Transmigrating to ancient times with a kitchen

by Usui Takumii

not mine, all novel updates.

5. 81 to 100

81 Summer Harvest

Time passed by faster and faster. Soon, the summer harvest came. The farmers began a new round of harvesting. Compared to last year's bleak situation, this time it was happy. A good harvest meant that they could fill their stomachs.

Xiao Hu and the others had a holiday from the academy. Jian Qingqing was also stopped from setting up her stall and had to go to the ground to work.

After moving the rice for a day, Jian Qingqing's entire body was red and swollen from the work. It was itchy and painful.

Mother Jian rubbed the herbs for her to stop the itch. Old Man Jian laughed happily at the side. "Big Sister has a rich life. She can't do farm work."

Jian Qingqing rolled her eyes at him. "We're not born in a rich family, right? We get used to it after doing a lot of work? When you were young, didn't you feel itchy after working with the grains? Doesn't Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye also feel itchy?"

He couldn't remember what happened when he was young. Who could remember the first time they worked? In Old Man Jian's memory, he had always been dealing with the land.

Old Man Jian waved his hand, "Alright, alright. Big Sister, you don't have to go down to the ground tomorrow. We can just do the work. What are you going to do as a girl? You can't do much work. Besides, if you don't sell braised meat every day, how much money will you lose?"

Jian Qingqing rolled her eyes. They were the ones who asked her to go down to the ground yesterday. They were afraid that they could not finish with the harvest work.

"No, it doesn't matter. If I take the ox-cart away, how are you guys going to bring the grain back?"

Old Man Jian disagreed, "If we didn't have the ox-cart back then, we would still have to carry it back. What's wrong with losing one of your ox-carts? You can't do any work, so you might as well go and earn money."

Jian Qingqing finally understood. So it was because they think that she was useless in the fields. She said helplessly, "It doesn't matter if I earn less money. It is difficult to work without an ox-cart. Don't worry, I'll wear more clothes tomorrow so that I won't get stabbed."

Old Man Jian was happy. Big Sister was willing to stop her business because she was afraid that her family would have a hard time without her ox-cart. However, he grumbled, "Then how much less money will we earn?"

Jian Qingqing could see that he was not telling the truth. She sighed helplessly. Why was her grandfather becoming more and more naughty?

The next day, Jian Qingqing tied up her sleeves and wrapped her neck and face. She also wore an extra piece of clothing. Every villager who saw her looked at her with a confused expression.

An aunty, who was in the farm next to them, asked, "Qingqing's mother, why is Qingqing dressed like this?"

Mother Jian smiled and said, "Her skin is tender, and her body itches when it touches rice."

The aunt shook her head secretly. The rice is not poisonous, so why would her body itch when it touches the rice?

Then, she thought of something and asked, "Then why isn't she selling meat? Isn't that business very profitable? If she goes one day less, she will earn a lot less money, right?"

This question was exactly what Old Man Jian wanted. Without waiting for Mother Jian to answer, he spoke first, "Qingqing was afraid that we would be tired, so she deliberately left the ox-cart behind. Well, she didn't sell the stewed meat today, so she earns less moeny. However, Qingqing said that money is not as important as the health of our family members. I urged her to do her business, but she still refused."

Jian Qingqing was speechless. When did she say such a thing? Moreover, if that aunty had a problem, why didn't she just ask her about it? Why did she have a discussion with her family instead? Why didn't she know that her grandfather was so good at bragging?

That aunty also regretted asking this question. She raised her sickle and cut off a piece of rice. It was really infuriating. Why was Qingqing so considerate and knew how to earn money? Yet, her family was lazy all day long, and all they did was eat and sleep.

82 Ripening of Corn

While cutting the rice, Jian Qingqing also took the time to dig up her potatoes. At that time, she only had 1 potato, and with the sprouts, she was able to plant about 20 potatoes. Under each potato, there were 4 to 5 big potatoes and a few small potatoes.

The 20 potatoes only produced less than 200 potatoes. All of these potatoes had to be planted, so she could not grow many. Jian Qingqing sighed. How many more years would it take for her to become a potato tycoon?

Sweet potatoes and yams were better. The vines of sweet potatoes could be cut, and it was very easy to produce a large patch. Yams would produce yam beans, and one yam could produce many beans. When the time came, she could also plant these beans.

The tomatoes and corn were also ripe. She planned to break a few of the corn and fry them. The rest would be left to be planted. The tomatoes would be picked when they were ripe, and the seeds would be left. After some time, they could be planted.

However, there was not enough land for planting. There were so many acres of corn that could be planted. She could also plant a lot of tomatoes. It was time to buy land. She wanted to see if anyone wanted to sell the land after the summer harvest. Barren land was also fine.

Before they came back, Jian Qingqing fried some corn and tomatoes with eggs.

When the Jian Family came back and saw this strange and unfamiliar dish, they hesitated for a moment. "Qingqing, is this really edible? The color is so red. It can't be poisonous, right?"

Jian Qingqing patted her chest and promised, "Don't worry. I've already eaten. It's fine."

The adults still did not dare to eat. Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye were also a little hesitant.

Jian Qingqing's gaze turned and looked at the most gluttonous and gullible little wolf. She coaxed, "Xiao Lang, come, Big sister will feed you."

Xiao Lang was now much bigger than before. He was as strong as a calf and was very energetic. If one did not keep an eye on him, he would cause trouble.

He usually did not allow anyone to feed him, and he usually ate by himself.

However, he was very attached to Jian Qingqing. When he saw his sister calling him, he ran over and bumped into her. His mouth was wide open. "Sister, I want to eat!"

Jian Qingqing scooped up a spoonful of corn and put it in his mouth. "How is it? Is it good?"

Xiao Lang swallowed it quickly and shouted, "It's good!"

Then Jian Qingqing scooped up another spoonful of tomato scrambled eggs. "Is this good?"

Xiao Lang had always been a supportive child. The tomato scrambled eggs tasted good, so he said loudly, "This is good too!"

After getting a satisfactory answer, Jian Qingqing pushed him away. "Alright, go and eat yours."

Xiao Lang looked at his sister in a daze. Seeing that she had no intention of feeding him anymore, he could only regretfully run back to his seat to eat.

Seeing that Xiao Lang had eaten, Old Man Jian also picked up some corn and put it in his mouth. After a while, he said, "It tastes a little strange and sweet."

"That's because you're not used to it. Once you get used to it, you'll find it delicious."

Mother Jian and Jian Dalang also picked up a piece of corn. Mother Jian smiled and said, "I think it's quite delicious. It's a little sticky and a little sweet."

Brother Jian could not tell whether it was delicious or not, so he did not say anything.

They picked up another piece of tomato scrambled eggs. This dish was more acceptable than corn. "It's sour and sweet. The taste is not bad."

Jian Qingqing was relieved. She thought that they could not accept the taste of tomatoes. After all, it had a slightly sour taste. At this time, unless the dish was pickled pickled pickled cabbage, it would not be sour.

The corn was rough, and it was not as delicious as sweet corn, so they thought it was strange.

83 Paying Taxes

After harvesting the rice and wheat and drying them in the sun, the farmers would have to pay taxes. Only then would they be able to keep the rest for themselves.

In this dynasty, the taxes were 30 catties of grain per acre of land. Currently, the average output per acre of grain was 200 catties. If the weather was good that year, the output would be higher, and the people would receive more grain.

However, if the Heavens did not give them face and some disaster occurred, the harvest would be greatly reduced. However, the tax would not change, and the people would suffer this year.

Therefore, the people's greatest wish was for the weather to be good. Due to the drought last year, Shifeng County had another heavy snowfall at the end of the year.

The snow was auspicious for a good year, and the weather this year was very good. From the beginning of spring, it had been drizzling incessantly. The crops that had just been planted had sufficient rainwater and were growing well.

In the summer, there would also be occasional thunderstorms. The basic crops did not lack water. Therefore, the harvest this year was very good. Basically, there were more than 230 catties per acre. The common people could leave behind a lot of grain, so even if they had to pay taxes, everyone's face was full of joy.

Every household in Jian Village put all the grain that had to pay taxes into the grain drying field, and then agreed to ship it to the county.

This year, with Jian Qingqing's family's cattle, there was no need for manpower to pick them. However, the line to the county was still very large. Every household's children and women would follow them. Usually, it was rare for them to go to the county. After paying taxes, they had to start a new round of summer planting. There was even less time to go, so they all took the opportunity to go on the day of paying taxes.

Jian Qingqing's family often went to the county town because she set up a stall in the county town, so there was nothing new about going to the county town. The adults did not plan to go, and only the four children went to join in the fun.

When the taxes were paid, it was customary for each family to send another person to check. Since the adults did not go, she could only bring Xiao Lang with her.

