91 Explanation
Ming Zhiyan had his eyes lowered, and Jian Qingqing could not see his expression clearly. She was a little nervous.
“What about the other three?”
Ming Zhiyan’s tone was indifferent, and she could not tell his emotions.
Jian Qingqing glanced at him and organized her words in her mind. She said carefully, “You might not believe it, but my great-grandfather bought those three from a missionary. My great-grandfather used to work as a helper at the dock, and those missionaries liked to eat these things. My great-grandfather bought some for my great-grandmother to try, but she felt that it was too expensive and couldn’t bear to eat it. So, she kept it there. Then one day, she found that it sprouted, so my great-grandmother planted them. She didn’t know how to plant them, so she just planted them on the back of the hill. After that, she forgot about them. I found them on the hill in spring and thought it was very strange. I hadn’t seen them before, so I asked my grandfather, and he told me about it. Later, I moved them all down to grow them and even fertilized them. When they matured, I found that the yield was particularly high, so I continued to plant them on my own land.”
Jian Qingqing did not know if he would believe her. This story was half true and half false. Her great-grandfather had indeed worked as a helper at the dock and had also bought something from a priest. It was just a gemstone ring, her great-grandmother felt that it was too valuable, so she didn ot tell anyone about it. Later on, the ring had been sold for money in times of difficulty.
The Great Wei Kingdom originally had yams, but they were all wild yams. They were very thin and very long, and were specially used for medicinal purposes. Her yams had long been improved and selected by modern times. They were big and long, and were specially used for eating. They did not have much medicinal value.
Corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes were not available in the Great Wei kingdom or its surrounding countries. In the modern time, they came from the west, and in this time, it should only be available in western countries.
Even if she said that it was found on a mountain, it would arouse suspicion. Why would it only grow on the mountain of Jian Family Village, but no other places? Moreover, corn was too eye-catching. If there were, it would be very easy to be discovered.
So, she could only make up a story that was both true and false, and push everything to her great-grandfather.
She already had an explanation for the source of these crops. Her family knew that she grew them in the field. When a few strange plants appeared in the field, the villagers would certainly ask.
Jian Qingqing asked her family to tell the public that her great-grandfather had bought them from the preacher. The Jian Family did not know why they could not tell the truth. Were these not all things that their eldest sister had dug up from the mountains?
However, they still listened to Jian Qingqing’s words. Now, everyone in the village knew that these crops came from the west.
After Jian Qingqing finished speaking, the air became quiet for a moment. Although her face was calm, her heart was unusually nervous.
Ming Zhiyan looked at her deeply. He did not believe a single word she said. It was too full of loopholes. If it was just one of them, it could still be said to be a coincidence. However, there were four in a row. If it was too much of a coincidence, then it was not a coincidence, he did not believe in such a lame excuse.
However, he had thoroughly investigated Jian Qingqing’s background. Her ancestral home had always been in Shifeng County. The poverty of the past few years was not fake.
However, what was going on with these things? There was also the tomato from before. According to what he knew, the tomatoes in Shifeng County had only started to appear after she sold them. No one had seen it before. Those hunters who had been hunting in the mountains all year round also said that they had never seen this plant in the mountains.
However, there was one that looked similar to it. The fruit was very small, and when it matured, it would turn red. The seeds inside were also similar, but it had a kind of poison that would kill the birds if they ate it.
So, were these things really found in the mountains and bought from the missionaries, like she said? Or…