Chapter 159: Done!! Harvest yield 2500 jin of potatoes per mu!

After Lu Yuan had finished eating.

He kept fussing over the small mirror on the wall, grooming his hair.

Today he had to have a sense of ceremony.

Because the potatoes are ripe!

Lu Yuan today wanted to go see the potatoes; if today his luck was good...

Then he could see the high-yield potatoes; that way he could give them to Lin Fusheng and then quickly plant them.

During this period, the area around Huangcheng really hasn't stopped building greenhouses.

Especially after the southern winter floods, it's not just Huangcheng; the surrounding cities, those large northern cities, are all building greenhouses.

If today he could find a really impressive plant, then they could start large-scale planting next.

Potatoes mature quickly; from sowing to harvest is just two or three months.

Calculating that way, in five or six months they could completely lift this round of food controls.

Of course, these foods can currently only be planted in the north.

Agricultural products like this are basically just a different way, a different way of living.

One famous saying is: "In the south it's an orange, in the north it's a trifoliate orange."

Whether potatoes can be planted in the south remains to be seen.

Anyway, as long as they can be planted in the north now, that's enough.

At 8:30, Lu Yuan went out, locked the house, saw Wang Yulan and Wang Yulan exchange greetings, then Lu Yuan led his horse out of the courtyard.

When Lu Yuan exited the courtyard, walked along the hutong to the street, just as he was about to mount his horse to go to the Agriculture Bureau.

From behind came a voice saying:

"Lu Yuan!"

"Huh?"

Lu Yuan turned his head to look.

He saw Gu Qingwan get down from a carriage.

Lu Yuan really hadn't seen Gu Qingwan in a while.

Upon seeing Gu Qingwan, Lu Yuan also said somewhat surprised:

"Eh, what are you doing here?"

Gu Qingwan was startled, then slightly pursed her lips and smiled, looking at Lu Yuan and said:

"I came to find you."

"Looking for me?"

After Lu Yuan froze a moment, he immediately understood, and hurriedly pulled Gu Qingwan to the side.

The pulled Gu Qingwan felt a bit uncomfortable, twisted her arms trying to get Lu Yuan to let go.

But seeing Lu Yuan holding on tight, she gave up.

After Lu Yuan pulled Gu Qingwan into the hutong, he immediately eagerly said:

"Did you bring money?"

Gu Qingwan was startled, then involuntarily pursed her lips; indeed this guy only knows about money.

However, Gu Qingwan had already prepared for this, and immediately said:

"Here, for you."

After speaking, Gu Qingwan pulled out a 500-unit big note from her pocket.

Lu Yuan took the note, lifted his head to the sky, looking at the various stamp taxes on it.

Gu Qingwan beside him said speechlessly:

"What, could I still give you a fake note to fool you?"

Lu Yuan hehe smiled, put the money in his pocket, then looked at Gu Qingwan and said:

"There's more."

"Huh?"

"More?"

Gu Qingwan looked at Lu Yuan with a strange expression and said:

"What else? You aren't just asking for the 500-unit reward money, are you?"

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said:

"Don't you need a certificate for this? Where's my honor certificate?"

Although Lu Yuan never looks at his honor certificate.

But what should be given to oneself must be given to oneself!

Moreover, this thing is somewhat useful after all.

His wife is pregnant; in the future, to have a child for himself, when the child grows up, he should let his child know how awesome his father was back then, right?

Gu Qingwan blinked, as if… as if there was such a thing…

After Gu Qingwan came to her senses, she looked at Lu Yuan with an unchanged expression and steady heart and said:

"Um… the certificate is on the way; I happened to come here today to handle affairs, so I brought the money ahead of time; the certificate will be sent to your home when it arrives."

Lu Yuan nodded; the certificate isn't urgent; as long as it can be sent, that's fine.

Immediately, Lu Yuan nodded and said:

"Alright, thanks; I still have things to do, I'll go first."

After saying that, Lu Yuan was about to leave, while Gu Qingwan stood there blinking.

We've barely said a couple of sentences, and you already want to leave?

Gu Qingwan was stunned for a moment, then immediately said:

"What are you going to do?"

