Chapter 120: Cultivating yields of four thousand catties per mu, five thousand, even eight

It's fine; I have no parents in the city either. I married Liyan, so you are my parents, and naturally I should be filial.

Lu Yuan sat cross-legged on the kang, waving his hand as he spoke.

Su Father was still talking about building the house.

However, this matter has already been decided; no amount of talking will change it.

Su Father also knew this couldn't be changed, after all, all those materials had already been hauled over and piled outside his house and in the courtyard.

Lu Yuan looked at Su Father and continued:

"When the third day comes, they'll just come directly; you don't need to worry about anything—just provide them a meal at noon each day."

After hearing this, Su Father kept nodding, got up, and was about to pour Lu Yuan a drink.

Lu Yuan smiled and waved his hand, saying:

"Father, I won't drink; after the New Year I plan to have a child with Liyan, and I'll drink only after the child is born."

Lu Yuan's words left the few men on the kang a bit dazed.

What does drinking have to do with having a child?

Of course, most importantly, Su Father, a little dazed, looked at Lu Yuan and said:

"Huh? You haven't had a child yet?"

Outside, Su Mother was also a bit dazed; she had been thinking of waiting until today when her daughter returned to ask if there had been any news, since it's been over a month since she married.

How come they still haven't had a child?

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, grinned and said:

"If we had a child now, Liyan would give birth in summer."

"Then, in the hot summer, after giving birth she couldn't ventilate and could only sit in bed, which would surely give her a heat rash."

"So we'll wait a few more months; when the child arrives it'll be autumn, which is cool, and Liyan won't suffer."

Everyone listened to Lu Yuan's words, nodding as if they half-understood.

They had never considered such a thing before.

Meanwhile, the two aunts outside plus Su Mother looked at Su Liyan and involuntarily said in a low voice:

"Your husband really knows how to dote on you."

At that moment, Su Liyan, who was kneading dough, said with a face full of happiness:

"Of course, my husband dotes on me the most~"

After finishing talking about having a child, Lu Yuan then turned to Second Uncle and said:

"By the way, in a month the new workshop will be built, and I've secured a spot for you, Second Uncle."

"After the third day, when I return, I'll have someone build you a restaurant; Second Uncle, get ready at home, and when I call you, you'll head straight to the city. By the way, what about your eldest son?"

Second Uncle has an eldest son who was supposed to come help later, but he hasn't been seen before, and not today either.

Second Uncle startled, then waved his hand and said:

"Never mind; the shopkeeper in that town won't release him—he only started heading back today, so he probably won't get home until tonight."

Lu Yuan nodded but didn't say anything else.

Now Second Uncle really looks pleased; from now on he can go to the city to take charge of the kitchen.

If he earns more money, he could buy a house in the city and become a city dweller.

Second Uncle, after thinking, hastily sat up and handed Lu Yuan a cigarette, offering to light it for him.

Lu Yuan waved his hand and said, smiling:

"Since we're trying for a child, I'll stay away from cigarettes and alcohol this month."

Second Uncle didn't quite understand, but he nodded repeatedly.

Third Uncle on the kang was practically bursting with envy toward his elder brother, the second brother.

No need to mention his elder brother—just look at this son-in-law, he gets everything done.

They're about to start building a new house!

Look at the materials the son-in-law bought, that cement!

And there's marble too!

The people who delivered the materials said at the time that just these materials alone would cost several thousand dollars!

After this, his elder brother's family will practically be living in a palace!

His second brother isn't doing badly either!

Now the son-in-law has gotten them set up in the city, so from now on they'll be city folk.

They won't be farmers anymore!

To say Third Uncle isn't envious would be a lie.

But there's nothing to be done but envy, after all, he himself has nothing.

He never married a fox-clan daughter-in-law back then; the daughter he had is nowhere near as good as Su Liyan.

Secondly, he has no skills.

He can't even recognize a couple of characters; all he knows is how to farm.

He knows nothing else.

Lu Yuan, however, noticed Third Uncle's expression and immediately grinned, saying:

"Third Uncle, you don't need to worry; we're all family, and I'll definitely keep you in mind for any good things to come."

Third Uncle was stunned, then felt a surge of excitement.

Just having the son-in-law say that is enough!

The excited Third Uncle wanted to pour Lu Yuan a drink, but then remembered Lu Yuan isn't drinking now.

Want to pass a cigarette to the son-in-law, but then thought this son-in-law also doesn't smoke.

For a moment, it was rather awkward.

Could only hehe foolishly smile and nod, which made the people on the kang laugh along.

At noon on the first day of the new year, this meal wasn't just eating dumplings.

That was proper good dishes.

