Chapter 137 - Chapter 137: Chapter 132: Make Some Extra Money_i (2/2)

He had also used ordinary cow dung before.

Before we knew how to use bonemeal as fertilizer, we often followed Old Man Liu to collect dog feces and cow dung from the roads to use as fertilizer.

But their effects were nowhere near as good.

“When I have time, I should really study Xiao Nui’s dung; it seems incomparable to ordinary cow dung.”

Qin Niu used the cow dung to fertilize the medicinal herbs in his backyard, and they too thrived.

At first, he thought it was the result of the Everlasting Spring Technique.

But now he had his doubts; it was very likely that both the nourishment from the Everlasting Spring Technique and the contribution of the cow dung played a part.

Having transported all the corn back home, Xiao Qing was incredibly busy laying them out to dry.

“Xiao Qing, you must be tired! Take a break. The corn doesn’t need to be dried in one day; it’s okay to do it over several days,”

Qin Niu said to her.

Now they not only had a brand-new granary but also a special drying yard for the corn.

His new house was expected to be basically completed in about half a month.

The main part was gradually getting finished, and they had started building the walls and laying tiles.

In any world, having money meant living comfortably.

Qin Niu spent a great deal of Silver Money, and his shabby mud house was transformed into a stylish brick-and-tile house.

Spacious and bright, it would be very comfortable to live in later on.

Privacy, security, and resistance to harsh weather like rain, snow, and gales were greatly improved.

Following him, Xiao Qing wouldn’t have to worry about the cold this winter.

“Master Qin, may I see you now if it’s convenient?”

Xu Zhenchang had come to visit.

“Please come in, Village Chief!”

Qin Niu, busy drying corn in the shed, didn’t really have much time.

“After you bought more than five thousand ducks from outside the region, you successfully stopped the locust plague from ravaging our village. The locusts in my fields are fewer with each one caught. However, as you know, I have rented over a hundred acres of land from the Yan Family and simply can’t manage all of it. Could I ask for your help to exterminate the pests? Name your price.”

In the past few days, Xu Zhenchang had visibly lost a lot of weight.

Dark circles ringed his eyes, and his face was gaunt.

His hair appeared slightly disheveled.

And his clothes were covered in dirt.

These days, he had been continuously fighting against the locusts and was probably exhausted.

“How many acres of land do you have sown in the village?”

“I have eleven acres of my own, and I have leased seventy-nine acres from the Yan Family. I also have over twenty acres in Daoyuan Village, but I can’t keep up with that. Right now, I only hope to save the crops on these acres here in the village.”

Xu Zhenchang, a man in his forties, was choked with emotion as he spoke.

If the crops on all hundred acres were destroyed by locusts, he would definitely be reduced back to his former state, to the days before liberation.

Then, he would not only have to pay the Yan Family’s land rent but also the wages for the workers, as well as the costs of fertilizer, seeds, plowing, and irrigation fees, which added up to a hefty sum.

“How many acres in the village still need to be rid of locusts?”

“About eighty-five acres or so. These despicable creatures are too numerous; it’s impossible to catch them all by human power alone. I’ve hired quite a few people to help me catch and kill the locusts in the fields, but it’s not very effective. Fortunately, in the last two days, we have managed to cut off the source of the locusts entering the village, and that has finally offered a glimmer of hope.”

Xu Zhenchang’s legs had gotten thinner from the fatigue.

“I’ll help you exterminate the pests; how much can you pay per acre? Just give me a reasonable price.”

Qin Niu had bought three thousand ducks, spending a large sum of money.

He would need to wait a while longer to cash in on that investment.

With the considerable expense of building the house, earning some extra cash would be quite nice.

“Seventy wen per acre, is that okay?”

Xu Zhenchang clenched his teeth and quoted a price.

“It’s a bit low, but considering we’re all villagers here, I’ll take the job. Let me be clear upfront, my ability to exterminate pests is limited; I can only do as much as possible, one acre at a time. Once I’ve cleaned up an acre, I’ll call you to inspect it.”

Because the locusts kept moving.

After clearing them, new ones would soon cross the border.

Fortunately, his special Termite Army was growing by nearly a hundred termites a day, so the efficiency of pest control should get higher and higher..