Chapter 101: Mushroom Sauce

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The shop sold raw sweet potatoes directly, no longer roasting them beforehand as before. Their sizes were less uniform and generally larger than the previously roasted ones. Therefore, the sales method changed; they were no longer sold by weight at eight wen per jin.

Calculating it, raw sweet potatoes were actually cheaper than roasted ones, making the price more accessible so ordinary people could afford them.

The price of rice, however, was relatively higher—one dou for one hundred wen, significantly more expensive than the sixty wen per dou charged by other rice shops in the county.

But the shop's clerk explained that their rice variety was different—more fragrant, glutinous, and chewy than ordinary rice.

Ordinary people wouldn’t buy such rice; they only sought enough to fill their stomachs and cared more about cost-effectiveness than taste.

The different pricing strategies were devised by Wei Ruo. Sweet potatoes were aimed at common folk with a low price so everyone could afford them. If someone appeared pale and emaciated, clearly hungry for days, the shop would even give a few sweet potatoes for free.

The rice sales targeted nobles and officials who pursued quality of life. First, the rice Wei Ruo bought from Huzhou Prefecture truly had that quality, justifying the price. Second, she had to factor in the cost of purchasing and transporting the rice, naturally raising the price.

As for the mushroom sauce, Wei Ruo made it herself.

Together with Xiumei, she simmered a large pot in the small kitchen of Yingzhu Garden, then bottled twenty jars in small clay pots.

Since it was the first batch and the quantity small, Wei Ruo did not intend to sell it in the store but rather use it for herself and as gifts.

The next day, when Wei Ruo went to teach at the Xie residence, she gave two jars to Mr. Wang and another two to Xie Ying.

Xie Ying held the two small clay pots Wei Ruo handed her and curiously asked, “What is this?”

“This is mushroom sauce.”

“Mushroom sauce? Made from mushrooms?”

“Yes. First, some pork lard is heated in the pot, minced meat is stir-fried until fragrant, then chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, and diced mushrooms are added, followed by salt, cooking wine, Sichuan pepper powder, and white sugar, all stir-fried evenly. Finally, a bit of soy sauce is added,” Wei Ruo explained.

Xie Ying blinked in confusion. “I don’t understand, but it sounds impressive. Can this sauce be eaten directly? I don’t know much about cooking, but I do know if it tastes good by trying it.”

“It’s usually used to mix with rice, vegetables, or noodles. Eating it straight can be a bit salty, but yes, it can be eaten directly,” Wei Ruo replied.

“Then there’s no problem.”

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Unable to wait, Xie Ying asked her maid to bring chopsticks, opened a jar, dipped the tip of a chopstick in, and tasted it.

Her eyes immediately lit up. “So fragrant, so delicious!”

Xie Ying truly liked it. She enjoyed the rich flavor—meaty aroma, mushroom fragrance, and the depth of soy sauce.

“I’m glad you like it. I’ll bring you more when you finish. It needs to be fresh; leaving it too long affects the quality. I’ll make some more later for you,” Wei Ruo said.

Though made with soy sauce, sealed with cooked oil, and kept in clay pots for some preservation, it couldn’t last as long as modern products with preservatives and vacuum packaging.

“Alright. In that case, I’ll share some with my brother. Two jars aren’t enough to part with, but if there are more, I can be a bit kinder to him!” Xie Ying said.

“Hmm,” Wei Ruo smiled involuntarily. The unique way the Xie siblings related to each other was very endearing to her.

***

After gathering all the sweet potatoes, Wei Ruo prepared to plant new crops. Land resources were limited and couldn’t be left idle.

At this time, crops suitable for mountainous terrain included rapeseed, radishes, and broad beans—all good choices.

For true cost-effectiveness, wheat was the best to plant now, as it could be harvested from the fourth to sixth lunar months next year.

Unfortunately, the terrain of Xiaoyang Mountain was unsuitable for wheat. The initial choice to plant sweet potatoes was because they required little modification to the sloped terrain.

By comparison, the southern part of the city was more suitable for wheat cultivation.

When large-scale land reclamation began in the south, besides acquiring a medicinal herb field with Xie Ying, Wei Ruo had her wet nurse purchase a large amount of land.

Although the land her wet nurse bought was not as prime as the government’s free plots for the poor, the terrain was much better than the mountainous north.

The price was also cheap—fifty taels of silver for a full hundred acres of flat land.

After some improvement, the land was ready for farming. Wei Ruo planned to plant wheat there. When the wheat was harvested next year, it would be just the right time to plant her late rice variety.

Wei Ruo not only intended to plant wheat on the land her wet nurse acquired but also planned to encourage other southern residents to cultivate wheat.

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Planting rice at this time was impossible, and planting ordinary vegetables did not offer good cost-effectiveness for impoverished people who still struggled to meet basic needs.

Although people in the Jiangnan region favored rice over wheat, under current circumstances, no one cared much—they just wanted enough food to fill their stomachs.

To promote this among southern villagers, Wei Ruo needed government assistance.

She summoned Nurse Qin and shared her idea. She knew Chu Lan had something to gain from this, so there was no need to beat around the bush or feel embarrassed when making requests through his people.

“Miss Wei, you are truly kind-hearted. Planting wheat now is indeed the best choice,” Nurse Qin wholeheartedly agreed with Wei Ruo’s judgment.

“If possible, I hope Nurse Qin can help transport wheat seeds from the north. Currently, very few people in Taizhou Prefecture grow wheat, so there aren’t enough seeds. The south has a large planting area and requires a great deal of seeds, but the villagers are penniless and can hardly obtain seeds on their own.”

“Don’t worry, Miss Wei. Seventh Prince will ensure this is taken care of,” Nurse Qin answered without needing to consult Chu Lan.

The Seventh Prince was deeply invested in the southern land reclamation project, aiming to achieve notable accomplishments. Now that things had advanced this far, procuring wheat seeds was surely no problem.

Hearing this, Wei Ruo knew she had made the right choice by turning to Nurse Qin.

Chu Lan’s involvement was a great advantage; matters difficult for ordinary people could be easily resolved with his help.

“I’ll thank Seventh Prince and Nurse Qin on behalf of the southern villagers,” Wei Ruo expressed her gratitude.

“Miss Wei, no need to be so polite. The villagers who reclaim the land should be the ones thanking you,” Nurse Qin replied.