Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

Pei Jingshi and several officials rested briefly in the main hall before Jiang Xing led them to the potato field. Village Chief Tian was afraid of dealing with officials, especially those from the imperial court, who were even more powerful than the county magistrate. He rubbed his hands together and stood at the courtyard gate watching them go.

As they left the village, several officials followed Jiang Xing, passing through the courtyards of several households.

Minister Chen, with his sharp eyes, tugged at Director Zhang's sleeve and gestured upwards with his chin: "Look, isn't that cured meat hanging under the eaves of that house?" Director Zhang looked up and indeed it was.

A few steps further, I saw another house with half a dried chicken hanging at its door.

He hissed and said in a low voice, "This village seems to be living a more comfortable life than many other villages." Minister Chen said, "Indeed. Look at these houses, with their blue bricks and black tiles, all neat and tidy. When we passed through the town, we didn't see many places this nice." Director Zhang nodded and didn't say anything more, but slowed his pace and looked around.

Pei Jingshi walked at the back of the crowd, looking at the ridges of the fields and the houses, feeling somewhat dazed. The last time he came, the village wasn't this neat and orderly. The roads weren't this smooth either.

Now even at the village entrance, two rows of small trees have been planted, their tender buds just sprouting, looking lush and green. He looked up at Jiang Xing; she had already walked to the edge of the potato field and was bending down to talk to an old man in the field.

The old man was Tian Gouzi's father. Upon seeing so many officials, he hurriedly put down his hoe and stood helplessly on the ridge of the field.

Jiang Xing said, "Uncle Tian, ​​it's alright, you go about your business. We're just looking around." Uncle Tian rubbed his hands together, nodded repeatedly, and stepped aside.

Jiang Xing straightened up and waited until everyone had arrived before saying, "This is the first batch of potatoes this spring. If you gentlemen want to see the origin, we must start with the selection of seeds. Potatoes aren't just cut up and buried in the ground."

"First, you have to select the seeds. They should be uniform in size, with obvious buds, and the skin should not have any rotten spots or insect holes. After selecting them, cut them into pieces. Each piece should have at least one bud; if it's missing one, the seedlings won't grow strong."

Minister Chen asked, "What is a bud?"

Jiang Xing squatted down, took a seed potato from the basket at the edge of the field, and pointed to the small indentation on it: "This is it. Potatoes sprout from these holes. So when cutting the seed potato, you have to cut around this."

After she finished speaking, she used the knife next to her to cut the potato in half, leaving one or two buds on each piece.

Director Zhang leaned closer to look and said, "It really is. I've seen people growing yams in the north, and they cut them into pieces like this, but they don't follow these strict rules."

"Yams are more robust, while potatoes require more care. After cutting them, they can't be planted immediately; they need to be mixed with straw ash and left to sit for half a day. This helps the cuts heal, making them less likely to rot when planted."

Minister Chen said "Oh," and quickly nodded to the clerk behind him, who hurriedly took out a piece of paper to take notes.

Jiang Xing led them a few steps into the field, pointing to the ridges: "When planting, the ridges should be high and the furrows deep. Potatoes grow in the soil, so they need to spread outwards; they only dare to grow when the soil is loose. Clay soil and wet soil won't work. They'll get waterlogged after rain, and the tubers will rot. Sandy loam like this is the best."

As she spoke, she grabbed a handful of soil to show them: "This soil also contains wood ash and composted green manure. Without sufficient base fertilizer, relying solely on the weather won't allow the potatoes to grow tall."

Minister Chen said, "This is even more troublesome than planting wheat."

"It takes effort. But potatoes have a high yield; one acre is equivalent to three or four acres of rice."

If these potatoes can really yield more than 3,000 catties per mu as Jiang Xing said, that would be no small amount.

He then asked, "When will it be collected? How can we check it?"

Jiang Xing said, "Wait until the stems and leaves turn yellow and droop. Don't rush to dig it up. Wait another seven or eight days to let the bark mature. If the bark is too tender, it won't last long and will break easily. If the bark is mature, it can be stored for more than half a year."

Director Zhang chimed in, "What if it rains? Can it still be collected?"

"Wait until the soil is drier before digging. If you dig it out of wet mud, the mud and sand will stick to it and it will easily rot. After digging it out, you also need to let it dry first. Don't expose it to the sun; let it air dry in the shade." She explained carefully, and the officials listened intently.

Minister Chen even said, "Miss Jiang, if you don't mind, I plan to stay in Xia Yun Town for a while until the potato harvest, so I can see the whole season. I don't want to just rely on your words; I want to see it with my own eyes."

Jiang Xing smiled: "If you're willing to stay, that's for the best. There's plenty to see in the fields."

