Chen Yang gazed at the lush green rice seedlings, feeling refreshed and at ease.
In another month or two, when the seedlings grew taller, it would resemble the sensation of waves of wheat swaying in the wind.
Of course, the visual effect of a rice paddy might be slightly less impactful than a wheat field, but an endless expanse of green seedlings stretching to the horizon would still bring immense joy.
By autumn, when the second crop of rice ripened, it would truly be a sea of golden yellow, a hue that farmers cherish the most.
However, in comparison, a young literary enthusiast like Zhou Jingqiu would likely prefer the vibrant green of the seedlings after a month or two.
Beside Zhou Jingqiu, the old village secretary and a few others were helping. Newly planted seedlings generally required little immediate attention. Since fish fry had been introduced, fertilization couldn't be done yet, so their task was to clear the weeds from the fields.
These weeds must not be allowed to steal the sunlight and nutrients vital for the rice's growth.
Chen Yang wiped the sweat from his brow. The weather was incredibly hot, and after standing in the field for just a short while, his entire body was drenched in perspiration.
He could only imagine how hot Zhou Jingqiu and the old village secretary, who had been working there for half the day, must be feeling.
Especially the scorching heat radiating from the water surface of the paddy fields under the direct sunlight, which could make one feel intensely uncomfortable. Yet, not a single complaint was heard as they all worked according to Zhou Jingqiu's instructions.
Farmers in these times feared no hardship or toil.
They would rather endure hardship, as long as they could have enough to eat and live a good life.
Not necessarily meat every meal, but perhaps meat once or twice a month, and a new set of clothes for their children once a year – to them, this was already a good life.
"Jingqiu, Old Village Secretary."
Chen Yang took off his shoes, placed them on the paddy ridge, rolled up his trouser legs, and stepped into the field.
The damp mud immediately swallowed his feet, and each step required considerable effort to pull free.
Fortunately, Chen Yang had removed his shoes; otherwise, his feet would have been stuck deep in the mud, impossible to retrieve.
"Chen Yang, you're finally back."
"Look, our seedlings have been planted. We've primarily used three types of fish fry: crucian carp, grass carp, and common carp. These three species are more resilient and have less demanding water level requirements."
"We've released about ten jin of fry per mu, with each fry weighing around two to three liang, about fifty fish. If they grow to one jin, the yield per mu can reach forty to fifty jin."
"For these hundred mu of fields, that's four to five thousand jin."
"Shenjiaba Village alone has a thousand mu of paddy fields, which would mean forty to fifty thousand jin, and then Shenjia Brigade, Wanli Commune, Liuhe County..."
Upon seeing Chen Yang, Zhou Jingqiu's enthusiasm surged. As she spoke, her eyes seemed to gleam.
She couldn't help it; when she tried to explain to the simple village secretary and others, they could only offer awkward smiles.
Only Chen Yang could truly understand and converse with her.
"Jingqiu, what we are doing now is a great undertaking."
"If it truly succeeds, I believe all the common people in Liuhe County will be forever grateful to you."
Chen Yang had only walked a few steps when a small fish suddenly darted past his feet, splashing water.
Watching the lively fry, Chen Yang felt a sense of reassurance. His greatest fear was that the fish, unlike in a pond, might not survive in the paddy fields if the water levels were insufficient or the oxygen content too low.
Now, it seemed Zhou Jingqiu had taken excellent care of them, as the fish were exceptionally active.
"I don't care about their opinions. I just want to achieve something myself, to bring tangible benefits to the people through my accomplishments, allowing them to earn money and live better lives through these results."
"I don't need anyone to praise me, because this is what I've always wanted to do."
"Do good deeds, and don't worry about the future."
Zhou Jingqiu gazed at Chen Yang, her eyes calm as she looked out at the distant rice fields. Chen Yang felt as if there was light in her eyes.
"Do good deeds, and don't worry about the future."
Chen Yang murmured the words to himself. At that moment, this slender young woman seemed to shine with brilliance in his eyes.
"If you have any needs, you can tell me. I'm heading to Qinghe City later, and I can relay them to Director Zou for you."
"If it's about funding, I can contribute some capital to establish an agricultural cooperative and provide some initial support."
Chen Yang glanced at Zhou Jingqiu. While he didn't understand the technical aspects, he felt, just based on her words, that he could unconditionally support this young woman.
Moreover, helping the villagers become prosperous had always been one of his aspirations.
His father was right; Anhui province was like his second hometown. As the saying goes, "To gain wealth and honor and not return home is like walking at night in fine brocade."
Since he had the ability, he wouldn't be stingy about helping his fellow villagers, enabling them to live better lives sooner.
"Regarding the funds, Secretary Chen has already made arrangements, and Director Liu of the commune has been very supportive."
"As for the technical side, there's no need to worry. The county's agricultural station has always given me a green light. What I lack now is time."
"I need to compare these data points one by one to find the optimal cultivation methods, thereby maximizing the yield of the rice-fish farming."
"Even if the yield increases by just one jin per mu, that's a thousand jin for a thousand mu. If we consider the entire Liuhe County, the increase in yield would be enormous."
Zhou Jingqiu's eyes shone brightly. She seemed to have found her life's purpose.
In the past few years, she had felt lost, even doubting her own life's ambitions.
But this time down in the countryside, this project she encountered had made her realize definitively that this was what she wanted to do, and what she needed to do.
She had always loved all of this, and she should achieve results to allow countless farmers to benefit from her experimental findings.
"Jingqiu, your vision is very far-reaching. Research requires this meticulous attention to detail, just as you possess."
"Because we should never only look at these few mu of experimental fields, but rather the broader picture of rural China. An increase of one jin per mu might seem small, but for the entirety of China, it amounts to hundreds of millions of jin! For the entire world, it would be even more."
Zhou Jingqiu reminded Chen Yang of Elder Yuan, who at the age of eighty or ninety was still working tirelessly in the fields, striving for even an increase of one or two jin per mu.
By all rights, given his status and position, he shouldn't have to expend so much effort for such small increments.
He persisted because he knew that an increase of one or two jin in his field translated to billions of jin of increased production for all of China, and even more for the entire world.
This was the true spirit of a scientist. Sudang.com
This was something ordinary people could not comprehend.
And it was precisely this spirit that forged their greatness!