Chapter Eighty-four: Drying Sweet Potatoes

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  After everyone left, Chu's family finally let the chickens, ducks and geese out. Good seedlings are indeed different, those little chicks and ducklings just came out of their shells, and they started to adapt to their current environment with chirps and cheeps.

  Ten white geese are now also a bit bigger than ducks, with the demeanor of big sisters, leading a group of little ducks to run towards the not-so-distant large ditch. They are all born swimmers, with an innate love for water in their bones.

  Those little chicks were scrambling around the edge, hoping to find something delicious. One silly chick was standing on the edge of the ditch, flapping its underdeveloped wings, and then jumped in with a serious expression. However, when the chick jumped into the water, it was a matter of life and death. The poor thing immediately started struggling in the water, crying for help while drinking water at the same time.

  Chu Jiaqiang hastily walked over and scooped up the little fellow: "Alas! Can't even swim, what's the point of learning from others? Don't die on me!"

  That little guy was picked up like a drowned chicken and lay motionless on the ground. Just as Chu Jiaqiang was about to go forward to check, this little guy suddenly coughed several times, spit out some water, and then stood up with a loud noise, swaying back and forth like a drunk person.

  Others looked and burst out laughing, thinking this little chicken was adorable!

  Old Mrs. Wan was very experienced and immediately knew that the chickens and ducks were hungry. She took out a basin with Xu Xiu, scooped out some grains, came to the chicken coop, and knocked on the chicken door: "Cluck! Cluck cluck!"

  Those little chickens rushed over and started pecking at the food. The white geese and ducks in the water didn't come up, they were happily eating small fish and shrimp in the big ditch. They were originally domesticated waterfowl and liked to eat these things.

  "Jiaqiang, you're raising so many chickens and ducks, you'd better prepare more food!" Old Lady Wan reminded.

  Chu Jiaqiang nodded slightly, without saying a word, and immediately went into the village to collect grain. The villagers all knew his situation, he didn't have any fields, but he had raised many things, so everyone was very willing to sell to him, and soon he collected over 1,000 catties. Chu Jiaqiang also intentionally bought more, always making Second Uncle feel embarrassed.

  Second Aunt knew, naturally again blamed a while, saying that Chu's family treated them as outsiders, Chu's family had to reason with her for a long time before Second Aunt gave up.

  In the evening, Old Village Chief found Chu Jiaqiang again.

  "Village head grandfather, what's going on?" Chu Jiaqiang immediately became idle again.

  The old village chief looked at Chu Jiaqiang and asked, "Can these chickens really be sold? The Shi and Shi families also bought 100 chicks each and plan to raise them in the ghost field. They didn't feed them either, but they're worried that they won't be able to sell them later. A hundred big chickens are a big headache, how much can you eat yourself? Not many can be sold in town either."

  Chu's family was strong, and he suddenly smiled. The old village chief's intention had already been understood, wanting him to help find a sales channel. The old village chief really worked hard for the development of the village, seeing that someone finally had the courage to follow up, not wanting to discourage these people's enthusiasm, so he hurriedly found himself.

  "The old village chief can rest assured, as long as they don't feed them fodder, they won't be able to sell them, I'll help them find a buyer."

  With these words from Chu Jiaqiang, the old village chief felt much more at ease and said a few more things to him before leaving with a determined look.

  All of this was seen by Wan Lao and others, who couldn't help but nod in secret. Having a village chief like him is truly a blessing for Chu Jia Village. In fact, he also envied the old village chief, who was ten years older than him, yet still able to chop bamboo on the mountain and till the fields. This made him even more determined to stay long-term, and he clearly felt his own physical improvement. Just two days ago, he had gone with everyone to collect peanuts in the mountains, which would have been impossible for him before, as climbing those slopes was not so easy.

  The days have entered the middle of September, and Chujiazhuang is still operating quietly. In the morning, a rooster crows, and villagers carry farm tools to work in the fields. In the evening, the sun slowly sets, and smoke curls up in the village, with a poetic and picturesque atmosphere.

  On this day, Auntie Er again sent a basket of things to the Chu family. Everyone took a look and saw that they were sweet potatoes.

  "Second Aunt, have you finished digging sweet potatoes?" Chu Jiaqiang asked.

  "That's it, our family has never planted too much, just enough to eat and leave some for the pigs." Second Aunt replied with a smile, and the two of them finished digging in less than two days.

  "Are they all sweet potatoes? Are you only planting this kind this year?" The locals call them "lan jiao shu", a type of sweet potato with blue-purple flesh, which is the most delicious.

  "Not all of it, there's also some yellow yam, which is for feeding the pigs. How about you? Do you want to eat that kind?" asked Second Aunt.

  "I want some dried ones, haha!" Chu Jiaqiang knew that although this type of sweet potato was delicious, it wasn't the best material for drying. Instead, yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes were more suitable. In other places, this type of sweet potato was also called red sweet potato.

  "Sun-dry them! I'll just give you some of those then." Second Aunt said casually.

  Chu Jiaqiang waved his hand repeatedly, stopping her: "No! Second Aunt, I'm preparing more to dry for future guests. You originally didn't plant much, and now you're giving it all to me, how will you feed the pigs?"

  Second Aunt wanted to argue again, there was no sweet potato, it could be fed with cassava at the right time, which was also the same. However, Chu Jiaqiang explained the reason to her, and she gave up.

  After the second aunt left, Xu Xiu washed some sweet potatoes and prepared to cook a pot of sweet potato sugar water for everyone. Chu Jiaqiang went into the village again to gather some more, collecting several hundred kilograms of sweet potatoes.

  The method of drying sweet potato is very simple, wash it clean, then boil it in a pot until it's 80% cooked, then use a small knife to slice it into thin pieces, and finally find a place to dry it. The dried sweet potato made this way has a nice bite and tastes extremely good, eating it when you're bored is much better than cracking melon seeds.

  Everyone can only say that this kid is so idle, many children will do such things with sweet potato, but they just dry a little bit for themselves to eat, adults rarely eat this thing. However, everyone didn't find it strange for too long, Chu Jiaqiang often did abnormal things, and they were already used to it.

  It's another bi-weekly big week, Chu Jia Yan and that girl joined Yan Ruyu and others to return home. She is the same as Yan Ruyu, having a two-day holiday every two weeks, with only half a day off on the first week, and only on the second week can she have two days off and go back home once.

  Chu's family had dried some sweet potato, and when the three of them left for school, they snatched a big bag of it away, not caring that it wasn't completely dry yet. They said that since it was almost dry anyway, taking it with them to eat while drying would be just as good.

  Chu Jiaqiang had no choice but to follow their wishes, only instructing them not to eat too much at first, and it's best to dry for another day or two before eating. If you eat as soon as it's dried, the heat will be too great, and eating too much is not good for your body.

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