Chapter 73 – Thoughts
Xia Lu Nong and Kong Zhi brought the peanuts home.
Before they even reached the door, Xia Lu Nong excitedly called out, “Brother, are you home? I’ve got something great to show you!”
Xia Huo Qu had just returned and was drinking water, one hand on his hip. Hearing this, he paused, “What good thing?”
Xia Lu Nong kicked the door open, grinning from ear to ear as he ran in, holding the basket’s straps, and said, “It’s something great, right here in the basket.”
Xia Huo Qu flexed his muscles, lifted the basket off Xia Lu Nong’s back, and set it on the ground. “Let’s take a look.”
He pulled away the peanut plants covering the basket and revealed the peanuts inside.
“Are the peanuts ready to harvest?” Xia Huo Qu casually picked up a peanut and lightly squeezed it. The shell was still soft, and water seeped out with the squeeze.
Xia Huo Qu examined the peanut closely. The whole shell was a tender white color, and after breaking it open, the peanut seeds inside were covered with a thin, reddish layer.
He popped a peanut seed into his mouth and, after tasting it, complimented, “Not bad, it’s tender and sweet.”
While Xia Lu Nong appreciated the praise, that wasn’t what he wanted to hear. “Brother, take a closer look at the basket.”
“What about the basket?” Xia Huo Qu looked down and soon noticed something unusual. “Why are there so many seeds in each peanut?”
“Right?” Xia Lu Nong said, “Nearly 80% of the peanuts in this batch have five seeds in each pod. Every plant is yielding two to three times more than regular peanuts. I only pulled up three plants, and I already have a whole heap of peanuts.”
Xia Huo Qu remarked, “This is a rare, abundant harvest. Did you use your powers? How many times?”
“Sometimes, but I lost track. Maybe around 24 or 25 times.”
As the brothers talked, Kong Zhi and Yan Xi Nian came in.
Catching bits of the conversation, Yan Xi Nian asked with great interest, “Peanuts? Let me see.”
Xia Huo Qu turned the basket toward him, gesturing for him to take a look.
Yan Xi Nian grabbed a handful of peanuts and inspected them. “They seem a bit smaller than regular peanuts?”
Regular peanuts have shorter but thicker shells, while Xia Lu Nong’s peanuts had longer, thinner shells, making them look smaller overall.
“They’re a little thinner, but not by much,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “Regular peanuts have a lot of empty space inside the shell, but these grow right up against the shell, so they’re much fuller.”
To demonstrate, he shook one of the peanuts, and sure enough, the seeds were so tightly packed that they didn’t rattle inside.
Yan Xi Nian smiled and complimented, “These are really impressive.”
Xia Lu Nong peeled one and popped the sweet, tender peanut into his mouth. “They might be smaller because I didn’t notice how many peanuts were growing, so I didn’t add enough fertilizer in time. If I had, they might’ve grown even bigger.”
Xia Huo Qu said, “This is already great. Next time, you’ll know better for next year.”
“Exactly! Next year, we’ll plant even more,” Xia Lu Nong replied. “I’m getting tired of the taste of pork fat. Next year, we’ll grow enough peanuts to make peanut oil all year long.”
“Well, let’s rent more fields next year.”
The fields in the base belong to the collective, and while they are allocated for personal cultivation, buying and selling is not allowed.
If they want to plant, they can only lease them.
Xia Lu Nong pondered for a moment, “Next year, we should at least plant three mu of land?”
“With just the two of us, if we get too busy, we can hire someone to help. It won’t be too exhausting.”
Yan Xi Nian smiled, “Winter hasn’t even arrived yet, so let’s leave next year’s plans for next year.”
Xia Lu Nong carried the peanuts into the kitchen and began scrubbing them carefully. After a couple of washes, all the mud was gone, revealing the tender, white peanuts underneath.
He placed the fresh peanuts in a basket to drain and then went to prepare the eel.
The eel was slippery, and the one Kong Zhi had caught was particularly large. Xia Lu Nong tried to grip it twice but failed, letting it slip away. Its tail flicked water onto his face, and as he dodged, the knife came dangerously close to cutting his hand.
Kong Zhi, standing behind, said, “Let me do it.”
Xia Lu Nong turned and smiled at him, stepping aside.
Kong Zhi took the knife, stood at the cutting board, and, with his long, sinewy hand, gripped the eel just below the head. A quick slap with the back of the knife stunned the eel.
Xia Lu Nong stepped back and sat on the low wooden stool near the stove, watching Kong Zhi work with precision.
Light streamed in through the wooden window.
With the light behind him, Xia Lu Nong watched, feeling that Kong Zhi’s movements were methodical and smooth. Even something as simple as cleaning an eel seemed to carry a sense of ease and leisure.
“Done,” Kong Zhi said softly.
Xia Lu Nong quickly stepped forward.
Kong Zhi placed the cleaned and chopped eel into a plate, then took the large cutting board to the sink. He ladled clean water over it, washing the board inch by inch, before handing it back to Xia Lu Nong to chop the scallions, garlic, and peppers.
They both worked quickly.
Xia Lu Nong marinated the eel briefly, heated oil in the pan, and started cooking the eel.
The eel was fried until golden brown, then he added the peppers and the fresh peanuts to braise together. Once the broth in the pot began to boil, he moved the entire eel stew to a clay stove to simmer slowly over charcoal.
He then started cooking a simple stir-fried pumpkin and some sautéed green beans. Breakfast with three dishes was ready.
Rice was served, and each person took a big bowl of rice.
Xia Lu Nong eagerly grabbed a large piece of eel.
