“This year’s harvest looks quite good.”0

“It looks good now, but who knows if it’ll taste good or if it’ll be filling,” the old farmer answered honestly. “This is our first time growing it, so we don’t even know when to harvest it or how to eat it.”1

“Ah…”0

Song You stood up, walked to the roadside, and touched one of the ears growing on the stalks. He peeled back a bit of the husk and examined it. 0

As he did, he spoke to the old farmer, “It’s already close to the autumn equinox. If we were in Xuzhou, the crops there would have been harvested and dried long ago. I noticed that your Swallow Rice here looks like it’s ready for harvest, but since you haven’t gathered it yet, I thought perhaps the climate here was different.”0

“You recognize this grain, sir?”0

“I do, I do.” Song You nodded and smiled at the farmer. 0

He said, “With Swallow Rice like this, once the stalks and leaves have turned dry and yellow, and when you peel back the husk and see that the inside has dried out, the grains should feel hard, light, and free of moisture. That means it’s time to harvest. 0

“After gathering it, you need to strip the grains one by one, spread them out on a mat in an open area, and let them dry in the sun—just like paddy rice. Once dried properly, they can be stored for a long time, but you must be...0