Lin'an Prefecture, Shenjia Village.
The spring breeze is warm and the earth is fragrant.
The mountains of Shennong Mountain are undulating. After a light rain sinks into the soil, green sprouts gradually sprout, adding a bit of vitality to this place.
At the foot of the mountain, villagers dressed in simple clothes were crowded. They neatly buried the green seedlings as long as a tiger's mouth into the soil. The potato seedlings they planted were like forming an army. They looked back to look at their "great achievements" , everyone smiled at ease unconsciously.
In the past few days, all men, women, and children in the village have been out in force. Even the patrol team that usually walks around the village temporarily put down their work and joined in to start the spring plowing.
"Uncle Mantun, aunt is here to deliver food again!"
"Oh, aunt still loves you. I can smell the smell of braised pork. It's delicious."
"Uncle Ah, I eat like this every day Aren’t you tired of being dirty?”
A few half-grown children joked loudly. Shen Mantun subconsciously looked up to the ground and saw a familiar figure walking towards him. The smile on his face gradually couldn’t be concealed. .
But happy to be happy, the naughty kid still needs to be taught a lesson.
"Are you guys itchy? You still dare to look at the jokes of your elders. It seems that you have become wild these days. I will talk to Mr. Mu later."
"Uncle, uncle! You can't do this!"
A few people were suddenly frightened, and started to cry as if they were facing a powerful enemy.
"Uncle, don't we envy the love between you and your aunt?"
"Yes, yes, we are so pitiful compared to each other. It's noon and there is no one to give us anything." When you bring food, you will beat your drum if you are hungry.”
Shen Mantun laughed and shook the dirt on his hands, "Hurry up if you don't finish the work. I'll see how you slap your butt with the sole of your shoe."
"Oh~ Just do it now, just do it now, You must never tell Mr. Mu. "
A few people were instantly discouraged. They couldn't help but tremble when they thought of Mr. Mu, who taught them how to read. He was obviously weak and gasping for breath with each step, and he spoke in a gentle voice. However, there was not a single child in the village. Not afraid of him.
That’s outrageous.
Shen Mantun didn’t care what the naughty children thought. He felt very happy when he saw their hands repeatedly picking up seedlings, planting them, covering them with soil, and picking up seedlings again. He walked a few steps to the nearest mound and sat down. Next, wait for your mother-in-law to bring you food.
"Old man, how's the planting going?"
"Don't worry, it will be done after dark."
The woman opened the food box, and a domineering aroma filled the air. Several young men nearby looked here frequently.
"You didn't eat at home, right? Let's go together."
"Okay."
The two of them sat facing each other as usual, holding a steamed bun in their left hand and holding chopsticks in their right hand. They started eating lunch one bite at a time, not forgetting to talk about daily life.
Last year, Dayan was hit by a severe snowstorm. Not only was Shenjia Village not starved of food like other disaster-stricken places, but it was able to save a considerable amount of money because it was backed by Shennong Mountain and had the help of powerful descendants.
During the autumn harvest last year, the high-yielding potatoes were bought by the government at a high price, which made the money even richer. Now every household can live in a brick house with large tiles, and they also bought land on the advice of the clan leader, which is a simple move. There is a small yield.
Shenjia Village has become the most dazzling place in Qili and Baxiang. There are countless women who want to marry, and villagers with daughters have become popular. The matchmakers who come to propose marriage are afraid of breaking the threshold.
"The prefect is a good official. He has left enough potato seeds for us. When they mature, there will be a big yield."
"After all, they were grown in our Shenjia Village. There is no reason why we should not be allowed to continue planting them."
Since potatoes were found in this area of Shennong Mountain, maybe it is Lin'an Prefecture that can grow the most potatoes in Dayan. What about good potatoes?
Shen Mantun was inexplicably proud. The old Shen family could really go down in history!
Thinking about the harvest scene in every household three months later, the old man suddenly became happy. When the ripe potatoes are sold, the neighbors will make a lot of money.
Well, after the harvest, we will spend some money to repair the ancestral hall.
Thanks to the ancestors for blessing!
The woman did not think as much as her old man thought. She was a little sad when she heard this, "Xing Luo said that the court has promoted potato cultivation in the past two years, and the price is good. If it takes a few years, I am afraid it will not be sold at a good price."
“You bitch You just have short-sightedness. If the price of the crops is high, who can afford it? The people will starve to death!” "." There's really no way to refute this.
Low grain prices hurt farmers.
But the people at the bottom of the valley are not humble enough to have enough food to eat.
The two of them only talked about this topic. After all, the family had a small income and the village was united and friendly. If nothing else, there would be no more hunger in the next few years.
"Old man, do we really want to plant that new seed called corn in the newly purchased fertile land?"
