Chapter 64: Chicken Stew with Potatoes

It was already afternoon when we returned to the manor. It didn't rain that day. The sun came out, baking away the moisture in the forest.

White mist floats in the dark green towering mountains.

Olivia returned to the manor with several carts of goods, and saw Jacob from a distance, who was checking soybeans with the miller outside the wall.

Not only him, but also Father Fanon, who had finished a day's work, was wandering around the edge of the field.

She rode forward on her horse, and there was quite a scene behind her. People passing by on the road either stood in silence or gave way.

Jacob and the miller rolled up their sleeves, took off their clean boots, stood barefoot in the soybean field, and personally led people to check whether the soybeans met the harvesting standards.

Fanon thought the mud was too dirty because there were too many microorganisms in it, so he just stood by and watched.

The soybean plants in the fields grow upright and are harvested similarly to wheat, with many leaves growing on their sides.

The signs of whether soybeans are ready for harvest are to see if the leaves have turned yellow and fallen off, and to shake the pods to see if they make a sound.

This standard is similar to that of lentils, lupines, and broad beans, but soybeans are the first time Jagabu has come into contact with them. He did not dare to rely on his usual old experience and had to pay attention to inspections at all times.

Everyone in the manor also cares deeply about these fresh crops.

Jagbu knew that if the beans were harvested when the pods were full of moisture, it would be difficult to store and affect the quality of the beans, but if they were harvested too late, the beans would become moldy.

These beans were planted in April, vines grew and flowers bloomed in May, and fruits appeared in June and July. Now in early August, the leaves have begun to show signs of withering.

By late August, soybeans can be harvested. Compared with other beans, they are considered early maturing.

Olivia and her group walked to the lake and asked the servants to send several carts of cloth and other things back to the manor.

He left the 200 pounds of potatoes behind and called Jagabu and the others over.

Jacopo and the miller quickly tidied themselves up, put on their shoes, and trotted over.

"Ma'am, what did you bring back?"

At a glance, they saw several sacks of what looked like fruits of root crops on the back of the car.

Olivia dismounted from the saddle embroidered with patterns and decorated with small bells, looking very natural.

“This is a new crop from the seed store in town, called potatoes.

They say it's a new variety from the south, and I heard it's easy to eat, so I brought it back. Let's take a look. How should it be grown and eaten?

Olivia wanted to see if Jacopo knew enough about tubers.

When he heard that there was a new crop, he immediately walked to the side of the cart, untied the sack, took out some potatoes with both hands, and examined them carefully.

When you hear the word "potato", just understand it as the beans growing in the soil.

The potatoes at this time have not sprouted yet. They look like round, bread-colored tubers, some of which are covered in soil and have tiny roots of varying sizes.

Under the admiring gaze of Fanon and the miller.

Jagbu took a potato, pinched it with his fingers, and then took it to the river to wash it. He didn't dislike it or worry about it being poisonous, so he took a bite with his teeth.

Whether in texture, taste or water content, it is similar to radish.

But it looks completely different from a radish.

It tastes crispy when chewed dry, without any distinct flavor, but becomes sweet when chewed, somewhat similar to staple foods such as wheat.

Jacopo spat out the raw potato.

By relying on his intuition, he was able to analyze that such plants were suitable for planting in sandy loam with good drainage to avoid root rot.

In terms of fertilization, it should be similar to radish.

However, the yield of this plant is difficult to observe with the naked eye.

Jacopo had an idea in mind and explained to Olivia his plans for the crop.

"I think this plant looks a bit like radish, taro, and Jerusalem artichoke. The planting method should be similar to these. As for how to eat it, I think it tastes even better than those..."

Fanon and the miller just watched and flipped through it without expressing any opinion.

They knew that when it came to growing crops, it was always right to listen to Jagbu.

Originally, the two of them did not believe him so firmly, even when Jagabu buried ashes and dung in the fields, they remained skeptical.

However, it is now approaching the harvest season, and the crops that are fuller and more lush than in previous years will not deceive people.

Jacob analyzed the possible habits of potatoes to Olivia, then began to ask tentatively:

"Madam, I think it's too late to plant these this year. It's better to store them in a cellar and plant them next year."

Most root plants can survive the winter if kept away from light. He estimated that when these potatoes are taken out next spring, they will sprout like Jerusalem artichokes.

Olivia nodded and asked the servant beside her to pick a few pounds of larger potatoes and take them to the kitchen to cook them for dinner to see how they tasted.

The Jerusalem artichoke that Jagbu mentioned is actually Jerusalem artichoke.

It was also brought back by seafaring merchants as a spice. It is also a root plant and is usually sold in the form of dried goods or powder.

But it is expensive. It is grown in the manor because when the new house entertained guests, the merchants who often came to visit gave some fresh ones and planted a small plot.

The crops in the manor are very complete, and basic Chinese food can be made.

Later, as soon as Olivia led the horse back to the yard, two middle-aged women who were guarding the gate surrounded her and led the horse to the stable in the backyard.

