The Cornflower Witch

Book 2: Chapter 10: Wheat Harvest

Vol 2 Chapter 10 Wheat Harvest

Time slowly arrived in June, with the wind carrying hints of midsummer's breath.

Sitting on the slope in front of the small cottage, Sylutia gazed at the vast expanse of golden wheat waves below. Plump wheat ears swayed in the wind, colliding and rubbing against each other, producing a faint rustling sound.

Now, these wheat plants had reached their final stage. All she needed to do was patiently wait for them to mature.

Having this rare moment of leisure, those toads had now grown accustomed to life within the valley and no longer required her daily supervision. After finishing their day's work, they would soak in the pond in front of the house or lie on the rocks, enjoying the breeze and taking naps with immense contentment, occasionally even letting out soft, gurgling sounds in their sleep.

Feeling the summer breeze brush past her ear, Sylutia used her hand to tuck the few strands of hair that had swept across her cheek behind her ear. She felt a desire to record the scenery and mood she was currently experiencing.

Unfortunately, this world had no cameras. She reached her hand into the wind as if trying to grasp the scene before her.

Recalling the ability her mother had taught her, she closed her eyes and focused her spirit, once again shifting herself into the [Alien Star] Aspect. Then, specks of starlight swirled within her eyes as she released her perception, spreading it towards the wheat fields and valley grasslands before her.

The sound of grass blades swaying, the tremors of insects hopping, the rustling friction of distant wheat ears, the clear blue sky, the currents of air flowing freely through heaven and earth...

Everything was so vivid, as if a scroll painting was unfolding before her eyes.Those wheat plants she had cultivated brimmed with vigorous vitality, with the [Verdant Nectar] Aspect faintly manifesting within them.

A kind of clear understanding slowly surfaced in her mind, and another path gradually unfolded.

If she could cultivate a complete wheat field that fully condensed the [Verdant Nectar] Aspect, she could rely on this practice (trial) to elevate her own [Verdant Nectar] Aspect and step into the Second Tier.

This being her first time planting wheat, there were still many imperfections and limitations due to various conditions, such as the lack of crucial fertilizer, unfamiliarity with early-stage experience, which caused some delays, and so on.

Nevertheless, Sylutia was still very happy. At the very least, she had found a direction and laid a very solid foundation.

Several days later, the golden wheat ears fully matured. Sylutia stood in the wheat field to demonstrate, teaching the toads in the valley how to harvest.

"First, you need to cut near the base, then stack the cut wheat on straw ropes."

"After that, bundle the wheat neatly, stack it orderly, and transport it back to the warehouse."

Today, she wore a hand-woven sun hat and a linen coat suitable for labor. Only from the long hem of her skirt did her graceful waist curve and fair calves occasionally reveal themselves.

"Ribbit."

"Understood, ribbit."

Watching this young lady demonstrate, many toads became eager to try.

Afterwards, these toads began learning to harvest the wheat using the method Sylutia taught. Their stature wasn't tall, so they didn't need to bend over like the young lady when harvesting wheat. Moreover, their arms were relatively long compared to their bodies, allowing them to easily cut near the wheat roots without bending over.

After harvesting, they bundled this wheat and first piled it in the wheat field, then continued harvesting the next area.

The originally golden wheat field gradually shed its golden color under the harvesting efforts of one toad after another, revealing the dark soil beneath.

By evening, this harvested wheat was transported to a relatively high, flat area on a hillside within the valley. The ground here had already been compacted, with dense, firm soil.

Early the next morning, this harvested wheat was spread out on this flat ground to dry in the sun. Under the sun's heat, it gradually dehydrated.

During this period, Sylutia walked through the harvested wheat field holding her lantern, burning the remaining wheat stubble to turn it into plant ash fertilizer. This also served to once again eliminate pests, diseases, and weeds in the field.

The following day, she began sowing 'Alfalfa' seeds and guided these toads to water them.

About three days later, the sun-dried wheat had dried sufficiently and could be threshed.

However, the valley hadn't prepared stone rollers for threshing, so they could only rely on a wagon's wheels. They first placed stones on the wagon, then had the draft horse pull the wagon back and forth repeatedly, rolling over these wheat ears to thresh them.

"Ribbit, threshing wheat grains."

"So many wheat grains, ribbit."

Watching the wagon go back and forth continuously, the toads found it very interesting, experiencing a kind of fresh joy.

After threshing was completed, they blew away the dust and chaff, then finally spread these wheat grains out to dry again.

Considering that drying them as soon as possible could prevent mold, and also to eliminate insect eggs within the wheat grains, Sylutia stood in the center of the drying field holding her lantern. An invisible wave of heat continuously washed over the area, directly performing the drying.

"Ribbit, so hot, ribbit."

Watching this young lady stand in the center of the drying field, a faint wave of air spreading out, a few curious toads had initially approached closer. Now, frightened by the heat wave, they hopped and jumped away.

Two days later, this batch of wheat could finally be collected and stored in the granary, also marking Sylutia's first complete experience of agricultural production.

Piles of golden wheat grains accumulated, with sunlight streaming in through the small window and specks of dust floating in the air.

Standing inside the fully stocked grain warehouse, Sylutia felt a surge of emotions. The ordinary, unremarkable flour of daily life actually involved so many intricate details in its production process. Even though she could utilize her own talents and abilities, observing meticulously and making constant adjustments, she still inevitably encountered moments of fluster due to lack of experience and insufficient preparation in the middle.

Fortunately, everything had finally landed smoothly and steadily.

She walked over to a large vat filled with wheat grains. She reached her hand into it, letting the golden grains slip through her fingers and fall into her palm. She spread a few grains in her palm, observing them carefully. These wheat grains were golden yellow with a brown indented line in the middle. Holding them in her palm, she could smell a faint, fragrant aroma of wheat.

[Wheat Grains] (Exceptional): Plump grains, rich in nutrition, very high-quality wheat that has surpassed ordinary excellence to reach exceptional quality.

If excellent quality wheat on the market costs 1 silver coin per jin, then exceptional quality wheat costs 3 silver coins per jin. Wheat of this quality, when ground into flour and made into food, provides over three times the nutrition of ordinary wheat.

Many apprentices within the Hidden Grove, before venturing into dangerous areas for exploration, would prepare sufficient dry rations. Food made from this exceptional quality wheat was often the best choice, requiring only a small portion of the carrying weight to quickly replenish physical strength.

If on the surface, wheat of this quality would often be military supplies, provided to those powerful warriors for rapid recovery of stamina.

This harvest was slightly better than expected. She originally thought that achieving 'Excellent' quality on her first cultivation attempt would be the limit. Unexpectedly, as her understanding of wheat cultivation deepened later on, it allowed the final product's quality to climb another step.

Fifty mu of land produced approximately 8,000 jin of exceptional quality wheat. Based on these results alone, it was enough to receive an excellent evaluation, even far exceeding it.

She was wondering whether she should keep a slightly lower profile. In another three months, she would submit this batch of wheat anyway, since there was still some time before the evaluation.

Making a splash wasn't necessarily bad, but she currently had no need for it and didn't want to attract excessive external disturbance. This current steady, gradual life was very satisfying to Sylutia.

She still had many things to do. Whether it was further exploring the cultivation of 'Perfect' quality wheat, researching her own talents, or developing this valley, all required considerable time. She really didn't want unexpected disruptions caused by fame to interrupt her progress.

She would decide on this for now. She looked at the granary before her, then walked out, having the toads temporarily seal it with wooden planks.

Now, she was going to begin the next phase: rotating crops with Alfalfa, reclaiming new fields, and constructing various auxiliary facilities.