Lu Yuan turned his head, glanced at Gu Qingwan, and said:

"Harvesting sweet potatoes—what, you still want to go?"

Lu Yuan was just speaking offhand, while Gu Qingwan solemnly gave a slight nod and said:

"Um... I don't have anything else today, so I can go with you. Let's go."

Lu Yuan blinked, really going?

However, it doesn't matter.

Going is fine; it's a good chance to give myself...

Lu Yuan immediately nodded and said:

"Do you know how to write?"

Gu Qingwan startled, then gave Lu Yuan an annoyed glare and said:

"How so, you think I can't write?"

"Who are you looking down on!"

Seeing Gu Qingwan like that, Lu Yuan grinned and laughed loudly:

"Fine, I admit I was wrong."

Regarding Lu Yuan's words, Gu Qingwan gave him an annoyed glare and said:

"You always act rude toward me; I'm eight years older than you!"

Lu Yuan directly swung onto his horse, raised his eyebrows arrogantly and said:

"You're eighty years older than me, yet you still have to call me brother—who made us so awesome~"

Looking at Lu Yuan like that, Gu Qingwan couldn't help but laugh, then raised her eyebrows and said:

"Alright, alright, brother, let's hurry."

Lu Yuan grinned, then looked at the coachman in front of the carriage, raised his eyebrows and said:

"Got it, follow behind, eh."

The coachman of this carriage, after hearing their conversation just now, was dumbfounded.

He felt his ears were hallucinating...

Lu Yuan rode his horse ahead, while Gu Qingwan's carriage followed behind.

Soon they arrived at the Agriculture Bureau.

Today Lin Fusheng isn't here; these past two days, not only has Huangcheng started grain control,

The same goes for other places.

Now the Agriculture Bureau is extremely busy; Lin Fusheng is essentially its head, and he's been running around all day.

At his age, he's been riding a bicycle back and forth every day.

Being a leader isn't easy either~

Still, being comfortable is best~

Upon arriving at the Agriculture Bureau, Lu Yuan rode his horse straight in.

Who at the Agriculture Bureau doesn't know him, Lu Yuan?

As for Gu Qingwan's carriage, Lu Yuan also brought it inside.

After they had placed the horses, Lu Yuan prepared to take Gu Qingwan to the greenhouse.

As they were about to leave, Gu Qingwan turned back, looked at the coachman, and said coldly:

"Wait here, don't follow me."

The coachman startled, then hastily bowed and said:

"Yes..."

The coachman was quick-witted, just said 'yes' and didn't say anything else.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan led Gu Qingwan outward while saying:

"Can't you just buy a bicycle to ride?"

"It's so great—just pedal with your legs and you're off, much more convenient than riding a carriage."

"Or is it that you, as a young lady, are used to being served?"

Gu Qingwan pursed her lips and said:

"That carriage is so big and not even nice-looking; how am I supposed to ride it..."

Saying this, Gu Qingwan suddenly thought of something, blinked her eyes, looked at Lu Yuan and said:

"How about you also make me one like the kind your wife rides? I think your wife's ride looks nice, I could ride that."

Huh?

Lu Yuan looked at Gu Qingwan with a strange expression and said:

"How do you know what kind of carriage my wife rides?"

Gu Qingwan startled, then raised her eyebrows casually and said:

"Gu Lie said it; he often mentions you when he goes home, he's seen it."

Lu Yuan nodded; that's indeed true.

However, regarding Gu Qingwan's words, Lu Yuan shook his head and directly refused:

"That won't do; it's one-of-a-kind for my wife, I can't make the same for you."

Gu Qingwan pursed her lips, then said:

"Then you won't give me something different, but similar?"

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow at Gu Qingwan and said:

"Fine, pay up, 120 yuan."

Gu Qingwan: "???"

Seeing Gu Qingwan like that, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow and said:

"How, you wouldn't be trying to get a free meal, would you? That steel and such is public property—you can't just use it for free!"

Immediately Gu Qingwan gritted her teeth and said:

"Then did you pay for the thing your wife made?"

Lu Yuan shook his head and said:

"No."