Originally, Jian Qingqing did not want to bring Xiao Lang with her, but he was too energetic. Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye could not keep an eye on him, so had no choice but to be in charge of restraining him.

She did not know if there was a martial arts school in the county town, so she could send him there to exhaust his energy. Otherwise, leaving him at home would be torture. Xiao Hu was often beaten to tears by him. If he was not only three years old, he was still too young. Jian Qingqing even wanted to throw him into the school.

The line to pay taxes was very long, so it was not their village's turn yet. Jian Qingqing calculated the time and decided to go shopping before coming back. Otherwise, it would be uncomfortable to wait here.

She first went to buy two buns for Xiao Lang and said helplessly, "How can you eat so much? How long has it been since you ate breakfast?"

Xiao Lang ate one bun in two bites and said coquettishly, "I'm hungry."

Jian Qingqing felt that he was almost heavier than Xiao Ye. She was really worried that he would become a little fatty in the future, but he was really hungry. His stomach rumbled, and he had no choice but to eat it. Thinking of how skinny he looked when she first saw him, could it be that he was eating too much?

Seeing that his clothes were a little short, Jian Qingqing took him to the tailor to buy a few ready-made clothes.

Seeing that it was almost time, Jian Qingqing brought Xiao Lang along to the tax area.

After measuring the weight, she passed the household registration to the official. Seeing that he had stamped it, the taxes were paid.

The place to pay the taxes was in the field outside the county office. Jian Qingqing kept the household registration and went into the county office to ask if there was any land for sale.

The officer took her to the office of the registrar. Jian Qingqing asked Xiao Lang to wait outside the door and told him not to run around, so she went in to check out the lands for sale.

84 Buying Land

"My Lord, is there any land for sale near the Jian Family Village?" Jian Qingqing's smiling voice rang out.

The registrar glanced at her and lowered his head to flip through a big book. After a long while, he said, "There are 100 acres of good land and 200 acres of dry land. How much do you want?"

Jian Qingqing was slightly surprised. How could there be so much land for sale after the summer harvest? Usually, these large plots of land were held in the hands of the big landlord.

The registrar seemed to see through her thoughts and said, "This was left behind by the Huang family after they were exiled."

Jian Qingqing understood. No wonder, but it was exactly what she wanted. She smiled and said, "I want 20 acres of dry land and 10 mu of paddy fields."

The registrar nodded and took over her household registration for her to handle.

Jian Qingqing did not expect things to go so smoothly. In less than 25 minutes, it was done.

She smiled and went out, but she did not expect Xiao Lang to disappear. Her expression changed.

The officer waiting at the side hurriedly said, "Xiao Lang left with our county magistrate. He specially asked me to inform you."

It turned out that Xiao Lang had just sat on the ground and saw Ming Zhiyan from afar. His eyes lit up. He remembered that this was the brother who had a big horse, so he chased after him.

Ming Zhiyan was about to go to the training field to watch the officers and soldiers practice martial arts. When he saw Xiao Lang appear here, he was surprised. Xiao Lang explained that he had followed his sister to buy land. Ming Zhiyan had an officer wait there to inform Jian Qingqing, then, he brought Xiao Lang to the training field.

When Jian Qingqing followed the officer and arrived, she saw that Xiao Lang was in the half-squat stance. She was surprised by this.

Ming Zhiyan was patrolling the officers and soldiers practicing martial arts, he nodded at her when he saw her.

Jian Qingqing leaned against the big tree and watched the military training of this dynasty. It was not like modern times where there were all kinds of obstacles to train with. The military training here was people fighting with people, or like the Shaolin Kung Fu that she had seen before, where they held long sticks and practiced martial arts.

15 had passed, and Xiao Lang was still sitting in the horse stance obediently. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his calves were still trembling.

Jian Qingqing could not believe it at all. What did Ming Zhiyan do to make him so obedient? He was practically a child with ADHD at home. He followed the adults to the ground, and in a short while, he was covered in mud.

When no one was paying attention, he would take out a toad or a frog from some unknown hole. Once, he even caught a snake with his bare hands and showed it to Mother Jian as if it was a treasure. Mother Jian was scared out of her wits.

When he returned home, he was eager to fight with his brothers. His strength was so great that even the Xiao Hu could not beat him.

When he had completed the half-squat stance for 15 minutes, Ming Zhiyan let him get up.

Xiao Lang walked over to Jian Qingqing with trembling legs and leaned on her body.

Jian Qingqing took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat and asked gently, "How are you? Are you tired?"

Xiao Lang shook his head and said loudly, "I'm not tired!"

Jian Qingqing was speechless.

This kid's energy was bottomless.

She pushed him away from her body and said, "Then you can continue to perform the half-squat stance."

Xiao Lang cried out and hugged her tightly.

Jian Qingqing looked at Ming Zhiyan curiously and asked, "Sir, how did you get him to do the stance so obediently?"

Ming Zhiyan shook his head and said, "No, it's not because I asked him to do it, but because he loves to practice martial arts. He's a good seedling to practice martial arts."

Jian Qingqing looked at Xiao Lang in surprise and asked, "You like to practice martial arts?"

Xiao Lang nodded and said loudly, "Yes!"

85 Xiao Lang's Martial Arts

Jian Qingqing nodded. "Originally, I wanted to send you to practice martial arts, but I was afraid that you wouldn't want to go. Now, it seems that you don't have to worry."

Practicing martial arts was very tiring. The same movements had to be repeated thousands of times a day, and the horse stance or half-squat would take several hours. Not only was it tiring, but it was also very boring. Without perseverance, it was impossible to persist.

Xiao Lang shouted loudly, "I want to practice, I want to practice! Brother Ming, you said that as long as I complete the horse stance, you would teach me martial arts. So now that I have completed the horse stance, can I practice martial arts with you?"

Ming Zhiyan looked at his expectant eyes and nodded. "Every day, you have to come here."

Hearing the exact answer, Xiao Lang cheered, "Sister, did you hear that? I'm going to practice martial arts in the future!"

Jian Qingqing asked incredulously, "Sir, are you really going to teach him martial arts?"

She originally wanted to send him to the dojo, but the people in the dojo were definitely not as powerful as Ming Zhiyan. If he was willing to teach him, Xiao Lang would really be lucky.

Ming Zhiyan nodded. "He's very talented. The dojo in the county can't teach him anything, so they will just waste his talent."

Jian Qingqing happily said to Xiao Lang, "Xiao Lang, quickly thank Lord Ming."

Xiao Lang loudly thanked, "Thank you, Brother!"

When they returned home, the Jian Family members were all stunned when they heard Jian Qingqing say that not only did she buy land, but Xiao Lang had also learned martial arts from the County Magistrate.

They did not understand how they had only gone out for a day and had already accomplished two major things.

Jian Qingqing said, "Grandpa, should we hire people to farm the land? There seems to be quite a lot of land this year."

Old Man Jian shook his head and said, "Who can we hire? How much can there be in that little bit of land? The few of us can finish the work. Hiring people will also cost money."

Jian Qingqing nodded. "Alright, then I'll leave that cow to you guys. I'll go buy another one."

The cow did not need to be very good to haul goods. Any cow in the bull market was fine as long as it was not sick.

The next day, Jian Qingqing went to the bull market early in the morning. The manager who had been flattering Butler Huang earlier ran away with a guilty conscience when he saw her.

Jian Qingqing sneered in her heart. A villain was a villain. There was no need to stoop to their level.

This time, the one who served Jian Qingqing was still Manager Zhang. After hearing her request, he chose a cow of decent quality for her. Jian Qingqing pulled the cow and went home.

The Jian Family Village was already used to the arrogance of the Jian Qingqing family. They did not feel anything. However, what shocked them was that the Jian Rong family was going to build a house!

Who was Jian Rong? He was just an eight-year-old child. His father had passed away early. There was only his widowed mother and a sick grandmother in the family. It could be said that the conditions in the village were the most difficult. How could he afford a house just like that?

Everyone went to ask around and found out that it was Jian Rong who had earned it from doing business!

They also knew that Jian Rong had done business with Jian Qingqing. He bought stewed meat from her and then sold it elsewhere.

They had originally sneered at this. How much could he sell if he spent so much money buying stewed meat? How could he make money from this?

However, now, reality had slapped them in the face. Not only could they make money, but they could also make a lot of money!

For a moment, the villagers' hearts began to stir. More and more people came to Jian Qingqing to inquire about business.

After Jian Qingqing told them the conditions, the price of the stewed meat alone brushed off many people.

Although they had made a lot of money selling the Iron-skinned Dendrobium, the Dendrobium had already been sold out. The newly grown ones still needed a few more years to mature.

