Chapter 535: 535. Mosquito repellent effect_1 Chapter 535: 535. Mosquito repellent effect_1 The three students were also astonished.
Although they had often snacked on watermelon, they had never actually eaten watermelon rind. Under the excitement of novelty, everyone immediately extended their chopsticks to try it.
The rind was tinged with green on one side, gradually fading to white as it went up. Coated in a glossy layer of spicy chili oil and a touch of seasoning, the fresh scent of watermelon mixed with the numbing spiciness, salivation was instantaneous even before tasting it.
And when they finally took a bite, the sensation of spicy, fragrant, sweet and crunchy freshness burst forth in their mouths, causing them to break out in a sweat from the heat!
“Hiss ha hiss ha!” Yan Ran gulped down a mouthful of water.
“So spicy, so spicy!”
Before Wu Lan could suggest that if she couldn’t handle spicy food she should eat less, she had already slurped up and reached for another chopstickful of the cold spicy watermelon rind:
“Even though it’s very spicy, it’s really, really delicious!”
On this side, Professor Song was also amazed by the flavor.
The excitement of the chili and the crispness of the watermelon rind… He immediately had some regrets, “If I had known, I should have tasted the watermelon this afternoon. Does intercropping have such positive effects?”
“No worries!” Wu Lan waved her hand nonchalantly, “For these watermelon rinds, we specifically cut open two watermelons.” One was eaten in the afternoon, the other had its flesh cut out and put in the fridge. “It’ll be just perfect to eat after a walk following dinner!”
They were lucky their watermelons were large; the variety grown for easier transportation had thicker rinds, otherwise, they couldn’t have filled such a large bowl!
With one bite of watermelon rind, everyone was conquered. All attention was on that bowl, and the other three dishes were neglected, right?
Wu Lan got anxious: “Don’t just eat the watermelon rind! It’s just a small appetizer… Try the sour string beans fried with ground meat, it’s especially good with rice. Apart from Tantan, our family could just eat three big bowls of rice with it!”
Of course, they could eat three big bowls of just the plain rice too.
Boy oh boy, once she said that, everyone immediately began scooping from the bowl!
Then they wolfed down the mouthwateringly fragrant rice–
At that moment, Yan Ran just wanted to stand up and roar twice in delight: How could there be such delicious food in this world?!!!
What exactly had they been doing in agriculture all these years? Why didn’t they have such varieties? It was enough to make them cry!
And then there were the sour string beans, tasting just right in a way that couldn’t be described, making their mouths water more and more, prompting them to dig in for another few big mouthfuls of rice.
On this side, Wu Lan was still displaying her enthusiasm:
“It’s hot, and I was afraid you’d find meat dishes too greasy, so we went a bit vegetarian for dinner… Try the stir-fried eggs with chili, we grow this type of thick green chili, it’s not very spicy, great for making tiger-skin peppers and stir-fried chilis, and it’s also good with rice.”
This time, without needing further persuasion, everyone quickly started stuffing their bowls and wolfing down the rice just as voraciously.
Even Professor Song, with his stature, could normally handle a solid one to two bowls of rice at a meal without a problem, provided they were small bowls. But how long had it been now?
Half a bowl of rice had already been shoveled into his stomach!
All previous restraint and slow, deliberate eating were gone.
In any case… he thought to himself, keeping it a secret: This meal was like having nothing to do with nurturing health; might as well throw caution to the wind now.
So, he reached out for some more stir-fried shredded pumpkin.
In Peach Garden, he had seen those tender pumpkins, each only about ten to twenty centimeters, glossy and green. Now they’re stir-fried, yellow with hints of green, absolutely no unnecessary ingredients added, yet one could still sense an extraordinary flavor.
At that moment, seeing everyone at the table eating ravenously, he suddenly understood why dining here seemed so efficient.
After all, with such meals, who would want to chat?
There’s always time for chatting, so why insist on doing it during a meal? Speaking while eating damages the spleen and stomach, we must respect the wisdom of our ancestors!
After a meal devoured ravenously, the aftermath was akin to the wake of a typhoon, with the 4 vegetable dishes picked clean, leaving everyone with their bellies round and protruding with practiced ease.
Professor Song gazed longingly at the pot of loofah and egg drop soup in front of him, sighing as he said, “I can’t eat any more, I really can’t…”
Yet he couldn’t resist standing up to ladle himself a small bowl, “I’ll just have a taste…”
The tender loofah and overly fragrant eggs, the unique chewy texture when bitten, along with the lightly salted broth…
After one bowl, he couldn’t eat another bite.
But then… Drinking a little more soup to fill the gaps in his stomach… That shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Exchanging glances, everyone else scooped themselves another small bowl as well.
By contrast, the family members who ate these dishes every day seemed much more reserved in comparison.
After the meal, Aunt Lianhua energetically began cleaning up the dishes, while Tai Xiaodong looked hopefully at Wu Lan, “Auntie, will our daily meals be from now on?”
“How could that be?” Wu Lan laughed, and before the disappointment could settle on everyone’s faces, she quickly added, “Tonight’s menu was simple, a bit too plain. Later, we’ll stew some meat for you… though I doubt the market-bought meat will taste as good as these vegetables…”
Even the usually composed Qi Lin was frantically waving his hands:
“Tonight’s meal was especially good! Very good! Auntie, don’t treat us like outsiders, whatever is cooked at home, we’ll happily eat!”
“Okay.” Wu Lan was smiling copiously as she watched the young men and women helping to clean up the dishes while trying to stop them, “No need for you to help…”
Yet she couldn’t help but laugh again, “Eating with our family, it will always be simple dishes like these from now on.”
“It’s not simple!” Yan Ran, who was so full she was almost hiccuping, stood with her belly pushed out and her chin slightly lifted.
In her mind, if this was simple, what had she been eating before? Pig slop?
Who would understand!
She no longer wanted to pursue her master’s degree; all she wanted was to stay here and help with the farming! Nevermind her being a girl; she had also developed quite a strength, and she handled a hoe exceedingly well…
Eating too much, the brain becomes sluggish once the stomach starts digesting, throwing all previous plans into disarray.
After all, with their stomachs this full, no one could possibly settle down for a calm discussion!
They could only wander around the yard with fans in hand, aiding digestion while engaging in idle chatter.
“Eh, why aren’t there any mosquitoes?”
Tai Xiaodong expressed his surprise.
He was a magnet for mosquitoes; usually, if three people walked together, he would end up with the most bites.
But now, wandering around for a while–not to mention now, even earlier on the mountain he didn’t encounter any mosquitoes, and he thought it was because his sun-protective clothing was thick enough.
But it’s evening now, and he’s only wearing a short-sleeved shirt, yet he hasn’t heard a single mosquito buzzing?
Song Tan thought to herself, I’ve been working hard on my cultivation, if I still have to endure mosquitoes, then what’s the point of all the fuss?
But that’s not how she could express it.
She pointed towards a row of dried mugwort at the foot of the wall, “I collected the mugwort that was growing on the edge of the fields earlier. It’s really good for repelling mosquitoes.”