"And you're right, it's all that guy from the dorm next door's fault. He brought fire peppers to the library to record a video and almost set the reading room on fire. Well, now there's another ridiculous school rule—no one is allowed to bring mandolin pepper food into the library, dorm, or classroom."
Yang Shu bluntly retorted:
"This is even more outrageous than the rule banning pigs and crocodiles in dormitories—"
As he spoke, he rubbed his hands together and chuckled.
"Brother Hu, Father Hu, Old Hu, since you can get your hands on chili pepper seeds, does that mean you have connections at Honghe Research Institute? Could you pull some strings to buy some of their newly launched multi-seed soybean seeds?"
Hu Fangfang scoffed.
"Don't even think about it. I only got these Flame Mandolin peppers because my mentor had to conduct scientific research experiments and signed a non-commercial agreement. He was able to buy them from the Honghe Research Institute. Although Honghe has now opened up seed purchase channels, each spot is strictly vetted. Even if you have money, you can't buy them, let alone pull strings."
Didn't you see the news a couple of days ago? It said someone in Ningcheng dared to steal a new variety from the Honghe Research Institute's external collaboration, and they were immediately detained; they'll likely be prosecuted later.
Wu Han turned on his computer and checked, and sure enough, he saw the news on Toutiao (a Chinese news aggregator). He couldn't help but sigh:
"That guy's got a real screw loose. Who doesn't know that Honghe is semi-official these days? Does he really think Honghe is a pushover? He'll be in deep trouble, if not dead."
Hu Fangfang carefully loosened the soil around the chili seedlings before standing up and wiping away her sweat.
"Hey, stop busy, let's go eat first. There are security guards watching over us, so it'll be fine. I heard they're having giant delicious mushrooms and giant delicious radishes today, we need to hurry up and get in line, otherwise we won't get any after the freshmen finish their classes."
"Oh right, let's hurry up and go! There's also my favorite plant-based egg and tomato stir-fry, I can eat two big bowls of rice with it!"
Upon hearing about food, Wu Han instantly revived, shut down his computer, and got up to leave.
"Isn't there Professor Qin's class this afternoon? I heard he's going to talk about Ping Pong grapes and comparing Shine Muscat grape mother plants. I need to get there early to get a seat, or I won't be able to get a front row seat!"
"Then let's go quickly! I'm still waiting to hear Professor Qin's analysis of the Flaming Chili!"
...
...
"Zhou Zhou! Hurry up, you're going to be late for school!!"
Aunt Zhou shouted in a strong voice.
My grandson Zhouzhou, who usually dawdles, surprisingly didn't stay in bed. Instead, he waddled over to the dining table, and upon seeing the sumptuous breakfast on it, he clapped his hands excitedly.
"Oh! We have delicious eggs today!! Big mushrooms, and big radishes!!"
On the dining table, a simple dish of shredded radish with sesame oil is served. The giant radish is shredded, salted to remove moisture, and then a little sugar and sesame oil are added. It is then mixed with cilantro and aged vinegar, making it an excellent side dish to accompany porridge.
Giant, delicious sliced shiitake mushrooms, stir-fried with bok choy, require no other ingredients; the aroma is irresistible, and it's also delicious with steamed buns.
There are also boiled wheat ear eggs. After being boiled in plain water, the eggshell turns reddish, and when you crack it open, it is a warm white color. The egg white is smooth and tender, and the yolk is fragrant and mellow. It tastes sandy but not dry. I can easily eat three or four of them on their own every week.
"Go wash your face quickly. After you finish breakfast, your dad will come to pick you up for school later. Grandpa has to play chess with your Grandpa Liu today. If you are good, I will take you to your sister Da Mi's shop for a meal in a couple of days."
Grandpa Jiang stirred the white porridge in his bowl with a spoon, ate a bite of shredded radish with sesame oil, and then took a bite of a boiled egg, looking quite content.
Aunt Zhou picked up a piece of stir-fried mushrooms and bok choy with her chopsticks, feeling that her cooking skills had improved considerably. Suddenly remembering something, she asked Uncle Jiang:
"Old man, I heard from Hongmei that Da Mi is also growing Ping Pong grapes this year. That might make a lot of money, right? You know, this kid is so good, why doesn't he think about finding a partner?"
"Hey, she just doesn't want to look for someone. You know, she's so capable, she contracts such a big piece of land, she must earn a lot just from farming, right? She also learned to cook from Cui Shengguo, and her restaurant makes hundreds of thousands of yuan a day. What kind of guy can't she find?"
Grandpa Jiang saw through everything:
"That young lady is ambitious, that's great—hey, where are you going today?"
As Aunt Zhou peeled an egg for her grandson, she complained:
"The planting group has an activity. Last year, we planted giant delicious radishes in the community, right? This year, we planted some giant delicious mushrooms. We planted shiitake mushrooms, Hongmei's family planted matsutake mushrooms, and Qinqin's mom's family planted king oyster mushrooms. We agreed to take turns eating them after they ripened. But then someone on the second floor of the community complained that Qinqin's mom's king oyster mushrooms grew too tall and blocked their sunlight. So we simply harvested them today. It's okay if they're a little tender, they still weigh over 100 jin."
Grandpa Jiang looked at his wife and said with a helpless expression:
“You can call planting radishes in a flower bed landscaping, but planting mushrooms is really too big. It would be bad if a child inhaled the spores or something. Also, they are too big and affect the lighting. It is only right that the residents complain to the property management.”
"Hey! The experts on TV said that these mushrooms from the Honghe Research Institute don't spray spores, so they can be grown in the neighborhood. Do you think you know more than those experts?"
Aunt Zhou glared at him and pushed the mushrooms and bok choy in front of him aside:
“If you don’t like it, then don’t eat it. I went to check yesterday. Those mushrooms are planted on the shady side, so they don’t get any sun. That old lady is just making trouble for no reason. She can’t buy seeds and she’s taking it out on us. So don’t eat them. And don’t eat the chili peppers we grow with Hongmei either!”
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