Chapter 0009: The Barren Land of Peanut Village

Those who reside here are all serfs

The chestnut-colored fire dragon horse carried the earth knight Lister, crossing the muddy land, and arrived at Peanut Village. Peanut Village is a settlement much smaller than a village, sparsely scattered with seven or eight thatched cottages.

They know nothing about fertilizers... Liszt felt speechless: "How do you all grow peanuts?"

Gao Ertai asked in surprise: "Lister, have you really found the problem? Do you still know how to grow peanuts? What is the reason that caused the peanuts to die?"

The agricultural fields were inspected by Lister, but he merely stood outside and glanced over them; it is only now that he is truly examining the fields in detail. Since these are the lands of serfs, there are no ridges; each elongated plot of land is separated by a single ditch, with different serfs cultivating different fields.

Gao Ertai sat on his horse, appearing indifferent to the matter at hand, unaware of who the steward of Huashengtun was. A clerk spoke up, saying: "In response to your honor, it is the lame old George."

Liszt dismounted and walked into the fields, bending down to pull out a yellowing peanut seedling. Just as he was about to examine it closely, Gaultier suddenly said, "Liszt, you should not touch such dirty work; let this group of serfs handle it instead." Although he was a fallen noble knight, in terms of mindset, he looked down on commoners even more than the average aristocrat.

At this moment

However, Liszt soon became puzzled: "Why did I not starve before, but now I am going to starve because of peanuts?"

Only a few bare-bottomed children occasionally raised their heads, using their dirty yet bright big eyes to scrutinize Liszt. Then, they were pressed down by an adult's hand, kneeling on the ground like the others, their foreheads nearly touching the ground

He is not an agronomist, but he farmed in his childhood and is not unfamiliar with agriculture. The peanuts from the two worlds are similar in some aspects and unfamiliar in others. However, it can generally be determined that the peanut seedlings in hand are in their current condition due to malnutrition

The output of the farmland, almost ninety percent, belongs to the nobility, specifically to Liszt

Liszt paid no attention

Is it useful to irrigate the fields with plant ash or manure

The clerk quickly pulled over an old man who walked with a limp and was unsteady on his feet. The old man wore patched clothing, and his frail body seemed as if it could extinguish like a withered lamp at any moment

A group of people walked on tiptoe and arrived at the center of the peanut field, where the peanut seedlings were still quite vigorous. Liszt rummaged through his memories; he had seen the collection of sprite worms when he was a child. Generally, a sprite worm, resembling a warm and jade-like silkworm baby, could be found hidden within the flowers or new shoots of a plant.

Different sprite insects have different patterns

He addressed the crowd: "I believe I have understood the reason, old George. Now, according to my instructions, come to tend to this peanut field"

His current net worth includes four types of spirit insects: one tulip spirit insect, one thorn spirit insect, one corn spirit insect, and one alfalfa spirit insect. The breeding of spirit insects requires coordination with farming, and currently, Gaotai is still assisting him in finding suitable farmland for breeding spirit insects

Emerging from the drafty house, the expression on his face reflected the numbness of life's pressures, standing woodenly at the door, at a loss. Only under the loud reprimands of the clerk did he kneel one by one, bowing in the direction of Li Si Te.

Following the direction pointed by Old George, Liszt saw the long field located in the center of the peanut farm.

Please ask him to come over

The remaining ten percent is their food supply

Liszt waved his hand, signaling the clerk to withdraw, and said gently: "Old George, there is no need to be nervous. I am Baron Liszt Tulip, the lord of Flower Town. I have heard that there is a problem with the peanuts in Peanut Village. Please take us to the fields to see if we can resolve this issue."

The central part of the field is green, which appears much more vibrant compared to the surrounding yellowish-green withered peanuts

Who is in charge of the peanut farm? asked Liszt

The peanut field, which should have been lush green, is now a patchwork of green and yellow, with all the peanuts wilting, half-dead and sprawled on the ground. The soil is damp, indicating that the serfs have not skimped on watering, but unfortunately, watering alone cannot revive the peanuts.

Thinking of this

Old George was taken aback and then retorted, "What is fertilizer?"

Therefore, let us prioritize the treatment of the peanut seedlings first

Old George said that they plant this way every year, and apart from droughts and floods, there have been no similar phenomena. Therefore, the nutrient deficiency in the peanut fields is likely due to other reasons

Having understood this, Liszt could not help but shake his head

What are you all standing there for? Upon seeing the arrival of the Lord, why are you not hastily kneeling and paying your respects! The town's clerk, nimble on his feet, knocked on the doors of every household.

My lord, old George has arrived

Old George, filled with excitement, seemed to walk with the wind

The actions of adults are all numb.

"Reward me with a spirit bug... the peanut field is malnourished..." As he stood up, Liszt already had the answer in his heart, "I fear that the cause of the malnutrition in the peanut field is the spirit bug that is to be rewarded to me. The spirit bug is nurtured from plants, and my spirit bug should be the peanut spirit bug."

Ah, oh, Baron... My Lord..." Old George stammered nervously, "I will lead the way... Thank heavens... Peanut Town is saved... My Lord has come to rescue us!

Praise the Lord! Old George was overwhelmed with joy and wept

It cannot be said yet; in a few days, the truth will be revealed. Liszt, being cautious, did not mention the reason, as he was also worried that he might be mistaken. What if there were no little spirits at all? That would be quite a blunder

Liszt asked: "Aren't fertilizers used?"

What is the reason for this

His gaze was directed towards the patch of green in the center of the field, contemplating seriously

He waved his hand and called to everyone: "Let's go to the center of the field to take a look"

Old George rambled on about a great deal, essentially stating that in the autumn and winter, wild grass grows abundantly, which is then burned the following year, after which peanuts are planted. Once planted, it involves watering and weeding. This method has been passed down through generations, resulting in particularly low yields. Only the nobility can use elves to influence plant growth, achieving the goal of high production.

After searching for a moment, Liszt did not find a peanut seedling that nurtured the book spirit bug.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck, and he remembered the reward for the task—he was required to rescue the peanut field, and the reward was a sprite bug. Based on the way he received the reward for his first task, Lister felt that the sprite bug would not simply materialize out of thin air; it would likely be something he stumbled upon along the way

What? Old George was puzzled, "My lord, we have watered it, three times a day!"

The clerk was pushing the old man, seemingly trying to urge him to bow quickly, but the old man appeared very nervous, standing there in a daze, at a loss for what to do

Without fertilization, even the best soil will become barren after a few planting cycles. The vast expanse of farmland before us is on the verge of turning into yellow earth, no wonder the peanuts are dying; they are starving to death

Old George wiped his tears and said excitedly: "My lord, we have not been idle at all. We fetch water three times a day to irrigate, yet the peanuts are still on the verge of dying. Currently, only the field planted by Archie still has peanuts that have not wilted, but they too are close to giving in, with some leaves starting to turn yellow"

It is likely that the time has not yet come, and the nutrition is insufficient; this peanut worm will probably miscarry. Liszt could not help but tighten his palms; the spirit worm represents productivity, and this task must not fail

but repeatedly observe the peanut seedlings in hand to determine the cause