Chapter 99

Tan Wenlei: "Even the names of the chili peppers nowadays are different from those in summer. The older generation calls these chili peppers 'autumn chili peppers,' meaning they are not the same kind of chili peppers as those in summer."

Qing Mengzhu recalled for a moment and realized it was true, "I always thought autumn chili peppers were just chili peppers grown in autumn, but I didn't expect them to be different from summer chili peppers."

Tan Wenlei: "Autumn peppers are more tender and not very spicy; a few even have a bitter taste. They're different."

Feng Ningxiang: "That's right! Nowadays, chili peppers are eaten like vegetables. My family stir-fries them and eats them as a side dish. You'll see if you go and take a look."

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "I'll go for a walk later."

Tan Wenlei: "There aren't many chili fields left. Everyone's chilies aren't doing well, so they pulled up the seedlings. Now everyone's planting radishes, rapeseed, cabbage, and things like that."

Qing Mengzhu thought that seeing is believing, so after picking the vegetables, she actually went to see the chili peppers planted by other people.

In fact, at this time, not only do the chili peppers not grow big, but the leaves of the chili pepper plant have also mostly fallen off. In many people's homes, only bare branches remain, which are obviously useless.

Qing Mengzhu was wandering in someone else's field when someone saw him and asked, "Mengzhu, what are you looking at?"

"I've come to see the chili peppers," Qing Mengzhu asked loudly. "Uncle, does this field belong to your family?"

"Yes, it's my house, so what?"

When were the chili peppers planted in your yard?

"Let me think, probably around March or April. My family's chili peppers will be ready to eat by the end of May. Why are you asking this?"

"Let me calculate how many months it took for your chili peppers to bear fruit, so that my chili peppers might have been planted later and their leaves might have fallen off later."

"Hey, what does it have to do with whether you plant them late or late? My chili peppers just start losing leaves as soon as it gets cold, every year it's the same, they die as soon as it gets cold. Unless you put them in a greenhouse, it doesn't matter how late you plant them."

"I see."

"I also wanted to ask how you grow your chili peppers, what variety you planted, and how they're still yielding such a good harvest?"

"It's a new variety from Tengcheng Agricultural University."

"No wonder, many of the new varieties are really good."

Qing Mengzhu chatted with several families who grew chili peppers, asking them about the varieties and planting times of the peppers they grew.

Everyone said what they could say, and expressed envy that his family's chili peppers were still in peak season, inquiring whether the price of chili peppers was higher now.

Qing Mengzhu said that the contract was signed and the prices would remain the same this year, with no increase allowed.

Everyone expressed their regret, feeling that with such a limited supply of autumn chilies and such high quality chilies from his farm, the price should have been raised under these circumstances.

After asking the farmers, Qing Mengzhu specifically sought out Nian Xinfei for information.

Nian Xinfei hadn't contacted him for a long time, so she was a little surprised when she received his call, "You mean, your chili peppers are still in peak production, no different from what they were like in the summer?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, I personally feel there's no difference. In fact, because of the larger temperature difference between day and night, the quality of the chilies is even better now than in the summer, with a more pronounced aftertaste and less spiciness."

Nian Xinfei was quite interested. "Then shall I go take a look?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Okay. I also wanted to ask, how are those five chili pepper plants you took from my house? Have they started losing leaves yet? Has the yield decreased?"

Nian Xinfei: "They've fallen off, but not by much, and the yield isn't as good as before. When we discussed it, we thought it might be because your batch of chilies was planted late, so the leaves haven't fallen off yet."

Qing Mengzhu: "Can you take a picture and show it to me?"

Nian Xinfei: "We keep records every week. I'll send you the record document later."

The chili peppers from Qing Mengzhu's family weren't something that needed to be kept secret, Nian Xinfei quickly sent over a whole document.

The document contains detailed planting records, from watering and fertilization to chili pepper yield, and even the pests and diseases that the chili peppers encountered, all of which are recorded very comprehensively.

