Chapter 111 Solving the problem: Plants, like people, need surgery to treat illnesses...
On the way to the peach orchard, Chen Mian had already explained the entire process of the peach tree getting sick to Professor Shen in detail.
"The weather has been bad lately, so we've repaired the drainage ditches, removed all the peach gum from the trees, and added fertilizer."
Chen Mian's tone was tinged with bitterness. She truly felt that she had done everything she could to remedy the situation, but the peach tree still didn't get better.
Even the peach gum on the tree has regrown, indicating that the peach tree itself is losing more and more nutrients.
Chen Mianmian: "We really had no other choice but to swallow our pride and ask Muhe to contact you."
"Thank you for making the long journey. Don't worry, we'll reimburse your airfare."
Shen Hetong adjusted his glasses and said, "Sister Muhe, you're too kind. The saplings came from me, so I'll definitely take responsibility for resolving any problems that arise."
No need for plane tickets. I haven't had Auntie's cooking in ages; I'm really craving it.
Chen Mian smiled and said that Professor Shen could order whatever he wanted to eat, as long as it could help them solve their problems, he was willing to eat eight meals a day.
Upon entering the peach orchard, Shen Hetong went straight to the nearest peach tree, and as Chen Mian had said, the branches and leaves were withered and yellow, and peach gum was everywhere.
He took out a small camera from his backpack and began taking pictures of the tree.
Detailed photos were taken from every angle, covering the leaves, branches, trunk, and even the entire tree.
Shen Hetong explained, "This is the first time our peach trees have had this problem. I want to record the entire treatment process."
"This will be very valuable research material."
He reached out and touched the rough surface of the bark, then picked a piece of peach gum and carefully examined the cracks on the trunk.
"Could I have a small knife?" Shen Hetong asked Chen Mian. "Controlled knives are not allowed on airplanes. My original plan was to buy one nearby after I got off the plane."
"Plants, like people, need surgery to treat illnesses."
Chen Mian had only a vague understanding of the matter, but she found a folding fruit knife in the toolbox she always kept in the car.
"This is all I have." She handed it to Shen Hetong.
"It's good enough as long as it works." Shen Hetong took the folding knife and wiped its surface repeatedly with a clean tissue.
Then bend down and scrape away the gum-like substance on a certain part of the tree trunk, thoroughly scraping away the rotten and discolored bark inside until the innermost fresh and healthy white trunk is exposed.
With his other hand, he continued scraping away debris, and of course, he didn't forget to take pictures along the way.
"When you were cleaning the peach gum, did you scrape off the rotten tissue inside?" Shen Hetong asked, standing up.
Chen Mian shook her head. Lin Shanhu had mentioned this method before, saying that if a person has a tumor, it needs to be cut off and scraped clean before it can heal.
But they were afraid of accidentally killing the tree, so they didn't dare to try.
“Then you are lucky,” Shen Hetong continued. “After the wound on the tree trunk is cut open, it cannot be exposed to the air for a long time. You need to apply a special product to isolate the wound from the outside world.”
"Removing the peach gum only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. As long as the wound is not thoroughly cleaned, it will continue to grow back after a while."
As he spoke, he took out a small round box from his bag, scooped out a spoonful of paste-like liquid, and applied it to the wound that had just been cut.
Chen Mianmian has never been able to figure out how peach gum appears: "Does it grow like mushrooms when it rains?"
It may have rained before.
Shen Hetong explained: "This condition is called 'gummosis' in academic terms, and it is a relatively common disease in peach trees."
The continuous rain and wind will increase the friction between branches and leaves, causing a large number of wounds on the surface of the tree trunk that are difficult to see with the naked eye.
Various bacteria and fungi can enter the tree trunk and multiply through these tiny wounds.
On the other hand, the soil has been waterlogged for a long time, and there is too much water at the tree roots, which has exceeded the limit that the tree can bear.
In rainy weather, the leaves cannot get sunlight and therefore cannot carry out effective photosynthesis.
Due to a combination of factors, the trees became weak and malnourished, making them even more unable to resist the invasion of pathogens.
Touching the rough tree trunk, Chen Mian sighed, "This peach gum is like their tears, sending us a distress signal."
"It's a pity I didn't realize it sooner."
Shen Hetong: "It's not too late now."
The nutritional value of peach gum comes from the tree itself. A tree's nutrient supply is limited; if it gives to peach gum, it can't take care of other parts of the tree.
Right now, it's just simple yellowing of branches and leaves. If gummosis breaks out in spring or summer, it will directly affect the size and quality of the fruit.
That would be the worst outcome. Now is actually the best time for treatment. The peach tree has a whole winter to rest and recuperate, accumulating energy for flowering and fruiting next year.
Shen Hetong had visited the Kapok Peach Garden before and walked around the entire garden familiarly, confirming that it was the same problem.
He took out a small notebook and pen from his suit pocket, wrote down the names and quantities of several items, and handed them to Chen Mian.
"These are some common chemical reagents and fertilizers. You should be able to buy them at the seed station if you follow the quantities I wrote down."
Shen Hetong: "Once everything is bought and I've prepared the medication, I'll start the wound cleaning."
"After cleaning the wound, you need to apply fertilizer. The farmyard manure you made yourself is still lacking some essential trace elements. You can adjust it yourself according to the formula I give you in the future."
“The problem is less serious than I expected, and it can be cured.” Shen Hetong understood the feelings of the patient’s family and gave a definite answer directly.
Hearing this, Chen Mian finally felt relieved. "Thank you, Professor Shen!"
