Chapter 183 (2/2)

“Sweet potatoes? Is it the new crop that can produce thousands of catties in one mu of land?” When the emperor made his first voyage, he had brought back the high yielding crop, sweet potato, which was quickly popularized . With this high-yield crop, the early Great Ming Dynasty, which was stirred up by war and in a disastrous state, finally wouldn’t have even more people dying of hunger…

Yu Xiaocao nodded her head and said, “The yield of sweet potatoes is really good . If they are planted well, it’s possible to get a harvest of two to three thousand catties in one mu of land . ”

“Stop bragging! At this time, the heads of wheat at the farmstead are already sprouting . Yet these sweet potatoes still only have leaves and nothing else . With just one to two months remaining, they can produce over two thousand catties? Who are you kidding!” Xia Furong smirked, and her tone was filled with the intention of finding fault .

Yu Xiaocao looked at her as if she had seen a weirdo . She asked in surprise, “Older Cousin, you don’t think that sweet potatoes are grown on vines, do you? Pffft… Don’t misunderstand, I’m not laughing at you… But, it’s really funny… The fruit of sweet potatoes are grown underground . Uncle coachman, please stop in front…”

Yu Xiaocao jumped off the carriage and picked up a dried branch from the roadside . She dug downwards along the vine of the sweet potato in the field beside them .

“Hey! How can you randomly dig other people’s sweet potatoes? Isn’t that the act of a thief? Quickly come up . It will be so shameful to be caught ah!” Xia Furong screamed as if she was afraid others wouldn’t hear her .

Yu Xiaocao ignored her and dug out a sweet potato that weighed over one catty from the sweet potato vine, as well as a few small sweet potatoes that were less than one catty . She removed the mud on top with her hand, took the sweet potatoes to the carriage, and flaunted to Lady Fang, “G.o.dmother, look, these are sweet potatoes . Sweet potatoes can be cooked, steamed, and roasted! It tastes delicious and sweet . If you eat it once in a while, it’s pretty good!”

Xia Furong looked at her with disdain and said, “I didn’t expect you to be a such a person! Didn’t your mother ever tell you that taking something without asking is the act of thieves?”

The smile on Yu Xiaocao’s face gradually faded . Her big eyes stared at Xia Furong with dissatisfaction and she uttered one word at a time, “You can say anything about me! But please don’t drag in my parents!! What do you know? This land belongs to my eldest granduncle’s family!!”

Her staring caused Xia Furong to feel restless . She muttered in a low voice, “Even if it’s your eldest granduncle’s fields, you can’t just dig in it…”

“Eldest Granduncle, you’re taking a walk?” Before Xia Furong could finish speaking, her words were interrupted by Xiaocao . Xiaocao, who was sitting on the shaft of the carriage, greeted the figure in the distance with a smile .

Yu Lichun looked up and saw Xiaocao sitting on an unfamiliar horse carriage . He nodded at her first, and then said, “Yes, I didn’t have anything to do, so I came to check out the fields! Whose carriage did you come back in?”

“It’s my G.o.dmother’s, who came from the capital . I’ll take her home to rest first—Eldest Granduncle, I was craving roasted sweet potatoes, so I dug up several sweet potatoes from your fields just now…” Yu Xiaocao giggled without a trace of embarra.s.sment .

Yu Lichun knew that before they had divided from the main family, the Yu Family ate two meals a day . But Xiaocao had a weak stomach and needed to eat an extra meal of sweet potatoes in between the two mealtimes every day . The little la.s.s had eaten sweet potatoes for such a long time, and now that she was living a better life, she still couldn’t forget that taste ah!

He chuckled and said, “It’s something grown by your own family . If you want to eat it, then just dig for it yourself! Your family didn’t plant any sweet potatoes this spring, so when it’s time to harvest the crops, I’ll tell your third uncle to send a few sacks over . ”

“Thank you, Eldest Granduncle! Later, I’ll get a watermelon from our field and send it to your house!” Yu Xiaocao understood the principle of ‘courtesy requires reciprocity’ .

Yu Lichun hastily waved his hands and said repeatedly, “No, no need! A watermelon costs several taels . Eldest Granduncle can’t afford to accept it! You should keep it to sell for money…”

Yu Xiaocao smiled like a blossomed flower and said, “Eldest Granduncle, why can’t you accept it? It’s grown by family, so why can’t you eat it? Last winter, if you hadn’t lent me money to see a doctor, I might have… You have saved my life, so what’s wrong with eating a watermelon? Okay, it’s settled then . You haven’t tasted our watermelons yet!”

Yu Lichun wanted to say something, but Xiacoao waved her hands at him, jumped onto the carriage, and drove past him . Yu Lichun shook his head with a smile . To know how to be grateful, that little la.s.s, Xiaocao, was really someone who deserved to be loved .

“That was your eldest granduncle? Your families seem pretty close ah! Why did your G.o.dfather write in his letter that your family doesn’t seem to have a good relations.h.i.+p with your grandparents’ family…” Lady Fang didn’t treat Xiaocao like an outsider and asked with slight concern, upon recalling the contents of the letter .

Yu Xiaocao also didn’t hide anything from her G.o.dmother . She avoided the serious matters and briefly explained, “We don’t have a good relations.h.i.+p with my grandmother . My grandmother is… As a younger member of the family, it’s not proper for me to comment on that . You will know in a few days . My eldest granduncle’s family are pretty good people . It was so difficult last winter, but they still gave us all their money in order for me to see a doctor!”

“What’s wrong? Your health isn’t good? Your G.o.dfather didn’t tell me that ah!” Lady Fang looked at the slightly thin, but rather spirited, girl in front of her and asked with concern .

Yu Xiaocao hugged Lady Fang’s arms and rubbed her face against her like a spoiled cat . She whispered, “My health wasn’t very good in the past . Last winter, I was seriously ill and almost died! But, I’m alright now! Don’t people always say: ‘If you survive a disaster, you will be blessed’ . Sure enough, I need to thank the heavens for letting me meet G.o.dfather and G.o.dmother!”

Lady Fang pulled the little girl into her arms and said with a smile, “You ah, your little mouth is as sweet as honey . G.o.dmother has a hundred-year-old ginseng . Just take it as a meeting gift . Tell your mother to make ginseng stewed chicken to nourish your body . You’re too thin!”

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