The two carts of cloth, furs, duck down, goose down and other materials she brought back had just been unloaded and were piled in the hallway.

Graya asks her what her plans are for these things.

Olivia thought for a moment and said:

"These goose down and duck down are mixed together to make mattresses, making two winter beds. This blended camel hair fabric is used to make quilt covers and pillowcases."

Graya wrote this down and asked how the velvet and fur should be made.

Olivia had already thought about it.

She will make five outer robes this fall and winter.

One is made of indigo velvet with mink fur, and the other is made of madder velvet with rabbit fur. These are suitable for wearing out on snowy days and are very warm.

Make three more felt robes that are not as thick, for use in home ovens. One each in goose yellow, brown, and black will be enough.

As for the long skirt and petticoat, one is made of velvet of each color; there is no fixed number.

There is also suede cloth, which can be used to make gloves, to trim woolen robes, and to prevent pure cashmere from pilling due to friction.

Of course, the slippers and door curtains that we wear at home in winter also have to be made of felt.

She also had some extra furs and planned to give one to each of her female relatives in October.

This exquisite enjoyment this autumn and winter really costs a lot.

However, Graya and the servants in the manor did not show any surprise.

Olivia just heard Lucy, who came to watch the fun, say that Mrs. Baskin next door made a lot of money by participating in the caravan organized by the Chamber of Commerce.

After making money, Mrs. Baskin was quite generous. She made a pair of gold bracelets, a pair of gold earrings, and a pure gold necklace inlaid with gems, with a total value of fifty gold coins.

Lucy also heard about this from the people at Baskin Manor a few days ago when she went to Baskin Manor to borrow breeding bulls and sheep to breed with the ewes.

Olivia smiled and passed it by. She saw the servants taking potatoes to the kitchen and gave them some instructions.

"Remember to peel it, cut it into pieces and cook it in the soup."

For dinner that day, the kitchen prepared several dishes that suited Olivia's taste.

There is grouse, potato and dried mushroom soup.

There is also preserved egg and mixed wild vegetables, which are made with apple cider vinegar, soybean paste, chili powder, and fried garlic.

There are also shredded cucumbers and ham fried in olive oil, scrambled eggs with shallots, and taro steamed with wheat flour buns.

Olivia pointed out the new variety of food potatoes to Caesar.

He tasted it and loved its soft and glutinous texture soaked with chicken broth.

However, Caesar could find that since his marriage, more and more new foods had appeared on his table, popping up in the blink of an eye like mushrooms in the forest after a spring rain.

In all the years he had spent in Anko City, he had never seen any delicious new crops brought back from overseas.

How come these seafaring merchants, who used to have bad luck, have now collectively turned their luck around?

However, Caesar also discovered that, apart from him, none of the knights, merchants, and nobles around him thought there was anything strange about these changes.

Caesar thought silently in his heart, and took a spoon to pile a bowl of stewed chicken with potatoes, even though he was not very hungry today.

Today he did not take the soldiers on a long patrol or to hunt and practice archery. Instead, he followed his wife's instructions and took the soldiers to the river bank to tamp the ground in preparation for building barracks.

In the afternoon, the housekeeper brought him a dozen new soldiers recruited from the villages on both sides.

There were more than thirty people in total, tamping the ground, cutting trees, and doing carpentry work on the river bank.

This barracks is more like a temporary residence than a formal permanent building. If the main front moves forward, this barracks will be of little use and will only serve as a sentry post for the manor and the border.

Most of the time, we build a framework first, and then during training, we build and reinforce it while living there.

However, today the soldiers still worked seriously and did not do their work half-heartedly.

Caesar did not do the work himself, but rode on his horse and watched the situation coldly and ruthlessly.

Everything about dealing with soldiers was equally simple for him.

Whether it is commanding soldiers to hunt or commanding soldiers to build barracks.

In his mind, he relies on intuition, a difficult-to-describe tool, to make judgments.

Caesar didn't know that his intuition came from the optimal solution given after precise calculations and model exercises.

As long as they are dispatched intuitively, these soldiers will be like worker ants, observing strict discipline and taking actions according to the most calculated and optimized ideas.

Today's goal was achieved very quickly. The soldiers spent seven or eight hours clearing the bushes and small trees from four acres of land.

Caesar returned home on time before dinner.

He took off the armor that had made him sweat in the sun, and took a comfortable warm bath in the bathroom designed by Olivia, using the toiletries she had mixed herself.

Now he was filled with the scent of sea salt and roses, although this was very inconsistent with his image.

Olivia had clearly prepared mint-scented bath cream for him, but she had never seen him use it, so she didn't know what to say.

At dinner, she took a bite of the steamed bun and paired it with a spoonful of cold-mixed preserved egg. The sour and spicy taste immediately whetted her appetite.

The palm-sized white steamed bun has a chewy skin with a moist luster.

This is made by the cooks using old yeast. The temperature in this climate is high, so the dough becomes soft and fluffy.