But before Gu Qingwan could say anything, Lu Yuan spoke solemnly and righteously:

"My wife's vehicle is a test‑ride bike, you know how hard it is for her."

"Every day riding that bike she has to tell me her test‑ride impressions~"

"That way I can improve it—do you think my wife got it for free!"

Gu Qingwan glared at Lu Yuan, too lazy to say anything to him.

This guy always has so many twisted arguments.

He keeps coming up with weird words that leave others unable to refute.

Gu Qingwan doesn't want to listen to this nonsense.

"What bicycle? Gu Qingwan wouldn't ride it—it's improper!"

Finally, Gu Qingwan didn't speak either, following Lu Yuan out of the Agriculture Bureau's compound and heading toward the experimental field.

Many Agriculture Bureau staff, watching Lu Yuan and Gu Qingwan's backs, chatted among themselves.

Who is that woman?

Lu Yuan's second wife?

Instantly, everyone was practically dying of envy……

This…… Lu Yuan, both his wives are trying to outdo each other……

On the way to the experimental field, Lu Yuan pulled out a steel pen and a small notebook from his pocket and handed them to Gu Qingwan beside him, saying:

"Here, help big brother note things down later."

Gu Qingwan took the notebook Lu Yuan gave her, flipped it open, looked at it, and then made a strange face, saying:

"What are we supposed to record?"

She couldn't understand at all what was written on it.

Things like "number one," "number two," and so on……

Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow, put a cigarette in his mouth, bit on it, stared at Gu Qingwan and said:

"You talk so much—when I say something, you just write it down!"

Seeing Lu Yuan like that, Gu Qingwan gritted her teeth and said:

"Can't I even ask casually?!"

Lu Yuan glared and said:

"Don't ask, stop looking, light one up for big brother!"

Gu Qingwan clenched her teeth, looked at Lu Yuan and angrily said:

"No matches!"

Lu Yuan lifted his head and said:

"I've got some in my pocket!"

Gu Qingwan gritted her teeth, clenched her small hand, wanting to slap Lu Yuan.

But in the end, Gu Qingwan still took the matches from Lu Yuan's pocket, with a swish, lit one for him while gritting her teeth and saying:

"What gives you the right to keep ordering me around!"

After taking a puff, Lu Yuan then looked at Gu Qingwan and raised an eyebrow, saying:

"Wrong! I'm not always ordering you around—I order anyone; who let you be in front of me!"

Gu Qingwan pursed her lips, too lazy to look at Lu Yuan.

Soon the two arrived at the greenhouse, Lu Yuan unlocked it, and they went inside.

Upon entering, Gu Qingwan curiously looked around.

Gu Qingwan naturally knew about this greenhouse.

But she had never seen it before.

As soon as she entered, Gu Qingwan began curiously inspecting everywhere.

As far as she could tell so far.

The greenhouse didn't seem to have much technical content.

But actually, Gu Qingwan knew that some of the knowledge in this greenhouse is invisible.

There are things like constant temperature and constant humidity in here.

Those things, when the Qing Cang Guard presented them, Gu Qingwan also looked at them, but she didn't quite understand some.

She just marveled at not knowing how Lu Yuan came up with this.

Inside the greenhouse there's nothing much—just a row of potato seedlings in the middle.

Gu Qingwan may be the emperor, but she is not the sort of emperor who would say "let them eat meat."

After all, before becoming emperor, for the previous ten or so years, Gu Qingwan's life was no different from that of an ordinary person.

Seeing these potato sprouts, Gu Qingwan blinked, but didn't say anything.

Gu Qingwan already knew this.

After all, Gu Qingwan was still very clear about what Lu Yuan was doing here.

Lu Yuan was simply researching here whether potatoes could be grown in the greenhouse.

Gu Qingwan remained silent and instead followed him to continue looking elsewhere.

But the moment her gaze shifted elsewhere, Gu Qingwan almost instantly thought of something.

With a face full of shock, she turned back to look at the potato sprouts before her.

Wait... wait a moment!

These potato leaves... are so lush...

This is what mature potatoes look like!!

It... it succeeded!!

Lu Yuan researched it into existence!!

