Chapter 30 Jia Lian Plants Tomatoes
Yuan Hongqu picked up a cherry tomato and handed it to Jia Lian.
"Second Master Lian, please try it."
Jia Lian hesitated before taking the cherry tomato and putting it in his mouth. Instantly, the sweet and sour taste filled his entire mouth.
After finishing one, I picked up another...
Seeing that things were not going well, Wang Xifeng snatched the bowl away, raising an eyebrow slightly: "There's not much in total, just try it."
Jia Lian glared at Wang Xifeng, who snorted and rolled her eyes at him.
Yuan Hongqu smiled as she watched the couple interact, then said seriously:
"Second Master Lian, I'd like to exchange a packet of seeds of this fruit with you."
"Excellent, excellent!" Jia Lian was overjoyed.
If his own estate could grow such rare fruit, and he presented it to the emperor, perhaps when he inherited the title, he wouldn't have to be demoted by one rank!
"You're so ignorant! Do you even know what kind of fruit this is?" Wang Xifeng couldn't help but tease Jia Lian, seeing his disdainful expression.
"Second Madam actually recognizes this item. Please enlighten me, Second Madam." Jia Lian beamed with joy. Feng'er was right to scold him; he was indeed too ignorant.
This fruit is called a cherry tomato...
After Wang Xifeng finished speaking, she paused, unsure of what to say next.
Although she knew these were cherry tomatoes, she also knew that something was wrong with them being here.
But this was brought by Sister Yuan, so how can I say it without causing trouble for her?
Wang Xifeng regretted her quick tongue.
"Oh, so its name is cherry tomato. It does indeed resemble a cherry. It has the character '番' in it, so it's a species that came from a foreign land?" Jia Lian explained to himself.
“Indeed,” Yuan Hongqu replied.
"This species was introduced from overseas. I planted some when I had nothing to do in Yangzhou. By chance, I mastered the planting method, and the fruit that grew was quite delicious, so I brought it to the capital."
Jia Lian nodded, then frowned and said,
“I see. But this kind of fruit is suitable for the climate of Yangzhou and may not be able to grow in the capital. There is a saying that oranges grown south of the Huai River are sweet oranges, while those grown north of the Huai River are bitter oranges. I’m afraid it will be very difficult to grow cherry tomatoes in the capital.”
"Why don't you give it a try and see? You haven't even tried yet, and you're already worried about not being able to grow it well? Even if you don't grow it well, what will you lose? But if you manage to grow cherry tomatoes, you'll be the only one of its kind in the capital," Wang Xifeng said anxiously.
Although she had always pursued an art education since childhood and didn't learn much from the knowledge taught in ordinary schools, even so, she still knew more than Jia Lian, an ancient person!
She wasn't someone who was lazy or ignorant about farming; how could she not understand such basic natural knowledge?
In Wang Xifeng's mind, cherry tomatoes could not only grow in the north, but also grow very well.
The capital city is full of wealthy people, and they have a natural fascination with unique items. If Jia Lian were to grow cherry tomatoes in the capital city...
With its unique taste, cherry tomatoes are a fruit that virtually no one can resist.
Wang Xifeng could already foresee that if these cherry tomatoes were to hit the market, they would quickly become a sensation among the entire aristocratic community.
Besides its taste, cherry tomatoes also have natural advantages.
Cherry tomatoes are all small, and unlike grapes which need to be peeled and seeds spat out, they can be eaten one bite at a time without being unsightly.
Furthermore, if something bad is placed on the outside of the tomato, it will be immediately noticeable...
Therefore, cherry tomatoes will definitely become a high-end fruit that the matriarch of the household will purchase to entertain guests.
Clearly, Jia Lian had also thought of something after hearing Wang Xifeng's words.
"Teacher Yuan, I don't know how to plant this..."
"Jia Lian, don't push your luck! These tomato seeds from Sister Yuan were hard-won, and you want the planting method too? Are you trying to get something for nothing?" Before Yuan Hongqu could speak, Wang Xifeng retorted.
Yuan Hongqu looked at Wang Xifeng with a grin: "You really are my best mouth double, but Wang Xifeng, have you forgotten that you are Jia Lian's wife?"
"Second Madam has made progress under Teacher Yuan's guidance. She even knows how to use the phrase 'taking an inch and then a mile'!" Jia Lian said with a look of satisfaction.
