Chapter 7: Tomatoes with Eggs

"This is the telescope I made," Caesar said, taking out an object resembling a pen holder.

Seeing Zhang Lei speak so formally, and with so many people around to bear witness, Hu Hansan felt reassured. He handed the seeds to Zhang Lei, took back the banknote from his hand, and his face smiled like a wrinkled dried orange peel: "This gentleman is truly straightforward. May I ask, what do you intend to do with these seeds?"

Yes, yes, yes. Hu Hansan did not dare to be negligent and quickly took out several small packages. Zhang Lei leaned over to take a look and was almost overwhelmed with joy, nearly fainting.

"You don't need to worry about this; I like this thing. Everyone has seen it, and our financial matters are settled. " Zhang Lei did not want to reveal the secret of the tomato, so he continued, "Moreover, this thing is toxic. Let's throw all of it away; otherwise, if someone accidentally eats it, you will be in big trouble."

Having obtained something good, Zhang Lei's mood seemed to brighten a bit. Holding the seeds in his hand, he could almost envision the tomatoes flourishing spectacularly in his hands in the near future

Caesar interjected, "I have something to tell you"

"Then what are you bringing it back for? Are you planning to engage in some illegal activities? Aren't you afraid we might just take you to the authorities right now?" The person speaking to him was a farmer in his fifties or sixties, wearing straw sandals and carrying a hoe over his shoulder

Zhang Lei brought the items over to try them out. Although the magnification wasn't very high, at least the East and West of the items and books were somewhat completed. He asked, "Are you planning to take it to meet the Emperor?"

"Hmm, how can you bring these things back to the Ming Empire? If the authorities find out... Well, since I've already helped you once, I'll help you again this time." Zhang Lei took out twenty taels of silver notes and said, "Give me everything. Also, if you bring these things back when you go to sea again..." He made a gesture across his throat and said, "Did you hear that?"

Early the next morning, the three of them packed their belongings, and Zhang Lei tightly clutched the few bags of seeds as they set off on their journey home

... ... ''

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lei seemed to envision a large sum of cash appearing before him. However, he could not reveal his excitement, so he merely cleared his throat, feigned calmness, and said: "Take it all out. If there are any more things like this..." He shook the tomato seeds in his hand, swallowing the latter part of his sentence.

Ah?

What lay beneath his feet was none other than one of the things he had loved to eat in his previous life: a tomato. However, the object at his feet resembled the shape of a strawberry, completely lacking the smooth skin and perfect shape he remembered, and it was not as large either. He crouched down, dipped his hand into the juice, and brought it to his nose, where a sour smell assaulted him, even more pungent than that of an unripe green fruit.

This person has a broad forehead and thick eyebrows, a bright center of the forehead, and is dressed elegantly; could he be one of the officials?

Yes, yes, yes, I understand, I understand. Hu Hansan, holding the money, nodded eagerly.

This statement was like throwing a stone into a calm lake, causing everyone to turn their heads in disbelief to look at him. Ten silver coins? What a joke, how much rice could that buy? A pig butcher hardly earns a few coins in a day, and here he is talking about the price of several pigs

Zhang Lei feigned calmness as he turned and left

Zhang Lei sat opposite him, looking at the egg in his hand, and said: "I went to find something. I was thinking, what goes best with an egg when eaten together."

The right time and the right place... I have never believed in fate; what one is determined to achieve should be fought for, and the conditions are created by oneself, don't you think? Zhang Lei has always been a person with a strong sense of self-awareness. In his previous life, he was most averse to the so-called astrology. In his view, it is not about persisting only when one sees hope, but rather that it is through relentless perseverance that one will eventually see hope for the future

Zhang Lei originally had an extraordinary demeanor and was generous in his actions; how could he refuse his requests? Hu Hansan quickly responded with enthusiasm: "There is more, I have brought back some things that have never been seen in the Central Plains."

This tomato is likely still in a semi-wild state. In the Americas and Europe, it is still considered an ornamental plant. To be edible, it must undergo cultivation.

