"Those who occasionally plant other things on the land do not seem to witness this phenomenon," An Jing continued. "Therefore, I believe that it’s best not to practice monoculture on a single piece of land but to rotate crops instead."
"Crop rotation should achieve the purpose of using the land to nurture the land; moreover, it should indeed be able to prevent diseases, pests, and weeds. Crop rotation is truly far superior to monoculture.
Fearing that the Emperor of Xiyun might not understand, An Jing further explained, "Monoculture means always planting the same crop on the same plot of land, whereas crop rotation involves planting different crops on the same plot in turn."
"Monoculture...crop rotation...crop rotation..." the Emperor of Xiyun murmured these terms softly with furrowed brow. After a moment, he couldn’t contain his joy and lavished high praise, "Jingjing’s talents are immeasurable! Honorable father, I thank you!"
An Jing smiled and said, "Honorable father need not thank me; we are a family. Being able to help both you and Chengyu, while also benefiting the people of Xiyun, fills our hearts with joy."
It was ’we,’ not ’I.’ Clearly, An Jing was including her husband, Xiao Changyi, in these efforts.
Xiao Changyi felt gratified as he listened, though his face betrayed none of it.
The Emperor of Xiyun, both excited and moved, praised them again, "For Xiyun to have both Jingjing and Yi Er is truly a stroke of fortune! A great fortune indeed!"
After a pause, the Emperor of Xiyun asked, "Jingjing, in the letter you and Changyi sent me last time regarding the grafted seedlings, it was about specializing in pest and disease issues, right?"
An Jing nodded, "Yes. A few days ago, Changyi and I visited the county and saw that the grafted cucumber seedlings are growing very well, with no notable pests or diseases, and they have already blossomed profusely, setting many cucumber buds. Yields might increase, perhaps even more than Changyi and I had anticipated."
The Emperor of Xiyun was even more delighted, "Then tomorrow I would like to take a look. Would you and Changyi take me to see? I really want to see the grafted cucumbers, as I have never seen cucumbers growing on pumpkin roots before."
An Jing readily agreed, "If honorable father wishes to see, then tomorrow Changyi and I will gladly take you."
The next day, An Jing and Xiao Changyi took the Emperor of Xiyun to Qilin County’s Agricultural Institute’s experimental fields to observe the previously grafted cucumber plants.
The cucumber vines had twined themselves around the bamboo trellises, and amid the lush foliage, blossoms dotted the plants like stars, some already withering to reveal the crisp, green cucumber buds.
Beneath the vines, it was evident that the roots belonged not to cucumbers but to pumpkins.
Whether cucumber vines or leaves, there were hardly any pests, a stark contrast to the several nearby plots heavily infested with bugs.
Beholding everything before him, the Emperor of Xiyun was thrilled, exclaiming ’excellent’ three times. Then, turning to An Jing, he said, "Jingjing, you have contributed greatly. I haven’t yet rewarded you for the significant increase in cotton production using the Nutrition Bowl, and now you’ve established two major achievements with crop rotation and grafting. Previously, I hesitated to appoint you to a high office because you are a woman, but now, I have no such reservations. Jingjing, your talents are simply exceptional and no Agricultural Official can compare to you. Tell me, what high position would you like to have? I shall grant it!"
This ’high position,’ of course, would still be within the realm of Agricultural Officials.
An Jing understood the Emperor of Xiyun’s intention and smiled, "Honorable father, I do not aspire to hold a high office. I merely wish to relieve some of your and Chengyu’s worries. Initially, I wasn’t sure if I could truly be of help, but now that I have, I am quite content."