Chapter 6: The More You Sweat, The More You Eat (Part 1)

Before Tang Que could think of a solution, he was unable to discuss the matter in depth. Suppressing the anxiety within, he smiled and said: "A good year is always better than a year of disaster. Let's eat first; after the meal, we still have to go uphill."

Tang Que stepped out of the house and saw his father standing seriously in the middle of the courtyard, holding up his hand as if doing something. It was only when he approached that he realized there was a fine strand of hair stuck to his father's raised finger

Upon hearing this, Tang Que's mind first recalled the text he studied in middle school titled "Harvesting Three to Five Dou More." When wheat is abundant, the price naturally drops. However, poor families have many expenses and must pay taxes and grain, so they cannot wait for the wheat prices to rise. This is why his father is in his current state; during years of disaster, he is certainly frowning, and during years of plenty, he may not necessarily be able to feel joy.

Seeing Tang Zhang, who had just sat down, approaching with a worried expression, Tang Que gritted his teeth and forced a smile, standing bent over with both hands resting on the hoe, "Mother, I am fine, you should also take a good rest."

Returning home under the rising moon, Tang Que barely washed his hands and face, and without even changing his clothes, he collapsed onto the bed. At this time, he could no longer smell the mustiness in the room. When Tang Zhangshi finished cooking the porridge and called him to come out, she found her son already slumped over in bed, fast asleep.

Oh... oh... he suddenly lay down on the ground, gasping for cold air. Tang Que felt as if this body was no longer his own, all the strength in his body had been completely drained, and it seemed that even lifting a little finger was impossible. His forehead was covered with a fine sheen of sweat.

The Tang Zhang family member, who was bowing his head to tend to the fire, said nothing and slightly tilted his head towards the door

"You should take a break and go home to prepare the meals." The usually taciturn Old Tang ignored his wife's complaints, "Alright, I understand that you have had a hard morning, but we are just hard workers. If hard workers cannot endure hardship, how can we get through life? It is fine for you to be tough today; first, let your body endure and become solid, and you will adapt more quickly later. The discomfort will only last for a few days; once you get used to it, it will be fine. Although this method is harsh, it is much more effective than the slow and painful process of a dull knife cutting flesh."

Is Qingyun suitable for wheat? This is a good thing, and one should be happy about it

After Tang Que bent down this time, he did not raise his head again until the Tang Zhang family called him, focusing solely on the slope with determination. At first, he felt a pulling soreness in his waist, followed by pain, and then a sense of numbness. After a while, the entire cycle repeated itself, and his hands, which had not worked for over six months, could not withstand such intense exertion. They first became chafed, and then blood began to seep out continuously.

"Mother, I am fine; what Father said makes sense." Seeing that although Tang Que's expression was not good, he still had a smile on his face, Tang Zhangshi felt relieved. Subsequently, the couple each went their separate ways: one returned home to prepare a meal, while the other headed to the riverside to check on the rice fields, following each other down the slope along the field ridge.

Today is the Spring Equinox. I will observe the wind and then take a look at the clouds. He noticed that Tang Que looked puzzled, so he deliberately slowed down his speech. "Alright, remember this: on the day of the Spring Equinox, if the wind comes from the Kun direction, it will be a cold year. Generally, in such years, planting beans will yield a good harvest; if the wind comes from the Dui direction, crops will suffer from many diseases; if it comes from the Li direction, there will be drought; if it comes from the Zhen direction, there will be more frost damage; if it comes from the Qian direction, there will also be more frost harm, leading to high grain prices. As for the wind coming from the Kan direction, it will surely bring a late spring cold."

Tang Que understood that this was imparting agricultural knowledge to him. Although he could not figure out the exact directions of the Eight Trigrams, he made an effort to remember these words. As the father and son conversed, the sky gradually brightened, and a mass of azure clouds rose in the air. "Indeed, it is still the azure clouds, just like on the day of the Beginning of Spring. It seems that our decision to plant fewer beans and more wheat this year was indeed correct"

When Tang Que finished dressing and arrived at the main room that also served as the kitchen, the Tang Zhang family had already started the fire. "Where is Father?" Tang Que asked, fastening the fabric buttons on his clothes.

After Tang Que watched their figures disappear, he bent down and walked to the patch of weeds on the side of the slope, lying flat on the ground. At that moment, he distinctly heard a series of crackling sounds from his lower back, reminiscent of frying beans.

