Chapter 29 (continued)

A few vegetable baskets remained at the edge of the field. They held vegetables Di Caiyong didn't want, most of them tomatoes.

After weighing the vegetables, Di Caiyong went over to the pepper patch to speak to Qing Mengzhu. "What are you busy with?"

Qing Mengzhu said, "Fertilizing the peppers. Mine have finally started turning red, so I'm giving them another round of fertilizer."

Di Caiyong looked down. "Oh, they really have. Lots of dark green peppers, too."

Not many of Qing Mengzhu's peppers had turned red, and even fewer were fully ripe. Most had already turned dark green and were about to turn red.

Di Caiyong said with great interest, "Can I pick a red one to have a look?"

"Go ahead," Qing Mengzhu said casually.

Di Caiyong bent down, found the prettiest red pepper among the thick branches and leaves, and gently picked it.

The pepper in his palm was long and slender, its skin a little more wrinkled than that of an ordinary pepper. The skin looked thin, though the flesh wasn't particularly thick either.

He broke it open, revealing the soft flesh inside. It gave off the pungent scent characteristic of peppers.

He gave it a light lick, and the sharp heat immediately spread through his mouth, followed by a hint of sweetness.

Di Caiyong hissed and praised it. "These peppers of yours are excellent. They're probably the tastiest I've had in the past ten years."

Only then did Qing Mengzhu look up. Seeing him licking the pepper, he asked, "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

"Not at all," Di Caiyong said. "You should trust a professional chef's judgment."

Qing Mengzhu looked at the pepper in his hand and smiled. "Then I'll give you some once more of them ripen."

"How much longer will that take?" Di Caiyong asked.

"Three to five days, I think? I expect they'll turn red in batches," Qing Mengzhu said.

"I can't wait to try them. How about we have some for lunch today?" Di Caiyong said.

Qing Mengzhu considered it briefly and agreed. "Come to my place for lunch? I want to know what this batch of peppers really tastes like too."

"Then it's settled," Di Caiyong said happily. "I'll take the vegetables back and come over to cook. Pick some extra peppers to take home, will you?"

"Sure. Just red ones, or both green and red?" Qing Mengzhu asked.

"Both green and red. Pull up some scallions and garlic too," Di Caiyong said.

They hadn't lowered their voices while talking, and Tan Wenlei, who was working nearby, heard them. He raised his voice and asked, "I heard that, so I get a share. Can I come and try some too?"

"Come on over!" Qing Mengzhu said. "The more people at the table, the livelier it'll be!"

"Then I won't cook later," Tan Wenlei said happily. "I'll come freeload a meal at your place."

The three agreed to meet at Qing Mengzhu's house a little after eleven that morning.

Qing Mengzhu had been back in his hometown for over two months now. He had tidied up the house inside and out, and the courtyard in particular was filled with flowers and plants.

The flowerpots stood at different heights, and the plants in them flourished. They were a beautiful sight.

Tan Wenlei remarked, "You can tell at a glance you're an educated man. The way you've fixed up your courtyard is completely different from us rough sorts."

Di Caiyong was equally impressed. "The inside's different too. We have the same kind of furniture, so how come your place looks so much better?"

Qing Mengzhu had quite a few potted plants inside as well. He kept the rare Luring Grass carefully on the windowsill, only taking it outside for sun when the weather was good.

Together with the simple, old-fashioned furniture, the potted plants gave the home a distinctive atmosphere.

Although none of his furniture was expensive, the place simply had a different style.

The scent of flowers and plants filled the room, pleasant and tranquil, and gave it a summery feel.

Qing Mengzhu smiled. "I looked online for ideas. Having the place tidy puts me in a better mood too. Dharma Protector, Guard, no barking!"

Dharma Protector, who had been scolded, stuck out his tongue and licked the corner of his mouth, then continued circling the guests.

Guard trotted eagerly along with him, sniffing curiously here and there.

After nearly half a month of growth, the two puppies had gotten a little bigger. With their pointed ears, they had begun to shed their puppyish cuteness and gained some of the handsome, imposing bearing of adult dogs.

The two puppies added a touch of liveliness to the exceptionally peaceful courtyard, making it look even better.

