Chapter 669 Cooking

I saw a listless man sitting at the door, with his head drooped, waving his hands weakly, saying: "Go away, I'm not in the mood to do business now."

Xi Yu walked up and asked with concern: "Brother, why is this?"

The man raised his head, his eyes were bloodshot, and he answered with a sad face: "My father is now sick because of the damn locusts. The crops have no harvest!"

Xi Yu heard it, but suddenly laughed.

The man's eyes widened with anger, and he stood up with a "swoosh". He pointed at Xi Yu and shouted angrily: "What do you mean? I'm in such a miserable state, and you can still laugh. Are you here to make fun of me on purpose?"

His face flushed red, veins on his forehead bulged, and his hands trembled slightly with anger.

Xi Yu looked at the man's angry look calmly and said slowly: "Brother, don't worry, I'm not laughing at you."

The man became even more angry after hearing what Xi Yu said.

He widened his eyes, grabbed Xiyu's collar tightly, and shouted: "What did you say? You can solve the locust problem? Are you kidding me?"

Xiyu was not in a hurry. He gently pushed the man's hand away, straightened his clothes, and said with a smile: "Brother, I'm not kidding. I do have a way to solve the locust problem."

Just then, a woman came out of the house. She saw the man and Xiyu arguing, and hurried over to ask: "Husband, what's going on?"

The man saw the woman coming out and calmed down a little. He loosened Xiyu's collar and said to the woman: "This man said he can solve the locust problem. I think he is bragging."

After listening to the man's words, the woman turned her head to look at Xiyu, with a hint of doubt and expectation in her eyes, She asked softly, "Do you really have a way to solve the locust problem?"

Xiyu nodded and said seriously, "Sister, I do have some ideas. But it requires everyone's cooperation and efforts."

After hearing Xiyu's words, the woman showed a glimmer of hope on her face. She said to Xiyu, "As long as the locust problem can be solved, we will fully cooperate."

Xiyu looked at the woman and the man, and his heart was full of confidence. He said, "Okay, then let's work together to make this land revitalized."

In order to better gain people's trust, Xiyu looked solemn, took the lead in taking out the token from his arms, and solemnly said, "I am the current prime minister Xiyu. This time I came here specifically to solve the locust disaster."

When the couple heard this, their eyes widened instantly, full of astonishment and panic.

They immediately knelt on their knees, trembling, and kept kowtowed, saying: "I didn't know you were the Prime Minister, I've offended you, I deserve death!"

Xi Yu hurried forward, helped them up with both hands, and said in a friendly manner: "Please stand up quickly, no need to be so polite."

The couple stood up tremblingly, lowered their heads, and did not dare to look directly at Xi Yu.

Xi Yu looked at them, took a breath and said: "I have thought of a way to eliminate locusts, but I'm afraid many people don't understand my approach at all."

He frowned slightly, and a trace of worry appeared on his face.

When the man heard what Xi Yu said, he hurriedly said: "Prime Minister, your method is similar to the idea of ​​Liu Crazy in our village."

As he spoke, he looked nervous, and his eyes glanced at Xi Yu from time to time, observing his reaction.

Xiyu frowned and asked, "Who is Crazy Liu?"

The man swallowed and said, "Crazy Liu is a scholar in our village. He has very strange ideas. He also proposed to burn the locusts with fire before, which caused dissatisfaction among all the people in the village."

When the man said this, a look of helplessness and disgust appeared on his face.

Xiyu looked at the man intently and asked, "Why did it cause dissatisfaction?"

The man sighed and said, "Everyone thinks his idea is simply whimsical and too dangerous, and they also accused him of being stupid because of reading."

But Xiyu's eyes were firm and he said resolutely, "I decided to meet this Crazy Liu."

The man nodded repeatedly and replied, "Then Prime Minister, please wait here for a while, I will call him now." After that, he hurried out.

