NFBE Chapter 215 Harvesting Potatoes
Chapter 215 Harvesting Potatoes
After offering incense, Gu An and the Marquis of Zhenbei left the Rong Family Ancestral Hall.
In fact, the Rong family ancestral hall and ancestral home were not in Youzhou Prefecture. However, after the first Zhenbei Marquis followed the founding emperor of the Great Qian Dynasty to fight for the country, successive Zhenbei Marquises guarded the border and resisted the northern barbarians. Gradually, they moved the ancestral hall to Youzhou Prefecture.
The military general had long since disregarded life and death, unlike many aristocratic families who were particular about burying their bodies back in their ancestral lands to protect their descendants.
After the young man offered incense to Lie'er and his wife and his old wife, the Marquis of Zhenbei was reluctant to let them go.
He looked at Gu An, his usually cheerful and bold commander-in-chief now showing a hint of caution in his eyes: "Before you were born, your parents, grandmother, and I prepared many gifts for you. Over the years, although we haven't found you, I've still prepared clothes, weapons, and fine horses for you, according to the typical physique of a Rong family son..."
At this point, the Marquis of Zhenbei paused, his gaze sweeping over the long robe worn by the young man before him, his eyes filled with both sadness and relief. "I almost forgot, you are a scholar. These weapons and horses are useless to you. I'll have someone bring over the books from your ancestral home tomorrow."
The Marquis of Zhenbei had mixed feelings about his only grandson's decision to abandon military pursuits for a literary career, but he was not disappointed. To him, finding Gu An was already a great blessing, and he was reluctant to let his grandson, whom he had lost and then found again, go to the battlefield.
The mission and responsibility of the Rong family throughout the generations can end with his generation.
Gu An took in the Marquis of Zhenbei's demeanor. Although he was calm and reserved, he had been well-educated by Gu Lin and always knew how to respect the elderly and care for the young. He lowered his eyes and opened his mouth: "I have also learned martial arts."
Marquis Zhenbei was surprised, and Gu An explained: "Whether he was studying or serving as an official, Brother Hao would practice martial arts. Influenced by him, I have been practicing martial arts and exercising since I was a child."
"Lord Zheng is indeed unlike any ordinary civil official."
Marquis Zhenbei had sharp eyes like an eagle. On the first day of dealing with the young military supervisor, he discovered that the man was not only tall and slender, but also had a stable lower body and a deep breath, unlike those bloated and frail civil officials.
The Marquis of Zhenbei looked at the young man before him with loving eyes and led him to the Rong family's storeroom to select various treasures for his collection.
Gu An naturally couldn't choose, but the Marquis of Zhenbei wouldn't allow him to be polite in his own home. He personally picked out boxes of treasures and ordered his personal guards to carry them onto the carriage.
Seeing that the carriage was almost full, Gu An's brow twitched as he was about to stop it, but the Marquis of Zhenbei raised his hand and said, "This is all you need. In addition to the things for you, there are also things for your Uncle Gu."
After recognizing Gu An, the Marquis of Zhenbei immediately sent people to thoroughly investigate Zheng Hao and Gu Lin. Moreover, when Gu An spoke to him just now, he also introduced Gu Lin's existence. Although the Marquis of Zhenbei had never met Gu Lin, he was very grateful to him.
He said to Gu An, "Lord Zheng and I are colleagues, so it's not appropriate for us to have too much contact in private."
Especially when it comes to money, one is easily accused of bribery.
Well then, as the military supervisor of the Zhenbei Army, Lord Zheng will have many ways to thank the other party in the future.
Thinking about the relationship between Uncle Gu and Zheng Hao, Gu An said, "Brother Hao won't mind. Giving Uncle Gu a gift is the same as giving it to him."
The Marquis of Zhenbei was unaware of the relationship between the young military supervisor and Gu Lin. He assumed that Gu An meant for Gu Lin to be Zheng Hao's stepfather, and that the two would be father and son. He thought that Zheng Hao was being filial to Gu Lin, and that he would give gifts to Gu Lin without any objection from Zheng Hao.
After resolving the matter, the Marquis of Zhenbei asked Gu An, "I'm not in a hurry for you to acknowledge me, but since your Uncle Gu saved you, as your grandfather, I need to find a time to formally thank him."
This wasn't because the Marquis of Zhenbei was eager to acknowledge Gu An, but rather out of respect for Gu Lin, since the latter had saved Gu An and raised him to adulthood.
