"Someone, bring me a knife!"
Wang Shicheng waved his hand and ordered his servant to bring a short blade.
He gripped the knife handle, circled the jackfruit tree twice, and dismissed the servants. "Today I will personally take the knife and savor it with you all."
The women at the next table also gathered around, eager to see what this novel fruit looked like.
A woman from one of the families, seemingly trying to curry favor, asked, "What kind of fruit is this? Sister Zhang, you are very knowledgeable. Have you ever seen it in the capital?"
However, this casual flattery sometimes fails. Madam Zhang, being older and more composed than the other women, said, "Not everything is available in the capital."
The woman realized she was doing something thankless and didn't say anything more.
"I have no idea where my dad got these new gadgets from, and he's been keeping them a secret from us."
Wang Xueru stood behind and muttered to herself, seemingly quite interested in the jackfruit as well.
Sun Miao'er laughed and said, "You'll see in a moment, jackfruit is quite delicious."
"Has Miao'er eaten it?" Wang Xueru asked casually.
Sun Miao'er quickly realized that she had said something wrong and made up an excuse: "No, my grandfather used to trade herbs in the south in his younger days and told me about it."
Whispers rippled through the crowd as Wang Shicheng swiftly sliced the jackfruit in two.
The sight that came out when it was split open left him dumbfounded; the inside of the fruit was sticky and emitted a strange smell.
The strange smell emanating from the room caused the elegantly dressed women to immediately back away. Some covered their faces with handkerchiefs for fear of losing their composure, while others frowned and showed their disgust.
Wang Xueru whispered, "Miao'er, this fruit smells terrible. Has my father been tricked?"
“No, this is what a ripe jackfruit tastes like. You might think it smells bad, but people who like it will find it delicious!” Sun Miao’er explained.
Wang Xueru raised an eyebrow, her voice low but still revealing surprise, "Would anyone like to eat something that smells so bad?"
"Of course, it's delicious."
Sun Miao'er used to love fruits like jackfruit and durian, especially when they were in season and she would eat some almost every day. But here, the only fruits available were peaches and watermelons, and she was really craving jackfruit.
Not only did the women look uncomfortable, but the men's expressions were also not good.
Wang Shicheng thought it was a rare item and wanted to show it off, hoping it would suit Magistrate Zhang's discerning taste. However, the fruit he opened had a rotten, overripe smell, which made him lose face in front of everyone.
"Brother Wang seems to be taking advantage of our lack of worldly experience. This fruit looks like it's only for admiring from afar, not for handling!"
Someone made a sarcastic remark.
Wang Shicheng was also speechless. When the people from the south handed him this fruit, they said it was a treasure from their land, but what treasure could have such a unique aroma?
"Master Wang, there's a proper way to prepare jackfruit. You can't just cut it open and eat it."
Sun Miao'er didn't want to stand idly by any longer and let things develop unchecked; the jackfruit she was about to eat would probably be disposed of by these ignorant fools.
As soon as she spoke, everyone's eyes turned to her, casting questioning glances at this unremarkable girl.
Aunt Qin was already so angry that she wanted to grind her teeth. Seeing her so arrogant now, she wanted to see her make a fool of herself. She retorted, "You country bumpkin, you probably haven't even been to the outskirts of the city. Don't make a fool of yourself here."
"Young lady, you are mistaken. How do you know I don't know?"
Instead of getting angry, Sun Miao'er smiled and walked up to Mu Boluo. "Master Wang, please lend me your knife."
Wang Shicheng originally intended to avoid this matter, but this girl suddenly stepped forward to vent her anger, and under everyone's watchful eyes, he had no choice but to comply.
Sun Miao'er took the knife and first cut off the sticky part, then removed the soft, mushy parts from the fruit. "These are inedible; only the flesh is edible. However, opening this fruit is quite particular, but you can't eat the flesh inside once you cut it open."
She then made a few more cuts on the fruit shell, winding and twisting, until the shell was cut open, revealing the golden flesh inside. "These are the ones that are edible," she said.
Sun Miao'er carefully peeled the fruit flesh from the shell and placed it on a plate; its golden color was very tempting.
"But even if we get the fruit pulp, who could eat it with such a pungent smell?"
Seeing how busy she was, some people whispered among themselves.
Sun Miao'er looked in the direction of the sound and smiled, "Wrong, this smell is not a foul odor, but the unique fragrance of ripe fruit. Jackfruit flesh is incredibly sweet. I wonder if any of you would like to try it?"
She held up the plate and presented it to the crowd. The onlookers stared at each other, but no one nodded in agreement.
"Madam Wang, why don't you give it a try?"
Sun Miao'er walked up to Wang Sushi and invited her to try it.
Lady Wang hesitated and ultimately could not make up her mind.
"I'll give it a try."
Wang Xueru stepped out from the crowd, curious to see just how bad it could taste.
After speaking, she picked up a piece that was yellowish in color, took a small bite, and everyone stared intently at her expression, hoping to glean something from it.
Surprisingly, there was no frowning, no forced swallowing.
After tasting it, Wang Xueru showed a hint of surprise, "This fruit is so sweet!"
"Really?" Wang Shicheng asked, overjoyed.
Wang Xueru nodded repeatedly and said, "Father, quickly share some with all the guests. The fruits from the south are truly different from those here."
Seeing that Mubolu had received praise from his daughter, Wang Shicheng felt a surge of confidence. "Gentlemen, please give me some face and try it. Xueru has a very discerning palate, and even she says it's delicious. Aren't you all willing to do me the honor?"
Sun Miao'er continued, "Pineapple is warm in nature, and it has a great nourishing effect on people with weak constitutions. It is no less effective than other tonics. Besides, everyone knows about green and red pineapple, right? They also have unique smells, but that doesn't stop them from being popular in our country. How can we deny a food just because of its smell?"
Seeing that what she said made sense and that she was a woman of courage, Wei Rongchang said, "Then I'll give it a try."
He took a bite, and sure enough, his brow relaxed. "Sweet, very sweet, but not very juicy, subtle!"
With him setting a precedent, others wanted to follow suit.
Wang Shicheng then instructed his men to distribute the fruit pulp and invite the guests to taste it together.
"By the way, everyone, although jackfruit is good, there are also some taboos. After eating it today, you must avoid honey and the like, as the two clash and may harm your health."
The group, who had initially been very resistant, were now engrossed in enjoying the food. Sun Miao'er added, "The food is good, but everything should be done in moderation, lest someone eats too much and gets a stomachache, then blames her."
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