Courtyard House: Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor) Traded for an Aircraft Carrier, the Whole Count

Seven days might be nothing more than a few grains of sand slipping through one's fingers for someone struggling to survive in this era of scarcity. But for Deputy Factory Director Li, sitting in the back seat of the jeep, it felt exceptionally long and filled with anxiety.

The jeep bumped along the dirt road leading to the rocky outskirts of Beijing, kicking up yellow dust that resembled a murky earth dragon.

"Xiao Jiang, I'm not trying to be mean," Deputy Factory Director Li said, rubbing his aching back from the jostling. His brows furrowed, and his tone betrayed barely concealed impatience. "The factory is at its busiest right now, especially tomorrow. A big leader is coming to inspect, and I'm swamped with logistics. You dragged me to this desolate place to look at some side business. Isn't this... isn't this just making things worse?"

Deputy Factory Director Li was indeed furious. He'd been so worried about entertaining the soon-to-be-visited high-ranking leader that several strands of his hair had turned gray in the past two days. Although the meat supply was secured, meat alone wasn't enough; in this era of prioritizing grain production, staple foods were the linchpin. But what good was the stale cornmeal in the factory canteen?

Jiang Chen sat in the passenger seat, swaying slightly with the car's movements, but his expression remained as calm as ever. He turned back with a smile and handed over a Daqianmen cigarette: "Factory Manager, calm down. Sharpening your axe won't delay your work. I assure you, this trip will be more useful than you sitting in your office for ten days."

"Keep bragging." Deputy Factory Director Li took the cigarette. Although he was still complaining, his expression softened slightly. "Let me make this clear: if this so-called 'side business' is just growing a few rows of rotten cabbages, I'll fire you and send you to the workshop to swing a sledgehammer."

Jiang Chen smiled without saying a word, but simply pointed ahead: "We've arrived."

Driver Lao Zhang was an experienced driver; he slammed on the brakes, and the jeep stopped a few dozen meters away from the rocky slope.

"We're here? We're here already?" Deputy Factory Director Li pushed open the car door, brushing the dust off his clothes as he casually looked up. "I'd like to see what kind of flowers you can grow on this rocky slope..."

His voice abruptly stopped.

His previously nonchalant expression froze instantly, as if frozen by liquid nitrogen. The cigarette he was holding, which he hadn't even lit yet, fell to the ground with a "thud."

The barren slope that had once been nothing but rocks and weeds had completely vanished. In its place stretched a vast, deep green sea.

Countless thick vines, as thick as a child's arm, wildly intertwined and spread, completely covering the few acres of barren, rocky land. The leaves were thick and glossy, reflecting a dark green sheen in the sunlight, as if each leaf was flowing with the oil called "life." A rich, almost tangible, herbal fragrance wafted on the breeze, invigorating anyone who smelled it.

"This...this is..." Deputy Factory Director Li stammered, pointing at the sea of ​​green before him, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.

He wasn't unfamiliar with rural areas or crops. But who had ever seen crops like this? This wasn't crops; it was practically a swarm of green pythons coiled up here!

"Factory Manager, this is the 'surprise' I prepared for you and for our steel rolling mill." Jiang Chen walked to the car and gestured for him to come over. "Want to take a look?"

As if he had lost his soul, Deputy Factory Director Li followed Jiang Chen into the thicket of vines, stumbling along the path. The ground beneath their feet was soft from the vines, and with each step they took, they could feel the vibrant life force emanating from it.

"These are sweet potatoes?" Deputy Factory Director Li squatted down, touched the thick leaves, and looked on incredulously. "Sweet potato vines can grow this thick? Xiao Jiang, did you feed them hormones?"

"Whether it's a sweet potato or not, just peel it open and you'll know."

Jiang Chen didn't explain. He walked to the most vigorous vine, rolled up his sleeves, and grasped the main vine, which was as thick as his wrist, with both hands.

"rise!"

With a low shout from Jiang Chen, he exerted force with both arms and suddenly lifted upwards.

"Splash—"

The sound of loosening soil could be heard, and then the surrounding ground began to bulge and crack.

Deputy Factory Director Li held his breath, staring intently at the land beneath Jiang Chen's hands.

The next second, a string of enormous red objects, carrying the damp scent of earth, were forcibly pulled out of the ground by Jiang Chen.

"My goodness!"

The driver, Lao Zhang, was so frightened that he fell to the ground and backed away.

Deputy Factory Director Li's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. He reached out his trembling hand, wanting to touch it, but he hesitated.

That wasn't the sweet potato he knew at all.

The bunch of sweet potatoes that were pulled out were each as big as a washbasin! Their skins were an enticing purplish-red, smooth as rubies, and even shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Under just this one vine, there were seven or eight such giant sweet potatoes, hanging heavily and stretching the thick vines straight.

"This...this is a sweet potato? This is a watermelon, right? No, even watermelons aren't this big!" Deputy Factory Director Li shouted incoherently, his voice shrill with extreme agitation. "Xiao Jiang! This...this thing, is it edible?"

"Not only are they edible, but they taste amazing." Jiang Chen casually patted the dirt off one of the sweet potatoes, making a dull thud that reassured everyone. "Factory manager, did we bring a scale?"

"I brought it! I brought it!" Driver Zhang scrambled back to the car and pulled out a large scale that he usually used to weigh scrap metal.

It took the combined efforts of three people to barely hang the sweet potato on the scale hook.

Old Zhang's hands were trembling as he struggled to move the weight until the scales tilted high.

"How much...how much?" Deputy Factory Director Li leaned closer, his eyes almost touching the scale.

"Thirty... thirty-five jin!" Old Zhang's voice was trembling. "Factory manager, this sweet potato weighs thirty-five jin!"

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

Deputy Factory Director Li suddenly turned his head and stared intently at Jiang Chen, his gaze as if he were looking at a living god of wealth, or as if he were looking at a monster.

In an era where yields of a few hundred kilograms per mu are celebrated with gongs and drums, what does 35 kilograms per single plant mean?

Even if the rocky slope is barren and the planting density is not as high as that of fertile fields, planting 800 plants per acre should not be a problem, right?

Eight hundred times thirty-five...

Twenty-eight thousand catties!

The yield is 28,000 jin per mu!

Deputy Factory Director Li felt a surge of excitement rush to his head, his mind reeling. This wasn't just a sweet potato; it was an auspicious omen! It was a satellite! This was a political achievement that could pierce the heavens!

"Hurry! Hurry!"

Deputy Factory Director Li suddenly jumped up like a madman, grabbed Jiang Chen's hand with such force that his knuckles turned white, and his whole body trembled violently.

"Block it! Block the news immediately! Old Zhang, bring the car over and load this sweet potato into it! Nobody is allowed to tell anyone! Anyone who does will be shot!"

At this moment, Deputy Factory Director Li even forgot to breathe. He looked at the green sea, his eyes burning with a raging fire called ambition.

"Xiao Jiang, you've done a great job...a huge job! This is incredible! Quick, back to the factory! I'm transferring the entire security department here! Not a single fly is allowed to get in!"