Chapter 5: Outstanding Students of the Agricultural College
It is precisely the season of early spring, and the morning sunlight shines upon the earth. The fields of wheat seedlings are lush and green. In the distance, rolling hills stretch endlessly, bringing a refreshing feeling to Wang Ping's heart. The air carries a faint fragrance, and the sky is a deep blue, completely different from the hazy skies Wang Ping has grown accustomed to in later years. Wang Ping greedily takes a deep breath, filling his lungs with fresh air, feeling invigorated and absolutely environmentally friendly, with not a trace of pollution. In the fields around him, the leaves of the wheat seedlings are still adorned with glistening dewdrops.
"Third brother, what do you want to do? Step back a bit," Wang Ping said with a smile. "What use can a small mulberry twig have?"
Looking at the wheat seedlings beneath his feet, Wang Ping felt a surge of warmth in his heart. In his previous life, he studied agriculture, as he had a fondness for fields and nature. Watching the seeds sprout and the rice grains ripen brought him joy, and the sweet aroma of fruits could captivate him.
Wang Jianze anxiously gazed ahead, occasionally glancing at his brother Wang Ping, who was fascinated by the wheat seedlings and mulberry trees, unable to understand what was so captivating about them. Yet, in front of Wang Ping, he inexplicably lacked the courage to persuade him to stay away from the Li family.
Wang Ping walked a few steps to the mulberry tree. The tree was low and had few branches. By the end of last year, these mulberry trees should have been pruned in advance, so that grafting could be done well in the warm spring of this year. However, this most basic pruning work has not been done. It is still possible to do it now, but time is relatively tight, and it cannot be delayed any further.
In an era of scarcity, there were still many strong and tall men at hetushu.com, which surprised Wang Ping slightly. In fact, regardless of how harsh the conditions were, there were always some who had food and could fill their stomachs. When the production team had communal meals, those like Li Bing, who recorded work points, and the squad leaders and brigade leaders who managed grain distribution, their families rarely went hungry. Indeed, no matter how difficult the circumstances, there were always some who had food and could eat their fill. During communal meals in the production team, those like Li Bing, who kept track of work points, and the squad leaders and brigade leaders responsible for grain distribution, their families seldom experienced hunger.
The rows of neatly arranged mulberry trees are all of the variety known as "grass mulberry," with no "yang mulberry" in sight. These grass mulberry seedlings are quite good; if they were all grafted into yang mulberry, the yield of mulberry leaves would double in the same year, and in the following year, it would certainly exceed three times the yield. The leaves of grass mulberry are only as large as a child's palm, while the smaller ones are about the size of a coin. In contrast, the leaves of yang mulberry are significantly larger than an adult's palm, and those of slightly better quality can cover an adult's face entirely. They are juicy and are the favorite food of spring silkworms, which grow rapidly, producing large and heavy cocoons, and the quality of the silk is also very good. The leaves of grass mulberry are only as large as a child's palm, while the smaller ones are about the size of a coin. In contrast, the leaves of yang mulberry are significantly larger than an adult's palm, and those of slightly better quality can cover an adult's face entirely. They are juicy and are the favorite food of spring silkworms, which grow rapidly, producing large and heavy cocoons, and the quality of the silk is also very good
"Go!" Wang Ping's expression changed, and he glared. Wang Jian was taken aback and timidly said, "Little Yao, can you manage it alone?"
The notorious reputation of the Li family is indeed well-deserved; this time, all of Wang Ping's family members have become targets of the attacks
Wang Ping is well-versed in the history of agricultural development in the Republic. The more than ten years of study at the agricultural college were certainly not in vain. In the mid-1970s, agricultural development in the Republic looked to the Soviet Union as a model for everything, including research on new seeds, without breaking free from the theoretical framework established by Soviet agronomists. However, for Wang Ping and his generation of new agricultural university students, agricultural science and technology from around the world became objects of study, research, imitation, and surpassing. Ultimately, it was American agricultural technology that dominated the global stage, with the Republic's soybean, corn, and cooking oil markets nearly monopolized, while its advantages in wheat were gradually diminishing.
Looking at the dense green leaves of the wheat seedlings, with a dark green color and weak roots, and the spacing between the plants being too close, Wang Ping thought to himself that this must be the earliest batch of conventional wheat variety No. 30. All the agricultural knowledge he had learned and studied in the past resurfaced, and he had not forgotten anything. Conventional wheat variety No. 30 had a low yield but was resistant to lodging and drought, making it the main wheat variety in the shallow hilly areas of the southwest of the Republic during the 1970s. It was replaced two years later by the new variety, conventional No. 50. The latter retained the advantages of No. 30 while also featuring a higher yield, although its taste was slightly inferior. Once the state promoted it, farmers quickly accepted it, and the allure of high yield overshadowed the minor defects in taste.
From the moment he got out of bed in the morning, to when he began to speak, and then to when he took action against the fierce Liu Guohua, his words and actions seemed to reflect a completely different person. Wang Jian looked at Wang Ping with a gaze filled with suspicion, as if he were looking at a stranger
Wang Ping's willingness to take action caused more than half of the people to lose their courage to pursue! They are, after all, essentially farmers! When faced with a tough opponent, they are accustomed to bluffing!
