Chapter 203 Potato Feast
He leaned back slightly and pointed at the basket on his desk. "Is this what Miss Cui said would benefit the people of Dajin?"
Seeing Zhou Yanxiu's subtle backward movement, Cui Qingyi maliciously pushed the basket further inwards and said with a smile, "My Lord, can this food benefit the people of Dajin?"
The territory of the Great Jin Dynasty was vast. Although several generations of wise rulers worked hard to govern the country, the food problem was still a major problem that troubled the court.
Over the years, the agricultural officials of the Jin Dynasty worked day and night to improve many high-quality wheat and rice varieties, but this was an era of backward productivity after all.
Various natural disasters, lack of soil fertility due to low livestock numbers and improper planting methods are all reasons for the decline in grain production.
Zhou Yanxiu had grown up in a strict social order, and the aristocratic upbringing was almost ingrained in his genes. But at this moment, he still couldn't help but smile mockingly at Cui Qingyi:
"Miss Cui, do you know how much effort our officials at the Ministry of Agriculture have put in to solve the problem of food for the people? Even the whole country, with all the power of the court, can't solve the food problem. And yet you dare to speak so shamelessly in front of me based on this thing?"
Zhou Yanxiu is not an intolerant person. He admits that Cui Qingyi is indeed different from other women in the world, but that's all.
After hearing Zhou Yanxiu's words, Cui Qingyi was not angry but felt more confident about what she wanted to do today.
She was afraid that Zhou Yanxiu didn't care about the food problem in Dajin at all. As the saying goes, while the rich have wine and meat, there are people freezing to death on the streets. A nobleman like him has lived in wealth since childhood, and he probably doesn't know that there are people in this world who don't have enough food to eat.
In this era, humility and low-keyness have always been Cui Qingyi's way of dealing with people. But at this moment, she threw all the great principles that she had admonished herself to the back of her mind, straightened her spine in front of Zhou Yanxiu, and said loudly:
"My Lord, although I was confined to my house when I was young, I often read the History of the Great Jin Dynasty in my spare time. I know that our dynasty's progress from the early days of chaos to the present, from wars to peace, is inseparable from the dedicated efforts of generations of wise rulers and officials.
Although I am a woman, this does not prevent me from admiring and respecting those who have made great contributions to the people of Dajin.
First, I cannot pass the imperial examination to become an official, and second, I cannot make speeches on state affairs. But my Lord, regardless of whether you are a man or a woman, as the people of the Great Jin, we all have the same desire for the Great Jin to last for thousands of years.
Now that I have stumbled upon something that could be served as a staple food on the common people's tables, I naturally want to present it to the court. I hope you will understand my patriotic heart."
After saying that, Cui Qingyi bowed deeply to Zhou Yanxiu.
Zhou Yanxiu, a man of his status, had seen many people who came to him to recommend themselves because of their outstanding talents since he was a child, but this was the first time in all these years that he heard a woman say with such confidence, "Sir, you have to understand my patriotism."
But strangely, he could not show the same ruthless attitude as before towards those retainers who were only good at talking on paper, like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
Forget it, it’s just a waste of time anyway, so what’s the harm in letting her finish what she is saying?
After a while, Zhou Yanxiu glanced at the table with his slender index finger, "Then let me see what Mr. Cui said can benefit the people of Dajin."
As she spoke, she pushed back the basket that was almost in front of his eyes with a slender finger.
Cui Qingyi followed the advice and immediately retrieved the basket. She reached into the rag covering the basket with smooth movements and took out a potato the size of an adult's palm.
Looking at the dirt on the potatoes, Cui Qingyi felt a little embarrassed. She had been too busy recently and had just piled the potatoes in the warehouse without cleaning them up.
She handed the soiled potato to Zhou Yanxiu and said, "Look, sir, this is called potato, and I bought it from the Bei family caravan.
I have a quirky habit of collecting strange things. I heard from the caravan that this thing was obtained from a Russian merchant. According to the Russians, this thing can be used as feed for mules and horses, and after being cooked, it can also be used as food for humans.
Zhou Yanxiu was not a lazy guy who didn't know how to grow crops. On the contrary, he attached great importance to farming during his years as an official, and even went to the fields to plant rice every year.
When Zhou Yanxiu heard the words "it can be used as feed for mules and horses", his expression gradually became serious. If mules and horses can eat it, it proves that this unattractive thing is edible. If mules and horses can eat it, humans can eat it too.
During famine, people still eat grass and tree bark.
At this moment, Mr. Zhou, who was suspected of having obsessive-compulsive disorder, didn't care that the thing was still covered in dry soil. He reached out and took one out of the basket himself, and felt the weight of the thing as soon as he touched it.
He examined it carefully from head to toe, "This thing can be eaten after being cooked. Have you tried it? Is it poisonous?"
Cui Qingyi said calmly, "Not only can it be cooked, but it can also be steamed, stir-fried, or deep-fried. It depends on how you like to eat it. It's not toxic at all."
Zhou Yanxiu was immersed in observing the potatoes. Cui Qingyi, having nothing better to do, immersed herself in admiring Mr. Zhou's thin, white fingers with distinct joints. Then she secretly sighed in her heart, "As expected of a noble young man, potatoes become so sophisticated in his hands."
After waiting for Zhou Yanxiu to see enough, Cui Qingyi reached out and took out a bunch of red dried chilies, her eyes unable to hide the pain. Judging from the current situation, just taking out the potatoes would be enough to fulfill her request today. Keeping the chilies might be useful next time.
Cui Qingyi's expression naturally did not escape Zhou Yanxiu's sharp eyes. "What is this?"
Cui Qingyi said in a muffled voice, "This thing is called chili pepper. I got it from a foreign merchant caravan. It can't fill your stomach, but it's a spice. It tastes good when you stir-fry it! My Lord, would you like to try it?"
Cui Qingyi's expression had completely aroused Zhou Yanxiu's curiosity. He was originally going to find someone to try whether the potatoes Cui Qingyi mentioned were really as she said.
In the following time, Cui Qingyi was sent to the back kitchen of the county government office, where she prepared a potato feast with the cooperation of two cooks. There were stir-fried potato shreds, fried potato chips, stir-fried potatoes with pork, steamed potatoes, boiled potatoes, potato cakes, and almost every way Cui Qingyi could think of to eat potatoes.
The quantity of each item is pitifully small, after all, there are only so many potatoes.
Of course, the chili peppers that she highly recommended were also the main ingredient, so there was no need to make so many varieties. Cui Qingyi directly instructed someone to go to Huaihua Lane to get the beef hot pot ingredients that were left at the bottom of the can.
Due to the shortage of butter, the Cui family’s hot pot base is usually made and eaten immediately. The only bit of butter left is the one they bought with great difficulty a few days ago.
Although Cui Qingyi was reluctant, how could she ask someone to do something without spending money?
The hot oil stir-fried the base, bringing out its aroma. The unique spicy flavor of the chili peppers filled the air. The kitchen helpers, all experiencing such a pungent flavor for the first time, took turns running out of the kitchen, sneezing violently, and then were lured back in by the unique aroma.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
