Chapter 23 - Transmigration: The Farm Life of a “Fool”

Translator's Note:

Hello, I hope you've all been doing well.

Here you go, and I wish you a good read.

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Potatoes

 

 

Two days later, the bamboo for building the house was finally all cut. Now, it was time to haul it down the mountain.

 

Xu Ran led a group of children up the mountain to help carry the bamboo.

 

Though he didn't have much strength, he managed by carrying one stalk at a time.

 

He had organized the children into teams as well. Several of them would carry a single stalk together, and they rested whenever they got tired.

 

Dahu and Gouzi, who were eight years old, could manage one stalk between the two of them, while the rest of the children split into two teams to help.

 

Despite their young age, their combined efforts made a big impact. After several trips, they had transported quite a bit of bamboo. The adults were thrilled, and the children's spirits soared as they basked in the praise—even though they were exhausted, they didn't seem to mind.

 

Hauling the bamboo took an entire day. Next, they would need to split the bamboo in half, which was a massive task on its own.

 

Since they didn't have any money, they couldn't hire anyone to help, so they'd have to do it themselves, little by little. Fortunately, the fields weren't too busy right now.

 

With so many mouths to feed, everyone gathered at Wu Mei's place for meals. Xu Ran, feeling a bit guilty about always imposing, often took the children out to forage for wild vegetables. On good days, they managed to find a decent amount, though never in large quantities.

 

One thing Xu Ran hadn't seen in this area yet was potatoes. By all logic, they should have existed here, but perhaps no one had discovered them yet. Determined, he decided to venture up the mountain to search for them.

 

Since the mountain was dangerous, Xu Ran couldn't take the children along, and he didn't tell Liu Tong either. He knew Liu Tong would never agree to it, so he planned to act first and deal with the consequences later.

 

With a basket on his back, a small hoe inside, and a sickle in hand, Xu Ran set off. He only planned to spend half a day up there, so he didn't bother bringing food or water.

 

The saying "live off the land" was true—there was plenty on the mountain to be found.

 

Though it was no longer mushroom season, there were plenty of tree ears* growing densely on the trunks of trees. Seeing that no one dared to eat them, Xu Ran plucked them all and tossed them into his basket.

 

[T/N: Tree ears, also known as wood ear mushrooms, are a type of edible fungus that typically grows on the bark of trees. They have a dark, almost black color and a soft, jelly-like texture when cooked. Tree ears are commonly used in Asian cuisines, especially in Chinese dishes, where they are prized for their subtle flavor and crunchy texture. They are often added to soups, stir-fries, and salads.]

 

His main goal today, however, was to find potatoes. Whether he could or not remained to be seen.

 

Xu Ran bent low to search for the elusive tubers. At first, he had no luck, but eventually, he lay flat on the ground, using his sickle to scrape through the dirt, getting mud all over his clothes.

 

When he finally unearthed the first potato plant, Xu Ran nearly cried from joy.

 

Where there was one, there were more—second, third. This area, with its humid climate, was perfect for growing potatoes.

 

Overjoyed, Xu Ran emptied the tree ears from his basket and piled them aside, then began frantically digging up as many potatoes as he could find, tossing them into the basket with glee.

 

As the sun rose higher in the sky, his basket grew heavier, filled to the brim with potatoes. Deciding it was time to stop, Xu Ran figured it would be best to head back before Liu Tong started worrying about him.

 

When Xu Ran returned with the potatoes, Liu Tong and the others had not yet come back. They were probably still at the village outskirts, finishing up with the bamboo.

 

The location for the new house was one Xu Ran had chosen earlier—quiet and near the few homes of Wu Mei and his neighbors, with the mountain conveniently behind them. The surrounding land was all barren. The Qingyuan Dynasty had plenty of land but a sparse population, and barren land wasn't easy to cultivate. Xu Ran had set his sights on this unused area, finding it ideal.

 

Naturally, Liu Tong had no objections.

 

Typically, when people built houses, they'd hire someone to check the feng shui, but since Xu Ran's family had no money, they skipped that part. In any case, it likely wouldn't make much difference.

 

When Xu Ran arrived at Wu Mei's house, the children were still playing in the yard, causing chaos among the chickens and ducks, feathers flying everywhere.

 

Xu Ran sighed. Without adults around, it was as if the world had turned upside down. Thankfully, the children hadn't wandered too far.

 

Tangtang and Guoguo spotted Xu Ran first and ran over excitedly, "Daddy!"

 

Xu Ran nodded at them but didn't stop. His load was too heavy, so he headed straight to the kitchen.

 

Since Xu Ran had recently come up with several new, strange things, the children stopped playing and followed him inside, curious.

 

Dahu noticed the contents of the basket and picked up a mud-covered potato, asking, "Uncle Xu Ran, what's this?"

 

Xu Ran, on his way outside to wash his face, turned back and replied, "That's a potato. You can eat it. I'll cook it for you at lunch."

 

Hearing that it was edible, the children all cheered in excitement.

 

Tangtang and Guoguo, ever thoughtful, saw that their father was covered in mud and sweating. They hurried to fetch water for him.

 

Just as Xu Ran took a few steps outside, the two children returned, carrying a wooden basin.

 

Seeing the water, Xu Ran knew it was their special effort for him. He smiled. Truly, these were his sweet, caring little ones.

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