Three-Dimensional Farming

The sixth day of the first lunar month.

The snow-capped peaks stretch into mountains, and icicles half a foot long hang from the eaves.

Last night, Ping Yang County had a rare heavy snowfall. The snow was so deep that it was enough to sink half a foot in overnight, a sight that only happens once every two or three years.

Liang Qu sat quietly under the eaves, watching as ice crystals the size of salt grains bounced off the stone curtain and fell into the snow.

There was no practicing martial arts, no reading, and no trivial matters.

Exhale, breathe in and out.

With each rise and fall of my chest, I felt the bitter cold of winter.

The icy chill, without the slightest discomfort, seeped into my lungs, transforming into a unique kind of clarity during moments of leisure.

In life, what we pursue is nothing more than stability and security.

The sixth day.

I sat alone, listening to the snow fall all day long.

"My lord! Lord Fan River Earl is looking for you!"

"Let him in."

Liang Qu helped himself up, patted his shoulders, brushed off the thin layer of frost and snow, and returned to the hall to greet the guests.

Work resumes on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.

The seven-day spring break at the River Conservancy Office is coming to an end. Cha Qing and others are returning from their hometowns one after another, each bringing back a lot of local specialties.

Therefore, starting yesterday, Liang Qu collected another round of local specialties from the surrounding counties.

Since becoming the Dushui Official, Liang Qu has never bought tea again, Cha Qing has simply bought all the "gifts" that one person has been sending him continuously.

"May Lord Liang enjoy good fortune, health, and all things go smoothly at the start of a new year!"

Fan Zixuan walked around the screen wall and through the hanging flower gate, uttering words of blessing while two flying dragons flapped in his hands.

This year, I hunted two wild animals again and sent them over.

Why spend so much money?

"You've misunderstood, sir. This year, I went home with some younger relatives to train in the mountains and forests, and we happened to catch a nest of six! It only took a bit of effort."

After some polite refusals, Liang Qu reluctantly accepted the gift and had Fan Xinglai take it into the kitchen.

As luck would have it, just as Fan Xinglai carrying the chicken across the doorway, a Hazel Grouse flapped its wings and passed by the doorway.

The Foolish Chicken moved back and forth, alternating its wings, crawling little by little across the entrance of the hall.

The Oolong behind flicked its tail and occasionally pounced, causing the flying dragon to leap away.

"Tch!"

Liang Qu shouted and chased away the Oolong, and only then could the Foolish Chicken catch its breath and lie on the threshold sticking out its tongue.

Fan Zixuan was stunned. Although the chicken had grown much fatter, it still looked vaguely familiar. "Sir, this flying dragon..."

"Oh, the one you gave me last year. Something happened in the middle, and I've been keeping it ever since, for several months now."

"Oh."

Fan Zixuan didn't understand what had happened, but who could say for sure what would happen to such an important person?

Could it be that Lord Liang enjoys raising chickens? Look at Feilong's plump figure.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Fan Zixuan left with a knowing look in his eyes.

I sensed something was amiss in Liang Qu's "Eye Consciousness Method," but I opened my mouth and remained silent.

never mind.

A few days slipped by.

The Spring Festival atmosphere is fading, and people are going back to work or shoveling snow.

On the evening of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Liang Qu checked in and went home.

I was ranked first in the performance appraisal before the New Year and received Great Merit award.

Even though the Great Merit have already been used up and the remaining small rewards haven't been received yet, attendance should still be guaranteed in the first few days of the new year to avoid giving others cause for gossip.

At the gate, Chen Qingjiang's family members passed by one after another, from the oldest to the youngest, each holding a bamboo pole with bundles of straw tied to the top.

Liang Qu found it strange and asked what he was going to do with the bundle of grass.

"'Set off a fire'."

"Set a fire?"

Liang Qu was even more puzzled.

He knew about the custom of "setting off fires" on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Commonly known as "Zhao Mao Chong" or "Zhao Tian Cai," it is a way to hope for the complete eradication of pests and a bountiful harvest in the coming year.

