Chapter 282

The two arrived at Jiangcheng Agricultural University, bought some things outside the school gate, and went to Professor Rao's house first.

Seeing Su Xinghui arrive, Professor Rao was both surprised and happy. He hurriedly let him into the house and said, "Xinghui, why are you here?"

Su Xinghui laughed, "Isn't it the New Year? I came to pay you a New Year's visit."

Lu Xiaoya also laughed, "Happy New Year, Professor Rao!"

Professor Rao acknowledged her, hurriedly asked his wife to make tea for them, and let them sit down to chat.

Professor Rao said, "When did you arrive?"

Su Xinghui said, "Professor Rao, I arrived yesterday. After I arrived, I paid a few New Year's visits and had a gathering with some classmates. This morning I attended a gathering with Teacher Qin, and this afternoon I came to your house."

Professor Rao said, "Then thank you. You are truly thoughtful!"

Su Xinghui said, "What does this count for? You've helped our township so much; isn't it right for me to pay a New Year's visit? The leaders in our township asked me to send you their regards, hoping you have a happy New Year and a happy family!"

Professor Rao laughed, "Good, good, then thank your leaders! Don't leave today; eat here!"

Su Xinghui said, "Professor Rao, I can't eat at your house today. After I pay New Year's visits to Professor Luo and Professor Huang, I have to rush back to Shangjun."

Professor Rao said, "Are you going to work tomorrow?"

Su Xinghui nodded, "That's right."

Professor Rao laughed, "Then don't leave today. Professor Luo, Professor Huang, and I happen to be going to your place tomorrow. You can take our car together, so you don't have to rush for the bus this afternoon, which is quite troublesome."

Su Xinghui said, "Is that so? Then alright, but I have to pay New Year's visits to Professor Luo and Professor Huang first, and then come back."

Professor Rao nodded, "Alright, then go ahead. My wife and I are going to prepare dinner."

Su Xinghui said, "Cooking so early? It's not even two o'clock yet."

Professor Rao said, "It's the New Year, and my wife and I have nothing to do at home. Cooking is a way to pass the time. She's picking vegetables while watching TV, and she's not using a pressure cooker to stew the soup; she's using an earthenware pot, so it takes a long time."

Su Xinghui laughed, "Then I'll go first."

Lu Xiaoya said, "Then I won't go. I'll stay at Professor Rao's house and help them."

Su Xinghui nodded, "Alright, I'll be back soon."

Su Xinghui went out and bought more things, and ran to Professor Luo's and Professor Huang's houses. Both of them also asked him to stay for dinner. He said he was going to eat at Professor Rao's house and that he would go to Shangjun with them tomorrow. Both of them nodded with a smile and said they would see him tomorrow.

When he returned to Professor Rao's house, Lu Xiaoya was helping the two elderly people pick vegetables. After watching them pick vegetables, Su Xinghui finally understood why they started cooking so early. They picked the vegetables very meticulously; if there was any yellow part, they would throw it away, and the skin on the stems of the vegetable stalks had to be peeled off bit by bit.

Su Xinghui shook his head with a smile, but he also knew this was a way for the elderly to pass the time, so he didn't say anything. He went to the kitchen to take a look, and sure enough, there was a large earthenware pot on the coal stove, stewing pork rib and lotus root soup.

Su Xinghui picked up a spoon, stirred the pot, and returned to the living room, "Professor Rao, the soup stewed in the earthenware pot is really fragrant!"

Professor Rao said, "Of course. You don't know this, but the lotus roots in our house are cultivated by ourselves, and these vegetables are also grown by ourselves. We absolutely don't use chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and we use the improved varieties we cultivated. Like these vegetable stalks, they are delicious and can be eaten raw."

After saying that, Professor Rao peeled a vegetable stalk he was picking and put it in his mouth to take a bite, chewing it.

Lu Xiaoya asked curiously, "Really? I'll try it too."

She pinched off a piece of the thickest stalk, put it in her mouth, chewed a few times, and nodded, "It's true, it's so sweet and crunchy!"

Su Xinghui also picked up a piece of stalk from the basket and ate it. Sure enough, it was very sweet and crunchy, even better than an apple.

Seeing the two of them eating it with relish, Professor Rao said proudly, "Is it delicious?"

Lu Xiaoya said, "It's really delicious."

Mentioning these lotus roots and vegetable stalks, Su Xinghui remembered something: "Professor Rao, I have an uncle living in Pagoda Township, Yulin City. He's a farmer and his family is quite poor. I want him to do some side business, so I thought about having him grow lotus roots. Can you find someone to get some technical information and some improved varieties?"

Professor Rao said, "That's no problem. After our improved varieties are cultivated, they all need to be trial-planted. Not only trial-planted at the school, but also in the producing areas, and then promoted. Pagoda Township is also a producing area for lotus roots, so they can be trial-planted. Tomorrow I'll tell Luo Ping and have him send a student to go there when he has time."

Su Xinghui nodded, "That's great! Thank you, Professor Rao!"

Professor Rao laughed, "What's there to thank? This is applying knowledge to practice. The purpose of our Agricultural University is that if these new technologies aren't trial-used by anyone, what's the use?"

Professor Rao's wife also laughed, "Our house hasn't really benefited from Old Rao in other ways, but we've tasted quite a lot of the vegetables, fruits, chickens, and rabbits that Old Rao and the others grow."

Professor Rao said, "Isn't that enough?"

His wife said, "You didn't say that every time you go out, it's for ten days or half a month. How pitiful we three mothers and children are at home?"

As soon as this was mentioned, Professor Rao immediately raised his hands in surrender: "Alright, alright, it's me who has let you three down!"

His wife said, "I didn't say you let us down. I also know you are a person of the state and everything you do is serious business. I'm just nagging a bit."

Professor Rao stopped talking. Su Xinghui said, "Professor Rao's wife, I'm really sorry. Tomorrow Professor Rao is going to our place again."

His wife laughed, "It's okay, young Su, I'm already used to it! He's going to do serious business."

The group chatted, picked vegetables, and watched TV. Before long, it was past four o'clock. Su Xinghui said, "Professor Rao, Professor Rao's wife, let me cook a meal for you today."

His wife said, "How can that be? Young Su, you are a guest."