Chapter 37: Planting Potatoes

There was one day left before the annual gala. Fang Han gathered everyone from the Protectorate Office together.

"There is an important matter to announce today," Fang Han said, pouring the sprouted potatoes out of a sack. To induce sprouting, he had ordered Fang Shou to keep the potatoes in a room with a fire burning daily. Finally, the potatoes had all sprouted, with each tuber bearing several shoots; the most prolific one had sprouted nine.

The best way to plant potatoes is to use the sprouted tubers directly. However, this method consumes too many potatoes, so it is common practice to cut out the sprouted sections for planting. This saves a significant quantity of the crop and prevents multiple shoots on a single tuber from competing for nutrients.

Seeing the pile of potatoes, Liu San, Old Wu, and the other servants were baffled, not knowing what they were. "Sir, what are these?" Liu San asked.

Fang Han did not answer, gesturing instead for Sun Shengyuan to explain. These servants all possessed farmland; Liu San alone owned ten mu of terraced fields, and Old Wu and the others each held several mu. This also applied to the personal guards responsible for the safety of the Protectorate Office, such as Fang Shou. Furthermore, Fang Han had fulfilled his promise to the original hundred elite soldiers: any soldier who married during this period was rewarded with ten mu of land. By now, many had married, some even expecting children. Although they owned land, they lacked the time to tend it and hired others to help. Elderly individuals who lacked the strength for the initial land reclamation and had not accumulated merit were now filling these roles, managing the terraces. With the benefit of the pulley systems for irrigation, the labor was not overly demanding.

After Sun Shengyuan arrived at the Protectorate, Fang Han had Liu San select a plot of land for him—a newly terraced area on the hillside closest to the city. It measured thirty mu and was divided into sections: one for rice-paddy fish, one for potatoes, one for hybrid rice, and one for medicinal herb cultivation. This land was currently unplanted, and it would serve as the site for Sun Shengyuan’s future agricultural experiments.

Sun Shengyuan stepped forward, picked up a potato, and said, "This is called a potato. It is a high-yield crop; one planted can yield more than ten in return."

A collective gasp went through the crowd. Hongye and the other maids immediately took notes, intending to report back to Lin Qingwei.

Liu San asked excitedly, "Is, is this true? Wouldn't that be even more impressive than millet?"

Sun Shengyuan replied proudly, "Naturally. How can tiny millet compare to a potato?" While a single stalk of millet produces hundreds of grains, thousands are needed for a single bowl of rice, whereas two or three potatoes are enough to satiate a person. They were simply incomparable. Were it not for the fact that potatoes are a coarse grain, it would not be impossible for them to replace millet as a staple.

"But how long does it take to mature?" Liu San asked, scrutinizing the potatoes on the ground.

Sun Shengyuan said triumphantly, "It matures in just half a year. Moreover, each potato can be divided into several pieces for planting." Sun Shengyuan himself was still amazed by this. He had not known that potatoes could be cut for planting. Initially, he had tried to induce the potatoes to produce seeds, but failed. Later, he discovered that the tubers themselves could sprout. He had always planted the whole tuber until yesterday, when Fang Han instructed him to cut them, revealing that one potato could yield multiple plants.

Liu San’s eyes widened in disbelief. Sun Shengyuan took one, and following the method Fang Han had taught him, used a small knife to cut the tuber into three pieces based on the position of the sprouts. Liu San leaned in, picked up a piece, and gingerly touched the sprout. "Truly miraculous. This tiny sprout can grow into a whole plant."

The other servants crowded around, and even Fang Shou looked on with curiosity. Fang Han coughed twice and said, "Alright, cut them as instructed, then count and tally them." He had gathered them not only to process the potatoes but also to set some aside for rewards. A portion would be given as prizes during the upcoming annual gala to those who had contributed the most.

Liu San ordered the servants to fetch kitchen knives, and soon, several people began cutting the potatoes. An hour later, Liu San finished counting; there were 1,352 pieces.

Barring any mishaps, this would yield over a thousand potato plants. However, they could not be planted immediately. To ensure a high survival rate, the seeds needed to be treated with fertilizer. Following Fang Han's instructions, Sun Shengyuan brought a bucket of wood ash from under the kitchen stove. He spread the ash on the ground and had Liu San pour the potato pieces into it.

"Old Sun, what is this for?" Liu San asked, puzzled. Sun Shengyuan did not know the science behind it, but since Fang Han told him it would increase the survival rate, he simply explained, "This improves the survival rate when they are planted. Without this, if you plant ten, maybe only five grow. With this, eight or nine will likely sprout."

Liu San was amazed by the magic of it. Before long, all the potato pieces were coated in wood ash.

Fang Han then finalized the reward distribution. He decided to plant one thousand pieces, while the remaining three hundred would be used as rewards. These were not to be given as mere potato pieces, but as the resulting young plants. Liu San, as the steward, was allotted twenty plants; each servant in the residence would receive five; and commanders like Fang Da and Fang Yuan would receive three each. The rest would be distributed during the annual gala as prizes for the light riddles, couplets, and games organized by the Protectorate.

Sun Shengyuan gathered the potatoes and asked, "Sir, should these be planted in the experimental field?"

"That is correct. Go and plant them now. Have Liu San take men to dig the pits," Fang Han said. Upon hearing the order, Liu San hurried off to prepare the carts.

As night fell, Fang Han could not sleep. This was his first time celebrating the New Year in this world. In the years prior, the Great Zhou had been in the midst of war, with rebellions unpacified across the land. During those New Years, although the capital had held various gatherings, the atmosphere had remained bleak and somber.