"Plant it."
“But didn’t Xing Luo’s letter say that wasteland can be cultivated?”
“What do you know.”
Shen Mantun took a bite of braised pork and said, “The wasteland and fertile land can be cultivated. The crops are definitely different. Others use wasteland to grow crops, but our family will use fertile land to wait for summer. I’ll have a good idea when I compare the yields during the harvest.”
“Oh, that’s right! Old man, you are very thoughtful and let the prefect see the difference.”
“ That is, do you think anyone can be honest?”
The woman glanced at him angrily, "I think you're distracted. Do you want me to ask dad to say a few words?" Wolf, when you get in front of dad, aren't you frightened and speechless just by looking at him? ’ look, realizing something was wrong and immediately showed a flattering expression from the bottom of his heart.
"Daughter-in-law, what a good wife! I'm just saying, you don't remember the faults of villains, but please don't mention it in front of dad."
"Humph~"
< br>In the evening of this day, Shen Manyun walked out of the fields and did not go home. Instead, he called Shen Qingsong, who had jumped up a lot, to go to the Shen family courtyard with a key in his hand.
More than half a month ago, Su Zhan arrived at Shenjia Village and handed Shen Mantun a letter and a key to his home, explaining that when he discovered potatoes in Shennong Mountain, he also discovered another crop called corn, which could be used as a staple food and cultivated in the area. The yield should not be underestimated either. The letter asked him to try planting in spring, and the seeds were placed in the small warehouse at home.
Shen Mantun’s hands holding the letter trembled with excitement, and he felt so beautiful in his heart!
Plant, must plant!
Please? That’s so polite!
Not only wasteland must be reclaimed for planting, but fertile land must also be planted. Otherwise, how can we compare the tenacity of corn's vitality?
If the guess is correct, the corn that the nephew of the No. 1 Scholar is attracted to must be a good thing, a treasure, and a rare genuine product.
The Shen family is going down in history again!
***
In Zhuangzi, a suburb of Beijing, thousands of miles away from Shenjia Village, Shen Xingluo also took Fuguang to scatter corn seeds into the soil.
Spring came earlier than usual this year, and the weather is getting warmer day by day. Corn can thrive without raising seedlings in advance, and it does not have high temperature requirements, so it can be sown in spring and summer.
The sun was just right at noon, so the few people felt hungry and quickly returned to Zhuangzi. When they opened the door, a burst of fragrance wafted into their noses.
“What did you do for lunch?”
“Vegetable dumplings.”
Cheng Xi pointed to the wooden basin on the side of the kitchen, where the freshly cleaned wild vegetables were placed. Green and tender.
“The first crop of shepherd’s purse that just grew this spring will be a treat at noon.”
"Do you need my help?" "No, spring plowing is tiring."
Compared with spring plowing, digging wild vegetables in the mountains is not considered a workload at all, okay?
Cheng Xi drained a basin of washed shepherd's purse and put it to one side, then took out flour and sprinkled it evenly, stirred, wait until the vegetable leaves are coated with an appropriate amount of flour, steam them for a quarter of an hour, and then they are ready to serve. .
Shen Xingluo didn't say anything, he just washed off the dirt on his hands and picked up a head of garlic and peeled it.
Several maids and servants on the farm were responsible for helping out, and from time to time they glanced at the masters in the kitchen, with expressions of wonder and novelty.
Their master is really not an ordinary person. Is it okay to cook by himself?
This is the first time I have seen such a host.
There is no technical content in vegetable dumplings. Even a novice in the kitchen can make them deliciously. The most difficult thing about this dish is not the vegetable dumplings themselves, but the dipping sauce is the soul.
Use a stone mortar to pound the peeled garlic into garlic paste, add salt, soy sauce, and sesame oil and mix well.
Live together.
Three baskets of wild vegetables are not a small amount. To save trouble, Cheng Xi decided to steam them all at noon and take them back to the two elderly people at home to taste them after dinner.
“It’s time to eat.”
Cheng Xi looked at the maid and the boy, “Your food is here, go and eat it yourself.”
“It’s not allowed to be used. , How can I bother my wife to do it myself? I’d rather make something else to eat by myself.”
"You have to go to the fields in the afternoon. Who will be responsible if spring plowing is delayed?"
"Yes, yes!"
The people in the village were divided into two groups, and Shen Xingluo and others were eating in the main hall. , Wang An took the servants from Zhuangzi and set up another table in the side hall.
But both sides are eating vegetable dumplings~(〃'▽'〃)~
The wild vegetables wrapped in a layer of flour are steamed, giving off an alluring fragrance. Pick it up with chopsticks, roll it in the dipping sauce, and put it in your mouth.
The original fragrance of wild vegetables combined with the spiciness of minced garlic gives it a full taste.
