Two hours later, all the vegetables had been harvested and transported back to the main kitchen warehouse for storage.
However, only a small portion of the sweet potatoes and potatoes were dug out.
Han Shunde looked at the dark sky; the temperature was getting lower and lower.
By now, it should be past the hour of Yin (3-5 AM).
At this rate, we probably won't be able to finish digging today. People can't just stay up all night; let's work through the night.
He then discussed it with Zhang Deshui.
"Brother Zhang, I don't think we'll finish digging today."
Otherwise, we can build a fire here and keep watch.
This way the temperature won't get too low. Let's come back and work on it tomorrow when it's light!
Zhang Deshui was anxious, fearing that the temperature was too low and these treasures would freeze.
But this isn't a solution either.
He said helplessly.
"Alright, let's call it a day then. We'll prepare a fire first, and the women and children can go back to the kitchen for dinner."
Han Shunde said to the adults and children who were working tirelessly in the fields, “Everyone should go home first, eat your fill, warm up, take a nap, put on a light coat, and we’ll come back to work tomorrow. Don’t catch a cold.”
Even if you're anxious, you can't achieve it overnight.
The adults and children had no choice but to clap their hands, take their tools, and retreat back to the village. After washing up, they went to the dining hall to prepare for dinner.
They picked up their bowls and started lining up for food.
During the meal, everyone made sure to congratulate Li Lanzhen on the birth of her big, healthy grandson.
The men congratulated Han Minghai on the birth of his big, healthy son.
Next, I'll tell you about their process of digging potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Happiness and satisfaction radiated from every face, making them even happier than after eating a bowl of braised pork!
Li Lanzhen barely slept that night.
As the temperature dropped, she worried that Zhang Yuniang's room was cold during her postpartum confinement, so she went to check on her.
Han Yuemei had already lit the kang (heated brick bed).
The room was warm, and both mother and daughter were asleep, so she felt relieved.
They put a slaughtered chicken, more than 30 eggs, and a pound of brown sugar in Han Minghai's kitchen.
He instructed Han Yuemei to make chicken soup for Zhang Yuniang and to take care of Zhang Yuniang during her postpartum period, so that she wouldn't have to work in the fields.
Then, she went to the cafeteria and saw Xue Nizi and the others preparing breakfast for tomorrow morning.
"Mother, why didn't you go home to rest?" Xue Nizi asked her.
"I've come to see you all."
"Big sister, we're preparing breakfast for tomorrow morning. We want to get it ready early so that the people going to work in the fields can have breakfast before they go back to work," Tonghua said quickly, knowing what Li Lanzhen was thinking as she saw her enter the kitchen.
Li Sanya also said.
"That's right. Eat breakfast before going to the fields, otherwise the breakfast will be cold by the time it's delivered there. Eating cold food will upset your stomach."
I saw that they had everything arranged.
She turned back into the fields.
From afar, you could see piles of fire.
Han Minghai and his men patrolled back and forth in the fields, adding firewood from time to time to ensure that every fire in the fields had smoke.
At this point, the temperature in the canyon was estimated to have dropped below zero.
A sudden drop in temperature is indeed detrimental to crops.
The fire in the field never went out; the temperature should have been at its lowest at dawn.
Li Lanzhen really wanted to use her space to harvest all the potatoes and sweet potatoes in the field.
Then it was put into the storeroom of the main kitchen.
Suppressing this urge, I watched as Han Shunde led everyone to light bonfires around the ground.
Li Lanzhen noticed that they weren't wearing warm clothes and reminded them.
"Why don't you all take turns going home? Put on your cotton-padded coats, it'll probably be very cold when it gets light, and if you get sick, you won't be able to do any work."
When Zhang Deshui heard that they were all freezing and unable to work in the fields, he became anxious and urged them to go back and put on their cotton-padded clothes, while he stayed in the fields to watch over them.
Li Lanzhen said to Zhang Deshui.
“My dear in-law, you don’t need to stay here in the fields tonight. Let the younger people stay here.”
Zhang Deshui shook his head, "No, no! I have to stay here and keep watch!"
Even if I go home, I won't be able to sleep because I'm worried. It's better to stay here and watch over things; it gives me peace of mind!
Li Lanzhen saw that he looked like he wanted to hug the sweet potatoes and potatoes like children.
I won't say anything more. Okay, whatever makes you feel good.
After leaving the sweet potato and potato field, Li Lanzhen went home and slept for less than an hour before getting up.
After putting on thick cotton clothes and washing up, I went to the main kitchen.
Last night, several little ones went to the Ye family's house and slept on the kang (a heated brick bed) with a bunch of little radish heads.
This morning, Ye was still watching over them, preventing them from going to the fields because it was too cold.
