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Shen Zi’an sought out Li Shitou and explained Su Zhi’s idea to him. Li Shi found it feasible; he had great faith in them. Moreover, he believed that if these noodles could truly be made, they would surely sell throughout Liang Dynasty, becoming a beloved delicacy. Su Zhi’s cooking was renowned for its deliciousness; if she claimed these noodles were good, then they must be.
Together, Shen Zi’an and Li Shitou approached Li Zheng and laid out the plan.
Li Zheng was surprised. Why on earth did they need so many sweet potatoes and potatoes?
“The villagers are indeed interested in switching to planting potatoes and sweet potatoes. Why do you suddenly want to buy them now?” Aunt Jinhua, placing two bowls of water in front of them, sat down and continued, “Both of your families are doing well now. Even if you want to store some food, it should be rice, flour, and grains—things that really satisfy hunger. What’s the point of buying potatoes and sweet potatoes? Moreover, why wait until then? By that time, the price of grain will definitely rise, and many families won’t be able to afford it. They’ll have no choice but to eat potatoes and sweet potatoes, and they won’t sell them to you. Eating those can at least fill one’s stomach. If they sell to buy grain, they won’t be able to eat enough.”
Li Shitou responded, “Uncle Li Zheng, you know potatoes and sweet potatoes can grow well even without much water, and the yield is higher compared to rice. It’s also better than grains, isn’t it?”
Li Zheng nodded, saying, “That’s for sure.”
Li Shitou clapped his hands and said, “That’s right. They can keep some for themselves to eat and sell the rest to Brother Zi’an. With that money, they can buy some grains and flour. It’s definitely better than just relying on potatoes and sweet potatoes all the time. Brother Zi’an mentioned he doesn’t want the villagers to go hungry later on, so he’ll offer a higher price than usual when buying sweet potatoes.”
Li Zheng pondered for a moment. It seemed to make sense. Sweet potatoes have a high yield, better than planting sorghum or rice. If they keep some to eat and sell the rest for grains and flour, it’s indeed a good plan.
“But I’m afraid the price of grains and flour will rise by then,” Li Sheng interjected from the side. He didn’t want his father to bear the consequences if things went wrong. When people are desperate, they won’t care about etiquette.
Li Shitou nodded, “Exactly! If there’s a severe drought and food prices rise, it’s the perfect time to encourage villagers to plant sweet potatoes and potatoes. If the drought doesn’t happen and it rains by divine mercy, those who planted potatoes can sell them to us for silver, then use that money to buy grain. Isn’t that a good thing?”
Aunt Jinhua chuckled beside them, saying, “That’s right! son, this is a good plan. If the villagers know that planting sweet potatoes and potatoes means they won’t starve in a drought and can even sell them for silver if there’s no drought, they’ll surely be willing to plant them! It’s better than having nothing at all.”
Li Zheng understood now. Originally, everyone was hesitant about whether to switch to planting sweet potatoes and potatoes because they feared the possibility of a drought ruining their crops, but now that someone was willing to buy these crops, what was there left to fear?
“Haha, Dad, it seems we did get a bit too worried and ended up tying ourselves in knots!”
Li Sheng laughed from the side.
Li Zheng joined in the laughter, thinking to himself how Shen Zi’an and Li Shitou had come talking about buying these things, and they ended up feeling embarrassed instead. However, considering that fewer villagers might suffer losses because of this decision, he felt relieved. His eyes gleamed brighter as he looked at Shen Zi’an and Li Shitou. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder why they wanted to buy those sweet potatoes and potatoes.
“Zi’an, what do you need those things for?” Li Zheng asked. He wasn’t worried that Shen Zi’an might change his mind after saying he’d buy these things. He knew Shen Zi’an too well. He was a man of his word and wouldn’t go back on his promise.
Shen Zi’an thought of Su Zhi’s words, mentioning they were for making food when talking to Li Zheng.
“Uncle Li Zheng, my wife wants to use sweet potatoes and potatoes to make a kind of food,” he explained.
Aunt Jinhua perked up upon hearing this. “Your wife is making something delicious again? It’s bound to be good! With her skilled hands, I admire her even though I’m much older! But why do you need so many sweet potatoes and potatoes for food? Even if it’s made, aren’t you worried about it spoiling? Will it sell?”
Shen Zi’an replied confidently, “My wife says these things can be stored. As for selling them, we haven’t sold any yet, so I’m not sure. But I trust my wife.”
Li Shitou chimed in, “My sister-in-law’s skills are top-notch. They’ll definitely sell.”
Aunt Jinhua nodded and said, “I believe what you’re saying. When you have so many sweet potatoes and potatoes, making that food will definitely require help. Remember to call me. I want to earn some money for oil and salt too.”
Li Zheng had already instructed his wife and daughter-in-law to spend more time with Su Zhi, saying she had many skills and could benefit from the association.