Qing Mengzhu first invited Di Caiyong and Tan Wenlei to sit down for tea.

It was lotus tea from his own home.

The tea had a delicate fragrance, and the silent fan turned without a sound.

Together with the wooden windows and the greenery filling the courtyard, it gave the place even more of a summery feel.

Sitting in his chair, Di Caiyong sighed. "Your life here is one even an immortal wouldn't trade for."

"Have some tea, have some tea," Qing Mengzhu said.

After two rounds of tea, everyone went to the kitchen to cook.

Di Caiyong rolled up his sleeves. "I'll do it! What would you like to eat? You pick."

Di Caiyong had brought quite a few ingredients with him, all of which were laid out on the chopping board.

Tan Wenlei took a look and made his choice. "Mengzhu, don't you have pickled vegetables at home? How about chicken giblets with pickled vegetables? Caiyong, make it extra spicy. I want my chicken giblets with pickled vegetables nice and sour and spicy."

"The pickled water spinach stems I made a while ago should be ready," Qing Mengzhu said. "They're in the jar under the chopping board."

Di Caiyong took out the small jar and opened it. "Whoa, these pickled water spinach stems are a beautiful color, golden and bright, with a sour aroma and a nice, dry texture. Chicken giblets with pickled vegetables it is. What about you, Mengzhu? What would you like?"

"I have some small dried fish I roasted myself in the fridge, made from the little mixed fish we caught. How about stir-frying them?" Qing Mengzhu said.

"Sure, that'll be another good dish to eat with rice. Then I'll stir-fry a bowl of farmhouse delight for myself and make a soup?" Di Caiyong said.

Qing Mengzhu nodded repeatedly. "You're the chef. You decide."

Once the dishes were settled, Di Caiyong directed them to trim and wash the vegetables.

As for Di Caiyong himself, he took out Qing Mengzhu's knife and made a point of taking it into the courtyard to sharpen before he started chopping.

The moment Di Caiyong began chopping, Qing Mengzhu knew he was definitely a professionally trained chef.

The slices were incredibly even and looked good too. Everything was cut neatly, and the chopping board was kept spotless. It was completely different from the way most people cooked, with a distinctive professional beauty to it.

With all three of them working together, the ingredients were ready in no time.

Di Caiyong lit the stove and coated the wok with oil. "Hey, Mengzhu, you must be good at cooking, right? You've seasoned this wok really well, and the flame's strong too."

Qing Mengzhu smiled. "My grandpa and the others left this stove behind. They were used to cooking on a farmhouse stove, and when they switched to gas, they found the flame on an ordinary gas stove wasn't strong enough, so they made a point of getting a powerful professional one."

Di Caiyong tilted the wok. "No wonder. I was wondering why it felt so good to use."

With the ingredients prepared, the stir-frying went quickly.

A little over ten minutes later, three freshly cooked dishes and a soup were set on Qing Mengzhu's table.

The powerful aroma of the food drifted all through the courtyard. The two puppies couldn't wait, whining and wheedling nonstop. Dharma Protector even pawed at his food bowl, making it clatter as a reminder for Qing Mengzhu to hurry up and feed him.

Qing Mengzhu refused to indulge that bad habit. He gave Dharma Protector a pat on the back of the neck and went to feed Guard first.

Dharma Protector ducked his neck, then trotted eagerly after Qing Mengzhu, waiting for lunch.

Everyone washed their hands and sat down at the table, ready to eat.

Qing Mengzhu had chosen the stir-fried dried fish himself, but once the dishes were on the table, he couldn't help reaching first for a bite of Di Caiyong's farmhouse delight.

The farmhouse delight Di Caiyong had made was simply too tempting: yellow scrambled eggs, pork belly with two parts fat to three parts lean, bright green garlic leaves, and diamond-shaped pieces of red and green pepper, all served on a snow-white plate and giving off a powerful aroma.

Qing Mengzhu first picked up a piece of pepper.

Just as Di Caiyong had predicted, the pepper was fragrant and spicy, with an intense flavor, a soft texture, and a slightly sweet aftertaste. Coated in rich, smooth lard and a sauce full of savory flavor, its heat had mellowed considerably, tantalizing the taste buds without becoming unbearably spicy.

That pepper went so well with rice.