…

There are so many fertile fields in Fenggu Farm, and there are also two hundred tenant farmers?

Wang Shouzhe looked at the criss-crossing fields and the various sizes of ditches intersecting among them, feeling a bit emotional. This is the ancestral heritage that has been passed down for a hundred years.

“Our Fenggu Farm uses the traditional winter wheat and summer grain rotation. Now it is the busy season for winter wheat that is about to mature and summer grain seedlings to be cultivated.” Wang Shounuo’s face showed a hint of joy. “This spring, the rain was abundant but not flooding, and the sun was strong but not scorching, which is very favorable for the growth of winter wheat. It seems that this will be a harvest season.”

Even Wang Shouzhe couldn’t help but show a happy expression. The difference between a good harvest and a poor harvest of grain is significant. More grain harvest means more development funds for the family.

“No, no.” Wang Luojing, like a little follower, pouted and said, “Third brother, you are wrong. This year’s winter wheat may have a poor harvest.”

What?

Wang Shounuo’s smiling face suddenly became stiff, and he said sternly, “Luojing, you can’t talk nonsense. Even Grandpa and some experienced tenant farmers say that this year is likely to be a good harvest. You are young and don’t understand anything. If Grandpa hears you cursing a poor harvest, he will blame you again.”

Scared by him, Wang Luojing immediately hid behind Wang Shouzhe.

“Third brother, fifth sister is still young, and children speak without thinking. Why do you argue with her?” Wang Shouzhe smiled and patted her head to soothe her.

“Fourth brother, you don’t know.” Wang Shounuo smiled bitterly, “You don’t know that our fifth sister is mischievous. She likes to play with all kinds of bugs all day long. When she was two or three years old, she could watch ants in the yard for several days. Some time ago, she even asked me to help her catch some grasshopper king or something. She cried and rolled on the ground if I didn’t go, and I had to look for them for four or five days before catching two of them… She was bitten all over by mosquitoes.”

“It’s the Grasshopper King, recorded in the ancient book of insects.” Wang Luojing poked her head out from behind Wang Shouzhe and corrected Wang Shounuo seriously. “Brother, you are too ignorant. Your handsome head is empty. Although the Xuanwu family is based on martial arts, cultural and knowledge accumulation is also the foundation of a family’s heritage.”

Especially the second half of the sentence, it was to imitate Wang Shouzhe’s reproachful words to scold Wang Shounuo.

As a result, Wang Shounuo’s face turned black, and he could only say sullenly, “Yes, yes, I am ignorant. Next time you ask me for help, I won’t help you catch bugs anymore.”

“I asked fourth brother for help. Fourth brother is ten thousand times better than you.” Wang Luojing pulled Wang Shouzhe’s clothes, as if she had found a backer, and was full of confidence.

This made Wang Shouzhe smile. It seems that she is really mischievous, just restrained in front of him. Wang Shounuo was almost fainting with anger.

“Okay, okay, Luojing, tell me, why would there be a poor harvest this year even with favorable weather?” Wang Shouzhe asked casually, “Don’t be afraid, even if you are wrong, it doesn’t matter.”

With Wang Shouzhe backing her up, Wang Luojing became bolder: “Last winter was too warm, and there was only a small snowfall.”

Wang Shounuo immediately rolled his eyes: “Although it is said that a good snowfall heralds a good harvest, it is just a saying. Will there be a poor harvest this year just because it didn’t snow?””Not the same.” Wang Luojing said seriously, “Last year was a warm winter, and this year’s spring rain is indeed good. But it hasn’t rained for more than ten days, and the weather is dry and hot.”

“Luojing.” Wang Shuonuo said dismissively, “We have already opened the gates at the Fenggu tributary, and the winter wheat will not lack water. Moreover, the sunshine is good, which helps the wheat grains to grow plump.”

“But it also helps the honey insects to grow.” Wang Luojing rolled her eyes.

Honey insects?

Wang Shuonuo shuddered and hesitated, “Honey insects are inevitable. They appear every year and cause some reduction in production… Moreover, last winter, we also released insecticide in the fields.”

But as he said this, his confidence was somewhat lacking. Honey insects were the natural enemies of winter wheat. Small-scale outbreaks were okay, at most causing a reduction in grain production. If there was a large-scale outbreak, it would be a disaster.

According to the records of the Wang Clan, the most serious honey insect disaster was seventy-three years ago, and the disaster spread throughout the Longzuo Commandery. The winter wheat reduced production by eighty percent, and the grain price soared in a short period of time. Some clans could still survive by relying on their reserves, but many poor citizens were forced to sell their children.

What was even more frightening was that the insect disaster lasted for three years, and even some clans couldn’t hold on. If it weren’t for the Purple Mansion Academy’s intervention, which brought in a large amount of food to the Longzuo Commandery and produced a large amount of ancient insecticide, the entire Longzuo Commandery would have been starving and deserted.

Wang Shouzhe frowned, “Luojing, do you have any way to prove what you said?”

The Fenggu Farm and the Xingsheng Farm were the two major grain-producing bases of the Wang Clan. If there was really an aphid outbreak, it would be a disaster for the current Wang Clan.

“Brother, check a few more filled wheat ears.” Wang Luojing’s expression was also serious.

Wang Shuonuo was made uneasy by her words and walked towards the fields. He randomly grabbed a wheat ear and turned it over, only to see a few small green spots on the wheat ear that had just begun to fill.