In the short term, they did not have any income. They were also frightened by natural and man-made disasters over the years, so they wanted to save their money. They did not dare to invest too much money.

Only a few wealthy families wanted to give it a try. The Village Chief's family was one of them.

86 Lemon Duck Claw

The stewed meat business had a very high saturation limit. Whether it was the initial 40 catties or the later 200 catties, as long as it was sold, it would be sold out. Therefore, even if there were more sellers, she would still make money.

Later on, there were a few more stores in the county that had signs that were exactly the same as Jian Qingqing's stewed meat sore. They started to surround her, selling the same kind of stewed meat.

For a moment, the people in the county were overjoyed. Jian Qingqing's stewed meat was originally delicious. They had to snatch the meat from her store. If they were too late, there would be no more. Now that there were a few more stores, there was no need to snatch it.

Everyone had grain after the summer harvest, so the price of grain had dropped. It was almost the same price as before. The price of meat had also dropped. Jian Qingqing had also lowered the price of stewed meat.

Everyone had money. The price of stewed meat had dropped, and more people came to buy it.

The taste of the dishes in this era was still very bland. In the families, there was generally no use of spices in cooking. All the flavors were the original flavor of the dishes. At most, they would add a little salt. It was very bland, that was why they never got tired of Jian Qingqing's thick-flavored stewed meat.

In summer, it was the season for fruits to ripen. Plums, peaches, and pears were all over the mountain. Jian Qingqing used them to make a pot of canned fruit. The taste was not bad. It was ice-cold and sweet. Children loved to eat it.

She took the canned food with her to set up a stall. It was unexpectedly popular. Many servants from large families would buy it back for their young misses and young masters to eat. They were afraid that she would not make it clean, and the fruit inside was not good fruit either, when the young masters and young ladies got sick from eating, there were still people who wanted to buy the recipe back so they could do it themselves.

Jian Qingqing did not hide it either. It was 20 taels per serving. These people had money, so they simply gave her the money and took the recipe back. She made a small amount of money from these.

In the past few months, she had earned quite a lot of money, but she did not spend much. There were more than 100 taels. In this era, it could be considered a huge amount of money.

If she did not spend the money, it would be dead money. There was no use in saving it, and it could not generate money. She still had to spend it. Therefore, Jian Qingqing bought a large courtyard in the county town. It was the kind with a shop in the front. After buying a house, she did not set up a stall. Instead, she sold it in her own shop. She named it the 'Jian's Food Shop' and hired people to look after the shop for her. She also hired people to cook the stewed meat in the backyard, so she did not have to work so hard to transport it from the village to the county town.

This was how the rich people operated. She no longer needed to be exposed to the wind and the sun. In the past few months, they had been traveling back and forth between the village and the county town under the bright sun. Even though they had taken great care to protect themselves from the sun, their faces became as black as stewed eggs, while the skin that was covered by the clothes was white and tender. Their skin tones were at two extremes.

In the autumn, the crops matured again, and a new round of harvesting began. The year after the harvest was considered to be a good one.

One day, a group of children came looking for Jian Qingqing with a pile of citron. Jian Qingqing looked at the ugly pile of citron, and only then did she remember what she had told the group of children previously. At that time, she had asked them to remember the location, she did not expect them to pick them for her.

Under their expectant gazes, Jian Qingqing gave each of them a handful of candy.

The citron was ugly, and the flesh was not very good. Jian Qingqing tasted it. It was very sour, but it also had the fragrance of lemon and orange. She used it to make lemon chicken feet and duck claws. It tasted very good, she added this dish to Jian's Food Shop.

The food shop also made stewed chicken roasted duck, so she would use the claws to make lemon claws.

87 Tomatoes

This autumn, what made Jian Qingqing most excited was that her crops had all matured!

Yams, sweet potatoes, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, corn, and so on could all be eaten!

As for the use of these crops, she had a very great dream, and that was to hope that they could be extended to all of Great Wei Kingdom, and even the whole world!

Just her family eating it was not enough. If she wanted other people to accept it, so she had to have convincing proof.

This unique candidate was Ming Zhiyan.

First, he was a member of the imperial court. If the imperial court said that it could be eaten by the people, they would definitely believe that it could be eaten.

Second, Ming Zhiyan was the person with the highest status that she knew. As a County Magistrate, if she wanted to spread it to the whole country, she had to first spread it in Shifeng County. Having the highest official in this place to advertise for her was the best.

She did as she was told. She first took the tomatoes to test the water.

Tomatoes were the most difficult to preserve. Moreover, they were vegetables from the current season. After giving Ming Zhiyan to eat, she could immediately put them on the shelves in her food shop. She could not sell the rest to him. She still had to keep them for planting. She would wait until next year's large-scale planting before giving them to him to eat.

Xiao Lang went to the county office every day to practice martial arts with Ming Zhiyan. His energy had all been vented here. He was not so naughty when he went home.

Jian Qingqing took the tomatoes when she went to the county office to pick him up. When Xiao lang saw that his sister was still not leaving after picking him up, he urged, "Sister, go home quickly. What are you doing here?"

Jian Qingqing patted his head and asked the officer beside her, "Officer, Big Brother, is the County Magistrate free?"

The officer was already very familiar with Jian Qingqing. He knew that her relationship with the County Magistrate was extraordinary. If she wanted to see the County Magistrate, he would meet her even if he was not free. So the officer said directly, "If you are free, do you want to see the Magistrate?"

Jian Qingqing nodded and followed the official to meet Ming Zhiyan.

Ming Zhiyan was writing an official document. Seeing her come in, he nodded lightly. "Miss Jian, what's the matter?"

"Lord Ming, I've brought you some food."

Jian Qingqing would always bring her new food inventions to Ming Zhiyan, so he was not surprised. He nodded and said, "Put it on the table first. I'll eat it after I'm done."

Jian Qingqing did not put it on the table like he wanted. Instead, she took out the tomatoes in the basket and showed them to Ming Zhiyan. "Sir, take a look."

Ming Zhiyan was surprised. "What is this?"

Ever since he became the County Magistrate, he often had to go to the countryside to persuade the farmers to plant fruit trees. Therefore, he knew all the plants that were often planted in Shifeng County, but he had never seen this red fruit.

Jian Qingqing smiled and said, "This is a tomato. It can be eaten as a vegetable or raw. I found it on a mountain before. Later, I planted it in my own house. This year, I planted a lot of it. It tastes pretty good. Sir, do you want to try it?"

Xiao Lang said excitedly, "This is super delicious! Brother Ming, you must eat it!"

Ming Zhiyan was very familiar with his foodie attribute. Even if he said that it was delicious, it might not be delicious. However, he still believed in Jian Qingqing. He nodded and said, "Then stay. I'll get the chef to cook it before eating it tonight."

"Okay! This tomato and egg are the best when fried together. If it's fried with eggs, it's called tomato fried egg."

Ming Zhiyan nodded seriously. "Okay, I'll remember it. I'll get the chef to cook it tonight."

Then, he asked casually, "Do you grow a lot of this at home?"

88 Sold Out

Jian Qingqing was waiting for him to ask this question! She suppressed her excitement and pretended to be melancholic. "Yes, a lot of them. It's two acres of land. I wanted to plant it and sell it, but I didn't expect that no one else had eaten it. They might not accept it. What if they can't sell it? Wouldn't it start to rot in the ground?"

Ming Zhiyan glanced at her and ignored her scheming. He said directly, "Send some to the county office tomorrow."

Jian Qingqing cheered, "Thank you, Lord Ming. You're a good person!"

She did not expect that her poor acting skills could fool Ming Zhiyan, to begin with. He was such a smart person, but she could not just ask whether she could sell the tomatoes directly to him.

In Jian Qingqing's heart, Ming Zhiyan was gentle, kind, and helpful. He was a good official who cared about the people. In short, all the beautiful words could be used to describe him.

Hearing the hidden meaning in her words, he definitely understood what she meant, and he would help her.

As expected, tomorrow she would be able to label the tomatoes as vegetables specially provided by the county office. Even the County Magistrate said that they were delicious. Are you sure you don't want to buy some?

As expected, when they heard that this dish was so amazing that even the County Magistrate felt that it was delicious, the tomatoes were quickly sold out.

Jian Qingqing gave them several tomato recipes and asked them to plant the seeds. Soon, they could eat them.

For a time, scrambled eggs with tomatoes were all over Shifeng County. Everyone was proud of having eaten this dish, so it was essential to entertain guests.

Jian Qingqing even set up a limited sale in the end. It was the best method to attract sales. People would always want what they can't get.

Thus, the reputation of the tomato became even greater.

Jian Qingqing took the opportunity to persuade people to plant the tomato. When it was red, they could eat it.

