In the days that followed, Mo Qianshang went to an academy near the county town and, together with Qin Baiyi, chose one that offered lodging.
As for the teaching quality, Mo Qianshang sat in for a while and felt that... it wasn't very good.
She listened in for a while and even felt that it would be better for her to teach the children herself, but she was too busy and didn't have the energy.
But is this teaching method of learning characters, practicing writing, and memorizing texts really useful for children?
She had this concern in her mind, and on the way back she kept thinking about it, which was different from usual.
Qin Baiyi asked her, and she shared her thoughts.
Qin Baiyi actually agreed that there were hardly any good teachers in such remote places. It was already quite an achievement to be a scholar who had passed the county-level imperial examinations. It was okay to learn to read, but it was almost impossible to have profound knowledge.
This matter was difficult for Mo Qianshang, but not for Qin Baiyi.
"How about this, if you're comfortable with this, I'll see if I can invite a teacher to the academy we just visited. If he's willing, then Heming and the others can study under him at the academy."
Hearing Qin Baiyi's tone, it seemed as if he already had a suitable candidate in mind. She subconsciously felt that the person he was introducing was probably extraordinary, at least better than the gentlemen here: "Really? Then I'll leave it to you."
If Qin Baiyi is looking for this person, he certainly isn't here. This round trip will take a lot of time, and this delay will make the potatoes ripen.
As autumn arrived, Mo Qianshang led the people of Dongshan Village to frantically dig potatoes in the fields.
No one here recognizes these potatoes; it's not just the first time the people of Dongshan Village have planted them, but also the first time they've dug them up.
Everyone was a novice, and if they weren't careful, they could easily cut a perfectly good potato in half or damage the fruit. So everyone worked very carefully, and no one wanted to ruin the owner's grain.
Fortunately, Mo Qianshang hired many people here, and with everyone working together, even if they dig slowly, the job can be completed gradually.
Mo Qianshang stood on the edge of the field, looking at the ever-growing pile of potatoes, and realized that there were far more than she had imagined.
"Before I started farming, the local people warned me that these past few years have been barren, and no matter what kind of food I planted, I wouldn't get much. But it seems my harvest is pretty good."
She was chatting with Qin Baiyi, who was holding a freshly dug potato that was still covered in dirt.
During the two days he observed, even just seeing the yield of a single potato field and making a rough calculation was enough to shock him.
He didn't know the actual yield of this thing that Mo Qianshang called "potatoes," but judging from the current situation, it was at least harvestable.
"Can this stuff be eaten like grain?"
Mo Qianshang smiled slightly: "Not only can it be eaten like grain, but it can also be eaten as a vegetable, and it is very filling."
There are many things that can be grown in the ground. Although potatoes are eaten as a vegetable in modern times, they are actually carbohydrates. When there is nothing else to eat, they can be a staple food.
Qin Baiyi looked at the potatoes in his hand with surprise and doubt. He couldn't understand why such a thing had never been discovered by anyone else before. Yet, as soon as Mo Qianchang arrived, she had already planted more than a hundred acres of them before he even found them.
Mo Qianshang, who had been watching closely, was even more certain that, given the current situation, her potato yield per mu could reach four thousand jin.
It has to be said that, compared to this, the land conditions and weather here are indeed not good. When she redeemed the potatoes in the system, the information she found stated that they were a high-quality variety produced by the system, and under modern conditions, the yield per mu could even exceed 10,000.
However, four thousand catties is already incredible in this era and under these conditions. If you do the math, she could produce six hundred thousand catties of potatoes right now.
With her living example here, she can see if Dongshan Village plans to switch to growing potatoes, so that she can sell some of her potatoes at a low price, using them as seeds.
She also needs to find a market for the rest of the potatoes as soon as possible. The sprouting potatoes are also a problem. When she sells them, she has to remind everyone that potatoes cannot be stored like grains and that they cannot be eaten if they have sprouted.
The potatoes were the most urgent matter, so when Mo Qianshang returned, she went to see Master Wen first to discuss the potatoes with him.
Master Wen had also visited Dongshan Village these past two days out of curiosity and was quite interested in potatoes, but he had never actually handled any grain-related matters before.
"Lady Mo, here's what I'll do: I'll take some potatoes and go out to ask around for you."
Mo Qianshang was quite grateful to Third Master Wen, but she couldn't put all her eggs in one basket. The next day, she took Qin Baiyi and went to the county town again. This time, she went to the yamen to find Registrar Li, and of course, she also went to the academy.
Li, the registrar, had a very good impression of Mo Qianshang. Although they hadn't been in contact for quite some time, many things in the yamen had become much easier to handle recently because of her purchase of the mountain.
"Lady Mo, what brings you here today?"
Mo Qianshang bowed to Chief Clerk Li, who smiled and seemed puzzled by Qin Baiyi, who was wearing a mask behind her.
"Well, the crops I planted in my field have ripened. Isn't this a way to give you and the county magistrate some achievements?"
Upon hearing the phrase "showing off achievements," Clerk Li immediately perked up: "Oh? What is it? Let me see?"
Mo Qianshang dragged the basket over and handed him the washed potatoes: "These are the potatoes."
She then took out a food box containing roasted and steamed potatoes that she had made at home. They were still warm from her hurried journey: "Try them."
After finishing his meal, Clerk Li felt that this tasted much better than coarse grains: "But how much does this cost?"
Mo Qianchang held up a number: "According to the calculation method for grain, one shi (a unit of dry measure) is worth one thousand coins."
"puff!"
Clerk Li spat out a mouthful of tea, hurriedly wiping it with his sleeve, disregarding etiquette: "Does Madam Mo know how much grain costs these days?"
Mo Qianchang said, "One shi of grain is sixty jin per kilogram. In the past, one shi cost one thousand coins, but now, in this famine year, one shi has risen to two thousand coins."
Li, the registrar, asked, "Since Lady Mo knows that a bushel of potatoes only sells for a thousand coins, how many did you plant? Is there any profit to be made?"
In his anxiety, he asked a lot of questions, and Mo Qianshang quickly stretched out his hand: "Don't worry, Clerk Li, I will naturally be responsible for planting this grain. As for how much I will plant, it depends on whether our county plans to harvest it."
Registrar Li really didn't know what to do. After all, the grain in the county was basically normal stored grain that could be stored for a long time. But when he asked Mo Qianshang, he learned that if the potatoes were exposed to the air, they could only be stored for half a month to thirty days. If he wanted to store them for half a year or a year, he would have to use a special method.
The weather is alright here, but in damp places, it could sprout at any time.
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