Chapter 24

"I absolutely loved them!" Zhao Hexi chuckled. "Especially your tomatoes. They were incredible. I've never had tomatoes with such a rich flavor. It was like tasting immortal fruit."

Qing Mengzhu said, "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

"Not at all!" Zhao Hexi said emphatically. "Those sandy-fleshed tomatoes of yours are sweet, rich, and juicy. They're completely different from supermarket tomatoes, which are either sour or bland."

Zhao Hexi continued, "My family invited some relatives over for dinner yesterday, and we had a split hot pot. Everyone usually goes for the spicy broth, but this time they were all fighting over the tomato broth. After the hot pot, my uncle and the others even ladled the broth over their rice. They said the tomatoes were really delicious."

Qing Mengzhu said, "Then I'll send you another box tomorrow."

Zhao Hexi happily agreed. "Great! Your tomatoes are keeping me alive now. Oh, right, I sent you some salted duck eggs and ham. Don't forget to check for them."

Qing Mengzhu said, "They've arrived, but I haven't had time to try them yet. I'm making ham and pea fried rice tonight."

Zhao Hexi said, "Remember to soak the ham first or use a little less. It's a bit salty."

They chatted a little longer, then hung up.

The next day, Qing Mengzhu set aside a box of tomatoes when he picked the vegetables.

When Di Caiyong came to collect them, he made a point of telling him the box wasn't for sale, so he wouldn't mix it up with the others.

Di Caiyong looked a little surprised and glanced at the tomatoes. "Are these a gift for someone?"

Qing Mengzhu asked, "How did you know?"

Di Caiyong said, "I could tell at a glance. A few of these tomatoes are fully ripe, a few are ninety percent ripe, and the rest are eighty percent ripe. Who'd sort them so carefully if they weren't a gift?"

Qing Mengzhu gave him an admiring look. "They are a gift. Uncle Caiyong, do your customers like my tomatoes?"

"They do," Di Caiyong said. "Tomato and scrambled eggs has become a signature dish at our restaurant. Six out of every ten customers ordering delivery get it, and the other four order eggplant with minced pork. Most of them are repeat customers, too."

Qing Mengzhu said, "It really is popular, then."

"Ha!" Di Caiyong said. "Why would I lie to you? We just don't have the time right now. Otherwise, we'd buy another batch of tomatoes from you, slice them up carefully, and dry them or cook them down into tomato sauce to use for seasoning later."

Qing Mengzhu wondered if he'd misheard. "Wait, you can dry tomatoes?"

"Sure," Di Caiyong said. "Cut tomatoes that are eighty percent ripe into suitably sized pieces. If you like salt, mix in some salt and other seasonings. If you don't, just dry them as they are. Pick a stretch of good weather and leave them in the sun for a week. They should be mostly dry by then. After that, put them in jars for storage."

Di Caiyong grew enthusiastic as he spoke. He stopped what he was doing and gestured as he described them to Qing Mengzhu. "Sun-dried tomatoes are delicious."

"Once they're dried, the outside is completely dry, but the center is still a little soft, so you get both textures in one bite. And then there's that concentrated tomato flavor after they've dried-heh, it's fantastic! It's a completely different flavor from a fresh tomato."

Listening to his vivid description, Qing Mengzhu couldn't help wanting to try them. "I'll dry some myself one of these days."

Di Caiyong remembered the taste of sun-dried tomatoes and smacked his lips. "I spent some time out on the frontier once, and the sun-dried tomatoes there were delicious too. Their flavor came in layers. I could savor one piece all morning. And if you made soup with some fresh seafood-wow, the flavor would knock your socks off."

Qing Mengzhu was surprised. "Sun-dried tomato and seafood soup? You don't use fresh tomatoes?"

"Seafood soup with fresh tomatoes is good too," Di Caiyong said. "But I think sun-dried tomatoes make it even better, especially oil-packed tomatoes. Paired with seafood, they bring out all its savory flavor while suppressing the fishiness. Their rich, tangy aroma balances the mild flavor of the seafood just right. It's wonderful."

Qing Mengzhu said, "You're making my mouth water."