The woman accompanied Xiyu to drink tea in a reserved manner. She poured tea for Xiyu with trembling hands. Her face was full of fear and trepidation. She didn't dare to raise her eyes to look directly at Xiyu.

Xiyu saw it and said gently: "Sister, don't be nervous."

The woman bit her lip lightly and replied with a trembling voice: "The Prime Minister is here, I really..."

Xiyu smiled slightly and comforted: "Don't be afraid, just treat me as an ordinary guest."

The woman relaxed a little after hearing this, but still couldn't hide her uneasiness.

The woman tried to squeeze out a smile and said: "The Prime Minister is magnanimous, I will do my best."

But her hand was still a little unsteady when pouring tea, and the tea almost splashed out of the cup.

Xiyu gently picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said: "This tea is fragrant, the girl's cooking skills are good."

The woman nodded slightly and whispered: "The Prime Minister is too kind."

The two fell into silence for a while, and only heard the occasional bird calls from the window.

The woman glanced at Xiyu from time to time, and then quickly retracted her gaze.

After a long while, the woman finally mustered up the courage and asked cautiously: "Prime Minister, can you really solve this locust disaster?"

Xi Yu put down the teacup, looked at the woman firmly, and said: "Don't worry, young lady, I will do my best."

Seeing Xi Yu's confident expression, the woman's anxiety eased slightly.

At this time, while Xi Yu was chatting with the woman, he learned from the woman that the boss's name was Chen Fugui.

Just as he was talking, he saw Chen Fugui leading a man to arrive in a hurry.

This man was dressed very sloppily and his hair was a little messy, but his demeanor seemed particularly individual.

He held a fan in his hand and kept fanning it, but the fan was particularly new.

Xi Yu looked up and down at the man in front of him, known as "Crazy Liu", with curiosity and inquiry in his eyes.

Madman Liu also looked directly at Xi Yu without fear, with a faint smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

Chen Fugui hurriedly asked Crazy Liu to kneel down to Xi Yu, and said anxiously: "Crazy Liu, this is the Prime Minister, please kneel down quickly!"

Crazy Liu just lazily raised his knees and knelt down perfunctorily.

Xi Yu said quickly: "No need to salute."

He looked at Madman Liu carefully and continued with a smile: "I think you are a temperamental person, and I am willing to treat you as a friend."

After hearing this, Madman Liu raised his head in surprise, his eyes widened, and he said with confusion: "What? Prime Minister, your words make me feel strange. I am crazy, what are you doing?" Do you still want to be friends with me?”

Seeing Madman Liu's surprised look, Xi Yu laughed heartily and said, "Just because you dare to propose the idea of ​​using fire to kill locusts, you are different."

Crazy Liu shook his head helplessly and said with a wry smile: "Although I think so, but because of this, I have become everyone's public enemy." His face was full of loneliness and grievance.

Xi Yu said with firm eyes: "I support you because I plan to do the same."

Madman Liu's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief, and he said in surprise: "What? Prime Minister, do you think so too? This is so strange!"

Xi Yu sighed and said solemnly: "Although the people are kind-hearted, they are too superstitious and they do not understand our ideas."

After hearing this, Madman Liu nodded thoughtfully and said, "What the Prime Minister said is absolutely true."

The two of them talked to each other, and the more they talked, the more excited they became. Their faces were filled with longing and expectation for solving the locust problem.

With a smile on his face, Chen Fugui said to his wife excitedly: "Madam, hurry up and cook some good dishes to entertain the prime minister. I want to treat you today!" His eyes shone with eagerness, and he rubbed his hands unconsciously. twist.

The lady then responded quickly: "Okay, boss, I'll go right away!" Her face was full of nervousness and excitement, and she hurried to the kitchen.

Chen Fugui looked at his wife's back, then turned to look at Xi Yu and Madman Liu who were talking, his heart full of anticipation.

Chen Fugui stood there, his face filled with joy and pride, and murmured to himself: "This is the Prime Minister coming to our home, so we must treat him well and not lose etiquette."

