Since A Zhi had finally succeeded in cultivating the first generation of hybrid rice, everyone was extremely excited. To express his gratitude, A Zhi enthusiastically invited Lin Yi and her boss Gu Fang to dinner. Lin Yi also wanted to take this opportunity to learn about A Zhi's insights and difficulties during the hybridization process, so she gladly accepted.
As a modern person, Lin Yi never adhered to the rule of not speaking during meals or sleeping. Gu Fang, being easygoing, always went along with Lin Yi. A Zhi, coming from a commoner background, was even less constrained by such rules. So at the dinner table, the three naturally started discussing.
Lin Yi initiated the conversation: "Speaking of my year away on the campaign, what I worried about most were your test fields and Chen Simin's breeding farm. Initially, when preparing instant noodle benefits for the army, we got stuck on the egg supply. The production around the Imperial City was insufficient, and eggs from farther away were hard to transport, prone to breakage and spoilage. Out of necessity, I had to hastily visit farmers with A Yuan, put together a set of breeding tutorials for Chen Simin, and then rushed off to the campaign. As for your hybrid rice experiment, I was confident in you personally. What I worried about was that the wild rice might not be found soon, and if the process took several years, it might put too much pressure on you."
A Zhi listened and smiled calmly: "Ah Min came to exchange ideas with me, so I know a little about the situation. As for me, to be honest, when I couldn't find the wild rice for so long at first, I was extremely anxious and even doubted myself. Fortunately, the notice offering a hundred gold for finding wild rice worked. The next year, a farmer found it in his own field. I kept my promise, rewarded him generously, and requisitioned that land to concentrate on research. That's how I finally succeeded in cultivating the first generation of hybrid rice. Although I don't know the final quality yet, this method is unprecedented, and it's enough to make me willing to devote my whole life to it."
Lin Yi felt that A Zhi truly resembled a real scientific researcher—pure and focused. So while chatting, Lin Yi casually mentioned some modern biology concepts, such as grafting techniques and scientific selection. A Zhi's eyes lit up, and he was greatly inspired. It wasn't until late that Lin Yi and Gu Fang got up to say goodbye to A Zhi and returned to the General's Mansion.
When Lin Yi and Gu Fang returned to the General's Mansion, the night was deep. They were about to wash up and go to bed when A Fu suddenly came to report that Prince Ning's Mansion had sent someone with a message from the Prince, asking them to go to Prince Ning's Mansion tomorrow for a talk.
The next morning, after waking up, Lin Yi and Gu Fang quickly washed up, ate breakfast, and went straight to Prince Ning's Mansion. Upon arrival, a servant directly led them to Ying Baichuan's study. They had just sat down when Ying Baichuan walked in.
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