Chapter 109: Litchi Fruit
During the meal, several plates of various braised dishes were served on the table. Next to the plates, there were two small plates of something red, but I didn't know what it was.
These two inconspicuous dishes only captured everyone's attention for a moment, and they soon shifted their gaze to the large plates of fragrant braised meat.
Although these things look familiar, they are more of an expectation.
In their hearts, nothing Yaoyao makes is bad.
Facts have proven that Lu Yao is worthy of everyone's trust.
Whether it is pig stomach or large intestine, the taste is so delicious.
The Rong family members said that they had never eaten such delicious food in their lives.
Especially, when you dip a little bit of that red stuff, your mouth will feel hot, but the taste is really refreshing.
"Sister Yao, what is this?"
It was also the first time for Rong Yanhui to eat this. His lips were red and sweat was on his forehead, obviously because of the spiciness, but his eyes were sparkling.
Not only him, but several other men in the Rong family were also sweating profusely and snorting, but it did not affect their eating speed at all.
Even Xiao Yunhao dipped his food in this spicy stuff several times in a row.
Apparently, chili peppers are quite popular.
Lu Yao felt happy.
Rong Bingwen knew there was a similar taste, which was dogwood juice, but it was bitter, not as stimulating, and not as strong, and it didn't make him sweat and feel hot all over.
He thought further ahead: "After eating this, I'll sweat all over. If I eat this when it's cold, I'll definitely feel much warmer."
The imperial examination not only tests one's lifelong learning, but is also a huge test of one's body. Many people have failed in the imperial examination due to weakness, illness, cold, etc. If there is this thing, perhaps some risks can be reduced.
At least, it can keep people warm.
After he said this, everyone present instantly understood that what they were eating was definitely good stuff.
Very useful.
They all looked at Lu Yao at the same time, wanting to know what this burning thing was.
Lu Yao didn't keep the topic a secret, but instead introduced it seriously, "This is called chili pepper. It has the effect of warming the middle and dispelling cold, and it helps to relieve gas and aid digestion. It can treat chills, stagnation of qi, rheumatism, frostbite, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. Besides that, it's also a very delicious dish and seasoning."
After hearing this, everyone was shocked, with the words "Wow, that's amazing" written on their faces.
Rong Bingwen couldn't help but ask, "Such a good thing must be very valuable, right?"
"I got this from a merchant in the Western Regions. I heard they also use it as an ornamental plant there. It shouldn't be expensive there."
According to the timeline, chili peppers had not yet been introduced to this land at that time.
Well, I just don’t know if the original author has given this world a cheat code.
In this fictional world of fictional history, she would not be surprised by anything that happened.
"Things are valuable because they are rare," Rong Bingwen said, "Don't give out such a good thing so easily in the future."
Eat less of the things from the Western Regions. Once you get used to them, it would be too annoying to not have them anymore.
"It's okay, there's still plenty," Lu Yao explained with a smile, "I plan to plant some peppers in the backyard so I don't have to worry about running out of food."
When the end of the world came, she stockpiled a lot of seeds of various kinds. There were several varieties of peppers alone.
"Great!" Uncle Rong, who usually kept his emotions to himself, was also very happy. "We have to get this done. It will be very useful in the future."
After a pause, he added, "When are you going to plant? Call us then."
Farming is not an easy job, and it is for men like them to do it.
Lu Yao briefly explained the planting process and concluded, "It's still early, let's take our time." She chuckled and joked, "When we really need you, you won't be able to slack off."
The scientific expedition team couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, call us anytime."
Rong Bingwu was very unhappy: "Why didn't you call me when you plowed the soil today?"
Thinking that they were all female relatives, he didn't stay at home, but went to class with them. However, he didn't expect to be forgotten by these female relatives, which made him feel embarrassed.
Lan Xin quickly comforted her father-in-law: "We are just killing time this afternoon. The real big pay still depends on you, Dad."
"Be sure to call me if you want to do anything next." Rong Bingwu felt relieved, but he did not forget to remind them.
He is a grown man and is still at home. How can he rest while the women go to work in the fields?
Lan Xin and the others nodded in assurance.
Lu Yao also said: "Many important things still depend on my second uncle."
As she spoke, she remembered the sketch she had drawn that afternoon and quickly took it out, asking the men of the Rong family to help identify it: "Are there any of these on the mountain?"
"Are these the materials you need?"
Lu Yao nodded, "This is what I'm looking for."
It would be best if it is available, but if not, you will have to make further adjustments.
"Over the years, I've gotten a pretty good idea of this mountain," Rong Bingwu pondered carefully, holding the rice paper. "I don't think I've seen this one called Shihua, but I have some impression of this Xili."
"Really?" Lu Yao just wanted to try her luck, but she didn't expect it to really work.
Rong Bingwu looked at Qin Tianxiao and said, "Do you remember the fruit we saw when we went to the mushroom market? It oozes a lot of white juice when you pick it."
When Qin Tianxiao heard what he said, she immediately remembered it and said it felt a little familiar.
"We initially thought this thing was edible, but after opening it, we found that it was not edible at all." He was a little annoyed when talking about this.
