Chapter Eleven: Encouraging the Family to Plant Sweet Potatoes
Jiang Cheng hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and refused them: "No, we can't take that risk. We need to think about this matter more carefully. We've just managed to plant the rice. If it's ruined, how will we deliver the grain to the court? The court can't possibly ask us to use these sweet potatoes as payment."
After a pause, he continued, "Moreover, the yield of these sweet potatoes is a mystery. We can't pin our hopes on our ancestors' dreams; that's unrealistic."
Jiang Cheng wanted to plant it, but the problem was that planting involved too many things, and he didn't dare to take the risk.
Jiang Mi noticed her father's hesitation and urged him again, "Dad, sweet potatoes don't discriminate based on location. We can definitely go and clear land to plant them. I remember the imperial court encourages us to clear land and offers very good conditions."
“Yes! I’ve heard Ah Xuan mention it before; the imperial court strongly encourages us to reclaim wasteland,” Second Sister-in-law chimed in.
"But…"
"But what but!" Jiang's mother couldn't help but poke Jiang's father's head: "You old fool, you're so stubborn! There are no buts, this matter is settled. Tomorrow, our family will go to Woniu Mountain to reclaim wasteland. That's still my maternal family's land. When my father died, he gave me that mountain as my dowry. I have the right to make the decision. This matter is settled."
When Jiang's mother said this, she was still shaken.
She felt a pang of fear whenever she thought of the scene her daughter described of her family's tragic deaths.
She absolutely could not let her daughter die such a miserable death, nor could she let her family follow the same path that her sweetheart had dreamed of. So she had to start planning.
The people in the village are unreliable; since they are unreliable, we should make plans as soon as possible.
"but…"
"No buts." Before Mr. Jiang could finish speaking, Mrs. Jiang interrupted him, saying, "Do you really want our whole family to go down the same old path and die a complete mess?"
Father Jiang muttered, "But wasn't that just a dream? How can a dream be counted?"
"Jiang Cheng!" Jiang's mother roared, slamming her hand on the table and standing up, her eyes bloodshot as she looked at Jiang's father.
This startled Jiang's father so much that he trembled.
"Alright, alright! We'll do it your way." Mr. Jiang was helpless. His wife was angry, but he still had to give her face. In fact, he agreed with Jiang Mi's statement. If the sweet potatoes could really be grown, it would be a great thing.
"Knock knock knock..."
Just then, there was a knock on their courtyard gate.
They immediately shut their mouths and exchanged a glance.
Finally, Jiang Mi got up and went to open the door.
But when she saw the person standing outside the door, she froze.
Because the person standing outside the door was none other than the man I had seen that afternoon.
"How could it be you? What are you doing here?" Jiang Mi looked at Huo Ran warily.
He handed her a full package: "Silver. Our deal."
As soon as Huo Ran finished speaking, Jiang's mother walked over. Upon seeing Huo Ran with his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, she was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Jiang Mi and asked, "Honey, who is this...?"
"Auntie, my name is Huo Ran. I'm from the city visiting relatives in the countryside. I happened to eat some sweet potatoes and found them surprisingly delicious, so I wanted to buy some to try planting and see if they could survive." Before Jiang Mi could introduce herself, Huo Ran immediately "revealed" some of his background to Jiang's mother.
Jiang's mother looked at him, then at the package in his hand, her doubts deepening.
"Here's five hundred taels. I only need to buy five sweet potatoes." Seemingly noticing Jiang's mother's doubt, Huo Ran rarely smiled and handed the bundle in his hand to Jiang Mi: "Don't worry, I have absolutely no ill intentions."
After a moment of silence, Jiang Mi took the silver, opened it, and looked at it before saying to him, "Come in with me."
He then ushered Huo Ran into his home.
Jiang's mother felt dizzy and disoriented.
Five hundred taels of silver to buy five sweet potatoes.
That means each sweet potato cost 100 taels.
Where did this nouveau riche come from? He must have a mental illness.
When Jiang's mother, still dazed from being hit by Huo Ran's five hundred taels of silver, followed them into the courtyard, the others in the courtyard had also heard their previous conversation and were all looking at Huo Ran with strange eyes.
At this moment, their thoughts were similar to those of Jiang's mother.
Compared to her family's shock, Jiang Mi was somewhat hesitant at this moment.
She couldn't help but ask the system in her mind, "System, can you sell this?"
If she can't sell it, and she sells it on her own, this damn system will definitely find ways to torment her.
The system responded to Jiang Mi with silence.
Jiang Mi's eyes started darting around.
The fact that the system isn't responding means it's tacitly accepting the sale; otherwise, it would have already started jumping around.
Jiang Mi was relieved.
She went back to the kitchen, picked out five sweet potatoes, and handed them to Huo Ran: "Here are the sweet potatoes. You can go now."
She didn't want to get too involved with this mysterious man because she sensed that he was not a simple person.
Not simple means troublesome.
Now she only thinks about changing her family's fate, and she tries her best to avoid getting involved with other people or things.
"Honey! You're a guest from afar, don't be rude." Jiang's mother, who had just secretly rummaged through her bundle, stopped Jiang Mi from chasing him away. She pulled Huo Ran and pressed him down on a stool, personally pouring him a bowl of cool boiled water: "My honey has been spoiled by us, please forgive her. Are you thirsty? Have some water."
This is a big customer.
Five hundred taels!
Good heavens!
She had never seen so much money in her entire life.
Let alone her, even in the village, no, even in most families in the town, it would be difficult to earn five hundred taels of silver in one's lifetime.
But this man easily took out five hundred taels of silver, just to buy five sweet potatoes.
She can only be described as having a limited understanding.
A person who can produce five hundred taels of silver must be either rich or noble. It's best not to offend such a person, because they are too powerful to offend, otherwise they won't even know how they died.
This is also why she stopped Jiang Mi from driving people away.
After hearing about the ancestor's dream, Jiang's mother became even more attentive to these details.
After Huo Ran took a sip of water, Jiang's mother tentatively asked, "These five sweet potatoes aren't worth that much money. Do you think...?"
“It may not be worth it in your eyes, but it is worth it in my eyes, even more.” Huo Ran said, looking up at Jiang Mi.
When Jiang's mother saw this scene, her heart skipped a beat.
Could it be that this young master has taken a fancy to her sweetheart?
This is absolutely unacceptable!
The world of the wealthy is beyond their reach. She absolutely forbids her daughter from marrying such a rich young man. Otherwise, if her daughter is bullied, they will have no way to seek justice for her. Moreover, these wealthy families have too many dirty and shady things going on. Her daughter, Honey, is too naive and cannot adapt to that kind of world.
As for Jiang Mi's obesity, as a mother, she immediately ignored it. In her heart, her daughter Mi was the most beautiful woman in the world, and no one could compare to her.
Her daughter is plump, which is a symbol of good fortune; others may want her but can't have her.
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