Seeing that the tomato was so popular, those who did not think much of it and only wanted to try it fresh all planted the tomato. When the time came, it would be very honorable to invite people to enjoy the tomato.

The tomato spread to the entire Shifeng County at a speed Jian Qingqing did not expect. It was only a matter of time before it spread to other places.

After solving the problem of the tomatoes, the most important thing now was to deal with the chilies.

She had brought a large bag of dried chilies to the kitchen with her. They had all been planted in the spring, and the germination rate was not bad. She picked about 50 catties of red chilies, and there were still many unripe chilies left.

The chilies were picked out of the seeds to be used as seeds. The rest had to be made into chili sauce, chili powder, dried chilies, and so on.

Autumn had arrived, and winter would be around the corner.

When it was cold, the family would gather together to eat a hot and spicy hotpot. The taste could not be any more wonderful.

However, although the chili was delicious, it was not that easy to process it.

Jian Qingqing had only chopped the chili for half a day, but she already felt that her hands were also hot and spicy. Her eyes kept on tearing up. Even after soaking her hands in cold water for half a day, it was still hot and painful.

Seeing this, Mother Jian said with heartache, "Big Sister, why don't you stop tormenting yourself? Can you eat that thing with such spiciness?"

Jian Qingqing grimaced at the spiciness, but she still said confidently, "Don't worry! If you eat it, you definitely won't be able to stop!"

Mother Jian thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you use the stone mortar to hit the chilis? If you stand further away, you won't be hurt by the spiciness."

Jian Qingqing's eyes lit up and she said in surprise, "Mother, you're really smart!"

Mother Jian was embarrassed by her straightforward words. She smiled shyly and said, "Do you want me to help you?"

Jian Qingqing waved her hand and said, "No need!"

89 Spicy Stewed Meat

After using the stone mortar, the speed was much faster, and it was not too harsh. Jian Qingqing spent a day to make the hot sauce and stored it in a large clay pot for fermentation.

There were many uses for hot chilis. Almost all dishes could be added with hot chilis. It was simply a blessing for the humid and cold areas in winter.

Jian Qingqing added the chilies into the stewed meat. They were divided into three types, mild, medium, and heavy. She only made five catties of each and gave them to the customers who came to buy stewed meat for free.

The stewed meat with chilies was cut into small pieces and placed in a wooden basin. It was placed in the most eye-catching position in the shop to ensure that every customer who entered the shop could see it. Jian Qingqing stood to the side to promote the sale.

The moment the shop opened, a group of people came in. When they saw Jian Qingqing, they were surprised for a moment. Then, they smiled and said, "Why is Lady Jian here? You haven't been here for a long time."

After Jian Qingqing opened the shop, she basically handed it over to the workers. She rarely came.

She smiled embarrassedly and said, "I've come up with a new product today. Do you all want to try it?"

The customers were delighted and said happily, "Of course we want to try it. Who doesn't know that Lady Jian's dishes are the best? What new product is it? Let's have a look."

Jian Qingqing made a 'please' gesture and showed the stewed meat beside her to the guests. She smiled and said, "Here, this is it!"

The guests looked at the three pots of stewed meat and said doubtfully, "Isn't this stewed meat?"

"Yes, Lady Jian, are you trying to deceive us?"

Jian Qingqing raised her eyebrows and said with a smile, "This is stewed meat, that's right. You'll know if it's a new dish after you try it. I suggest you try it from the first pot. "The first pot was slightly spicy.

A guest took the chopsticks, hesitantly picked up a piece of meat, and put it into her mouth. She chewed it a few times and said, "It seems to be a little different. It seems…"

The guest seemed to be thinking about what word to use to express it.

"There's a spicy taste? But it's not the spicy taste of ginger." She shook her head and said, "It's really strange."

Jian Qingqing smiled slightly and said, "Would you like to try the remaining two pots?"

This time, the customer did not hesitate to pick up the second pot of meat and eat it. She quickly said, "This one is a little spicier than the previous one."

Then, she picked up the third pot and put it into her mouth. She frowned and opened her mouth to let out a breath. She wanted to spit it out but was reluctant to. She quickly chewed twice and swallowed it. "Water! Give me water quickly!"

The other customers were shocked by her reaction and quickly asked, "What's going on? What kind of taste does this meat have?"

Jian Qingqing quickly handed over a glass of water. The guest drank the water in one go and finally felt better, she took a deep breath and said, "This is much spicier than the previous two pots. When I put it in my mouth, I felt like my tongue was on fire. However, after eating it, I actually feel great!"

At this point, the guest looked at Jian Qingqing and asked curiously, "Lady Jian, what did you put in this stewed meat? Why is it so spicy?"

Jian Qingqing explained with a smile, "This is a red fruit that I happened to get. I call it chili. It's extremely spicy when eaten raw, but when put into a dish as a seasoning, it's the best. When it's cold, it'll heat up your whole body."

The other customers had not tried it yet, so when they heard this, they asked suspiciously, "Is it really that magical?"

Jian Qingqing did not explain further, but only said, "Everyone, try it and you'll know if what I said is true."

The guests were no longer polite and started to taste the spicy stewed meat.

Jian Qingqing stood aside and observed their reactions. If someone could not stand it, she would pass the water over.

90 Suspected

The guests all tried it once. Among the 20 guests, 2 could not even stand the degree of mild spiciness. 3 could only accept mild spiciness, 15 could accept medium spiciness, and 5 could accept heavy spiciness.

Among the 5, two said that heavy spiciness was only average spiciness, and could also accept even more spiciness.

However, even the 2 who could not even accept mild spiciness felt that the spiciness was delicious and made people want to eat it again. Seeing that the two were still eager to try it, Jian Qingqing laughed.

She recorded their reactions and suggestions and planned to adjust the different degrees of spiciness and the amount of stewed meat with each degree of spiciness.

"Okay, if you like it, you are welcome to buy it tomorrow!"

The guests smiled and said, "Of course, of course!"

These guests were all regulars and they liked Jian Qingqing quite a lot. They felt that although this girl was young, she was polite and knew her limits. She spoke funny and treated them with great respect.

With chili, there were many types of stewed vegetables. Stewed duck head, duck heart, duck neck, duck feet, duck intestines, duck wings, chicken wings, and so on. They could be eaten as dishes or as snacks.

Jian's Food Shop was very famous in Shifeng County, and there was an endless stream of people coming and going every day. It would even be considered successful in modern times. It was not that there had not been rich people who wanted to set their sights on this food shop. After all, these foods were selling so well every day. However, they found out that behind this shop was the County Magistrate, and they had no choice but to give up. Ming Zhiyan was a good official in the eyes of the common people. However, in the eyes of those rich people who did not have good intentions, he was a complete devil.

At the end of October, all the corn, yams, sweet potatoes, and potatoes were collected and piled up in two rooms.

Jian Qingqing took some for Ming Zhiyan to eat. She wanted to get these things over with. After all, she wanted the whole village to plant these crops next year.

Ming Zhiyan looked at the things in the basket that he had never seen before and asked curiously, "What are these things?"

Jian Qingqing smiled like a flower and said, "These are high-yield crops. Each of them can produce more than 500 catties per acre."

Hearing this, Ming Zhiyan's face, which had been calm all these years, cracked a little. He asked in surprise, "What did you say?"

Jian Qingqing repeated the words.

Ming Zhiyan's face turned completely cold. His sharp eyes stared at Jian Qingqing deeply, as if a ferocious beast was locking its prey tightly.

Jian Qingqing was shocked. A cold light rose behind her back. She asked in a trembling voice, "What, what is it?"

She had never seen anyone with such an imposing manner. Their eyes were filled with murderous intent, as if they could swallow her up in the next second.

Ming Zhiyan had restrained his imposing manner, he asked with a gloomy expression, "Where did you get these things?"

Jian Qingqing finally realized why his expression had changed just now. It seemed that he suspected that there was something wrong with her identity. She had to answer this properly, or she would be accused of being a spy if she was not careful.

She pretended that she did not understand the meaning of his words. She said innocently and happily, "I dug up this yam when I was on the mountain. At that time, I was digging for mushrooms and accidentally dug up these two. You know, at that time, everyone was so hungry that they ate tree roots. How could they care about whether it was poisonous or not? Seeing that it was tender and wet, I boiled it and ate it. I didn't expect it to taste good. Later, I took it to grow and found that its yield was very high."

She had planted the yams in the mountains, so she was not afraid that people would check.

91 Explanation

Ming Zhiyan had his eyes lowered, and Jian Qingqing could not see his expression clearly. She was a little nervous.

"What about the other three?"

Ming Zhiyan's tone was indifferent, and she could not tell his emotions.

