Song Dingxiang [Completed]

C38.1 Plant Lotus Root. (1)

Chapter 38.1

After hearing what Song Dingxiang had to say, Li shi looked at her for a while before saying, "Why didn't I see you being so active before?"

Song Dingxiang felt a bit startled, then stuck out her tongue and smiled, "I used to think about it too, but my parents spoiled me. Besides, I will be marrying into the Xu family in the future, so I don't know if it will work out. Now that I'm married and have some money in my hands, without restrictions from my in-laws, I want to do something on my own."

Li shi thought it made sense. Even if she was talented, she could never have imagined that her granddaughter was no longer the same as before.

So she said, "Buying that pond is not impossible, but several families usually go there to fish. And it would be troublesome after buying it, what if a naughty child falls in, then things would get messy."

In ancient times, the laws were not well-established. If you buy a place and something happens there, you would be held responsible, regardless of whether you were involved in the trouble or not.

Li shi continued, "Actually, our family has already attracted attention. Many people envy us. Those crops and fruit trees are watched every day and no one dares to touch them. Just imagine, if you lease a pond that large, who would keep an eye on it? Whether it's for raising fish or lotus roots, a malicious person could easily cause trouble."

Song Dingxiang agreed with this reasoning and asked, "Grandmother, the pond has running water, right?"

Li shi replied, "It should have running water. Don't we have a river to the south? That's why this place is called Beihenzougou Village. The water in the pond is probably drawn from that river."

Originally just a small stream, the government often conscripted people to dig the river and build embankments, causing the stream to gradually widen. Now, a large boat could sail on it.

Springtime meant one thing for the villagers: forced labor. The government would draft everyone to clean out the river and irrigation canals, a supposed boon for farmers.

This was a good initiative, but working for the government was exhausting and poorly paid. Faced with cruel officials, one's life could even be at risk.

Many people would worry and hesitate upon hearing about conscription, as no one wanted to go. It was like a death sentence, only without the mercy.

In Song Dingxiang's family, because they had separated households, both her father and uncle had to pay money to exempt themselves from conscription. Although they could afford this amount of money, it was still heart-wrenching to see the family having to pay five taels.

"Grandma, imagine this: We purchase a small plot of that unused land by the stream. Picture a lovely lotus root pond there, not overly deep – perhaps just a little over half a meter. We could gently divert some of the stream's water to fill it. Wouldn't it be wonderful? And the best part? We wouldn't have to worry about anyone accidentally falling in. To be extra cautious, we could install a modest fence around the pond and maybe even get a friendly little watchdog to keep an eye on things."

Li shi looked at her and asked, "Are you only thinking about planting lotus roots?"

Song Dingxiang meticulously tallied her fingers as she proposed, "Grandma, let's scale back our planting to a mere two mu of land. Believe me, that's ample space to cultivate a bountiful harvest of lotus roots. And the potential for profit doesn't end there – the lotus seeds, pods, and even leaves are all marketable commodities. Picture this: fresh lotus roots sold directly, transformed into delectable marinated appetizers, or ground into versatile lotus root powder. There's no waste, Grandma! Moreover, compared to traditional crops, lotus cultivation requires minimal effort and investment. In fact, I'm convinced that leasing out additional land to expand our lotus pond would yield far greater returns than toiling away in the fields."