Gu Qingwan, her face full of shock, looked at Lu Yuan and stammered:

"Lu... Lu Yuan"

At this moment, Lu Yuan came to the front of plant number one, glanced back at Gu Qingwan who had called his name, and then raised his eyebrows, saying:

"No nonsense, start recording."

Gu Qingwan blinked, then didn't say anything else, quickly opening Lu Yuan's little notebook.

Afterwards, Lu Yuan spoke of today's greenhouse temperature, humidity, and some characteristics of the roots and stems of plant number one.

After finishing, Lu Yuan then found a rake from the side.

Time to open the blind box~

Lu Yuan planted a total of twenty-five hybrid potato plants this time.

I don't know how many will succeed.

Lu Yuan spat into his palm, rubbed it, then grabbed the rake with a grunt and thrust it straight into the soil.

Then he swept the rake.

Instantly, this potato plant was scooped up by Lu Yuan.

Then, one by one, yellow potatoes were swept out of the ground.

Seeing these potatoes before her, each about the size of her fist, Gu Qingwan became so excited she almost jumped up, saying:

"Yah!! We can really grow potatoes in this greenhouse!!"

Lu Yuan ignored Gu Qingwan, crouched down, and checked the yield of this plant.

Hmm...

Kind of trash.

Compared to normal potatoes, it can produce two more, but the tubers are too small, so the yield isn't much different from regular planting.

However, it's not to say it has no research value.

Since this hybrid potato can produce a few more than normal, it still has research value.

Like many modern hybrid plants, they are the result of several generations of hybridization, not just one.

Including, today Lu Yuan came here to harvest potatoes as well.

Lu Yuan never thought he would harvest potatoes this time and immediately get a yield of 5,000 or 6,000 catties per mu.

That's unrealistic.

Lu Yuan thought he could harvest about 1,600 catties per mu this time.

That's twice the normal potato yield here, which would count as a success.

As for the 5,000 or 6,000 catties per mu potatoes, we'll wait for further breeding and continued hybridization.

After all, the south is currently stricken by disaster and also lacks food.

As long as we have a yield of 1,600 catties per mu of potatoes, it counts as a great success!

With a yield of 1,600 catties per mu of potatoes, the Great Zhou Dynasty will never go hungry again.

And when the 5,000 or 6,000 catties per mu potatoes appear, the Great Zhou Dynasty will be able to eat well and drink well!

This is a ladder; we must go up step by step.

After Lu Yuan had Gu Qingwan record the results, he walked toward plant number two.

At this moment, Gu Qingwan looked at Lu Yuan with immense excitement and said:

"Lu Yuan, you're amazing!!"

Lu Yuan looked at Gu Qingwan somewhat proudly and said:

"What's this?"

Having said that, Lu Yuan ignored Gu Qingwan and continued opening the blind box.

The first five were much the same.

Some could continue to be hybridized, while others had completely lost their value.

And these didn't matter.

The main event, plant number six arrived.

As a flower grower, Lu Yuan still really likes some auspicious sayings.

For example, "six-six great smoothness, eight-eight great prosperity!"

The breeding of the No. 6, No. 8, No. 16, and No. 18 plants in this greenhouse.

It is the large potato that Lu Yuan brought back from Qiu Qiu Village, crossed with other potato varieties.

Basically, whether this succeeds depends on these four plants!

A bit nervous, a bit uneasy.

Without hesitation, Lu Yuan immediately swung his hoe, dove straight into the soil, then lifted up.

Pulling up the potato is somewhat like fishing.

When fishing, once you reel in the line, you roughly know the size of the fish.

And the potato is the same…… when you lift it up.

Lu Yuan's expression instantly lit up with excitement.

And after Lu Yuan had fully pulled it up.

Gu Qingwan beside him was already stunned.

And Lu Yuan sat directly in the greenhouse soil, laughing loudly.

Look at the weight of this plant.

At least a yield of 2500 jin per mu of potato has been born!!

Ha ha…… a bit embarrassing…… it's 5 a. m…… I woke up late, woke up late; I originally wanted to nap for an hour, but ended up sleeping four hours, only getting up at 12:30 a. m.

(End of chapter)