Chapter 215

“My younger uncle never thinks about the future, living meal to meal. I knew he didn’t have any money to buy anything, so I asked him what he had to trade.

He said he’d trade twenty-something acres of wasteland. I know the land he’s talking about, it’s overgrown with weeds taller than corn stalks, but I thought, it’s still better than clearing new land.

Besides, the kids are older now, and with more hands to work, we can gradually improve the soil by composting and tending to it. But we had only kept enough potato seeds for our original land and had traded the rest with the villagers. We can’t just ask for them back,” Aunt Zhang said with a growing smile, unable to suppress her laughter.

She had been worried about what to plant on the twenty-something acres of wasteland.

No matter what they planted, the yield couldn’t compare to potatoes!

Zhang Xiaocao chimed in happily, “My mom was really worried, especially since this land isn’t like fields where we can plant a winter wheat crop. Wasteland isn’t suitable for that.

We were thinking about planting some vegetables and leaving the rest fallow until next spring.”

Bai Ziqian: …It really is a coincidence.

Shuiqing didn’t see it as mere coincidence, “It’s because you’re diligent and seized the opportunity. With hard work, expanding your land was only a matter of time. Don’t worry, your wealth, land, and forest holdings will only increase.”

Without hard work and seizing opportunities to earn some silver and property, even if Zhang Tuzi and others wanted to trade land for food, it wouldn’t be possible.

They would have to approach the village head or other wealthy families to make such trades.

Tongniu, Tieniu, and Muniu, having grown up poor, were always looked down upon in the village. When children quarreled, their poverty was used against them. They had never heard such kind words.

Especially since these words came from Sister Shuiqing, who often helped them. They felt especially comforted and happy!

“If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have seized any opportunities. We’d be like my younger uncle, except he has extra land to trade for food, whereas we barely have a few acres!” Aunt Zhang started to cry, recalling the hard times.

The four children also remembered the hunger, the sleepless nights, and the stomach pains from hunger.

“Young Master Bai, don’t feel bad. Even on wasteland, potatoes can yield over a thousand catties per acre. We know how tenant farmers work, they hand over sixty percent of their crop!

After giving that, we still get at least four hundred catties per acre. That’s much better than growing anything else,” Aunt Zhang said, comforting the blushing and uncomfortable Bai Ziqian.

Their golden and silver cattle were helping deliver potatoes for Old Master Bai, earning one or two taels of silver every five days.

Old Master Bai valued potatoes highly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen to plant them here.

The wasteland would be wasted if left fallow, but planting an extra twenty or thirty acres of potatoes would yield enough food to feed the family for two or three years.

Bai Ziqian was surprised that Aunt Zhang was comforting him. His face turned even redder.

He sneaked a glance at Sister Shuiqing and saw her calm expression.

Shuiqing casually announced, “Aunt Zhang, if you cultivate well and get a good harvest, whatever you can’t consume, I’ll buy at the price of coarse grains.”

Bai Ziqian was astonished and widened his eyes. Sister Shuiqing hadn’t mentioned this before coming!

Shuiqing: …Can’t tell you everything.

Aunt Zhang was truly surprised that potatoes could be sold for money!

Everyone in the village would be planting them in the second half of the year, so each household would have plenty. With such high yields, buying or even trading for them with sorghum flour would be impossible next year.

Selling them outside the village was uncertain, as people who hadn’t seen potatoes before might not dare to buy and eat them.

She rubbed her hands together and stammered, “You… at the price of coarse grains? How about the price of black flour instead?”

“Making money isn’t the issue, but the potato seeds were given to her by Shuiqing! Selling them back to her at the price of coarse grains would be heartless.”

Shuiqing waved her hand, speaking plainly, “It’s fine, but let’s be clear. I’ll buy at the current coarse grain price, which is nine wen per jin, right? If the price of grain skyrockets next year, I might not be able to afford it.”

Better to set terms now than deal with trouble later.

“Even if grain prices go through the roof next year, it’ll still be this price!” Aunt Zhang agreed happily.

Zhang Xiaocao, Tongniu, Tieniu, and Muniu all nodded vigorously.

No matter how high the prices go, it wouldn’t matter to them. Without Sister Shuiqing, they wouldn’t have their big house or full bellies.

Moreover, the potatoes hadn’t even been planted yet. Sister Shuiqing was the only one willing to buy them at nine wen per jin.

Shuiqing and Bai Ziqian were sent off by the five for a long distance before they reluctantly returned.

Now experienced, they knew that families who planted potatoes in the first half of the year would keep enough seed potatoes. Cases like Aunt Zhang’s, who acquired land temporarily, were rare. So they avoided families that planted potatoes earlier in the year.

Walking on the village’s dirt road, Bai Ziqian hesitated and asked, “Auntie, what if the grain prices rise significantly next year and they don’t want to sell?”

His father had said that the feudal lords might rebel, and if they did, it would mean war, causing grain prices to soar.

Was Aunt Shuiqing stockpiling potatoes to sell at a high price later and make a big profit?

“If they don’t want to sell, they don’t have to. We still get sixty percent of the crop, which is almost enough,” Shuiqing said indifferently.

Having more was good, but less wouldn’t matter much, as she wasn’t planning to eat or sell these potatoes.

Bai Ziqian, hearing this, overturned his previous guess and deeply missed his father. If his father were here, he could surely clarify things!

On the road, Bai Mianshan, escorting a cart, suddenly sneezed loudly.

He muttered to himself, “Strange, who’s talking about me?”

Hmm, it must be Huyu missing him!

Luckily, he sent a letter back to report his safety. Once the potatoes were delivered, he’d hurry back!

Thinking of the potatoes, he looked at the long, unending convoy.

On both sides of the road, people with wooden sticks and ragged clothes stopped, staring intently at the tarps covering the carts.

“Stop staring, stop staring. I’m a fabric merchant, and these are water-soaked fabrics that aren’t worth much. I’m taking them to a place without floods to sell cheap!

They’re worthless, can’t be eaten, and are heavy. Nothing to see here,” Bai Mianshan shouted as he walked.

Some people stopped staring and continued their journey in silence, while others kept their eyes fixed on the carts.

Among the convoy, those who had entered the city after the flood were fine, but those who hadn’t were nervous, palms sweating.

Fan Erzhu swallowed hard and asked with a shaky voice, “Why do their eyes look like we’re food too?”