Chapter 244

Qing Mengzhu poured him tea. "You've worked hard."

Bai Wenru: "If you can achieve results, it's not hard work. What's most worrying is running around and getting nothing in return."

Qing Mengzhu: "Looking back at history now, it's clear that your hard work paid off. We are all striving to build upon the foundation laid by your generation of researchers."

Bai Wenru and said, "I can't say anything else, but we've laid the foundation. Now it's your turn to conduct research on the Rice genome."

Qing Mengzhu chatted with them for a while and roughly learned the purpose of their visit.

Both expressed their hope that Zhuxi Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd.. could join the Rice research, for example, by providing samples and participating in experiments.

Cheng Yizheng introduced their lab's research findings, "... This year, we just edited the AER19 gene, enabling tillers to obtain more auxin, thus increasing Rice yield."

Bai Wenru: "We also have a group here that has conducted targeted optimization this year using the genes of wild rice to combat rice blast."

Both spoke very sincerely, and the laboratories they led had produced many successful results.

Qing Mengzhu had long considered cooperating, so she agreed that the three parties would send representatives to discuss the details and then sign a contract.

Zhao Hexi was very excited when she found out. "We're going to collaborate with a national-level laboratory?"

Qing Mengzhu: "We've collaborated with national-level laboratories before, why are you so happy?"

Zhao Hexi waved his hand. "That's different. We've cooperated before, but we weren't that confident. This time, we're proper partners. Hehe, the leader who contacted me said some projects involve confidential matters, so we'll have to sign relevant agreements."

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, as long as the procedure is followed correctly."

Zhao Hexi: "I'll bring people to talk to them then and clarify the terms."

Before hanging up, Zhao Hexi remembered something else. "By the way, quite a few research institutes and laboratories want to visit us. Should we invite them? Sending them over would expand our influence, but I'm not sure if it involves anything that needs to be kept confidential."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's not related, they can come. It's just that my family's rice has already been harvested, and the company's rice isn't worth visiting. Please remind them."

Zhao Hexi: "Okay, I'll tell the truth then."

Qing Mengzhu's family planted a total of ten mu of Rice this year.

There were quite a few people who came to help with the harvest, and they finished harvesting all the Rice in two days.

After threshing the Rice, they weighed this year's Rice.

This year's average Rice yield per mu reached 1,237 jin, which is an improvement compared to last year.

Rice yields have increased, and the cooked rice tastes better than last year.

After harvesting and drying the Rice, they specially set aside some to be milled into new rice.

Just like last year, Zhou Yan cooked the new rice.

The newly cooked rice is oily, fragrant, very soft and sweet, and tastes slightly different from last year's.

Zhou Yan remarked with emotion, "This batch of new rice would definitely have been used as tribute in ancient times."

Zhao Hexi didn't react for a moment. "Which offering? An offering to the god?"

Zhou Yan: "To be presented as tribute to the emperor."

Zhao Hexi chuckled, "Then I'll write it down. We'll use this as the advertising slogan—'Royal Enjoyment,' how about that?"

Qing Mengzhu: "A bit vulgar? That description is overused. Focusing on the global rice industry and comparing data with the world's top rice is better than associating with royalty."

Zhao Hexi: "Our rice is already among the world's top-quality rice."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's just that our reputation hasn't spread yet, so we're using someone else's reputation to promote ourselves."

Zhao Hexi: "This idea is good. I'll arrange it when I get back."

Seeing his eagerness, Qing Mengzhu quickly stopped him, saying, "Wait, I was just describing it this way: this batch of rice isn't for sale."

Zhou Yan: "Not selling? We've already harvested over 10,000 jin of rice this year."

Qing Mengzhu: "We won't sell them. We need to keep some for seeds, eat the rest ourselves, and share some with relatives and friends. That'll be about all we have left."

Zhou Yan persisted. "Can't I even sell a little bit at the farm?"

Qing Mengzhu shook her head. "The farm will use rice produced by the company, and we can categorize it by grade."

Zhao Hexi: "The rice produced by our company should be quite good, much better than what's on the market. Don't be disappointed, Brother Zhou."

Zhou Yan: "Then I'll give it a try."

Qing Mengzhu: "We'll be harvesting the company's Rice in the next couple of days. We'll harvest the rice here first, and then the rice from the border region. The farm should be able to use our company's new rice as early as next week."

Zhou Yan: "I'll think about it for the next few days to see if I can develop new dishes based on the new rice."

Zhao Hexi raised his hand. "And wine, let's see if our rice can brew the same kind of wine as yours, Mengzhu."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "Let's study this slowly after the rice harvest. Come on, let's eat first."

Chapter 244

Qing Mengzhu and his group finished harvesting the Rice in Vine City, they set off to harvest the Rice in Ye'erqingele City.

Their company has a large farm of 178 hectares here, and the Rice is almost ripe and ready to be harvested.

In the first year of Rice cultivation in Ye'erqingele, Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi flew over to personally oversee the project.

Zhao Hexi: "The harvesting team is ready. We've rented seven large harvesters, and the trucks have arrived too. After the harvesters finish harvesting the Rice, we'll unload it onto the trucks and then transport it to the drying plant."

Qing Mengzhu glanced at the printed process. "No problems, we can harvest now."

Zhao Hexi: "Okay, I'll call Ge Yutian and have him arrange for the harvesters to go out."

Zhao Hexi made a phone call, Ge Yutian quickly communicated with the driver.

Large harvesters rumbled across the fields, slowly devouring swathes of rice, then dumping the grains onto trucks that were driving parallel to them.

The harvester didn't seem to be moving very fast, but it quickly harvested the rice paddies, leaving short stubble exposed.

They didn't need straw, so the straw was quickly thrown down by the harvester, directly covering the rice stubble and turning the earth mottled and withered.

Smelling the slightly pungent aroma emanating from the chopped rice straw, Zhao Hexi asked, "Next, we'll plant ryegrass, right?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, after the rice is harvested, we'll have the tractor come over and plow the straw deep into the soil, then sow rye grass, and then we won't need to do much with it."

Zhao Hexi: "When is the ryegrass harvested?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Let's do it before it snows, harvest the crops, and then plow the fields again."

The climate here is quite cold, and in most cases, only one crop can be grown per year.

After they harvest the Rice, they plant ryegrass, which counts as two crops.

Some people would plant winter wheat directly, but Qing Mengzhu prefers to let the land rest rather than gain more profit, so he has no plans to plant winter wheat for the time being. If the land is idle, planting ryegrass would be a good idea.

The harvester is very efficient; it can harvest such a large area in just a few days.

After confirming that there were no problems, Qing Mengzhu led his men to the drying plant to inspect the harvested rice.

The rice grown in Ye'erqingele is mechanized, with good support in terms of fertilizer, water, and planting techniques. The rice is growing very well, and a yield of over 1,000 jin per mu should not be a problem, bringing the total output to as high as 3 million jin.

With so much rice to dry in a hurry, small factories simply can't handle it.

After hearing about it, Duan Yu'ang introduced them to a large factory where their millet was dried.

There was so much rice harvested this time. When Qing Mengzhu entered the factory, she saw sacks of rice piled up outside the factory buildings and smelled the unique fragrance of rice.

Fortunately, the weather has been sunny and there hasn't been much rain lately, so it's okay to leave the rice piled outside; otherwise, it would have been quite a hassle.