I trade in both worlds

As he spoke, he remembered the video he watched yesterday that said potatoes cannot be eaten if they sprout, so he quickly added, "Second Grandpa, if the potatoes have sprouts, they are poisonous and will be poisoned if eaten. This needs to be made clear."

"Hiss..." The patriarch looked at the potatoes in the basket and hesitated a little.

Xu Xu was afraid that he would back down and say he would not plant anymore, so he quickly held up a potato with buds and said, "Don't worry too much. If the buds sprout and grow a root system, you can't eat them. If they don't grow, you can use them normally. The difference is obvious and easy to tell. This one can be eaten normally."

The clan leader was still a little hesitant, worried that if good things were not done, and something went wrong, the entire clan might be implicated.

Xu Xu continued, "Once the seeds come back and we start to grow them, you will be able to feel the difference intuitively."

The clan leader decided to make this clear to Liu Shenzhi first, reminding him that he must make a note of it when reporting to the emperor. Let's just leave it at that for now, nothing can be accomplished if you are afraid of the consequences.

The patriarch gritted his teeth and said firmly: "Okay, I know, I'll go first then."

Second Aunt Xu handed the picked potatoes to Xu Qinglin, and together with Xu Jizong and Xu Xu, she sent the clan leader and his son out.

After leaving the Xu family yard, Xu Qinglin looked at the clan leader with excitement, his mouth grinning almost to his ears: "Dad, what do you think about this matter for Jianzhi..."

Xu Jianzhi is the second son of Xu Qinglin. He passed the imperial examination at the age of 18 and is 21 years old this year. He is currently studying in the provincial school and is planning to take part in the provincial examination in two months. If he can pass this time, he can try his luck in the spring examination next year.

If potatoes can really produce high yields and Xu Jianzhi can pass the imperial examination this year, his name will definitely appear on the desks of the powerful in the capital.

The clan leader interrupted Xu Qinglin and said, "It's too early to talk about this now. It won't be too late to consider it after he passes the imperial examination. Come with me to the county government to find Liu Shenzhi first."

"Eh." Xu Qinglin felt a little disappointed because he didn't get the answer he wanted. He would write a letter to his son when he got home in the evening, asking him to work hard to pass the imperial examination. It would be a pity to miss such a good opportunity.

The clan leader and Xu Qinglin went to the county town, while Xu Xu prepared lunch with Aunt Xu.

Looking at the 12 potatoes left in the basket, Xu Xu discussed with Second Aunt Xu: "Second Aunt, take two out to roast, and then give each of us a piece to try the taste."

"Okay, I'll follow your instructions. You're the chef today." Aunt Xu replied.

"Hehehe..." This made Xu Xu laugh: "Then I'll make the decision. Take two to stir-fry spicy potato shreds, three to stew braised pork, and the rest to make potato pancakes, and finally make porridge."

"Okay, I'll roast the potatoes. It's easy." Lin Erya said as she sat beside the stove and lit the fire.

"Then let me cut the vegetables. How do you cut them?" Chen Lihua said.

"Come on, let's divide the work and make lunch together." Xu Xu said with a smile.

Xu Youyin came back just as lunch was served. Looking at the braised pork on the table, he felt the corners of his mouth a little wet, so he quickly rolled up his sleeves to wipe it.

Lin Erya cut the baked potatoes into 6 pieces and sprinkled some salt on them. Except for Xu Xu and a few children, everyone got a piece.

After eating a piece, Xu Jizong said, "It's OK. It does make me feel full. It can be eaten as food."

"Indeed, if the yield per mu is really that high, we won't have to worry about not having enough to eat anymore." Xu Youliang agreed after finishing his meal.

After finishing the roasted potatoes, Xu Jizong picked up a piece of potato pancake. When Xu Youyin saw him pick up his chopsticks, he couldn't wait to pick up the braised pork with his chopsticks. He took a bite of the braised pork and a bite of the potato, and said in surprise: "This thing is quite delicious. The roasted potatoes just now were just so-so. I thought the cooking was similar."

Aunt Xu rolled her eyes at him and said, "How can it not taste good with so much meat? The potatoes and meat were stewed together for an hour."

Here the Xu family was trying potatoes. The clan leader and Liu Zhubuye each held a baked potato and ate it, taking a bite of the potato and putting a piece of braised pork in it.

The baked potatoes smelled delicious, but tasted just so-so after being dipped in salt. However, they did make one feel full. After eating the baked potatoes, Liu Zhubu took another piece of potato pancake, smelled it, and thought, "Hmm, it smells really good." I wonder how it tastes?

As soon as he took a bite, Liu Zhubu's eyes lit up. After finishing it in three or two bites, he picked up the bowl, picked up a piece of potato from the braised pork, and then picked up a piece of spicy and sour potato shreds with chopsticks. Before he knew it, the rice in the bowl was finished.

The clan leader was almost the same. After the two put down their bowls and chopsticks, they were silent for a moment. The clan leader asked, "Shenzhi, what do you think?"

"It can indeed be used as food. It gives a strong sense of fullness." Liu Zhubu watched Xu Qinglin mash the remaining broth from the braised pork with potatoes and mix it with rice. He felt that he should be able to eat a little more, but unfortunately his plate was empty.

The clan leader followed Liu Zhubu's gaze and saw that his son looked greedy as if he hadn't eaten for years. He said unhappily, "You have scraped off the little bit of soup left in the plate. Look at this plate, it's cleaner than a washed one. Someone who doesn't know would think I didn't give you any food."

Xu Qinglin looked up and smiled, then continued to work hard with his head down. Liu Zhubu watched him eating, a faint smile showing in his cold eyes.

The clan leader didn't want to see his embarrassing eating scene, so he turned to Liu Zhubu and said, "Shenzhi, I plan to plant 30 acres, 10 acres of each variety, what do you think?"

The person who provided the seeds did not show up. After considering it, the clan leader decided not to plant too much. 30 acres was just right. More would be too conspicuous, and if too much was planted, many things would be difficult to explain. So the seed planting was just right, not more, not less. Since he said that he encountered foreign businessmen who bought the seeds by chance, the quantity could not be too large.

Liu Zhubu thought about it, nodded and said, "Okay, you guys plant first, don't miss the farming season, don't talk to others yet, I will go to the city tomorrow to discuss it with my father-in-law."

Liu Zhubu's father-in-law is the governor of Youzhou. If this matter is done well, it will be good for both him and his father-in-law. He has been the Zhubu here for 5 years, and it is time for him to step down.

His father-in-law has been re-elected as prefect for two terms and will also be moved next year. The difference is whether it will be a promotion or a lateral transfer. But if the potato thing is accomplished, his father-in-law's entry into Beijing will be just around the corner.

"Okay." The clan leader nodded and agreed: "Now that it's confirmed, I'll go back first. Time is a bit tight and there are many things to do."

Liu Zhubu also stood up and said, "I'll take you out. By the way, it's time to go back to the county government office."

After receiving the planting quantity from the clan leader in the afternoon, Xu Xu prepared dinner in the evening and waited for the tile pickers to leave. Then he took the children and dinner to find Xu Ziqing and ask her to help buy seeds.

She planned to buy 100 kilograms of each variety, preparing nearly half more. One reason was to make up for the shortage of seedlings, and the other was to distribute some to each household so that everyone could try the taste of the potatoes.