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After laughing, they started discussing the cassava at Ye Youtian’s house again.
Ye Lizheng’s eyes flickered with a sharp gleam: “Brother, what you said earlier—is it true? Can picking the cassava roots eliminate the toxicity?”
As he spoke, he observed Old Lady Ye and the others, seeing their serious expressions, not like they were joking.
Brother wasn’t the type to make light of things. Even if he were, his wife and others wouldn’t follow along in confusion or make such a big scene.
This could only mean that they really had a way to neutralize the toxicity of the roots?
Ye Youtian nodded: “It’s true. We ate it yesterday.”
“They actually ate it?” The villagers exclaimed in surprise.
Looking at Ye Youtian, there was a mix of excitement, doubt, and disbelief.
This situation was similar to when Ye Caiping was about to tell her family. Now that the Ye family had made such a big scene, it seemed highly credible, and the villagers quickly began to believe it.
Ye Ershu’s eyes lit up: “How did you neutralize the toxicity of the roots?”
Ye Lizheng was also excited: “Brother, tell us more.”
The villagers became interested: “In times like these, everyone is tightening their belts. Uncle Ye, please teach us so we can have more to eat.”
“Right, teach us too. My family only eats one meal a day, and the kids are crying from hunger.”
Ye Youtian glanced at Ye Caiping, who nodded, before he said: “We can share the method with everyone.”
“But you all know that the entire plant of the cassava root is toxic. If not handled properly, it could be fatal. We can teach the method, but if you don’t process it correctly and get poisoned, you can’t blame our family.”
Once these words were spoken, the murmurs around them stopped. The villagers looked at Ye Youtian with varied expressions.
“Wait… didn’t you say there was a method? How could it still kill…?” A woman with a sour expression stepped forward. She was Zhao Faci’s wife, Zhao Baozi.
Zhao Faci glared at her: “Hush, didn’t you hear him say it has to be processed properly? Even fish have bones; if you don’t eat them right, you can choke and die.”
Ye Lizheng stepped forward: “Brother, let’s talk inside.”
He then turned to the villagers and said, “Go back to your places, don’t gather here. Once I get the details, I’ll let everyone know.”
The villagers were eager to learn, but upon hearing this, they were dissatisfied: “Li Zheng, don’t be like this. They’ve said they’ll teach us, why can’t we listen?”
“It’s not that I won’t let you listen, but I’m worried you won’t understand and end up killing yourselves. Go back! Go back! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being impolite!”
Ye Lizheng’s face grew stern, and the villagers, reluctantly, fell silent.
Zhao Baozi anxiously asked, “So when will we know? You have to give us a time.”
“Tomorrow morning, we’ll have a meeting under the old rong tree. Also, don’t touch the toxic roots on the mountain. If anyone gets poisoned, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
After speaking, Ye Lizheng, along with Ye Caiping and the others, went inside.
Ye Ershu and two older men followed behind.
Some impatient villagers wanted to enter the house, but Ye Daquan, Ye Yong, and others quickly pushed them out of the yard, slamming the gate shut with a loud bang.
The villagers continued discussing amongst themselves while reluctantly leaving.
Some, however, were reluctant to go, stretching their necks to peer inside. Unfortunately, the Ye family’s bamboo fence was about as tall as a person, and they could only see the top of the door by standing on tiptoe.
Zhao Baozi, who was already over sixty, even climbed up the large tree by the wall. However, before she could see anything, her foot slipped, and she almost tumbled down.
Zhao Faci shouted at her, and the old woman slid down the tree with a rustling sound, twisting her body before running back home.
Inside the Ye family’s main hall, the room was filled with people.
All the members of the Ye family were present, along with Ye Lizheng, Ye Ershu, Zhao Futou, and Liu Laoshan.
Zhao Futou and Liu Laoshan were the clan leaders of the Zhao and Liu families, respectively.
In Qinghe Village, there were various family names, with the Ye family being the largest, followed by the Zhao and Liu families. There were a few other surnames as well, but they were fewer in number.
Ye Caiping sat to the side, taking a sip of tea.
She had already anticipated the situation before her.
With so many cassavas on the mountain, their family couldn’t possibly eat them all.
Even if they were careful, they would eventually be discovered.
The year’s harvest was poor, and if people found out they had a way to neutralize the cassava’s toxicity but kept the method to themselves, they would be ostracized by the village.
If the villagers couldn’t get the benefit, they would ruin their livelihood.
During dinner the previous night, Ye Caiping had already discussed the situation with Ye Youtian, which is why they had made such a big show of digging up the cassava today, trying to harvest as much as they could.
“Can you really neutralize the toxicity of the roots?” Ye Lizheng asked uncertainly.
Ye Youtian replied, “We’ve already eaten it.”
Yan Feng then brought a bowl of cassava from the kitchen. “Lizheng, take a look. This is what was left over from lunch. After cooking, this is what it looks like.”
Ye Lizheng and Zhao Futou eagerly reached for the bowl.
Inside, the cassava was cut into slices, appearing soft and sticky. A faint, pleasant aroma wafted up, making Ye Lizheng and the others swallow their saliva.
Ye Lizheng wanted to eat it but hesitated.
“Big Brother, how did you handle it?” Ye Ershu asked.
Ye Youtian replied, “This method was taught to us by Caiping. Let her explain it.”
Ye Lizheng and the others immediately turned to Ye Caiping, their eyes full of anticipation.
Ye Caiping carefully explained the method, adding, “As long as you follow this method strictly, you can neutralize the toxins.”
The four men listened intently, their eyes lighting up. Ye Lizheng said, “No wonder there are so many steps—it’s no wonder you can remove the toxins.”
Ye Caiping replied, “But there will always be careless or lazy people. If it’s not processed properly, you can still get poisoned.”
Ye Lizheng’s face became excited: “As long as it can serve as a food source, I’m sure everyone will be careful. If someone is too lazy and skips a step, it’s their own fault if they get poisoned.”
Zhao Futou and Liu Laoshan nodded eagerly.
Ye Caiping added, “Actually, I have another method, which is drying it. This method is safer than eating it fresh, but it takes longer.”
Ye Lizheng became even more excited.
Ye Caiping then explained the detailed steps and also gave her opinions on how to dig and prepare it tomorrow.
Everyone in the room listened carefully and nodded. After discussing for a while, they came to a conclusion.
Before leaving, Ye Lizheng took the bowl of cassava and ate three slices. When he was about to eat more, Zhao Futou and Liu Laoshan quickly grabbed the bowl and each took two slices.
The expressions on their faces lit up as they ate; they couldn’t believe how edible the toxic roots actually were.
Note:
Characters
Other Characters:
Heigou – Ate poisonous roots
Heigou’s mother
Doctor Zhao
Zhao Facai – Neighbor
Village Head Ye- Sometime Ye Lizheng (Lizheng is a title that refers to Village Head/Chief)
Ye Bajin – Village Head’s Son
Fubao – Village Head’s Grandson
Places:
Qinghe Village: FL’s Village
Li Family Village
Great Zhou Dynasty