The signs of potato physiological maturity are that most of the stems and leaves turn from green to yellow, then wither, the stolons dry up and separate from the tubers. A thick layer of woody skin forms on the tuber, and the tuber stops gaining weight. At this point, the potato yield has reached its maximum.
"One, two, three, go!"
With a command given, the first artificially cultivated potato was born!
Qin Qing, who had been trying hard to suppress his emotions, joined them in digging with all his might!
A brown, round lump with some soil was dug out by the soldiers. Although it was not as big as modern potatoes, it was much larger than the wild potatoes of ancient times.
This feeling of reaping the rewards brought a new sense of joy and surprise to everyone present.
"It's a success! It really grew!"
With a shout, the soldiers were filled with excitement and satisfaction, but they also discovered something astonishing: one seedling could support more than one potato! The yield was incredible…
Seeing everyone happy, Qin Qing finally breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile.
"The potatoes are ripe. Now, please dig them out in batches. If they stay in the soil for too long after they're ripe, they'll rot very quickly."
Afterwards, everyone started working with even greater enthusiasm, their eagerness making it seem as if they were working for their own family.
Immediately following, gasps of surprise rang out from the field as enormous potatoes were hoisted high into the air. The crowd was both astonished and delighted, and then, inexplicably, a competition began to determine who could harvest the biggest potatoes…
Qin Qing found it amusing but didn't say much. Thinking about it carefully, more than half of these soldiers were under twenty years old; in modern times, they would be just starting university…
But in this world, they have no choice but to enter the military and take on the responsibility of protecting their country. Perhaps it is because they are farming together and have some free time to chat, without the strictness of the military camp, that they have revealed the enthusiasm and drive that young people should have!
A few days later, Manyuelou launched a new dish called Healthy Potatoes…
As a new variety of potato, it was quickly praised by high-ranking officials and nobles as soon as it was sold at Manyuelou!
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qin Qing emptied the rice shop and began selling potatoes in large quantities, even demonstrating how to cook potatoes right there in front of your shop.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our store's newest and most popular vegetable, the potato, is delicious, inexpensive, nutritious, and very easy to prepare. It's on special today, so don't miss it!"
After giving her orders, she turned to her friend and gestured for Peony to start working!
Beside a makeshift stove, a pretty young girl in an apron skillfully began processing potatoes: peeling, cutting them into chunks, then slicing them, rinsing them, heating oil in a wok, adding scallions and chili peppers, stir-frying them until fragrant, then adding the potatoes and stir-frying them. After adding salt and other seasonings, in less than five minutes, a plate of ordinary stir-fried potato slices was ready!
The enticing aroma wafted over, quickly attracting a crowd of onlookers.
Everyone looked surprised and curious about this food they had never seen before. Seeing this, Qin Qing quickly pressed on and continued.
"Everyone can try it. This potato is extremely nutritious and tastes very delicious. It can be made into such a delicious dish with just simple cooking. It is also very filling. If stored properly, it can last for half a month!"
The last sentence quickly surprised everyone. After all, there were no refrigerators in ancient times, and many vegetables would easily rot if left out. So almost every household had to go out to buy vegetables every day. If this new variety of potato could be stored for a long time, they wouldn't have to go out to buy vegetables so often.
As soon as one woman took a bite, her eyes lit up, and she immediately praised and approved of the potatoes, buying seven or eight herself. A second person, then a third, followed suit…
Qin Qing's four-horse cart of potatoes was quickly emptied!
This result, however, did not satisfy her. After thinking for a moment, she looked at the group of people who were still watching from the side and quickly came up with an idea.
"Are you all worried about the quality? Please rest assured! My shop has partnered with Manyuelou, the largest restaurant in Beijing! All the potatoes for Manyuelou are exclusively supplied by my shop, and the price there is much higher. But in my shop, you only need twenty coins per pound!"
The potatoes were quite heavy, and on average, she could earn a little over ten coins per potato, which was definitely worth it!
Perhaps because of the gimmick of Full Moon Pavilion, and the fact that her shop was right there, some people who were still observing quickly joined the buying queue.
By around 5 p.m., as darkness fell, the potatoes in the two carts had been sold out. Qin Qing couldn't stop smiling when he saw this, as if he could see a huge amount of silver waving at him!
She suddenly realized that she had a hidden hobby of being greedy for money!
Peony was exhausted after a long day and finally collapsed. She sat in a chair and drank water in big gulps, smiling as she watched Qin Qing's greedy expression.
"Congratulations, Mother! You've made a month's worth of money in just one day!"
Qin Qing turned her head and smiled.
"Of course, three months of hard work have finally paid off. It was worth all the money I spent hiring people to work in the military camp, not to mention the hard work you put into cooking for them every few days during these three months."
Suddenly, she thought of something, walked straight to her desk, picked up a calligraphy brush, and began to write.
A moment later, a notice about how to preserve potatoes appeared before her. Peony couldn't help but curiously stick her head out to look at it and subconsciously read it aloud.
"Those who purchase potatoes must remember the storage method! Potatoes not to be eaten immediately must be sealed and stored in a cool, ventilated place, and should not be stored for more than fifteen days..."
"Huh? Can potatoes really last that long?"
Hearing Peony's surprised question, Qin Qing rolled her eyes.
"Didn't I say that during the day? Don't you remember?"
Seeing this, Peony playfully stuck out her tongue and smiled shyly.
"I thought Mom was exaggerating to boost sales!"
Qin Qing broke out in a cold sweat. It turned out that in this little girl's eyes, she was the kind of unscrupulous and unethical merchant!
That night, after the notice was posted at the door, they rushed home. Because they were too busy that day, she sent Xiao Muyue and Xiao Muxing to the military camp together!
It's quite amazing, really. A place like a military camp, full of men, should have made Xiao Muxing very nervous and scared, but that wasn't the case at all. Not only did she win everyone's care and affection with her proud and intelligent personality, but she also quickly adapted to military life...
Now she even offered to take Xiao Muyue for a few days, and Xiao Muyue was very curious and followed her without any resistance!
Five more days passed, and Qin Qing finally sold half of the first batch of potatoes. The potatoes he had previously purchased from Xiadao Village were preserved as new seeds.
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