Farming? I'm making a killing with my fairytale vegetables!

Chapter 188 Pulling the Ear Rake

"Haha, then I'll be waiting for your good news."

Minghua was very happy. Since he partnered with Xia Shiyu, the store has not only gained fame but also made money. Moreover, even though he raised prices, not many people gave up because of it. Instead, they felt that it should be this way because his buns were worth the price.

Xia Shiyu said, "Don't worry, I will definitely supply your batch first. Besides, I planted 30 mu of potatoes this year, which is more than enough."

This winter, she leased a lot of land from villagers' homes, and even more on the mountain, planting a full 30 mu (approximately 2 hectares). The potato yield was particularly good, averaging over 2000 jin (approximately 1,000 kg) per mu, which means she had over 30 tons of potatoes, enough to supply her suppliers.

Furthermore, potatoes can be planted and harvested in a year, so you can plant and harvest another batch at the appropriate time.

"Okay, then I'm relieved."

After hanging up the phone, Xia Shiyu went to help dig up the potatoes. She was stronger now and used the hoe very skillfully. She even helped carry the baskets smoothly.

The villagers nearby sighed when they saw her like this, "Look how healthy Xiaoyu is now! She can lift such a big basket with ease, but I'm afraid I can't do that now."

"I have to say, farm work is really good exercise. I stayed in the city with my child for a while before, and I felt uncomfortable all over and was prone to getting sick. But when I came back home and did farm work every day, I was fine."

“Oh dear, I’m telling you, you’re destined to be a hard worker and will never enjoy a good life.”

"What do you mean by not being able to enjoy life? I think we're living a pretty good life now. In the city, sometimes I don't even know how to get around."

Xia Shiyu listened to their conversation, smiled, and didn't say anything. The task of digging these 30 acres of land was quite arduous. Potatoes weren't like vegetables and fruits that couldn't be stored. They could be piled up at home for more than ten days without any problem. Even to ensure freshness, it would still take quite a bit of time to dig potatoes each day.

Fortunately, everyone is used to it. There may not be many young people in the village, but there are quite a few middle-aged and elderly people, so it's not a problem for them to come and help with some work.

Xia Shiyu has no shortage of manpower here, so she doesn't need to worry about anything else.

Around 11 o'clock, Yu Juan came over and asked Xia Shiyu what she wanted for lunch. Aunt Wang had already cooked the rice and stir-fried a few dishes, but she just wanted to know how to cook the potatoes.

Xia Shiyu thought for a moment and said, "Why don't we make another big pot of potato slices and stir-fry some potato shreds? We also have some pickled vegetables at home."

"Okay, I'll take a basket of potatoes back and help her out while I'm at it. Luckily, Jianzhu and his wife came back to help during the New Year, otherwise I really wouldn't have been able to stay here for this long today."

"Okay, Mom, you go back first. We'll probably be back around 12:30."

"Okay, don't worry." Yu Juan said and left.

Xia Shiyu continued working with the remaining villagers, and they would slowly transport the goods back by car after lunchtime.

When she returned, she saw Aunt Wang and her family busy in the kitchen.

Upon seeing her return, Zhang Yan came out and said a few words, "Boss Xia, it'll be ready soon, just need some shredded potatoes. You can let everyone sit and wait."

Xia Shiyu nodded, "Okay, I understand, sis."

"Okay!" Zhang Yan happily walked into the kitchen.

Then I saw Aunt Wang scoop up a large bowl of stir-fried shredded potatoes.

"Mom, you've finished cooking? I'll just get a plate to serve it."

Zhang Yan was about to get the washed dishes when she heard her husband and mother-in-law say that it wasn't necessary.

"No need, no need. Just go and get those stainless steel bowls. Fill them up with big bowls, that way everyone can eat to their heart's content."

Xiang Jianzhu also said, "Yes, yes, everyone doesn't need to be so particular about the plating or anything. Everyone wants this potato today, and if we put it on a plate, it will be gone in a while."

"Okay, I'll take two big ones then," Zhang Yan said, and went to get them.

