Chapter 31

If Nian Xinfei and his group can't handle it, Qing Mengzhu will ask Qing Guozhi for help.

Qing Guozhi knows quite a few people, but most of the restaurants Qing Guozhi knows are private restaurants and local established restaurants, which don't have a high demand for chili peppers. Therefore, Qing Mengzhu places more hope on Nian Xinfei and his group.

After receiving the chili peppers, Nian Xinfei made an appointment with a chef friend at a star-rated restaurant in the city, telling him that it was the latest variety, a world-class chili pepper, and asking his friend to taste it and see if it was worth promoting.

The head chef friend valued the chili peppers that Nian Xinfei provided very much, and specially arranged a tasting event, even inviting Nian Xinfei over.

As soon as Nian Xinfei entered the private room, the head chef asked, "Where are these chilies from? They smell amazing!"

Nian Xinfei: "Have you already tasted it?"

Head Chef: "I'm the chef, of course I have to try it."

Nian Xinfei: "So what do you guys think of this chili pepper?"

Executive Chef: "Great! The aftertaste of this chili is so rich, layer upon layer, and remarkably, it's not pungent. I reckon that besides being used in a proper main dish, it would also be very popular as a side dish and dessert."

Nian Xinfei looked at him, somewhat surprised.

The head chef said, "Seriously, this kind of chili is so good that diners can taste its superior quality the moment they taste it. Its quality is so outstanding that it would be highly regarded by any evaluation system."

Nian Xinfei: "That's a really high compliment."

Head Chef: "Of course, I'm a professional. I can tell just by tasting it. Where is this chili pepper from? You should promote it. Other restaurants may not know, but our restaurant will definitely want some."

Nian Xinfei: "This is our 'Tengjin 01'."

The head chef exclaimed in surprise, "I've tried your newly developed chili pepper, and it doesn't taste like this!"

Nian Xinfei: "A farmer friend of mine grows these, and they're slightly different from ours. If you're interested, I can take you to visit him."

Qing Mengzhu never expected that sending chili peppers to Nian Xinfei would be so effective.

A few days later, he received a call from Nian Xinfei, who said he wanted to bring a special chef to visit him.

Chapter 31

On Thursday morning, Qing Mengzhu received a phone call from Nian Xinfei saying that they had arrived at the door.

Qing Mengzhu opened the courtyard gate, and a red luxury car was parked in front of her house.

The car window rolled down, and the young man in the driver's seat leaned half his head out, saying enthusiastically to Qing Mengzhu, "Mr. Qing? Could we go take a look at your field first?"

Qing Mengzhu's prepared self-introduction was interrupted by this sentence, so she could only say, "Of course."

The man then said, "Could you please get in the car and give us directions?"

Qing Mengzhu got into the back seat, and Nian Xinfei, who was in the passenger seat, turned around with a smile, "Mr. Qing, it's our first time meeting. Thank you for sending me the tea and vegetables."

Qing Mengzhu: "Professor Nian, no need to be so polite. Just call me Qing Mengzhu. If it's a tongue twister, you can say Mengzhu or Little Qing. And this is—"

Nian Xinfei then looked towards the person in the driver's seat.

Before Nian Xinfei could speak, the person in the driver's seat took the initiative to say, "My name is Zhou Yan, I'm a chef. You can call me Zhou Yan or Brother Zhou."

Nian Xinfei added, "Special chef."

Qing Mengzhu: "Welcome."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the three started the car again and drove towards Qing Mengzhu's land.

The rural roads in Pingkou Village are very well-maintained; the car could drive right up to their field.

After getting off the car, Nian Xinfei and Zhou Yan looked at the lush green mountains and clear waters and the neat farmland, and their expressions relaxed.

Zhou Yan looked around. "Your environment here is very nice."

Qing Mengzhu: "Yes, there's no industry around here, and there's not much pollution here either. The economy is mainly based on agriculture and tourism."

Zhou Yan: "That's great, good mountains and good water produce good food."

Qing Mengzhu led them along the ridges of the fields. "Those plots ahead are my family's land, the ones where the chili fields meet the vegetable fields."

Nian Xinfei stared at his vegetable garden. "Your vegetables are growing quite well too."

