Chapter 338 - 338: Mountain Pepper
Ye Muyu suddenly understood. No wonder it was like this. It also made sense.
“Madam, I’ll bring the Young Miss and Young Master to pick peaches.” Madam Hu saw that the two children were getting impatient and hurriedly said.
Ye Muyu nodded and told Ziluo and Lil’ Jin to be careful. After all, if they fell under the peach tree, their butts would definitely hurt.
“Muyu, try this. This peach already fell. It’s crispy and sweet.”
Ye Muyu thanked and took the peach. The peach was well taken care of. It was about half the size of her palm. It was an ordinary peach. Its skin was a little black, but if she carefully wiped off the dust on it, she could see the pink areas.
It did not look very good, but Ye Muyu could smell the sweetness of the peach.
She put away the peach and did not eat it. She planned to go back and wash it before peeling it and eating it. At the same time, she also avoided the fur on the peach from getting on her body to prevent itchiness. Ye Muyu did not join in the peach picking.
She walked around the perimeter.
Her gaze focused on the pepper tree.
She reached out and picked up a pepper that was still green.
Perhaps it was because it was close to the peach trees and took advantage of the nearby land to fertilize, the pepper grew quite well.
“Fifth Aunt, is this a mountain pepper tree?” Ye Muyu asked in surprise.
Mountain peppers usually grew in the Shudi, and there were also some in Jiangnan, but they were not common.
“You mean this?” Madam Qian happened to be picking peaches on a peach tree next to her. She looked up and recognized it at a glance. “Oh, this. Not bad. It’s a mountain pepper tree.”
“Speaking of which, this mountain pepper is also a medicinal herb. A few years ago, Ah Xing met a traveling merchant in the county. He said that this thing can cure diseases. He also said that if this tree grows up, the branches will also be good wood.”
“You know, the old ladies of the rich families in the county all use crutches. The branches that are needed for this kind of object are not very thick. The branches of the mountain pepper tree are just right.”
“I heard that the wood used by the old ladies in the capital city is better, but the mountain pepper wood is still very popular in the county.”
“However, this mountain pepper tree usually grows in the Shudi. It’s rare here. It’s not suitable.”
“Ah Xing only thought of this after he bought it back. But this seedling cost him another dozen copper coins, and he refused to give it up. I didn’t expect it to really grow.” Madam Qian smiled as she spoke, clearly satisfied with her son’s actions.
At least there was no waste. In the countryside, as long as one was diligent, they would be liked.
Ye Muyu thought, ‘No wonder, but it’s not surprising that they can survive. After all, the climate in Shudi and Jiangnan is not too different. But the trees will definitely not be as good as in Shudi.’
“Other than that, how did you deal with this mountain pepper, Fifth Aunt?” Ye Muyu asked.
“I’m selling it as a medicinal herb. As for the wood, I can’t just chop it down after it grows up, right? However, there have been three or four trees growing nearby in the past few years. Look at the side, there’s a smaller one. This year is the second year, and the one next to it will only bear fruit next year,” Madam Qian said.
“Since it was bought from a traveling merchant, did the merchant say if it’s edible?” Ye Muyu asked.
“I think so, but I’ve tried it. It’s very numb in my mouth. It can’t be eaten at all.” Madam Qian sighed as she spoke. “As expected of a medicinal ingredient. It doesn’t taste good.”
“Fifth Aunt, you’re wrong this time. This mountain pepper is eaten as a seasoning in Shudi, just like chili. However, it’s a pity that we don’t even have a lot of it in the medicine shop..”