Jian Qingqing glanced at him and organized her words in her mind. She said carefully, "You might not believe it, but my great-grandfather bought those three from a missionary. My great-grandfather used to work as a helper at the dock, and those missionaries liked to eat these things. My great-grandfather bought some for my great-grandmother to try, but she felt that it was too expensive and couldn't bear to eat it. So, she kept it there. Then one day, she found that it sprouted, so my great-grandmother planted them. She didn't know how to plant them, so she just planted them on the back of the hill. After that, she forgot about them. I found them on the hill in spring and thought it was very strange. I hadn't seen them before, so I asked my grandfather, and he told me about it. Later, I moved them all down to grow them and even fertilized them. When they matured, I found that the yield was particularly high, so I continued to plant them on my own land."

Jian Qingqing did not know if he would believe her. This story was half true and half false. Her great-grandfather had indeed worked as a helper at the dock and had also bought something from a priest. It was just a gemstone ring, her great-grandmother felt that it was too valuable, so she didn ot tell anyone about it. Later on, the ring had been sold for money in times of difficulty.

The Great Wei Kingdom originally had yams, but they were all wild yams. They were very thin and very long, and were specially used for medicinal purposes. Her yams had long been improved and selected by modern times. They were big and long, and were specially used for eating. They did not have much medicinal value.

Corn, sweet potatoes, and potatoes were not available in the Great Wei kingdom or its surrounding countries. In the modern time, they came from the west, and in this time, it should only be available in western countries.

Even if she said that it was found on a mountain, it would arouse suspicion. Why would it only grow on the mountain of Jian Family Village, but no other places? Moreover, corn was too eye-catching. If there were, it would be very easy to be discovered.

So, she could only make up a story that was both true and false, and push everything to her great-grandfather.

She already had an explanation for the source of these crops. Her family knew that she grew them in the field. When a few strange plants appeared in the field, the villagers would certainly ask.

Jian Qingqing asked her family to tell the public that her great-grandfather had bought them from the preacher. The Jian Family did not know why they could not tell the truth. Were these not all things that their eldest sister had dug up from the mountains?

However, they still listened to Jian Qingqing's words. Now, everyone in the village knew that these crops came from the west.

After Jian Qingqing finished speaking, the air became quiet for a moment. Although her face was calm, her heart was unusually nervous.

Ming Zhiyan looked at her deeply. He did not believe a single word she said. It was too full of loopholes. If it was just one of them, it could still be said to be a coincidence. However, there were four in a row. If it was too much of a coincidence, then it was not a coincidence, he did not believe in such a lame excuse.

However, he had thoroughly investigated Jian Qingqing's background. Her ancestral home had always been in Shifeng County. The poverty of the past few years was not fake.

However, what was going on with these things? There was also the tomato from before. According to what he knew, the tomatoes in Shifeng County had only started to appear after she sold them. No one had seen it before. Those hunters who had been hunting in the mountains all year round also said that they had never seen this plant in the mountains.

However, there was one that looked similar to it. The fruit was very small, and when it matured, it would turn red. The seeds inside were also similar, but it had a kind of poison that would kill the birds if they ate it.

So, were these things really found in the mountains and bought from the missionaries, like she said? Or…

92 High-Yield Grain

Was someone instigating this?

That was not right.

The surrounding countries had never heard of any country that had such a high-yield crop. If there really was such a crop, the world would belong to that country. Why would they give it to the Great Wei Kingdom?

Even if it seemed impossible, Ming Zhiyan still chose to believe Jian Qingqing's reason. In the future, he had to be more careful. If someone was hiding under his nose, they would sooner or later reveal themselves.

He glanced at Jian Qingqing and asked, "How much have you planted in your house? Tell me everything."

Jian Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief in her heart. It seemed that he believed it. That's right. What could he do if he did not believe it? Only she knew the source of these things. Even if he investigated thoroughly, he would not be able to find anything. He would just do whatever he said.

She smiled at Ming Zhiyan, she took out the crops in the basket and introduced them, "Each grain of this is corn, when it is not threshed, it can produce about 1,000 catties per acre. This is a long yam. I only found out about this when I saw it on Brother Wei's medicine cabinet. It can be used as medicine and can be boiled and eaten. I am not sure about the yield. My family does not grow many, but a single yam weighs about 6-7 catties. I think the yield is not that bad."

"This red-skinned one is a sweet potato. Let me tell you, this is amazing. My family grows 1 mu and it actually weighs 3,000 jin! "Moreover, its leaves can be eaten as vegetables, and its branches can be broken off and inserted into the soil. It can also live! This yellow-skinned one is a potato. My family doesn't grow many, but like sweet potatoes, each one can bear a lot of fruit, so the yield should be about the same."

These things could be produced even more in modern times when all kinds of fertilizers were applied. However, there was no ammonia fertilizer or nitrogen fertilizer here, only farm manure. Therefore, these yields were the result of her doubling the current standard.

Ming Zhiyan had finished listening, and her heart was filled with shock. What was the concept of 1,000 catties? Now that they were planting rice and wheat, the yield was only 200 catties per acre, and it had to be under favorable weather conditions.

If everyone planted a crop of 1,000 catties or even 3,000 catties per acre, in two years, the people of Great Wei would not have to worry about food. The soldiers guarding the border would not have to fight on an empty stomach anymore. The military strength would double.

He could not calm down for a long time. Jian Qingqing stood quietly at the side, waiting for him to digest her words. She also knew how shocking her words were in this era.

Food was the most important thing to the people. Nowadays, many people could not eat their fill, the soldiers often could not fight because they did not have enough food. The Emperor of Great Wei was considered good. The taxes were not that serious, and the farmers could still eat half their fill. It was said that some countries had to pay 70% of the taxes.

All the men in the family had to go to the battlefield. The people complained, and there were often people who starved to death. If there was such a high yield of food, these situations would not have happened. Even countries with high yields could still rule the world.

Ming Zhiyan was suppressing the waves in her heart, she asked seriously, "Are you sure that what you said is true?"

Jian Qingqing raised three fingers and said sincerely, "I swear that everything I said is the truth. If you don't believe me, you can go to my house to see."

Ming Zhiyan looked at her deeply and said solemnly, "I'll leave the matter of expanding the high-yield crops in Shifeng County to you. When the time comes, I'll ask for credit for you in front of His Majesty."

Jian Qingqing was delighted. Receiving the Emperor's reward was secondary. The most important thing was that she wanted to do something for the people of this era. When she first came here, she saw that there were bony people everywhere, and the road was filled with starving refugees. Those people deeply shocked her, but the reward was not bad either. It was enough for her to brag about for the rest of her life.

She stood up straight and said solemnly, "I promise to complete the mission!"

93 Snow

Planting could only be done in spring, but potatoes were different. Potatoes could be planted in October, and then covered with a layer of straw. Next spring, they could be dug, and then two rounds of planting could be carried out.

There were not many potatoes at the moment. Jian Qingqing asked her family to plant all of them, and it was barely enough for one acre. Presumably, it would be enough for the villagers to plant next year.

The weather was getting colder. At the end of November, when Jian Qingqing woke up and opened the window, she saw that a thin layer of snow had fallen in the courtyard. The leaves and grass were all covered in snow. It was a vast expanse of white.

"It's snowing!" Jian Qingqing said in surprise.

She reached out and caught a snowflake. The snowflake that looked like willow catkins quickly melted in her warm palm, leaving behind a cold and moist patch.

Seeing this, Mother Jian shook her head helplessly and warned, "Big Sister, quickly go in and put on your clothes. Don't be playful anymore."

Jian Qingqing giggled when she heard this. She closed the window and ran back inside to put on her clothes.

On a snowy day, it was the best time to eat hotpot. She took out the mutton oil that she had refined a few days ago and prepared to boil the hotpot base material.

The hotpot base material was still more fragrant with butter, but in this era, it was forbidden to kill cows. Only those who were dying of old age could be killed. Therefore, beef was hard to find, so she could only settle for the second best choice, which was mutton oil.

The caked mutton oil was poured into the pot, and when it melted, all kinds of spices were poured in. The most important thing was chilies. Without chilies, hotpot would not be good

The moment the spices were poured into the hot oil, there was a sizzling sound. The hot oil rolled the spices, and the rich aroma instantly exploded and spread in all directions, entering the noses of the pedestrians in an overbearing manner.

The farmer who was in a hurry stopped and looked in the direction of Jian Qingqing's house. He muttered with longing and envy, "Qingqing, what delicious food is this?"

Jian Qingqing, who was stirring the spices, did not enjoy it as much. The spices were very pungent when she was stirring. She covered her nose with a handkerchief and sneezed while stirring.

When the cooking was completed, her clothes and hair were stained with the smell.

Jian Qingqing scooped out the spice residue inside and put the oil, which had already turned red, into a clay pot. She waited for it to cool and condense again.