Gu An understood this as well. "I'll go back and tell Uncle Gu, and then I'll let you know."
Marquis of Zhenbei has no problem with it.
The carriage carrying Gu An home was packed full. When the servants unloaded various gift boxes and wooden crates, Gu Lin looked surprised and blankly glanced at Gu An.
Gu An stepped forward and explained, "These are gifts from the Marquis of Zhenbei to Uncle Gu."
It was not a thank-you gift, but a present.
Looking at the mountain of gift boxes, Gu Lin said, "Isn't this a bit too extravagant?"
Gu An: "We can't stop him, Uncle Gu, please accept it."
Seeing the slight helplessness between the young man's brows, Gu Lin realized that the other party really had no choice but to accept the gift, but he was thinking about how to return the favor next time.
Seeing that Uncle Gu accepted the gift, Gu An mentioned that the Marquis of Zhenbei wanted to invite the other party and the young military supervisor.
Gu Lin couldn't refuse after hearing this. If the Marquis of Zhenbei used his power to oppress people, he would definitely be indignant. However, the other party had lowered his stance and was very sincere, showing them great respect.
Gu Lin pondered for a moment: "Seven days from now."
Gu An nodded slightly, exchanged a few more words with Uncle Gu, and then turned to leave. He intended to have someone deliver a message to the Marquis of Zhenbei, but when he thought of how kind and caring the old general had been to him that morning, Gu An paused slightly, turned around, and walked back to his own courtyard, intending to personally deliver the message to the Zhenbei Army camp the next day.
.
After finishing his breakfast, Gu Lin was about to leave the mansion for the salt factory when he saw the guard who usually followed Lin Xiaoyao enter.
The guard took a few steps closer to him and bowed, saying, "This subordinate greets Boss Gu."
After the greeting was given, the guard looked up and reported, "Boss Gu, Director Lin sent me to say that the potatoes planted in the fields outside the city a few months ago are ripe."
Gu Lin was overjoyed and immediately got up. Forgetting about going to the salt factory, he told Da Yan to prepare the carriage and take the guards to the potato fields in the suburbs.
The carriage sped to its destination, and Gu Lin stepped off. Without the need for guards to escort him, he headed to the potato field.
Lin Xiaoyao, who was squatting by the field, looked up and saw his figure. She immediately stood up and waved to him: "Boss is here."
Gu Lin quickened his pace and walked over.
As soon as he got closer, Gu Lin could see clearly what the yellowish-brown object in Lin Xiaoyao's hand was. It was a potato the size of a fist in her wheat-colored palm. The potato was round and plump, without any bumps or dents. Gu Lin's heart, which had been pounding all the way, finally settled down.
He had been worried that his first attempt at planting potatoes would fail, and he was prepared to learn from his experience. However, the potatoes that Lin Xiaoyao and her team planted, while not comparable to modern potatoes, were much better than Gu Lin had imagined.
Next, he became concerned with the most crucial question: "How many bushels of potatoes can be produced per acre?"
Lin Xiaoyao: "Although the potatoes have not yet been harvested, according to the experience of veteran farmers, each acre of potatoes will yield about 800 shi (a unit of dry measure).
Upon hearing this, Gu Lin felt a great weight lift from his heart.
His smile turned serious as he instructed Lin Xiaoyao, "Keep a close eye on things during the autumn harvest. This batch of potatoes isn't for consumption; it's meant to be cultivated and distributed to the people of Youzhou Prefecture for planting."
After speaking, Gu Lin thought for a moment, realizing that Lin Xiaoyao and the others had put in a lot of sweat and hard work for this batch of potatoes.
He said, “You’ve all worked hard these days. I’ll use the money from my private account to reward you all. Those who need money, I’ll give you money; those who need grain, I’ll give you grain.”
After Gu Lin finished speaking, Lin Xiaoyao hesitated for a moment and said, "Boss, many of my subordinates want to exchange for potato seeds to plant after seeing the potato yield. Do you think we can use this as a reward?"
According to the original plan, after the potatoes were planted and sprouted, the government would distribute them to the people and teach them how to plant them.
But Lin Xiaoyao didn't have many people under her command, so Gu Lin nodded in agreement.
Then, he asked the other person to pack a basket of potatoes for him to take back.
Last time, Lin Xiaoyao brought back too few potatoes, so Gu Lin didn't dare to eat them at all. He had them carefully tended to and allowed to sprout before planting. After this batch of potatoes matures, Gu Lin plans to take them back and make some potato dishes for Zheng Hao and the others to try.
