This year’s harvest was abundant, and joyful shouts of surprise filled the fields and country roads: “My heavens, this piece of land yields six hundred piculs per mu.”
“Mine is over five hundred piculs too.”
“This is great, we won’t lack food this winter.” Someone said, almost in tears.
“We are able to plant these potatoes entirely thanks to Madam Shen. Otherwise, at this time of year, this land would have just lain fallow.”
“Exactly. If it weren’t for Madam Shen, we probably wouldn’t even have enough to eat.”
After much discussion in the fields, everyone was overjoyed.
Throughout November, everyone who planted potatoes and corn was in the joy of harvest.
From Mianzhou City to Yizhou Prefecture, and later to Tongchuan County.
Su Xiaoqi saw the harvest situation in Mianzhou City with her own eyes.
As for Yizhou Prefecture and Tongchuan County, Du Yiyi wrote to her about it.
Du Yiyi was very excited in her letter. She said her father told her that the disaster-stricken people in Tongchuan County had basically planted the corn and potato seeds they had distributed.
They had now harvested them.
They no longer needed disaster relief grain from the court and could be self-sufficient.
At that moment, those who planted potatoes and corn were extremely happy, feeling that their decision had been absolutely correct.
As for those who failed to plant for various reasons, they were incredibly frustrated.
They only regretted their short-sightedness at the time, not following the crowd.
However, it was already a done deal, and regret was useless. They could only wait until spring next year to plant.
So, they had no choice but to suppress their resentment and quietly pay attention to the grain seed situation at the World Granary.
Concurrently, with the large-scale output of potatoes and corn, many families without cash began to eat their potatoes and corn as staple food.
Seeing that they only knew how to boil them, Su Xiaoqi supplemented the "Agricultural Records" she and Shen Yun had compiled with detailed recipes for potatoes and corn.
Potatoes could be prepared in many ways: mashed potatoes, diced potatoes, potato slices, shredded potatoes, potato patties.
Corn was also versatile: it could be boiled directly, roasted, or ground into cornmeal to make pan-fried corn cakes, or blended into juice for corn juice.
This book caused a sensation upon its release, and everyone eagerly wanted to buy a copy.
However, they were informed that the book was not for sale but would be given away for free with any purchase at the World Granary.
Consequently, the business of the World Granary, which had slightly declined due to the bumper harvest of potatoes and corn, became popular again.
But it was the only one thriving; other grain shops were deserted and business was sluggish.
In Mianzhou City, it was mainly Su Ji Grain Store. The shopkeepers, seeing this situation, became anxious and rushed to the Su family to report the situation to their master.
Su Baiwan met the shopkeepers who had come to complain in the main hall of the outer courtyard.
He listened to them talk about the sluggish business of the grain stores during this period.
His expression turned grim as he listened, and he remained silent for a long time.
“Master, our grain stores had stocked a lot of rice after the autumn harvest, intending to sell it during the winter. Some were transported to Tongchuan County, and a lot remains…”
If it continued to not sell, and with a few more autumn rains, the humid air in Mianzhou City would easily cause the stored rice to become moldy.
It would turn into moldy rice again, just like before.
“Furthermore, in Tongchuan County, there are people who are still coming to us with the old account books, asking for our money.”
Su Ji Grain Store had exchanged moldy rice for intact disaster relief grain from the court, and they had to make up for the price difference.
Previously, because Prefect Du of Yizhou Prefecture had been closely monitoring the situation in Tongchuan County under his jurisdiction, those who had not been caught and were now seeing the situation improve could not help but stir.
“Give what? That fifty thousand piculs of disaster relief grain, our Su family already gave it to them,” Su Baiwan said angrily, his brow furrowed.
They still came to him asking for money, truly treating his Su family as a bank.
When Su Baiwan got angry, all the shopkeepers standing there flinched, lowered their heads, and dared not speak.
Only a middle-aged man with a goatee hesitated before stepping forward and saying:
“But Master, they were the people from the county yamen who handled the negotiations with us back then.
If they demand money and we refuse, they might submit evidence of their transactions with us.”
At that time, the people from Yizhou Prefecture had some suspicions about their Su Ji Grain Store,
but they had not found concrete evidence of their involvement.
Therefore, they had only extorted their grain but could not punish them.
But now, if those people were not appeased, they would betray them out of displeasure.
“Evidence, evidence, send someone to get rid of it,” Su Baiwan said furiously.
What were these people doing?
Were they eating dry rice? At crucial moments, not a single one was useful.
“Father, leave this matter to me.” Su Jiamo sat carelessly to the side. Seeing that no one had any ideas, he finally spoke.
“You handle it?” Su Baiwan did not trust his own son.
Not that he wanted to say it, but of his three sons, his eldest and third sons had talent in business.
He had nurtured them early, providing them with every opportunity to train.
Now, both of them were capable of handling matters independently outside.
But his second son, however, had no talent or interest in business.
In his younger years, besides playing around and causing trouble, he could do nothing else.
But fortunately, it was later discovered that he had some aptitude for studying, so he hired famous tutors. This year, he had managed to pass the imperial examination.
Although he was at the tail end, he was still a Jurist.
This was originally a joyous occasion, and according to his usual habits, he would have held a three-day lavish banquet.
However, the top scholar, Jieyuan, was from Mianzhou City, and he had stolen all the attention.
Moreover, the Prefect of Yizhou Prefecture had been keeping an eye on his actions, and his elder brother in the capital had sent a letter asking him not to act too ostentatiously.
Otherwise, the matter in Tongchuan might be exposed.
Su Baiwan had no choice but to suppress his desire to show off. He hosted a few tables at home, only inviting close relatives of the Su clan for a meal and a bit of fun.
But at the feast, those people kept congratulating him.
Their words hinted that his daughter was the top scholar, Jieyuan.
He felt like a mute eating a bitter gourd, unable to express his suffering.
He regretted it, regretting not marrying his precious daughter to the once impoverished Shen Yun.
Otherwise, the Su family would not be in this situation today.
Su Baiwan, with countless thoughts swirling in his mind, had to forcibly suppress them now.
He could only muster his spirits to discuss matters with the many shopkeepers of the Su family.
He hadn’t intended to call his son originally.
But thinking that the woman who ran the World Granary had been close to him, he called her along.
He only wanted him to deal with Su Xiaoqi, not to handle the matters in Tongchuan County.
But Su Jiamo, perhaps due to some blow recently, had rolled up his sleeves and said that he would handle this matter and would do it properly.
“That woman…” Su Baiwan’s teeth itched with hatred.
More than once, he regretted why Steward Su had found her.
She had been lurking in the Su family for over three months, and she knew almost every situation in the household.
Thinking of this, Su Baiwan glared resentfully at Steward Su.
This incompetent fool who could neither accomplish anything nor be of any use.
Steward Su felt a chill and immense embarrassment.
At the time, he had only acted on orders. He had reported to the master who to find and who not to find.
When he had successfully married Su Xiaoqi off to the Shen family, the master had even rewarded him for his efficiency.
Now, it was good.
An unexpected event had occurred, and all the blame was being pushed onto him.