Chapter 264: Rice Planting Experience

The most beautiful month of the year is April. When the Kingdom of Fire is immersed in the joy of spring, the entire Kingdom of Rain is caught up in the busy spring farming season.

The New Rain Country is located in the west-central part of the continent. In addition, it rains all year round and the temperature is much lower than the outside world. Since ancient times, the farming time has been late, and the food crops are single, only rice that likes heat and is resistant to soaking is planted.

The abnormal production method led to a sparse population. Before the influx of disaster victims, the New Rain Country had only a pitiful population of several million, not even as large as a medium-sized city in the Fire Country. The cultural level was ridiculously low, with a literacy rate of less than 10% across the country. If one could read and write, he would definitely be a noble.

In the final analysis, the New Rain Country is the most backward and poorest place in the entire ninja world, bar none. To put it bluntly, the whole country is full of shrews and unruly people.

As it was spring and the ploughing season was just around the corner, Uchiha Fugaku left his office and started a new round of inspections. Human nature is lazy, so don't assume that poor people are hardworking. Perhaps their laziness will refresh your perception.

Under the surveillance of the Konoha ninjas, all the labor force of the New Rain Country was mobilized to plant the rice before the temperature reached a very high level.

Shannan Province, the new land of rain, is the area that Bantian is in charge of. Shannan Province is full of mountains and water. It is not easy to find flat land, but it often becomes a rainwater gathering zone. But if you don't grow food, you can't survive. Therefore, the smart people invented terraced fields two years ago. They built farmland on the hillside, which not only helps to drain the rainwater from the ground, but also adds a painting to the monotonous mountain scenery.

Uchiha Fugaku was walking in the misty mountains, wearing a tactical raincoat issued by the Konoha Village and convenient and comfortable ninja combat shoes, which seemed to indicate that he was acting decisively.

"Look, Deputy Hokage, not far ahead is the terraced field newly opened by our army. It is hundreds of thousands of acres in size, and the annual grain output is enough to feed tens of thousands of people." Sakata, who was dressed almost exactly like Uchiha Fugaku, pointed ahead and said.

Uchiha Fugaku looked up and saw patches of fresh green terraces in the lush green forests. From afar, the two completely different tones of scenery were quite eye-catching. Now it was spring plowing season, and the disaster victims from other places put down everything in their hands and worked busy in the fields, like little ants.

However, Uchiha Fugaku did not praise him. Instead, he turned around and looked at Sakata standing behind him, and sighed: "I haven't seen you for a few months. You have lost a lot of weight and even have white hair on your head. It's hard to believe that you look like a 30-year-old strong man!"

Sakata was stunned for a moment, then said: "I am grateful to the Hokage and the Deputy Hokage for not abandoning me and taking charge of all matters of Shannan Province. Naturally, I should devote myself to it until my death!"

"What a dedication to the cause until death!" Uchiha Fugaku raised his voice and said, "If I remember correctly, this sentence comes from the third issue of the Ninjutsu Research Association Journal, and the article was written by the Hokage himself."

"Vice Hokage has a good memory!" Sakata replied, "Every article of yours is thought-provoking, and there are many famous quotes, which are very helpful to us ninjas who have no management experience. So I took the initiative to print out every issue of the Ninja Research Association and distributed it to the ninjas under me. I was even reported for this last month."

Uchiha Fugaku frowned and asked unhappily, "Why didn't I know about this? Why didn't the Discipline Squadron report it?"

The person in charge of disciplinary inspection happened to be accompanying the inspection. Upon hearing this, he stepped forward and saluted, saying, "To reply to the Deputy Hokage, this incident happened within the Konohagakure. According to the departmental responsibilities and rules issued by the Hokage, we have no right to interfere."

Uchiha Fugaku's expression eased, and he asked again, "Do you know who reported it?"

Sakata stepped forward and said, "It's over now. Pursuing responsibility will only cause more trouble. Please step forward, Vice Hokage. I have prepared some simple food for you not far ahead."

Uchiha Fugaku waved his hand and said, "My subordinates have been wronged. How can I convince them if I pretend to be deaf and dumb? Where is Hyuga Muneshige?"

"My subordinate is here!"

"We can write a letter to report this to the Hokage, and also send a letter to request the Konoha Law Enforcement Team to investigate this matter thoroughly!"