Conquer everyone's taste buds in one bite.
“It’s delicious!”
Wang An squinted his eyes in enjoyment and slurred, “This tastes very different from what I ate in previous years!”
“Yes, that’s right. Manager Wang is absolutely right, it’s delicious——”
"It's strange, they are all vegetable dumplings, why are they different?"
"Maybe the dipping sauce is different?"
A few people thought and smiled bitterly, and finally attributed it to the ingredients. The juice is different, but the clear spring water used to wash the wild vegetables is also the key to the unique taste.
The hosts in the main hall were also very satisfied with their meals, and the number of vegetable balls on the dining table was decreasing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Food always makes people feel happy. Shen Xingqi and Wang Shu ate happily. Even Fuguang felt that his body was completely exhausted after one bite. Maybe he could work harder in the afternoon.
While Cheng Xi was eating, he was thinking about things on Zhuangzi:
"Many people in Beijing know that you discovered potatoes, and they all know that we have seedlings at home. I'm afraid someone on Zhuangzi will be watching, here. Will planting corn be too eye-catching?”
“No need to. Worry."
Shen Xingluo looked calm, "It's not necessarily a bad thing to have too many people watching, at least no one will act rashly."
"That's right, they will probably be more interested in it than curiosity. To seize the opponent’s handle.”
In this way, Zhuangzi may be the most dangerous and safest place.
Cheng Xi's mind suddenly pictured a bunch of boys surrounding Zhuangzi, poking and monitoring each other but guarding each other, and he was instantly amused.
"This capital city is really not peaceful. It's just a potato. What's the matter?"
"Potatoes can produce four thousand kilograms per mu in Lin'an Prefecture, but they may not be able to do so in the suburbs of Beijing. If that's the case, If the family can grow this kind of yield or even surpass it, it will definitely make Long Yan very happy.”
“It’s really a strange desire to win—well, it will be a great honor for the family.”
Shen Xingluo chuckled. Having experienced two completely different planes, he understood Cheng Xi's speechlessness at this moment.
"Don't worry, there won't be any trouble in Zhuangzi. I asked Fuguang to send people to keep an eye on this place. Besides, Wang An is very reliable in doing things."
"Huh? You're not number one. This is the first time you’ve seen him?”
“This is the first time. I’ve heard of this person before.”
Wang An in his previous life was indeed one of his men. Although he had never seen him before, he knew him. He is a man of outstanding ability. When I met him today, I realized that the rumors were not false.
Just a bit out of character.
Wang-Meet the Potato Seedlings-An:
Cheng Xi doesn’t know whether Wang An is reliable or not, but after the scene in the morning she can confirm one thing, these potato seedlings are definitely Can grow well.
If someone really wants to take advantage of them, Wang An will definitely fight to the death.
***
Shen Xingluo's ten-day one-day rest ended with spring plowing.
The servants in Zhuangzi worked very hard, and Wang An continued to be excited, as if he had taken some kind of small pill, so that with the help of God, ten acres of potato seedlings were planted in one day.
During this period, Shen Xingluo quietly planted two acres of corn with Fuguang. The small golden grains were buried in the soil and disappeared, without attracting anyone's attention.
In the end, Wang An just got an order: "You don't need to interfere too much with the two acres of land here and weed it every once in a while." He happily agreed and declared, "There won't be any problems. Don't worry, master." ".
So everyone in the Shen family really felt relieved and returned to Beijing.
Today's meal of dumplings was widely praised, especially after Mr. Xu tasted it, his mouth was full of emotion. Looking back on the past, his wise eyes turned red for some unknown reason.
This was the first time that Cheng Xi saw a master whose emotions were so leaking. He wrote a 10,000-word essay in his mind. After deep reflection, he silently went to the mountains in space and gathered wild vegetables again.
In the morning, shepherd’s purse egg pancake.
At noon, Huihui vegetable dumplings.
In the evening, scrambled eggs with Chinese toon.
The three meals a day are based on wild vegetables and focus on a variety of cooking options.
“People without stories eat the taste of wild vegetables, but Master eats stories.”
“So this is the reason why our family has been eating wild vegetables for several days?”< br>
Shen Xingluo was speechless, "If you eat any more, it won't be a story but an accident."
"Wow, you can still make such a joke?"
Cheng Xi was stunned.
Shen Xingluo continued to protest in silence.
Finally, the menu for three meals a day was changed at Fifth Schedule Creek.
Yes, the hostess has regained control of the kitchen. Since Shen Xingqi and Wang Shu started modern elementary school courses and spent most of their time in the training room, they have no extra energy to concentrate on cooking.
Cheng Xi was also very happy with this - the woman in the ancient backyard was too leisurely, and she soon became ill. (End of chapter)