Due to Tang Cheng's physical foundation, he quickly adapted to these basic farming tasks. Even in areas where he was inexperienced, the Tang Zhang family attributed it to his prolonged illness and subsequent lack of practice, and they repeatedly urged him to take a rest.

Upon hearing Tang Zhang's call to stop and rest, Tang Que finally relaxed his grip on the hoe. Just as he was about to straighten up, he felt as if a large millstone had dropped onto his waist; any movement caused a sharp pain. His earlier exertion had strained his back, and now he found himself unable to stand upright.

When the Zhang family from Tang delivered the meal, Tang was very hungry, yet he had no appetite at all. He reluctantly drank two bowls of porridge but did not eat a single bite of the steamed bread

The breakfast was also simple. Tang Que no longer ate steamed buns but instead had a mixture of flour and elm seeds, just like the elderly couple. In later generations, elm seeds became a rare delicacy, and one would have to spend quite a bit of money to taste them in the city. However, during this season, they were almost a staple food for poor families in spring. Although this dish was fresh and tender, its flavor was quite lacking without oil and salt. To avoid worrying the elderly couple, Tang Que could only feign nonchalance and force down two bowls. This further intensified his desire to earn money.

At this moment, the tenacity inherent in Tang Que fully manifested. He was not only competing with the weeds in the field but also grappling with his own determination and perseverance. Ignoring the searing pain in his waist and hands, he did not let the hoe in his hands falter at all, and gradually, he managed to catch up with the pace of the falling weeds little by little

After the break, he continued working. Not to mention his waist, the blood seeping from Tang Que's hand had not stopped. He resorted to a common method used by farmers, grabbing a handful of fine soil from the ground and sprinkling it over. Time passed exceptionally slowly while doing such work, each minute and second dragging on as if reluctant to move forward. In the end, Tang Que relied solely on the bit of tenacity in his character to persist. By the time he finally endured until the sun was directly overhead for the major break, his legs felt as heavy as lead, and his complexion was pale. Time passed exceptionally slowly while doing such work, each minute and second dragging on as if reluctant to move forward. In the end, Tang Que relied solely on the bit of tenacity in his character to persist. By the time he finally endured until the sun was directly overhead for the major break, his legs felt as heavy as lead, and his complexion was pale.

The quality of the wheat is indeed good, but in years like this, the price of wheat tends to be low. Although we have harvested more grain, it does not translate into significant gains. Sigh...

Tang Que naturally does not wish to sell the grain he has painstakingly cultivated at a low price, only to buy it back at a higher price when it becomes expensive. Selling low and buying high is essentially a vicious cycle that leads to an endless pit. However, to change this situation, one must have liquid funds to support the entire family's livelihood when wheat prices are low. This brings us back to the biggest problem Tang Que is currently facing, which is a lack of money

In the afternoon, he continued working, while in the morning he had been harsh with the slope. By the afternoon, the slope had turned harsh towards him. Tang Que himself did not know how he managed to endure until the sun set.

During the vernal equinox, the wheat seedlings and the books had just grown to about an inch in height, making it the perfect time for weeding. Weeding several acres of sloped land is no easy task, so the Tang family, along with Tang Zhang, took their farming tools and headed up the slope.

Tang Que was quite curious, "Father, what are you doing?"

Tang Que raised his head and let out a breath, only to see the elderly couple, who were also hunched over, had already moved far ahead of him. Under the rising sun, the couple's bent backs resembled drawn bows, especially as the morning breeze lifted Tang Zhang's grayish-white hair, making it particularly striking. She was only thirty-nine this year, yet looked as if she were in her fifties or sixties. The scene before him truly pierced Tang Que, leaving him unable to articulate his feelings; he simply sensed a surge of energy rising within him.

"Why are you being so hard on yourself? What if you end up harming your health?" Seeing her son in this state, Tang Zhangshi felt a surge of pain, and tears welled up in her eyes. During the morning's work, she had tried to come over several times but was stopped by the head of the family. Now, overwhelmed with concern, it was inevitable that her face showed signs of complaint towards the man.

So tired, Tang Que is truly exhausted. Having grown up in a well-educated family in the city, he has never experienced such hardship. After just hoeing two rows, he already feels a stiffness in his waist accompanied by a wave of soreness.

As Tang Que forcefully expelled the surge of rebellious energy, he tightened his grip on the hoe handle, then bent down and began to dig furiously, his fierce expression resembling that of someone with a vendetta against the slope.