Do you think these large potatoes sold in farmers' markets and supermarkets can be used as seeds?
The answer is yes, because potatoes reproduce through tubers, so you just need to wait for them to sprout. Usually, potatoes bought from the supermarket will sprout after being left out for a short time. After they sprout, cut them open, making sure that each piece has a sprout, and roll them in wood ash. This will disinfect and protect the wounds.
After that, place them in the sun for two days until all the buds have sprouted. The soil used for planting potatoes does not need to be fertile, but it must be dry. Wet and heavy clay soil is prone to causing tuber rot. Soil that is acidic or alkaline has little effect.
Because her parents frequently visited various agricultural bases, she learned a lot about agriculture while traveling with them.
These are all things I heard from the local people during casual conversations.
Once the soil has been selected, the sprouted tubers are sown into it.
Place the potato sprouts facing upwards, about one sprout every 20 centimeters, then cover them with soil, water thoroughly, and place them in a warm, sunny spot.
After about three or four weeks, the potatoes will sprout normally.
Potatoes cannot be without water; they should be watered once or twice a day, and the leaves and surrounding area should be sprayed with water from time to time.
These were the potato planting methods she knew, and when she looked back at the old lady's methods, they seemed to be quite similar.
I waited until it sprouted, rolled it in wood ash, and waited for the sprout to grow long before planting it in dry soil in the backyard.
Although she didn't know if the potatoes she grew would be as big as the ones she conjured up, seeing how excited her family was, she became happy too.
Many of the vegetables that Grandma planted in the garden didn't grow well; they were full of worm holes. She would pick the vegetables while complaining that the worms ate more than people.
We didn't dare waste the yellow leaves left over from picking vegetables; we threw them all to the sheep to eat.
The chives weren't as thick as they are in later generations; instead, they were as thin as noodles, some even thinner, clearly indicating malnutrition and severe damage from pests and diseases.
This situation also occurred with summer vegetables such as tomatoes, green beans, eggplants, and scallions; basically, all vegetables except for chili peppers and sweet potato leaves were affected.
Xiao Jiu was carried down to the vegetable garden. Seeing the thriving scene, she felt sorry for her grandmother. There was nothing she could do; in this day and age, everything was truly natural and pollution-free, without pesticides or chemical fertilizers. Although the vegetables weren't growing well, at least they were healthy.
Unlike later generations, where everything, starting with oil, was free of additives, pesticides, and fertilizers, meat contained hormones, and oil was genetically modified and made from gutter oil.
The brothers were a little disappointed that they didn't get to eat such a big potato, and at the same time, they asked themselves some existential questions.
"How did that potato end up in my sister's bed?!"
They considered all sorts of possibilities, but no one thought about a baby under one year old.
As for Xiaojiu, she didn't take anything out, mainly because her family is doing well now and doesn't need it.
As for whether the potatoes can grow big, she thinks it depends more on whether there is enough fertilizer, and the variety only accounts for part of it. Maybe these potatoes were picked from the smallest ones!
Regardless of wind or rain, the older brothers would go out every day without fail to catch cicada nymphs and collect cicada shells.
Their family ate this meat all summer long. Although it could get a bit greasy at times, the protein from at least several hundred pieces a day really satisfied their meat cravings.
Not to mention cicada shells, I collected more than ten kilograms in one summer, and with the ones I had collected every year before, I had a total of more than thirty kilograms.
Unfortunately, they couldn't find buyers for cicada shells for the time being. However, as a medicinal herb, there should be no shortage of market demand. So even after mid-August, when there were fewer cicada nymphs, they often went to the nearby woods to look for cicada shells. When there were many, they would kick them down and they would fall down with a thud. Of course, those were cicada nymphs, especially after rain when there were even more. But cicada shells are light and have antennae attached, making them difficult to pick off.
In July and August, there were constant torrential rains. Sometimes the rain was so heavy that it made Xiao Jiu panic, fearing that there would be another flood. You see, although there are no high mountains here, only slopes, there are rivers. Once the upstream discharges water, their land will be flooded at best, and their homes will be destroyed at worst. The plum rain season is the most difficult time for the people, even more difficult than winter.
Farmers endure the scorching heat of summer while also living in constant fear of disaster. Cultivating the land is truly an incredibly difficult task.
Xiao Jiu has been afflicted by mosquitoes this summer, getting covered in bites every day. Sometimes, when she gets bitten badly, her friends don't know and she has to scratch herself. Every time they find out, they burst out laughing at her adorable antics.
Of course, there are advantages to being discovered by them, namely that they will smear her with disgusting saliva. Although it is a bit disgusting, they say it is a folk remedy, and she has no room to resist. At least after applying the mint leaves, she only feels cool and it does not relieve the itching.
When she went to sleep at night, her mother doted on her and specially found a small mosquito net for her. Although the mosquitoes stopped biting, it was still so hot and stuffy that she couldn't sleep. She really missed the days when there was air conditioning.
But the hottest summer in this era would not exceed 40 degrees Celsius, unlike later generations, where high temperature warnings of 40 degrees Celsius are issued frequently as soon as summer arrives, and the ground temperature can even reach 50 or 60 degrees Celsius. So, the dirt roads and gravel roads are actually more in line with the characteristics of this era than asphalt roads!
Xiao Jiu counted on her fingers and realized that the hottest period this summer lasted no more than a week. The temperature difference between day and night was significant, probably due to the abundance of vegetation. As soon as you walked into a place with vegetation, you would feel cool immediately. Moreover, there were air-raid shelters near their town, and when the heat became unbearable, people would go there to cool off. They would even wear an outer shirt when they went there because it was only around 20 degrees Celsius inside, making it particularly refreshing.
The three Tang sisters quickly adapted to life at the Tao family's house. On the other hand, the Tang family couldn't find them and had to work in the fields in the sweltering heat. The couple never stopped fighting. It was said that her mother's front teeth had been knocked out by her father. No one was helping with the work on their several acres of land, so the two of them had to work together. Once they got busy, Tang Youtian didn't have time to visit his brother's or nephew's house.
However, they haven't given up looking for the three sisters, not because they're worried about their safety, but because they want to find someone to work for them.
Fortunately, the three sisters were wary of them and never went out. Whenever someone came to the Tao family, they would go inside and hide, never showing their faces.
The Tao family never mentioned the three sisters to outsiders, which allowed them to enjoy a peaceful month or two.
Under their careful care, Xiao Jiu grew up plump and healthy. Although she couldn't go out, she could see every plant, tree, duck, and chicken in the house clearly. Isn't this leisurely and carefree rural life a kind of enjoyment?
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