Chapter 149

As they chatted, the topic turned to other projects that Ji Qinglin had participated in.

Ji Qinglin is involved in quite a few projects, but lately his focus has been on Rice.

Ji Qinglin explained, "Rice is a staple food, and we grow a lot of Rice every year. Our school also conducts a lot of research on Rice."

Qing Mengzhu also wanted to grow Rice, so she asked curiously, "What kind of Rice? Hybrid Rice?"

Ji Qinglin shook his head. "Our school doesn't have much of an advantage in hybrid Rice research. Right now, we're mainly researching japonica rice, trying to cultivate a high-yielding, high-tasting variety."

Qing Mengzhu's heart skipped a beat. "Have you cultivated the relevant rice varieties?"

Tengcheng Agricultural University is quite strong. The chili seeds that Qing Mengzhu bought from Nian Xinfei last year were very good. If they have Rice seeds, Qing Mengzhu wouldn't mind buying another batch from them.

Unexpectedly, Ji Qinglin shook his head. "Researching Rice isn't that easy to achieve results. Our rice seeds are all bought from other places."

Qing Mengzhu: "What kind of Rice do you grow? Do you have any rice varieties you would recommend?"

Ji Qinglin: "I can't say which type of Rice our school grows, and there aren't any similar varieties for sale outside. You'll probably have to buy rice seeds elsewhere. But as for recommendations, it depends on what kind of Rice you want to grow, and whether you want to harvest japonica or indica rice."

Qing Mengzhu recalled for a moment, "Our family eats both kinds of rice, either one is fine. Which type of rice is more suitable for growing here in terms of water and temperature conditions?"

Ji Qinglin: "Actually, either is fine. Japonica rice is more suitable for the north, while indica rice is more suitable for the south. Here, both Japonica and indica rice are fine. I read in a paper that there doesn't seem to be much difference between growing Japonica and indica rice here, and in my own experience, both are also fine."

Qing Mengzhu: "Which type of rice is better?"

Ji Qinglin thought for a moment and said, "If we're talking about good rice varieties, I personally think there are more japonica rice varieties. The soil in the north is good, so the japonica rice grown there tastes better, and the rice seeds produced are also of very high quality. If you're interested, you can take a look at a few varieties such as Longdao, Daohuaxiang, and Nanjing."

Ji Qinglin originally came to Qing Mengzhu to dig for earthworms, but ended up discussing Rice cultivation with him for an afternoon.

After digging up the earthworms, Qing Mengzhu was still not satisfied, so she specially dragged Ji Qinglin home, brewed some good tea with well water, and then asked him for advice on planting Rice.

Qing Mengzhu has never planted Rice before and is lacking in Rice cultivation skills, so she definitely needs expert guidance.

Ji Qinglin had accepted his lotus root seeds before, and today he came to dig for earthworms. He owed him a favor, and seeing that he was interested, he told him everything he could.

When Ming Chunxi returned, Qing Mengzhu was checking Rice seeds.

He found relevant papers from both domestic and international sources, intending to start with the high-quality papers to gain a thorough understanding of the Rice cultivation situation in recent years.

Ming Chunxi noticed that he was wearing blue light blocking glasses and had a very focused expression on his face.

Even when he sat in the chair, his back was still very straight, which added to his refined and handsome appearance compared to usual, making Ming Chunxi flutter and unable to look away.

Ming Chunxi didn't go inside; she just leaned against the door and admired the view.

Qing Mengzhu had been reading the paper for a while when she stretched her aching neck and noticed a figure outside the door.

He didn't need to look closely to know it was Ming Chunxi.

Qing Mengzhu stretched and asked, "How long have you been standing outside? Why don't you come in?"

Ming Chunxi: "Let me stand outside and look at you."

Qing Mengzhu waved, "Come in quickly and take a look. While you're at it, help me filter these papers. I'm not very familiar with this stuff, it's exhausting."

Ming Chunxi: "Coming right now. Time to plant Rice?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Let's keep an eye on the latest news first, and then it'll be about time to buy Rice seeds. Selecting seeds takes time, and we need to start seedling cultivation in mid-April, so it's better to prepare a little earlier."