The weather was cold, and Jian Qingqing was extremely reluctant to go out. Every time she saw her three younger brothers going to school despite the cold, she would show a gloating smile. Fortunately, she did not have to go.

However, the three younger brothers did not dislike school as much as she thought. Although Xiao Hu did not study very well, he knew that studying was not easy, so he did not want to waste every day that he could go to school. Xiao Ye loved to study, there was no reason for him to feel tired about things that he loved.

Xiao Lang had learned kung fu from Ming Zhiyan, and he seemed to be red hot all the time. He did not feel that it was difficult to get up in winter. Jian Qingqing loved to hug him for warmth during winter.

As Jian Qingqing did not go to the county town anymore, the three of them were brought there by Xiao Hu with the ox-cart. The ox-cart had been changed into a closed carriage, so it was not so cold to sit in it.

It was dark early in the winter, so when Xiao Hu and the others reached home, it was already completely dark. They could only see hazy shadows on the side of the road.

Xiao Hu sat outside driving the ox-cart. He could vaguely see a bright yellow light in front of him, so he shouted, "Sister!"

Jian Qingqing wrapped her body tightly. She held a lantern and waited for them at the entrance of the village. When she saw that they had returned, she shouted, "Hurry up! Let's go home and eat delicious food!"

Hearing this, Xiao Hu quickly ran over with the ox-cart and rushed home together with Jian Qingqing.

"The weather is so cold and dark early. Why don't you guys not rush back in the future? Just live in the county town. I'll get someone to take care of you guys. It's not safe to rush home like this."

94 Hotpot

The three of them shook their heads in unison. Xiao Ye said, "No, I'll miss Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt, and Sister."

Xiao Hu also refused. "Sister, I'll be more careful."

Xiao Lang was not afraid of anything. He waved his fist and shouted, "If there's a bad person, I'll beat him to the ground!"

Jian Qingqing hugged him and stroked his head. She smiled and asked, "What if you can't beat him?"

Xiao Lang felt that his sister looked down on him. He said angrily, "Impossible! I'm the best! Brother Ming said that my kung fu is very good! If I really can't beat him, I… I'll ask brother Ming to beat him!"

Jian Qingqing could not help but laugh. The person that Xiao Lang worshipped the most was Ming Zhiyan. Even she could not beat him. Previously, she had mentioned to Ming Zhiyan that Xiao Lang should take him as his teacher, but he refused. Even so, he was still the elder brother and teacher that Xiao Lang worshipped and respected the most.

"Alright, as long as you know what you're doing."

At the age of eight or nine, he was no longer a child in this era. He could be treated as half an adult.

Soon, they reached home. Jian Qingqing jumped off the ox-cart and stomped her feet, shaking off the cold air all over her body.

Xiao Lang sniffed and shouted, "Sis! What delicious food did you make? It smells so good!"

Jian Qingqing pushed the door open and said, "We're having hotpot today. Come in quickly."

Although the three brothers did not understand what hotpot was, the smell of it was definitely delicious. The three of them quickly ran in.

They saw two small stoves on the table. There was a pottery pot on the stove. One of the pots had spicy oil and the other had tomato bone soup.

The bottom of the pot was lit when Jian Qingqing went out. It was just in time. The red soup was bubbling in the pot and emitting a tempting fragrance.

Mother Jian and the others were washing the vegetables. Jian Qingqing had just finished washing when she came back. She placed all the vegetables on the table and asked, "Big Sister, is this how you eat hot pot while it's hot?"

Jian Qingqing sat down and nodded. "Yes, come and eat quickly. I guarantee that it's a taste that you've never tasted before!"

Hearing this, everyone also sat down. They picked up their favorite dishes and put them in.

The Jian Family loved spicy food, so they all preferred the spicy pot. After a while, the meat was cooked. Xiao Lang could not wait to put it into his mouth. He said while sucking on the meat, "It's so delicious!"

Mother Jian and the others also started eating. Old Man Jian nodded and said, "Although it's spicy, I don't feel so cold after eating it. It's fragrant!"

Mother Jian also nodded and agreed, "I didn't expect the spicy food to taste so good. I'm sweating after eating it for a few mouthfuls. It's pretty good to eat in the cold weather."

After praising them for a while, the dishes on the table were already half-eaten. Old Man Jian muttered, "Gluttons, you guys are eating so fast."

Even though he said so, his speed was not much slower. Everyone was focused on eating, and for a moment, only the sound of eating could be heard.

After eating almost everything, they began to slowly talk.

Jian Dalang asked, "Big Sister, are you going to sell this hotpot? It should be very easy to sell if it's so delicious."

Jian Qingqing nodded. "I'll sell it."

She had already asked the workers to divide the backyard of the county store into ten private rooms. When the time came, she would sell the hotpot at a higher price. She would limit the number of customers to only those who were rich.

However, she still needed time to prepare the base ingredients. There were still a few pieces of base ingredients left for today, Jian Qingqing said, "Xiao Hu, tomorrow, take a piece of base material to Brother Wei Wusheng. Xiao Lang, take one piece to your Brother Ming Zhiyan. Xiao Ye, bring it to the rest to the academy's teachers. Then teach them how to eat it."

The three brothers received the task and nodded. "Yes!"

95 Gift

The next day, Xiao Lang took a piece of hot pot seasoning wrapped in oil paper to the county office. When he saw Ming Zhiyan, he took it out as if he was presenting a treasure and said, "Brother Ming, this is the hot pot my sister gave you. It's really delicious!"

As he said this, he even sucked in his saliva.

Ming Zhiyan raised his eyebrows and asked in puzzlement, "Hot ot?"

Xiao Lang explained using both his hands and feet, "Just put a stove on the table and place the pot on the stove. The dishes will be cooked while eating. It's really delicious!"

Thinking of the taste of the hot pot last night, he looked at Ming Zhiyan with eager eyes. Xiao Lang repeated, "It's really delicious!"

Ming Zhiyan chuckled and took the hot pot ingredients and said, "Okay, we'll eat it for lunch."

Xiao Lang immediately cheered, "Alright! Thank you, Brother Ming! I'm going to practice martial arts!"

Ming Zhiyan patted his head and said, "Go."

Xiao Lang's talent in martial arts was not something Ming Zhiyan could spout nonsense about. Whenever he wanted to practice martial arts, he would be able to calm down very quickly. He would be completely immersed in it and nothing could disturb him, it was the complete opposite of his usual lively and playful personality.

As soon as he arrived at the training ground, he completely forgot about the hot pot. He started to punch with a tiger-like aura. His gaze was firm, and his kicks and punches were extremely powerful.

At noon, the gong sounded. It was time to eat. Xiao Lang immediately jumped up and rushed to Ming Zhiyan's residence.

Ming Zhiyan had already instructed the cook to prepare the things as Xiao Lang had instructed. The hot pot started to boil, and steam rose from it, emitting an alluring fragrance.

As the cook placed the dishes on the table, her gaze could not help but drift towards the bright red soup pot. It made people drool when they smelled it. In her heart, she kept muttering, "It's really a sin to let her do this job. I can only look but not eat…"

She did not know what this thing was made of and why it smelled so good.

Seeing Xiao Lang arrive, the cook said with a smile, "Young Master, quickly take a seat. Lord Ming will be back soon."

Xiao Lang sat upright in his seat, staring at the bubbling hot pot without blinking.

After waiting for a while, Ming Zhiyan's figure appeared at the door. He took off his wet cloak and washed his hands in the hot water.

Xiao Lang urged, "Brother Ming, Hurry up! I'm so hungry!"

Ming Zhiyan still washed his hands leisurely before sitting down. Looking at the bubbling red oil soup on the table, he hesitated for a moment. Although it was very fragrant, his taste was relatively light. He usually did not eat greasy or salty food.

Seeing that Xiao Lang's eyes were about to shine, he picked up a piece of vegetables and put it in to heat up. He said, "Let's eat."

Xiao Lang could not wait to pick up the cured pork and put it in. He had always loved meat.

When the pork was fully cooked, he put it into Ming Zhiyan's bowl and said, "Brother Ming, this is the best!"

Ming Zhiyan put the vegetables aside, picked up the pork, and took a bite. He could not help but let out a muffled cough.

It was very fragrant, but it was also quite aggresive. He ate two mouthfuls of rice to suppress the choking spicy taste.

On the other hand, Xiao Ye ate very happily. Although it was verys spicy, and beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead, he was overjoyed.

Ming Zhiyan ate a few more mouthfuls. It would be fine if he got used to it and would not feel like choking anymore, but it was still very spicy. He felt warm all over.

After eating, he felt that his entire body was already hot. He could not help but stand at the door and expose himself to the cool breeze.

