Chapter 113: Boss, We Found This
Soon after the news spread, many free villagers sprang into action.
They were off to catch crayfish.
It was still early, so catching a few pounds before dark wouldn’t be a problem.
With several dozen, even a hundred yuan, just waiting to be earned, the villagers were all fired up.
Some went into the paddy fields to catch them by hand.
Others fished for them in deeper waters like ditches and ponds.
And some took their traps and set them all over.
After his dad got home, he also grabbed a bucket and headed to the fields to catch crayfish.
It was the first time the village had ever seen so many adults head to the fields to catch crayfish at once.
Many who saw it were deeply moved, yet also felt a faint thrill of excitement.
The topic of Li You buying up crayfish in bulk quickly became the talk of the village.
It was being discussed everywhere, in every household.
The village was abuzz.
...
Jiulong Gorge.
After calling his dad, Li You sent a message to Ye Shengge, telling her he’d be launching two new dishes the day after tomorrow: Agastache Crucian Carp and Spicy Crayfish.
Ye Shengge quickly replied, "That’s wonderful! I love both of those. Especially the spicy crayfish—I absolutely adore it. I have to come over the day after tomorrow, then."
"Of course, you’re more than welcome!"
After chatting a bit more with Ye Shengge, Li You went into the kitchen. He took about fifty-five pounds of tender ginger from the Storage Pavilion, washed it, and placed it in a pickling jar.
Pickled chilies and pickled ginger, all set.
Just then, more customers came in, all from the local town.
More and more people from town were learning about Li You’s restaurant.
Li You got busy again.
After a flurry of activity, he had served all the customers’ orders.
Gradually, after this wave of customers finished their meals and left, Zhao Yu and his friends had also finally eaten and drunk their fill.
Everyone expressed their immense satisfaction, saying they had thoroughly enjoyed the wine at lunch.
To be able to drink such fine wine and eat such exquisite food in a small town like theirs was, in a way, even more satisfying than life in the big cities.
"Boss, the check please."
Li You calculated the bill but only charged them for the food, not the wine.
Since he’d said the wine was on him today, he had to be true to his word.
Everyone was delighted and thanked Li You again for treating them to such wonderful wine.
Li You told them not to mention it.
Afterwards, Zhao Yu called a motorcycle taxi driver and asked him to arrange for eleven motorcycles to come pick them up.
Two people to a bike.
Half an hour later, eleven motorcycles pulled into the parking lot one after another.
The group left on the motorcycles.
Li You relaxed in his rocking chair.
Some time later, Xia Xiaoyue, Mu Qingye, Chu Yiwei, and their group returned.
Li You asked, "How did it go? Did you run into the Red-crowned Cranes?"
Mu Qingye said regretfully, "No."
Li You said, "It’s true, seeing a Red-crowned Crane isn’t easy. But that just goes to show how truly lucky you were last time, managing to see one and take so many pictures."
Hearing this, Mu Qingye smiled. "That’s true. I was already more than satisfied with getting so many photos that day."
Just then, Xia Xiaoyue held her hand out to Li You. "We didn’t see any Red-crowned Cranes, but we found these."
Xia Xiaoyue’s palm was filled with small, black beads.
Li You smiled. "Aren’t these urine beads?"
Xia Xiaoyue nodded. "Yup! When I was little, I loved stringing them together to make a bracelet. I haven’t seen them in so many years. I can’t believe we found some today. I’m going to take them back to school and make a bracelet to relive my childhood."
Li You nodded with a smile.
In the countryside, urine beads were a common toy for children. Many kids had strung them together to make bracelets.
Of course, Li You had done it himself, too.
In other places, urine beads are also called grass beads, Bodhi Seeds, or Five Grains. They come from a wild plant.
The plant itself looks a bit like corn or sorghum, but with thinner stalks that grow upright in clumps.
They usually grow in clusters, typically over a meter tall.
When mature, the fruit is black or sometimes multicolored. The shell is hard, smooth, and glossy.
Once you remove the core, it becomes hollow. You can then thread them on a string to make bracelets, decorative beads, and more.
"These beads are beautiful! Why are they called ’urine beads’?" Mu Qingye asked.
Many of the other girls also found it strange.
Having grown up in the city, they had never encountered these beads before. Today was their first time seeing them.
"I know why," said Chu Yiwei. "There’s a folk belief that if a child plays with these beads, they’ll wet the bed at night. And if you wear them as a bracelet, they’ll suck your blood."
Xia Xiaoyue added, "That’s exactly right. That’s why when we were little, everyone told us not to pick urine beads to play with. But despite the warnings, we all went and picked them anyway."
Mu Qingye and the other girls nodded.
’But why would such a strange rumor exist?’
"It’s probably because adults were worried kids would get into danger picking them," Li You added. "Urine beads often grow near water and in other relatively dangerous places. So they made up lies like that to scare children off, and the stories just spread over time."
’So that’s why.’
Mu Qingye and the other girls nodded. That seemed plausible.
"By the way, do these urine beads have a scientific name?" Mu Qingye asked.
"It does. It’s called Yiyi," Li You said.
"Yiyi?" Mu Qingye and the other girls paused for a moment. "That name sounds so familiar!"
Li You smiled. "You’re probably more familiar with Yiren, or Yimi, right?"
"Yes, yes, that’s it! Yiren. Yiren and Yimi are the same thing, aren’t they?" Mu Qingye asked.
Li You nodded. "They are."
"So, are they related to Yiyi?"
"Of course! If you peel open the shell of the Yiyi, the kernel inside is what’s called Yiren, or Yimi."
This left Mu Qingye and the other girls stunned.
Because according to what Li You said, wouldn’t that mean Yiren was what you got when you shelled these very beads?
They never would have imagined that.
"Not quite," Li You said with a smile. "These urine beads are from wild Yiyi. While both wild and cultivated versions are called Yiyi, they are different species within the same genus. Only the seeds of the cultivated Yiyi are called Yiren. The kernels from wild Yiyi—what you’d get from shelling these urine beads—aren’t called Yiren. Of course, they have similar properties to Yiren, just much weaker."
’So that’s how it is.’
Mu Qingye and the other girls nodded.
But even so, it meant these urine beads were more special than they appeared.
Li You said, "It’s not just the urine beads. In the countryside, and out in the wilds, many unremarkable weeds and plants are actually quite extraordinary."
Mu Qingye and the other girls nodded again, in complete agreement.
Xia Xiaoyue said happily, "So that’s the connection between urine beads and Yiren! I never knew. The countryside really is full of treasures."
Li You completely agreed with her.
By now, it was getting late.
Xia Xiaoyue, Mu Qingye, and the other students had to head back to school.
Li You scooped a bowl of sweet fermented rice for Xia Xiaoyue and the few other girls who were driving, sealed each with plastic wrap, and told them to take it back to school with them.
"Thank you, Boss!" Xia Xiaoyue and the other girls were thrilled.
"Boss, we’re heading out now. Goodbye!"
"Goodbye!"
After several cars had slowly driven away, Chu Yiwei, Lin Xin, and the other teachers also said, "Boss, we’re heading back to school now, too."
Li You nodded. "Alright. Ride safe."
"Okay. Goodbye, Boss!"
"Goodbye!"
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A huge thank you to Cozy Meow for the 100-coin tip!
Thank you, generous patron!
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