According to the division of job levels, Uchiha Fugaku is second only to the emperor in Konoha. Naturally, he has the right to ask the law enforcement team for an explanation, not to mention that the so-called Konoha law enforcement team is actually the Uchiha clan law enforcement team, but with a different name.

"Don't worry, Sakata. As long as you, the new envoy, act uprightly, no one can shake your position!" Uchiha Fugaku held the latter's hand affectionately and said as they walked: "I came here this time, and brought a few aged ginsengs to nourish your body. Don't worry, they are all my personal property, and I didn't spend a penny of the village's money."

Who says that all ninjas from the Uchiha clan are arrogant and hard to get along with? Uchiha Fugaku's means of winning over people are better than anyone else!

Sakata was so grateful that he was at a loss for words. He said, "Thank you very much for your kindness! I don't have anything good to give you in return. I will give you some mountain mushrooms I picked a few days ago. They will be delicious when used to make chicken soup."

"Hahaha," Uchiha Fugaku laughed out loud and said, "You know what, my biggest problem is my greed. Every time it's time to eat, my stomach is like a gong and drum, and I wish I could get all the delicacies in the world into the pot."

"Then the Hokage-sama is destined to be disappointed today. I am not lying. I really only prepared simple meals."

Uchiha Fugaku said nonchalantly, "Delicious food does not mean delicacies from land and sea. Sometimes a bowl of porridge is better than lobster and abalone. Since I came to the New Rain Country, I have become more and more fond of the inconspicuous wild vegetables on the roadside. I have almost never missed them. On the contrary, meat has become tasteless."

Sakata said with a smile: "Just wait and see. Shannan Province may lack other things, but it has plenty of wild vegetables and mushrooms. I guarantee you will enjoy your meals!"

The group walked along the mountain road. The beautiful scenery in the mountains and the smell of rain in the air made Uchiha Fugaku in a good mood. This feeling of doing practical things with your feet on the ground is hard to experience in Konoha Village, and it is quite a feeling.

Soon, they came to a pre-built awning. The weather was good and the rain became sparse. Several people sat down in order of importance and prepared to have a few bites.

Uchiha Fugaku was the first to raise his teacup and said with a smile, "We have good mountains and good water to go with our meals, and good people and good things to cheer us up. Logically, we should drink a few glasses of wine, but the time is not right, and we still have to continue working. It would not be good if people smelled the alcohol on us, so I will use tea instead of wine. On behalf of the Hokage, I wish you all a greater victory!"

The few of them drank a cup of tea with smiles on their faces. Seeing that Fugaku was in high spirits, Sakata said, "Deputy Hokage, try this fried mushroom. It was picked from the forest this morning, coated with egg liquid and fried. It is crispy on the outside and tastes great on the inside. It is the most popular dish in Shannan Province."

Uchiha Fugaku raised his eyebrows and said with great interest: "Then I have to try it. People always say that there is nothing good in the New Rain Country, but how can those delicacies compare to the mushrooms that condense the essence of the mountains?"

By the way, this meal was really simple. Sakata knew very well that Uchiha Fugaku was a frugal person, so he simply gave up meat dishes. The table was filled with vegetarian dishes produced in the mountains. In addition, except for an extra dish of fried mushrooms on the main table, each table only had four dishes and one soup. It was quite simple.

"Not bad, not bad, these wild mushrooms are really delicious." Uchiha Fugaku tasted the food slowly, like a gourmet. Seeing that there were no fried mushrooms on other people's tables, he said, "Come here and share the mushrooms. I can't eat all the good stuff by myself."

The meal went very harmoniously. Uchiha Fugaku ate three bowls of rice in one breath and burped comfortably: "We can't stay in Shannan Province for too long, otherwise I will become a fat man sooner or later."

Sakata smiled and poured him a glass of water, handed him a cigarette, and said, "If you like it, I'll send some over later. It's just common mountain products. The Discipline Inspection Team can't do anything about it no matter how strict they are."

"Did you hear everything?" Uchiha Fugaku asked the person in charge of discipline inspection with a smile.

"Master Patriarch, we will not investigate personal favors worth no more than 10,000 taels," the latter replied.

Uchiha Fugaku lit a cigarette and said, "Even if you don't check, I won't take it. What the superior likes, the subordinates will follow. Besides, the village's financial situation is tight now. Even the Hokage has to tighten his belt and diet. We ninjas who hold power outside must know how to be restrained."