After examining the chilies carefully, Qing Mengzhu discovered that this batch of chilies had been different from Nian Xinfei's ever since they were delivered to him.

The chili seedlings that Nian Xinfei clearly suffered from more pests and diseases, and the yield was not as good as the chilies he left in the field.

It may be related to cultivation methods such as planting in the ground and planting in pots, or it may be related to fertilizer and water source -- the fertilizer used for the chili peppers in their fields is fermented fertilizer, and the water used for irrigation is pond water soaked with Spirit Pearl Dregs.

Nian Xinfei was very interested in the condition of his family's chili peppers, and the next day he brought his students over to see them.

When everyone saw that his five acres of chili peppers were all in their peak production period, with lush branches and leaves and abundant fruit, they were all shocked.

Nian Xinfei: "Did you spray any pesticides or fertilizers on the chili peppers? They're growing better and better!"

Qing Mengzhu couldn't tell him about the fertilizer and water used, so she could only say, "It's just standard management, maybe a bit more meticulous."

Nian Xinfei: "I don't think it's entirely a management issue. Looking at your chili peppers, there are basically no withered leaves, and the branches show no signs of wilting. They seem completely unaffected by the seasons."

Qing Mengzhu: "Really? I was quite surprised too."

Nian Xinfei: "These chilies remind me of the wild chilies I've encountered before. Wild chilies are perennial herbaceous plants that don't die in winter. However, those chilies grow in the tropics, where winter temperatures are quite high, so overwintering doesn't really affect them."

Qing Mengzhu: "So it seems that this batch of chili peppers in my family is quite resistant to cold?"

Nian Xinfei: "It's hard to say for sure right now, but it's really incredible that your chili peppers can produce so many in this weather. Even wild chili peppers experience a decrease in yield during the winter."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's not winter yet, I wonder what they'll be like in winter?"

Nian Xinfei: "We don't know yet how well the chilies will perform in winter, but the performance in autumn has already proven it. If everyone's chilies can yield this many in autumn, we can definitely earn a lot more money throughout the year."

The production period of chili peppers directly affects the income of growers. If growers can harvest a quarter more of high-quality chili peppers, their profits may increase by several thousand or even tens of thousands of yuan, which is of great significance.

Nian Xinfei looked at the fiery red chili peppers at Qing Mengzhu's house. "Mengzhu, could you sell us a few more chili pepper plants? I want to take them back and study them; they're incredible."

Qing Mengzhu: "Sure, but our company might also look into it."

Nian Xinfei: "It's alright, you guys do your research, we'll do ours. There are so many directions you can study from a single chili pepper plant, we might not even start the same project—as long as you don't mind selling us a copy of your research materials."

Qing Mengzhu shook her head. "There's nothing to mind. Whoever figures it out will benefit the country and its people. And we have more than just chili peppers as a project."

Upon hearing this, Nian Xinfei exclaimed, "Your company is amazing! Not only have you launched so many products, but you also discovered a new Bacillus strain in such a short time. How's that Bacillus strain doing now?"

Qing Mengzhu: "We're still submitting the materials and waiting for approval. If it's approved, we can expand production and use it as a pesticide."

Nian Xinfei: "If we can really produce it, our lab will order one from you."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's a bit of a hassle, but if you order it, the results definitely won't disappoint you."

Nian Xinfei looked at him. "So confident?"

Qing Mengzhu raised her chin. "Anything produced by Zhuxi is guaranteed to be Fine Grade."

Chapter 99

Nian Xinfei and his group came to look at the chili peppers, and then asked Qing Mengzhu if he had bought five chili pepper plants, saying he would go back and study them to see if the genes of these chili peppers had mutated.

If available, they will extract the relevant genes and perform gene editing.

Qing Mengzhu was also quite curious about the condition of this batch of chilies, so she generously sold them to them.

The chili peppers from Qing Mengzhu's family are still in peak production, which has greatly exceeded everyone's expectations.