Farming Really Was a Wonderful Thing (Please Follow-up Reads)

Farming Really Was a Wonderful Thing (Please Follow-up Reads)

Within Blackwater Valley Territory lay a lush forested river valley.

The Blackwater River flowed quietly through it, bearing witness to the territory's passing years.

The crops in the territory were growing beautifully this year. With melted snow from the high mountains for irrigation, they generally would not suffer drought, and there was plenty of sunlight in summer. The only flaw was that they could only plant one crop a year.

Everything in the territory ran in good order. Unfortunately, Levi had been a liberal arts student in his previous life. He knew nothing about science and engineering, nor did he understand how to make many scientific inventions that could improve productivity.

Otherwise, he could have been like other transmigrators, climbing the tech tree in his territory, starting some kind of scientific revolution, and maybe even leading this incredibly backward world into a steam age.

He was not good at management, nor was he good at farming.

All he knew was to bury his head and grind experience. The territory's affairs, big and small, were all left to Knight Fred and other professionals to handle.

To Levi, since he possessed the Proficiency Panel, his pursuit had only ever been one thing from beginning to end: to seek eternal life in this other world. His identity and status as a lord were merely tools on the road to pursuing strength.

As for wealth, power, love, and all the worries of the mortal world, they were nothing but passing clouds.

Holy Radiance Calendar Year 1004, Month of the Furnace (August).

The Month of the Furnace was mainly hot in the south. Blackwater Valley in the north of the kingdom sat at a higher altitude, so the temperature was just right.

Knight Fred led the militia in building irrigation channels for the territory, diverting water from the Blackwater River for irrigation, so the crops were growing very well this year.

In addition, Lord Levi also called on the serfs in the territory to fish in the Blackwater River during the slack farming season, which counted as adding a bit of income for the territory.

Because Levi was worried about being haunted by that Evil Spirit, he naturally did not dare go to the Blackwater River. What a pity; his dream in his previous life had been not having to work, just a pack of cigarettes, a stool, and a fishing rod for a whole day of fishing.

As his strength increased day by day, the amount of meat he consumed grew larger and larger. If he ate his fill, Levi could eat more than ten catties of meat in a day, but Blackwater Valley's beef and mutton output was limited, so Levi thought of eating fish.

Most of the fish in the Blackwater River were cold-water perch and salmon. Their flesh was delicious and rich in nutrients. Freshwater fish had many bones, but to Levi, fish bones were something he swallowed directly, so they did not matter.

Levi also taught the territory's cooks some of the ways Chinese people in his previous life prepared river fish, having them make fish for him and the soldiers.

Steamed, braised, grilled—there were various methods. The taste certainly could not compare to his previous life. After all, the Emerald Kingdom was about the same as medieval Europe before the Age of Discovery. There were not many spices, and the few occasionally brought in through trade with other countries were monopolized by the great nobles and the Royal Family. Even Levi could not afford them.

But it was still better than the dark cuisine they had made before. The Blackwater River's water quality was excellent, and the fish had very little muddy smell.

This also counted as solving part of the meat problem for himself and the soldiers in the territory.

Knight Fred also began eating river fish with Levi. In truth, ever since becoming a knight, Knight Fred had rarely eaten river fish. In the eyes of this world's nobles and knights, river fish was food for lowly people.

But seeing Levi eat river fish in order to save the territory's expenses, living frugally and thriftily, shocked Fred greatly.

"Young Master Levi is destined to accomplish great things."

Amid this peace and harmony, time passed day by day, and the Month of Wheat Fields arrived.

The wheat in the territory was golden yellow, and the joy of a bumper harvest filled Lord Levi's face.

"Farming really was a wonderful thing."

This day was the fixed weekly rest day. Levi drank grape wine as he watched the serfs at the foot of the mountain harvest wheat.

This year's weather had been favorable, and Levi felt that the wheat yield would definitely be much higher than last year.

But when the Month of Harvest (October) arrived, Levi was dumbfounded.

Compared with last year, the yield had increased by less than one percent.

He summoned Knight Fred and the territory's steward.

Then he looked over the data from previous years and discovered an interesting phenomenon.

No matter what the weather had been like in any given year, the territory's wheat yield basically did not change much.

After some study, Levi found that there was a problem with the territory's policy.

According to the customs of this world, the serfs in a territory were the lord's private property, and the fields were also private property granted by the king to the lord.

The income created by the serfs, whether wheat or other agricultural products, all had to be handed over to the minor lord apart from the fixed small portion they kept for themselves. After the minor lord converted the grain into money, he handed a portion over to his direct liege lord, and ultimately, layer by layer, it reached the greatest lord, the Royal Family of the Emerald Kingdom. They called it "assistance money."

Over time, many serfs began slacking off. Whether sowing seeds or fertilizing, they did it perfunctorily. In any case, it would all be given to the lord in the end. Even if I harvested more, it had nothing to do with me, so why should I work so hard? As long as the amount handed over was not too low, the lord would not harshly blame the serfs. In any case, everyone's yield was low.

Levi felt it was necessary to change the territory's policy.

He called Knight Fred over. After telling Knight Fred his thoughts, Knight Fred was somewhat surprised.

"Since ancient times, I don't think anyone has done this. You are the lord. If you think those serfs are slacking off, you only need to set a hard target for them each year. If they fail to meet it, they suffer severe punishment. There is no need to bestow such favor on them. You are still too kind."

Levi shook his head. "The best way to mobilize these people's enthusiasm is not punishment, but letting them... eat their fill."

Knight Fred looked thoughtful. "Then let's try it. If it doesn't work, we can return to the old way. In any case, there is no loss."

Just like that, after the Month of Harvest passed, a new policy began to be implemented in the territory.

The steward went door to door, telling those serfs an enormous piece of good news.

"The Lord has announced: starting next year, each household only needs to hand over sixty percent of the wheat harvested that year to the lord. Apart from that, the rest of the wheat will belong to the serfs themselves."

The serfs in those wooden houses all revealed expressions of disbelief.

"Is this true? Heavenly Father above, the Lord isn't deceiving us, is he?"

"Are you questioning the lord's authority?"

"N-no."

In the end, in order to dispel these serfs' misgivings, Levi had no choice but to personally give a speech and announce the implementation of the decree.

When they heard that it was true, the serfs beamed with joy. For the first time, they felt that life had such hope, and their future was bright.

Levi did not know whether this move would work or not. He only felt that it was time to make some changes.

Autumn in Blackwater Valley was always too brief. In the blink of an eye, it was the Month of the North Wind again.

On the training ground below the castle, Levi's body and arms trembled so fast they formed afterimages. Frostmourne in his hand cut out a beautiful cross slash! The hard Black Dragon Wood stake before him, covered in all kinds of slash marks, was finally split into four! The sound was crisp, and the cuts were smooth.

[Golden Cross Slash Proficiency +1] The system's notification rang out.

Levi exhaled, then his face filled with surprise. He could not help jumping up, as happy as a teenage child should have been.

"I broke through!"

Levi-----

Black Snake Breathing Technique: Second Order (4502/5000)

Golden Cross Slash: Third Order (1/10000), Special Effect: Advanced Vibration