He Yuyang: The tough eldest brother of the courtyard house

The autumn wind rustled, swirling up withered yellow leaves that fluttered like butterflies across the narrow, long cobblestone path of Nanluoguxiang. These leaves seemed to come alive, swirling and dancing in the air before gently settling to the ground, forming a thick, golden carpet.

He Yuyang strode confidently towards the military base, his steps dappled with golden sunlight. Clad in a crisp uniform, his posture upright as a pine tree, his eyes radiating determination and resolve. Just then, a slight vibration came from his pocket, followed by a crisp voice: "Ding! 180 consecutive days of check-ins, reward: 'Handbook for Improving Dryland Crops in Northern China' and 'Illustrated Guide to Simple Agricultural Implements'." Though the voice was soft, it filled He Yuyang with a surge of joy.

It's important to understand that during those years of war, due to harsh conditions and intense combat, his attendance was often interrupted for various reasons. However, despite these difficult circumstances, he never gave up his pursuit and accumulation of knowledge. Now, finally reaping this hard-won reward, how could he not be excited?

He paused, his fingertips tracing the two booklets that had appeared out of nowhere in his pocket. The covers were rough kraft paper, the ink smelling fresh and clean. This system had been with him for years, from initial first-aid kits and bullets to later medical books and maps; the rewards had become increasingly relevant to his current life. Now that the country had been liberated and everything needed rebuilding, the food problem was of paramount importance, and these two agricultural manuals had arrived just in time.

"Good morning, Commander He!" the patrolling soldiers greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning." He Yuyang nodded in response, but his gaze went beyond the alley entrance to the distant, hazy fields. Ten miles north of Nanluoguxiang were several clusters of villages. He had delivered relief grain there last winter and knew that the land was barren, the grains grown were sparse, and the villagers worked hard all year round but couldn't even get a full meal.

That afternoon, He Yuyang made an excuse to go to the outskirts. The autumn wind had left the field ridges bare, and several old farmers squatted in the field, looking at the freshly harvested corn stalks with worried expressions—the stalks were as thin as chopsticks, and the corn cobs were too small to hold.

"Grandpa, how's the harvest this year?" He Yuyang walked over and squatted down next to an elderly man with graying temples. The old man was Li Laoshi, the village head of Lijiazhuang nearby. He had met him before when he delivered relief grain; he was an honest man.

Li Laoshi sighed and spat out the pipe from his mouth: "Not good. I've been farming all my life and I've never seen such a bad harvest. The seeds were bad, the farm tools were outdated, spring was dry, summer was flooded, it's good enough that we can harvest this much." He pointed to the plot of land next to him, "Look at that soil, it's as hard as stone, even when it rains, it can't seep in."

He Yuyang looked in the direction he was pointing, and sure enough, the soil in the ground was hard as a rock, with cracks spreading out like a spider web. He remembered the "deep plowing and loosening method" mentioned in the manual, and then looked at the crooked plow next to him, and an idea came to him.

"Sir, I have a few booklets here. They're agricultural materials issued by the military. Do you think they're useful?" He took the booklets out of his bag, deliberately tearing off the words "System Reward" from the cover, and said only that they were "new technologies promoted by higher authorities."

Li Laoshi took the manual, squinted his old eyes and flipped through a couple of pages. The more he read, the more shocked he became: "Good heavens, this 'seed selection method' says to choose plump seeds, expose them to the sun for three days before planting? And this 'curved plow improvement diagram' says it can save half the effort?" He had spent his whole life dealing with the land, and although he had never been to school, he could tell that these methods were quite sophisticated.

"If you trust me, try the method above." He Yuyang pointed to the cracks in the ground. "First, plow the ground three feet deep to turn up the topsoil, then mix in wood ash according to the proportions in the manual. It will definitely help retain water."

Li Laoshi hesitated: "This method... is different from the one passed down from the older generation. What if we make a mistake..."

"I'll find a few soldiers to lend a hand. How about we try planting half an acre first?" He Yuyang patted him on the shoulder. "If it works, you can do it this way; if it doesn't, I'll cover the losses."

Seeing his certainty, Li Laoshi gritted his teeth and said, "Okay! We trust the People's Liberation Army!"

For the next two weeks, He Yuyang went to Lijiazhuang whenever he had free time. He led the army's carpentry team to modify plows according to the diagrams in the manual—changing the straight shaft to a curved shaft, adding a plowshare that could adjust the depth, and adding a piece of sheet metal to the bottom of the plow to reduce friction. At first, the soldiers thought, "Why is the regimental commander getting involved in farming?" But seeing He Yuyang teaching them step by step, they also got enthusiastic and modified five new plows in just a few days.

The young people in the village were also mobilized to learn deep plowing from He Yuyang. At first, everyone complained that it was too tiring, saying, "The older generation always plowed shallowly, why bother with this?" He Yuyang didn't argue with them, but just led a few soldiers to work hard, turning the half-acre experimental field deep black and soft. They also followed the instructions in the manual and chopped up last year's corn stalks and buried them in the soil as green manure.

