Chapter 31 (continued)

Qing Mengzhu: "We've harvested on a large scale twice, averaging 227 jin per mu."

Nian Xinfei nodded. "That's great. It's only the initial production period now. When it reaches peak production, the yield per mu (unit of land area) is estimated to increase by another 50 to 100 jin (unit of weight). I see you used fertilizer very well; the second crop of peppers is about the same size as the first."

Chili peppers are different from other crops. Qing Mengzhu harvests them every three days, and each harvest yields more than 200 jin per mu. The chili peppers can be produced for at least three months, which means that his family's final yield per mu can reach more than 6,000 jin.

This is already a very considerable number.

Nian Xinfei kept asking Qing Mengzhu about the chili peppers until almost midnight, when her voice was hoarse. Only after Zhou Yan reminded her did Nian Xinfei say apologetically, "I've taken up too much time."

Zhou Yan: "I just made arrangements with Mengzhu to cook lunch at his house."

At this moment, Nian Xinfei was not really in the mood for food. The more he looked at Qing Mengzhu's chili peppers, the more shocked he became. He just wanted to go back to school to study them properly.

However, since Qing Mengzhu and Zhou Yan wanted to eat, he didn't want to spoil their fun, so he nodded.

On the way back, Nian Xinfei kept writing and drawing on her phone.

Qing Mengzhu's eyes accidentally glanced at his phone and saw that it was full of information about chili peppers.

Zhou Yan, carrying a basket full of vegetables, looked quite engrossed and had no interest in talking to Qing Mengzhu.

Qing Mengzhu looked to the left, then to the right, carrying the miscellaneous fish she had just scooped out of the pond, feeling unusually at ease.

As soon as they got back, Zhou Yan immediately went into the kitchen. After finding out where Qing Mengzhu's tools were, he declined Qing Mengzhu's offer to help, saying, "I'll do it, I'll do it. Your food is so good, I'm itching to cook, I can do it all by myself."

He also praised Qing Mengzhu's kitchen, saying, "Your kitchen is well-organized, large and tidy, and all the seasonings and tools are readily available."

Qing Mengzhu: "I usually enjoy cooking."

After Qing Mengzhu came out of the kitchen, she saw Nian Xinfei sitting on a small stool in the yard, writing furiously, with a dog guarding him on one side and a Dharma Protector Guard on the other.

Upon seeing Qing Mengzhu emerge, the Guard stood up happily, wagging their tails and following behind Qing Mengzhu.

Qing Mengzhu ruffled the little guy's shiny, oily head, went inside, turned on the computer, exported the chili pepper planting records, edited the fermented fertilizer content, and then asked Nian Xinfei, "Professor Nian, should I send the chili pepper records to your email?"

Nian Xinfei snapped out of her daze, "WeChat is fine too. Hey, let's add each other on WeChat. You can call me Nian Xinfei or Xinfei, that's what my friends call me. I don't mind if you call me Xiao Nian either."

The next sentence was a joke by Nian Xinfei, who returned the favor by mimicking Qing Mengzhu's self-introduction.

Qing Mengzhu and said, "Xinfei."

As she spoke, Qing Mengzhu added him on WeChat and sent him the planting records.

Nian Xinfei opened the planting record, glanced at it, and immediately said, "Your records are so detailed, even more detailed than my students' records."

Besides taking notes, Qing Mengzhu also wrote numerous notes at the end.

Nian Xinfei is extremely knowledgeable about chili pepper cultivation. He could basically reconstruct the entire planting process at a glance, and couldn't help but exclaim, "You cultivate them very scientifically, both diligently and scientifically. No wonder you grow them so well."

Qing Mengzhu: "It's mainly because the seeds you provided were good."

The two chatted for a while, and Zhou Yan quickly prepared the meal in the kitchen and invited them to eat.

Qing Mengzhu hurriedly went over to serve the dishes and took out dry bowls and chopsticks from the sterilizing cabinet.

Zhou Yan truly lived up to his reputation as a top chef. In just over half an hour, he prepared six dishes: two meat dishes, three vegetable dishes, and a soup, each exuding an amazing aroma.

Qing Mengzhu cooks with his own ingredients every day. He has to admit that a special chef is a special chef. With the same ingredients, Zhou Yan's dishes are much more delicious than his.

Qing Mengzhu couldn't help but look at Zhou Yan with a hint of admiration.

Seeing that familiar gaze, Zhou Yan explained with a hint of pride, "I saw you had a lot of ingredients in your fridge, so I took them out and made this. Try this braised fish with pesto sauce, a homemade version, and see if you're pleasantly surprised?"