This time, three tables were set up in the courtyard again, and some people even found a stool to sit on and eat instead of sitting in a seat.

As the villagers sat down on the stools, just as they were about to serve themselves rice, they saw Aunt Wang and Yu Juan bring out two bowls of potato slices and rice cakes.

This "pulling ear cake" is actually made by scooping a piece of fermented dough with a spoon and putting it into boiling potato soup, then adding pickled vegetables and salt. It used to be a rare delicacy.

Although living conditions are much better now, it still feels quite nice to eat dough like this occasionally.

Sure enough, most villagers gave up on getting rice after seeing the two large basins of vegetables.

"Oh dear, I'm going to have to eat ear-pulling rice cakes again today. It's been a while since I've had them. If I eat these, I won't eat any other meals."

“I want to eat it too. When I was little, being able to eat a meal of Che Er Ba with fine grains was like celebrating the New Year. It feels good to eat more of it now.”

"It's definitely going to be delicious. The pickled vegetables and potatoes inside are all good stuff. The 'pulled ear cake' will definitely taste good with the flavor."

"Oh, this is really good. It's perfect to have a hot bowl of this when it's cold. I want one too."

In the end, very few people chose to eat rice; instead, everyone scooped up a bowl of "che er ba" (a type of rice cake).

Aunt Wang was still a little annoyed. "I steamed the rice first, and when I heard that we were going to make 'pulled ear cakes,' I couldn't cook less rice. I thought everyone would like to eat these cakes, so I made more."

Xia Shiyu shook her head, "It's alright, Auntie. Keep this food. Everyone will want some side dishes later. You should go eat first. Don't bother, everyone can cook for themselves."

"Okay," Aunt Wang said, then picked up a bowl and went to eat next to her grandchildren.

The two children were eating without even looking up. Ever since Xia Shiyu's dishes were used in Xiang Jianzhu's shop, they had eaten them too. And once they had tried them, they wanted to eat them for breakfast every day.

Although Xiang Jianzhu rarely mentioned which supplier his family ordered vegetables from in order to keep it a secret, and even they didn't tell him much, they had vaguely overheard their grandmother and parents talking on the phone a few times, and knew that it seemed that the vegetables were supplied by their hometown.

They found out when they went home for Chinese New Year this year that it was all true. There was a very capable neighbor who owned a business that grew exceptionally delicious vegetables, which is why their business was doing so well.

But after eating potatoes today, they realized that their grandmothers might not have praised them enough.

These potatoes are amazing!

Thick slices of potato are cooked until soft and tender in the pickled vegetable soup, absorbing the salty aroma of the pickled vegetables. When you bite into them, the starchy sensation is very satisfying.

The dough, made from flour, blends the flavors of potatoes and pickled vegetables, making it incredibly satisfying to eat.

"This is the perfect bite, it tastes so good."

"Mmm, I used to love this dough the most, but now my favorite foods are potatoes and pickled vegetables."

"Haha, then I won't be picky anymore, I like to eat them all."

"It smells so good! It smells so good!"

Some people, while eating what was in their bowls, also noticed the shredded potatoes on the table. They figured the shredded potatoes must be pretty good too.

As he spoke, someone picked up a piece with their chopsticks. The sweet and sour shredded potatoes were crisp and delicious, a different flavor from the soft boiled potato slices. The taste made his eyes light up.

He quickly called out, "Everyone, don't just focus on eating the stir-fried potatoes, these shredded potatoes are delicious too!"

"Hey, I want to try some too."

"Mmm, it tastes really good. I'm going to get a bowl of rice to eat with it."

"I want to go too! I want to go too!"

Xia Shiyu watched as the crowd rushed to scoop up rice again and said to Aunt Wang, "Auntie, you see, I told you this rice wouldn't go to waste, everyone can still eat quite a bit."

After all, everyone was doing physical labor, which was quite tiring, and the food was delicious, so everyone had to eat several bowls.

"Wow, that's really good!" Aunt Wang said with satisfaction.