The eel meat was fragrant, coated in a slightly sweet and spicy sauce. A gentle bite was enough to pull the meat off the bone, leaving just a small segment of bone behind.
For a moment, the spicy and savory flavors burst in his mouth. Xia Lu Nong, mouth burning from the spice, quickly took a couple of mouthfuls of rice, but the more he ate, the more he craved.
The eel was already delicious, but the tender peanuts in the stew were a highlight.
The peanut shells had absorbed the broth, and a bite into them released a burst of rich flavor.
After savoring it for a moment, he peeled open the shell to reveal the soft, plump peanut inside.
When making this dish, Xia Lu Nong had deliberately kept the peanut shells intact. The peanuts had absorbed the eel’s rich flavor and spicy broth, while still retaining their original taste. A bite was both fragrant and sweet.
Xia Lu Nong took a bite and glanced to the side.
His brother and the others looked quite satisfied.
After finishing a bite, Yan Xi Nian commented, “These peanuts are amazing! Xiao Nong’s cooking skills are excellent, and the quality of the peanuts is top-notch.”
Xia Lu Nong replied, “Well, these peanuts were grown using my special ability, so of course they’re going to taste great.”
As he spoke, he ate quickly, and soon his lips were swollen from the spice, giving him a slightly youthful, plump look.
His brother poured him some water, “Have some water.”
“Thanks, brother.” Xia Lu Nong took a deep breath and drank a large gulp of cool water. “Since we’ve harvested the peanuts, should we let the people at White Building know? Maybe Professor Yan can come and take a look.”
“Sure, let them decide the price and trade some for research purposes.”
Xia Lu Nong nodded, “And Professor Yan can tell us when it’s the best time to pull up the peanuts.”
His brother chuckled, “Planning to go out and have fun after the peanut harvest, huh?”
“Yep!”
That afternoon, Xia Lu Nong invited Yan Ming Qing to the field.
At first, Yan Ming Qing wasn’t convinced, but after hearing Xia Lu Nong’s description and seeing the peanuts he pulled out, he inspected them closely, full of astonishment.
He scribbled notes and sketches in the notebook he always carried, muttering to himself for quite some time.
Seeing that Yan Ming Qing was lost in thought, Xia Lu Nong left him alone and went back to pulling out the old bean plants.
There were still quite a few beans on the plants, and Xia Lu Nong plucked them all.
The tender beans could be snapped and stir-fried, while the overripe ones could be split open, and the beans used in cooking.
As for the ones that were neither too old nor too tender, he would trim off the ends, remove any worm holes, and clean them up for drying. They’d be kept for the winter when fresh vegetables were scarce.
Xia Lu Nong had planted a total of twenty bean plants, and using a hoe, he swiftly chopped them down.
The chopped bean plants could remain in their current location without needing to be relocated. They were left to dry in the garden bed and could later be bundled up and brought home for firewood.
“Xiao Nong—”
Just as Xia Lu Nong was focused on clearing the bean plants, Yan Ming Qing called out to him.
“Yes?” Xia Lu Nong, holding his hoe, asked, “Professor Yan, what is it?”
Yan Ming Qing asked, “Do you remember how many times you used your ability when growing these peanuts?”
His brother had asked the same question earlier that morning. Xia Lu Nong did a quick mental count, “About twenty-four or five times.”
“When you used it, did you pour your full strength into it or just a little bit at a time?”
Xia Lu Nong thought for a moment, “I think I went all out twice. The rest of the time, I just added a little as I went.”
Yan Ming Qing jotted down his response and then asked a series of additional questions.
After finishing, Yan Ming Qing asked, “Can I pull up three peanut plants to examine and take back as samples?”
Xia Lu Nong looked at his already limited peanut crop and hesitated, “Three plants?”
Yan Ming Qing said, “I won’t take your peanuts for free. How about I trade you some rice?”
“Deal,” Xia Lu Nong agreed but reminded, “However, Professor Yan, this research must be recorded under White Building’s projects. You’ll need to apply for funding from White Building, and the final results should also be submitted there.”
Xia Lu Nong had picked up a sense of caution from being around his brother.
Yan Ming Qing chuckled, “I’ll apply for it as soon as I return.”
“Go ahead and pull them out then. For these three plants, one plant of peanuts in exchange for five pounds of rice. Just send me 15 pounds of rice later.”
Yan Ming Qing agreed and walked around the two plots of peanuts several times before choosing one at the edge.
At first, he tried to pull it out with one hand, but it wouldn’t budge.
Surprised, Yan Ming Qing tried again, using more force, but even with his face turning red, he still couldn’t pull it out.
Seeing his struggle, Xia Lu Nong quickly said, “These peanut roots are particularly strong. You’ll need both hands, Professor Yan. Let me help you.”
“No need.”
Yan Ming Qing put down his notebook and, holding his breath, used both hands to pull. After much effort, he finally managed to uproot the peanut plant, nearly stumbling backward in the process.
“Wow,” Yan Ming Qing panted, “There are a lot of peanuts down there.”
“There are indeed quite a few.” Xia Lu Nong walked over and asked, “Which other two plants do you want, Professor? I’ll help you pull them out.”
This time, Yan Ming Qing didn’t refuse. Holding his back, he pointed, “That one, and that one. Thanks, Xiao Nong.”
Xia Lu Nong went over and, with both hands, easily pulled up the two peanut plants, shaking off the dirt before handing them to Yan Ming Qing.
Taking the plants, Yan Ming Qing asked, “Xiao Nong, could you use your ability again? I have an idea.”
“Huh?” Xia Lu Nong was puzzled. “What idea? Is it related to the peanuts?”
“It’s about how you use your ability.”
Thanks for the chapter!