Chapter 5: Sprouting Beans

In Li Xiu's kitchen, a stove was burning vigorously, making the room warm and cozy. Li Xiu laboriously carried a large wooden basin inside, which was half-filled with well water. He then took the kettle off the stove and poured the hot water inside the basin, occasionally stirring with his hand. Once he felt that the water temperature was about the same as the room temperature, he set down the kettle and picked up a ladle to carefully sprinkle the warm water from the basin into a water tank on the floor.

Indeed, it is bean sprouts, and it is also a type of vegetable. If we were to take it to the market to sell, there would surely be many buyers. With this business, our village would no longer have to worry about food shortages in winter

It was already nighttime, yet Li Xiu was still excitedly heading out, holding a large bowl of mung bean sprouts. He intended to show his invention to Liu Laoda, hoping that they would take the sprouts to Chang'an to try and see if they could sell them at a high price. Although he believed that the noble class of Chang'an, who rarely saw vegetables throughout the winter, would surely be drawn to the mung bean sprouts, he still felt a bit anxious, as it ultimately required verification through actual results.

In fact, when Li Xiu's mother entrusted Zhuangzi to Liu Laoda for management, the tenants were also asked to find their own, so Liu Laoda naturally had to treat and take care of his relatives well. Moreover, whether it was his two younger brothers or his two brothers-in-law, they were all honest and simple farmers. Among these people, Liu Laoda was the oldest, held the highest prestige, and was well-read, which made it convenient for him to manage them.

It is quite ordinary to have a water tank in the kitchen, but the one in Li Xiu's kitchen is somewhat special. Firstly, the water tank is devoid of water; instead, it is filled entirely with sand. Beneath the sand, there seems to be something else, but it is not visible for the time being. Moreover, the entire water tank is supported by two long benches, with a basin placed underneath. When Li Xiu pours water into the tank, the water flows through the heavy layer of sand to the bottom of the tank, and then it trickles through a hole at the bottom into the basin below.

Uncle Big Eye was thoughtful; our bean sprouts are a new vegetable. To quickly open up the market for others, we naturally need a means of promotion... At this point, Li Xiu suddenly paused, as he had inadvertently fallen into a professional habit, delivering a speech meant for employees in a later era. He completely forgot that this was the early Tang Dynasty, and that the people before him, led by Liu, were not his employees. Now, they all looked at him in confusion, as they could not understand what Li Xiu meant by terms like "market" and "promotion". He had indeed fallen into a professional habit, delivering a speech meant for employees in a later era. He completely forgot that this was the early Tang Dynasty, and that the people before him, led by Liu, were not his employees. Now, they all looked at him in confusion, as they could not understand what Li Xiu meant by terms like "market" and "promotion".

Upon seeing this, Li Xiu couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly. He had originally decided to let work go to hell after his crossing, but unexpectedly, in order to survive, he had once again taken up the same tasks. At that moment, he no longer offered any explanations, but turned to Liu Laoda and said: "Uncle Liu, please call Aunt Liu out; I have some matters to discuss with her"

But... can bean sprouts really be eaten? Liu Laoda said with some disbelief. Although he had grown beans for many years, he had never actually eaten bean sprouts. After all, for a farming family, a single bean sprout is considered a crop, and even losing one would cause him heartache for half a day, let alone taking it to the kitchen to cook.

After waiting for four days like this, the surface of the sand in the water tank had already formed one small bump after another. When he brushed away the sand on top, it revealed the tender white sprouts underneath, with the yellow tender cotyledons still encased in the green seed coats, which are the mung bean sprouts that are very common in later generations

Bean sprouts are not difficult to make; the key is to maintain the temperature and water them regularly. In a previous life, due to the issue of "toxic bean sprouts," Li Xiu's wife was concerned about the safety of bean sprouts purchased from the market, so she decided to grow them at home. During winter, the heating in the house ensures that the temperature is not a concern; it only requires watering every four to five hours. Li Xiu has seen this done a few times and has remembered it.

Look at this! Li Xiu presented the large bowl in his hands to Liu Laoda, and brought the lantern closer so that he could clearly see the bean sprouts

"What has succeeded?" At this moment, Liu Laoda still had not grasped the situation, but he opened the door to invite Li Xiu in

Walking along the uneven paths of the fields by the dim light of the lantern, it was only around seven or eight o'clock in the evening. However, during this era, there were few forms of entertainment at night, and poor families were reluctant to waste lamp oil, so most people went to bed early. By the time Li Xiu arrived at Li Family Village, the entire village was already quiet, with only the occasional barking of the guard dog.

"This... is bean sprouts?" Liu Laoda said in surprise upon seeing the bean sprouts in the bowl. Having farmed for so many years, he naturally recognized them at a glance. Moreover, he recalled that Li Xiu had previously inquired about bean sprouts, which made him vaguely feel as if he understood something.