Every day, Li Laoshi would run to the experimental field, looking at that patch of black, fertile land with a mixture of anticipation and fear. His wife would always scold him, "You're getting senile, following a soldier around and messing things up," but he would just chuckle and say, "Yu Yang isn't the type to mess things up. Look at how he turned the soil; it's different from ours."

When selecting seeds, He Yuyang led the villagers in sifting them. They discarded all the shriveled and insect-damaged seeds, leaving only the plump grains, which were then spread out to dry in the sun. An elderly man lamented, "This is all grain; it's a waste to throw it away!"

"If you want sweet, juicy, and enormous watermelons, don't be stingy with those insignificant sesame seeds!" He Yuyang carefully picked up a round and plump seed, as if it were a precious treasure. Then, he reached into the bag beside him and took out another shriveled and weak seed, comparing them and saying, "Look, this plump seed, if buried deep in fertile soil, will surely grow strong and healthy, sprouting strong and powerful shoots, and eventually bearing heavy, large melon spikes; but look at this shriveled one, even if we painstakingly plant it, it will probably be in vain." After saying this, He Yuyang, following the standard proportions recorded in the agricultural planting manual in his hand, gently scooped up a spoonful of lukewarm water and poured it into a small bowl, then took out a small packet of powdery substance he brought from his mysterious space, sprinkled it in, and stirred it well. According to him, this magical powder is a special fertilizer essence from the military that can significantly increase the germination rate and growth rate of plants!

The villagers were skeptical, but seeing He Yuyang eating his meals in the fields, gnawing on hard cornbread, and directing the soldiers to work without hesitation, they also became serious.

Before they knew it, it was time to sow the seeds. He Yuyang taught everyone to sow seeds in "wide and narrow rows," leaving two feet between wide rows and one foot between narrow rows, explaining that this would allow for better ventilation and light penetration, and also make weeding easier. The people of Lijiazhuang had never planted seeds this way before, and they all said, "Who leaves such wide row spacing? Isn't that a waste of land?" But they couldn't resist He Yuyang's patient explanation and eventually followed his instructions.

After planting, He Yuyang taught them how to dig drainage ditches, saying, "There's a lot of rain in summer, so don't let the crops get soaked in water." He led the people to dig deep ditches along the field ridges, connecting them to the small river outside the village, and planted the "soil-stabilizing grass" mentioned in the manual along the ditches to prevent soil erosion.

All of this, observed by those with a keen eye, inevitably sparked gossip. The village chief from the neighboring village came to see Li Laoshi, scoffing, "Old Li, you're letting a soldier give orders like that; be careful you don't go hungry next year!"

Li Laoshi retorted, "Yu Yang is doing this for our own good. Even if it doesn't work out, we'll accept it!"

He Yuyang heard about it and just smiled. He knew that seeing was believing.

As spring turned to summer, the experimental fields in Lijiazhuang were indeed different. While the rice in other people's fields was just knee-high, the rice in the experimental fields was already almost waist-high, with thick, lush green leaves and ears of grain a size larger than those in other fields. Even more remarkably, during the torrential rains of summer, half of the fields in the neighboring village were flooded, but because drainage ditches had been dug, the fields in Lijiazhuang were completely unaffected.

The villagers were convinced and surrounded He Yuyang, asking him all sorts of questions. Even people from neighboring villages came to see and beg for the manual. He Yuyang simply had the army's printing plant print dozens more copies and distributed them to nearby villages. He also took the time to visit other villages several times to provide guidance.

During the autumn harvest, the threshing ground in Lijiazhuang was piled high with golden grains. Li Laoshi weighed them with trembling hands, and the yield per mu of the experimental field was more than double that of previous years! The villagers did the math and realized that even if the grain was distributed per capita, each household could save a considerable amount of surplus grain and would no longer need to rely on relief.

Early that morning, Li Laoshi, carrying a heavy cloth bag, led two village representatives, asking around until they finally arrived at Nanluoguxiang. The bag contained newly harvested millet, golden yellow and smelling of sunshine.

"Is Commander He home?" He stood at the entrance of the He family compound, his voice booming, attracting the neighbors to peek out.

He Yuyang was cleaning his gun in the yard when he heard the voice and came out to greet him: "Uncle Li, what brings you here?"

"I've brought you some millet!" Li Laoshi placed the cloth bag on the stone table. "This is from the experimental field, the first batch of new rice. Please try some!" His eyes were a little red as he grasped He Yuyang's hand. "Yuyang, on behalf of the whole village, thank you! Your method is amazing, a hundred times better than what we've learned from our ancestors! This year, our village not only has enough to eat, but we can also contribute grain to the government!"

The neighbors gathered around, all asking what had happened. Li Laoshi recounted how he had improved farm tools and implemented deep plowing and seed selection, speaking with great enthusiasm. He concluded, "Commander He is truly knowledgeable! The People's Liberation Army not only knows how to fight, but they also know how to farm—that's real skill!"

