The autumn harvest is relatively simpler than the wheat harvest, and the taxes are also relatively lower, only 10%.
The current emperor can be considered a rare and wise ruler. Although there was constant warfare in recent years due to the problems left over from the previous dynasty, he immediately reduced the taxes of the people and rectified a number of corrupt officials once the situation stabilized.
The autumn tax was limited to common beans and grains, so Yan Qingqing's family didn't have to pay any tax on the melons and potatoes they grew on this acre of land, which made Yan Qingqing extremely happy.
Yan Qingqing directed her sons to put the sweet potatoes and potatoes into the family's warehouse. Needless to say, the rest of the family knew how precious these things were.
There are only two keys to the family's warehouse: one is kept by Yan Qingqing herself, and the other is with Yuan Huiniang.
That day, Li Xiangkang returned from school, and Yan Qingqing asked Yuan Huiniang to open the warehouse and take out some sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Yan Qingqing then personally cooked, while Yuan Huiniang and Li Yueniang learned how to cook these two ingredients.
Yan Qingqing poured the washed sweet potatoes directly into the pot, then added water until it covered the sweet potatoes, and then asked Yuan Huiniang to start a fire.
Yuan Huiniang asked incredulously, "Mother, is cooking sweet potatoes really that simple? Don't we need to add any seasonings?"
Yan Qingqing didn't react for a moment, but after she did, she remembered that Yuan Huiniang had never eaten sweet potatoes before, so she said, "The most high-end ingredients often only require the simplest cooking techniques."
These sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and soft, and they taste delicious simply by cooking them.
Of course, it would be even more fragrant if roasted over a fire, and that would give it a completely different flavor.
Soon, the aroma of boiling sweet potatoes wafted from the pot. Li Xiangkang rushed in excitedly and said, "Mom, I can smell the aroma! Does it smell delicious and is it ready to be served?"
As he was about to lift the pot lid, Yan Qingqing slapped his hand. Li Xiangkang looked at Yan Qingqing with a pitiful expression and called out, "Mom."
Yan Qingqing glared at him and said, "These sweet potatoes need to be cooked through in one go, otherwise they won't be cooked through."
Li Xiangkang exclaimed, "Is this thing really that eerie?"
Yan Qingqing glanced at him and said, "What do you mean by 'cursed'? Sweet potatoes contain amylase, which turns into sugar when the temperature reaches a certain level, resulting in a partially cooked appearance. They can't be cooked through any longer."
Of course, some rumors from foreign lands say that the sweet potato died of anger after being cooked half-cooked.
Although they didn't quite understand what Yan Qingqing meant, none of them dared to ask, because they were afraid that Yan Qingqing would look down on them for not being well-educated.
While the sweet potatoes were cooking in the pot, Yan Qingqing started teaching Li Xin's mother how to cook potatoes.
First, Yan Qingqing quickly peeled a few potatoes and then cut them into potato slices and potato shreds. Although Yan Qingqing doesn't cook often, her knife skills are quite good.
The potato slices were cut to a uniform thickness, and the potato shreds were cut to a consistent thickness. Yuan Huiniang and Li Yueniang, who were watching from the side, were very envious. Although they were both people who often cooked, their knife skills were far inferior to Yan Qingqing's.
Then Yan Qingqing chopped two more chilies and a piece of scallion. She then heated oil in a wok, added the scallion and stir-fried it until fragrant. Next, she added shredded potatoes and green peppers and stir-fried them for a few seconds. She then added salt and their homemade seasonings, and cooked them until done before serving.
Then Yan Qingqing poured a lot of oil into the pot. When the oil was 60% hot, she added the potato slices and fried them over medium-low heat until they were golden brown. She then drained the oil and sprinkled them with her homemade five-spice powder.
Yuan Huiniang watched closely from the side; after frying such a large pot of taro, a significant amount of it had actually gone down.
Yuan Huiniang secretly clicked her tongue in amazement. It was only because their family was well-off that they could waste oil like this. If it were an ordinary family, who would be willing to do that?
However, the aroma of the fried sweet potato was so enticing that Yuan Huiniang's mouth watered.
Besides these, Yan Qingqing also made sweet potato balls and stir-fried potatoes with meat. In short, their family's lunch table was filled with delicious dishes made from sweet potatoes and potatoes.
Yuan Huiniang and the other adults liked to eat sweet potatoes, especially this particular variety. It was not only soft, sweet, and glutinous, but also contained no fibrous strands. Yan Qingqing herself also liked it.
Li Xiangkang and Li Jinxiu loved potato chips the most, and they couldn't stop eating them. They even stopped eating their main meals.
It made Li Xiangping and the others very hungry, but after they tried it, they found that although it tasted very good, it wasn't that exaggerated.
Yan Qingqing could understand; after all, they were just two children. It's the same in any era—high-calorie foods like potato chips, hamburgers, and cola are every kid's favorite.
Seeing the two of them eating so greedily, Li Xiang'an couldn't help but laugh and said, "How come now that life is better for you two, you've learned to overeat?"
"It's alright that Jinxiu is still young, but Silang, you're a scholar. If your classmates find out you're so greedy, they'll laugh at you."
Among his older brothers, Li Xiangkang was most afraid of Li Xiang'an, so he shrank back and retorted in a low voice, "They've probably never even seen something this delicious before, so what right do they have to laugh at me?"
Li Xiang'an glanced at him, and Li Xiangkang immediately fell silent.
Li Xiangping, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Second brother, don't talk about fourth brother. We only got to eat such delicious sweet potatoes and taro today because of fourth brother. Mother usually wouldn't let us eat them."
Upon hearing this, Li Xiang'an immediately fell silent, while Li Xiangkang's tail swelled up again, and he gave Li Xiang'an a smug look.
Yan Qingqing had seen all the children's little antics, but she just smiled and shook her head. There was nothing she could do; it was a matter of one thing overcoming another. They were willing to hit and be hit, so what could she do?
After finishing the meal, Yan Qingqing said, "This is enough for today's meal. It's not that I'm stingy, it's just that we need to save seeds. If more people plant next year, it might not be enough."
Although the potatoes and sweet potatoes were delicious, the children weren't really greedy, and they knew Yan Qingqing treasured these things. Besides, the family was rich now, so they weren't short of food.
Yan Qingqing's family planted two acres of something rare. Although the people of Canghe Village didn't know what it was, it didn't stop them from paying attention to Yan Qingqing's family.
That day, village chief Li Kaishan quietly came to Yan Qingqing's house. After sitting down, he started chatting about this and that.
Yan Qingqing wasn't in a hurry. When Li Kaishan finally couldn't sit still any longer, he asked, "Qingqing, the reason I came to see you today is because I have something I want to ask you."
Yan Qingqing nodded knowingly and said, "What is it, Uncle Village Chief? Please ask."
Without further hesitation, Li Kaishan said, "I noticed that you have planted two acres of rare plants in your field. None of the villagers in Canghe Village have ever seen them before, so I thought I'd come and ask you about them."
Yan Qingqing didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "And then what?"
Li Kaishan: ...
Although Li Kaishan had his own plans, he didn't expect Yan Qingqing to be so direct.
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