The surface of these potatoes was covered with a layer of wheat straw, and the plants grew out from beneath the straw, short and small clusters with unremarkable leaves that emitted a slightly pungent smell. To someone unfamiliar with them, they looked no different from weeds by the roadside.
As Felix dug up the potatoes, he was still thinking that a plant only twenty centimeters tall would likely produce something similar to a carrot—small and thin.
As a man who didn't care for carrots, Felix had no expectations for these potatoes.
That was until he swung the hoe, and as the dark, fertile soil was turned over, several round objects were unearthed.
Before he could get a clear look, Wei Wei had already lifted the potato plant, shaking off the dirt to reveal the potatoes growing on it.
This cluster had five potatoes, varying in size, and together they weighed about seven or eight taels (approximately 400-450 grams).
Wei Wei used a small trowel to dig around in the soil, confirming there were no more potatoes, and frowned. "This cluster is less than a catty (approximately 600 grams). That's a bit low."
The system had assured her that the seeds it provided were high-yield varieties, capable of producing four to five thousand catties per mu (approximately 2,400-3,000 kilograms) under normal conditions, and up to nearly ten thousand catties (approximately 6,000 kilograms) with optimal care. With about 4,000 to 5,000 plants per mu, her thousand plants should have yielded at least a thousand catties. But now, it seemed like they hadn't even met the minimum standard.
And she thought this was low?
Felix was momentarily stunned. He glanced at the potatoes Wei Wei had set aside and then at the field, which supposedly had over a thousand plants.
If each potato plant yielded over a catty, then a thousand plants would mean a thousand catties. And how big was this field? According to Wei Wei, it was 2 fen (10 fen = 1 mu), roughly one-thirtieth of an acre.
So, did that mean this crop called potatoes could yield thirty thousand catties per acre?!!!
Felix nearly choked on his saliva. He wasn't the only one who could do the math. Butler Barton, standing beside him, looked like he was about to hyperventilate, clearly equally shocked.
"How much can one acre yield? Thirty thousand catties?"
"If you're an experienced farmer and manage it well, it's possible. But for us, getting twenty thousand catties would already be pretty good." Wei Wei looked up at him with an expression that said, "We're all beginners here, let's not aim too high."
She thought that if the rest of the harvest was similar to what she had in her hands, even twenty thousand catties might be a stretch.
But Twenty Thousand Catties was still incredibly impressive!!!
Even corn only yielded seven to eight thousand catties!!!
Listen, just a moment ago, they were marveling at the corn's yield, but now, with the potatoes, they were getting carried away.
The two men seemed to be on a stimulant, their hoeing efficiency increasing with each cluster of potatoes they unearthed. Wei Wei's mood also improved.
Although the first potato plant had been a disappointment—small and not very heavy—the ones that followed were much better. Each cluster had about five or six potatoes, and most of them were large, averaging a catty each. Even the smaller ones were decently heavy.
In the end, the expected thousand catties turned into nearly fifteen hundred catties. From the perspective of a modern large-scale farmer, this yield might be considered low (some experts could even grow clusters weighing over ten catties), but from the perspective of an average farmer, it was still a high yield!
Even Wei Wei hadn't expected this much. She had thought a thousand catties would be a great harvest, especially since she had taken good care of the potatoes but didn't have access to modern fertilizers. To achieve this yield, she could already pat herself on the back.
Now, with the yield exceeding expectations by half, she was over the moon.
Butler Barton looked like he had gone mad, squatting in front of the sacks of potatoes and repeating, "So many, so many." Felix was slightly better off, but only slightly. His flushed face made him look like he had just won a great battle.
Even the two maids who had come to report that the corn had been harvested were stunned into silence when they saw the piles of potatoes on the ground.
These sacks had been prepared in advance by Wei Wei, each capable of holding about a hundred catties. The maids had been puzzled as to why so many sacks were needed, since the corn yield, while impressive, wasn't enough to fill them all.
Now, seeing the sacks filled to the brim with potatoes, the yield was obvious.
The harvested potatoes were sorted into different sacks based on size. The smooth, medium-sized, and blemish-free ones were set aside as seed potatoes, accounting for two-thirds of the harvest. The rest—those that were too large, too small, or damaged by the hoe—would be eaten.
