"My brother-in-law never thinks about how he will live in the future. He doesn't know where his next meal will come from. I know he doesn't have money to buy it, so I asked him what he would give in exchange."
He said he would exchange it for twenty-odd acres of wasteland. I knew what he meant by wasteland; the weeds were taller than corn stalks. But I thought it was still twenty or thirty acres of land, which was better than clearing wasteland.
Besides, the children in the family are grown up, and there are more people to do the work. If we work hard to compost and manage the land, we can improve its health. It's just that we only kept enough potato seeds for the original land before, and gave the rest to the people in the village. We can't bring ourselves to ask for them back." Aunt Zhang's smile deepened, and she couldn't help but laugh as she spoke.
She was worried about what to plant on these twenty or thirty acres of wasteland.
No matter what you plant, the harvest is incomparable to that of potatoes!
Zhang Xiaocao picked up the conversation and said happily, "My mother is worried, especially since this land is not like a field. A field can grow a winter wheat crop, but wasteland won't do."
Our family is thinking that we should plant some vegetables on this land, and leave the rest lying fallow until next spring.
Bai Ziqian: ...This is indeed a coincidence.
Shui Qing didn't think it was just a coincidence. "It's because you guys are hardworking and seized the opportunity. It was only a matter of time before you had more land. Don't worry, you'll only have more and more money, land, and forests in the future."
If it weren't for their diligence and seizing opportunities to earn some money and wealth, even if Zhang the Bald and his gang wanted to exchange their land for grain, they wouldn't have been able to.
They could only try to exchange with wealthy families, such as the old village chief.
Tongniu, Tieniu, and Muniu were looked down upon in the village because of their poverty from childhood. When the children quarreled, they would bring up their family's poverty. They had never heard such kind words before.
Especially since these words came from Sister Shuiqing, who often helps them, they felt particularly comforted and relaxed!
"Without you, our family wouldn't have been able to seize the opportunity, and we would probably be in the same situation as my brother-in-law. No, his family still has extra land to exchange for grain, but my family doesn't even have a few acres of land!" As she spoke, Aunt Zhang thought of the bitter days before, and tears welled up in her eyes as she wiped them away.
The four children also thought of the past when they were hungry, unable to sleep at night because of hunger, and the pain of acid reflux rising in their stomachs.
"Young Master Bai, don't feel embarrassed. Even on barren land, potatoes can yield more than a thousand catties. We know that the tenant farmers outside only hand over 60%!"
"Besides, after we hand it over, we'll still have at least 400 jin per mu, which is better than planting anything else." Aunt Zhang comforted Bai Ziqian, who was blushing and looking uncomfortable.
The golden ox and silver ox in the house also help Master Bai deliver potatoes; the two of them earn one tael of silver every five days.
Master Bai must value potatoes highly; otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed them to be grown here if he hadn't had no other choice.
There's nothing to plant on our own wasteland anyway, so leaving it empty is a waste. We can plant 20 or 30 acres of potatoes, and the rest will be enough to feed our whole family for two or three years.
Bai Ziqian was surprised that Aunt Zhang would turn around and comfort him, and his fair cheeks turned even redder.
He secretly glanced at Aunt Shuiqing beside him and found that she looked completely at ease.
Shui Qing announced calmly, "Aunt Zhang, you and your family should do your best in farming. A high harvest is the best outcome. I will buy the leftovers at the price of coarse grains."
Bai Ziqian's eyes widened in surprise. Aunt Shuiqing hadn't mentioned this before they came.
Shuiqing: ...How can I tell you everything?
Aunt Zhang really didn't expect that potatoes could be sold for money!
The village will plant it in the second half of the year, and every household will have it. The food production is so high that next year, let alone buying it, it will be impossible to exchange it for cornmeal.
If you transport it out to sell, but no one sees it, they won't know if they'd dare to buy it and eat it.
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