The first crop that Zhao Cheng considered was something called potatoes, artichokes, and potatoes.

This guy's edible thing is a kind of "metamorphosis stem" biologically, an organ that stores nutrients for plants.

Because of its excellent qualities, it has become the fourth most important food crop in the world after a few hundred years.

The first three are: wheat, rice, and corn.

Native to the Andes Mountains of the Americas, potatoes have a long history of artificial cultivation and were introduced to Europe after the great maritime discoveries.

Legend has it that at that time, Europeans had not yet discovered the edible value of potatoes.

However, when the potato plant blooms, the flowers are gorgeous and beautiful, so they are used as decorations.

Later, an agronomist named Ann Obamanch, through long-term observation and personal experiments, discovered that potatoes can not only be eaten, but also used to make bread and so on.

Since then, European farmers have begun to grow potatoes on a large scale.

It was also around that time that potatoes were introduced to Southeast Asia, and Xia Qiao discovered their characteristics and value, so they were introduced into China.

Potatoes are very adaptable to the environment and are suitable for growing in places where grain yields were originally very low.

This thing, the yield is very high, if there is modern technology to cultivate, regular fertilization and weeding, the yield per mu can exceed 8,000 catties.

Under normal circumstances, it takes about 300 catties of potato seeds to plant one acre of potatoes, and the planting cycle is almost three months.

In the Central Plains, southwest and other places with relatively mild climates, potatoes can be planted twice a year.

Such a high-yield crop, if it can be planted in a large area, can basically greatly alleviate the problem of eating for the Xia people.

After all, potato tubers contain a lot of starch and provide abundant calories for the human body.

It is also rich in protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals......

It's a gift from nature!

But it's a pity that Zhao Cheng is now powerless, and he is still a prisoner wanted by the imperial court, and it is impossible to plant a large area.

What's more, the number of seeds he carries is also very limited, about two cubic meters, with a total weight of more than one ton.

One ton seems to be a lot, but in fact, planting ten acres of land is almost gone.

However, if it can be carefully cared for, under the conditions of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, even if there is no fertilizer, one ton of potatoes can easily become ten tons.

Planting twice a year, you can easily break dozens of tons.

It has been developed for several years, with an output of 10,000 tons and 100,000 tons...... There is no problem at all.

In the new era hundreds of years later, the Xia people are the country with the largest total potato production in the world.

However, the environment of the Xia people can grow potatoes in a large area.

Regarding the issue of food, Zhao Cheng has been paying attention to it since he knew about the crossing.

Most of the crops introduced to China after the Ming Dynasty originated in the Americas, such as pineapples, peppers, potatoes, corn, peanuts, sunflowers, etc.

In particular, high-yield crops such as potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes were introduced into the Xia nationality and became the main food of the poor class, which solved the problem of what the Xia people ate in a certain aspect.

Because the food problem was solved, the Xia population began to grow further explosively.

……

Zhao Cheng didn't hesitate too much, took advantage of people's inattention, took two or three hundred kilograms of potato seeds, and put them directly in the yard.

"Brother Qin, what is this?"

Not long after, Li Yatou came back and saw these things very strange, when did these small round ball-shaped things appear in the yard?

"Oh, it was sent by a friend of mine, it's called a potato, it's edible."

Zhao Cheng is recording some relevant knowledge about potatoes, recalling the experience of growing potatoes as a child, and recording the main points at the same time.

He knew very well that he wouldn't stay long in Wu Shanzhai.

Although the terrain here is remote and sparsely populated, the possibility of Jinyiwei being able to find it is very low.

But Zhao Cheng didn't dare to bet!

Mr. Zhou's death gave him a big blow, and it also reminded him all the time that before his strength was not strong enough, he should not easily have a relationship with ordinary people.

It's okay to have a relationship, but you can't let the court know!

Otherwise, it will not help them, but harm them.

"Friends?"

Li Qiaozhen was surprised, Brother Qin still has friends?

"By the way, Qiaozhen, are you free? If you have time, help me find Village Chief Wu~"

Zhao Cheng was not ready to explain to the little girl, continued to sort out the main points, and didn't care whether Li Qiaozhen had time or not, so he asked him to find Village Chief Wu......

The little girl stood in a daze for a few minutes, and saw that Zhao Cheng had been busy, so she didn't bother, and went to find the big boss by herself.

Over the past few days, Li Qiaozhen has learned a lot of knowledge, understood a lot of simplified characters, and learned a lot of novel words.

For example, the village chief, she knew that the village chief Zhao Cheng was referring to the big boss Wu Yong, and she was very curious why he was called the village chief, not the village chief.

Zhao Cheng explained simply, explaining the organizational form of the village, so that she understood that the village was almost a village.

Ten minutes later, the big boss Wu Yongcai rushed back with Li Yatou.

He was confused.

I don't know what Mr. Qin is looking for him?

Qiaozhen, this girl, too, spoke ambiguously, shouting about what potatoes and potatoes, small balls, can be eaten......

Wu Yong couldn't hear clearly.

He stood aside and watched Zhao Cheng write some words on the paper with a strange wooden stick.

Although I don't know a few big characters, I learned some simplified Chinese characters with the little cub at home.

In a trance, I realized that Mr. Qin was writing articles in simplified Chinese.

He waited for a while, but he didn't see Zhao Cheng look up, so he shouted: "Mr. Qin? ”

Now that the sun had set, he didn't have much time to delay, he had to go back and get food, or he would be in trouble when it got dark.