Upon hearing this, Qing Mengzhu and Nian Xinfei ate the fish first.

The snow-white, delicate fish meat lies in the milky white soup, garnished with Sichuan peppercorns and green chilies. It should be eaten with a serving spoon, otherwise the tofu-like fish meat will be ruined.

Qing Mengzhu took a bite of the fish. The first taste was the fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns, followed by the numbing sensation, then the spiciness of the green chili peppers, and finally the deliciousness of the fish.

The layers of flavors blend together, eventually transforming into a complex and delicious taste that explodes on the tongue.

Qing Mengzhu exclaimed, "It's so delicious! It tastes like fish jumping out of the lake at dawn and then jumping back in!"

Nian Xinfei was also drawn back to reality by the delicious flavors and said, "You mean all the flavors first appeared, and then blended together to create a harmonious and complex deliciousness?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded repeatedly. "That's exactly what I mean, I just made it sound a bit convoluted."

Zhou Yan laughed, "The flavor of this dish has to be precise; if it's too vague, it won't taste right. Come on, have some stir-fried lettuce."

Qing Mengzhu and Nian Xinfei followed orders and went to eat stir-fried lettuce.

Lettuce actually has a slightly astringent taste, which is why some people don't like to eat it and find it has a strange flavor.

Qing Mengzhu's cooking of lettuce is mediocre. Sometimes the finished dish has a slightly astringent taste, and sometimes it is overcooked, becoming mushy and losing the fresh aroma of lettuce.

The lettuce Zhou Yan made was different; it was crisp, fragrant, and refreshing, a completely different experience from the braised fish with pesto sauce. Eating it felt like my taste buds had entered springtime.

The most unremarkable dishes are the ones that truly test a chef's skill. Qing Mengzhu felt that any words of praise would be superfluous, so she could only give a thumbs up.

Zhou Yan simply smiled and let them taste the remaining braised pork with peas, green peppers and tomatoes, and stir-fried eggplant.

Qing Mengzhu especially liked green peppers and tomatoes. "This is the first time I've ever had green peppers stir-fried with tomatoes. I never knew you could cook them like this. The sour and fresh taste of the tomatoes combined with the spicy and fresh taste of the green peppers makes it so delicious with rice."

Zhou Yan: "This is Hunan cuisine; good ingredients make it delicious. Your tomatoes, while not as good as your chili peppers, are still quite good."

Upon hearing his assessment, Qing Mengzhu was both surprised by its accuracy and curious. "Where are the best tomatoes?"

Zhou Yan: "Domestically, in the border regions? The temperature difference between day and night there is huge, so the tomatoes they grow there are really good, especially the top-grade tomatoes, which have thin skin, thick flesh, and rich flavor, unlike tomatoes from other places."

Qing Mengzhu: "That sounds delicious."

Zhou Yan: "I'll bring some for you to try sometime."

Zhou Yan's cooking was so delicious that Qing Mengzhu usually eats very restrainedly, ate until she was stuffed today.

With a little food left over, Qing Mengzhu took out chicken breast, duck breast, beef, and other meats from the refrigerator, mixed them with the rice and leftovers, and gave them to the two dogs.

The two dogs licked the plate clean, and when they looked at Zhou Yan again, their tails wagged much more enthusiastically.

After finishing her meal, Qing Mengzhu really didn't want to move at all. She threw the dishes into the dishwasher and came out to chat with Zhou Yan.

As for Nian Xinfei, he went off to think about chili peppers again.

Originally Qing Mengzhu was supposed to discuss the chili pepper purchase with Zhou Yan.

After hearing Zhou Yan talk about the tomatoes from the frontier, Qing Mengzhu wasn't sure if her own chili peppers could meet his requirements, so she didn't say anything.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yan brought up this matter on his own initiative.

Zhou Yan said, "Your chili peppers are really good. I'll go back and ask the purchasing department. If everything goes smoothly, I'll have them come over to sign the contract."

Qing Mengzhu was surprised that he would say that, and quickly replied, "Thank you, Brother Zhou."

Zhou Yan smiled, "You're welcome. The quality of your chili peppers speaks for itself; anyone who tries them will be tempted. However—"

Upon hearing the shift in his words, Qing Mengzhu immediately sat up slightly.

Zhou Yan made a reassuring gesture. "Although our group has several restaurant brands and hundreds of stores nationwide, we probably don't need that many chilies. Your chili yield per acre is too high."