Di Caiyong said, "Then make a note of it and try it when you get the chance. It definitely won't disappoint you."

Qing Mengzhu made up his mind. "I'll dry some tomatoes first. The weather's just right these next few days."

The tomatoes at Qing Mengzhu's home had entered their peak harvest period, with several baskets ripening every day.

Sometimes their skins were still a little green when he came in the morning, but by evening, they were fully ripe.

He had so many tomatoes growing that he could easily spare two baskets to dry.

Having made up his mind, Qing Mengzhu went online and checked what to watch out for when drying tomatoes. In the end, he decided to use the frontier method: add nothing, simply cut the tomatoes into wedges and dry them in the sun.

His tomatoes were large, so he cut each one in half, then cut each half into crescent-shaped slices without cutting all the way through.

That way, they would hold their shape better and be easier to turn over while drying.

Qing Mengzhu had a courtyard, so he dried the tomatoes there.

He carried some stools outside and set woven bamboo trays on top of them. Then he arranged the cut tomatoes neatly on the trays and waited for the summer sun and breeze to evaporate their moisture and concentrate their flavor.

To get the tomatoes looking and tasting as close to perfect as possible, Qing Mengzhu turned them frequently, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. After drying one side, he dried the other, then turned them back again.

Under his careful attention, the tomatoes slowly shrank and gave off an even richer aroma.

Qing Guozhi, who had returned to stroll around the village, saw him tending the tomatoes and teased, "I've only ever seen people take that much care when drying abalone."

Qing Mengzhu was confident in his tomatoes. "Once these sun-dried tomatoes are ready, they might taste just as good as abalone."

The old man sniffed and agreed. "You might be right. These tomatoes are about done, aren't they? How about I bring lobster and abalone, you provide the sun-dried tomatoes, and we make a pot of sun-dried tomato and seafood soup?"

Qing Mengzhu said, "...I knew you kept dropping by every day because you had your eye on my tomatoes."

The old man chuckled. "So, are we making it or not?"

"We are," Qing Mengzhu said. "How about this weekend? I'll invite a friend who really loves tomatoes over for soup."

The old man waved a hand. "As long as I get some, that's fine by me. How about I bring my chef over too?"

Qing Mengzhu thought for a moment. "Then I'll invite one more friend and see if he can come."

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Chapter 24

Zhao Hexi had never tried sun-dried tomatoes.

But they sounded delicious, so as soon as Qing Mengzhu invited him, he agreed. "Sure! I'll come over early and help out! How about I come on Friday? I can spend the night at your place."

Thinking of the guest room Ming Chunxi was already staying in, Qing Mengzhu said, "Friday's too rushed. Get some rest and come on Saturday instead."

Zhao Hexi readily agreed. "See you Saturday, then."

After calling Zhao Hexi, Qing Mengzhu sent Ming Chunxi a message on WeChat about it.

Ming Chunxi: [Okay, see you Saturday.]

Qing Mengzhu: [If you're free, you can come on Friday too. The bedding's all been washed and aired in the sun.]

A few seconds later, Ming Chunxi replied to Qing Mengzhu: [I'll come over after work and dinner on Friday. I should arrive around 8:20 p.m.]

Qing Mengzhu replied happily: [Got it. See you then.]

After confirming his own guests, Qing Mengzhu informed Qing Guozhi. He declined the old man's offer to bring his chef and simply invited him over for lunch on Saturday.

The old man had no objections and cheerfully agreed.

On Friday, Ming Chunxi duly appeared at Qing Mengzhu's door at 8:23 p.m.

Hearing him, Qing Mengzhu jogged out to open the door. "Don't you have a key? Why didn't you use it?"

Ming Chunxi said, "I knocked first to let you know I was here, so I wouldn't startle you."

Qing Mengzhu said, "You wouldn't. I'm not that easily scared."

Ming Chunxi handed him the fruit basket he'd brought. "How have things been these past few days? Have you seen the otters and foxes?"

"Yes!" Qing Mengzhu said. "They squat on either side of the backyard every day like a pair of guardians. I'm not the only one who's seen them. Several neighbors have too."