"Teacher Yuan, of course I won't let your hard work go to waste..."
For a moment, Jia Lian didn't know what Yuan Hongqu wanted. He had heard that Teacher Yuan didn't lack gold and silver, but as for other things... Jia Lian looked at Wang Xifeng, wondering if she would have any suggestions.
"Sister Yuan, besides that kind of rice, is there anything else you're looking for? To be honest, there's really nothing in the whole capital that our family can't find. Even things used in the palace, we can ask around and get some." Wang Xifeng was also very much looking forward to growing cherry tomatoes.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Hongqu frowned immediately. When she looked at Wang Xifeng again, her eyes showed disapproval and worry. However, she couldn't directly say this to Wang Xifeng in front of Jia Lian.
She considered it for a moment before speaking.
"Second Grandma, it's not difficult to grow cherry tomatoes, but it's difficult to cultivate seedlings. I don't have many seeds here, but I'll give you a hundred cherry tomato seedlings in ten days."
"One hundred tomato seedlings will require a field that is two zhang long and two zhang wide, which will be enough. The soil should be sandy loam, and someone should apply enough fertilizer and make good ridges... These are the things that need to be prepared before planting. After planting, you can find someone to be in charge, and I will talk to him about the other things."
Looking at the couple's identical bewildered faces, Yuan Hongqu felt somewhat exhausted.
"Sister Yuan, how long does it take to harvest after planting? How many cherry tomatoes can you get from a hundred plants?" Wang Xifeng was quite curious about this question.
"If taken good care of, one tree can yield three jin (1.5 kg), and one hundred trees will yield about three hundred jin (200 kg)!"
Yuan Hongqu estimated that reducing the yield of one plant in the space by two-thirds would roughly equal the yield outside.
"If you plant now, you can start harvesting in July and continue until October," she said, giving a very conservative estimate.
The tomatoes she used to grow typically started bearing fruit after three months. After fruiting, with proper care, sufficient fertilizer, and suitable temperatures, they could actually be harvested as late as November.
"The output is so high!" Jia Lian exclaimed in surprise.
Yuan Hongqu just mentioned that the land area is less than one-tenth of an acre, yet it yields 300 catties. What if it were one acre or ten acres?
Although Jia Lian mainly focused on the family's economic affairs, he was quite familiar with crop yields per acre, but he had never seen any crop with such an astonishing yield per acre. Jia Lian didn't even dare to calculate that number!
Jia Lian couldn't believe it, but Wang Xifeng felt it was a bit too little.
"Sister, there are only so many tomatoes left. If we divide them between the two households, there won't be much left..."
Yuan Hongqu glanced at her indifferently.
"Second Grandmother, things are valued for their rarity; if there's too much of it, it's worthless."
Wang Xifeng still wanted to try, but when she met Yuan Hongqu's somewhat indifferent gaze, she was startled. Had she said something wrong?
“Sister Yuan is right. Are you free this afternoon, Sister Yuan? I’d like to go and learn to read from you…” Wang Xifeng said.
Actually, she couldn't wait until the afternoon, but Sister Yuan seemed a little angry, so she decided to wait a bit longer.
Wang Xifeng thought to herself.
Yuan Hongqu forced a smile.
"Whenever you have time, Second Madam, please come over. I will write down the planting method for cherry tomatoes and you can take it to Second Master Lian."
Jia Lian was still reeling from the shock of the yield of over 3,000 catties per mu, until Wang Xifeng tugged at him.
"Sister Yuan is going back now, why don't you see her off?" With that, she took a handkerchief and followed Yuan Hongqu out.
As if waking from a dream, Jia Lian followed.
He was behind the two women and overheard their conversation.
"The old lady asked us to make some dishes with tomatoes. It's almost noon, so I need to hurry back and check how they're going."
Jia Lian steadied himself. Had he heard correctly? What did Teacher Yuan say? Tomatoes can be used in cooking?
"Sister, I want to eat too." Wang Xifeng tugged at Yuan Hongqu's arm and pleaded. Yuan Hongqu smiled.
"There's no food prepared for you, so just go eat at the old lady's!" Yuan Hongqu said without any politeness.
"It's not as comfortable as my sister's house. Sister, what dishes did you cook?" Wang Xifeng didn't care at all.
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