Cornflower Witch

Chapter 136 A Bountiful Wheat Harvest
June is slowly approaching, and the wind carries a hint of summer.

Sitting on the slope in front of the hut, Hilti looked down at the vast expanse of golden wheat fields. The plump ears of wheat swayed in the wind, rubbing against each other and making a soft rustling sound.

Now the wheat is in its final stages, and she just needs to patiently wait for it to ripen.

With a rare moment of leisure, the toads have become accustomed to life in the valley and no longer require her daily management. After finishing their work for the day, they would soak in the pond in front of the house or lie on the rocks, enjoying the breeze and taking a nap, feeling incredibly content, occasionally making gurgling sounds in their sleep.

Feeling the summer breeze brushing against her ears, Hilti tucked a few strands of hair that had brushed against her cheek behind her ear, wanting to capture the scenery and her feelings at that moment.

Unfortunately, there are no cameras in this world. She reached her hand into the wind, as if trying to capture the scene before her.

Recalling the ability her mother had taught her, she closed her eyes and focused her mind, transforming herself into an "alien" once more. Then, starlight shimmered in her eyes as she released her senses, spreading them across the wheat field and valley grassland in front of her.

The sound of swaying grass, the trembling of leaping insects, the rustling of distant wheat ears, the clear blue sky, the air currents flowing freely between heaven and earth...

Everything was so clear, as if a painting were unfolding before my eyes.

The wheat she cultivated contained vibrant life, and the "Emerald Honey" quality was subtly revealed within it.

A realization slowly dawned on her, and another path gradually unfolded.

If she can cultivate a wheat field that fully condenses the [Emerald Honey] attribute, she can use this practice (trial) to improve her own [Emerald Honey] attribute and advance to the second stage.

The first time planting wheat was not without its imperfections and was subject to many limitations, such as the lack of crucial fertilizers, unfamiliarity with early experiences, and time delays.

However, Hilti was still very happy, at least she had found her direction and laid a very solid foundation.

Several days later, the golden wheat ears were fully ripe, and Hilti stood in the wheat field to demonstrate and teach the toads in the valley how to harvest it.

"First, you have to cut it from the root, and then pile the cut wheat on straw ropes."

"The next step is to bundle the wheat, stack it neatly, and transport it back to the warehouse."

Today she wore a hand-woven sun hat and a linen coat suitable for work, with only the long hem of her skirt occasionally revealing her beautiful waistline and fair calves.

"Crack."

"I've learned how to quack."

Watching the young girl demonstrate, many toads were eager to try it themselves.

After that, these toads began to learn how to harvest wheat in the way that Hiltiya had taught them. They were not tall, so they did not have to bend over like the girl when harvesting wheat. Moreover, their arms were relatively long compared to their bodies, so they could easily cut the wheat roots without bending over.

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

The golden wheat fields gradually lost their golden hue as the toads harvested them, revealing the dark soil beneath.

In the evening, the harvested wheat was moved to a flat area on a higher hillside in the valley, where the ground had been compacted and the soil was firm.

The next morning, the harvested wheat was spread out on the flat ground to dry, gradually dehydrating under the sun's heat.

During this time, Hilti walked through the harvested wheat field with a lantern, burned the remaining stubble to turn it into wood ash fertilizer, and also used it to kill pests and weeds in the field.

The next day, she began sowing 'alfalfa' seeds and guided the toads to water them. About three days later, the wheat was dry enough to be threshed.

However, there were no stone cylinders prepared in the valley for threshing, so the wheels of a horse-drawn cart had to be used. First, stones were placed on the cart, and then the cart was pulled back and forth by horses to thresh the wheat ears.

"Quack, crushing wheat grains."

"So many grains of wheat!"

Watching the carriage come and go, the toads found it very interesting and experienced a new kind of joy.
After threshing, the dust and chaff are blown away, and finally the wheat grains are dried.

Considering that drying as early as possible can prevent mold growth and also remove insect eggs from the wheat grains, Hiltiya stood in the center of the drying yard with a lantern in hand, and the invisible heat waves continuously washed over her, directly drying the grains.

"Quack, it's so hot!"

As the young girl stood in the center of the drying yard, a faint wave of heat spread out. A few toads that had been curiously approaching were startled by the heat and hopped away.

Two days later, the wheat was finally ready to be stored in the barn, marking the first time that Hiltiya had experienced a complete agricultural production process.

Golden grains of wheat piled up, sunlight streamed in through a small window, and a few specks of dust floated by.

Standing in the full grain warehouse, Hilti was filled with emotion. The production process of flour, which was usually ordinary and inconspicuous, was full of details. Even though she could use her talent and ability to observe carefully and make constant adjustments, she could not help but get flustered due to lack of experience and insufficient preparation.

Fortunately, it finally landed smoothly.

She walked to a large vat filled with wheat grains, reached her hand into it, and the golden grains slipped through her fingers and fell into her palm. She spread a few grains out in her palm and examined them closely. The grains were golden yellow with brown indentations in the middle, and she could smell a faint wheat aroma when she held them in her hand.

【Wheat Grain】(Excellent): The grains are plump, nutritious, and of very high quality, surpassing ordinary good and reaching excellent quality.

If high-quality wheat costs 1 silver coin per pound on the market, then exceptional quality wheat costs 3 silver coins per pound. Food made from flour of this wheat is more than three times more nutritious than that made from ordinary wheat.

Before venturing into dangerous areas within the woodland, many trainees prepare sufficient dry rations, and this food made from high-quality wheat is often the best choice, as it only takes up a small portion of the carrying weight and can quickly replenish physical strength.

If grown on the ground, wheat of this quality would often be used as military supplies, provided to strong soldiers to quickly restore their strength.

This harvest was better than expected. She originally thought that the first time she cultivated wheat to 'excellent' quality was the limit, but as her understanding of wheat cultivation deepened, the quality of the final product was raised to another level.

Fifty acres of land yielded approximately 8000 jin of wheat of exceptional quality. These results alone are enough to earn an excellent rating, and perhaps even far exceed it.

She was thinking about whether she should keep a low profile and hand over the wheat in three months, since there was still some time before the evaluation.

It's not that she can't be in the spotlight, but she doesn't need to right now and doesn't want to be disturbed by the outside world too much. She is very satisfied with her current stable and gradual life.

She still has a lot to do, whether it's further exploring the cultivation of 'perfect' quality wheat, researching her own talents, or developing this valley. All of these things will take a lot of time, and she really doesn't want to be disturbed or interrupted by unexpected events caused by fame.

"Let's decide on this for now," she said, glancing at the barn in front of her. Then she stepped out and had the toads temporarily seal it off with wooden planks.

Now, she is about to begin the next phase: rotating alfalfa, cultivating new fields, and building various auxiliary facilities.

(End of this chapter)