"Besides, it's a great experience to eat a delicious dish occasionally, but it would be annoying if you eat it every day."

Seeing that everyone had finished eating, Uchiha Fugaku stood up, pinching his cigarette, and said, "It's getting late, let's go to the fields and take a look."

So, the group did not rest and ran straight to the farmland not far away. The group of people were all wearing neat Konoha tactical raincoats, and they were very conspicuous walking on the mountain road. The busy people in the fields were all crowded at the edge of the field, waiting for the ninja masters to come.

Uchiha Fugaku's face darkened. The perceptive Sakata noticed that his mood had worsened, and whispered to the ninja beside him: "Go and tell everyone not to stop what they are doing. The Deputy Hokage is here to conduct a field survey, not to put on a show."

But unexpectedly, the people did not disperse, but swarmed over and surrounded Uchiha Fugaku, and many of them were holding seedlings in their hands.

Looking at the eagerness in the people's eyes, Uchiha Fugaku lifted the hood of his raincoat, revealing his resolute face, and said with a smile: "Thank you for your hard work, everyone."

"You are truly Deputy Hokage-sama!"

"Good afternoon, Vice-Hokage!"

"Hello!"

"It's spring ploughing season, and I'm here to see you again. How have you been lately?"

"Of course it is great. Lord Sakata is very concerned about us. Every family has rice to eat, and even the children are going to elementary school."

"Yes, my youngest son wrote a word yesterday, and I was so happy! My ancestors for generations were illiterate. If it weren't for the good policies of the Hokage, how could we have such a good thing?"

Everyone was talking about good things, and Uchiha Fugaku was very happy to hear them. He felt that his hard work had been richly rewarded: "Everyone, don't crowd here. It's more important to work."

Seeing someone holding seedlings, Uchiha Fugaku became interested and suggested, "Hokage-sama once emphasized that knowledge gained from books is shallow, and one must practice to truly understand. Today is a rare opportunity, so let's all take off our uniforms and go to the fields to work!"

The people were naturally unwilling. In their simple values, it was unreasonable to let adults do rough work. They were the elites who held pens: "Deputy Hokage, the water in the mountains is cold and the soil is muddy. You can just watch us work on the side of the road."

Sakata saw the Deputy Hokage's determination and said, "Everyone go back to work."

He had a high reputation among the people, so the crowd slowly dispersed. Uchiha Fugaku looked around and said, "You all go find a field to work on and experience it for yourself."

As he said this, Uchiha Fugaku took off his raincoat, took off his tactical vest, rolled up his trouser legs, called Itachi up, and the father and son got off the ground in full view of everyone.

The mountains in April were very cool, and many mountaintops still had snow on them. The water in the fields was freezing. Uchiha Fugaku felt a little distressed when he saw his son frowning, but he still hardened his heart and said, "Follow me and learn from them to plant rice."

Transplanting rice seedlings is not an easy task, and it is not just about pressing the seedlings into the mud. It is necessary to ensure that the seedlings take root and that the roots are slightly damaged. Strictly speaking, it is a technical job. Uchiha Fugaku and his son have never done this job. Not to mention them, even ordinary Uchiha clan members have never done it. If you are reduced to doing farm work, what kind of noble family are you?

So their speed was very slow, and two people together could not compare to a skilled farmer. Fortunately, they were all smart people and had great physical strength, and gradually caught up with the progress.

Today's work was not finished until it grew dark and a few faint stars appeared in the sky.

Uchiha Itachi sat on the ground in a mess, picked up the kettle and drank gulply. There was a lot of mud on his face and he looked miserable.

Sakata handed the Deputy Hokage a towel, and Uchiha Fugaku came to his son, squatted down and wiped his face, and asked with a smile: "Are you tired?"

"Tired..." Uchiha Itachi replied weakly.

"You're right to be tired!" Uchiha Fugaku said, "You will have a great responsibility in the future. It's kind of Hokage to let you come to the New Rain Country to study."

"The future leader of the Uchiha clan must be the most outstanding ninja, otherwise how can he convince the others? Don't think that I am taking over from your grandfather. The clan selects candidates based on ability, not bloodline. Decades ago, our lineage was still unknown. If we hadn't worked hard later, we wouldn't be as glorious as we are today."

Sakata, who was standing behind them, had many thoughts flashing through his mind when he heard the conversation. It seemed that the power structure of Konoha Village would not change much in the next fifty years, so he must seize the opportunity.