Ignoring the dirt on her hands, Wei Wei slowly stood up, her back aching from squatting for too long, and asked Felix, "Can you carry these back, or should we call for more help?" There was no way she was carrying them herself—her back would break.
Felix immediately replied, "Of course I can!" It was just a matter of making a few extra trips. He could handle it alone.
"Then take these to the kitchen." Wei Wei pointed to the sacks of varying sizes.
Felix shook his head. "No, even five hundred catties would be shocking if revealed. Let's just take one sack."
Right, she had forgotten about that!
Wei Wei quickly amended her instructions, pointing to the sack of damaged potatoes. "Then take this one to the kitchen. The rest should be stored in a cool, ventilated room. We'll need to find some people to dig a proper cellar to store the potatoes, or we won't have seed potatoes for next year."
"These potatoes are the seeds?"
"Yes, these can be used as seeds, but the ones we specifically picked are better. The rest probably won't grow as well."
Felix now had reservations about Wei Wei's definition of "not growing well." He thought that regardless of quality, they should all be kept as seeds.
"I'll find people to dig the cellar tomorrow. How about next to the wine cellar?"
"That works. I'll go back and draw up the plans. We'll need to dig several." Thinking about the sweet potatoes and other vegetables and fruits that would need storage later, one cellar wouldn't be enough.
With the discussion over and Felix preparing to start hauling the sacks, Wei Wei looked like she was ready to rest. The two maids quickly added, "My lord, Miss Wei Wei, the corn has all been picked."
"Oh, right, I almost forgot. How much did we get?"
"We picked about three hundred catties!"
With nearly a thousand corn plants yielding three hundred catties and assuming four thousand plants per mu, the yield would be around twelve hundred catties per mu—two hundred catties more than Wei Wei had previously told Felix. The maids had been excited to report this good news, but after seeing the potato yield, the corn didn't seem as impressive anymore.
Even Felix only showed a slight smile upon hearing the news before hefting a sack and walking off.
And of course, the butler couldn't let the count carry everything alone. He quickly dragged a sack after him—he still had the strength, but being older, he couldn't match the count's vigor. He had to drag the sack, but fortunately, it was the one destined for the kitchen, so a few bumps and bruises didn't matter.
Wei Wei looked at Qin and Penny and sighed. "Let's move the corn outside first."
Three hundred catties of corn was no light load, but the real trouble was that corn needed to be dried. Since secrecy was important, they couldn't just dry it in the garden.
After some thought, Wei Wei decided to move the corn to her room's balcony to dry. It was high up, with good sunlight, and while not completely hidden, it was obscure enough from other vantage points.
But carrying it up there would be exhausting for just the girls.
So, after tying the sacks shut, Wei Wei called for a few male servants to help and also had Qin and Penny fetch some clotheslines.
The clotheslines were strung up on the balcony, and the corn husks were peeled back and tied together, hung on the lines. Every two or three days, they would be turned to ensure even drying.
This task fell to Qin and Penny, while Wei Wei was sent off to rest. She was indeed exhausted, so she went downstairs to request some hot water for a bath. After relaxing, she went to check on Felix and the others.
She found that Felix had moved the seed potatoes into the wine cellar, specifically the innermost area that only he and the butler could access.
Well, that worked too. It was just temporary storage, and the temperature, humidity, and ventilation there were suitable.
Seeing how seriously he took it, Wei Wei couldn't slack off either. She returned to her room to check on the maids' progress, then took some paper and drew up plans for the cellar. After rolling up the parchment, she went back downstairs.
She handed the plans to Felix, who had just finished moving the sacks, and then yawned before heading into the kitchen.
Honestly, while European summers weren't as hot as those in China, working in the kitchen on a hot day was still a test of endurance. Fortunately, the castle's interior was relatively cool, and as long as you stayed away from the stove, it was only slightly stuffy.
"Miss Wei Wei." Bob greeted her with a smile as she entered, holding a fairly large potato. "Miss Wei Wei, how should we prepare this potato?"