Lard is kneaded into it, a little sugar is added, and it is steamed over high heat on the stove. It tastes very fragrant.

She quickly finished the two steamed buns on her plate, along with the side dishes in front of her, such as eggs and shallots, cucumber and ham shreds, and cold-mixed preserved eggs.

Seeing that she had almost finished her steamed bun, Caesar helped her scoop half a bowl of potato and chicken soup.

She drank another bowl of soup, potatoes cooked in chicken broth with soybean paste, a little nutmeg and laurel leaves. It had a rich and fragrant taste, and there were also crunchy potato scraps in the soup.

The large piece of potato that had not been stewed yet was already very soft. After taking a bite, she felt as if she had traveled back to almost a year ago when she had not traveled through time.

However, this chicken stewed with potatoes is much fresher and healthier than the braised chicken you get from takeout.

While eating, she pushed the bowl back and asked Caesar to serve her another bowl, which she drank in a short while.

Compared to Caesar, who always eats a fixed amount, Olivia's appetite fluctuates.

If she has a lot going on recently, she will eat less.

If you open your mouth, it's no problem to eat two or three bowls of food.

Anyway, at most she would just gain a little weight, and she would be able to lose it quickly when she had time to go out riding for exercise.

However, after eating steamed buns and so many dishes for dinner, and drinking two bowls of potato and chicken soup which made me feel full, I couldn't help myself because of homesickness.

When they finished their meal, it was still light outside. Olivia was feeling full, so she went for a walk in the orchard with Caesar.

The sun sets, the sunset glow is dim, but the sky is still bright.

As the two of them were taking a walk, Caesar noticed that the apples and pears in the yard were particularly lush this year.

He reached out, picked a pear, weighed it, and pulled the corner of his mouth.

"Isn't it strange? This pear tree is already so old. The fruits used to be so small and not very sweet. I don't know what happened this year, but it's growing so well."

Olivia held his strong arm, her eyes wandering.

"Well, maybe Jagbu took good care of it and used some strange fertilizer."

Olivia has mastered the art of lying.

Caesar listened and nodded without much change in his expression. He continued to take her for a walk to help her digest dinner, and then asked her about the harvest in the manor this year.

Olivia said she didn't know the details, but Jagabu said that the harvest this year was very good, with a good harvest of soybeans and peppers, and the wheat harvest was also better than in previous years.

"Oh, these dirty and tiring things, I usually don't take care of them, so I don't know anything about them. You can ask the miller tomorrow..."

Caesar hummed, gently grasping her fingers and rubbing them in his palm.

In fact, it's not just the crops that are bountiful. He hasn't heard of any cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, or any other livestock being killed or dying or not giving birth this year in the livestock area.

It went so smoothly as if blessed by God.

There is also the workshop that has appeared in the manor in the past six months.

It was not uncommon for other knights to support the workshops opened by these self-cultivating farmers in their own manors.

Caesar knew from the beginning that this was a tool Olivia used to slowly launder the stolen money.

However, recently, he has come back to his senses.

The products made in these workshops on their estate are of surprisingly good quality.

The craftsmanship is becoming more and more sophisticated day by day, and is not inferior to those old shops in the city of Lavossen that have been in business for decades.

Compared with the products produced in other people's manor workshops, the quality is much better.

Caesar felt that everyone, including the three kids who were in charge of the workshop, was incredibly smart.

Take Adam for example. He is only twelve years old this year. In the past, he could only make simple leather work. But in the past two months, he has even been able to design leather armor.

Including the new weapons in the blacksmith's workshop, that kind of forging technology can only be produced by the most skilled blacksmith around the earl.

Caesar used to feel that Olivia had some kind of almost magical control over him alone.

It seemed as if it was born for her.

But now, he felt that she had this control over the entire estate, and her influence was growing stronger.

These changes are inextricably linked to her.

However, Caesar had heard the archbishop chanting scriptures since he was a child, saying that their creator god was the god of the entire continent. He was pure and had infinite power, and could protect every inch of land in the world and prevent evil creatures from invading.

He believed in the existence of God and thought that if Olivia was really extraordinary, she would not be an evil creature.

He thought that she might be a saint guided by divine oracles, which was why she brought abundance, harvest, wisdom, and new explorations.

Besides, she is so pious.

Is there any evil spirit that would take the initiative to build a church and never miss the prayers?

So, if anyone had any ill intentions towards her like that dishonest businessman, he would cut off that person's head.

The body is mutilated and not accepted by God, and the soul in the afterlife cannot return to the human world. This is the fate of everyone who does not respect the oracle.

Olivia didn't notice Caesar's gaze behind her.

The sunset glow gradually turned into darkness, and they walked out of the garden and onto the hillside where the cattle were grazing.

Olivia felt that her stomach was still uncomfortable and she was afraid she would have to lie down.

My legs are sore now. I have to walk a long way to get home.

Caesar had no choice but to carry her on his back. After holding her tightly, she smiled and patted the NPC's modeled butt, indicating that he could go home.

…