Divorced woman with child travels through time

Seeing that it was almost time, Chen Wenfang took out the sweet potato chips she had specially made, and after thinking for a moment, also got a small bag of the drier sweet potato chips Uncle Liu Hai had made. She also took two raw sweet potatoes, and then asked Shi Tou to take Chen Xuanyu to watch the herb stall and sell herbs. With Aunt Liu watching over them, there was nothing to do. The main thing was to let the children learn how to sell things, so they wouldn't be too shy around strangers.

She strolled past the stalls, greeting acquaintances one by one. Most of the passersby were dressed simply, with a few wealthy individuals scattered around, but not many. Turning a corner and arriving at the main street of Lijia Town, the number of well-dressed, elegantly dressed rich people increased significantly. Chen Wenfang sighed and strode forward.

Upon arriving at the Ouyang residence, the servant recognized her and asked her to wait a moment before going to inform the family. A short while later, he welcomed her inside.

Still in the main house, surprisingly, besides Ouyang Jin and his wife, County Magistrate Ouyang was also there.

Chen Wenfang stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Magistrate, Madam, and Young Master Ouyang."

Ouyang Junyan raised his hand and said, "Madam Chen, there's no need for such formalities. This is home, so please make yourself at home. My son told me that Madam Chen is very fond of researching food, and the dishes she makes are things I've never eaten before. I was also very curious, so I came to take a look."

Jiang Mingyue also laughed and said, "Madam Chen, don't worry too much. My husband also loves to eat new things, so he came over to join in the fun."

Ouyang Jin smiled beside her, indicating that she was alright.

Seeing how gentle the family was, Chen Wenfang felt relieved. After all, they were county magistrates. In both his past and present lives, aside from the time he accidentally killed someone, he had never met an official taller than a village head. He really didn't know how to deal with them. Moreover, this was ancient times, and Chen Wenfang wasn't sure if he could be beheaded for saying the wrong thing. But if they really didn't like him, they could easily frame him for a crime and make him suffer. In short, it was always better to be careful.

Chen Wenfang then smiled and said, "Then please forgive my overstepping."

He then took the bundle, placed it on the table, and opened it. Ouyang Jin immediately crowded around, wishing he could open it himself.

Before Chen Wenfang could speak, Ouyang Jin grabbed a bag of hard dried sweet potatoes, opened it, and casually tossed a piece into his mouth. After chewing it, he found it too tough to bite into and said, "Ugh, why is this thing so hard? Isn't it supposed to be eaten?"

Chen Wenfang chuckled, then suppressed a laugh and said, "It's food."

Ouyang Jin then began to chew with great effort. Chen Wenfang advised, "Don't chew yet, hold it in your mouth for a while."

Ouyang Jin said "Oh" and obediently took it in her mouth.

Chen Wenfang took out another bag of sweet potato chips she had made herself and said, "It'll taste better if you hold it in your mouth for a while before chewing. That one is hard, this one is soft. You can try this one after you finish that one." After saying that, she opened it and held it in front of Jiang Mingyue and Ouyang Junyan, "You can try this one first."

Jiang Mingyue picked up a piece that was translucent and quite pretty, and slowly tasted it with her hand. Mmm, it was soft, sweet, and slightly sticky to the touch; the texture was quite nice.

Ouyang Junyan also took a piece and ate it. Hmm, it was chewy, sweet but not cloying, and a little sticky.

Ouyang Jin finally finished the hard piece and immediately grabbed a soft one. He concluded that the soft one was delicious and couldn't stop eating it, so he casually picked up Chen Wenfang's paper package. While eating, he asked, "Is this all made of sweet potato?"

He had seen sweet potatoes before. The imperial court promoted the cultivation of sweet potatoes, and his father brought some back, cooked them, and ate them. The taste was the same, but not as delicious as this. Madam Chen is really skillful.

Chen Wenfang laughed and said, "Yes, this one is hard and is also dried sweet potato. As long as it is stored properly, it can last for several months or half a year without any problem. This one is soft and can last for half a month in winter if stored properly. This sweet potato is very filling and can fill you up when you are hungry. However, eating only this can cause heartburn. You can add some fruits and vegetables to it and it will be fine."

Jiang Mingyue pointed to several raw sweet potatoes and asked, "Are these sweet potatoes easy to grow? How are yours going?"

Chen Wenfang replied, "They're easy to grow. Sweet potatoes aren't picky about the soil. As long as they're grown well, a yield of 1,000 jin per mu is not a problem."

Ouyang Junyan stood up abruptly, bumping his head on the table, making the cups and saucers clink. He said sternly, "What? A thousand catties per mu? Madam Chen, you can't talk nonsense."

Chen Wenfang took two steps back, facing him directly, and bowed, saying, "This humble woman dares not speak presumptuously."

Jiang Mingyue tugged at Ouyang Junyan and said, "Sit down, don't frighten them." Then she asked, "Madam Chen, I know you're not one to talk nonsense, how did you arrive at the figure of a thousand catties per mu?"

Chen Wenfang looked at Ouyang Jin and said seriously, "Young Master Ouyang must know Uncle Liu Hai, the one who always sets up a stall with me."

Ouyang Jin nodded and said, "Father, the man who accompanied Madam Chen to the trial last time was the one older than her."

Ouyang Junyan took a sip of tea, calmed down, and said gently, "What happened to him?"

Chen Wenfang said, "Uncle Liu Hai is a well-known farming expert in the area around Wangjiazhuang. He likes to grow new things. He started by planting peanuts and was the first to buy sweet potatoes to grow. He planted one mu of land, and I followed suit and planted three small plots. Because it was my first time planting, I didn't know much about it, so the yield per mu was only 800 jin. But my three small plots were well managed and had enough fertilizer and water, so I produced 100 jin."

The Ouyang family of three were all somewhat shocked. Chen Wenfang waved the dried sweet potato chunks in her hand and said, "These dried sweet potatoes cost two pounds of sweet potatoes to make one pound. Your Excellency could send someone to the market to check; Uncle Liu Hai is selling them very well there."

Ouyang Junyan beckoned to his servant and told him to go to the market. He then said, "Madam Chen specially brought these three things for my son. Is there any purpose behind them?"

Chen Wenfang smiled and said, "Young Master Ouyang has a pure heart and loves the people like water. I think it's because you and your wife raised me well. I was able to survive thanks to Young Master Ouyang's kindness when I first arrived, and my wife also gave me a generous reward. Now I have no worries about food and drink and have no other desires. However, the court's promotion of sweet potatoes must also be for the benefit of the people, to solve their food and clothing problems and to bring them benefits. I also heard that you, sir, exempted our town from taxes for three years, allowing the people to make a living. Therefore, I am grateful to you and your family. Such a beneficial thing for the country and the people must give you a real figure for a bumper sweet potato harvest so that you can rest assured."

Ouyang Junyan and Jiang Mingyue exchanged a glance, both feeling a sense of gratitude. This Madam Chen was truly a kind person who knew how to repay kindness. It was no wonder that Jin'er had been so devoted to her.