Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 381: Thoughts

TN: Sorry this is so late! I wanted to get it out by the 20th, but it was much harder to get time than I expected.
I hope you guys enjoy the sweetness in these next few chapters, there is a lot of honey!

Seeing Ah Jian squeezing a handful of cotton and rolling the dark cottonseeds in his hand, Lian Fang Zhou smiled: “The seeds in the middle will be removed, only the white cotton is spun.”

“So these are the seeds.” Ah Jian nodded and smiled back.
“Should these be kept for next year’s planting?”

She laughed: “Have you forgotten the 20 acres of nursery fields? Although these seeds can also be kept, they are definitely not as good as those.”

The plants in the nursery field had been raised on the best fertilizer, the most meticulous care, and so would definitely grow the best.

Even those who knew nothing about it could see the difference in these seeds at a glance.

Enlightened, Ah Jian nodded: “I forgot!”

Subconsciously, he plucked the seeds from the handful of cotton and threw them on the ground.
Then he looked at the white cotton ball.
Without the seeds, it was a lot more pleasing to the eye.

“These does not seem to be easy to spin into thread and weave.” Ah Jian said, looking intently at the cotton.
He could not picture what it would look like as thread and cloth.

“I think it should be similar to silk processing.” Lian Fang Zhou told him.
“Of course, there will be differences, which is why I sent Su Zi Ji to Jiangnan to learn.”

Ah Jian smiled.
With Su Zi Ji, worrying about this issue wasn’t his problem.
Anyways, he wasn’t good at dealing with these kinds of matters.

Lian Fang Zhou noticed his expression and chuckled.
“Let’s not talk about spinning and weaving, think of what it can be used for.
Won’t it be good for bedding and clothes? Even hats and shoes! Anyways, its better than flax, much more versatile.”

Hearing this, Ah Jian stiffened, his eyes suddenly bright.
He blurted out without thinking: “The border is so cold! If you use this cotton to make warm clothing, then the soldiers—”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ah Jian was stunned silent.
These words, were they from him? At this moment, countless images where bursting in his mind, threatening to overwhelm him.
However, before he could get a good look at them, they disappeared in an instant.

He only knew that those images were very familiar, as familiar as if they were soaked in his own blood.
They seemed familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

Were these his own memories?

Ah Jian stood there blankly, thinking hard, but his mind was empty and he couldn’t find anything.

Across from him, Lian Fang Zhou was frozen as she watched him.
She stood quietly and pursed her lips.

After a long time, Ah Jian, who had not been able to remember anything, sighed softly and rubbed his aching temples.

“Ah Jian,” Lian Fang Zhou called gently, taking his hand.
“Did you think of something?” After a pause, she added: “You said ‘the border is so cold, if you use this cotton to make warm clothing, then the soldiers…’ The border… could it be that you have been to the military barracks?”

He stared at her, startled.
If she hadn’t repeated it for him, he, himself, would not remember what he had said just now! Smiling bitterly, he shook his head.

“I don’t know why I said that.
It seemed as if they came out on their own but I can’t remember anything.
The border… could it really be that I’ve been there?”

“Maybe so!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled comfortingly, “Don’t be too anxious.
Since you can say something like this, it means that your memories are coming back.
I think you will be able to remember your past!”

Her words made Ah Jian’s heart wrench with the feeling of wanting to think of something but having it disappear before it could form.
He could only smile: “I think so too.
One day, I will remember.”

Lian Fang Zhou hummed softly.

The uneasy feeling her heart was faint but Ah Jian was keenly aware.
Taking her hands and turning her to face him, he said sternly: “Fang Zhou! Whether I remember the past or not, you are the most important person in my life! Fang Zhou, you must promise not to leave me! I really have never married!”

Regarding this, he was extremely insistent, believing his instincts were not wrong.
As for the reason, he didn’t know.

“Alright.” Lian Fang Zhou said, smiling reluctantly.
She believed him but she couldn’t help but think ‘what if’, only because she cared too much.

When a person cared too much, they would more easily become afraid.
Afraid that their fears were real!

“If you are really a soldier, I think it’s possible you haven’t married.” Lian Fang Zhou finally said, not knowing whether these words were to comfort her or him.

Ah Jian laughed.
“I’m relived you think so! This matter is impossible, it must be! Fang Zhou, believe in me, I will never let you down!”

Lian Fang Zhou felt sweet in her heart and smiled.

When the two returned from Shitouping, they went to the compound first.

Hearing that Lian Fang Zhou and Ah Jian had returned from picking cotton, everyone except for Su Zi Ji and Qin Feng, came out to see the fun, including Su Jin and the weavers.

Holding the raw cotton, the crowd squeeze and touched it, chatting excitedly.

Zhang Xiao Jun and his family were just watching out of curiosity and enjoying the excitement while the weavers were seriously assessing.
Looking at the cotton, they were just as confused as Ah Jian had been: could this really be used for spinning and weaving?

However, Su Zi Ji’s eyes were shinning as he geared up: Finally, it was time for him to flex his muscles!

After watching the crowd’s excitement for a while, Lian Fang Zhou smiled and let everyone go.
Calling over Su Zi Ji and Su Jin, she said to them: “The cotton must first be dried and then the seeds removed.
After this, use the ginning car and spin.
You can spin it into a veil, I believe you won’t be troubled.”

A ginning car was used to remove seeds and for carding.
After that, you could use a spinning wheel to form the threads.

All these tools had been created by Su Zi Ji.

Previously, Lian Fang Zhou had described the steps to Su Ji Zi in detail and answered many of his questions.
It was just that Su Ji Zi hadn’t seen real cotton, and everything was based on his imagination.
Fortunately, he was extremely talented in tool making.
Even so, it was a bit difficult for him.

Now that he could see it with his own eyes, he immediately compared it to what he had imagined from Lian Fang Zhou’s description, the image becoming more vivid and concrete.

The more he thought, the more his eyes glowed with excitement.
Rubbing his hands, he smiled: “Don’t worry, Miss! I will test it immediately.
I think there will be results in two days.” Truthfully, he was even more anxious than Lian Fang Zhou.

She smiled: “I’m afraid it will take two or three days to dry in the sun, its better to work with dry.
I will ask the workers to lay them out and dry them today and tomorrow.
Good work!”

“If you don’t find it bothersome,” Su Zi Ji said immediately, “then I will do it with them!”

Lian Fang Zhou and the others couldn’t help but laugh.