THE LORD'S LADY FROM THE EAST

The land Wei Wei chose had already been tilled, but there was still plenty of preparation work to be done before sowing.

First, the soil needed to be watered to ensure it had enough moisture for the corn seeds to absorb and swell, promoting germination. Additionally, it would be ideal to apply sufficient fertilizer to help the seeds grow faster after sprouting. However, Wei Wei didn't have any usable fertilizer on hand. While it was possible to use diluted animal manure, the high concentration of nutrients could easily burn the seedlings, and it was difficult to control. After some thought, Wei Wei decided to have the boys help her fetch water from the moat to irrigate the land.

After all, the moat water, which had been contaminated with various impurities for who knows how many years, did contain some nutrients. Moreover, the system confirmed that there was no other pollution in the water, making it suitable as a base fertilizer.

However, this meant the watered land now carried an unpleasant odour. Wei Wei, who had been increasingly leaning toward fastidiousness due to the less-than-ideal living conditions of the Middle Ages, found the smell unbearable. She secretly used her acupuncture silver needles to temporarily block her sense of smell.

Speaking of the silver needles, they were a bonus that came with her medical skills, much like the sewing kit she also had, both thoughtfully provided by the system.

"I should have done this earlier," she muttered to herself, feeling much more refreshed now that she couldn't smell anything.

Unfortunately, she couldn't keep her sense of smell blocked for too long, as it might cause adverse effects. Otherwise, she would have done this every day.

In contrast to Wei Wei, the children helping her were quite accustomed to the smell.

The watered soil was moist, and with a stroke of her hatchet, Wei Wei easily carved a five to six-centimetre-deep furrow into the ground.

To facilitate later transplanting, and in the absence of seedling trays, the land needed to be divided into appropriately sized grids before planting the corn. This way, when the corn seedlings grew, they could be transplanted along with the soil beneath them, making the process much easier.

Wei Wei's grids were quite standard, each about five centimetres in length and width, perfect for placing two corn kernels in each.

As she carved the grids with her hatchet, the two youngest children followed behind, placing corn kernels into the grids and gently pressing them down.

Once all the corn kernels were in place, the entire area was covered with a layer of soil, completing the planting process.

Wei Wei had found another method for seedling cultivation of corn: mixing thin mud, shaping it into small balls, pressing a hole in the centre with ash, placing the corn kernels inside, arranging them on the ground, and covering them with soil. This method made transplanting even easier, but shaping the mud balls was time-consuming and labour-intensive. Wei Wei opted for the simpler method instead.

After planting, it would have been ideal to build an arched frame with bamboo strips and cover it with plastic film to retain warmth. However, since the plastic film wasn't available, Wei Wei simply spread a layer of dry straw over the surface, which also provided some insulation.

On the other side of the garden, where the sweet potatoes were to be planted, the three older children had already dug a shallow trench according to Wei Wei's instructions. They were now placing the miniature sweet potatoes neatly inside, all oriented in the same direction.

Once one trench was filled, it was covered with soil, and another parallel trench was dug nearby to continue planting the sweet potatoes.

Because the sweet potato seeds were few and small, Wei Wei had chosen the trench method. If there were more sweet potatoes in the future, they could dig a shallow pit about ten centimetres deep, arrange the sweet potatoes inside, and cover them with soil, which would be more convenient and labour-saving.

After all the sweet potatoes were planted and covered with soil, the surface was watered with moat water, and finally, a layer of dry straw was spread over it, completing the planting process.

Wei Wei, who had been bending over for a long time, felt a bit uncomfortable when she straightened up, but the children seemed unfazed and asked if there was anything else she needed them to do.

Wei Wei thought for a moment and said, "Go to the kitchen and get some long branches and some rope. We'll fence off this area to prevent anyone from accidentally stepping on it."

The children obediently went and returned with several waist-high branches. The two older boys used an axe to drive the branches into the ground, securing them, and then tied two loops of rope around the middle and top. This way, the area would be visible from a distance, and no one would accidentally step on the planted land.

With that, the work was mostly done. Before Wei Wei could say anything, the children had already packed up the tools, bid her farewell, and returned to help their parents with their work.

Meanwhile, a servant from the kitchen came to find them, carrying a package: "This is a thank-you gift from Miss Wei Wei."

When the coarse linen wrapping was opened, it revealed seven freshly steamed coarse buns, still warm.

The children's eyes lit up at the sight of the buns. They had been lucky enough to taste such buns before when Wei Wei had ordered a treat for everyone in the castle, and they knew these were far more delicious than the dry, hard black bread they were used to.

However, the well-mannered children didn't immediately reach for the buns. Instead, they looked to their parents for permission before taking their share.

