I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

Chapter 437: Expanding the Field and Prospering

After the wool weaving and felt toy industries of the manor flourished, bringing rich profits to the manor and improving the lives of the farmhands, Chen Jia and Chen Jue were not satisfied with the status quo. They set their sights on the barren fields around the manor and came up with the idea of ​​reclaiming the wasteland and building water conservancy facilities, hoping to further develop the manor economy through these measures and help the farmhands earn more income.

On this day, Chen Jia and Chen Jue stood on the high platform of the manor, overlooking the surrounding wasteland. Chen Jia frowned, revealing a trace of worry in her eyes, and said to Chen Jue: "Husband, look at these wastelands, it's a pity that they have been idle. Now the manor's industries are gradually increasing, and the demand for agricultural products such as grain is also increasing. If we can reclaim these wastelands and plant crops, it will not only meet the needs of the manor, but also increase income."

Chen Jue nodded slightly, looked into the distance with a firm gaze, and said, "Madam, you are right. Moreover, reclaiming wasteland can also provide more job opportunities for farmhands. However, this wasteland has not been cultivated for many years, the soil is poor, and irrigation is also a problem. We need to build a complete water conservancy facility."

Chen Jia bit her lip lightly and said thoughtfully, "Husband, we can first ask some experienced farmers to come and take a look at the soil conditions, and then formulate reclamation and planting plans based on the actual situation. As for water conservancy facilities, I heard that the water wheel is a very good irrigation tool. We can learn from its principles and use it not only for irrigation, but also for grinding mills and tofu to improve production efficiency."

Chen Jue shook Chen Jia's hand in agreement and said, "My lady, your idea is very thoughtful. Let's act as soon as possible and invite the old farmers here first to listen to their suggestions."

A few days later, several experienced farmers came to the manor. Chen Jia and Chen Jue received them warmly and took them to the wasteland for a field inspection.

Chen Jia said to the old farmers: "Dear elders, we want to reclaim this piece of wasteland to grow crops, but we don't know much about the soil conditions. Please give us some guidance."

An old farmer squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, observed it carefully and said, "Mrs. Chen, although this soil is poor, it can still be used to grow crops after improvement. First, deep plowing should be carried out to loosen the soil, and then sufficient organic fertilizer should be applied to improve the soil structure. As for the crops to be planted, some varieties with strong adaptability can be selected, such as wheat and corn."

Chen Jue listened carefully, nodded and said, "Uncle, what do you think we should do in terms of irrigation? We want to learn from the principle of water wheels to build water conservancy facilities."

The old farmer thought for a moment and said, "The water wheel is a good thing. It uses the power of water flow to rotate. It can not only draw water for irrigation, but also drive other tools. You can install the water wheel on the nearby river and divert water to the fields through the canal. But you must choose a good location to install the water wheel and ensure sufficient water flow."

Chen Jia and Chen Jue wrote down the old farmer's suggestions one by one, and had a clearer plan in their minds for the reclamation of wasteland and the construction of water conservancy facilities.

Next, Chen Jia and Chen Jue began to organize farmhands to reclaim the wasteland. Chen Jia said to the farmhands: "Fellow villagers, we need to reclaim this wasteland. This is a good opportunity for us to increase our income. Let's work together and follow the guidance of the old farmers to loosen the land and apply fertilizer."

A farmhand said with some concern: "Madam Chen, it is not easy to reclaim this wasteland. Can we do it?"

Chen Jia smiled and encouraged: "Don't worry, as long as we unite as one, there will be no difficulties that we cannot overcome. And during the reclamation process, we will invite professional masters to guide everyone."

Encouraged by Chen Jia and Chen Jue, the farmhands picked up their tools and began the hard work of reclamation. Chen Jia and Chen Jue also often went to the fields to check on the progress and help everyone solve the problems they encountered.

At the same time, Chen Jue began to work on the installation of the water wheel and the construction of water conservancy facilities. He invited craftsmen to determine the installation location of the water wheel based on the terrain and water flow of the wasteland.

Chen Jue said to the craftsmen: "Masters, this water wheel must be installed firmly to ensure normal operation. And the design of the water channel must be reasonable to ensure that the water can flow smoothly to the fields."

The craftsmen nodded and said, "Please rest assured, Mr. Chen, we will carry out the construction carefully according to your requirements."

Thanks to the efforts of the craftsmen, the water wheel was quickly installed. When the water wheel slowly turned under the push of the water flow, Chen Jia and Chen Jue were filled with joy.

Chen Jia looked at the rotating water wheel and said to Chen Jue, "My husband, now that the water wheel is rotating, irrigation will be much more convenient in the future. We can also use it to make a grinding mill and tofu, which will improve production efficiency."

Chen Jue nodded and said, "Madam, let's try using the water wheel to grind the mill and see how it works."

Chen Jue organized the craftsmen to connect the water wheel to the millstone. After some debugging, the water wheel successfully drove the millstone to rotate.

Chen Jue said excitedly: "Madam, you see, the water wheel can really turn the mill. Let's try to grind tofu and let the farmhands learn this craft."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "Okay, husband. We can let the farmhands' families participate in the production of tofu. The tofu produced can be sold in the manor or at the market."

Chen Jia and Chen Jue began to organize the families of farmhands to learn the craft of grinding tofu. They invited an experienced tofu master, who patiently explained the steps of grinding tofu: "Sisters, to grind tofu, you must first select the beans, soak them for a period of time, grind them into soy milk with a grinding wheel, then boil the milk, add brine, and finally press them into shape."

A family member asked in confusion: "Master, how much brine should I put in when braising?"

The chef replied: "The amount of brine should be adjusted according to the concentration and temperature of the soy milk. Generally speaking, add the brine slowly until the soy milk starts to solidify. This requires more practice to master."

Under the guidance of the master, the long-term workers' families began to try to grind tofu. Chen Jia and Chen Jue also helped and encouraged everyone.

Chen Jia watched a family member cooking soy milk and said, "Sister, pay attention to the heat when cooking soy milk, don't burn it."

Chen Jue was paying attention to the process of making the marinade, and said to another family member: "Girl, when making the marinade, you must stir it evenly, so that the tofu will solidify well."

After a period of learning and practice, the long-term workers' families gradually mastered the skill of grinding tofu. After the first batch of tofu was made, Chen Jia and Chen Jue tasted the fresh tofu and were very pleased.

Chen Jia said to the farmhands' families, "Sisters, you did a great job. The tofu is of good quality. We can start selling it."

With the sales of tofu, the income of the farmhands' families increased. Thanks to the efforts of the farmhands, the wasteland was gradually planted with various crops.

A farmhand happily said to Chen Jia and Chen Jue: "Mr. Chen, Mrs. Chen, thank you for leading us to reclaim the wasteland. Now we not only have more work, but also an increase in income."

Chen Jia smiled and said: "This is the result of everyone's joint efforts. We will continue to work hard to turn the barren fields into fertile fields and make everyone's life better and better."

Chen Jue also said: "That's right, we must continue to improve water conservancy facilities and increase agricultural production efficiency. In the future, our manor will develop more prosperously."

Under the leadership of Chen Jia and Chen Jue, the wasteland gradually regained its vitality and the water conservancy facilities became increasingly complete. The water wheel not only provided convenience for farmland irrigation, but also promoted the development of tofu and other industries, bringing more income to the manor and making the lives of the farmhands richer and better. Their hard work and innovative practices on this land have also become an unforgettable chapter in the development history of the manor.