During this dinner, everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts, and time dragged on for more than an hour. Sitting in the courtyard, I looked up at the sky, where the stars twinkled, creating a beautiful sight. Zhang Lei sighed, crossed his legs, and with one hand picking his teeth and the other resting on his head, said: "Look, the night sky is so beautiful with these stars embellishing it. It's just a pity that two stars will never be close to each other."

"What have you been doing? It's been two days already," William, who was eating a boiled egg, asked as Zhang Lei walked in.

Caesar nodded, and Zhang Lei said: "Well, during this period, thanks to your careful guidance, my foreign language skills have improved significantly. Considering your urgent desire to meet the Emperor, I think it would be best to set aside the translation for now. If you can establish yourself in the capital, I will certainly seek you out to accomplish this great feat in the future. I have been away for quite some time, so it is a good opportunity to return home; why not leave tomorrow morning?"

Hu Hansan jumped down from a wooden platform about half a person high, walked up to Zhang Lei, and said: "This gentleman really knows how to tell jokes, this thing." He shook a small box in his hand, which was filled with flat, grayish-yellow objects resembling kidneys, not much larger than sesame seeds, and said: "Ten taels of silver?"

Zhang Lei squeezed into the crowd and saw the person who was speaking. Due to long-term activities at sea, his skin was darkened and cracked by the sea breeze, resembling the bark of an old tree. His lips were thick, his eyebrows were bushy, and his hands were covered with calluses. In front of him was a basket of tomatoes that were no longer very fresh

"I found half of it... Alright, I won't talk to you anymore, I have things to attend to," he said a few words and then began to tinker in his room. After quite some time, he only emerged after it had turned dark.

As everyone spoke more and more mysteriously, Hu Hansan was left in a daze. He placed the two one-hundred-tael silver notes into his inner pocket and, under the persuasion of others, poured all the tomatoes into the sea.

Isn't that some royal relative incognito on an outing

From Pinghai Town, he traveled directly along the official road to Guangzhou Prefecture, and then hurried on to Ganzhou Prefecture. From Ganzhou Prefecture, he boarded a ship and sailed north along the Gan River, passing through Jianshan Prefecture, Linjiang Prefecture, Jiujiang Prefecture, and Anqing Prefecture. After more than a month, he finally arrived at Songjiang Prefecture, took a moment to rest, and three days later set foot on the land of Xujiaying in Chaoxian County, which was the hometown he remembered.

William said, "That is not necessarily the case. Sometimes, if you look up at the sky, there are comets, right? At that time, it is possible for two stars to be together. It just requires being in the right place at the right time"

"Sell me the seeds, and I will give you ten taels of silver," Zhang Lei said to Hu Hansan after a moment of thought

I also happen to want to discuss something with you. " Zhang Lei sat up straight and said seriously

After staying at mhetushucom.com for a while, Zhang Lei said, "You didn't risk your life to go out to sea just to bring back this little bit, did you? I want to go up and see what else there is."

Zhang Lei saw something good again.

"Sir, do you think I, Hu Hansan, am that kind of person? The journey I took this time was simply too far; otherwise, I would have picked a few of these things to show you all. On these half-human-high trees, there are clusters of these bright red little fruits, how festive it would be... Well, it’s no use explaining it to you now; anyway, I got some seeds from someone else. Just wait until I grow them, and you will see for yourself."

Zhang Lei nodded slightly, directly taking out a ten tael silver note, and said: "The money is right here; you give me the seeds, and I will give you this money."

At the corner of the street, Zhang Lei witnessed this scene and walked confidently towards his residence in the siheyuan

Just a yard ahead, a group of people gathered together, and a rough voice exclaimed loudly: "Look, this is what we brought back from the sea. I'm not boasting; I've inquired about it over there. This thing is called wolf peach. Don't be fooled by its bright appearance; if you eat it, you'll immediately break out in bumps and grow tumors"

It is likely that this is the case; unable to bear seeing this harmful thing spread in the world, so the seeds were bought and taken away... Old Hu, Old Hu, hurry and throw the things into the sea, otherwise, if the authorities come to catch you, it will be the end...

Hmm? William placed the egg in front of his eyes and said, "So, did you find it?"