"Oh, you're here~"

When Zhao Cheng heard this, he stopped writing and looked up to see Wu Yong, a big man.

Master Wu smiled, he couldn't say that he had been here for a while!

"Village chief, I heard Qiaozhen say that there is not enough food in the village, and there is no money to buy in other places.

Many of the children in the academy did not have enough to eat and were malnourished......"

Zhao Cheng also doesn't ink, straight to the point.

"There's such a thing~"

Listening to Mr. Qin's words, Wu Yong's face was full of worry, since the world was peaceful, the crops in the village were self-sufficient, and no one starved to death again.

But now that the population is increasing, the little cubs are waiting to be fed, and everyone is worried.

Now it can barely support it, but in a few years, the children will be bigger and the amount of food will be higher, and it will be difficult to do.

If there is bad weather, drought or something, and the harvest is lost, it will starve people to death.

Wu Yong can now be regarded as a talker in the village, and every family has to trouble him for everything, so how can he not worry?

"Alas, I am grateful to Qiaozhen's grandfather and grandson for rescuing, fortunately Wu Shanzhai took care of me,

Now he is still getting a job in the academy and is surviving.

The great kindness of Wu Shanzhai and the kindness of Wu Village Chief, I engraved it in my heart and will never forget it. ”

Zhao Cheng said a word of thanks and bowed.

He does it from the heart.

His injuries are very serious, if it weren't for the help and help of the Li family's grandchildren, even if he didn't die, he would have left a lot of hidden dangers.

sequelae, I'm afraid it can torture him to death.

Moreover, his identity is already suspicious, and his injuries are even more serious.

In such a situation, but being taken in by Wu Shanzhai is indeed a great favor.

Great kindness!

This is also the reason why he does not want to stay in the stockade longer.

Once you stay for a long time, there will definitely be problems in the future.

In order to repay the kindness, take the time to teach the children and sow the seeds of science for them, and they will definitely benefit from their future growth.

In addition, Zhao Cheng wanted to solve the food problem of Wushanzhai.

When the village is planted with potatoes, corn and other high-yield crops, and it is considered to be a life-saving favor, he should find time to leave.

"Mr. Qin can't help it, he can't help it~"

Wu Yong saw Zhao Cheng saluting and hurriedly pulled him.

He is just a farmer, and although he has made a little reputation by blood, he is still full of reverence for scholars.

Wu Yong didn't know who this Qin Ming was, and he didn't know what his identity was......

But only one, the reader, is enough for him to respect.

After all, in ancient times, the reading rate was extremely low, and the Ming Dynasty was about 30 percent.

This is also the result of the high education rate of the elite.

If the people at the bottom are counted separately, the level of education is really worrying.

As for the Later Dynasty, the education rate was even lower.

The entire Xia clan, whether there is one percent or not is a question!

"As a college teacher, I teach and tell stories, so that children can read and understand some truths.

I don't pursue too high a level of knowledge, and it is enough to know some common sense.

But seeing that the children are all yellow and thin, and they are almost skinny, I am also full of anxiety and can't sleep at night. ”

Zhao Cheng continued, he understood the reason why Wu Yong asked him to teach, so he didn't hope to teach any great talents, and it was enough to be literate and distinguish right from wrong.

"I have a friend who is doing some business along the coast and received a high-yielding species called potatoes,

A few days ago, I asked someone to send some letters, and I hope he can send some to help you tide over the difficulties.

No, it just arrived. ”

Zhao Cheng pointed to the potatoes beside him, and Wu Yong also looked at them, he had already discovered these things, and they were exactly the same as what Li Yatou described.

This is the potato? A high-yielding species?

How productive?

Wu Yong was looking at these things, and his heart was full of confusion.

According to what Mr. Qin Mingqin said, this thing can help the village survive the food crisis?

Is this possible?

Seeing that Village Chief Wu was puzzled, Zhao Cheng didn't explain directly, and only when Li Lin's grandfather and grandson came over did Zhao Cheng introduce himself.

"This thing is called a potato, and the foreigners also call it a potato, and when it is planted in the soil, it is almost ripe in three months.

When the time comes, you can see the roots grow one after another globular things.

When you pull it out, you have to throw it clean, and there will be a lot of potatoes buried in the soil. ”

"It's kind of like a turnip, but the turnip is whole, and the potato is small and separate......"

The little girl has been in contact with Zhao Cheng for the longest time, and it is easiest to understand these.

"That's pretty much it, but some potatoes may not be smaller than turnips~"

Zhao Cheng nodded slightly, they were all crops thrown in the soil, and the planting methods were very similar.

"It's easy to grow potatoes, but can you really eat them?"

Village Chief Wu squatted down, and there were still four or five small potatoes in his big hand, which was not very hard, and it was slightly deformed when he pinched it slightly.

He was skeptical, could these things be eaten?

"You can eat it, and the practical part is a spherical object buried in the soil, steamed, fried, burned, boiled, and stewed.

Normally, if it is well managed, the production capacity per mu has three or four thousand catties.

It's a pity that there is no industrial fertilizer at this time, otherwise it would not be a problem for the yield per mu to exceed seven or eight thousand......"

Zhao Cheng's tone was quite affirmative, but he regretted that there was no fertilizer.

"Three or four thousand catties per mu? How can it be? ”

"Impossible!"