kingnovel Chapter 157: Red Eyes
Chapter 157: Red Eyes
Recently, the Binzhi Rugui Restaurant in the city launched several spicy dishes. Unlike the spicy edamame, these spicy dishes are truly individual dishes. Examples include boiled fish, pickled fish, and Sichuan-style chicken with chili sauce.
Among those dishes was a condiment called chili pepper. And those chili peppers came from Zhoucun. Most importantly, chili pepper cultivation is not yet on a large scale, so the quantity is not large.
This news thrilled those who loved spicy food. They sent servants to Zhoucun to buy some fresh chili peppers. The appearance of fresh chili peppers quickly became the hottest topic throughout Yongzhou Prefecture. People flocked to the new Zhoucun, including many discerning merchants.
That's why those families in Zhoucun who didn't choose to grow chili peppers are filled with regret. Naturally, some unscrupulous people have even come up with foolish ideas.
"Oh dear, who is it that deserves to die? My chili peppers have been ruined, it's truly despicable! Don't let me find out who did it, or I'll dig up your family's ancestral graves!" Early in the morning, someone in the village started shouting.
Soon after, more and more people joined the outcry. Including Li Xiaonuan's family, there were only sixteen households growing chili peppers. Therefore, those families gathered at Li's house, telling Li Xiaonuan about the dire situation in their chili fields.
Li Xiaonuan was extremely anxious. She had never expected things to turn out this way. At that moment, she couldn't even worry about her own open chili pepper field.
"Aunties, let me go with you to the field to take a look." We need to understand how badly the chili seedlings have been damaged before we can figure out a way to salvage the situation.
Before leaving, Li Xiaonuan quickly wrote a letter and handed it to Zhou Shuhua, who had come with his mother to join in the fun. She asked him to deliver it to Prince Jing at the Cangbaicao Medical Clinic.
With the addition of onlookers, the group made a noisy commotion as they headed towards the chili field, creating quite a spectacle. Li Xiaonuan was genuinely worried that those people, preoccupied with watching the excitement, might accidentally trample the crops.
Fortunately, farming families generally cherish their crops. Therefore, the thing Li Xiaonuan was worried about did not happen.
To facilitate the exchange of experiences and knowledge about growing chili peppers, those families all chose the same spot for their chili pepper fields. When Li Xiaonuan arrived at the fields, she discovered that the situation was far more serious than she had anticipated.
Except for Grandma Yu and Zhou Liufeng's land, which lacked fencing, the fences on the other households' land were scattered haphazardly on the ground. Every sprouting chili pepper or green chili pepper in the fields had been picked clean.
What pained Li Xiaonuan the most was that many chili seedlings were broken and trampled beyond recognition. The most severely affected were Zhou Liufeng's three mu of chili fields and Grandma Yu's two mu of soybean fields.
Grandma Yu was probably the one who suffered the most severe losses. Besides the chili peppers, a considerable amount of nearly ripe soybeans in her two mu (approximately 0.33 acres) soybean field were also harvested. Furthermore, because there wasn't enough space in the intercropped field, the chili seedlings and soybean stalks were damaged even more severely.
Standing outside the boundary, Li Xiaonuan observed carefully for a while, then said to the crowd, "Everyone, don't go into the field yet, so as not to destroy the traces of those bad people. Let's gather outside the village ancestral hall first and wait for the government officials to come and investigate."
Aunt Zhou and Aunt Huang then realized that Li Xiaonuan had sent Zhou Shuhua to deliver the letter in order to report it to the authorities.
"Xiao Nuan, isn't it a bit much to report this to the authorities?" Aunt Huang was being cautious.
Li Xiaonuan didn't take it seriously: "Auntie, some things can't be tolerated. Otherwise, there will be no way to stop it in the future. A while ago, the royal ships set sail, and I believe that Qisong will have more fresh seeds in the future. When that time comes, what we have worked so hard to grow will still be ruined by others, just like today. Will you regret your decision today then?"
Aunt Huang lowered her head and remained silent. Aunt Zhou patted her shoulder and said, "Aunt Huang, you're just too kind. Look at those ruined seedlings, don't you feel any resentment? Let's listen to Xiao Nuan on this matter. Otherwise, even if we save this chili field, we won't be able to protect it."
"Auntie, I was a little harsh with my words, please don't take it to heart. I was just so angry when I saw the state of the field. If those bastards aren't severely punished, they'll ruin whatever crops we plant in the future. What are we supposed to do then?" Li Xiaonuan also felt that her previous reply to Aunt Huang was a bit inappropriate, so she explained.
Aunt Huang said in a low voice, "Xiao Nuan, I know you're anxious, I don't blame you. I just feel that it's a bit much to go to court over such a small amount of damaged crops. I was too short-sighted and didn't think about the future. We'll listen to you on this matter. Just tell us what to do, and we'll do it."
Li Xiaonuan finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the chattering crowd before speaking again: "These chilies are actually quite interesting. Not only are they spicy when you eat them, but they also burn your hands when you pick them. Moreover, if the spiciness gets on your hands or skin, it will sting. And the pain will only get worse until the person can't stand it anymore and cuts off the skin, at which point it will slowly get better. So, those who steal these chilies won't have a good ending."
Li Xiaonuan's words caused a man mingling in the crowd to tremble slightly. He desperately hid his hand, which he had been shaking to relieve the burning pain, in his pocket. Images of the other two flashed through his mind. Even now, those two were still lying on the bed, their eyes red and swollen, wailing and weeping. A sense of fear crept into his heart.
"Xiao Nuan, how do you pick those chili peppers? If your skin gets burned by the spiciness, besides cutting off the skin, are there any other ways to remedy it?" The question came from one of the families who grow chili peppers.
The man stared nervously at Li Xiaonuan. The burning pain in his hands, tucked into his pockets, was amplified, almost unbearable. By now, he was drenched in sweat.
Li Xiaonuan said that just now to trick the person who planted the first chili pepper out. "I don't know about that, after all, this is the first time I've ever planted chili peppers. I've heard people say before that if the chili pepper poison gets into your eyes and isn't treated in time, you might go blind."
Aunt Zhou, Aunt Huang, and the others, who already knew how to deal with the ruthless person, all suppressed their laughter and lowered their heads. They thought Li Xiaonuan's method was good, better than having the government interrogate her.
The man hiding in the crowd could no longer stand. He wiped the sweat from his brow, seized the opportunity to slip out of the crowd, and ran quickly home.
After explaining the dangers of chili peppers, Li Xiaonuan went on to explain why eating chili peppers won't kill you: "Actually, once chili peppers are in your mouth and get mixed with saliva, they become non-toxic. So everyone can rest assured, eating chili peppers won't kill you. But there are still quite a few people who can't eat chili peppers."
P.S.: Sorry for the late update. Ugly Girl is currently receiving intravenous fluids due to acute gastroenteritis. Today's 10,000-word update will be postponed to Sunday. Thank you all so much for your continued support!