Villagers piled up rice roots and weeds at the edge of the fields and burned them, calling it "Wei Bai Chong." They also burned weeds along roadsides, in cemeteries, along ditches, and in wastelands, calling it "Jiao Chong Wo."

At night, they would tie reeds or thatch into bundles as thick as a bowl, wave them along the edge of the field, and shout things like, "On the fifteenth of the first lunar month, we set off fires; other people's vegetables are as big as copper coins, but my vegetables are as big as bamboo baskets..."

The only problem is...

Chen Qingjiang's family has been fishermen for generations. They rely entirely on a Black Awning Boat for food, clothing, and daily necessities. Where would they get fields to cook firewood?

This didn't happen during last year's Chinese New Year.

Chen Qingjiang said, "After the rice harvest last autumn, I bought fifteen mu of land."

"Fifteen mu of land? Uncle Chen, you're not fishing anymore?"

"Catch them, catch them!"

Who will farm that field?

Fifteen mu of land is no small amount; at today's land prices, it would cost at least seventy or eighty taels of silver, in addition to two annual taxes.

Under the Taxing Households by Land," those who owned land were required to pay more taxes.

The more land one owns, the heavier the tax burden.

Chen Qingjiang fishes, but his two children are too young. The oldest Shunzi is only six, oh, he's grown a year older this year and is already seven. They're not able to work at all. There's only an elderly man Chen Renxing, and his wife A Di, in the family. How can they manage to farm?

Chen Qingjiang said, "I won't plant any more. I'll just keep two mu for myself to grow some fruits and vegetables. I'll rent out the rest. I won't earn much, and after paying taxes, there won't be much left."

However, I plan to save all this money. In four or five years, when Shunzi is eleven or twelve, the money I've saved will be enough to send him to school. After two or three years, I'll sell the land and send him to learn martial arts.

"Not bad at all."

Liang Qu never expected that Chen Qingjiang, a mere fisherman, would have such a good investment sense, knowing how to use his money to purchase assets and increase their value, and even planning for his child's future early on.

With their own established connections, they didn't need to worry about being exploited or sabotaged by officials; what they got was what they got.

He pondered for a moment.

"Uncle Chen, since you have time to rent them out, why don't you keep them all and hire people to grow them? Instead of planting rice, go to the Evergreen Medical Hall branch in town and ask Shopkeeper Chen there to buy some live Dark Spotted Frog and Golden Thread Leech in my name, and learn how to raise them."

Before summer planting, try planting rice with Dark Spotted Frog, or rice with Golden Thread Leech.

"Dark Spotted Frog and Golden Thread Leech?"

"Right!"

These two herbs are often used by Liang Qu to make Medicinal Bath when he is in poor health, especially when he is in the Four Gates of Skin, Flesh, Bone, and Blood. They are very effective in promoting blood circulation, removing blood stasis, and improving Qi and Blood.

Each Martial Arts School school has a different formula, but the underlying principles are the same.

Both are medicinal materials that are used extensively by low-level Martial Artist.

Based on the development prospects of Ping Yang County, the number of Martial Artist will experience a continuous surge in growth over the next ten years, leading to an increasing demand for basic medicinal materials – a sure-fire way to make money.

"Will it work?"

Chen Qingjiang wasn't very confident. He had hardly ever farmed before, and the thought of suddenly having to farm and raise frogs made him a little hesitant.

"Give it a try, count me in, and then bring Shopkeeper Chen in too."

It's too late today, let's do it tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll have Li Bo and Jie Chang come over and discuss it with Manager Shopkeeper Chen, and get two herbal medicine merchants to provide the initial funding."

Raising Dark Spotted Frog and leeches is definitely not a problem. With such a large demand from Martial Artist, there must be some breeding operations, otherwise the supply would be insufficient.

However, Liang Qu himself is not sure whether Three-Dimensional Farming can complement each other.

If successful, expanding the scale will accumulate into a substantial source of income over time.

With about ten acres of land on either side, the experimental costs are manageable.

"Okay, let's give it a try."

Chen Qingjiang himself lacked confidence, but he believed in Liang Qu.