He leaned against the door and twirled his fingers slightly. When he was thinking about something, he would always do this action.

96 Limited Space

When it was about time, he returned to the inner room and looked at Xiao Lang who was slumped in his seat. He asked, "What is the ingredient for this hotpot made from?"

This food could easily heat up the body. If it was given to the soldiers, they would not suffer so much in the winter. Many soldiers would freeze to death every year.

Xiao Lang shook his head and said, "I don't know. Sister made this."

Ming Zhiyan nodded and said, "Call your sister tomorrow…"

He felt that something was wrong and said, "Forget it. I'll visit again another day."

Jian Qingqing used a day to cook a large amount of hotpot ingredients. The next day, Jian's hotpot officially opened for sale.

The higher the value of the items, the less need for publicity. She only boiled the hotpot ingredients and placed them in the store. When people asked, she would introduce what hotpot was and would not let them buy it. She would wait for them to say that they wanted to eat it, and she would arrange a private room to invite them. The private room was also equipped with its own personal service staff.

There were many wealthy families who came to Jian Qingqing's store to buy food. Many of them were surprised by the private room.

The private room was not very big, but it was very stylish. There were potted plants made of green bamboo, and slender blue porcelain vases with plum blossoms on them. Calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls. Tables and chairs were not the usual tables and chairs of inns, instead, it was a hotpot table specially made by Jian Qingqing. Every part of it was very exquisite and had a very refined artistic conception. All the guests who entered fell in love with it.

It was a new way of eating that had never been seen before. The delicious dishes and excellent service made the first batch of customers who went in come out with good reviews. Those who did not go in were all tickled by curiosity. When they wanted to go in to eat, they were told by Jian Qingqing that there were no more shares for today.

A middle-aged man grumbled unhappily, "What the hell? How can there be a reason to push the customers out?"

Jian Qingqing explained with a smile, "Our customers don't know that the ingredients for our hotpot are extremely difficult to make. The ingredients needed are also hard to find. Therefore, we will limit it to 20 servings every day. First Come, first served."

Seeing Jian Qingqing's good attitude, the man suddenly felt a little embarrassed and whispered, "Alright then. Can I make a reservation for tomorrow?"

Jian Qing Qing nodded. "Yes, we can accept the reservation."

Instantly, those who wanted to eat but did not manage to grab it all rushed to make a reservation.

After word of mouth spread, Jian's Hotpot was already known by everyone. Some of the scholars who did not lack money heard of such a place and also tried to eat it. After coming out, they were overjoyed and wrote countless wonderful articles for the hotpot. After these articles were spread, Jian's Hotpot became famous. Everyone wanted to try it.

When Jian Qingqing saw this, she provided pen and paper in the box for the scholars to write poems or draw with. After they were done, they could choose to leave it behind or take it away. Many people chose to leave it behind and hang it in the box. Soon, there were many famous articles and paintings in these boxes. Many people booked the box just because they wanted to read the articles.

When Jian Qingqing heard about it, she allowed them to go and read it when the box was empty, this move won the praise of many scholars. The Jian's Hotpot was well-known, and even the name of the Jian's Hotpot could be heard in Cairo City.

Not only did the Young Masters like to gather here, many ladies also liked to date and play inside. Jian's Hotpot became the first choice for the upper class gatherings in Shifeng County, and every day's reservations were full.

97 Visitor

After Jian Qingqing finished her work at the hotpot restaurant, she stayed at home to write and draw. In her previous life, she was better at drawing with simple strokes and manga characters. When she practiced writing, she simply drew according to the font, so her handwriting was always round and smooth.

Xiao Ye criticized her for not having any backbone in her handwriting and insisted that she draw according to the handwriting of the calligraphy masters. Jian Qingqing was extremely helpless. As long as her handwriting could be understood by others, it was fine. She did not have to take an exam to do her homework, so why did she need to practice?

Practicing calligraphy required a lot of time and energy. It was a continuous process. If she could not settle down, she would not be able to practice calligraphy well.

She did not have that much energy, so every time she promised Xiao Ye, she would scribble with her own style while he was not looking.

On this day, Xiao Ye discovered that Jian Qingqing did not practice calligraphy well again. he shouted angrily, "Sister!"

Jian Qingqing smiled guiltily and admitted her mistake with a very positive attitude. "I was wrong."

Xiao Ye was already immune to her mistakes, he continued to talk about himself. "Sir said that practicing calligraphy can calm the mind and cultivate the body. Your calligraphy is like your character. When people don't know you and see that you are good at writing, they will have a good impression of you…"

He wanted to continue, but he heard the excited voice of Xiao Lang outside. "Sister! Brother Ming came to our house!"

Jian Qingqing was stunned and quickly went out to welcome him, "Lord Ming, why are you here?"

Ming Zhiyan nodded at her and said, "Miss Jian, sorry to bother you. I have something to ask you."

Jian Qingqing was puzzled. She did not seem to have done anything recently, but she still welcomed Ming Zhiyan into the house and handed him the hand warmer.

Ming Zhiyan took it and thanked her.

He lowered his head to look at the messy paper on the table and asked, "Did you write this, Miss Jian?"

Jian Qingqing nodded and quickly tidied up the things on the table. She said apologetically, "I was practicing my calligraphy just now and didn't have time to tidy it up."

Xiao Ye took the opportunity to complain, "Brother Ming, do you think sister's calligraphy has no backbone? I told her to practice her calligraphy and she didn't practice hard!" At the end of his sentence, there was a hint of grievance in his voice.

Ming Zhiyan looked at it carefully, he said gently, "That's not true. Everyone's handwriting is different. It's not like a famous writer who has backbone. Miss Jian's handwriting is gentle and square. It's her own characteristic. There's nothing bad about it."

Xiao Lang still said in a dilemma, "Sir, you said that one must have a sharp edge and backbone when writing. Just like a human being, one must have a noble and righteous spirit. One must not be soft-hearted."

Ming Zhiyan was patiently waiting for Xiao Lang to finish, then he said, "A thousand people have a thousand words. Xiao Ye, you have to have your own judgment. A person with a strong backbone will not lose his backbone because he can't write well. A person who can write well may not have a strong backbone. The kind of person your sister is will not change because of her words."

Xiao Ye nodded his head in acceptance and then apologized to Jian Qingqing, "I'm sorry, Sister. I shouldn't have criticized your words."

Jian Qingqing heaved a sigh of relief. She was very grateful to Ming Zhiyan. Although she felt that his evaluation was exaggerated, it was a good way to persuade Xiao Ye.

She looked gratefully at Ming Zhiyan and asked with a smile, "What is Lord Ming asking about? I will tell you everything I know."

Ming Zhiyan gently knocked on the table and said in a low voice, "May I ask, Miss Jian, what ingredients did you use to make that hotpot?"

Jian Qingqing was stunned. Why did he ask this?

Ming Zhiyan explained, "That hotpot is very spicy and can keep out the cold. I think it can be used in the army to better protect the soldiers from the cold."

98 Guest

Jian Qingqing finally understood. She was a little conflicted and did not know what to say. That chili was also an imported product. There was not any naturally-grown chili here. However, last time, she only told him that the corn was bought from the preacher, she had forgotten to mention that the chili was also from the preacher. Now that she said it was from the preacher, even she felt her credibility was flimsy.

Ming Zhiyan saw that she was unwilling to say anything. He smiled gently, "Is there any inconvenience for Miss Jian? I know it's very presumptuous to ask about the secret recipe, but if Miss Jian is willing, I can buy the recipe. No matter what Miss Jian's request is, I will do my best to fulfill it."

Jian Qingqing came back to her senses, she shook her head and smiled. "How could I not be willing? Lord Ming has helped us so much, and I'm not an ungrateful person. It's just that there's an extremely rare spice in making that base material. It's called chili, and it's… I bought it from a porter. According to him, he said that he got it from a sea merchant. He only gave me a little bit of it. After I planted that seed, I don't have much now."

Ming Zhiyan was speechless, and he thought, 'Do you think I believe you?'

"Then when do you think Miss Jian will be able to plant it in large quantities?"

Jian Qingqing saw that he did not pursue the matter and smiled gratefully, "Next spring, I will be able to plant it in the entire village. The year after that, I will be able to plant it in Shifeng County."

Ming Zhiyan nodded and said solemnly, "Alright, I will wait for Miss Jian's good news. If Miss Jian needs help, you can come and look for me."

Jian Qingqing smiled and said, "This is what I ought to do. The soldiers defend the borders of Great Wei and protect the country. If it weren't for them fighting on the battlefield, we would not be safe at home. I'm happy to do something for them."

Ming Zhiyan was surprised. He did not expect Jian Qingqing to say such a thing. He looked at the girl's smiling face and his heart softened.

