Chapter 29

With most of the men gone, those like Chen Gui who had injuries or disabilities were sent to work on bridge and road repairs. But who would take care of the mulberry groves, tea plantations, and farmland? It was peak farming season, and there was still silk to spin and cloth to weave.

The three supervisors for tea, mulberry, and agriculture stood together. The tea supervisor swept his gaze across the crowd and announced, “There have been repeated cases of tea theft. Starting tomorrow, everyone will take turns patrolling the fields.”

The other two supervisors echoed similar sentiments. Mulberry trees and tea plantations needed guarding, and silkworm cocoons had to be sorted and boiled—there was no end to the work. All of these tasks had previously been done by men. Now the women stared at each other in dismay.

Old Lady Liu rubbed her back and grumbled, “I’ve got to cook and wash for the whole household every day. Let those lazy daughters-in-law go instead!”

Some elderly women nodded in agreement. “That’s right!”

The tea supervisor said coldly, “Starting tomorrow, everyone—men or women—must report to work. We’ll organize teams to guard the mulberry groves, tea plantations, and fields. Anyone who refuses will be jailed.”

Old Lady Liu stomped her foot. “My family already sent someone to the front! My man’s got a bad back, and no one’s watching my eldest grandson. We also have our own land to farm!”

The tea supervisor stared her down. “You won’t need to worry about meals—we’ll provide lunch at noon. Children under ten will be sent to the village school, where they’ll be supervised by a tutor.”

Upon hearing that meals would be provided, Old Lady Liu was slightly less resistant. That would save a good amount of food over the month. And having her grandson learn to read and write—well, that would bring honor to the family.

The three supervisors began compiling rosters. Cheng Qiao’er leaned in to whisper to Xiao Wanling, “I want to patrol with you!” Xiao Wanling was brave and didn’t get caught up in drama.

Sister-in-law Lu was surprised. “Xiao Wanling’s going to be on patrol too? What about her shop?”

The tea supervisor overheard. “All shops are to temporarily close until the busy farming season ends.”

Xiao Wanling, Cheng Qiao’er, Sister-in-law Lu, Madam Shi, Madam Wu’s daughter-in-law, and others—ten in total—were assigned the first half of the night shift.

As night fell, Xiao Wanling picked up a wooden stick and led the group. Cheng Qiao’er’s voice trembled. “Maybe I should go back and grab a torch…”

“No,” said Xiao Wanling firmly. “It hasn’t rained in days. If even a single spark lands on the ground, we won’t know how to put the fire out!”

Cheng Qiao’er sighed. “True…”

Madam Wu tapped the ground with her stick, ears alert for any sound. The walk was uneventful, and they paused now and then to rest, gazing up at the bright stars overhead.

Xiao Wanling looked at the night sky and murmured, “I wonder when Shen Qing will be back…”

Cheng Qiao’er giggled. “He just left not long ago!” She sighed again. Though she used to complain about men, without them around, everything felt off.

“Shhh!” Madam Wu’s daughter-in-law hushed them, eyes fixed on the tea field. “I just saw a figure moving in the tea bushes.”

Cheng Qiao’er shuddered. “Don’t scare me like that!”

Xiao Wanling took a deep breath. “Don’t be afraid! There’s more of us. If we spot someone, the fastest runner goes for help. The rest spread out and shout as you run.”

Just then, a crow suddenly flew overhead. Startled, the shadow in the tea bushes stood up.

Everyone froze. Cheng Qiao’er crouched and slowly edged away—when she thought she had a head start, she bolted. The shadow gave chase.

Madam Wu gasped, “Dear heavens!” She stumbled and ran, her daughter-in-law following instinctively.

Sister-in-law Lu spun around and ran toward the mulberry grove.

The shadow cursed and fled toward Dayan Mountain, clutching a bundle. Xiao Wanling struck the ground with her stick and shouted, “Thief! Someone’s stealing tea!”

Her cry jolted the rest into action. Everyone began shouting.

“Thief!”

“Catch the thief!”

Villagers rushed out of Qishan with sticks and brooms. Hearing the commotion, Dayan villagers also arrived to help. The thief was caught. Madam Wu pointed at him. “I remember him. He bought things from my stall before.”

The tea supervisor stomped a foot on the thief’s chest. “Speak! Who sent you?”

The thief kept his mouth shut. The supervisor tied him up and locked him away, increasing security measures.

Xiao Wanling grew concerned someone might target her sweet potatoes. She was reassigned to tea picking but made time daily to check on her crops.

Sister-in-law Lu grew curious. “Are you hiding treasure under that soil?”

Xiao Wanling teased, “Help me keep watch. When the treasure matures, I’ll share!”

Sister-in-law Lu laughed. “Deal!” She could tell how much Xiao Wanling treasured her plants. Xiao Wanling had even warned the neighbors to keep an eye out.

Months passed. Xiao Wanling figured the time was right and dug up two sweet potatoes the size of fists. She ran to Sister-in-law Lu’s house and asked her to fetch the farm supervisor and the village head. Without question, Sister-in-law Lu ran off.

The three supervisors had been discussing village matters. When they heard Xiao Wanling was looking for the farm supervisor, curiosity brought them all over.

From afar, they saw Xiao Wanling kneeling in the field, digging. A few children helped her. Mulberry Supervisor staggered closer and muttered, “What the hell is that?”

Sister-in-law Lu returned with candles. The others bent down to examine what looked like a mix between a radish and a clump of dirt.