Wei Wei, who had insisted on paying for the buns to give to the gardener's family, was now sorting through the remaining seeds.

Seeing the gardener had reminded her that she could entrust the flower and tree seeds to him for cultivation. Unlike ordinary farmers, gardeners were experienced in growing ornamental plants and would be perfect for the task.

From all the seeds, Wei Wei selected nearly twenty types of flower seeds and about ten types of tree seeds, all of which were common ornamental plants. However, what Wei Wei valued was that many of them were suitable for making essential oils.

With essential oils, she could attempt to make perfume, and if successful, it would provide a steady source of income.

Of course, the uses of these plants weren't limited to that. Many could be used medicinally or for skincare, and Wei Wei was currently worried about the lack of suitable skincare products. If she didn't grow these plants, she would be at a disadvantage.

However, Terence was the castle's gardener and was usually quite busy. Having him work for her made Wei Wei feel like she was taking advantage of Felix, so she decided to hire a suitable gardener herself.

Being new to the area and needing to add someone to the castle's staff, Wei Wei knew she had to consult the master of the house, even though she could cover the wages and living expenses herself.

With the master absent, the only person she could ask was the butler.

At this point, the butler had already heard the rumours about Wei Wei and Felix and saw her as the future lady of the castle. Naturally, he had no objections to such a small matter. If Wei Wei hadn't insisted, he would have even charged the gardener's wages to the castle's accounts.

The butler agreed to help find someone, but it wouldn't happen overnight. Wei Wei stored the seeds safely and planned to check on the fields in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, the serfs had heard the news brought by George and spent the entire morning discussing it.

"Why would the lady want people to collect such filthy things? Isn't she afraid of being cursed?"

"If there's money to be made, I'll send my boys to do it. They're not doing much work anyway."

"Is she willing to pay?"

The serfs weren't particularly concerned about whether the lady had gone mad. What they cared about was whether they could earn money from this.

While most were still waiting and watching, some shrewd individuals had already sent their idle children out to collect manure. If it really could be exchanged for money, then the more they collected, the more coins they could earn!

With some taking the lead, others soon followed, not wanting to miss out. Before long, children carrying baskets could be seen everywhere along the roads around Sardinson Castle, collecting manure.

When Wei Wei rode out to inspect the fields, she saw these children busy at work. However, the sight of them collecting manure with their bare hands was too much for her to bear, and she felt it was necessary to educate them on basic hygiene.

When she arrived at the fields, George was supervising three hired workers digging pits. After a morning's work, they had already dug two large pits, each meeting Wei Wei's specifications in terms of length, width, and depth. They were now working on the third pit.

These pits were dug on fallow land. Considering that the butler might also start having people collect manure, Wei Wei didn't ask George to dig too many pits. At the current pace, they would finish by the end of the day.

"Good afternoon, Miss Wei Wei," George greeted her as she arrived, leading her to inspect the pits.

"This looks good," Wei Wei said.

"Shall I start collecting manure tomorrow?" George asked, his expression slightly uncomfortable. But since he was working for the future countess, he was willing to do it.

"How much are you paying the workers?" Wei Wei asked.

"Two large copper coins each," George replied. This was the standard wage for laborers, and he hadn't cheated them.

Wei Wei handed him a silver coin. "Keep the rest for yourself." It was only right to give him a little extra for his efforts.

George, surprised and delighted by the unexpected reward, thanked her profusely as he accepted the silver coin.

After all, he had only hired three workers. After paying their wages, he would still have six large copper coins left, enough to feed his family for two days, and quite well at that.

Wei Wei then gave him another silver coin and instructed, "Once they finish digging, have them lay a layer of straw at the bottom of the pits, then go buy some lime…"

She carefully explained how to mix the lime with water and use the solution to ferment the collected manure. The lime would release a significant amount of heat when mixed with water, speeding up the fermentation process and killing bacteria and pests, ensuring the safety of the manure. The only caution was to avoid direct contact with the lime water.

However, this didn't require much explanation. The Egyptians used lime mortar to build the pyramids, and during the Roman Empire, influenced by the Egyptians, Europeans also used this method for construction. Although few could afford such houses, they were aware of the dangers of lime.

As before, George quickly memorized Wei Wei's instructions and assured her he would carry them out as required.

"Then I'll leave this in your hands," Wei Wei said. "I noticed Butler Barton seems interested in making manure fertilizer as well. If you do a good job, I'll recommend you to him."

George was even more excited. "Yes, miss! I'll do my best!"

Being recommended to the butler meant he might have the opportunity to work directly for the earl. For a lowly steward like him, this was a great honour.