Aunt Jinhua naturally took this to heart. She knew that Shugen’s Wife and Li Qing’s Wife had both made things with Su Zhi to sell and had earned silver. She was a bit jealous as she listened. She didn’t want to miss out this time and thought about buying all the sweet potatoes and potatoes in the village. That would certainly be a big business deal.
Zhao Feng, who had been listening nearby, also spoke up after a while. “Count me in too. Don’t treat me as an outsider. By the way, Zi’an, is the new house in your garden meant to be a workshop?”
Shen Zi’an nodded and said, “Yes, it’s intended to be a workshop. My wife has been planning to start a small business for a while now. Originally, the sweet potatoes and potatoes we grow ourselves would have been enough for us to make food to sell. Since it’s our first time, we didn’t want to make too much. We thought we’d establish a reputation first and then expand. But with this drought, we thought about encouraging our fellow villagers to also grow sweet potatoes and potatoes. If they want to sell them later, we’ll buy.”
Li Zheng listened attentively and responded, “Zi’an, both you and your wife have good hearts. On behalf of our villagers, I thank you both. Rest assured, they will remember your kindness!”
Li Sheng added, “Yes, Zi’an, you both have good hearts. No wonder even the Sacred Beast is willing to follow you. Even the water sources we dug up aren’t connected to our river. If Riverside Village successfully weathers through this, you two will surely continue to be blessed by heaven. Let’s not delay, Dad. Let’s plant sweet potatoes and potatoes in our rice fields!”
Li Zheng nodded approvingly, thinking to himself that his son finally had some initiative and understood the importance of taking the lead, as well as forging good relations with Shen Zi’an and Li Shitou.
In fact, Li Sheng had always had a good relationship with Shen Zi’an and Li Shitou, but he spent less time in the village, so his interactions were fewer. Now that he was willing to engage more with the villagers, it was a positive development. Li Zheng was even considering grooming his son to inherit his position in the future!
Zhao Feng chuckled and said, “Then I’ll make sure to learn how to make those foods from my sister-in-law when the time comes.”
Li Shitou thought to himself that Zhao Feng might not be able to learn it easily, considering there were secret recipes involved. They were planning to sell these products nationwide, so could they entrust them to others? However, he didn’t voice his concerns. It was better to let Su Zhi and the others handle this matter for now. They hadn’t started yet, so maintaining a low profile was wise.
Li Zheng quickly convened a village meeting and presented Shen Zi’an and their proposal to the villagers. After hearing the plan, everyone agreed to go home and consider it.
“I reckon most folks will switch to growing potatoes and sweet potatoes,” Li Shi remarked to Shen Zi’an. “After all, if we continue with rice paddies, we might end up with nothing if the fields dry up!”
To Li Shi’s surprise, the reality exceeded his expectations. It wasn’t just a majority of the villagers who decided to switch to growing potatoes and sweet potatoes—it was every single person in the village. They were all unwilling to endure the anxiety of potentially losing their crops to a complete drought.
Instantly, the villagers’ attitude toward Shen Zi’an and his wife improved significantly. They felt grateful towards them for giving them courage. By sacrificing some rice seedlings now, they had a guarantee of food security with potatoes and sweet potatoes if a drought occurred. Moreover, if there wasn’t a drought, they planned to sell their produce at a good price to Shen Zi’an, allowing them to purchase rice and flour.
Shen Youfu specifically called Shen Zi’an over to ask him about the matter.
Shen Zi’an responded with the same answer he gave Li Zheng’s family. Shen Youfu thought they were being ridiculous, but Shen Zi’an ignored him. He always adopted this indifferent attitude towards his father; the more his father nagged, the more stubborn he became. Unless his father crossed a certain line, Shen Zi’an would maintain this stance. Eventually, Shen Zhang shi intervened, asking Shen Youfu not to meddle in their children’s affairs.
“Zi’an and his wife are both thoughtful people. They must have thought it through. Don’t worry about them,” Shen Zhang shi reassured Shen Youfu. She then turned to Shen Zi’an and added, “Your father worries about you too, even if he doesn’t say it. Don’t hold it against him.”
After Shen Zi’an left, Shen Youfu remained angry. His frustration stemmed from the worry that Shen Zi’an would spend all his money on buying those potatoes and sweet potatoes. He also wanted him to use some of the money to help Shen Ziju in passing the imperial examinations.
Shen Ziju frowned slightly upon hearing Shen Youfu’s words. He was indeed frustrated about the family’s financial situation, but he was more curious about why his fourth elder brother and sister-in-law wanted to buy a large quantity of potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Deciding to visit his fourth elder brother and sister-in-law’s home to inquire about the matter, Shen Ziju also realized that he had not seen that generous and refreshing woman for a few days, and he found himself missing her a little.