After a while, there was a clanging sound in the kitchen, and the lady was very busy.

Chen Fugui couldn't help but walked to the kitchen door and shouted inside: "Madam, move faster, don't keep the Prime Minister waiting for too long."

While wiping the sweat from her forehead, the lady responded: "I know, Master, please don't rush me!"

Chen Fugui returned to the main room again, with a flattering smile on his face, and said to Xi Yu: "Prime Minister, please wait a moment, the food will be ready soon."

Xi Yu smiled and nodded, saying, "Thank you."

Chen Fugui waved his hands repeatedly and said: "It is our honor for you, the Prime Minister, to come. There is no need to worry about it."

After a while, the dishes were ready.

Xi Yu smiled and said to Chen Fugui and his wife, "Come on, come on, you guys should sit together too."

Chen Fugui and his wife were flattered and carefully sat down at the table.

Xi Yu continued: "Chen Fugui, the reason why I came to you is that I hope you can catch locusts and make them into a dish. The taste is particularly beautiful."

Chen Fugui's eyes widened after hearing this, and he said with astonishment on his face: "Your Excellency, Prime Minister, locusts can also cook?"

Xi Yu smiled slightly and said confidently: "Of course, I can teach you the method."

Chen Fugui looked at Xi Yu dubiously, scratched his head and said, "This... this is really unheard of."

Xi Yu patted Chen Fugui on the shoulder and said, "Believe me, as long as you follow what I say, you will definitely make this locust a delicious dish."

Chen Fugui hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "Since the Prime Minister said so, then the common people are willing to give it a try."

After hearing this, Madman Liu burst out laughing. He laughed and said, "In that case, I'll catch it soon, and I want to see what delicious food it can make!"

He laughed so hard that he could hardly hold the fan in his hand.

After eating, Crazy Liu really kept his promise. He rolled up his sleeves, picked up his tools, and went to catch locusts excitedly.

Crazy Liu ran back in a hurry, with a bag full of locusts he had caught, and his face was full of excitement and anticipation.

"Prime Minister, I caught the locusts!" Crazy Liu said loudly, putting the bag on the ground.

Xi Yu smiled and nodded, then turned to Chen Fugui and said, "Chen Fugui, please listen carefully. First wash the locusts and blanch them in boiling water to remove impurities. Then heat the oil in a pan and add the onions, ginger and garlic and sauté them until fragrant. , then pour the locusts in and stir-fry..." Xi Yu described each step in detail.

Chen Fugui listened carefully, his eyes did not blink, for fear of missing any details.

After a while, a fragrant locust dish came out of the pot.

The golden color and tempting aroma made people swallow their saliva.

Chen Fugui carefully picked up a locust and put it in his mouth, chewing it gently.

In an instant, his eyes lit up, and he said with surprise: "Oh, I didn't expect that this locust dish would be so delicious!"

Crazy Liu couldn't wait any longer, and quickly tasted it, nodding repeatedly: "Delicious, delicious! It's so unexpected!"

Xi Yu looked at their satisfied look and said with a smile: "In this way, the locusts will not only no longer be a scourge, but also become a delicacy on the people's table."

Everyone nodded, as if they saw the hope of eliminating the locust plague.

At this time, Chen Fugui's wife also tasted it curiously, with a look of surprise on her face, and said: "This taste is really not worse than the dishes we usually eat!"

Liu Fengzi said while eating with relish: "If everyone knew that locusts can be made into such delicious dishes, they would probably rush to catch locusts!"

Xi Yu smiled and said: "That's exactly the reason. We have to spread this cooking method so that more people will no longer be afraid of locusts and can turn them into food."

Chen Fugui nodded and said: "The Prime Minister is right, I will tell other people in the village now."

But Xi Yu waved his hand and said seriously: "Don't worry about this matter. Even if we tell the people in the village now, they probably won't be able to accept it for a while." He frowned slightly, with worry in his eyes.