Yan Bugui leaned over, weighed the millet in his hand, and clicked his tongue, saying, "This millet looks solid, much better than what's sold at the grain station. Yu Yang, what's wrong with your brain? You even know how to farm."

"It's not that I have special skills, it's just that the technique is good." He Yuyang smiled and pushed the millet into Li Laoshi's arms. "Grandpa, you can take this millet back to make porridge for the children. I have plenty here."

"That won't do!" Li Laoshi slammed the bag on the table. "If you don't accept it, you're implying that we farmers are unsophisticated!" He thought for a moment, then took out a red cloth bag from his pocket. When he opened it, he found a brocade banner embroidered with eight golden characters: "The army and the people are of one mind, the grain is plentiful and the people are happy." The stitches were a bit crooked, but it was embroidered by all the women in the village overnight.

Looking at the banner, He Yuyang felt a surge of warmth in his heart and stopped refusing: "Alright, I'll accept the rice and the banner. But this isn't just my achievement; it's the result of everyone's hard work." He pointed to Li Laoshi, "It was Uncle Li who led the way by daring to try new methods, and it was the villagers who put in the effort, that made the grain production increase."

As they were talking, Liu Haizhong walked over with his hands behind his back. Upon hearing about the increased grain production, he nodded repeatedly, "Yu Yang is making a contribution to the country! I have to report this to the neighborhood office so everyone can learn from him!"

"No, no, Uncle Liu, it's nothing, no need to make a fuss." He Yuyang quickly stopped him. "The country is now encouraging the promotion of new technologies, which is a good policy. I was just doing my duty."

He knew that the manuals awarded by the system could only help temporarily. To improve the lives of more people, everyone needed to learn these techniques and understand the principles of "scientific farming." He had already given the manuals to the agricultural department of the army, suggesting that they organize technicians to go to the countryside to promote them. He believed that it wouldn't be long before these methods spread to more villages.

Old Li sat at the He family's house for a while, drinking two bowls of millet porridge cooked by Liu Yan, before returning home satisfied. Before leaving, he said, "Next spring, we'd like to ask Yu Yang to talk to the people in the neighboring villages, so that everyone can live a better life!"

The neighbors dispersed, but they were all discussing He Yuyang's "abilities." Yan Bugui said to He Daqing, "Your Yuyang is truly a man of letters, capable of governing the world with his pen, a warrior on horseback, and even skilled in farming!"

He Daqing stroked his beard, grinning from ear to ear: "This child has always been a thoughtful person."

He Yuyang heard this and simply smiled. He walked to the pomegranate tree, watching the banner flutter gently in the wind, and felt a sense of peace. The system's cheat codes were indeed useful, but what truly increased the land's productivity was the villagers' hard work and their hope for a better life.

He recalled how, when he first transmigrated, he always thought he could take shortcuts by relying on the system. But he gradually realized that the progress of this era was never due to the "adventures" of one or two people, but rather to the collective effort of millions of hands digging, cultivating, and building together. His cheat system was more like a key that opened a door, but the path behind that door still required everyone to walk step by step.

In the evening, Xu Xiuli came to tutor Yushui. When she heard about the increased grain production, she looked at him with bright eyes and said, "You're amazing. Not only can you protect everyone, but you can also make sure everyone has enough to eat."

"It's not that I'm amazing," He Yuyang said, handing her a handful of crisp dates he had picked from his spatial storage. "It's the land that's amazing. As long as you treat it well, it won't treat you badly. Just like life, as long as you put in the effort, things will always get better."

Xu Xiuli took the crisp date, took a bite, and the sweet juice spread in her mouth. She looked at He Yuyang's profile; the golden light of the setting sun fell on him, making his eyes appear firm and his lips curved into a gentle smile. She suddenly felt that this man not only possessed the fortitude of a soldier, but also a reassuring strength, as solid and reliable as the ground beneath one's feet.

"Yu Shui said, you also teach the village children to read?" He Yu Yang suddenly asked.

"Yes, we went over the weekend. Many of them have never been to school." Xu Xiuli nodded. "I was thinking that we should not only make sure they have enough to eat, but also teach them to read and write, so they can know about the outside world."

He Yuyang looked at her, and a thought struck him. He thought that perhaps he could "sign in" for some more textbooks and stationery to make this girl's "class" more presentable.

As night deepened, the lights in Nanluoguxiang came on one by one, like scattered stars. He Yuyang stood at the gate of his courtyard, looking towards the distant village. Although there were no lights there, countless dreams of a bountiful harvest were hidden there. He knew that what changed this era was never any one person, but farmers like Li Laoshi, teachers like Xu Xiuli, and everyone around him who was striving to make a living.

All he could do was contribute in his own way, adding fuel to the fire so that this spark could eventually become a prairie fire.

A breeze blew from the fields, carrying the fresh scent of earth and grain. He Yuyang took a deep breath and felt that the air contained the taste of the future.