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As Xun Yu accepted his task and left to prepare for the next day's lecture, Zao Zhi was eagerly waiting for Fei Qian to tell him the name and uses of the green plant in his hand. Fei Qian had just remembered something when Zao Zhi handed him a cup of water. This green plant, which someone had once introduced to him during a visit to a rural farmhouse, was called "Yu Leek." The "Yu" in the name referred to Yu the Great, the legendary ruler who tamed the floods.
According to legend, after Yu the Great successfully controlled the floods, the land yielded bountiful harvests, and the people had more grain than they could consume. Yu ordered the surplus grain to be thrown into the river, and from it grew this plant, which people called "Yu Leek."
Zao Zhi let out an intrigued "Oh" and said, "If it's called 'leek,' then it must be edible, right?"
Fei Qian nodded and replied, "Not only are its roots edible, but it can also be used as medicine. It has properties that nourish yin, relieve coughs, and calm the mind..."
Zao Zhi's eyes lit up, and he could hardly wait to cut off the plant's roots and taste them.
Fei Qian, recalling a dish he had once eaten at the farmhouse made with this plant, couldn't help but salivate. He squinted as he reminisced and said, "If you take the roots of this plant, clean a young chicken, and simmer it over low heat with just a pinch of salt, the resulting soup will be clear, sweet, and delicious. It not only removes the greasiness of the chicken but also nourishes yin, moistens the lungs, and calms the mind. It's truly a divine delicacy..."
Before he could finish, Fei Qian heard Zao Zhi's stomach growling loudly beside him...
Zao Zhi, somewhat embarrassed, said, "Brother, your description is so vivid that it's made my stomach growl..."
Is it my fault? I haven't even mentioned other delicious dishes yet...
It's a pity that in the Eastern Han Dynasty, many of these delicacies are no longer available...
Fei Qian sighed with a hint of melancholy.
Zao Zhi, thinking his earlier comment had upset Fei Qian, quickly apologized.
Fei Qian shook his head and said, "It's not your fault, brother. I was just sighing because I remembered many delicious foods that I can no longer enjoy."
"What kind of delicacies? Please tell me, brother, so I can learn more," Zao Zhi said, his interest clearly piqued.
Alright, since you're so eager, I'll indulge you—Fei Qian thought to himself. Since they had nothing better to do, talking about food might help stimulate their appetites for the upcoming meal. So, he began to explain:
"Take chicken, for example. It can be prepared in so many ways—fried, stir-fried, boiled, deep-fried, stewed, braised, roasted..." Fei Qian, a self-proclaimed foodie in his past life, began listing off cooking methods, counting them on his fingers.
"Wait, wait! Let me get some paper and brush," Zao Zhi said, scrambling to find writing materials. He spread the paper out and looked at Fei Qian with shining eyes. "Please, brother, continue."
"For instance, the simplest way to fry chicken is to debone it..." Fei Qian didn't mind Zao Zhi taking notes. After all, given the limitations of the Han Dynasty, many of these dishes were just theoretical. Even if Zao Zhi wrote them all down, it would be hard to recreate them.
As Fei Qian vividly described the dishes, Zao Zhi scribbled furiously, nodding and murmuring in agreement. He was utterly impressed by Fei Qian's vast knowledge of culinary arts. This man knew so much about food—he was truly a gourmet! Zao Zhi had thought he was quite knowledgeable about food, but compared to Fei Qian, he felt like an amateur.
After rambling on for a while, Fei Qian swallowed his saliva and sighed, "It's a shame that so many of these dishes can't be made now..."
Zao Zhi asked earnestly, "Why can't they be made?"
Fei Qian shook his head and didn't answer directly. Instead, he said, "On our way here, I asked an old farmer about crop yields. He said that the best fields produce about four dan of coarse millet, while the worst yield less than one dan. And how much arable land is there in the world today? With the current chaos, many people still lack food and clothing. Even if we could make these dishes, only a few of us would get to enjoy them. How could the common people afford such luxuries?"
In Fei Qian's previous life, even ordinary working-class people could afford to eat meat occasionally, which was why fast-food chains like KFC and McDonald's thrived. But in the Eastern Han Dynasty, most common people couldn't even afford to fully hull their millet, as doing so would reduce its weight. Most ate it with the husks still on...
In such conditions, what was the point of recreating dishes from the future? It would only serve to satisfy the appetites of the wealthy and powerful.
Grain was the most fundamental resource. Only with an abundance of grain could the culinary innovations of the future be realized. Otherwise, when people were so hungry they resorted to eating tree bark, who would care about new cooking methods?
When Fei Qian explained this, Zao Zhi fell silent. He realized that for agriculture in their time, the priority wasn't innovation but increasing yields.
Fei Qian thought to himself, 'Should I tell him that many of the techniques and ingredients needed for these dishes don't exist yet?' But instead, he decided to play the part of the wise mentor. After all, wasn't it better to inspire Zao Zhi with grand ideals?
Zao Zhi, holding the sheet of paper filled with notes, was torn. Throwing it away seemed like a waste, but keeping it made him feel shallow compared to Fei Qian's lofty concerns.
Fei Qian chuckled inwardly. 'Ah, the innocence of youth...'
Back in his previous life, hadn't every new employee fallen for the tricks of the seasoned veterans? Those old hands would passionately preach about loyalty to the company, inspiring newcomers to work tirelessly, often without proper compensation. But in the end, the veterans were all talk, while the newcomers bore the brunt of the work.
Seeing Zao Zhi's earnestness reminded Fei Qian of those fresh-faced new hires.
Fei Qian decided to comfort Zao Zhi with a well-practiced line: "Brother, don't be too hard on yourself. I can see that you're passionate about agriculture. I'm sure you'll achieve great things in the future! When that time comes, I'll come and bask in your glory!"
Zao Zhi nodded solemnly and said, "Thank you for your encouragement, brother!" Filled with newfound determination, he felt that Fei Qian's words had inspired him to achieve something significant in agriculture.
Seeing Zao Zhi's serious expression, Fei Qian felt a twinge of guilt for teasing him. Just then, a servant from the Xun family came to announce that dinner was ready. As they walked out to join the communal meal, Fei Qian casually mentioned, "After the Xun family's lecture, I plan to travel to Jingxiang for further studies. If fate allows, perhaps I'll cook a few dishes for you to try when I get there..."
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