Chapter 210: Overseas Crops [Bonus Chapter]

Chapter 210: Overseas Crops "Bonus Update"

Official orders brook no delay. When it comes to official duties, Du Yunse strictly adheres to regulations, holding both himself and others to the same standard, never allowing personal feelings or thoughts to delay matters.

After settling his family in Tianjin, Zhu Jingcheng immediately headed south via waterways to several trading ports in Fuzhou to connect with foreign merchants and find potential partners.

The Yu Dynasty had long established ports in several districts of Fuzhou where foreign merchant ships could trade. It was said that in areas near these ports, one could see many foreigners dressed, looking, and behaving differently from the people of Yu. One could also taste exotic foods and purchase exotic unique goods.

Qiu Huanian, reading through the collected travelogues and official records, felt a strong desire to visit these places. Unfortunately, he was too tied up with work to make the trip.

Fortunately, it wouldn’t be long before Tianjin opened a larger, more regulated foreign trade port. When that happened, foreign merchants would gather, and Qiu Huanian could enjoy foreign cultures without traveling far.

On the surface, Zhu Jingcheng’s trip was about gaining a foothold in maritime trade for the Zhu family, building connections, and gathering intelligence in Fuzhou. In reality, he had an official mission: to acquire shipbuilding technology and nautical knowledge from foreign merchants.

Though he was away, his presence and influence were strongly felt. From the moment he left, he sent letters every two or three days, some addressed to Su Xinbai and others to Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian, along with various small gifts centered around these interests.

Since Qiu Huanian had expressed interest in overseas crops and crafts, most of Zhu Jingcheng’s gifts were related to these interests.

Over the past month, Qiu Huanian had received a wind-up mechanical pocket watch, a set of tall glass wine cups, a magnifying glass, and two slightly wilted tomatoes after their long journey.

To expedite his mission, Zhu Jingcheng flaunted his wealth in Fuzhou. Whenever foreign merchants presented goods that interested him, he refrained from haggling over prices, completing transactions immediately. As a result, he acquired many strange items, including the tomatoes that Qiu Huanian had longed for.

When the gifts arrived, everyone was gathered together. Chun Sheng eagerly volunteered to help unpack. From a box padded with cotton, he pulled out two spherical objects wrapped in paper and cloth. Carefully unwrapping them layer by layer, he revealed two unfamiliar red fruits.

“What are these? Some kind of foreign persimmon or eggplant?”

While the others looked on in confusion, Qiu Huanian’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t anticipated that his quest for new crops would gain such momentum even before the Tianjin port’s official opening.

Tomatoes! Tomatoes! Foreign persimmons!

These sweet and tangy vegetables could be paired with beef for a hearty stew or combined with eggs for a classic dish. They could also be eaten raw, sliced and sprinkled with sugar, as a refreshing treat.

The Yu Dynasty had never cultivated tomatoes before, and Qiu Huanian had always felt this was a great loss, especially when he had the chance to eat beef and missed the flavor of tomato-braised brisket.

It could be said that without tomatoes, the rich tapestry of Chinese cuisine was missing a piece. But now, with the arrival of these two “red fruits,” that missing piece was on the verge of being restored!

Qiu Huanian cleared his throat, not at all bothered by the tomatoes’ wilted state after their long journey. He picked them up gingerly.

“I’ve heard that in foreign lands, there’s a red vegetable that looks like an eggplant or persimmon, with a sweet and tangy taste. This must be it.”

Du Yunse glanced at Qiu Huanian, who smiled back and quickly blinked. “Ahem, as Chun Sheng said earlier, I think we should call them tomatoes.”

After naming the tomatoes, Qiu Huanian eagerly wrote back to Zhu Jingcheng, asking him to find a way to acquire seeds for this crop. Meanwhile, he instructed the kitchen to prepare the two tomatoes.

The tomatoes were too wilted to eat raw, so they had to be cooked. Beef was hard to come by, but eggs were plentiful.

Following Qiu Huanian’s instructions, the kitchen scooped out the soft seeds from the tomatoes and planted them in soil. The thick skin and flesh were chopped into small pieces, stir-fried in a pan to release their juices, then combined with half-cooked eggs. Salt and sugar were added for flavor, and a handful of chopped scallions finished the dish. Thus, the classic national dish “tomato scrambled eggs” was born.

A dish that achieves classic status may have a simple recipe, but its flavor is undeniable. After just a few bites, the small plate was nearly empty.

Chun Sheng smacked his lips, savoring the taste. “No wonder Brother Hua has been so eager to find crops from overseas. There’s such delicious food out there! I used to think Great Yu’s crops were the best, but now I see why we need to look beyond.”

Jiu Jiu poked his head. “I told you to read more. Take corn, for example—it was introduced from foreign lands a hundred years ago. Different lands grow different crops. If we can find ones that are tastier and more productive, the people of Yu won’t go hungry.”

Chun Sheng knew his sister was right. He made a face and went back to battling his plate of braised pork. His daily martial arts training and growing body meant his appetite was increasing, and he was almost as tall as Jiu Jiu now.

Jiu Jiu’s words resonated with Qiu Huanian. Chinese civilization had always been built on agriculture. Only with sufficient food could a strong nation be sustained. The prosperity of the Yu Dynasty was partly due to the high-yield crop, corn, introduced a century ago.

In addition, Qiu Huanian's desire to find more high-yield crops and superior seeds was also aimed at improving the lives of the lower-class citizens of the Yu Dynasty. Those who have always held high positions would never understand that sometimes an extra half bag of grain could save a family's life.

Although tomatoes are delicious, they can only be considered a delicacy. Qiu Huanian won’t be fully satisfied until he finds high-yield potatoes capable of feeding countless people.

This would likely have to wait until the Tianjin Port is established, allowing him to interact with enough foreign merchants, and the Yu Dynasty can dispatch its own overseas trading fleet. Only then would he have the conditions to search extensively for crops like potatoes.

Zhu Jingcheng’s letters to Du Yunse and Qiu Huanian were typically brief, clearly stating his observations and plans, and briefly introducing the origins of the gifts enclosed with the letters before concluding.

However, the letters sent to Su Xinbai went on and on, page after page, with new ones arriving every two or three days. Gifts were sent back and forth in large boxes, and it was unclear where he found so much to talk about.

Su Xinbai couldn't withstand Qiu Huanian's teasing, so every time he received a letter, he would quickly sneak off to read it in private before coming back.

Unable to tease the "big cat," Qiu Huanian playfully complained to "Little Du," accusing him of not writing love letters despite the fact that the two spent every day together.

In the end, Du Yunse dedicated an entire afternoon to accompany Qiu Huanian on a lakeside outing in the suburbs, enjoying a private world for the two of them. He even wrote a few poems, finally winning over his beloved.

As time moved toward the end of July, with the weather hinting at a cooling trend, Zhu Jingcheng finally completed his mission and prepared to return.

In his latest letter, he mentioned that he had brought back two foreign merchants who wished to meet the Qishu County Princess, known for her love of foreign goods—one from Portugal and the other from Malacca.