"The simplest way is to wash it, boil it, let it cool, peel it, mash it, add some salt, and eat it like that. Of course, you can also peel and dice it for stews—potato and meat stew is delicious. Cutting it into strips for fries is also great. You can roast it, stir-fry it—there are lots of ways to cook it."
Wei Wei listed off a bunch of methods and then specifically warned that if the potatoes turned green or sprouted, they shouldn't be eaten, as they could be toxic.
Everyone took this warning in stride.
After listening, Bob eagerly declared that he would make a potato feast that night and asked Wei Wei for some guidance.
Wei Wei had come to the kitchen for exactly this purpose. She nodded and began assigning tasks.
That evening, the dining table featured mashed potatoes, potato and meat stew, roasted potatoes, potato soup, fries, and stir-fried potato shreds with meat.
It was quite the East-meets-West meal.
Given that new vegetables had been appearing on the table recently, Father Matthew didn't ask any questions, simply praising the meal after eating.
Felix, however, was much more serious. As he ate the various potato dishes, he carefully savored each one and concluded that this food not only tasted good but was also as filling as bread.
Even he, a grown man with a large appetite due to daily training, felt full after two large bowls of mashed potatoes.
Any food that could fill you up was good, especially one with such a high yield. Felix couldn't help but imagine how much more grain he could harvest and how many more people he could feed if his entire territory were planted with potatoes.
He glanced at the young woman beside him, sensing that soon, the entire Sardinson County would undergo tremendous changes because of her.
And perhaps not just Sardinson County...
The next day, workers arrived to dig the cellar. Felix assigned a steward to oversee the work, but surprisingly, he went off to train soldiers.
Training soldiers wasn't enough. Wei Wei vaguely heard that Felix also planned to recruit more soldiers and train militia, though the latter would have to wait until after the harvest since the serfs were too busy.
Sardinson Castle's standing army consisted of fifty men. This didn't mean Felix only had that many soldiers—a count could have hundreds of men at his disposal. However, during peacetime, nobles typically didn't maintain large armies. If needed, they would call upon their vassals and knights to bring their men, and conscript serfs for military service. Even a minor baron could muster a few hundred men, while more populous territories could raise thousands.
With Sardinson County's population, Felix could raise an army of five thousand if he wanted. Of course, previous counts had rarely done so, and the standing army had dwindled over time from five hundred to the current fifty. Since they were a border county with little contact with neighboring countries, the previous counts had seen no need to waste grain on maintaining a large army.
But Felix intended to restore the standing army to its full strength. As for the reason, Wei Wei suspected it had something to do with her.
In response, Wei Wei quietly copied a modern basic soldier training manual, a special forces training manual, and a translated version of *The Art of War* and gave them to Felix.
When Felix received these three gifts, his expression was truly something to behold.
"Where did these come from?"
"I wrote them from memory, based on what I've read before."
"Are soldiers trained like this in your world?"
"Yes." Even if they hadn't been before, they were now. Wei Wei hadn't forgotten the little gossip the system had shared with her. She'd heard that the transmigrator on the neighboring continent was a military enthusiast. Not only had he trained soldiers, but he'd also reportedly turned the bamboo-based fire lances of the Northern Song Dynasty into metal firearms capable of rapid fire. Rumor had it he was even working on cannons from the Ming Dynasty. It was said that this was why the Mongols, who had initially held the advantage, were suddenly pushed back by the Southern Song.
So, she did not doubt that this transmigrator had already established special forces units, likely on a large scale.
Felix silently looked at Wei Wei for a moment, then suddenly pulled her into a hug, holding her tightly as he said in a complex tone, "Thank you."
Felix: She's shared such important military secrets with me. She must love me too!
Wei Wei: Huh? What did I do? Why does he look so moved?
After this emotional moment, Felix threw himself even more fervently into training his soldiers. It was safe to say that the soldiers, who had suddenly found their training methods drastically changed, would be "fondly remembering" the mysterious person responsible for this shift for a long time.
While Felix was busy training soldiers, Wei Wei was also occupied with expanding her business.
The essential oils she had sold to the noblewomen had delighted them, as evidenced by the flood of letters praising Wei Wei's generosity and the miraculous effects of the oils that arrived at Sardinson Castle within ten days of their departure. Of course, each letter ended with a request to purchase more oils.