Lu Yao chuckled, guessing that her second uncle and his companions must have picked male fruits. She explained, "If second uncle picked the lychee fruits I mentioned, they are edible. However, some fruits are not edible."
Rong Bingwu was puzzled: "If you can eat it, you can eat it. If you can't eat it, you can't eat it. They are all fruits. Why are there so many rules?"
Lu Yao explained in detail: "This ficus pumila fruit is different from other fruits. It has male and female plants. The ones that grow on female plants are called female flower fruits, and the ones that grow on male plants are called gall flower fruits, which are usually called male fruits."
"What? Fruits are divided into male and female?"
“This is amazing.”
They did not doubt what Lu Yao said, but they were really surprised. This was the first time they heard of such a fruit.
“Isn’t this fruit amazing?”
"Yeah, don't the male and female fruits look different?"
"Is this a plant disguise?"
"If you don't know how to tell the difference, wouldn't it be easy to be deceived?"
"Cousin, please tell us about this male and female fruit. It's really interesting."
Facing those pairs of eyes full of curiosity, Lu Yao couldn't help but say a few more words.
"The female fruit is nearly spherical in shape, with an oval cross-section. It's relatively hard and requires tools to open. The flesh inside a mature female fruit is yellow and filled with countless sesame-sized seeds. It tastes sweet and sour. The ice jelly we used to eat was made from the dried seeds."
"The gall fruit is pear-shaped, flat at the base, and arched in cross-section. Compared to the female fruit, it's softer and can be broken open with your hands. There's little or no flesh inside. As for why there are two types, it's because the flowers of the gall fruit are divided into two types: male flowers and gall flowers. These flowers are specialized from female flowers and are neutral, unable to carry pollen or produce fruit."
"Huh? So complicated?"
Lu Yao's explanation surprised everyone. Even the brothers Rong Bingwen and Rong Bingwu, who were considered knowledgeable and well-read, had almost no understanding of these aspects.
Perhaps, in the lives of ordinary people, they roughly know what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten based on experience and word of mouth, but they certainly don’t know the details involved.
How does this girl know so much?
Lu Yao did not hide anything and openly expressed that she had been influenced by her parents and brother since she was a child and loved reading books, but the books she read were all very diverse. She especially liked those miscellaneous books, such as travel notes and farming books. She read the introduction to the lychee fruit in a book.
"Cousin, you are so amazing and know so much." Rong Ziyu was very interested in these things and admired her cousin who could speak so clearly.
Lu Yao smiled and said modestly, "I just read a lot of miscellaneous books."
Rong Bingwu thought about the situation when he picked the fruit: "Don't say it, it seems to be true what Yaoyao said."
"Then according to what Yaoyao said, can this male fruit still be used?" Qin Tianxiao was a little worried.
"The male fruit cannot be used to make ice jelly, but it can be used as medicine. It has the effects and functions of dispelling wind and dampness, promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis, and nourishing the kidneys and consolidating essence." Lu Yao said.
Rong Bingwu's eyes lit up: "Then can we sell it at the pharmacy?"
"Of course," Lu Yao said.
only,
If it was a well-known medicinal herb, there would probably be people watching to pick it when it was ripe. But according to my second uncle and the others, there were many fruits on the tree, but no signs of anyone picking them.
In this case, either there is a large amount of Ficus microcarpa here, or the demand is low and the quantity is small.
I just wonder if you have discovered that female fruits can also be eaten as fruits.
She didn't dwell on it too much. After deciding on the route to go up the mountain tomorrow and what she needed to prepare, she put the topic aside for the time being.
After dinner, the women of the Rong family refused to let Lu Yao help them clean up, and asked them to go back and rest early.
Lu Yao and the others were helpless, but they did not refuse their kindness. The family of four, along with Lu Mingxiu and Mo Zhu, went back to the next door together.
After a simple tidy up, the family of four went to the Pu family next door, taking the braised food they had specially reserved.
The Pu family had just finished dinner and was a little puzzled when they heard the knock on the door. They didn't want to open the door, but when they heard a familiar child's voice at the door, Mr. Pu let down his guard and signaled his son to open the door.
Pu Zhiwen walked to the gate of the courtyard, opened it, and saw Lu Yao and the others. He looked delighted and asked, "Why are you here?"
As he spoke, he stepped aside to make room and invited the few people into the yard.
Rong Yan replied, "I've been very busy these past few days. I only have time to come over and sit with you now."
"Have you eaten yet?" Lu Yao waved at Xiaobao, signaling the two children to play with Xiaobao.
"We just finished eating," Mr. Pu invited people into the main hall, "The house is not cleaned up yet, it's too messy."
Having just moved in, Lu Yao and Rong Yanhui naturally knew that they had a lot of things to do. This was also one of the reasons why they didn't come over to visit right away.
Lu Yao handed the bowl from Rong Yanhui to Madam Pu: "This is the braised food I made this afternoon, you can try it."
"You can't do that! You can't do that!"
The Pu family saw what was in the bowl and immediately refused.
This thing is too valuable, they can't accept it.
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