…
Upon hearing that Professor Shen was coming, the Chen family started cooking as soon as Chen Mian set off to pick him up.
Lin Huijun also asked her youngest daughter what dishes Professor Shen liked to eat and whether he had any dietary restrictions.
Chen Muhe was reluctantly pulled into helping out, her eyes drooping: "How would I know what he likes to eat? Mom, just make whatever you think is good."
No matter what you cook, he'll always pretend to say it's delicious.
Lin Huijun: "You child, that's your teacher, how can you say that about her?"
Knowing that Professor Shen was from the South, Lin Huijun specially prepared a home-style stewed fish dish.
The carp was cleaned and gutted by the vendor beforehand. After bringing it back, I washed it, made cuts on both sides, and coated it with a layer of dry starch.
After heating the oil, fry the fish until golden brown on both sides. Move the fish to one side with a spatula, then add scallions, ginger, garlic, dried chili peppers, and other seasonings and stir-fry until fragrant.
To enhance the flavor, Lin Huijun also added two spoonfuls of chili sauce she had made earlier.
Pour water into a pot to cover the fish, then add sugar, soy sauce, and pepper. Simmer over high heat until the mixture thickens slightly.
Then add the prepared tofu, cabbage, bean sprouts, etc., and cook until done. Then it's ready to serve.
There's also a specialty dish from Xinjiang: cumin lamb. The well-marinated lamb not only has no gamey smell, but it's also very tender, savory, and flavorful, making it perfect for wrapping in pancakes.
Chen Muhe could see how much her mother valued her, as she even made a fancy way of cooking ordinary rice.
She watched as Lin Huijun took out a large pumpkin from the corner of the kitchen and cut off a tenth of it.
I took out a piece of pork from the refrigerator, cut it into small pieces, and peeled the pumpkin and cut it into small pieces two centimeters wide.
Heat oil in a pan, add chopped scallion whites and minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, then add chopped shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp.
After stir-frying until fragrant, add pork slices and pumpkin chunks, stir-fry evenly, then add soy sauce and salt, rice and appropriate amount of water to simmer.
In just half an hour, the fragrant pumpkin rice can be ready.
With too much pumpkin left over, Lin Huijun made another dish: steamed pumpkin and pork ribs.
Place pumpkin chunks at the bottom, then neatly arrange the marinated ribs on top of the pumpkin, and steam directly in a pot.
Over time, the sweetness of the pumpkin permeates every piece of pork rib, bringing a unique and fresh taste to the palate.
Even Chen Mianmian was surprised when she saw the "Manchu Han Imperial Feast" on the table during the meal.
There were more than a dozen dishes, including Xinjiang cuisine, Northeastern cuisine, and Jiangzhe cuisine, offering a wide variety.
Lin Huijun kept urging Shen Hetong to eat more, saying, "There's nothing special to offer at home, just some simple food."
Shen Hetong: "Auntie, you are too kind. I never expected that you would not only raise your two daughters to be so outstanding, but also have such extraordinary cooking skills."
Chen Muhe couldn't stand his hypocritical behavior any longer, so she put down her chopsticks and stood up, saying, "I'm full, I have work to do, so I'll be leaving now."
Shen Hetong paused, his hand holding the ribs, his eyes lowered, and he sighed almost imperceptibly.
Yan Yuhua happened to witness this scene, and her smile was meaningful. She even changed her address for Shen Hetong from "Professor Shen" to "Little Shen".
"Xiao Shen, were you our teacher at Muhe before?"
“Yes, but I only taught her for a short period of time.” Shen Hetong put down his chopsticks and explained, “Now that Muhe has graduated, we are no longer strictly speaking teacher and student.”
"Oh? Is that so? Muhe is rather quiet. I thought she wasn't familiar with the teachers at school."
Yan Yuhua continued, "I didn't expect you to be so kind, Xiao Shen, coming all this way."
Shen Hetong: "After all, I helped buy the saplings in Taoyuan, so I also bear responsibility if there are any problems."
"Muhe's personality is quite good; she can focus on research." But he still can't figure out why Chen Muhe suddenly gave up her postgraduate studies and returned to Xinjiang.
Yan Yuhua praised, "Xiao Shen, you are truly young and promising. You found the problem with the peach tree as soon as you arrived."
Do you have any siblings?
"I also have a younger brother."
Seeing that her grandmother had clearly misunderstood, Chen Mian quickly said, "Grandma, Professor Shen was already married when he was abroad."
Yan Yuhua: "Really? Then I must be seeing things. It's perfectly normal for someone as outstanding as Professor Shen to get married so early."
Upon hearing this, Shen Hetong immediately understood where the problem lay and recalled the details of that day.
He gave a wry smile and defended himself: "That's a misunderstanding. The only girl I've ever pursued hasn't agreed to be my girlfriend yet. How could I possibly get married?"
Chen Mian didn't want to get involved in their affairs, so she chimed in, "Professor Shen is so outstanding, yet there are people he can't win over..."
Shen Hetong didn't want to talk about these things in front of his elders, so he changed the subject and started talking about agriculture.
Everyone present grew up in the fields; they just hadn't heard the technical terms he used before, but the principles and methods were all interconnected.
For a time, it was a harmonious and joyful occasion.
Even after they finished eating, Chen Mianmian was preparing to take Professor Shen to a hotel in the city to rest.
Ji Yu returned weary from his journey, bringing with him a chill.
Chen Mian: Why are you so late coming back?
“The person who caused the trouble also has other legal cases against him, and he has been interrogated all day,” Ji Yu explained.
"The interrogation room was too smelly with smoke, so I stood outside for a while."
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