The Li family has quite a few people here! Third Brother, step back a bit. Wang Ping's smile, which had been so warm in the books, vanished, and his eyes narrowed, resembling those of a beast. Wang Jian suddenly shivered, glanced at his brother Wang Ping, hesitated for a moment, struggled with his conscience, and ultimately did not flee. Instead, he broke off a mulberry branch from the mulberry tree by the roadside and held it in his hand. His eyes narrowed, resembling those of a beast. Wang Jian suddenly shivered, glanced at his brother Wang Ping, hesitated for a moment, struggled with his conscience, and ultimately did not flee. Instead, he broke off a mulberry branch from the mulberry tree by the roadside and held it in his hand
However, the four tigers of the Li family and the fierce matriarch Liu Guohua were even more enraged. Liu Guohua's thunderous voice echoed through the ten or so courtyards of Qingwan Gully: "The son of the Wang family has assaulted someone! Is there no law left? He has struck again! Everyone, do not be afraid; if we are to fight, let us fight. If it comes to it, even if the police chief is here, we will retaliate today."
Wang Ping's hand brushed against the low wheat seedlings, and his gaze fell upon a row of mulberry trees at the edge of the soil. He recognized at a glance that these were local grass mulberries. The term "grass mulberry" is used because the mulberry leaves are relatively cheap and inferior, akin to grass. The mulberry leaves are smaller and have poor juice content
Wang Ping is indeed different from before
In remote communes without a police station, people generally lack legal awareness. The team leader holds authority, and most individuals are illiterate, preferring to resolve issues through violence, reflecting a strong local culture. In cases of fights and brawls, when ordinary citizens are harmed, they tend to internalize their grievances, rarely making the hours-long journey to report to the district police station. By the time the police arrive from the district, they usually cannot apprehend the assailants, who have already fled upon receiving news. During that time, the most impressive sight for police handling cases was riding a Phoenix brand 28-inch bicycle along the dirt roads. A Phoenix 28-inch bicycle, heavy and cumbersome, held a status among rural people equivalent to that of a Rolls-Royce, yacht, or private jet today. In those days, a tractor that made a sputtering noise was considered a novel and fashionable thing in Zhenwu Township.
The agricultural technology here can only be described as primitive and backward
Since Wang Ping fell into a coma and acquired divine abilities, a mysterious aura has enveloped him, making Wang Jian seem somewhat hesitant to speak words that contradict Wang Ping's wishes. This entirely new and unfamiliar sensation has left Wang Jian feeling quite curious yet uncomfortable.
As far as the eye can see, there are patches of soil, each lined with rows of mulberry trees. Unfortunately, all of them are un-grafted wild mulberries.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed as Li Bing and the others all began to run. Someone shouted: "Split up and chase; do not let a single member of the Wang family escape." Immediately, some jumped off the dirt road and crossed the wheat field, pursuing Wang Jian.
Two individuals crossed several patches of earth and turned onto another small path, then proceeded along the path until they soon reached the dirt road, where they waited for the Li family to come and seek retribution.
Wang Ping's gaze turned cold, yet he smiled shyly. This seemingly harmless and shy smile, which was a hallmark of his demeanor, had instilled fear even in the world's top special elite forces in the modern society before his time travel
Wang Ping's eyes sparkled; if all the mulberry trees in the entire township were grafted into poplar trees, within just one year, this place would become a major spring silkworm-producing area, and the farmers' income would inevitably double
Fortunately, this feeling was soon replaced by another sense of tension, as the Li family arrived much quicker than Wang Jian had anticipated, and behind the Li brothers, there were also a dozen or so men.
The era in which rebellion was justified has come to an end, and the hostility of those individuals has diminished considerably with the change in policies. When they see someone injured and bleeding, the fervor of those who rush to help dissipates significantly.
I want to help you! Wang Jian's voice is trembling!
"I have no problem; if you don't leave, I will have a problem!" Wang Ping's smile instantly vanished, and a terrifying chill flashed in his eyes. Wang Jian turned and ran away
"Third Brother, let's go!" Wang Ping patted Third Brother Wang Jian on the shoulder, and Wang Jian, somewhat dazed, followed Wang Ping.
On the opposite side, Liu Guohua's loudspeaker has already broadcasted: "Wang Jian, Wang Ping, do not run, you scoundrel, if you run to the ends of the earth, this time I will not spare you"
However, young men around the age of twenty at that time were not as quick-witted as today's youth; they were relatively simple-minded. It is important to note that in the impoverished countryside of that era, there were no electric lights, let alone televisions and similar devices. Many people had never even heard of television, and they had not been exposed to much of the outside world
Wang Pingshun casually picked up a pebble from the ground and threw it out. His hand strength and accuracy were astonishing, and with a sharp sound, the pebble struck the face of the middle-aged man running in the lead. The man let out a terrible scream, covered his face, and crouched down. The people behind him immediately halted their steps, and this delay allowed Wang Jian to run far ahead, making it impossible to catch up.