Xiao Changyi said, "I’ve hired people to farm the fields, but as for these two acres, I will farm them alone." He paused, "You can sit on the side and watch." In any case, he needed her to be within his sight at all times for him to feel at ease.
Moreover, the field was right at their doorstep, so she didn’t need to walk much farther than if she were sitting in the courtyard at home, basking in the sun.
Upon hearing this, An Jing couldn’t help but laugh out loud, her heart feeling incredibly sweet. However, she didn’t persuade Xiao Changyi to forgo farming these two acres of mountain land, knowing that her husband cherished this simple and serene life.
"What do you plan to grow on these two acres?" she asked.
Xiao Changyi replied, "Anything works."
An Jing was amused again, "Since we can plant anything, let’s not grow sweet potatoes and potatoes this year. Let’s change it up."
Xiao Changyi looked at her, "What do you want to grow?"
"Cotton yields are low, and these two acres won’t produce much," said Xiao Changyi, who didn’t mind what was planted; he was simply stating a fact to An Jing.
An Jing smiled and said, "We are not planting cotton to sell, but to make our own quilts and cotton clothes. If the yield is low, it’s low. It’s fine."
Only after checking that there was no one around did An Jing continue, "Husband, I think the reason that the cotton yield is so low here might be due to the wrong farming method. I remember that my grandparents used to grow cotton in Nutrition Bowls, but here the seeds are directly sown in the ground, letting it grow naturally. As a result, not only is the yield low, but it also depletes the soil, leading to even lower yields the following year. It’s a vicious cycle."
Because the yield was low yet the cotton was warm, it sold for a high price here.
Generally, farmers could neither afford cotton quilts nor cotton clothes. In winter, to keep warm, their quilts were typically filled with hemp and straw.
And because of the low yield, farmers usually did not grow cotton—it just wasn’t worth it. With already so little land to their names, they prioritised planting crops like corn, sorghum, and wheat to ensure they didn’t starve first.
This was also why there was so little cotton in the market, which kept the price of cotton consistently high.
"Nutrition Bowls?" Xiao Changyi immediately asked about the term which was new and unfamiliar to him.
An Jing said, "Wait until I’ve made the bowl maker and I’ll explain it to you in detail. Right now, you haven’t seen the bowl maker, and even if I told you, you wouldn’t fully understand. But since there are no chemical fertilizers available here, we can only simplify the process; it should still be better than directly sowing the cotton seeds in the ground."
Xiao Changyi didn’t ask further and simply said, "Then let’s not plant cotton. You’re pregnant, it’s better if you don’t worry about anything."
"But I’m bored..." An Jing was truly bored. Unlike the modern world where she could watch TV or go online when bored.
Immediately after, An Jing wrapped her arms around Xiao Changyi’s right arm, acting coquettishly: "Husband, just plant the cotton. I promise I won’t lift a finger, you’ll do all the planting. I’ll just talk and teach you how to do it, okay?"
Xiao Changyi didn’t want An Jing to worry, which was why he was hesitant, but seeing her so eager to plant and promising not to do the work herself, he nodded his head and agreed, "Okay."
"Husband, you’re so good to me!" An Jing was instantly as happy as anything. "Let’s go back then. I’ll draw a sketch of the bowl maker and then we’ll find a blacksmith to make it."