Qiao Mei took the big bowl of chestnuts and exchanged it for half a catty of rice.
At this time, staple grains were definitely more expensive than snacks. If Qiao Mei had not specially cooked the chestnuts and brought them over with the intoxicating smell, the other family would definitely not give her the rice.
It was because for mountain produce like chestnuts, every family could go out to pick them up when they were free. No family was lacking in this, so there was no market for it.
Qiao Qiang's family was tiny, and the old one was lame while the young one had been lazy. Otherwise, his family would have been able to fill up half their storeroom with mountain produce.
After finishing her work, Qiao Mei thought of the chicks, ducklings and goslings in the storeroom so she cooked half a bowl of chestnuts for them. Qiao Qiang's heart ached when he saw that and he watched them glumly from the side.
"When our bean sprouts are ready and we sell them, we'll get some bran to feed them," Qiao Mei said in a comforting tone.
Of course, she only said that to comfort her grandfather. If the meat of the fowl were to taste good, they naturally had to be fed more food that had been catalyzed by the jade pendant.
The next morning, Qiao Mei went to check on her bean sprouts once she woke up.
The bean sprouts had already grown long and the next step was to change the water quickly and put them in the basket.
Qiao Qiang also stood at the side and looked at the sprouts happily.
If the first step was so easy, the second step would definitely be easier. He suddenly started to look forward to it and decided he must get to work now and make more baskets in the yard.
After Qiao Mei finished her work, she shouldered her carrying pole into the mountain again and picked up some fruits and firewood.
Every year, Qiao Qiang was the one who went to pick up firewood. The original owner of the body was too lazy and did not do any chores at home. This year, Qiao Qiang's health had gotten worse so he did not pick up much firewood and now, there was not enough firewood in the kitchen.
However, Qiao Mei's main goal of going out was to make use of the opportunity to get rid of all the dirt on her body. But this time, she did not walk towards the hot spring as she had seen a few children heading there.
The news of the chestnuts from yesterday had spread throughout the village. Children who had nothing better to do all headed towards the hot spring area.
She did not take it to heart. This time, she would just walk around the back mountain.
This area of the mountain was not very high and there were only some small trees around. Everyone only came here to do things like chop wood and pick mushrooms. If they wanted other mountain produce, they had to go higher into the mountain.
At this time of the season, there were no fruits, but it did not matter to Qiao Mei. She could make fruits even without them.
Qiao Mei found a place with lush trees and pushed her way in as the tender leaves and new branches growing in the early spring provided coverage for her. She dug a hole and buried a few seeds inside.
This time, she planted chili.
After a few minutes, the chili turned from seeds to saplings, and then from saplings to mature chili plants. Very soon, there were many red chilies hanging from the branches.
Qiao Mei did not pluck them immediately. Instead, she tried to communicate with them. "Tell me, which one of you is the least spicy?"
She used to like spicy food and felt that everything was tasteless without chili, but when she ate too much chili, she would get diarrhea. Eating chili was always a dilemma to her.
Now here was a good thing. She wanted to develop a type of chili that was fragrant but not spicy. She would be well-fed and well-clothed by her own hands!
She liked the fragrance of the chili but not the spiciness. Every time, her stomach would hurt from the spiciness, making her very uncomfortable.
The red chilies on the branches quivered and there seemed to be voices coming from them. The sounds were faint, but she understood them.
After listening for a long time, Qiao Mei plucked a red chili and tasted it. It was still very spicy. She took out a seed from the chili and planted it again.
A few minutes later, red chilies filled the branches again.
"Tell me, which of you is the least spicy?"
After more than 10 times, Qiao Mei plucked the fruit again.
Every time the energy exchange ended, the chilies would naturally dry up on the branches and there would be the fragrance of chilies in the air.
Qiao Mei put the chili in her mouth and chewed it. It was crispy and filled her mouth with the fragrance of chili, but her mouth did not hurt at all.
"That's it!"
This was the type of chili that she wanted.
Qiao Mei immediately took all the chilies from the plant and retrieved half a catty of seeds from them.
These seeds would be used for planting in the field at home. This way, she could be open about these chilies in the future.
After harvesting these seeds, she planted another chili seed. She looked at the chilies hanging on the grown chili plant and asked, "Speak! Which one of you is the most spicy?"
After more than 10 rounds, she felt that the spiciness level was still insufficient and continued for another 30-odd rounds.
Finally, after 60 rounds of chilies, the spiciness had been doubled. This was the chili weapon she wanted.
Smelling it from afar would already make people choke and struggle for breath. Qiao Mei covered her mouth and crushed a chili with her hand. Her fingers immediately swelled up and it was so spicy that it hurt.
A cooling sensation then manifested from the jade pendant and spread to her fingers and the swelling immediately subsided.
"Hahahaha, that's great!" Qiao Mei happily plucked all of the dried up chilies and wrapped them with cloth before crushing them into powder.
"Is the spiciness of this chili too strong or what?" Qiao Mei said while sneezing.
Would one drop of chili water made from this chili powder make one go blind?
Forget it, forget it. She had already made it.
If she had to start all over again, she would have worked for nothing. Furthermore, there was not enough time anymore.
She looked up at the sun. It was already close to noon and she had to hurry down the mountain with the firewood. But when she got home and pushed open the door, she saw someone she had not expected to see.
"Why are you at my house again?" Qiao Mei snatched the hoe he was holding in his hand and asked with a frown.
Wang Yong looked at her and covered his nose in disgust, thinking that she was just like what the rumors said. Qiao Mei was smelly again.
"I saw that your family's land was still empty and it felt like such a pity, so I came to help you loosen the soil and grow something." He did not look at Qiao Mei and just continued talking.
"So you're also here to take advantage of us as well. You're not welcome here. Hurry up and leave!" Qiao Mei wanted to drive him away.
Wang Yong's brows instantly furrowed as he breathed heavily. He had never met such a person who was so misguided. There was nothing he could do if she was good-looking, but the fact was that she was so ugly and dark and fat, and yet she was still so arrogant.
She must be crazy!
It was all her grandfather's fault for spoiling her, she did not know her place and worth in life. Once she married into his family, he would definitely educate her properly and let her see her true self clearly.
"I don't have any other intention, I just want to help you loosen the soil and get some work done." Wang Yong did not leave. If he wanted to educate Qiao Mei, he had to marry her first.
Qiao Mei looked Wang Yong up and down, reading his thoughts.
"Don't be so fixated on my grandfather's salary. His salary is not even enough to feed me. No matter who I marry in the future, no one can think about eyeing this money," she said to him in a direct manner.
Wang Yong did not say a word, but the corners of his mouth curled into a cold smile. Only a woman who had yet to marry would be so naive. Once she married into his family, he would naturally teach her the meaning of being virtuous and filial.
Qiao Mei could tell that this was a stubborn person. She hated people who kept pestering her.
"Hurry up and get lost! If you don't get lost, I'll call for help!"
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