When the weather warms up around noon, we will take them to the fields.
Li Lanzhen arrived at the main kitchen, where Xue Nizi and the others had already cooked cornmeal porridge.
They're making wild vegetable pancakes in a pan.
While they weren't looking, Li Lanzhen added spiritual spring water from her spatial dimension to several large, mushy pots.
Whether it's useful or not, adding some of it can at least improve your physical condition a little.
Li Lanzhen was afraid that everyone would go directly from their homes to the fields.
When breakfast was ready, I simply blew the whistle.
Call everyone to come and have breakfast.
After breakfast, we arrived at the fields.
There was indeed frost, but fortunately, fires were lit around the perimeter of the field and along the ridges in the middle.
The fields are doing alright, but looking at the valley near the mountains, all the grass is covered with a layer of white frost.
Seeing this, everyone felt a sense of urgency.
In the morning, people quickly got into the swing of things, divided the work, and started working together.
In the end, Li Lanzhen still used the space.
She was afraid that people's bodies wouldn't be able to take it if they worked there for too long.
Since it was my first time living in Peach Blossom Spring, I didn't know the weather conditions there.
We'll find out next year when to plant and when to harvest.
Zhang Deshui also remembered this time. He said that next year, by checking the weather and comparing the results, he would know when the crops would be harvested and wouldn't be caught off guard.
That day, the sun came out at noon, and the temperature rose slightly. Lunch was eaten in the fields.
And so, everyone worked in the fields for a whole day.
When the moon rises.
They then transported all the potatoes and sweet potatoes from the field back to the warehouse in the main kitchen.
One-third of the sweet potatoes and potatoes were directly stored in Li Lanzhen's spatial storage and sent back to the warehouse.
Zhang Deshui and Han Shunde were most concerned about the yield per mu (unit of land area).
So they specially separated the sweet potatoes from one acre and the potatoes from one acre in advance for transportation, and also stored them in separate places.
After they returned, they eagerly began weighing the items, torches in hand.
Li Lanzhen's space contained only two steelyard scales.
Zhang Deshui and his colleagues used estimation methods to estimate the yield per mu.
First, weigh out one pile, record its weight, and then start piling up piles one by one.
And so, the estimated yield of sweet potatoes and potatoes per acre was finally determined.
The first one to jump up was Master Xu.
Because he was constantly keeping track of the numbers, the final yield per acre was also stated verbally by him.
So he was shocked and shouted it out.
"This is incredibly productive! Incredibly productive!!"
After he exclaimed loudly, he then reported the yield per mu.
The yield per mu of sweet potatoes and potatoes in the first year planted in Taohuayuan was as follows.
“Village chief, in our Peach Blossom Spring, we harvest an average of 5,000 jin of sweet potatoes per mu.”
Master Xu shouted at the top of his lungs.
Seeing everyone's surprised expressions, Li Lanzhen couldn't contain her joy, chatting and laughing with each other.
Zhang Deshui was the happiest. He had been farming for so many years, and this was the first time he had ever heard of such a high yield per mu.
In fact, Li Lanzhen knew that the reason why the yield of sweet potatoes per mu was so high was because the land in Taohuayuan was relatively fertile.
If the land is barren, the yield will be around 2,000 to 3,000 jin per mu.
Then, Zhang Deshui said in surprise, "We're really fast at digging sweet potatoes and potatoes!"
Li Lanzhen thought to herself.
At the normal harvesting rate, it should take about two days to harvest one acre of land.
Now, in just over a day, they have harvested so many acres of sweet potatoes and potatoes.
She knew in her heart that this was because she had used the space, and it seemed that she could not use it so easily in the future.
The yield of potatoes is similar to that of sweet potatoes, averaging over 5,000 jin per mu.
However, potatoes are more durable and easier to store than sweet potatoes.
Therefore, Li Lanzhen reminded Han Shunde and the others to eat sweet potatoes first.
Zhang Deshui and his colleagues are calculating how many acres of sweet potatoes and potatoes they will plant next year, and therefore how many kilograms of seeds they need to save.
Li Lanzhen said, "There's no need to save seeds; we've eaten all the sweet potatoes and potatoes we harvested this year."
Next spring, I will provide everyone with better seeds.
They looked at each other but remained silent.
This implies that Li Lanzhen's statement has been accepted.
Li Lanzhen said to everyone, "It's too late today, tomorrow our main kitchen will prepare a sweet potato and potato feast for everyone."
Han Mingjiang asked Li Lanzhen.
"Mom, will all the dishes tomorrow be made with sweet potatoes and potatoes?"
Li Lanzhen agreed, "Tomorrow I'll let you try it. It's all made with sweet potatoes and potatoes. It'll be so delicious!"
That way, everyone will be even more motivated next spring!
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