Cheng Yue nodded and explained, "Potatoes mature quickly, in about two months. The first crop is planted in March or April, and the second crop can be planted around August."
It is indeed colder here than in the south, but it has four distinct seasons. Winter is the coldest season, while spring and autumn are pleasantly warm.
Feng blinked stiffly, "These potatoes can actually ripen in two months, I never even dared to imagine that."
The only crops they can grow are wheat, corn, sorghum, and sweet potatoes. None of these crops can mature in such a short time. Even sorghum, which is considered to have a shorter growing time, still takes three or four months!
Zhang Dajiang was somewhat incredulous. "Two months? Is it fully ripe? Is it safe to eat?"
It wasn't that he didn't trust Cheng Yue, but rather that he simply couldn't believe that grain could mature in such a short time. The vegetables in the garden could be grown, but grain... that seemed unlikely.
"When I bought them, the vendor said they would ripen in two months. I didn't believe it, but I've grown them myself now, so I can't deny it!"
Moreover, potatoes, like sweet potatoes, can produce several fruits per plant, only they are larger and more plentiful than sweet potatoes, as you can see.
Cheng Yue took the potatoes out of the basket and placed them on the table. She knew that this timeframe was unimaginable for them and that they would definitely need a buffer period.
The village head picked up a potato and rubbed it repeatedly. "It really is. It looks even smoother than a sweet potato."
The potatoes in the basket were of all sizes, some as big as a fist and others as small as an egg. If he hadn't seen Cheng Yue plant them in April, he wouldn't have believed they would mature in just two months.
Cheng Yue pushed the bowls on the table: "You guys try it first!"
Everyone is really curious about how it tastes, and whether it will be bitter, since two months is too short a time!
Wang Chunmei jogged into the kitchen and brought out chopsticks. The village head first picked up a pan-fried potato and stuffed it into his mouth. His droopy eyelids immediately lifted, "Delicious! So fragrant and tender!"
The village head rarely makes this expression; when he does, it usually indicates considerable surprise.
Mrs. Feng knew him best, so she quickly picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. It smelled so good that she couldn't speak, and could only nod repeatedly, "Mmm!"
Zhang Dashan, Zhang Dajiang, and the others swallowed hard, picked up a piece with their chopsticks, and put it in their mouths, praising it repeatedly, "It's so delicious! This potato is much tastier than a sweet potato!"
After taking a bite, Qian Yulan asked again, "Would it be okay to steam or boil this like grain?"
Cheng Yue's dishes are all very oily and seasoned. Even the tree root dishes taste good. But what if there's no oil or seasoning? What would they taste like?
Cheng Yue laughed and said, "Of course! This is grain, so you can eat it however you like. You can steam it directly or cook it with rice."
Potatoes themselves have little flavor, go well with any seasoning, and are also good to eat on their own; the food itself is very fragrant.
Qian Yulan readily agreed, "That's really something! We'll steam it and eat it tonight!"
The village head became more and more excited as he ate, and he was now eager to know exactly how many potatoes were produced!
He was old and had experienced two famines, which still haunted him. Therefore, he had the strongest desire for food, which was the guarantee that they would not go hungry!
If potato yields were truly higher than other grains, how many more lives could be saved!
He lived his whole life, and although he was just a village head, he always had the simplest wish in his heart: that more people could have enough to eat and not have to suffer from hunger!
"Cheng Yue, have you dug up all the potatoes in your field? How many kilograms are there in total?"
"I was worried they weren't fully ripe, so I dug up a basketful first. We should finish digging up the rest this afternoon, and I'll let you know after we weigh them."
Cheng Yue could hear the village head's urgency and guess what he was thinking. They didn't plant much, only about two fen of land, which they could definitely finish digging in an afternoon.
As for the yield, she wasn't really sure. She hadn't calculated it when she planted them before, but these potatoes were a modern, improved variety, so the yield per acre was definitely not low.
Li Zheng immediately stood up. "Then I'll go with you and take a look!"
It's not dug up yet! He was already quite impatient, eager to see it with his own eyes. Grain was of paramount importance to farmers!
Zhang Dashan and the others were also getting restless; who wouldn't want to see how potatoes grow? "Why don't we all go take a look?"
As a result, he was met with a glare from the village head, who said, "What are you all doing here! Everyone's going up the mountain to gather herbs, what good will it do you?"
He knew that Cheng Yue didn't plant many trees, and now that Chen An's leg was healed and he was capable, he didn't need their help at all.
If everyone went over there, they couldn't just stand by and watch, and if they helped with the work, Chen Ancheng and his wife would definitely feel uncomfortable.
Zhang Dashan scratched his head. "Alright, let's go gather medicinal herbs then!"
Madam Feng also wanted to go check on the potatoes, but the whole family had gone out, and she had to look after the house. After all, there were medicinal herbs drying on the wall, and a lot of money was hidden in the house!
It just so happened that her two sons and daughters-in-law had gone to gather medicinal herbs, so the old woman could rest while she looked after the house.
"Uncle Village Head, let's go up now!"
"Okay! Okay, okay!"
As soon as Cheng Yue called out, the village head immediately followed with a smile, much to the dismay of the Zhang brothers, Zhang Dashan and Zhang Dajiang.
Well, in front of their parents, not only is their wife's status higher than theirs, but now Chen An and Cheng Yue have also surpassed them!
However, it's actually quite good! Although Chen An isn't their biological brother, he's the brother they chose themselves, and he's even better than a blood brother!
Besides, if it weren't for Chen An and Cheng Yue, they wouldn't be living such a good life today. In the end, they are the ones who benefited the most!
After Cheng Yue and the village head went up the mountain, they found that Chen An was not at the old house, nor were Chen Tong and Chen Ning at home, and all the baskets at home were gone, so they went directly to the fields.
Chen Tong and Chen Ning were pulling potato vines, while Chen An was digging potatoes with a pickaxe. They were not surprised to see Cheng Yue and the village head coming up together.
He immediately greeted, "Uncle Village Head, you've come! Look at these potatoes, one plant can produce so many!"
The village headman jogged over, looked at the freshly dug potato plant with great delight, and exclaimed, "This is wonderful! Judging by this, the yield will be substantial!"
They were all used to growing crops and could roughly calculate the yield, but he didn't know if each plant could produce that much, so he could only wait and see.
Chen An had a good idea of what was going on, since potatoes were the food source there, and the yield must be high! But he couldn't be too sure, so he just said, "There shouldn't be a shortage, we'll just have to wait until they're all dug up and weighed to see."
"Then hurry up and dig!" The village head was excited and couldn't stop his hands as he helped pick up potatoes.
Cheng Yue and Chen An exchanged a glance, and they knew that the village head wouldn't just stand by and watch; he was indeed restless.
Let's not stop each other, let's get to work!
Chen An and Cheng Yue worked hard to dig potatoes, while Chen Tong and Chen Ning focused on pulling potato vines. The village head happily picked up potatoes, demonstrating a clear division of labor.
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