Chapter 494 - 494: Presenting Treasures

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Li Yu brought Uncle Zhou, Ji Xiang, and the others to plant the sweet potato poles in the ground.

When the few of them returned to the kitchen, Old Madam Liu and Auntie He had already cooked the sweet potatoes. Li Yu picked up a sweet potato and broke it into two pieces to reveal the yellow core. She took a bite. It still tasted the same. It was sweet, sticky and a little powdery.

Little Loach, Mao Dou, and the others also ate. As Little Loach and the others ate, they shouted in surprise, “Wow! It’s delicious! It’s actually sweet.”

After finishing their portions, everyone felt that they had not had enough.

Uncle Zhou said, “It’s delicious! It’s a little like cooked chestnuts, but not so dry. There’s more moisture than chestnuts, and it’s sweeter than chestnuts.” “Uncle Zhou is right.” Everyone nodded in agreement.

Li Yu thought to herself that she couldn’t eat too much or she would easily bloat, burp, and get heartburn.

After Zhou Jia returned from the government office, Li Yu brought him and Yangyang to the backyard and asked the father and son to dig out the box of sweet potatoes left for Zhou Jia.

Zhou Jia saw the yield of the sweet potatoes with his own eyes and his heart burned. After tasting them, he was even more satisfied.

“Yu’er, the yield of two boxes of sweet potatoes is already 70 to 80 catties. The yield is really high! In the future, we won’t have to worry about the drought and not having anything to eat.”

Li Yu nodded. “Yes! I think so too. Unfortunately, there are too few seeds now.” Zhou Jia smiled in satisfaction. “It’s a good thing that you already have seeds.”

“It’s so sweet!” Yangyang took a few bites of the sweet potato and asked Li Yu curiously, “Mother, why do we have sweet potatoes? Aren’t we afraid of not having food to eat when the sky is dry? Why don’t we have food to eat when the sky is dry?”

“Because sweet potatoes are not afraid of drought. They can be planted even if the sky is dry and there’s a lack of water. If the people have a harvest, even if it’s not much, they can fill their stomachs and won’t starve to death if they have something in their stomachs.”

Yangyang looked at Li Yu curiously. He couldn’t imagine what it was like to be hungry.

Li Yu looked at him and continued, ‘When there’s a drought, there’s no water.

Without water, we won’t be able to grow crops. Without food, we’ll go hungry. The drought will also cause a locust plague. Back then, your father and I were also busy because of the locust plague… This year, the farmers are busy. Go to the farmstead with Mother to help with farm work.”

“Got it!” Yangyang still couldn’t imagine the scene of locusts everywhere. He just felt that it was terrifying just thinking about it. He felt that his pores were standing up.

“There are so many insects. Just thinking about it is terrifying! Mother, can we eat locusts?”

Li Yu patted him gently and smiled. “Yes, it can be fried and barbecued. It smells quite good.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Then why did you escape? Just fry the locusts and eat them!” “Silly, without water, we won’t survive if we just eat locusts!”

“Mother, are we going to escape again when the locusts come again in the future?”

“We’re not escaping anymore. Before the locust plague happens, we can raise more chickens and ducks to prevent the locusts.”

“Mother, then let’s rear more chickens and ducks on the farm. When the locusts come, we’ll eat them all.”

“Yes! This year, let’s rear more chickens and ducks on the back mountain. There are also big geese. When the time comes, we’ll eat braised geese, taro seeds, roasted duck, pepper chicken, and beggar’s chicken.”

Yangyang drooled when he heard that. “Mother, you’re making me hungry.”

“Sigh!” Li Yu sighed. “I’m the one who’s greedy. I’ve been eating confinement food for two months. It’s salty and tasteless.”

Zhou Jia looked at his wife and son. “Look at you two. You were talking about the drought and ended up talking about delicious food. I’ll take you to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant to eat delicious food when I’m on break in two days.”