Chen Fugui scratched his head and asked in confusion: "Prime Minister, what should we do?"

Xi Yu looked determined, clenched his fists and said: "I just want to say that we can open up new business with locusts, but I am more determined to completely eliminate locusts so that everyone will no longer be troubled by them." His eyes were full of determination and his face was full of perseverance.

Crazy Liu pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "What the Prime Minister said makes sense. The people in our village have always been conservative. It is not easy to get them to accept eating locusts all of a sudden."

After hearing this, Chen Fugui also showed a look of realization and agreed, "Yes, that's the truth."

Crazy Liu looked anxious, with beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He pulled Xi Yu's sleeve and asked, "What should we do next?"

Xi Yu frowned, his eyes were firm and fierce, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Let them take the young people to kill locusts everywhere tomorrow. I will contact the county magistrate. Anyone who dares to stop him will be killed!" After that, he clenched his fists tightly.

Crazy Liu was slightly startled, then nodded heavily and said, "Okay, let's do it!"

At this time, Chen Fugui, who had been standing aside in silence, also spoke: "Okay, I agree!" His face was full of seriousness, and his eyes revealed a sense of determination.

The three of them looked at each other, their eyes seemed to convey some kind of firm determination, and then they prepared to go.

After asking the county magistrate for the direction, Xiyu found that it was in the other direction of the village. He was secretly happy: "It's good to go back and ride a horse."

When Xiyu returned to the village, he saw a group of people still kneeling there.

He looked carefully and found that the number of people had decreased a lot.

At this time, the clan leader was furious, pointing at a few people who left and cursing: "You useless things! If you can't even bear this little hardship, how can you find a way out for the village!"

When the clan leader saw Xiyu coming, his face was very complicated, with both expectation and worry in his eyes, and his lips trembling slightly.

Xi Yu strode to the patriarch, his eyes firm and his expression resolute, he said: "Patriarch, I have made up my mind, I will start killing locusts tomorrow, no one can stop me!"

The patriarch widened his eyes, the muscles on his wrinkled face twitched, and he said with a trembling voice: "Prime Minister, this is not a joke, what if..."

Xi Yu waved his hand fiercely, interrupted the patriarch's words, and said decisively: "Patriarch, no need to say more! And if there is any disaster, I am willing to ask God to bear it alone!" He straightened his chest and looked fearless.

But the patriarch was still very stubborn. He frowned, his face was gloomy, his hands were behind his back, and he said in a heavy tone: "Prime Minister, even if you are willing to take all the responsibilities, it does not mean that God will only punish you, and everyone will suffer in the end!"

Xi Yu looked directly at the patriarch with a sharp gaze.

Xi Yu ignored the patriarch and went straight into Old Man Nie's house.

Old man Nie also hurried out of the house, with a flattering smile on his face, and bowed very low to Xiyu.

Xiyu simply nodded to him, with a cold expression, and his eyes quickly swept over Old Man Nie, as if his mind was not on this at all.

Tuoba Yu hurried out of the house.

Xiyu asked Tuoba Yu to come in, with a hint of excitement in his eyes, and said eagerly: "Yu'er, come in quickly."

Tuoba Yu walked into the house quickly, looking at Xiyu with curiosity.

Xiyu pulled Tuoba Yu to sit down, his face full of confidence, and said: "I'm telling you, I went to a restaurant today, and then I came up with an idea. We are going to roast locusts to cook."

After hearing this, Tuoba Yu's eyes lit up instantly, his face was full of joy, the corners of his mouth rose, and he said excitedly: "This is really a good idea!"

Xi Yu looked determined, clenched his fists, and said: "This really kills two birds with one stone. It not only solves the locust problem, but also brings delicious food. Even if the people don't want to, they can't care so much."

His face was full of determination, his brows were slightly wrinkled, as if he was ready to face all difficulties. (End of this chapter)