A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Chapter 458 Bringing Back Goodies

By midsummer, the tea garden land had been leveled and divided into ridges.

And the irrigation and base fertilizer were completed in two separate sessions.

Next, we just wait for the soil to slowly absorb and optimize the nutrients.

Once the temperature drops to a suitable level, then prepare for transplanting.

The new season's millet and several kinds of winter-stored vegetables are also growing well.

After finally finishing up this busy period, Aunt Zhang thought that Gu Xixi could finally take a breather.

During lunch, Gu Xixi said, "Tomorrow, Lü Jing and I are going to the border."

"This time I won't stay too long either, I'll be back in three to five days."

Aunt Zhang has long since gotten used to Gu Xixi's busy schedule.

Even though it pained her, she would only say, "I'll go prepare some water and dry food later."

"Just tell me if there's anything you two want to eat or drink."

Gu Xixi said, "We still have the pepper leaf pancakes we made this morning, so we can just take two with us."

"The journey won't take long, just one day and one night, so Auntie doesn't need to bother preparing any additional food."

Lü Jing also laughed and said, "That's right, it's so hot, you shouldn't stay around the stove for so long."

"Okay, okay, hurry up and eat." Aunt Zhang nodded impatiently, but she was actually quite happy inside.

She could feel it because her children were filial and cared for her.

The old doctor returned early this afternoon.

Along with him, besides Xiaohua, came Anqinghe, who hadn't returned for a long time.

An Qinghe has returned to the way he looked when Gu Xixi first met him.

His unkempt beard, which connected to his sideburns, covered most of his face.

Aunt Zhang was quite surprised. "This child! It's only been a short time since I last saw you, how did you get yourself into this state?"

An Qinghe looked travel-worn and slightly tired, but his blue eyes were still bright and full of enthusiasm and energy.

He greeted Aunt Zhang with a smile, then hurriedly called out:

"Xixi! Xixi! Come out quickly! Look what good things I brought you!"

At the same time, the old doctor explained to Aunt Zhang, "It's quite a coincidence, but when I came out of Zhangjia Village, I heard Xiao An calling me."

"It turned out that he happened to be riding by and saw me."

"That kid insisted on helping me onto the horse, and we rode back together."

Since the old doctor lost his sight, he couldn't remember how many years it had been since he last rode a horse.

Today, I experienced the long-lost feeling of speed in the darkness.

My heart is still beating a little fast!

Gu Xixi and Lü Jing came out of the house upon hearing the noise.

Gu Xixi looked at An Qinghe in surprise, "What's wrong with you...?"

An Qing strode over and handed a section of bamboo tube he was carrying to Gu Xixi.

He laughed mysteriously yet cheerfully, "You'll see when you open it!"

When Lü Jing first saw An Qinghe in this state, she almost didn't recognize him.

But upon hearing An Qinghe's familiar voice and seeing the old doctor's medicine box slung over his shoulder, one could see that he was a familiar face.

Only then did Lü Jing dare to be sure that the person in front of her was the only Hu friend she knew.

"Boss An! What's wrong with your beard...?"

An Qinghe smiled casually, "I recently spent more than a month in Sichuan with a merchant caravan."

"I spend all day in the mountains working on those saplings, and I'm so tired that I don't even want to shave."

"Besides, I'm surrounded by rough men from the caravan, so I don't have to see any outsiders."

"Then I won't need to spend time and effort on being beautiful and intelligent."

Hearing An Qinghe's idioms mixed up again, Gu Xixi's lips twitched, and she took the bamboo tube to look at it.

The bamboo tubes are made from moso bamboo produced in the south, and are as thick as a forearm.

There is a regular saw mark around the top.

It was clearly disassembled into containers for holding things, and a lid, with the seams sealed with white wax.

Gu Xixi looked up at An Qinghe, "Then should I open it?"

An Qing smiled expectantly, "Yes, yes! Open it quickly!"

Gu Xixi twisted the top of the bamboo tube, and after the wax seal came off, she pulled the lid out forcefully.

Lu Jing craned her neck to look inside, but didn't recognize what it contained.

Aunt Zhang, also curious, pulled the old doctor over.

Gu Xixi pinched one out with her fingers, held it up, and explained to everyone, "A lychee?"

Anqing exclaimed joyfully, "Xixi! I knew you'd recognize someone others didn't!"

Gu Xixi broke out in a cold sweat, wondering if An Qinghe was just naturally oblivious or had exceptional adaptability.

Didn't he find it strange that she, someone who grew up in the Northwest, knew about lychees?

However, it's always a good thing that no one is suspected.

Gu Xixi held the lychee in her hand and asked, "Did you bring this back from Sichuan?"

Lingnan is too far from the Northwest.

Even if the caravan obtained the highest-level travel permit from the imperial court, the fresh lychees would rot before reaching the Northwest, no matter how fast the horses ran.

Only lychees produced in northern Sichuan have a slight chance of being lychees.

Anqing nodded excitedly, "Yes, it's in Sichuan."

“I discovered these fruit trees that I had never seen before in the deep mountains.”

"I asked the local guide and found out that this is lychee. I tried it, and it was absolutely delicious!"

"It's a taste and texture we've never experienced before!"

The old doctor said, "I do know about lychees."

According to the pharmacopoeia, lychees are mostly grown in Lingnan. Their fruit is warm in nature and sweet in taste. It can nourish the spleen, liver and blood, quench thirst and improve complexion.

"It's a pity that Lingnan is so far away that I have never tasted it."

An Qinghe laughed and said, "We have it now!"

“I’ve heard other merchants talk about Lingnan specialties before, including this lychee.”

"I never expected to find it in the desolate mountains of Sichuan!"

Gu Xixi suddenly realized something.

She had read historical meteorological records and found that during certain periods in ancient times, the Shu region was much warmer than in later times.

Therefore, there are a large number of wild lychee trees.

Later, as the temperature gradually decreased, only a very small area of ​​Sichuan lychee remained.

Thus, it is evident that the history and geography in the book are very similar to the real world.

An Qing urged, "Hurry up and try some, one for each of you."

"This stuff spoils very easily, so you have to eat it as soon as you open the bamboo tube."

"I bought some ice from other caravans that were transporting fresh goods on the way, so the fruit didn't rot."

He paused, "But I can't be sure if the fruit is still okay inside. If it tastes sour, don't eat it."

Aside from the one reserved for Shi Tou, everyone took one, making it one for each person.

Because they had been left for too long, the red lychee shells had turned dark brown and dull.

Lü Jing pinched it, looking troubled, "It feels like tree bark, how am I supposed to eat it?"

Gu Xixi said, "Pry it open a little and peel off this outer layer."

As she demonstrated, she explained, "Then the white, translucent flesh inside is edible. The flesh contains the seed, which you can spit out."

Although the lychees weren't fresh, at least they hadn't gone bad.

Gu Xixi savored the sweet aroma of lychees, her heart filled with a myriad of emotions.

All I heard An Qinghe say was, "Isn't it delicious? Sweet, isn't it?"

They all nodded sincerely.

An Qinghe grinned, "Xixi, it's rare to find such delicious fruit, but it doesn't keep for long."

"I want to transplant them to the Northwest, you must have a way, right?"