After entering, Li Kaishan knelt down on the ground with a thud before Magistrate Ling, kowtowed sincerely, and said, "This humble villager, Li Kaishan, the village chief of Canghe Village, pays his respects to Your Excellency, Magistrate."

Li Kaishan's kneeling was a genuine act; Yan Qingqing felt pain in his knees, but Li Kaishan seemed completely unaffected.

Out of respect for Yan Qingqing, Magistrate Ling was quite amiable towards Li Kaishan, saying, "Get up. This is not the yamen, so there's no need to pay any attention to him."

Li Kaishan quickly thanked Magistrate Ling. However, at that moment, his legs were weak and he couldn't stand up at all.

Li Xiangping and Li Xiang'an were very perceptive and helped him up, then helped him to sit down on a stool nearby.

Li Kaishan felt that it was truly worthwhile to be able to sit and drink tea with the county magistrate in his lifetime.

But he didn't dare to sit down properly; he just straddled the edge with his buttocks.

He also dared not drink the tea on the table because his hands were shaking so badly that he couldn't hold the teacup properly, and he was afraid of making a fool of himself and embarrassing himself.

Fortunately, Yan Qingqing also noticed Li Kaishan's situation. She deliberately ignored him and chatted with Magistrate Ling about unimportant topics.

Gradually, Li Kaishan relaxed and realized that the county magistrate wasn't so scary after all.

Magistrate Ling neither spoke of Yan Qingqing nor asked about the purpose of his trip.

Soon, Magistrate Ling couldn't help but ask, "Yan Shi, I won't beat around the bush."

"During the New Year, you sent me two rare and delicious gifts. I wonder what they are?"

Yan Qingqing asked with some surprise, "Didn't the magistrate see him?"

Magistrate Yan replied somewhat embarrassedly, "When I saw them, they were already on the dining table. I had no idea what they originally looked like."

I asked the kitchen staff to describe it, but they didn't know what it was either. They only gave me a piece of paper with the instructions written on it.

Actually, I wanted to come a couple of days ago, but I thought it wouldn't be good to bother you during the New Year holiday, so I postponed it until today.

After hearing Magistrate Ling's words, Yan Qingqing thought to herself, "No wonder Magistrate Ling hasn't made a move yet, so that's why."

Yan Qingqing took out the warehouse key and handed it to Li Xiangping, who was standing next to her, asking him to go to the warehouse and get some sweet potatoes and taro.

Yan Qingqing looked at Magistrate Ling and asked with a smile, "So, what does Magistrate Ling think of the taste of these two things?"

Magistrate Ling savored the taste for a moment and said, "Of course it's incredibly delicious. And every way of eating it tastes different. Especially the fried slices, they're absolutely delicious."

Yan Qingqing couldn't help but laugh after hearing this. Magistrate Ling also felt a little embarrassed, but he still said, "I have never had any particular hobbies since I was a child, except for enjoying delicious food."

Yan Qingqing quickly composed herself and said, "It just so happens that I know how to make quite a few delicious dishes. When we make something new at home, I'll have my son send some to the magistrate."

Magistrate Ling did not refuse, since so far every dish prepared by Yan Qingqing's family had suited his taste.

Soon, Li Xiangping brought sweet potatoes and potatoes from the storeroom and placed them on the table.

Yan Qingqing picked up a sweet potato and said, "These two things come from foreign lands. This one is called sweet potato, but I don't like using foreign names, so I gave it a special name, sweet potato. It can be steamed, boiled, fried, or roasted."

It can be used as a staple food, and the yield per mu can reach 3,000 jin.

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Ling's eyes widened in disbelief. He stood up and asked in a trembling voice, "Is this really true?"

Yan Qingqing replied calmly, "How could I, a humble woman, dare to deceive you, sir?"

Even though Magistrate Ling came from a prominent family and didn't need to accumulate merit, it was impossible for a good official who served the country and its people not to be shocked upon hearing such shocking news.

Seeing Yan Qingqing's calm demeanor, Magistrate Ling realized he had lost his composure. He forced himself to calm down, then sat down and asked, "What about the other kind? Can it also produce such a high yield?"

Yan Qingqing picked up a potato and said, "This is called sweet potato, but I prefer to call it potato. It can be eaten as a staple food or used in stir-fries."

They can also be made into snacks. However, potatoes don't yield as much as sweet potatoes.

The yield is approximately 2,000 jin per mu.

I was once again shocked by Yan Qingqing's words. What did she mean by "not as tall as sweet potatoes"? This one already yields 2,000 jin per mu! Although it's true that its yield isn't as high as sweet potatoes, what does 2,000 jin even mean? How could the Yan family be so calm?

Seeing Magistrate Ling's excited expression, Li Kaishan felt even more at ease.

Look at how calm this county magistrate is; he wasn't even this excited when he first learned that these two foods were so abundant.

This county magistrate is also a person of ordinary life, not someone unapproachable.

Magistrate Ling forced himself to calm down and looked at Yan Qingqing, asking, "Since the yield is so high, why didn't you report it? This is a great achievement."

Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "I didn't know the magistrate before, and I didn't know that he was such a good official who loved the people."

The woman didn't crave credit; she only wished for her family to be safe and sound.

Magistrate Ling was a smart man and immediately understood the meaning behind Yan Qingqing's words. He said, "Don't worry, no one can take away the credit that is rightfully yours."

But is this stuff really produced at such a high rate, as you say?

Before Yan Qingqing could speak, Li Kaishan said, "Lord Ling, the high yield of these two things is well-known in our Canghe Village."

I even asked Qingqing about it a while ago, wanting to plant sweet potatoes and taro with him.

Yan Qingqing smiled and added, "Originally, I planned to cultivate a batch of seedlings after the spring and then try planting them, but I was afraid that the yield wouldn't be high enough, which would be suspected of deceiving the emperor."

Magistrate Ling nodded and praised, "Hmm, you've thought of everything very thoroughly."

"Therefore, you should try planting another batch, record the yield, and I will then submit a report to the court."

Yan Qingqing smiled and said, "That would be perfect, but..."

Yan Qingqing didn't finish her sentence, and her face showed some difficulty.

Magistrate Ling, growing anxious, quickly pressed on, "But what? If Madam Yan has something to say, just say it directly. Don't hold back."

And you absolutely cannot falter at crucial moments; I, the official, will always be there to make the decisions for you!

Magistrate Ling comes from one of the four great families in the capital, so he naturally speaks with confidence. Even though he is just a small county magistrate, the prefect has to give him some face.

Magistrate Ling's words were exactly what Yan Qingqing wanted to hear, so she said, "My family only has seven acres of poor land, all of which are planted with wheat. As you know, sir, good land is hard to buy these days."

The woman was worried that she wouldn't be able to buy land by then. She'd have nowhere to farm.

Li Xiangping glanced at Yan Qingqing furtively, then lowered his head again. He thought to himself, "His mother is really bold. Isn't this blatantly asking the magistrate for land?"

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Ling immediately said, "This matter is easy to handle."

"The government just confiscated a batch of fertile land a few days ago. You can use this fifty-mu estate first. If it really achieves the yield you mentioned, then the estate will be yours."

Magistrate Ling was a shrewd man; he didn't say he would give it to Yan Qingqing right away.

However, Yan Qingqing still thanked Magistrate Ling happily. Li Kaishan looked at Yan Qingqing with admiration; daring to ask the magistrate for land showed she was a ruthless person!