Ming Chunxi sat in the seat that Qing Mengzhu had vacated and began sorting the papers according to their relevance. "Have you checked the Interstellar Mall yet?"

Mentioning this, Qing Mengzhu said dejectedly, "I checked, and the Interstellar Mall doesn't have any relevant seeds. Not only are there no Rice seeds, but none of the staple food seeds are available—corn, wheat, soybeans, and so on, none at all."

Qing Mengzhu said unhappily, "It's still very wary of us."

Ming Chunxi wasn't surprised. "That's in line with the consistent style of the Interstellar Mall."

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "So now we can only rely on ourselves."

The two spent several days researching Rice, and after comparing various sources, they finally decided to grow japonica rice.

It's better to buy japonica rice seeds from the north.

Ming Chunxi thought Qing Mengzhu would buy seeds from various brands and choose the best ones, but he didn't expect him to end up buying a bunch of rice.

Qing Mengzhu said, "We want to buy seeds that have high yields and good taste. Looking at other data is useless; we have to taste them ourselves to be truly convinced."

Ming Chunxi: "I thought you would just buy the seeds as usual."

Qing Mengzhu: "Buying finished products isn't usually that convenient; we can only buy seeds directly. Rice is different. There are so many rice shops; I'll try some first. Could you quickly help me filter out the shops with the highest online reviews for japonica rice?"

For an expert like Ming Chunxi, finding a few online stores is just a piece of cake.

He quickly selected the online stores that Qing Mengzhu had requested.

After checking the reviews one by one, Qing Mengzhu placed an order at each of the selected stores, intending to wait and see how the rice actually tasted.

The rice he bought arrived on almost the same day. When Qing Pingdun came to deliver the package, he was puzzled and asked, "Brother Mengzhu, why did you buy so much rice at once?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I plan to taste which type of rice is the best, and then I'll grow that type of rice from now on."

As she spoke, Qing Mengzhu smiled and invited, "Are you free tonight? Would you like to stay at our house and help us try the new rice we bought?"

Qing Pingdun readily agreed, "Yes! Then I'll come over for dinner tonight."

Qing Mengzhu: "Sure, by the way, could you lend me a rice cooker? You use a rice cooker at home, right?"

Qing Mengzhu not only borrowed a rice cooker from Qing Pingdun, but also from Zhao Hexi. Zhou Yan even brought him two rice cookers.

Finally, that evening, all five of his rice cookers were turned on at once, and they cooked five pots of rice in one go.

The rice was cooked by Zhou Yan himself. This head chef hadn't done these kinds of chores for many years, but his skills were still excellent. He added just the right amount of water to each pot of rice, so it was neither undercooked nor too soft.

The cooked rice was cooked to the perfect consistency, with a fragrant aroma and a glossy sheen – you could tell at a glance it was all high-quality rice.

Qing Mengzhu discovered that the rice was all of "Good Grade+" grade.

I just don't know which one tastes the best?

Zhou Yan glanced at the rice and remarked, "Where did you buy this rice from? They're pretty honest; it's all new rice."

Qing Mengzhu: "I bought rice from several shops, not just one! Come over and help me taste them, let's see which shop has the best rice!"

Zhao Hexi turned her head and was dumbfounded to find there were no side dishes. "We're just eating it plain?"

Qing Mengzhu said earnestly, "Not only do we have to eat it on its own, but we also have to drink tea to cleanse our mouths after each bite. We need to choose carefully; we'll vote anonymously later!"

Zhao Hexi muttered, "They're really taking this seriously."

Qing Mengzhu: "Come on, eat it while it's hot, let's see if we can find suitable rice today."

Chapter 149

The rice that Qing Mengzhu bought is of good quality, and the cooked rice tastes good too.

They cooked three batches of rice, preparing a total of thirteen different types, including both short-grain and long-grain rice.

Ultimately, they voted for the top five tasting rice varieties, three of which were from Northeast China.

Zhao Hexi was almost full from just eating plain rice, and while sipping his tea, he said, "Choosing rice varieties is really not easy."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's just a matter of eating a few bites of food, how can that be considered difficult?"

Zhao Hexi glanced at him. "You seem to be in a good mood right now."

Qing Mengzhu's eyes crinkled into a smile, "That's because we selected suitable rice."