The group emerged from the potato field and walked along the ridge to the other side. After walking for a while, Minister Chen suddenly stopped.

The rows of arched sheds in front of us, white in the sunlight, stood in neat rows and columns, like rows of large steamed buns growing in the ground.

He turned to Pei Jingshi and said, "Lord Pei, when you came here last time, was this thing already in the village?"

Pei Jingshi looked in the direction he pointed and shook his head: "No, when I left, this area was all open ground."

Vice Minister Chen asked, "Then do you know what this is? What is it used for?"

"I don't know. Perhaps we should ask Miss Jiang." After he finished speaking, his gaze also fell on the greenhouse. He wanted to know too.

Before Pei Jingshi could speak, another official from the Ministry of Revenue asked Jiang Xing, "Miss Jiang, what are those bulging things?"

Jiang Xing looked in the direction he was looking and said, "Those are greenhouses. They're used for growing vegetables."

Minister Chen paused for a moment before saying, "Growing vegetables requires a shed? That's quite unusual."

Jiang Xing said, "If you gentlemen would like to take a look, I will lead you inside." As she spoke, she walked toward the nearest greenhouse.

Jiang Xing walked to the greenhouse door, lifted the curtain, and a wave of heat and humidity, along with the smell of vegetables, rushed out.

Vice Minister Chen was the first to exclaim "Oh!" and then bent over as he went in. Once inside, he froze.

It was still chilly outside in early spring, but inside it was as warm as April.

The greenhouse was full of greenery, and there were also vegetables that he didn't know the names of.

Director Zhang couldn't help but squat down and touch the leaves of a tomato plant. His fingers were wet and cold. He looked up and said, "What kind of vegetable is this? The leaves are even more tender than the vegetables outside." Jiang Xing said, "This greenhouse can keep the temperature warm and retain moisture. It's still cool outside in the mornings and evenings, but we can plant the seeds here earlier. I cultivate these vegetables myself. Outside, we don't dare to plant them until Qingming Festival, but here we can eat them in December."

Minister Chen stood up, looked at the lush greenery, and asked, "What is this shed made of?" Jiang Xing replied, "The frame is made of iron, and it's covered with a special kind of oilcloth. It lets in light but traps heat."

Several officials exchanged glances. If this method could be widely adopted, many places could grow more crops for an extra season.

Minister Chen hurriedly asked, "Miss Jiang, could you please explain to me in detail how this greenhouse is constructed? If it can be widely adopted, it would be a great benefit to the country and its people."

Jiang Xing did not evade the question, but stood still and said, "If you want to hear it, my lord, I can certainly tell you. But the most important thing is the material on top. This material is a special kind of oilcloth that I obtained when I was fleeing famine in the north many years ago. It is translucent and can trap heat. We have run out of it now, and I am trying to replace it with other oilcloth or straw mats. If I can really find a replacement, I will report it to the court without you having to say anything."

She spoke frankly, without a trace of concealment. Seeing that she had put herself into it, the Vice Minister of Revenue did not press the matter further and simply nodded: "In that case, I will trouble you to take care of things, young lady. If you encounter any difficulties, you may send someone to Xia Yun Town to find me."

Jiang Xing said "Okay".

They had seen what they needed to see and asked what they needed to ask. The officials still needed to rush back to town to rest. Jiang Xing didn't offer them a meal, but only had Xiao Fang and Qing Ye load the local specialties they had prepared earlier onto the cart.

Jiang Xing saw them off to the village entrance, saying goodbye to each of them, with Pei Jingshi walking at the very back as usual.

Jiang Xing also slowed down and walked alongside him for a short distance.

Pei Jingshi turned to look at her: "Is there something you want to ask me?"

Jiang Xing paused slightly, then pursed her lips. "There is indeed something." She hesitated for a moment before saying, "How is the fighting at the border these past few months? Are the casualties still heavy?"

Pei Jingshi frowned almost imperceptibly. Jiang Xing thought he had asked something he shouldn't have, so he quickly added, "If it involves classified information, then there's no need to say."

Pei Jingshi shook his head: "It's not a secret. I'm just a little surprised that you suddenly asked about this."

Jiang Xing didn't hide anything from him: "Young Master Ling came to my place before and took away a large amount of grain and fodder, saying that the border was in dire straits and Young Master Chu was holding on alone at the front. I thought that the border was bitterly cold, and the soldiers would probably have an even harder time in the winter. Later, Doctor Wang and Doctor Gu also went there. They've been gone for so long, and they haven't sent back a single letter. I'm not worried about anything else, but I'm worried that they're getting old and won't be able to withstand it."