Chapter 162 Keep an eye on this place too!
It's no wonder that Prefect Shen had doubts about what Wang Erya said. After all, even in the most fertile lands of the Great Jin Dynasty, the highest grain yield per mu had never reached 2 shi, and the average yield per mu was just over 1 shi. In bad years, the yield per mu was even less than 1 shi.
When Wang Erya mentioned a yield of eleven or twelve shi per mu, how could he not doubt its authenticity?
However, Wang Erya had already thought about this before planting corn and potatoes, since the news of her harvest would definitely spread, so she had already come up with an excuse when she was planting them.
She calmly began to tell the story: "Does Your Excellency still remember that I fled all the way here? This food was obtained during my escape when I met a wandering monk. He had no food on him and had not eaten for five days, only drinking a very small amount of morning dew each morning."
The woman was actually in a difficult situation herself, but when the wandering monk saw that she had two daughters with her, he still gave me a warning, which helped me and my daughters avoid danger.
To repay him, the woman gave him some of the little food and water she had. At the time, the disaster was severe, and the woman was unable to help him much.
Unexpectedly, the wandering monk survived thanks to the woman's help. He then encountered some kind-hearted people, and somehow, his escape route differed from the woman's. He ended up at sea, where he encountered several kinds of high-yield grains. He then exchanged some of these grain seeds by reciting sutras in the local area.
Coincidentally, after the woman arrived in the prefectural city, she bought this estate. Later, when she hired people to cultivate the land, she encountered the wandering monk again. He even recognized her and, to repay the small kindness he had shown her, gave her all the seeds.
After listening, Prefect Shen pondered for a moment, then nodded, "I see."
“That’s right. Moreover, when the traveling monk came, there were also people from overseas. They brought a lot of things that Da Jin didn’t have. After the traveling monk’s introduction, they thought I was a reliable person, so they sold these things to me as well.” Wang Erya took the opportunity to openly discuss the modern items in her shop. If anyone asked, she would say that the traveling monk and the people from overseas were adrift and she didn’t know when she would see them again.
Considering that a new shop with many novelties had recently opened in the prefectural city, mainly selling jewelry, and that his daughter had told him that she had also invested in it, Prefect Wang believed this explanation to a large extent.
Looking at the lush green cornfield, Wang Hongyu said to Wang Erya, "Madam Wang, do you know what it means if this corn really has such a high yield?"
“I know that I am also willing to contribute corn seeds and corn planting methods to the imperial court. After this batch of corn matures, it can be used as seeds.” Wang Erya understood and took the initiative to offer the corn as a gift.
Wang Hongyu's face showed a gratified expression. "It's great that you can do this. I will definitely report your merits to the court. In addition, I will send people to protect this cornfield. Don't pick and eat it before it's ripe."
Wang Erya naturally agreed. She then thought of the potatoes and sweet potatoes in the other fields, which were also high-yield crops. After thinking for a moment, she spoke up: "Your Excellency, I also have two other high-yield crops here, even higher than corn, but they are not yet ripe and not suitable for digging up."
"Oh? Take me to see it quickly!" Wang Shouren excitedly urged Wang Erya to lead the way.
The potato and sweet potato fields were not far apart. After walking for about half an incense stick's time, Wang Hongyu saw two other different green fields.
The sweet potato leaves are larger, and the vines have grown quite long; you can only see the leaves, and the vines are barely visible.
If the potato leaves are small, you can see the stem.
"Your Excellency, this is called sweet potato, and that's potato. Both kinds of fruit grow underground, but they have a high yield and taste very good," Wang Erya began to introduce.
"What is the approximate yield per acre?" Wang Hongyu asked expectantly.
"The yield of sweet potatoes is about 40 shi per mu, and potatoes are about 30 shi per mu. If the soil is good and the crops are properly cared for, the yield can be even higher."
Upon hearing this, Wang Hongyu's eyes widened like saucers, and he even forgot to breathe. It took him a while to recover. "Is this really true?"
Wang Erya nodded, "The yield of people overseas is basically this much, but this is indeed my first time planting it, so I'm not sure if the yield will be the same or even higher if we plant it in our Great Jin Dynasty. We'll have to wait until the harvest to find out."
"Good, good! Keep an eye on this place too!" Wang Hongyu immediately ordered his servant to go back and inform the others.
After Wang Hongyu finished giving his instructions, Wang Erya continued, "This sweet potato can be propagated by cuttings, so there's no need to use sweet potatoes as seeds. It's very convenient. According to the climate of our Great Jin Dynasty, it can be planted all year round, but the yield will be higher and the taste will be better when planted in spring and summer."
And so, Wang Erya accompanied Wang Hongyu around the sweet potato and potato fields, explaining them to him as she went.
Wang Erya even took a wooden stick and dug up the soil herself, revealing sweet potatoes and potatoes that were only slightly larger than eggs underneath. Wang Hongyu, worried that the sweet potatoes and potatoes might be damaged, stopped Wang Erya with concern.
"Don't worry, Your Excellency, I know what's important. The soil here is very loose and easy to dig. It won't hurt them. I'll rebury them now." After saying that, she used a stick to dig a few more times and then buried the soil again. She even stomped on it a few times to make the soil a little more compact.
Shen Mengyao, who had been silent all along, watched Wang Erya's actions with a regretful expression. She thought this new thing looked delicious. Aunt Wang had also said that sweet potatoes were sweet and delicious whether steamed, boiled, fried, or roasted. It was a pity that she couldn't taste them yet.
That afternoon, the soldiers summoned by Prefect Wang arrived, and Wang Hongyu personally supervised them to count the corn stalks in the cornfield and record how many ears of corn had been harvested.
They also had people check every day to ensure that no one was stealing or eating, and anyone who violated this rule would be going to jail.
It's inconvenient to count the sweet potatoes and potatoes, since the fruits grow underground. However, the soldiers are stationed there in shifts to patrol and guard against wild animals such as rats and birds.
Wang Hongyu regarded this as a top priority, and even after returning to his residence, he would inquire about the situation at Wang Erya's estate every day.
Aside from guarding the estate, Wang Shouren did not interfere with the farming and maintenance of the people on Wang Erya's estate, but there would always be someone watching over it, and he also arranged for someone to record the behavior of these people.
Wang Erya was relieved that Prefect Wang only had people watching the estate, not her, so she could still go out to farm every night. But actually, it didn't matter if they were watching her, as she always used an invisibility talisman when she went out.
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Meanwhile, Han Dongling, who was trading the potatoes grown by Wang Erya with other bases, learned from the puppeteers that the base was in danger!
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