The young ladies who had already pre-ordered the next batch of oils were even more eager after seeing the results others had achieved. They urgently inquired whether the new batch was ready and if they could buy more. They even sent servants with payment in gold coins, hoping to bring back more oils.
Wei Wei did have oils on hand, but she couldn't sell them all at once.
So, she only sent the pre-ordered oils back with the servants and declined all additional requests.
This led to a second wave of letters, as the noblewomen, now running low on their previous purchases, became even more desperate for new oils.
After reading the letters, Wei Wei chuckled and wrote back to each, explaining that she had no intention of going into business but had taught the production process to the count's servants. If they were interested, she could ask the count if he was willing to take on the business.
All the noblewomen who read her replies couldn't help but shake their heads and comment to those around them, "This Miss Wei Wei is truly a naive young lady."
"What benefit does she gain from giving such an important formula to the count?"
"Poor girl. Perhaps it won't be long before the count abandons her."
"Even if he doesn't, once she loses her value, she'll likely end up as his mistress."
Though they spoke of pity, each woman wore a relieved smile, knowing that only if the count abandoned Wei Wei would their daughters have a chance to become his wife.
Thus, they stopped writing to Wei Wei and instead had their husbands write to the count, inquiring about the oils. Some of the bolder young ladies even wrote directly to Felix, their letters filled with bold hints and suggestions.
Of course, Felix didn't read a single one of these letters. He didn't even open the envelopes before tossing them into the trash. Only the letters from the barons were read.
After discussing the matter with Wei Wei, Felix quickly drafted replies, stating that he intended to start an essential oil business. If their wives and daughters were interested, they could purchase the oils at two gold coins per bottle in half a month.
If Wei Wei had raised the prices, they might have been displeased, having already enjoyed lower, more favorable rates. But since it was the count who set the price—and at the rate, the baroness herself had suggested—they had no choice but to accept.
However, this naturally lowered Wei Wei's standing in their eyes to that of a beautiful but foolish young lady.
Only Baroness Hunt vaguely sensed that something was off, but since Wei Wei's retort during the dinner had been subtle and it had been a while, she chose not to dwell on it and eventually forgot about the incident.
Thus, Wei Wei successfully hid herself behind Felix, reducing the attention other nobles paid to her.
By this point, Wei Wei was no longer concerned with the matter. She was preoccupied with something far more pressing.
Dolores had fallen ill.
One night, the poor girl suddenly became unwell. She lay in bed, moaning about a headache, and when the maid came in to check, she found Dolores running a fever.
There was no doctor in the castle, and it was the middle of the night. The butler, roused from sleep, quickly sent someone to fetch a doctor from a nearby town, but the round trip would take four hours. Everyone was frantic.
When Butler Barton rushed upstairs to inform Felix, he forgot to lower his voice, startling two black cats prowling the hallway. The cats' yowling woke Wei Wei from her sleep.
She got out of bed, threw on a thin cloak, lit a candle, and opened her door. Seeing nothing unusual in the hallway but hearing the butler's urgent voice downstairs, she descended to find Felix, still in his nightclothes, heading down with the butler.
Wei Wei: "What happened?"
Felix's expression was grim: "Dolores is sick."
Butler Barton added: "The maid on night duty noticed she had a fever."
In the Middle Ages, a fever was a life-threatening illness, especially for children, with a very high mortality rate.
Hearing this, Wei Wei's expression turned serious: "Wait for me, I'll go with you."
She went back to her room to fetch her silver needles, then hurried downstairs to join them.
Wei Wei's room was on the fifth floor of the castle, while Felix lived on the fourth floor, along with his brother's room. Dolores and Caroline's rooms were on the third floor.
Compared to the rooms upstairs, the third-floor rooms were much more modest, a reflection of her father's neglect. However, after Felix succeeded to the title and Wei Wei became her teacher, Dolores' room had gained many new items, most of which were embroideries made by the young girl.
By the time they arrived, Dolores' room was already crowded with people. The maids had changed her into clean clothes and were using a wet towel to try to bring down her fever, but Dolores was still moaning in discomfort.