Chapter 66: Mother is Always Right

Chapter 66

The next morning, Li Yao ate some rations and then went to check the flat lands in the valley.

This piece of flat land was at least a thousand acres, of which about 800 acres were planted with sweet potatoes. Although far less dense than artificial plantations, and the tubers were very small, she estimated that even at one-tenth the yield of artificial plantations, each acre could produce about 300 jin.

800 acres would yield 240,000 jin.

With over 1,000 villagers in He Wan village, each person could get about 160 jin on average.

Although not enough for every villager to last until next year's wheat harvest, with careful rationing, it would definitely be enough to get through the new year.

Of course, how to distribute these sweet potatoes - who gets them, how much each gets - needed careful consideration.

Compared to the sweet potatoes, the potatoes were far less, probably just over ten acres, estimated to yield about 5,000 jin.

Given the small amount, she decided not to distribute the potatoes to villagers, keeping them for her own family. The leftovers could be kept for seed potatoes, to plant on the barren mountains along with sweet potatoes next year.

Once there was a surplus, they could slowly promote wider planting.

After making a rough plan, Li Yao dug up some sweet potatoes and potatoes, then started gathering spices on her way back.

This place was at least 30 li from the village, deep in a valley, so even with several hundred able laborers in the village, transporting so many sweet potatoes back would not be easy.

They would need to build a road first, then use ox carts for transportation, in order to complete this task in the shortest time.

Otherwise if it dragged on too long, the sweet potatoes would spoil. And if other villages got word of this, they might want a share too.

After a whole day gathering spices, Li Yao arrived home before dark.

"Mother, weren't you going to be gone for a few days?"

"Something came up, so I came back early."

She looked in the kitchen, where He Xiaoya had already steamed some buns, but didn't seem to have started on any dishes yet. So she asked, "What are we eating for dinner tonight?"

"Um... I wasn't planning to make any dishes," He Xiaoya said. "I was thinking of just dipping the buns in some broth, and blanching some cabbage. That's enough."

Li Yao twitched her mouth.

She knew He Xiaoya wasn't being lazy, but frugal.

After all, they had been living off wild vegetables before earning money at home. Suddenly being able to eat their fill every day, even meat, was probably still an adjustment for her.

"Let's save the buns for tomorrow. Cook some rice instead, and I'll make a few dishes."

From her backpack, she took out two plump wild chickens and had Da Zhuang clean and prep them. Li Yao also peeled some sweet potatoes and potatoes.

"Mother, what are these?"

"I don't know, I dug them up in the mountains," Li Yao said casually. "But I tried them, you can eat them, and they taste pretty good."

The sweet potatoes were indeed sweet. Li Yao considered drying some into sweet potato snacks after harvesting them.

"Mother, why don't you give them names?" He Xiaoya suggested.

"Sure," Li Yao pretended to think, then picked up a piece of sweet potato and said, "This one is orangey red, a bit like taro, so let's call it sweet potato. As for this one...it looks like a big bean grown in the soil, so let's call it potato."

The children twitched their mouths. How did it look anything like a bean?

But since Mother had named it potato, they would have to call it potato.

"Mother," after dinner, Da Zhuang couldn't help asking, "Where did you find these? Should we go dig up some more tomorrow?"

"I was just about to discuss this," Li Yao said. "Tomorrow, you, San'er and Xiao Si will come with me into the mountains. I found a place with huge amounts of sweet potatoes, enough to feed the whole village for half a year."

The children all gasped.

"That much?"

"Then will no one in our village go hungry anymore?"

"Or have to flee famine anymore?"

"What do you think?" Li Yao asked. "Should we tell everyone, and let them go dig together? Or keep it to ourselves, and sell them to make a lot of money?"

The children looked at each other, unsure how to answer.

"Da Zhuang, you go first."

"I think...we should tell everyone," Da Zhuang said. "We aren't lacking money now, but most villagers have no food left, surviving on wild veggies.

Li Yao nodded approvingly, then asked Wang Er's opinion.

"Of course tell everyone," Wang Er said. "But as the ancients said, 'Benevolence begets enmity'. So we can't just let everyone go dig. We should inform the village chief first, and think of a prudent approach."

Li Yao nodded approvingly again.

As expected of the educated one, thinking further than the eldest.

Finally she looked to San'er and Xiao Si.

Wang San'er: "I think Eldest Brother makes sense."

Wang Xiao Si: "I'll listen to Mother, Mother is always right."

Li Yao: ....little bootlicker.

"Then we'll do as Eldest Brother suggested," Li Yao said. "But there are very few potatoes compared to the sweet potatoes, so we'll keep the potatoes to ourselves. Save them to eat."

"Sounds good!"