Liu turned around and looked at Mu Shi. “Since Ah Ling isn’t tired, come and support her. Just press down a little harder like I taught you and hold onto the iron plow.”
“Alright.” Mu Shi held onto the iron plow and said to his daughter, “Alright, let’s go.”
Mu Yangling walked forward at her usual speed, but suddenly, there was a tremor behind her. After walking for a while, she heard her great-aunt shout, “Stop! Stop quickly!”
Mu Yangling turned around and saw that the ground that Mu Shi had plowed was curved and of varying depths. Mu Shi looked a little embarrassed. “I’ll try again. Maybe I’ll succeed.”
Madam Ma-Liu nodded helplessly and advised him from the side. At one moment, she said, “Don’t use too much strength. You won’t be able to move the plow like that.” At another moment, she said, “Press the plow back. Don’t be too fast. That way, it’ll result in a curved path. Hold your hands steady.” At another moment, she said, “Do use some strength. Look at the soil—only one layer came out. It’s not even as deep as your feet.”
In the end, not only was Mu Shi exhausted, but even Madam Ma-Liu’s saliva had dried up. She looked at Mu Shi worriedly. “This won’t do. Plowing is the simplest and others can learn by simply watching. How are you going to farm in the future?”
Mu Shi rubbed his head and said after a while, “Aunt, like my father, I’m not cut out for farming. Why don’t we plant casually?”
“How are you going to provide for your family? With your section commander’s military salary? Is it enough for Wanniang to get medicine?” Madam Ma-Liu hit the back of his hand with a stick. “Get up. I’ll do it myself.”
Mu Yangling quickly threw down the rope and ran up. “Let me do it. I think I know how to do it after listening to your instructions. I’ll give it a shot.”
Frowning, Madam Ma-Liu slapped Mu Shi. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pull the plow.”
Mu Shi hurriedly gave the iron plow to his daughter and went forward to pull the plow.
As Mu Yangling had great strength since she was young, she would always accidentally crush or smash something. When she was still in infancy, she had started learning to control her strength. It was only when she was six years old that she completely mastered control over her strength. Only then did Mu Shi and Shu Wanniang dare to let her carry Little Bowen. In the past, Mu Yangling could break Shu Wanniang’s bones if she accidentally touched her with a light wave of her hand.
In order to master control over her strength, Mu Yangling asked Shu Wanniang to knead a few balls with flour. She pinched and kneaded them with her hands to make them not concave or too spread out. Today, Mu Yangling’s control of strength surpassed everyone else.
Therefore, after she mastered the iron plow, other than initially when she made the ground uneven, when she mastered the strength she should maintain, the soil that was dug out was new and deep. The smile on Madam Ma-Liu’s face deepened as she said, “Ah Ling inherited your grandmother’s capability. Your grandmother was as smart as you in the past. She easily learned everything after watching it a few times.” As she spoke, she looked at Mu Shi and sighed. Clearly, she felt that Mu Shi did not inherit his mother’s intelligence and capability.
Mu Shi looked even more embarrassed.
Mu Yangling smiled. “Then you don’t have to worry in the future, Great-aunt. I’ll farm my family’s land.”
However, Madam Ma-Liu sighed in her heart and looked at Bowen, who was running around picking grass stems. Ah Ling was a girl after all and would get married one day. Surely she couldn’t abandon her husband’s family and come back to help her maternal family farm?
Considering Bowen’s poor health, it was already not an easy feat for him to grow up into adulthood.
Therefore, Madam Ma-Liu looked at Mu Shi again and felt that it was best to work hard to reform her nephew and let him master this.
When Bosi grew up in the future, Mu Shi could teach his second son. This way, even if Bowen did not know how to farm in the future, he would at least have a younger brother to help him.
Mu Shi shivered, feeling that someone was talking about him behind his back, and it was not a good thing.
Because Mu Yangling was a quick learner, with the three of them taking turns, they finished plowing six acres of land in a day. The Hu family watched as Mu Yangling pulled the plow as if she was pulling a stick. Seeing her walk quickly and steadily, they were simply envious and jealous. “That young lady is so strong.”
Old Hu’s youngest son, Hu Gui, said unhappily, “She’s born with great strength because her father has the bloodline of a Hu. If you’re envious, you should’ve asked Great-grandfather to marry a Hu woman. Perhaps then, the three of us brothers will have great strength.”
When Old Hu heard him talk about his ancestors this way, he was so angry that he raised his whip and was about to whip him.
“Alright, alright. Don’t talk nonsense. Strength alone isn’t enough for farming. I heard from Second Brother that the Mu family used to be hunters. They’re good at hunting, but they don’t know anything about farming. If it weren’t for his aunt guiding them from the side, they might have been sitting at home like the He family in the east. There’s still a long way to go. With their lack of experience, it’s not certain if they can successfully farm this land. In our family, your father is the number one expert in farming in our village. Third Son, you ought to learn from him. Now that your second brother went to join the army, this family is counting on you and your eldest brother. Do you hear me?”
Hu Gui snorted and agreed.
At the side, Hu Man’s wife, Madam Hu-Jin, had her head lowered. When she heard her mother-in-law say that the family would be depending on the third son and eldest son in the future, she couldn’t help but clench her fists and turn to look at her husband.
As if he did not hear anything, Hu Man squatted on the ground and kept cutting the grass quickly.
Now, only the Mu family had plows and hoe in the entire village. The other families had also returned to their village to search, but they could only find some iron pieces sporadically. They could not even find a single hoe. In addition, the grass in the field had not been completely removed. Now, only the Mu family had plowed the soil on their land.
Madam Hu-Jin sighed. When she returned, she walked beside her husband and said, “Since Section Commander Mu is your superior, go greet him later.”
Hu Man nodded and slowed down.
Madam Hu-Zhang turned around and looked at them. Without saying anything, she walked back to her husband, Hu Dian.
While the sun was setting in the west, the Mu family started packing their things to return.
Mu Yangling carried Bowen with one arm and Xiulan with the other as she ran forward. Xiuhong chased after them with a smile.
Mu Shi carried everything and walked behind the empty-handed Madam Ma-Liu.
When Hu Man saw this, he hurriedly handed the scythe in his hand to his wife and took two steps forward to take the iron plow from Mu Shi’s shoulder.