Chapter 254 The Sweet Potatoes Are Ripe

Ye Mingzhu did not send a letter to Wu Jiang. When she arrived at the village, Wu Jiang was taking people to the hot spring to look at sweet potatoes. When he heard the news, he ran over without even changing his clothes.

"Boss, boss, the sweet potatoes are ripe." Wu Jiang's face was full of joy, but with the dirt on his face, he looked funny no matter how you looked at him.

"Captain Wu, why is there so much dirt on your face?" Ye Yun'an pointed at the dirt on Wu Jiang's face.

Wu Jiang casually touched a handful of soil and chuckled, "Boss, I was just over at the sweet potato field. I think the sweet potatoes are almost grown and can be dug up."

Ye Mingzhu didn't expect them to come at such a coincidence, and she also became interested: "Have you dug out the sweet potatoes?"

"Not yet." Wu Jiang shook his head honestly. He had sent people to check outside the farm every day in the past few days, fearing that the sweet potatoes would be ripe and Ye Mingzhu would not be able to come.

"Why don't we go and take a look now?" Ye Mingzhu looked at Aunt Jiang.

"You guys go and take a look. I'll put things away and then go cook." Aunt Jiang had no interest in sweet potatoes. She wanted to take a rest.

"How about I ask my wife to help Madam with cooking, and you can go with me to the sweet potato field to take a look," Wu Jiang suggested.

Mo Xing, who was standing nearby, came up to support Aunt Jiang. "Boss, you and Village Head Wu can go and do your work. I'll take my wife to rest."

Ever since the snack shop opened in the county town, the two sisters Mo Xing and Mo Wan took turns working in the shop, and the remaining person stayed in the main courtyard to clean up.

Aunt Jiang had a good impression of Mo Xing and Mo Wan, and she nodded with a smile.

Ye Yun'an also wanted to see the sweet potato field.

So, Mo Xing took Aunt Jiang to the house to rest, Uncle Yan tested Fengyu Leidian's martial arts outside the main courtyard, and Wu Jiang took Ye Mingzhu and Ye Yun'an to the sweet potato field.

The closer you get to the sweet potato field, the more you can feel the temperature changes. You need to wear a padded jacket outside, but when you get to the sweet potato field, you only need to wear a single layer of clothing.

Several men were squatting on the ground, each holding a piece of sweet potato vine and talking about something.

When they saw Wu Jiang and his men coming, they all stood up.

"Boss."

"Boss"

…

Ye Mingzhu smiled at them and said, "How about it, do you think this sweet potato can be dug out?"

Everyone looked at an old farmer with gray hair and rolled-up trouser legs. He was holding a piece of sweet potato vine in his hand.

"These sweet potato vines are already a bit withered and yellow. I think we can dig out some and try it out?"

The old farmer squinted at the sweet potato field, as if he wanted to see how many sweet potatoes were there.

"Okay, let's start digging." Ye Mingzhu said without hesitation: "Let's dig over there first. I see the vines over there are all withered and yellow. Everyone, be careful when digging and try not to damage the sweet potatoes."

The old farmer looked at Ye Mingzhu in shock: "Start digging now?"

Ye Mingzhu was a little confused: "Didn't you just say we could dig it out and try it? Do we need to hold some kind of ceremony?"

"No." The old farmer's mouth trembled a little, and he said after a while: "What if the sweet potatoes below don't grow?"

"So I said to dig out a section first and see if it grows. If it doesn't grow well, don't dig any more."

Ye Mingzhu explained and looked back at Wu Jiang: "Can't we just dig the sweet potatoes directly?"

She once read in a book that in some areas people perform harvest dances when the crops are ripe. Could there be such a custom here as well?

"Uncle Peng, go dig. The boss is watching here." Wu Jiang said to the old farmer in a gentle voice.

The old farmer wiped his eyes and went to dig sweet potatoes at the place Ye Mingzhu had just pointed out.

"Uncle Peng was the best farmer on the farm, but one year, the harvest failed. His former owner despised him for being useless and scolded him several times. He then stopped talking."

Wu Jiang said in a low voice.

Ye Mingzhu finally understood where the old farmer's fear came from. She was speechless. Who could decide the weather?

"Let them dig. As long as they don't damage it on purpose, it's all mine."

As soon as Ye Mingzhu said this, the people standing nearby came to the old farmer and helped him dig sweet potatoes.

Wu Jiang said somewhat embarrassedly: "With their help, we should be able to dig out the sweet potatoes quickly."

Ye Mingzhu glanced at him without saying anything. These people must have come to help because they heard that there would be no punishment. Fortunately, she was not a petty person.

"Sister, I want to go over and take a look too." Ye Yun'an pulled the corner of Ye Mingzhu's clothes.

"Go." Ye Mingzhu nodded, and Ye Yun'an immediately took off his shoes, rolled up his trouser legs, and rushed over.

Ye Mingzhu laughed, he was still a child.

Wu Jiang was a little worried: "Boss, I'll go over and keep an eye on it."

Ye Mingzhu shook her head: "No need, Yun An knows his limits, let him go and have fun."

Wu Jiang prayed in his heart that those hoes and other tools would not hurt the young master, otherwise, his job as the head of the village would probably be over.

If Ye Mingzhu knew what he was thinking, she would definitely sneer. Ye Yun'an is not some young master. He has also worked in the fields, otherwise he would not be so skilled in rolling up his trouser legs.

There is strength in numbers, and soon several sweet potato vines were dug out.

Ye Yun'an ran over carrying a piece of sweet potato vine: "Sister, sister, look, there are so many sweet potatoes."

The old farmers behind had joy in their eyes. Some were carrying sweet potato vines, and some were holding a few sweet potatoes.

Ye Mingzhu took the sweet potato vine from Ye Yun'an's hand. There were five or six sweet potatoes on it, some big and some small. She estimated that it weighed about two or three pounds.

"Boss, the yield of this sweet potato is so high. We won't go hungry anymore." Uncle Peng's face was full of joy.

He has been farming all his life, but even after paying the rent, his family still cannot get enough to eat. What he hopes for most is that the land will produce more food so that the elderly and children in his family can have enough to eat.

The wheat and rice they usually grow only yield about 300 to 400 kilograms per mu of land, but according to the estimated amount of sweet potatoes, it has reached more than 1,000 kilograms. The gap is huge.

Several old farmers looked at Ye Mingzhu and said, "Boss, how about we dig out all the sweet potatoes?"

Ye Mingzhu looked at the sky and said, "It's almost time to go back for dinner. How about you guys dig later?"

The old farmers all shook their heads and said they were not hungry and wanted to dig it out first.

Wu Jiang spoke for the old farmers: "Boss, everyone wants to know how many sweet potatoes this sweet potato field can produce. We are full of energy and not hungry. Otherwise, you can take Master An to eat first. When we dig up the sweet potatoes, we will report to you."

Ye Mingzhu glanced at Ye Yun'an, who was sweating profusely, and thought for a moment: "Then I'll leave this to you. After you dig out all the sweet potatoes, weigh them and come back to tell me."

The old farmers all looked excited and nodded continuously. Ye Mingzhu reminded them that there was no rush and they could finish their meal first and then talk to her.

Ye Yun'an was still holding the sweet potato vine: "Sister, can I take these sweet potatoes back and eat them?"

Wu Jiang rushed to say, "These are only three or four pounds. We'll add them to the weight later. Master Dong and Master An can take them back and eat them first."