As soon as he got home, Gu Lin had someone carry potatoes to the kitchen with him. Since the cook had never cooked potatoes before, Gu Lin was afraid that even if he told him how to cook them, the cook wouldn't be able to replicate it. So he had the cook watch from the side and cooked them himself.
But how could the cooks really let him do it all by himself?
The cook quickly asked, "Husband, is there any work we can do so that we can get familiar with how to cook potatoes?"
Looking at the basket full of unpeeled potatoes, Gu Lin said to the cooks, "Peel a dozen or so potatoes, then cut them into strips, chunks, cubes, or shreds, and then add salt, flour, and oil to each separately..."
Following the young man's instructions, the cooks immediately got to work. Although it was their first time handling potatoes, their years of experience in the kitchen quickly transformed their clumsy movements into proficiency. As Gu Lin requested, they cut the potatoes into strips, chunks, cubes, and shreds...
The cook, carrying the prepared potatoes, stepped forward and asked, "Husband, what are we going to do next?"
While they were busy, Gu Lin observed the available ingredients in the kitchen. Looking at the freshly bought beef brisket, mutton, and pork, Gu Lin was confident. He turned to the cooks and said, "The way to cook potatoes is not difficult. Watch carefully."
As soon as Gu Lin finished speaking, the cooks and kitchen staff immediately focused their attention on his movements.
A basket of potatoes looks like a lot, but there are quite a few people in the family. Zheng Hao and Gu An are both big eaters, and Zhao Saozi and Yu Ge'er also have big appetites. So, Gu Lin plans to use the potatoes to make ten dishes.
Braised beef brisket with potatoes, stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, braised pork ribs with potatoes, hot pot with potatoes and river shrimp...
The young man cooked one new dish after another, keeping the cooks' eyes glued to the food. The aroma wafted continuously to their noses, and they kept swallowing their saliva as they looked at the delicious-looking dishes on the table.
After the last batch of French fries was ready, a servant came to report that, apart from the adults who were still on their way, Sister Zhao and the others had all returned.
Judging that the young man would be back soon, Gu Lin had someone bring the dishes to the main hall. Sure enough, as soon as he arrived at the main hall, the young prefect also came in from outside.
The servant took out the dishes from the food box. Looking at the table full of ten dishes, Sister Zhao was shocked: "Lin-ge'er, did you make all of these?"
As soon as he finished speaking, not only did Yu Ge'er and the others look at the young man, but Gu Lin also felt that the young man beside him was looking down at him.
Gu Lin nodded slightly and smiled, "It's been a long time since I've cooked. Everyone, please try it and see how it tastes."
Everyone took their seats, and Gu Lin was about to walk over when he felt someone grab his arm.
With a warm chest pressed against his back and the refreshing, cool scent of mint filling his nostrils, Gu Lin's heart skipped a beat, but he dared not turn around. His eyes were fixed on Zhao's wife and Yu'er, who were sitting at the table, afraid that if they turned their heads, they would discover the young man's actions beside him.
Seemingly sensing that his body was gradually stiffening, Zheng Hao's hand slid down, his large, thick hand leaving Gu Lin's arm. Gu Lin breathed a sigh of relief, turned his head to look at the young man, his eyes containing both warning and coaxing, and then turned to walk towards the dining table.
The young prefect followed, and the two sat down close together.
Everyone waited for them without touching their chopsticks. Once everyone had arrived, Gu Lin smiled and said, "This meal, from the staple food to the dishes, is made with freshly harvested potatoes. How about you try this potato feast?"
Upon hearing this, Brother Yu looked surprised, staring at the various dishes on the table, each seemingly made from a different ingredient.
Lin Xiaoyao corroborated: "The potatoes were just harvested today, and the landlord brought them back for everyone to try."
After hearing this, everyone started eating.
After taking a bite of the braised beef brisket with potatoes, Sister Zhao's expression showed amazement: "These potatoes are so soft and tender. They look like perfectly square pieces, but they're not hard at all when you eat them. They're not only sweet and soft, but they're also full of the flavor of beef."
Yu Ge'er used a skewer placed on the side of the plate to pick up a strip of potato. The plate of potatoes had no other ingredients to accompany it; the whole plate was golden and crispy. Yu Ge'er picked up a skewer and put it in his mouth. Instantly, the unique texture of the fries—crispy on the outside and tender on the inside—and the flavor mixed with the aroma of butter captivated him.
[Posted without revisions, will be revised tomorrow!]