Liu Yifeng looked astonished, "Tongtong, you can even tell soil quality?"
Tongtong replied with a confused look, "Is that difficult? The experts on TV talk about it all the time."
"Then tell me, what's the difference between these plots of land and the previous ones?" Liu Yifeng still couldn't discern any difference.
Tongtong didn't answer but pointed at the ground and asked back, "Daddy, what kind of grass is growing on this land?"
Liu Yifeng glanced at it and said, "Isn't it just ordinary weeds?"
"But weeds are of many kinds. This grass is called Goose Feather Grass, and it only grows in fertile soil.
The fact that it grows here indicates that the soil is quite fertile.
The previous land was covered in Duck Tongue Grass and Cattle Hair Grass, which indicates it was poor soil with little nutrition, naturally leading to poor harvests."
After hearing Tongtong's explanation, Liu Yifeng immediately gave him a thumbs-up, "Tongtong, how can you be so amazing?"
"Daddy, actually, judging soil quality is very simple. If you don't know about grass, you can also look at the color of the soil. Fertile soil is dark, and poor soil is light.
Look at the color of the soil in these plots. It's quite dark, and there are many small cracks.
The previous plots had fewer cracks, but they were larger, which also indicates poor soil..." Tongtong didn't get carried away by his father's praise but earnestly taught Liu Yifeng how to choose better land.
Liu Yifeng truly understood a lot after this explanation and felt it wasn't that difficult, as it was all visible to the eye.
Since the land they rented wasn't very large, it was likely not enough to plant all their seeds.
However, Liu Yifeng didn't want to spend all his money on rent.
Although Tongtong had earned tens of thousands of yuan, almost half of it was spent on his drawing supplies and land rental.
Later, they would need to hire people to till the land, which would also incur expenses.
Therefore, Liu Yifeng's attention turned to the back of the mountain. There was a clearing there that could potentially be used for growing watermelons. All they would need to do was turn the soil with a hoe and then sow the seeds.
However, this was the village's mountain, and using it without permission might upset the villagers.
He needed to find a way to get everyone's consent. It seemed he would have to involve the village chief.
With this in mind, Liu Yifeng immediately bought two packs of good cigarettes at the village store and headed to the village chief's house with Tongtong.
The village chief was a respected elder in the village, and people were willing to heed his words.
When the village chief learned of Liu Yifeng's intention, he showed a troubled expression, "Yifeng, it's not that I'm unwilling to help you, but this mountain belongs to everyone in the village. If you want to use it to grow watermelons for sale, I'm afraid they won't agree!"
"Village Chief, the land on the back mountain is just sitting there empty. Once my watermelons are grown, I'll give every household two big watermelons.
This way, I can grow watermelons, and they can enjoy free watermelons. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement, isn't it?" Liu Yifeng knew it was impossible to farm there for free, otherwise, everyone would rush to use the land.
After speaking, he handed the cigarettes he had bought to the village chief, "I know you like to smoke, so I specifically bought these for you."
"Are you trying to bribe me?" the village chief didn't accept them.
Although two packs of cigarettes weren't worth much, if word got out, his position might be in jeopardy.
"What are you saying, Chief? How could I do something so inappropriate!
Aside from your position as village chief, you are also my second cousin. As a junior, it's only proper for me to show filial respect to you. Would they dare to gossip about that?" Liu Yifeng said.
The village chief then happily accepted them, "That's true. After all, your grandfather and I were cousins. By seniority, you should call me Grandpa."
"So, Grandpa, I'd be much obliged if you could help mediate the land issue," Liu Yifeng chuckled.
The village chief nodded, "Tomorrow your family is hosting a banquet for the whole village, right? I'll talk to everyone then, and it shouldn't be too much of a problem."
"That sounds good. Thank you, Grandpa."
"You kid, you call me Chief when you need something from the village, and Grandpa when you need something from me," the village chief chided.
Liu Yifeng quickly explained, "Grandpa, please don't misunderstand. It's just that you are the village chief, and addressing you as such is a sign of respect.
But no matter what, you are always my Grandpa."
"It's different when one is educated. You're quite eloquent. Is this your son?
You're quite something, having a son this old without a word. He's raised so well, so fair and tender. Not like our village children, who are all dark-skinned." The village chief said with a smile.
"In a few days, this child will likely get quite dark too," Liu Yifeng said truthfully. Few children in the village remained fair.
Many people who were dark in their youth became fair in adulthood because they moved to the city for work.
After leaving the village chief's house, Liu Yifeng took Tongtong home. As they reached the doorstep, his father called out to him.
"Yifeng, I heard you rented Zhao Hehua's land?"
Without asking, he knew it was Aunt Zhao who had told his father.
However, Aunt Zhao was quick-mouthed. He had just forgotten to remind her not to spread the news, and she had already told his father.
Since his father already knew, there was no need to hide it. Liu Yifeng nodded, "Yes, I just rented it this morning."
Seeing that it was true, Liu Chunsheng became somewhat agitated, "You rented land of such a scale and didn't even discuss it with me? Do you plan to live in this small mountain village your entire life?"
His words carried a hint of doubt.
Liu Yifeng knew his father would be angry upon hearing the news, so he replied, "Dad, what's wrong with being in the countryside?"
"Are you trying to anger me to death? I've worked hard my whole life, sending you to college, all so you could achieve something and make a name for yourself outside.
But you, you're renting land to grow vegetables." Liu Chunsheng's face flushed with anger, his chest heaving violently.
"Dad, please don't get agitated. Let me explain slowly," Liu Yifeng quickly tried to appease him, fearing his father might have a health scare.
"Alright, then tell me, why did you suddenly decide to rent land to grow vegetables? Don't you know it's the dry season? Anything you plant will die." Liu Chunsheng tried to calm himself down.
At this moment, Tongtong spoke up, "Grandpa, don't be angry. I'm the one who asked Dad to grow vegetables to make money."
Thinking Tongtong was covering for his father, Liu Chunsheng immediately said, "Tongtong, this is adults' business. Go play for a while, and Grandpa will make you something to eat later."
Tongtong didn't leave, still looking up at his grandfather, "Grandpa, it's really me who told Dad to farm. Dad will be able to earn a lot of money then."
Seeing the innocent child, Liu Chunsheng was so angry he hit Liu Yifeng on the back of the head, "It's one thing if you're useless, but you're even making your son take the blame. You're a scoundrel."
"Dad, I'm wronged! It's really Tongtong who asked me to do this. He said he has a way to ensure our vegetables and fruits have a bumper harvest," Liu Yifeng rubbed the back of his head, feeling deeply wronged.
Honestly, Liu Chunsheng didn't believe it. A three-year-old child, no matter how good at math, couldn't possibly know about farming. Even farmers themselves couldn't guarantee a bumper harvest.
No matter how much Liu Yifeng doted on his son, he shouldn't listen to him about everything!
Just as he was about to speak, Liu Yifeng threw out a bankbook, "Dad, look at this. What is it?"