These dumplings would be eaten as staple; after the men on the kang finish drinking and eating dishes, when it's about done, we'll add a few more plates of dumplings.

Of course, Lu Yuan's dumplings were wrapped by his wife herself.

That was really delicious.

Lu Yuan really doesn't boast at all.

After Lu Yuan finishes eating these dumplings, he will get off the bed.

After all, not drinking on the kang, one really can't sit that long; the kang is heated so it scorches the buttocks.

Besides, Lu Yuan doesn't smoke, and these few men don't smoke either, making it seem like Lu Yuan is restraining these people.

Lu Yuan also felt uncomfortable, ate some vegetables, made some dumplings, then Lu Yuan got off the bed.

Come to the main hall, preparing to take his wife out for a stroll to get some fresh air.

The woman's table finishes eating quickly, after all they don't drink or do anything else.

After everyone finished preparing the dishes for the men's table and sent them up.

They gathered in the main hall and finished eating in a short while.

After eating, they sat in the main hall chatting, waiting for the men inside to call for something or ask what to do.

After Lu Yuan got off the bed and put on his shoes, he came to the main hall and looked at Su Liyan, smiling and said:

"Wife, have you finished eating?"

Su Liyan turned her head, saw, and with a smile stood up and said:

"Finished eating~"

Lu Yuan nodded and said:

"Brother also finished eating, let's go, follow brother out for a stroll to get some fresh air."

Su Liyan nodded repeatedly, went to her room to fetch a coat for her husband, and also changed into new clothes herself.

For the new year, naturally one should wear new clothes when going out.

Su Liyan, while helping Lu Yuan put on his clothes, curiously said:

"Brother, why don't you eat a bit more inside?"

Lu Yuan then pursed his lips and said:

"Not smoking or drinking, one can't stay inside; better to go out for a stroll."

Su Liyan also, after pursing her lips and smiling while dressing her husband, then changed into new clothes and new shoes, then turned her head to look at the mother who had been staring at her and said:

"I'll take my husband out for a stroll."

Mother Su, smiling, nodded repeatedly and said:

"Hurry go, when it gets cold quickly return home, Yuan'er has a bad stomach, don't let cold wind in outside."

Finally, Su Liyan happily linked arms with her husband, as soon as they went out she sweetly gazed at Lu Yuan and softly asked:

"Brother~ where do you want to stroll? ~"

Lu Yuan looked around and said:

"Anywhere is fine, you used to go there strolling, just lead me there."

Su Liyan blinked.

This…

Su Liyan previously really didn't go out strolling much.

It's not that Su Liyan liked staying at home since childhood.

Where is there a child who doesn't want to play?

However, Su Liyan has a younger brother, needs to take care of him, also go to the fields to help, and also help her mother tidy the house.

Every day's livelihood is really plentiful.

That is, earlier the village had a teacher who retired from the city; Su Liyan would only go out when attending private school.

Besides, there's nothing to play with in the village.

Lu Yuan glanced at his wife's embarrassed expression, then slightly raised his eyebrows and said:

"Anyway, it's fine, wherever you want to go is okay, anyway it's just a stroll."

Su Liyan thought for a moment, then suddenly looked at Lu Yuan and said:

"Brother~ I'll take you to other people's houses, I still have a friend here."

Lu Yuan nodded and said:

"Okay."

Afterwards, Su Liyan led her husband toward a direction behind the village.

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, amusedly said:

"What, you only have one friend in the village now, looks like your social connections aren't great."

Su Liyan naturally knew her husband was joking, she tightly clung to his arm and coquettishly said:

"No way, I used to have great social connections in the village, the village girls all liked to play with me~"

Lu Yuan raised his eyebrows and laughed, saying:

"Then how come only one friend is left?"

Su Liyan blinked and said:

"Because they're all married off, so one is married within the village, and the others married into other villages; they won't come back until the second day of the new year~"

Lu Yuan nodded, that made sense.

Soon, Su Liyan led her husband to a household in Qiu Qiu Village.

Upon entering the door, Su Liyan excitedly waved and said:

"Wan Ling~~"

In the courtyard, a woman was feeding chickens by the fence.

Upon seeing Su Liyan, the woman named Wan Ling also excitedly threw down what she was holding and hurried over, excitedly saying:

"Liyan~~"

Lu Yuan glanced at the woman; she was quite pretty, though not exactly human.

She seemed to be of the serpentfolk.

Her pupils were of the type similar to snakes and lizards.

This is still quite common in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Especially in the countryside, it's even more so; for example, Qiu Qiu Village has half its population human, the other half other races.

Of course, these are people who have been assimilated for several generations already.

They only have a slight bloodline trait.

For instance, the little fox ears on my wife's head, and Wan Ling's pupils.

