Mo Lingxi glanced at the wind and snow outside, wondering why Tao Lengshuang wanted to take him to the mountains in the middle of winter: "Can't we go after spring?"
"It's too cold, I'm worried you'll catch a cold."
Tao Lengshuang insisted they had to go now, as it was very important: "Just bundle up warmly, besides, I'm a doctor, I'll be fine."
Seeing her demeanor, Mo Lingxi knew the matter was urgent. He put on his thick outer coat and instructed Xiao Feng to wait obediently at home.
Xiao Feng really wanted to go out with them, but after the last incident, his mother had forbidden him from leaving the house easily.
He watched his parents leave with longing eyes, then pouted and sat back inside to continue organizing his things, waiting for the steamed egg custard his mother had promised him.
Tao Lengshuang, unaware of her son's thoughts, led Mo Lingxi from a secluded path in the village towards the back mountain.
The mountains were covered in ice and snow at this time of year, a vast expanse of white with not a speck of green in sight.
Mo Lingxi carefully supported her, also observing their surroundings: "Why must you bring me up the mountain in such cold weather? How important can it be?"
Tao Lengshuang stepped into a thick snowdrift, the snow crunching under her feet. Even her exhaled breath was a misty white: "Extremely important. You'll regret not coming back sooner."
Mo Lingxi's curiosity was piqued. He looked at the snow-covered mountain, then crouched down in front of her: "I'll carry you."
Tao Lengshuang waved her hand, saying it wasn't necessary, and quickened her pace into the mountain: "Walking will keep us warmer. We're almost there, follow me."
What Tao Lengshuang called "almost there" took a good half hour of walking.
Looking at the uniform white landscape around them, and seeing Tao Lengshuang digging in the snow, Mo Lingxi quickly stopped her and placed her hands on his stomach.
"Aren't you afraid your fingers will get frostbite in this cold weather?" he chided with a stern face.
The warmth from his palms seeped into Tao Lengshuang's blood, like ice and snow meeting the warm sun. It sent shivers through her, making her breathing slightly erratic and her heart pound faster.
"I just wanted to show you something good."
She rolled her eyes dramatically, her voice tinged with a hint of petulance: "Or, you can dig it yourself. It's in that pile of snow."
Mo Lingxi was too curious about what Tao Lengshuang wanted to show him. After warming her hands, he picked up a branch and began to dig.
After about fifteen minutes, he suddenly sped up, even using his hands to dig rapidly. His dark eyes held disbelief and astonishment.
After another five or six breaths, he finally saw what was in the snow clearly, which filled him with both joy and surprise.
"Sweet potatoes!"
He grabbed a sweet potato from the snow, accidentally unearthing seven or eight of varying sizes.
"Be careful, be careful! Those are all seeds. There are only so many sweet potatoes," Tao Lengshuang cried out with concern.
Hearing this, Mo Lingxi switched to gently pulling them out, his voice softening: "When did you find sweet potatoes? I've been to these mountains so many times and never found any."
Tao Lengshuang, knowing he was suspicious, calmly delivered her prepared explanation: "This mountain is vast, and you haven't explored every corner."
Seeing him nod, she continued: "I stumbled upon them last time I was here. I didn't notice them on my previous visits."
"I was hoping to find some food in the mountains. In times like these, the more food we have, the greater our chances of survival."
Mo Lingxi still found it a bit strange. He felt the matter of the sweet potatoes was somehow connected to Tao Lengshuang, but then wondered if he was overthinking it.
These were national treasures in other countries. Tao Lengshuang rarely even left Shilipo Village, so how could she have obtained sweet potatoes?
He carefully spread all the sweet potatoes on his outer coat before walking back towards home with Tao Lengshuang.
"...You don't need to be so careful. Sweet potatoes are quite resilient," Tao Lengshuang said, her mouth twitching.
Mo Lingxi, unfamiliar with sweet potatoes, asked her about them.
Tao Lengshuang didn't know much about sweet potatoes, but she shared what she did know, emphasizing that cold weather would stop their growth, but that sweet potatoes were not picky about soil and could grow anywhere.
Mo Lingxi looked at the dozen or so sweet potatoes in his hands, contemplating how to plant them successfully. With so few, each one had to be treated with care.
Tao Lengshuang thought about how to plant sweet potatoes, vaguely recalling that they could be cut in half and then planted in the ground. She knew little beyond that.
"Sweet potatoes don't need overly meticulous care. For example, sweet potatoes are like the wild girls in the village; the more delicate the care, the more likely things are to go wrong."
When Mo Lingxi heard they had to be cut in half to be planted, he gasped: "Won't cutting them in half be bad?"
Tao Lengshuang rolled her eyes at him and said exasperatedly: "If you don't cut them in half to plant them, how else do you propose to plant them? Are you going to ask other countries for their experience? It's uncertain if they'll tell you, and they might even accuse you of stealing their national treasure."
Mo Lingxi knew they couldn't ask other countries for help. After some thought, he asked: "How long can sweet potatoes be stored?"
"For a very long time. If you place them in a slightly damp place, they'll sprout."
Sweet potatoes were truly a wonderful thing. They could be planted in any soil, yielded abundantly, and most importantly, could fill one's stomach.
Upon hearing this, Mo Lingxi decided to discuss it with Zi Cheng when he returned and also keep a few for Tao Lengshuang to help him plant.
Tao Lengshuang was speechless: "...In the middle of winter, where am I supposed to plant them for you? Even if there were land to plant them, the refugees would have snatched them all up."
Mo Lingxi knew this too, and a hint of dejection clouded his eyes: "How about planting them indoors?"
"If we see results next year, we can plant sweet potatoes within a certain range. Perhaps before long, we won't have to worry about food shortages."
Tao Lengshuang dampened his spirits: "Don't get your hopes up about not having food shortages. There will always be people and places that lack food."
Even in her previous life, with high-yield rice, there were still a small number of people who couldn't get enough to eat, let alone in ancient times.
Mo Lingxi pursed his lips and said slowly: "As long as it's better than now, that's enough."
Tao Lengshuang thought about it and agreed. Life should indeed get better and better.
"I'll try planting them. But I must warn you, it might not be successful."
Mo Lingxi nodded, indicating it was fine, and solemnly handed her two sweet potatoes: "Let's plant them in our room. I'll find you a pot."
Tao Lengshuang weighed the two sweet potatoes in her hand and hummed in acknowledgment.
Thus, when they returned home, Mo Lingxi found a pot and dug up some soil from the ground.
Tao Lengshuang touched the frozen soil and clicked her tongue. It was truly a feat for Mo Lingxi to pry open the ice-like ground.
"We need to wait until this soil warms up... no, until this soil is suitable before planting. This cold, icy soil is not suitable for planting sweet potatoes."