Some people in the imperial court only laze around and do nothing, and were protected by the soldiers. They only sucked the blood of the imperial court like leeches.

In the throne room, the civil officials who only knew how to talk nonsense and had to quarrel every day to reduce the expenditure of the military. They were all scholars, but their thoughts were far inferior to that of an eight or nine-year-old girl.

In winter, Shifeng County was often wet and rainy. Old Man Jian and the others could not stay at home, so they went out to pass the time.

When they came back, they saw that Ming Zhiyan was at their house. They were stunned for a moment, then enthusiastically invited him to have lunch.

Ming Zhiyan could not refuse, so he stayed.

Ever since they ate hotpot, Old Man Jian and Jian Dalang wished they could eat hotpot for three meals a day. When distinguished guests came to their door, they naturally took out their best food.

The base material was ready. The Jian Family usually did the work together as a family. After boiling a pot of hot water, the family sat together, washing the vegetables, and cutting the vegetables.

Ming Zhiyan did not want to just sit around, so he went to help.

Jian Qingqing glanced at and smiled. She secretly gave him a piece of pork for him to cut. She had never seen what it was like for a person who was in the prime of his life to cut the meat.

Ming Zhiyan did not know what she was thinking. He just took the pork and used the kitchen knife to slice it.

Jian Qingqing looked at him in a daze. He was originally a handsome young man who could not be reached, but he lowered his head and cut the meat with a gentle look. His slender fingers did not match the rough kitchen knife at all. He was like a gentle sun that brightened up the kitchen,

She swallowed her saliva and silently moved her eyes away. She could not resist such a handsome young man. If she were a few years older, she might not be able to resist pouncing on him.

99 Chili Sauce

However, she lowered her head to look at her body. Nine years old! She was only nine years old! She had just celebrated her ninth birthday not long ago.

How was she supposed to pounce on him? She was a child!

Unfortunately, she was born at the wrong time.

Ming Zhiyan's pork slices were thin and good. The slices were even, as if they had been measured. Jian Qingqing praised, "Lord Ming, you cut it really well! I thought you didn't know how to cut it."

Hearing this, Ming Zhiyan's knife paused for a moment, but he did not say anything.

The Jian Family's meals had always been lively. They talked about everything, and there was never a rule of eating without saying anything.

However, Ming Zhiyan rarely had this kind of experience. In the past, in the Crown Prince's estate, he had always eaten alone. Even when he occasionally entered the palace, he mostly paid attention to the rules.

When Old Man Jian was in the mood to eat, he pulled Ming Zhiyan aside and bragged.

Jian Qingqing saw that he was listening attentively to Old Man Jian's speech, bragging that he was kind and gentle.

It was not that she had never seen a wealthy family before. There were occasionally young ladies from official families or servants from large clans who went to her shop to buy snacks. However, even though she was the boss, those people treated her with a distant and aloof attitude.

Even though Ming Zhiyan was a County Magistrate at such a young age and had an extraordinary status, he had always been gentle and polite to the people.

After finishing her lunch, Jian Qingqing took two clay pots and filled them with chili sauce. After more than a month of fermentation, the chili sauce had already developed a very pure and thick flavor.

She made two flavors, one pure chili and one with garlic. It was not that spicy.

She dug out a jar each and gave it to Ming Zhiyan.

"This is a sauce made from chili. One jar is pure chili and the other jar is filled with garlic. You can add it to the dish and stir-fry it. You can also use it to stir-fry rice. If you want to give it to the soldiers, this is the most convenient and easiest to preserve."

Ming Zhiyan took it steadily and thanked her solemnly, "I thank Lady Jian on behalf of the soldiers." After saying that, he bowed deeply.

Jian Qingqing was flattered and smiled, "Lord Ming, you don't have to do this. This is what I ought to do."

Ming Zhiyan still insisted, "No matter what, if Lady Jian needs help, I will not refuse."

After returning to the county office, Ming Zhiyan looked at the two pots of chili sauce on the table and thought for a while. He took out some paper and wrote a letter.

After he finished writing, Ming Zhiyan shouted, "Men!"

Wang Li pushed the door open and entered. He called out respectfully, "Master."

Ming Zhiyan handed the letter to him and said, "Go find two porcelain bottles to fill with the chili sauce. Send the letter to the Capital secretly."

Wang Li said solemnly, "Yes!"

The letter and the chili sauce finally arrived at the Capital after seven days. Eunuch Zhong, the chief steward of the palace, carefully walked into the palace. He lowered his head and said softly beside the Emperor, "Your Majesty, Crown Prince Ming has a secret letter and something delivered."

The Emperor was slightly surprised and said, "Bring the thing over."

Eunuch Zhong went out and took the thing from his little disciple, respectfully carrying it in.

The Emperor first took out the letter, opened it, and read it word by word. He did not know what he saw, but his originally indifferent expression suddenly became solemn.

He sat up slightly and quickly read the letter with trembling hands. As if he did not believe it, he opened his eyes wide and read it again.

Eunuch Zhong stood at the side and looked at the Emperor's changing expression. He lowered his head even lower. He did not know what Crown Prince Ming had written that could make change the Emperor's expression like this.

100 Reply Letter

After reading the letter, the Emperor could not calm down for a long time. It could be said that he was exceptionally shocked. He had experienced all kinds of storms, but after reading this letter, he could not suppress his trembling heart.

On the one hand, he suspected whether he had read the letter wrongly, and on the other hand, he doubted the authenticity of the letter, even if the person who wrote the letter was his most trusted nephew.

However, the handwriting and the unique marks in the letter were clearly written by Ming Zhiyan. Could it be that his nephew wrote it to coax him? He could not help but think so.

However, he denied it. It could not be. Ming Zhiyan was the most stable person he knew. With his cold and indifferent personality, how could he write such a letter to coax him?

When he thought of this, he could not help but feel ecstatic. He knew that in the letter, someone in Shifeng County had discovered four types of high-yielding grains! A yield of up to 1,000 catties per acre!

What did this mean? It meant that he, Great Wei, no longer had to fear the four neighboring countries that were eyeing him like a tiger! It meant that the people of Great Wei would no longer go hungry! It meant that the soldiers and soldiers in the army had the strength to fight! It also meant…

It meant that he, Great Wei, had the possibility of unifying the Central Plains!

When he thought of this possibility, his head was excited, his eyes were sore, and two lines of clear tears suddenly flowed down.

Eunuch Zhong shouted, "Your Majesty!"

As he said that, he immediately handed over a bright yellow handkerchief.

The Emperor waved his hand away and wiped his tears with his sleeve carelessly. He could not suppress his excitement and stood up with the letter, pacing around the study room.

Sweet potatoes, corn, potatoes, and yams. His mind was filled with these four crops that he had never seen before. He could not help but complain about Ming Zhiyan. Why did he not send some over for him to see for himself?

Oh, the letter also mentioned that there was a crop that could make one's body warm up after eating it. It seemed to be called chili…?

Yes! It was chili!

He suddenly turned his head and stared at the two small bottles on the desk with bright eyes. He quickly rushed over, opened the cork, and smelled it.

Eunuch Zhong was shocked, but it was already too late. He could only cry without tears and call out, "Your Majesty, please allow me to check the items first."

If anything happened to the Emperor, his head would be gone.

The Emperor waved his hand carelessly and handed the two bottles to him. "Go, get the imperial chef to cook lunch with this."

Eunuch Zhong hurriedly took them and respectfully left.

The Emperor calmed down slightly. He picked up a pen and wrote a reply letter.

In the letter, he wrote that he must not let the people of other countries about their expansion of the high-yield grain. He also asked him to deal with Song Yuancheng's group of pests as soon as possible so that he could take full control of Cairo City.

After he finished writing, he thought for a moment and said, "Men, call General Weiwu over."

He planned to send an army to Shifeng County to guard it and build it into an impregnable fortress. Before the high-yielding grain could be planted all over the country, he would not any spy get hold of such information.

…

It was almost the end of the year, and Shifeng County was bustling with activity. The streets were bustling with people, and the people buying and selling goods were all laughing and chatting.

In the sky above a certain street in the county, waves of fragrance wafted over.

Beside the street, there were many tables for people to eat at. The tables were filled with people, and there were many people waiting for their turn.

The people sitting at the tables were burying their heads in their food, not caring about anything else.

There were vendors constantly shouting, "Hot pot! Hot pot! Fragrant hot pot! If you pass by, don't miss it!"

It turned out that there were more than a dozen vendors making spicy hot pot here. They were all from the Jian Family Village.

After the chili sauce was fermented, Jian Qingqing tried to make the spicy hot pot. First, she passed some to Jian Rong and the Village Chief. They already sold stewed meat sell, and now they also sold spicy hot pot. The business was booming.