Such things are noticeable only at first sight; after a while, they cease to matter.

After Su Liyan excitedly hugged Wan Ling, she turned to introduce her husband to him.

The woman called Wan Ling, full name Zuo Wan Ling, is a resident of Qiu Qiu Village.

After growing up and marrying, she also married a man from Qiu Qiu Village.

The commotion in the courtyard also drew the people inside out.

Everyone naturally knew Lu Yuan.

After all, many had previously gone to the Su Clan to ask for cigarettes and red envelopes.

Zuo Wan Ling's husband is an ordinary human, a farmer, quite honest and not very talkative.

Lu Yuan then handed over a pack of cigarettes.

Lu Yuan doesn't smoke now, but he carries them, especially when returning to Qiu Qiu Village, he often hands them out for no reason.

Zuo Wan Ling's husband wanted Lu Yuan to go inside and warm up on the kang.

However, Lu Yuan had just eaten and was feeling hot all over, so he wanted to step out for some fresh air; thus he declined, saying they could just chat in the courtyard.

Meanwhile, Su Liyan and Zuo Wan Ling were holding hands and chatting nonstop beside him.

Zuo Wan Ling's family also set up a small stool for Lu Yuan, and everyone accompanied him as he basked in the sun in the courtyard.

Not long after, Zuo Wan Ling's mother-in-law came out of the house and handed Lu Yuan a roasted potato, sprinkled with some salt and chili powder; this also counted as entertaining Lu Yuan.

Not everyone eats fish and meat during the New Year.

Especially in these rural areas, being able to eat a pure meat dumpling once during the New Year is already good.

Like the Su Clan at noon still having leftovers to make good dishes, stewed meat, stewed fish; Qiu Qiu Village probably only the village head's household and the Su Clan have that.

Other households can only eat a meal of dumplings when they set off firecrackers in the early morning.

As for morning, noon, etc., it's still just as before.

Lu Yuan had come out after eating his fill and didn't really want to eat more.

But he couldn't resist when people pressed food into his hands, especially since this potato was roasted and really quite tempting.

Moreover… this potato… is also quite big.

Previously, the potatoes Lu Yuan saw were no bigger than a woman's small fist.

But the potato in his hand now is about the size of his two fists.

And… taking a bite, it really is delicious!

Actually, the potatoes here are not hard to eat.

Last time Su Liyan returned home, she took those potatoes, which were yellow-heart potatoes, and they were tasty.

However, none were as big as this one.

"Eh, why are your potatoes so big……"

This roasted potato is also strangely delicious.

Especially for Lu Yuan, who eats fish and meat every day, it's still quite tasty.

As for Su Liyan, who was chatting with Zuo Wan Ling, upon hearing her husband's words, she then smiled and said:

"Brother~ this is Wan Ling's family's potato; her family's potatoes are all this big, and they're especially fragrant; when I was little, I often went to Wan Ling's house to dig up potatoes and roast them to eat."

Lu Yuan looked at the potato in his hand, blinked, and was reminded of some things.

Greenhouses are not only for growing vegetables and fruits.

In fact, greenhouses can also grow a staple crop.

That is potatoes.

Like wheat and rice, which cannot survive in greenhouses, but potatoes can.

Potatoes, on Earth, are called ground eggs in their homeland, growing underground.

They don't need the natural wind and sunlight conditions that wheat and rice require.

Strictly speaking, potatoes definitely count as a staple food.

As for their starch content, I won't even mention it.

However, the potatoes here are basically very small, about the size of a woman's fist, which is already considered large.

There are also some even smaller ones, not much bigger than peanuts.

Growing such potatoes in a greenhouse is really not worthwhile, to be honest.

So, Lu Yuan didn't tell Lin Fusheng that greenhouse cultivation could grow potatoes.

But if such potatoes could be grown, it would definitely be worthwhile.

Before Lu Yuan could say anything, Zuo Wanling let out a slight sigh and said:

"Our potatoes are good in every way, except the yield is low; other families' potatoes yield at least eight hundred catties per mu, while ours only yields about five hundred catties per mu."

The surrounding people also felt it a pity, originally thinking that the Zuo family would strike it rich with this potato, but it turned out to be showy but useless.

Lu Yuan, meanwhile, sat where he was and blinked his eyes.

Hmm...

Lu Yuan suddenly thought that he could rely on Zuo Wanling's large potatoes to cultivate a variety yielding four thousand catties, five thousand catties, or even... eight thousand catties per mu!

Thanks to zhuo bro for the 1666 book coin reward, thank you so much, mua~

Thanks to hu wu ke lian bro for the 200 book coin reward, thank you so much, mua~

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(End of chapter)