“That’s a sweet potato,” the farm supervisor declared. “Eat too many, and you’ll get poisoned.”

Xiao Wanling had never heard of sweet potatoes being poisonous. She figured it was likely a misunderstanding or due to malnutrition. “Supervisor, eaten in moderation, they won’t harm you. In times of famine, they can save lives!”

Harvest season was underway, and the farm supervisor didn’t want to take risks. He said he’d consider planting a few more plots.

Xiao Wanling decided to exaggerate a bit. “These can yield up to a thousand jin per mu!”

The supervisor, about to walk away, was so shocked he tripped over the sweet potato vines. “A thousand jin?” That was ten shi (approx. 1000 kg) of grain. He thought Xiao Wanling was dreaming.

“Don’t believe me? Try digging them up, and you’ll see!” she added, her voice trailing off.

Seeing everyone frozen in disbelief, Xiao Wanling took a deep breath. “Let’s dig them out. There’s no harm in trying.”

The tea supervisor recovered first. “Alright. Let’s try!” He ordered torches lit. The fields glowed bright as day.

Sister-in-law Lu and another woman used sickles to cut the vines. The farm supervisor summoned six strong men with tools.

But Xiao Wanling stopped them. “Gently—turn the soil carefully.”

Usually, they plowed fast to save effort. The supervisor felt Xiao Wanling was being overly particular, but he let it slide, motioning for the others to observe.

The sweet potatoes were planted in neat rows. Xiao Wanling loosened the soil with a small hoe and pulled up several plump roots along with the vines.

Sister-in-law Lu’s eyes lit up. She eagerly helped collect the sweet potatoes and tossed them into a basket. Even the farm supervisor was impressed—these were sizeable. He waved for the others to dig. The six men rushed in, grinning from ear to ear.

Mulberry Supervisor sobered up at the sight. He grabbed one, wiped it on the grass, and bit into it—crunchy, hard, and surprisingly sweet. “Hahahaha! So this is sweet potato? Who said it’s poisonous?” It was tastier raw than spicy radish.

Xiao Wanling explained, “Cooked sweet potatoes won’t bloat your stomach. They’re best paired with other grains and can be steamed, boiled, roasted, fried, etc.”

Mulberry Supervisor grew excited. He dug a pit and tossed in a dozen sweet potatoes to roast.

Everyone watched curiously, eyes flicking to the fire as they harvested. Soon the air was filled with the fragrant aroma of roasted sweet potatoes.

After about a quarter hour, Mulberry Supervisor raked out the sweet potatoes, pushed away the logs, and let the embers finish the job. The farm supervisor teased, “You sure know how to eat and enjoy yourself!”

He laughed. “Just wait and eat!”

Once cooked, the harvest was finished. They even flipped the soil to check for missed ones. Over ten baskets of sweet potatoes were piled together.

People crowded around Mulberry Supervisor as he poked a charred root from the fire. It looked almost inedible.

Xiao Wanling picked one up and broke it open; it was golden flesh inside. She blew on it and took a bite.

The farm supervisor couldn’t wait either. He picked the biggest one, juggled it between his hands, blew on it, and finally took a bite!

The village head arrived just in time to see everyone clustered together, mouths puffing from hot food. The enticing smell made his stomach growl. After tasting one, he was shocked—this was better than regular grains.

Holding a half-eaten piece, he asked, “Is this really sweet potato?” Weren’t these rumored to be deadly? How could they taste this good?

Xiao Wanling had once told him she hoped to find a crop with yields over 100 jin per mu. He hadn’t believed her. But now she had done it.

The farm supervisor bowed. “Madam Xiao, I was wrong. With war looming, food is in short supply. These sweet potatoes you discovered could save lives.”

Xiao Wanling bowed in return. “It’s my duty, Supervisor. Let’s measure the yield.”

Everyone carried the sweet potatoes back to the village and retrieved a wide-topped wooden measuring box from the grain warehouse.

The village head nodded. “If the yield is truly a thousand jin, that’s ten shi of grain.”

Two men hoisted a sack and poured it in. Box after box—they measured. It wasn’t far off from ten shi. Some roots were oddly shaped, but it was close enough.

The village head gripped his cane with both hands. “Good! Good!”

The farm supervisor said, “I’ll write to the court to request a reward!” Madam Xiao, well done!”

Xiao Wanling nodded. “It’s not just my achievement—it was a group effort.” The neighbors helped keep watch, and the supervisor had sourced rich soil.

The village head told her to go home and wait for the good news.

She carried a basket of sweet potatoes home. Shen Qing had been gone for three months. The weather was still oddly warm, with no sign of autumn.

She selected a few sweet potatoes and soaked them in a bowl, planning to replant before winter.

The Silver Wolf was about to give birth. Xiao Wanling made it a nest, lined with old clothes. The Grey Wolf hung around nearby, occasionally dropping off game like wild chickens or rabbits at the kitchen.

The city sent people to cart away most of the harvest, but the reward hadn’t arrived. They said war at the front was intense, and word hadn’t yet reached the Prince of Jin.

The farm supervisor had gone back and forth several times, each time empty-handed. He began to suspect someone was trying to steal the credit. He reassured Xiao Wanling that once the war settled, he and the village head would testify—no one could take this achievement from her.

Xiao Wanling’s worry now was that the war had dragged on, the sweet potatoes were sent away, and the next crop wouldn’t be ready for months. How would they survive the winter?