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As soon as those words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent, followed by a loud uproar, like a bomb exploding.
Ye Jinhua was completely stunned. No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t have imagined that Ye Caiping would admit it.
“What did you just say, little sister?” Ye Daquan exclaimed in shock. “This… this is outrageous! Call the doctor right away! No, we need to make her vomit! Erquan, get some dung water and make her drink it!”
“Got it!” Ye Erquan responded and was about to rush out of the room.
Ye Caiping’s brows furrowed deeply. “Stop right there! I ate it yesterday at noon! Even if it were a rock, after a whole day and night, it would have already been digested. What’s the point of vomiting now?”
“This…” Ye Daquan and his brothers stood frozen in place, completely baffled.
Only then did Du Shi, Wei Shi, and the others snap out of their shock, scrutinizing her closely.
“Caiping, did you… did you really eat poisonous roots ? Don’t joke about something like this!” The elderly Yan Fang’s face was ashen as she spoke anxiously.
“I really did,” Ye Caiping nodded firmly. “Not just me, but Jin’er and Huan’er ate them too.”
“It wasn’t just at noon yesterday—early yesterday morning, when we were up in the mountains, we ate those poisonous roots to fill our stomachs. That’s why we couldn’t eat rice later.”
“In fact, they’re not actually called poisonous roots . Their proper name is cassava. As long as they’re processed correctly, the toxins can be removed, and they’re safe to eat.”
Once again, the entire Ye family stared at her in shock.
Ye Youtian (Ye Youtian) widened his eyes and said, “Caiping, this matter… is extremely serious…”
“I know,” Ye Caiping responded, “which is why I personally tested it myself. And I even went to great lengths to find a witness.” She then looked at Ye Jinhua. “Jinhua, you saw it with your own eyes.”
Ye Jinhua was already stunned. The conflicts from yesterday were quickly pushed to the back of her mind—after all, the fact that poisonous roots could be eaten was a huge deal!
“Jinhua, you really saw it?” Ye Youtian asked. It wasn’t just him; everyone’s eyes were now focused on her.
“This… I…” At this moment, Ye Jinhua hesitated and dared not make any hasty conclusions.
“Yesterday, I did see you all eating something white and powdery… and there really were poisonous roots on the ground… but…”
“I ate it,” Ye Caiping interrupted. She then turned to Ye Youtian. “Father, I really know how to process the poisonous roots.”
Ye Youtian still couldn’t believe it. “But… Caiping, how did you learn to handle this thing?”
Ye Caiping had already prepared her explanation. “You know I love reading, right? Once, when I went to the county town, I saw a stall selling miscellaneous books. There was a book on display, which said it was an imported item, not from this region.”
The original host was literate.
Ye Daquan and his brothers had all received some schooling, and Ye Caiping, proud and ambitious from a young age, had sworn to marry a scholar. So, she had learned to read and write alongside her two elder brothers.
After her marriage, Li Zhiyuan often criticized others as either crude or unrefined. To cater to his preferences, the original host frequently read books.
Ye Caiping continued, “Out of curiosity, I bought a book. It described many strange animals and plants, including the poisonous root, and detailed how to make it edible.”
“At first, I didn’t believe it. But when I saw the food shortage at home, I decided to give it a try. I followed the book’s instructions and tested it on mice before trying it myself. That’s how I discovered the method actually works.”
Ye Jin’er and Ye Huan’er exchanged a glance. When did Mother ever test anything on mice?
But they didn’t dare speak up—there was no way they’d undermine Ye Caiping in front of everyone.
When Ye Youtian (Ye Youtian) heard the full story, he sucked in a sharp breath.
“You silly girl! Why would you test it on yourself?” he exclaimed anxiously.
“Someone had to test it,” Ye Caiping replied calmly.
Ye Daquan frowned and asked, “Then why didn’t you just tell us yesterday…”
“If I’d said it, would you have believed me, Big Brother?”
Thinking back to yesterday, when Ye Daquan stood at the door with a ladle of manure blocking her way, Ye Caiping couldn’t help but shudder.
If she’d come clean right away, no amount of explaining would have convinced them. They’d only have stopped her at every turn.
It was better to find a witness and eat it in front of them. Once the time for poisoning had passed, they’d have no choice but to believe her.
Old Man Ye couldn’t help recalling the events of the previous day.
Although Jinhua was sharp-tongued and fierce, she wasn’t the type of person who would frame others. If she hadn’t seen it herself, she would never have come to them.
