"These sweet potatoes are really growing very well."
Soon it was time to harvest the sweet potatoes, and everyone in the village went out to collect them with great joy. They had high yields, a short growing season, and tasted pretty good.
With this batch of sweet potatoes, every household will be able to have enough to eat.
Some more resourceful families would pick out the best-looking sweet potatoes and prepare to take them to town to sell in exchange for something else.
These days, every household is short of food, and sweet potatoes can fill their stomachs.
People from other villages and those connected to Hutouya Village also rushed over eagerly, ostensibly to help harvest sweet potatoes, but actually to borrow some grain to take back with them.
Even if they couldn't borrow much, they could still get a full meal here. And those who insisted on buying sweet potato vines from the village were overjoyed to see this dense and delightful harvest.
"Han Qiang, are you all stupid? I've been growing sweet potatoes for years. My great-grandfather grew them before. They can be propagated from seedlings. You listened to that little girl and wasted a whole season."
According to the rural people's thinking, once this batch is harvested, another batch will be planted immediately, so as not to waste the land.
"Hey, Lao Liu, Xue is really amazing. She said this thing can't reproduce on its own. You'd better believe her."
"Otherwise, if these sweet potatoes don't bear fruit in more than a month, don't come looking for me to settle accounts."
"Haha, Han Qiang, you're being careful. How could the sweet potatoes not bear fruit? Just wait, we'll be able to harvest them in half a month."
Knowing that the sweet potatoes in Hutouya Village grew well, quite a few people came to ask for sweet potato vines. Even though Han Qiang and his team tried their best to explain, those people still didn't believe them.
"Just don't blame me later!"
Han Qiang shook his head helplessly. He couldn't persuade these people, so what could he do?
Actually, it wasn't just people from other villages; some people from our own village also started planting it. At first, Han Qiang tried to talk to them and tell them not to do anything reckless, but they didn't believe him.
After a few times, Han Qiang stopped paying attention to them.
There are some smart people among them, such as Han Qiang and Han Datou.
They didn't plant any more. Han Mingyuan's family was even less likely to grow anything; after harvesting the sweet potatoes, he cleared the land and left it empty.
"Third brother, why don't you plant some?"
The Han family members lived together, and their land was close together. Han Lao Er saw that Han Mingyuan's land was empty and asked in confusion.
"Snow Girl hasn't come back yet, and there are no seedlings. Let's wait and see!"
"Those sweet potato vines are usable."
"Oh dear, third brother, you need to learn to be flexible. Just because Xue says no doesn't mean no. We've been growing these sweet potatoes since they were little. How can we be sure you don't know what's going on?"
As Han Lao Er spoke, she planted the sweet potato vines in the ground and picked up a bucket to water them. After watering, she carefully covered them with leaves, doing everything exactly as Han Luoxue had instructed.
Looking at the meticulous and hardworking Han Lao Er, Han Mingyuan was filled with emotion. Her second brother had never been this diligent before. It seemed that now that they had separated the family property, everything was their own, so he certainly wouldn't neglect it.
"I planted a lot recently and I'm tired, so I'm not planting anymore for now."
Han Mingyuan didn't say much. After finishing tidying up, he carried the hoe home.
"Pah!"
Seeing that the person had already walked away, Han Lao Er's wife spat and muttered, "Who does he think he is? If it weren't for that little slut Han Luoxue getting some sweet potato vines from somewhere, would anyone in the village treat him well?"
"Shut up!"
Han Lao Er rolled his eyes at his wife and sneered, "If he hears what you said, he'll turn against us immediately."
"You barren hen, when are you going to give me a son?"
Han Lao Er toiled day and night, trying for a long time, but his wife still wasn't pregnant. Now he only had a daughter, not even a son.
As for his eldest daughter, who had been sold, Han Lao Er had long forgotten about her. She was a worthless burden anyway, and he figured he'd never get her back.
"I……"
Han Lao Er's wife felt wronged. Was it because she didn't want a son? She had tried very hard, but she just couldn't get pregnant. Who could she blame?
"Why don't you ask Doctor Xu to take a look at me?"
"It's not good to just keep waiting like this," Han Lao Er's wife asked tentatively.
"Last time, when the fourth brother asked him to examine his leg, even Doctor Xu wasn't willing. Do you think I have that much influence?"
Speaking of this, Han Lao Er also sighed.
If he had known earlier that the third brother's family was so powerful, he would have definitely tried to get on good terms with them.
"Well, never mind, I'll ask Yunniang for help when I meet her later."
In Han Laosan's family, Yunniang was the easiest to talk to.
Han Lao Er rolled his eyes at his wife, hoping she wouldn't be too disappointed.
"My poor Luhua. I wonder how she is now. Honey, could you please go to town and visit her when you have some free time?"
Although the grain was exchanged and it wasn't considered a marriage, it was still a piece of her flesh.
"Go if you want, I don't have time."
Han Lao Er continued planting sweet potato seedlings, and there were quite a few people working in the fields scattered throughout the village.
Some people were turning over the soil, some were carrying water, and others were transporting sweet potatoes home. Everyone was busy, and it had been a long time since the place had been this lively.
When Han Laosan returned home, he heard a familiar voice from afar.
"Mother, my dear mother, I am your own daughter, please have pity on me."
Upon hearing this voice, Han Laosan frowned in displeasure.
Why is Jinghua here again? After what happened last time, how dare she come back?
Three children also came back this time, all of them pale and thin, with unusually large heads.
The mother and her three children knelt at the door of Old Lady Han's house, wailing and crying, tears streaming down their faces. Many idle women and children from the village also gathered around, watching the spectacle.
"Hmph, Han Jinghua, you heartless wretch! You still have the nerve to come and ask me for food? Have you forgotten how you treated me back then?"
Old Mrs. Han is a vengeful person; she remembers clearly how Han Jinghua treated her in the past.
She was driven out of the village, and Han Jinghua took her home. At first, she thought this daughter was good and that she hadn't spoiled her in vain.
But when she arrived, she was made to do all the housework and wasn't even fed. She was so hungry that she ate raw rats; she would never forget those days.
"Mom, you know our family situation. I can't make the decision. If I could, I would provide you with the best food and drink every day."
To this, Old Mrs. Han sneered: "You can't make decisions about other things, but when it comes to food, why don't you share a bite with your old mother? It's one thing to make me sleep in the livestock pen, but you don't even provide me with a meal. How dare you ask your old mother for something now?"
As she spoke, Old Lady Han searched for something in the yard. She happened to see a carrying pole by the door, picked it up, and smashed it down on Han Jinghua's head.
Seeing the carrying pole beckoning over, Han Jinghua hurriedly got up and ran away, ignoring the three children kneeling there.
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