Reclaiming Wasteland and Farming: My Haunted Fields Are Spawning Monsters Infinitely

Li Qingshan emerged from behind the shack and bent down to pick up the horsewhip that had fallen onto the yellow earth. The horsewhip was made of deerskin, small and exquisite, with a thin layer of red cotton thread wrapped around the handle. However, Li Qingshan's large hands, accustomed to holding hoes and hammers, found it difficult to grip this small horsewhip.

He casually tossed the horsewhip into the corner of the shack, then shoveled some pig manure into the stove. Whoosh, the sound of the bellows being pulled echoed through the shack.

"Young master..."

Just as Li Qingshan was busy at work, a copper bell suddenly rang, and a pretty lady riding a donkey arrived in front of the shed.

Li Qingshan looked up and saw that the person who came was Qiu Niang.

After Qiu Niang left last time, she reported Li Qingshan's situation to the family, saying that Li Qingshan not only did not die in the north, but also met a mysterious big shot.

The news caused a complete uproar in the Li family.

The North is a bitterly cold land; out of ten people who go there, only one returns. The bones pile up like high walls. How could Li Qingshan, all alone, possibly survive, let alone gain a foothold?

What if he makes a comeback one day and seeks revenge on the family?

After careful consideration, the family decided to temporarily ease tensions with Li Qingshan.

Qiu Niang came for this reason.

She dismounted from the donkey, tiptoed towards the shed, and carried a blue cloth bundle in her hand: "I've been quite busy lately and haven't had a chance to visit the young master. I've finally found some time today. How have you been, young master?"

Ding ding!

Li Qingshan struck the iron ingot, producing a heavy sound.

Qiu Niang felt a little hot and took a step back, remembering the bundle in her arms: "The weather is getting colder, and the family specially asked me to bring you a cotton coat. Actually, the elders in the family have always been thinking about you. Your third grandfather gets so heartbroken that he sheds tears whenever he mentions your name."

Dangdang Dangdang!

The hammer struck the red-hot iron billet, sending sparks flying everywhere.

Qiu Niang's smile stiffened. She thought to herself, "What are you so arrogant about? The family is just doing this as a precaution. Do you really think you can make a comeback and start over?"

Under Li Qingshan's iron hammer, the iron blank was hammered out of impurities and gradually drawn into a sword blank.

He put down the hammer and wiped the sweat from his brow: "I'm not some young master..."

"What?" Qiu Niang didn't quite hear.

"I'm no longer a part of this family. I can't remember any of the past grievances or grudges. Now, I'm just a blacksmith."

"You can't write two 'Li' characters in one stroke; even if you break the bones, the tendons are still connected."

Li Qingshan used pliers to hold the sword blank and inserted it into the wooden barrel to quench it.

With a hissing sound, black patterns appeared on the sword.

"What a fine sword!" Qiu Niang suddenly exclaimed.

Li Qingshan turned around and said, "You also know about swords."

"I run a warehouse, and I inspect all the goods coming from the south and north. Ironware from the Central Plains and swords from the north are all in high demand."

Li Qingshan had already prepared to send her away, but upon hearing this, he became interested: "You haven't even handled it, how do you know it's a good sword? Then tell me, what's so good about this sword?"

He placed the quenched sword blank on the anvil.

Qiu Niang examined it carefully, her fingers gently brushing over it; the sword still carried a lingering warmth.

She took a soft breath and said, "It is indeed a fine sword. The blade is clear and without any impurities. The material used to forge this sword is definitely extraordinary. Where did you obtain it?"

"This place is rich in resources and vast, you never know how we might run into each other," Li Qingshan said casually.

"The sword is a good sword, but your forging technique is really ordinary. Many parts are not handled very well."

Li Qingshan didn't think Qiu Niang was wrong. He didn't know how to forge iron; he just relied on his strength to slowly learn how.

"Could you sell me this sword?"

"You want to buy it?" Li Qingshan was somewhat surprised.

"Hmm, I like collecting things." Qiu Niang thought to herself. The sword-testing competition was just around the corner. If she could win with this sword, it would enhance the reputation of the trading post.

"In that case, I need a cartload of iron." Li Qingshan gestured with his hands. "This big cartload will do. I want to trade outside the pass."

"Uh... do you know how many swords can be made from such a cartload of iron? Besides, we have to trade it outside the Great Wall, which is a capital offense punishable by beheading."

Li Qingshan shrugged; he wasn't in a hurry.

Qiu Niang looked at the sword blanks on the chopping board and said, "Then I'll go back and try to gather them. If I manage to gather them all, I'll come back and trade with you."

Li Qingshan smiled and made a gesture indicating that he wouldn't see him off.

He knew that Qiu Niang wasn't interested in the deal, but she wouldn't refuse outright. That's how big families are—they're all sweet talk and treacherous hearts, ruthless and heartless, smiling on the outside while secretly plotting their revenge.

Li Qingshan is now able to break away from the Li family and feels only fortunate.

As Qiu Niang turned to leave, she suddenly noticed the tobacco field in front of her, which was now lush and green, and had grown to be more than half a person tall.

She went over and pinched it; the leaf was oily and thick, leaving a green sap on her fingernail.

"The weather is about to change, and these tobacco leaves will go to waste if they're not harvested soon. Now is not the season for planting tobacco. It seems you know absolutely nothing about farming."

"Don't worry, I have my reasons."

"I'm just trying to be kind, how about you sell it to me at a lower price? It'll be enough to get you through the winter."

"hehe."

After Qiu Niang left, Li Qingshan continued to forge iron in the shack until the sun was setting. Only then did he put down his hammer and go to the pig pit.

Now, the carcass that had just fallen into the pig pit has been eaten by the black pigs and turned into two piles of black dung.

One of his thirty long-term workers was laid off.

It won't be easy to make up for it again.

Li Qingshan carried a basket down to the ground, shoveled pig manure into it, climbed back up, and dumped the manure into the tobacco field to fertilize it.

Afterwards, he stood by the field and watched the farmhands busily picking tobacco leaves in an orderly manner.

Qiu Niang's words were not without reason; if the season was missed, the tobacco leaves would not be ready to be roasted.

Before dark, he returned to the house, which was filled with smoke, and Old Zhang had a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Li Qingshan pulled it out directly, and Old Zhang's eyes widened immediately, staring at him with indignation.

Li Qingshan took out a tobacco pipe, filled it with tobacco, and handed it to Old Zhang.

Old Zhang took a satisfied puff, and a wisp of white smoke billowed from his nostrils.

Li Qingshan found it strange; with only a head remaining, how did he manage to pass through the lungs?

"Kid, what do you want to ask?"

"Old Zhang, have you forgotten that you promised to tell me the whereabouts of the ferocious beast last time?"

"What's your hurry? If I don't die, you won't die anytime soon either. As for the whereabouts of this ferocious beast..." Old Zhang said, "Kid, have you ever heard of the Tian family in the North?"

……

Qiu Niang returned to the warehouse, still thinking about how Li Qingshan had developed his business in the north.

However, we live in a strange and treacherous world, so it's not too surprising that some people and things are beyond our comprehension.

She rode her donkey back to the warehouse alone. As soon as she got off, a shop assistant was already waiting for her. "Boss, Fuyuan Trading Company in the capital is looking to buy a large quantity of tobacco leaves at a high price."