He turned over several wheat ears in succession, some with more and some with less, but there was no doubt that they were all honey insects.

Wang Shouzhe was in the sixth level of Qi Refining Realm, and his physical fitness and vision were far beyond that of ordinary people. At a glance, he saw that those green spots were plump little bugs, and he was slightly stunned. Wasn’t this an aphid?

Wang Shouzhe had little knowledge in this area and could only barely guess that it was some kind of aphid. He was not interested in agriculture, and those powerful algorithmic apps naturally did not push content in this area.

“This year’s honey insects are indeed more than usual.” Wang Shuonuo said with concern, “But it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be an outbreak, we can use a mixture of grass and wood ash and insecticide to control it. At most, it will slightly reduce production compared to last year.”

“Brother!” Wang Luojing stamped her foot and said, “I told you that there is a big problem with the climate, and there are too many insect eggs left in the soil from last year. In a short period of time, a large number of honey insects will emerge from the soil. If we wait for three or four days, a second wave is likely to erupt.”

“You guys come over here.” Wang Shouzhe called out to several tenant farmers who were working nearby, “Pull out this small patch of wheat and turn over the soil.”

“This… Young Master Shuonuo…” The tenant farmers shrank their heads and looked at Wang Shuonuo with suspicion, hesitating and unwilling to do so. These wheat crops could be harvested in ten days, and they were all white grains.”Listen to the Clan Leader.” Wang Shouzhe didn’t dare to offend him, so he personally pulled out the wheat.

Several tenant farmers also started to dig the soil with their hoes.

In just a moment, that small piece of wheat was all pulled out and the land was turned over.

“This…” Wang Shounuo carefully examined the roots of the wheat that had been pulled out, and his expression gradually became solemn to the point of shock. “How could this be, how could this be?”

There were many white spots on the roots, which were shocking to see. Most of the wheat roots had them, but the amount varied.

In addition, if you carefully looked at the soil that had been turned over, you would find that there were many white spots.

Wang Shounuo’s heart sank, and he had a bad feeling: “Quick, go call Grandpa over.”

“Quick, notify Grandpa and all the tenant farmers, and quickly soak the accumulated ash.” Wang Shounuo had studied agriculture with his grandfather for two years, so he had some basic skills.

The tenant farmers began to be busy.

In just a moment, the Fourth Elder, Wang Xiaozhi, had arrived, and his expression was extremely embarrassed: “How could this be, how could there be so many honeybug eggs in the soil? After last year’s autumn harvest, we had deep-plowed the land and sprayed insecticide as usual. Could it be that the insecticide was problematic?”

“Grandpa, last year was a warm winter…” Wang Luoqing reminded him cautiously.

“You little girl, Grandpa has been farming for a lifetime, do you think you know better than me?” Wang Xiaozhi was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, angrily scolding, “Ten years ago, it was also a warm winter, and the climate was exactly the same as this year. As a result, Longzhou had a bumper harvest and the granaries were full! In my opinion, the problem lies with the insecticide. That damn Qian Clan Trading Firm must be selling fake insecticides. I even took advantage of the low price to stock up on a large amount of insecticides!”

As they spoke, Wang Shouzhe also remembered some scattered knowledge, and frowned, “The Qian Clan Trading Firm is spread throughout Longzhou and has always focused on business reputation. If selling fake insecticides causes a pest disaster in Longzhou, they can’t afford the consequences. Is it possible that in the repeated confrontations between the honeybugs and the insecticide, some honeybugs with strong resistance survived and gradually formed a large area of resistance?”

Although Wang Shouzhe in his previous life had no contact with agriculture, he knew that whether it was bacteria, viruses, or organisms, they would constantly undergo genetic mutations and evolution. This evolution was almost random, but most of them would be naturally eliminated.

It was also reasonable for some honeybugs to evolve towards resistance and survive in repeated confrontations with insecticides, gradually multiplying.

But Wang Xiaozhi couldn’t understand what biological evolution was, and just frowned, “Shouzhe, don’t talk nonsense here. The insecticide used before was still effective, why is it not working this year?”

“Grandpa, I actually think what Fourth Brother said makes sense.” Wang Luoqing said, “Grandpa, have you forgotten? You’ve been complaining for years, saying that insecticides are becoming less and less effective, and why are there honeybugs every year?”

Wang Xiaozhi’s face stiffened, and his expression became increasingly ugly. In recent years, especially since the bumper harvest ten years ago, there has been a trend of increasing honeybugs, but because it was still within an acceptable range, it was just an annoyance.Wang Shouzhe almost confirmed that the drug-resistant aphids had already spread. The warm winter of the previous season allowed most of the insect eggs to survive, and coupled with this year’s suitable climate for aphid growth, this scene happened before his eyes.

This was a big trouble. Even Wang Shouzhe couldn’t help but feel scared. He had no ability to prepare a new “pesticide”…

It was just like the saying, “When it rains, it pours!” Under this disaster, the days of the Wang’s Clan would become even more difficult, right?

“Fourth brother.” Wang Luojing pulled Wang Shouzhe aside and whispered, “I have a way to solve the honey insects, but I’m afraid of Grandpa and dare not speak!”

What?

Wang Shouzhe was stunned, looking at her incredulously.

…