The saplings in the ground have grown quite tall, more than a person's height, and look somewhat like poplar saplings.
The bark is a pale milky white, and the branches are covered with leaves similar to those of the Chinese toon tree on Earth, which spread out like feathers. The tender leaves that have not yet unfolded are a pale red, and they will turn into a crisp and tender green as they mature.
Beneath the leaves are clusters of pale purple fruits, hidden in the lush greenery, almost invisible unless you look closely.
Xie Bi'an said that this thing grows very well. Every October, when the Yellow Springs have strong winds, its seeds will run all over the underworld. This has led to the presence of this tree everywhere in the underworld. Now it seems that the yield of the small toon trees cultivated with groundwater is not low.
Most importantly, this plant can be harvested three times a year and is minimally affected by temperature; it can still flower and bear fruit even in extremely cold weather.
"Smack."
Xu Milu plucked a small toon fruit, crushed it in her palm, and the purplish-red juice splattered out, staining her palm red.
[Small Toon (Earth-bred variety): The entire plant is non-toxic; leaves, fruit, and bark are all edible. Mature trees can grow up to 100 meters tall. Consuming it promotes hair growth; it flowers in 30 days, and bears fruit in 60 to 120 days before withering.]
Whether it's due to the Earth's environment or some other reason, the description of the Camellia Seed in the Pokédex seems to have undergone some subtle changes.
Xu Milu carefully smelled her palm and indeed smelled a faint, astringent scent. She tentatively took a little and put it on her tongue. A sour and astringent taste immediately appeared on her tongue. This taste was neither as sour as lemon that it made her mouth water, nor as sweet as fruit vinegar. It was sour with a slight bitterness.
Cui Shengguo once told Xu Milu that an excellent chef must learn to distinguish ingredients. Every ingredient in the world has its reason for existing. If it is food but doesn't taste good, then the cooking method must be wrong.
"Little Martial Aunt!!!"
Just as Xu Milu was pondering how to cook the small toon seeds, she suddenly heard someone call her. Turning around, she saw an extremely flashy yellow convertible driving in from the ridge, with Li Ning sitting in the driver's seat, grinning at her.
“Junior Aunt, I went to the shop to look for you just now, but Da Yang said you left a long time ago. I guessed you were here—is this the new variety of Red Rice Research Institute that you planted?”
Li Ning was very interested in all sorts of novel ingredients, and after getting off the car, he eagerly followed behind Xu Milu.
“My master and eldest uncle are here. We’ll have a get-together at my grandmaster’s house tonight. My grandmaster asked me to call you back for dinner. Why are you holed up in this field? I can’t really see you unless I look closely.”
Xu Milu laughed after thinking for a moment:
"Second Senior Brother has finished his seclusion? You seem so happy. You must have won the Golden Magnolia Award this time, right?"
"Hehehe, of course! After practicing with my grandmaster and junior aunt for so long, how could I not have made some progress? I got first place in the youth group, and my master's self-created 'Fishing for the Moon in the Water' dish directly won over the judges and was successfully selected for this year's state banquet menu preparation team!"
Li Ning said with a grin:
“Junior Aunt, I heard that Master plans to let you try your luck in the competition. There are only the ‘Yi Ya Cup’, ‘Young Chef Skills Competition’ and ‘Feng Nian Cup’ that haven’t started registration yet in the second half of the year. I wonder which one Master plans to let you participate in.”
"If you have any inside information, feel free to share it. I'll bribe you with some new ingredients."
Xu Milu plucked a clump of tender toon leaves and put them into her basket without looking up:
"These three should be among the most prestigious in the industry. I went out to participate in the competition before I had even completed my apprenticeship. My master must have other plans."
"The 'Yi Ya Cup' mainly tests a chef's basic skills, similar to a professional chess player's professional ranking. Winning this award is basically a prerequisite for making a living in this industry. The 'Young Chef Competition' is divided into three groups: 20 to 30 points in one group, 30 to 40 points in another group, and 40 to 45 points in yet another group. It uses an elimination system to select the champion and runner-up. The competition is indeed quite prestigious."
Li Ning counted on her fingers for her:
"Although there is no age limit for the 'Harvest Cup' registration, the industry generally assumes that participants are between twenty and twenty-seven years old. Although this award is not as famous as the other two awards, it has a high social recognition and carries weight. Moreover, the 'Harvest Cup' registration will start in half a month. I think your master probably wants you to participate in this competition."
"Why? If we compare them longitudinally, there should be more time available for the first two, right?"
Xu Milu stopped what she was doing.
Li Ning said mysteriously, "You don't know this, do you? I heard from Cui Qingli and the others that Bai Bao'er from the Bai family and Guan Wenmo from the Guan family are going to participate in this year's 'Harvest Cup'. Just think about it, when gods fight, wouldn't Master throw you, the king of 'rolling' among freaks, over there and roll them to death?"
"..."
Xu Milu touched her chin:
"The Guan family? The 'Guan family of the capital' that specializes in vegetarian banquets? My master did mention it to me, saying that the Guan family has produced several outstanding talents in this generation. Guan Wenmo is one of them. He was able to create new dishes at the age of fifteen. He is also going to participate in the 'Harvest Cup'? And who is Bai Bao'er?"
"That's right. Guan Shan, Guan Wenmo's father, is now in charge of the Guan family's Hanhai Catering Group. His brother, Guan Wenyan, is even more impressive. He won the 'Harvest Cup' gold medal at the age of twenty. I heard that he will be participating in the 'Chef God Competition' this year, which is full of formidable people."
Li Ning watched as Xu Milu imitated her, pinching a small toon seed and popping it into her mouth, only to be met with a face full of sourness and a "painful mask":
"Haha—as for Bai Bao'er, she's from the Bai family of Sichuan cuisine. She studied abroad for a few years and came back to specialize in Western cuisine and research molecular gastronomy. Now that she's back after completing her studies, I reckon the Bai family wants to promote this little girl. It's definitely going to be her for the competition. Junior Aunt, I believe in you. Crush them!"
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