Qing Mengzhu: "I also sell vegetables here, so I grow quite a lot."

Nian Xinfei pointed to the tomato patch beside her. "These are tomatoes? You've planted a lot of tomatoes!"

Qing Mengzhu looked at the tomatoes that had just been transplanted into the ground and smiled, "A little over two acres is alright. Any more than that and I can't manage it all."

Zhou Yan looked around, his hands itching to try it. "Can I pick some vegetables from your garden later?"

Qing Mengzhu: "No need to wait, we can pick them now. The tomatoes over there in the vegetable garden are ripe, we can pick them and eat them."

Upon hearing Qing Mengzhu's words, Zhou Yan didn't stand on ceremony. He strode into the field, walked to the row of tomatoes, looked left and right, picked two large, red tomatoes, and handed one to Nian Xinfei who was following behind.

Before Nian Xinfei could speak, Zhou Yan wiped the tomato on his clothes, then took a big bite. "Delicious!"

Nian Xinfei held the tomato up to her eyes and examined it. "The tomato is perfectly ripe."

Zhou Yan: "It's very sweet, juicy, and tastes great. It's really excellent. I think this tomato could be eaten as a fruit."

Qing Mengzhu: "The aftertaste is actually a bit sour."

Zhou Yan carefully examined it before saying, "Indeed, but a sweet and sour taste is essential for tomatoes; pure sweetness isn't very appealing. Hey, your lettuce and romaine lettuce are growing very well too."

As Zhou Yan ate, he kept turning his head to observe Qing Mengzhu's vegetable garden, looking like he was itching to grab some.

Qing Mengzhu pulled out a basket of vegetables that hadn't been used up that morning from under the leaves and handed one to Zhou Yan: "You can pick some."

Zhou Yan smiled and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."

Nian Xinfei didn't pick any vegetables, but only asked, "Your vegetables are growing so well, does anyone steal them?"

Qing Mengzhu pointed to the metal post by the field. "There are surveillance cameras over there, so no one's eyeing my vegetables for now."

Nian Xinfei then noticed the iron-gray pillar. "Your agriculture here is truly modernized."

They walked around the vegetable garden before going to the chili pepper field.

The chili seedlings at Qing Mengzhu's house grew exceptionally lush, each one like a small shrub. Nian Xinfei, who was slightly shorter, stood inside, the chili seedlings reached all the way to his chest.

What's remarkable is that the chili seedlings didn't grow excessively tall. Despite their lush foliage, every branch was laden with red and green chilies, and there were also many small white flowers among the branches.

It won't be long before these little white flowers turn into a new batch of chili peppers.

Nian Xinfei's chest heaved, and a look of shock appeared on his face.

He stood in the chili field, looking at the flowers, leaves, and fruits, and occasionally squatting down to examine the branches and roots below.

Seeing Nian Xinfei like this, Zhou Yan laughed and said, "Professor Nian is too tired to walk anymore. You stay with him, I'll wander around by myself?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "You can stroll over there too. The land from here to the pond is all my property, and the pond is also mine. There are fish traps in it, so there should be fish. I need the lotus flowers, so I can't pick them for now."

Zhou Yan chuckled, "Alright, I'm off to take a look. For a chef, strolling through a vegetable garden is much more interesting than going to a farmers' market."

Ignoring Zhou Yan's commotion, Nian Xinfei turned to Qing Mengzhu for her opinion. "May I take a picture?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Of course. Picking flowers, leaves, and chili peppers is no problem either."

Nian Xinfei smiled and said, "Thank you so much."

While taking photos, Nian Xinfei asked, "You've only been growing these chili peppers for less than three months, right?"

Qing Mengzhu: "The buds were forced to sprout on May 1st."

Nian Xinfei laughed, "You remember so clearly?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I made a special planting record, remembering exactly when to germinate, when to transplant, when to spray pesticides, and when to fertilize."

Nian Xinfei nodded repeatedly. "That's a great habit. Could you send me a copy of the record later?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Of course, I'm happy to be of help."

Nian Xinfei smiled sheepishly, "Oh, really, your chilies are much stronger than the ones we grow back home, and you've got more peppers too. Have you picked any yet? How many kilograms can you pick at a time?"