Old Man Ye Youtian had felt something was off from the start, but now he understood what was really going on.
With this realization, he became excited.
If the poison root could really be eaten, they wouldn’t have to worry about food anymore!
“Caiping, can you really remove the toxins?” Old Man Ye Youtian asked again, confirming with a mix of hope and caution.
“As I said, this is a matter of life and death for our entire family. I wouldn’t joke about it,” Ye Caiping said, her expression serious.
Du Shi, feeling excited, slammed her hand on the table. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go dig up the poisonous roots !”
Du Shi had completely forgotten the earlier discord between the two. Compared to arguing with her sister-in-law, filling their stomachs was the most important thing!
Wei Shi and Ye Yinhua exchanged uneasy yet hopeful glances as they looked at Ye Caiping.
Ye Yong and Ye Peng’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and even Ye Xuan, who usually remained indifferent, was now visibly surprised.
“Alright, let’s go dig up the poisonous roots first,” Ye Youtian said. Upon seeing the eager expressions on everyone’s faces, he turned around and added, “Eldest Daughter-in-law, Daquan, you’ll come up the mountain with Caiping and me. The rest of you stay at home.”
“Also, remember, the poisonous roots can be eaten, but don’t let anyone else know. If something goes wrong, we’ll be held responsible.”
Ye Youtian was about 80% convinced, but he still feared the remaining 20% of uncertainty.
If they hadn’t fully confirmed it could be processed safely, and someone else ate it and died, their family would be in big trouble.
Ye Erquan and Wei Shi, seeing that they couldn’t join them, looked disappointed.
Du Shi was so anxious that she scratched her head and ears.
Ye Peng pleaded, “Grandfather, let me go with you! I’m strong and can help with the work.”
“No, stay at home. Caiping, let’s go!”
Ye Caiping agreed and set off with Ye Youtian and Du Shi, along with Ye Daquan, who was beaming with pride.
…
It was now noon, and the villagers had returned home for lunch and rest, so they didn’t encounter many people on their way.
As they climbed the mountain, Ye Caiping explained the process of handling the bitter cassava.
Ye Caiping spoke confidently, and Ye Youtian and the others couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment. The process was so complicated! No wonder it could remove the toxins!
At this point, Ye Youtian and the others were 90% convinced.
Soon, they reached the cassava field.
The cassava plants were lush and green, stretching across half of the mountainside.
This thing can’t be eaten, and if it’s no longer usable, even if it’s chopped for firewood, there’s fear that it might release toxic fumes when burned. That’s why no villagers have ever dared to chop it.
Old Man Ye Youtian saw a few stalks on the ground that had been snapped off. From the looks of it, his daughter and two granddaughters must have done it a few days ago.
“Big Brother, dig up this one,” Ye Caiping said, pointing to a larger one.
Ye Daquan spat twice into his hands, then grabbed a hoe and struck the cassava plant hard with it. He pried it up, and with a twist, the entire plant came free.
Old Man Ye and his wife pulled at the base of the plant, and with a final effort, the large cassava was uprooted, its massive root exposed to the sunlight.
There were at least eight or nine tubers, thick and long, and together they weighed about thirty pounds or so.
“The yield is huge!” Ye Daquan swallowed hard.
Both Old Man Ye and his wife were a bit startled.
If these were poisonous, it would be truly terrifying! But if they were edible… that would be a huge surprise!
“I’ll show you how to peel them,” Ye Caiping said, casually chopping off one of the tubers.
She sat down on the ground and, holding a sickle, carefully scraped along the cassava’s surface. With a final flick of the blade, she revealed the snow-white flesh beneath.
Old Man Ye and the others trembled as they nervously picked up a cassava tuber.
After all, since childhood, the elders had warned them that this was a poisonous root that could kill, so deep down, they couldn’t help but feel some fear and resistance.
They copied Ye Caiping’s method and carefully peeled the cassava. Afterward, they chopped the tubers into small pieces.
In no time, all nine cassavas were processed.
The group walked to the mountain stream, and just as she had done last time, Ye Caiping tied the cassava in the water.
“Actually, you can soak it in a basin, but you’d have to change the water every hour. If you just place it in running water, it saves you the hassle of changing the water, and it works even better,” Ye Caiping explained.
Old Man Ye and the others nodded as they listened, making sure to commit the information to memory.
“Soak it for a whole day and night, and by tomorrow, we’ll be able to eat it,” Ye Caiping added.
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