Chapter 99: Unexpected Discovery of Beet's Letter to Luo Jin'an

"I'll make sugar-roasted hazelnuts for you when we get back," Xu Nian said happily to Xiniu and the others with a smile.

"Sister Nian'er, can this be eaten?" Debao was holding two hard hazelnuts in his hand and was very curious. They had seen them when they were playing here, but no one had ever said that these things were edible.

"Of course, the ones on the trees should be ripe in half a month. You can pick them and keep them for yourself or take them to the town to exchange for money."

“Is this hazelnut worth the money?”

Hearing that this thing could be exchanged for money, Xiniu became interested and regardless of being afraid, she started to ask Xu Nian where she could sell it to exchange for silver.

"This hazelnut is a kind of nut. It is not very valuable, but after being processed, it is much more valuable than itself, such as: sugar-fried hazelnuts, hazelnut crisps, hazelnut biscuits..."

On the way back, Xu Nian told Xiniu all the different ways to eat and cook hazelnuts. Xiniu listened very carefully and at the same time, she felt even more that Xu Nian was a fairy sister, otherwise how could she know so many things that others didn't know.

Debao heard his stomach growling all the way, so he ran into the kitchen and said to his mother, "Mom, Sister Nian'er said she wanted to make sugar-roasted hazelnuts for us, hehe~"

Xu didn't know what sugar-fried hazelnuts were, but when she heard that sugar was used, she raised her eyebrows and said, "You want to eat something as expensive as sugar? It's going to make you sneeze. Go out and get a sweet carrot to satisfy your craving."

Mother Zheng also thought that her grandson was greedy, so she said, "The food will be ready soon, and there will be meat to eat today, so don't worry about the candy."

Wang smiled soothingly and said nothing more. She had always felt inferior to her second brother and his wife because she only had Xiniu as a daughter and no son. Not to mention that there was no one in charge of the family now. In the future, her Xiniu would have to rely on these two cousins.

Debao walked out of the kitchen feeling aggrieved, muttering in a low voice: This is really what Sister Nian'er said she would make for him. He touched his rumbling stomach and had to cut two pieces of sweet radish to fill his stomach.

Just as Xu Nian and others were about to enter the main room, they saw Debao walking over with a carrot in his mouth.

"Are you hungry, Debao? There are snacks in the room. Why are you chewing carrots?"

Debao smiled embarrassedly. He didn't dare to touch those expensive snacks without his grandmother's permission.

"No need, Sister Nian'er. This sweet radish is delicious. Try it," he said as he handed the piece in his hand to her.

When Defu saw his brother's black hand, he hurried over to snatch the carrot, but Xu Nian had already taken it.

Xu Nian took a bite and looked at the radish in his hand thoughtfully.

"Debao, do you have any radishes at home? Bring me a whole one."

Although Debao didn't understand what was so special about these radishes, he still obediently picked up several.

Xu Nian looked at the white and red radishes on the ground and smiled happily. They were actually beetroots. She picked one up and went into the main room.

"Grandpa Zheng, I want to ask you this... are the radishes grown at home?"

Father Zheng saw what Xu Nian was holding and said with a smile, "This was brought by the villagers some time ago, but we also planted some at home this year."

Zheng looked at her niece and knew that she would not ask questions for no reason, so she said to Xu Nian, "Nian'er, do you think this thing is useful?"

Xu Nian thought for a moment and said vaguely, "I'm not sure about the specific use. Grandfather Zheng, can you tell the villagers tomorrow that I want to buy these white sweet radishes at a price of... one cent per pound."

Everyone in the main room was stunned. Could this radish be exchanged for silver? Zheng Chunlai was the first to react.

"I'll go tell the village chief right now," and before Xu Nian could stop him, the man had already run out.

Just as Zheng's mother was about to call people to eat, she saw her third son running out of the yard in a daze.

"Where did this third guy go? The meal was ready, why did he run away?"

Father Zheng told her about Xu Nian's plan to collect the sweet radishes. Mother Zheng slapped Debao in her hand and said, "If you knew that this thing could be exchanged for money, I wouldn't have let you eat it..."

Seeing his wife talking endlessly, Father Zheng coughed twice and reminded her, "Dinner is ready, hurry up and serve it so that Miss Xu won't be hungry."

Mother Zheng slapped her lips and said, "Look at me, Xu girl, don't bother with an ignorant old woman like me. I am just too poor."

"It's OK, Grandma Zheng. Things will definitely get better and better."

"That's right, let's go eat."

It's embarrassing to say that the meal prepared by the Zheng family was almost all bought by Xu Nian. There were not only meat and vegetables but also wine. The guests enjoyed the meal very much.

After dinner, Xu Nian went to the carriage, took out paper and pen from the drawer and began to write a letter. It was not until a quarter of an hour later that Xu Nian put down the pen, blew away the ink, handed the letter to Yanfu and said, "Send the letter to Luo Jinan by flying pigeon."

"Yes, Miss." Yan Fu was now able to remain calm when hearing Xu Nian address the prince by his name. She took the letter and ran towards the cliff.

Xu Nian looked at Yan Fu's departing back and couldn't help but ponder. The discovery of beets was really an accident, but perhaps this thing could solve Luo Jinan's urgent problem.

Luo Jinan had said in a previous letter that the Khan of Mobei was now intending to break the treaty, and he estimated that within five years there would be a major war between Northern Xinjiang and Mobei.

But now the Zhenbei Army is short of food and war horses, so he intends to take a trip to Mobei in winter, but Xu Nian knows how dangerous Luo Jinan's trip will be.

The discovery of sugar beets may be a turning point. It is said that the royal family of Mobei loved sugar and tea the most.

Beet is the raw material for making white sugar. There is even a saying in modern times that "sugarcane in the south and beets in the north". You can imagine the importance of beet sugar production. Coincidentally, she has worked on a sugar factory project, so she is very clear about the method of making sugar from beets.

With Luo Jinan's power and wealth, it would be easy for him to open a sugar factory. As long as he had the white sugar that the nobles loved, he would be able to get war horses from a few "dandy nobles" with his means.

"Nian'er, what are you looking at?"

Xu Nian came back to his senses and saw that it was Zheng who was speaking. He smiled and said, "Aunt, I didn't see anything. I was thinking about visiting Master Su tomorrow.

By the way, Auntie, have you asked Uncle what his plans are for himself?"

Speaking of this, Zheng was worried, "That kid is also stubborn. He insisted that Master Su is the savior of the Zheng family and he cannot leave the pharmacy."

Xu Nian felt that Zheng Chunlai was a grateful person, but even if he stayed in the pharmacy, he could not act as a subordinate.

"It's not impossible for my uncle to stay in the pharmacy, but my second aunt should redeem him first. After all, his status as a lowly person will affect his descendants."

Zheng took this to heart and thought there were many other ways to repay the favor, so she turned back to the main room to discuss it with Zheng's father and mother.