Uncle Liu, I have succeeded! At this moment, Li Xiu finally has the opportunity to share his joy with others

In fact, what Li Xiu did not know was that the history of bean sprouts dates back a long time. However, like the fate of many foods, it initially served only as a medicinal ingredient. It was not until the Song Dynasty that it began to be used as food, particularly as a winter vegetable appearing in the market. As for the early Tang Dynasty, no one had even thought of using bean sprouts in cooking.

Several farmers gathered in the courtyard of Liu Laoda's home. As it was dark and cold, Liu Laoda built a fire in the yard. Li Xiu sat in the middle, explaining the bean sprouts, and then passed them around for everyone to taste. Although they were raw, they were not unpleasant to eat.

Li Xiu knocked on the doorpost of Liu Laoda's house and called out a few times. It was estimated that Liu Laoda inside was not asleep either, as he quickly threw on some clothes and ran out of the room. Upon seeing Li Xiu outside, he was also quite surprised and said, "Master, why have you come so late?"

Currently, Li Xiu is taking the bean sprouts out of the sand. Previously, when he was making the bean sprouts, he sprinkled a layer of beans and covered it with a layer of sand, resulting in a high yield of bean sprouts in the entire water tank, which ultimately filled several large bamboo baskets. However, he found that the water tank is not very convenient for extracting the bean sprouts. If he were to use a wooden barrel with a removable bottom, it would be much simpler. This is a method that can be improved and can be discussed later.

Haha, it really worked!" Li Xiu looked at the mung bean sprouts beneath the sand and couldn't help but laugh out loud. A few days ago, while at Liu Laoda's place, he had a flash of inspiration when he saw the yellow soybeans scattered on the ground. He finally thought of a quick and low-investment way to make money, which was to grow bean sprouts. Initially, he was worried that bean sprouts had already appeared in the Tang Dynasty, but after inquiring with Liu Laoda, he learned that there were no bean sprouts in the winter vegetable market, at least not in Chang'an City. This further strengthened Li Xiu's determination.

Of course we can eat it, and it tastes particularly good. Uncle Liu, you should call the heads of the other families in the village to come over, so we can discuss how to conduct this bean sprout business! At this moment, Li Xiu appeared to be full of confidence, although he was also uncertain whether the bean sprouts would be popular from the very beginning. However, if he himself lacked confidence, then it was likely that Boss Liu and the others would have even less confidence.

Moreover, Li Xiu chose to make mung bean sprouts for two reasons. First, mung bean sprouts have a fresh taste, unlike soybean sprouts which carry a strong bean odor, making them more palatable. After all, the emergence of a new food requires acceptance from others. Second, he also enjoys eating mung bean sprouts; since he is making bean sprouts, it is only natural to choose one that he likes. In any case, the feed for the cattle is quite mixed, including soybeans, mung beans, and black beans.

"Master, these bean sprouts are quite crisp and refreshing, but I wonder if anyone would be willing to buy them, after all, no one has ever eaten this before." At this moment, a middle-aged man sitting to the right of Li Xiu spoke up. This man had a very distinctive appearance, most notably with one eye larger than the other, which looked somewhat comical. He was Liu Laoda's second brother, nicknamed Liu Dayan, because his smaller eye appeared relatively normal, while the other eye was several times larger than average, hence the nickname. Even the younger generation referred to him as 'Uncle Dayan.' This man had a very distinctive appearance, most notably with one eye larger than the other, which looked somewhat comical. He was Liu Laoda's second brother, nicknamed Liu Dayan, because his smaller eye appeared relatively normal, while the other eye was several times larger than average, hence the nickname. Even the younger generation referred to him as 'Uncle Dayan.'

Li Xiu was very careful while pouring water, trying to soak every part of the water tank. After finishing one basin of water, he then emptied the water from the basin below, carefully checked the water tank and the stove, and only then did he leave with peace of mind. In the following days, Li Xiu occasionally came in to add fuel to the stove, ensuring that the room maintained a relatively high temperature.

After taking out the bean sprouts, Li Xiu noticed some unsatisfactory aspects, such as the upper layer of bean sprouts being relatively long, while the middle and lower layers were shorter, resulting in a somewhat uneven appearance; however, this does not affect the edibility of the bean sprouts

Liu Laoda held Li Xiu in high regard, so upon hearing his words, he readily agreed without a second thought and turned to go outside to call the others. Before long, the men from the other four households also arrived, draped in their clothing. The five households in the village could actually be considered one family; among them, two were Liu Laoda's younger brothers, and the other two were Liu Laoda's brothers-in-law, surnamed Zhang, one named Zhang Feng and the other Zhang Shou, as their names suggest they belonged to a peasant family. The five households in the village could actually be considered one family; among them, two were Liu Laoda's younger brothers, and the other two were Liu Laoda's brothers-in-law, surnamed Zhang, one named Zhang Feng and the other Zhang Shou, as their names suggest they belonged to a peasant family