After An Ning taught the craftsmen how to print movable type, he began to travel between the capital and the village. During this period, the wine shop was opened. Because the wine brewed by the An family workshop was not only mellow but also had a high alcohol content, it was very popular among the people in the capital. The emperor even sent Eunuch Chen to the Rongchang Earl's Mansion to ask for a few jars of wine. An Ning also sensibly said that she would send wine to the emperor once a month.
In the blink of an eye, it was mid-June. On this day, An Ning went to the cornfield early in the morning to check on the growth of the corn. Looking at the corn growing well, An Ning picked out a few of the best ones, peeled off the corn husks, and found that they were ready to eat, so he broke off a few ears of corn and planned to go back and cook the tender corn to eat.
Gao looked at the corn that An Ning had picked and said, "Ning Ning, this corn is not yet ripe, what are you doing with it?"
An Ning smiled and said, "Mom, you don't know, this corn is most delicious at this time. I will cook it for you to taste later."
Gao nodded and said, "Okay, then go and cook!"
An Ning took the corn to the kitchen and peeled off the husk, leaving only the innermost layer. This way, the corn is best cooked with the husk. An Ning put the peeled corn into the pot with cold water, and Wu Zhuangtou's wife helped to light the fire.
About two quarters of an hour later, An Ning felt that the fire was about right, so she asked Wu Zhuangtou's wife to put out the fire, then lifted the lid of the pot and fished out the corn. An Ning put the corn into the basin, and when it was no longer hot, she broke the corn apart, pierced it with chopsticks, and then passed it to Gao.
Gao took the corn handed over by An Ning, took a bite, and found that the corn tasted sweet and delicious. It was indeed delicious. She swallowed the corn in her mouth and said, "Ning Ning, this corn is really delicious."
An Ning hadn't eaten tender corn for a long time, and was enjoying it. She nodded and said, "Mom, this corn is delicious, but you can't eat too much, otherwise your appetite will be overwhelmed."
Gao nodded and finished eating the corn that An Ning brought. But she still wanted to eat more, so she looked at An Ning.
An Ning smiled, broke off another half corn and handed it to Gao, saying, "Mom, you can't eat the rest after you finish this half."
Gao happily took the corn, nodded, and said, "Okay."
The two were enjoying their meal when little An Rui came back. Looking at the little An Rui who was sweating profusely while playing, An Ning said, "You little rascal, you want to go out to play in such a hot day."
Little An Rui saw the corn in An Ning's hand and said, "Sister, eat it."
Little An Rui is almost two years old and speaks more clearly, but he is a real naughty boy and a foodie. An Ning broke off a small piece of corn and handed it to little An Rui, saying, "This is hard to digest. You can only eat this much. Do you understand?"
Little Anrui nodded repeatedly, took the corn and started eating it.
An Ning thought that this place was not far from the imperial farm, and wanted to go to the imperial farm to see how the corn was growing, so he said to Gao: "Mom, I'm going to the imperial farm. Are you going to bring something for my father?"
Gao shook her head and said, "No, your father only comes here every few days, so there is no need to bring him anything."
After An Ning finished eating the corn in her hand, she asked the driver to harness the carriage and go to the imperial farm. An Dashan was very happy to see his daughter coming and said, "Ning Ning, why are you here?"
An Ning handed the cooked corn to An Dashan and said, "Dad, try this tender corn and see if it tastes good." The corn had been kept warm in An Ning's space and was still warm.
When An Dashan heard it was corn, he quickly took it and started eating it. His expression was exactly the same as Gao's when she ate the corn just now. An Dashan swallowed the corn and said, "Ningning, this corn is so delicious!"
An Ning smiled and said, "Dad, how is your corn?"
While eating, An Dashan took An Ning to the fields and said, "Our corn is growing well, so it's probably ready to eat."
An Ning picked one at random, peeled off the husk, and found that it was indeed edible, so she said, "Dad, you can break off a few ears of this corn and send them to the palace for the emperor to taste."
An Dashan nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll break it after I finish eating the corn."
After An Dashan finished eating the corn, he and An Ning broke off twenty ears of corn, which made An Dashan very sad.
An Ning said to An Dashan, "Dad, this corn is still fresh and delicious. It's still early, so please send the corn to the palace as soon as possible!"
An Dashan nodded, got on the carriage and went to the palace. When An Dashan arrived at the palace, it was already 3:00 p.m. The emperor heard from the eunuch that Rongchang Bo had come to deliver something new, so he hurriedly said, "Please invite Rongchang Bo in." The eunuch took the order and left.
The Emperor said to Eunuch Chen, "These father and daughter are really a treasure. They always have something new."
Eunuch Chen also echoed, "Yes, it is because Your Majesty is wise and brave, and has a keen eye, that you can have such a minister."
The emperor laughed and said, "You are the only one who knows how to flatter."
Just as he was saying this, An Dashan came in, led by the eunuch. An Dashan knelt down and saluted, saying, "I pay my respects to the emperor. Long live the emperor."
The emperor said, "Get up, my dear minister, what new things do you want to present to me?"
An Dashan handed the corn in the basket to Eunuch Chen and said, "Your Majesty, this is a new crop called corn. It is drought-resistant, has a high yield, and is easy to grow. It can be cooked and eaten when it is tender, and there are many ways to eat it when it is mature."
The emperor did not expect An Dashan to be so efficient. In just a few months, he gave him such a big surprise. The emperor took the corn handed over by Eunuch Chen, looked at it carefully, and said, "How do you eat this?"
An Dashan said, "Your Majesty, peel off the outer layer of the corn skin, leaving only the innermost layer of skin, then put it in a pot with cold water, boil it for a quarter of an hour after the water boils, and then you can eat it."
The emperor ordered Eunuch Chen to take the corn to the imperial kitchen, and then continued to chat with An Dashan. Two quarters of an hour later, Eunuch Chen came back with the corn and said, "Your Majesty, the corn is cooked."
The emperor took the corn kernels that had been peeled from Eunuch Chen's hand, took a bite, chewed them for a few times, then nodded and said, "This corn is good, Chen Zhong, go send some to the queen and the imperial concubine."
Eunuch Chen said "yes" and went to make the arrangements. The emperor also rewarded An Dashan with a pile of gold, silver and jewelry, and An Dashan left the palace.
The important officials in the court watched the emperor rewarding the Earl of Rongchang and Princess Yongjia every other day, and they all wondered what kind of magic potion this father and daughter had used to trick the emperor?
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