"Alas, one needs something to compost, but there should be some use, anything is better than nothing."
A country with thousands of years of agricultural development, how could they not know about composting? But the key was not having enough material to compost. An ordinary farmer with only a few chickens at home, where would they get enough fertilizer for twenty mu of land?
There were no chemical fertilizers or pesticides back then.
They could only save up what they produced daily for fertilization.
However, considering Ding Yun's good intentions, Yunqi Nu Guan sighed and didn't elaborate. She then moved on to another matter she wanted to discuss:
"There's something else I want to make clear.
So we don't misunderstand each other.
While contributing high-yield grain seeds is a great merit, I'm concerned that the two types of grain seeds you provided deplete soil fertility too much. I worry that if they are promoted on a large scale, problems might arise later.
You would definitely be held accountable.
You might even be cursed by the masses.
So I didn't report the situation upwards, and I even deliberately kept the news under wraps. If you want to posthumously honor your mother, you can report it yourself.
But I hope you will be cautious.
After all, many people are quite short-sighted. Even with a reminder that the improved seeds you provided would greatly deplete the soil, many might still plant them continuously to harvest more grain. Then, when the soil fertility declines, they would blame you.
You must consider this aspect carefully.
Some people will not admit their own mistakes."
Yunqi Nu Guan, fearing that Ding Yun might think she was seeking credit by suppressing the news of the improved seeds, explicitly explained her reasons for doing so.
This was to avoid any further misunderstandings between them.
Ding Yun trusted Yunqi quite a bit, and she wasn't foolish; she understood the potential consequences if this matter got out of hand. So, she immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, I understand.
Didn't I suggest planting them for a few years first precisely because I was worried about potential problems with the seeds? And now it has indeed happened. How can you be blamed? Instead, I should thank you. If you hadn't helped prevent the news from spreading,
God knows how many people would have already planted large quantities of these two high-yield grains by now.
Without sufficient fertilizer supply, if these two grains were planted extensively and without any restraint, it would be a disaster in two or three years!"
"As for the insufficient fertilizer you mentioned, I should be able to find a solution within the next three to five years. So, for a while longer, I'll have to trouble you to continue helping control the spread of information and prevent the grain seeds from getting out. Only after I have enough fertilizer to sell can these seeds be widely announced."
What Ding Yun meant by solving the problem of insufficient fertilizer.
Naturally, it referred to the plan she had just made.
The plan to build more farm fertilizer factories in the future.
"You've thought so far ahead.
Although I don't know how you can solve the fertilizer problem within three to five years, if you truly can, it would be a blessing to all the people in the world.
Your name and your mother's name.
Will surely be recorded in history, emblazoned in the annals.
And it would be a merit of immeasurable magnitude!"
As she spoke, Yunqi Nu Guan actually stood up and bowed deeply to Ding Yun. She wasn't bowing to Ding Yun's status, but to Ding Yun's promise, and to express gratitude on behalf of all the people.
Ding Yun, somewhat flustered, quickly helped her up, repeatedly saying she didn't deserve it. After a while, her emotions calmed down.
Then, she dared not discuss these serious matters anymore.
She chose to chat about interesting things and gossip to pass the time.
They talked a lot, about Yunqi Nu Guan's recent experiences, about Ding Yun's sights and sounds from earlier, and about events near Jinling City, etc.
As they chatted, they inevitably drifted to the most rebellious and out-of-place person of the current era.
That would be Jia She, Marquis of Ningguo.
No matter the era, ordinary people rarely attract attention, or even concern, let alone discussion. Only those who are unconventional, or who have accomplished great deeds, are discussed.
Jia She was undoubtedly an outlier.
He was completely out of sync with the actions and habits of the entire society today, and even with everyone in their circle. It would be strange if such a person wasn't discussed or noticed.
Therefore, it was perfectly normal for Ding Yun and Yunqi to talk about him while gossiping.
"Speaking of Jia She, we're just talking amongst ourselves, so please don't spread this outside. The world says he's disobedient and unfilial, but honestly, I truly admire him for doing things others only dared to think but not to do.
The rules of this world are truly bizarre. On one hand, they emphasize the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and on the other hand, they require illegitimate children to call their stepmother 'mother' and treat her as their own.
Someone who is not biologically theirs is not biologically theirs.
How can there be so much "treating them as if they were one's own"?
I, born to the legitimate wife, was still persecuted by the second wife after my mother's death. What about those illegitimate sons and daughters? And the idea that children should conceal their parents' crimes, or endure their parents' harm. If a child wants to sue their parent, they must first receive a hundred lashes.
Can one survive a hundred lashes?
Confucianism is truly hypocritical. They say, 'Let the ruler be a ruler, the minister a minister, the father a father, and the son a son.' If a king makes a mistake, a minister admonishes him, and it's called loyal advice, a loyal minister. But when it comes to father and son, it changes. It's called unfilial, isn't it ridiculous?
Why?
Because there is only one king, and they are all ministers. But there are many fathers, and they can all be fathers."
Because Yunqi Nu Guan herself had been oppressed by her parents, and had even suspected the cause of her mother's death, she lacked the courage to openly break with her biological father and stepmother in this world. In the end, she could only become a nun to escape.
Therefore, when mentioning Jia She's recent actions, her emotions were momentarily stirred.
In her agitation, she revealed many things she had never dared to speak of before,
And even things she wasn't sure were correct.
"Uh, maybe you should tell me what he actually did? I really haven't been paying attention to these things lately."
Ding Yun had just finished a pile of tasks and had no time for gossip recently. Therefore, she was genuinely unaware of what Yunqi Nu Guan was talking about.
So she could only interrupt her and ask her to explain the specific matter.
"You don't even know about such a big thing.
It's been the talk of the town for this past year or so. Fine, I'll tell you. You should know about that Jia She, the one from the Rongguo Mansion.
Isn't it true that he's caused quite a stir in the past year or so? Like when he ordered his own mansion to be raided, sold off the servants, and exposed family shame. He even almost got his sister-in-law imprisoned. Compared to what's happened recently, those things are nothing.
You have no idea, he's been acting like he's gone mad..."
Seeing Ding Yun's bewildered expression, Yunqi Nu Guan could only slap her thigh and quickly began to recount the events to her.