Yangyang touched his stomach. “Father, I want to eat Boss Liu’s mutton buns, roasted chicken, and fish. Let’s bring Uncle, Grandmaster, and Seven Pounds with us.”

Zhou Jia picked Yangyang up. “Alright, Daddy will bring them all to eat buns in the middle of the year.”

Zhou Jia decided to send the sweet potatoes to the palace tomorrow morning to make Chu Yuhao happy.

Li Yu told Zhou Jia the method of planting sweet potatoes and not eating too much. She asked him to record it and send it to the palace.

The sweet potatoes received unanimous praise from the Zhou family. Uncle Zhou took over the task of taking care of the sweet potatoes in the backyard.

The next morning, Zhou Jia went out and instructed Ruyi, “Send the sweet potatoes to the palace door in an hour and a half. After I request to see His Majesty, I’ll come and haul them.”

Ruyi said with a smile, “Master, aren’t you going to bring a piece of sweet potato to the palace for His Majesty to see?”

Zhou Jia smiled. “I think it feels better to see the sweet potatoes dug out of the frame with his own eyes.”

After the master and servant agreed, they left. Zhou Jia dispersed and went to the hall to see Chu Yuhao.

When Zhou Jia saw Chu Yuhao, he handed over the booklet he had prepared. “Your Majesty, Madam found high-yielding grain seeds. Madam said that this food is resistant to drought and can be eaten with roots.”

After Chu Yuhao flipped through it, he looked at Zhou Jia excitedly. “Jiahe, quickly bring it to me. Let me see what the high-yielding grain seeds are like.”

Zhou Jia bowed and said, “Your Majesty, it’s still in the carriage outside the palace door. Ruyi is guarding it!”

Chu Yuhao’s curiosity was piqued. He wanted to see what kind of seed needed to be pulled with a cart.

“Oh! Get someone to pull it in.”

Zhou Jia brought Ruyi into the palace and placed the sweet potato frame on the cart outside the imperial study.

Chu Yuhao looked at the big wooden frame placed there and walked forward to fiddle with it. He did not find any fruits, only green vines.

Shen Zhong asked curiously, “Lord Zhou, you took the wrong one! How is this a grain seed? It’s clearly a flower.”

Chu Yuhao also asked the same question.

Zhou Jia bowed and said, “Your Majesty, please give me a pair of scissors and a small flower hoe.”

Chu Yuhao instructed the eunuch, “Hurry up and get it.”

A moment later, the servant sent over scissors and a flower hoe. Under pairs of curious gazes, Zhou Jia cut off the sweet potato vines according to Li Yu’s instructions and cut them into a foot long section.

“Your Majesty, the booklet states that this can still be planted. Get someone to dig out a soft ground and plant it according to the method I recorded.”

Hearing it could be planted repeatedly, Chu Yuhao looked at the wooden frame

in anticipation. With a wave of his hand, he asked the servant to find the ground.

“Your Majesty, the food grows in the soil. I’ll dig it out for you to see.”

“Alright, I’ll wait here.”

Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia’s actions and felt that they were too slow. He simply rolled up his sleeves and took the flower hoe from Zhou Jia’s hand. He bent down and started digging.

When the two of them worked together to dig out the first sweet potato, Chu Yuhao finally understood why Li Yu said that as long as it was planted properly, the yield would be very high.

“Jiahe, according to Madam Li, sweet potatoes can be steamed, barbecued, and dried…

Zhou Jia bowed. “Yes, Your Majesty. Get someone to cook it and try it.”

The servant took the sweet potatoes and went to look for the imperial chef. Shen Zhong also bent down to dig up the sweet potatoes.

After the box of sweet potatoes was dug out of the soil, Chu Yuhao looked at the sweet potatoes piled on the ground and shouted into the sky, “God bless Great Yong. ”

Shen Zhong, Zhou Jia, and the others knelt down and shouted, ‘Your Majesty is wise. God bless Great Yong.”

Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. “Jiahe, I thank Madam Li on behalf of the people of Great Yong..”