Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 63 The Medicine Kitchen (Please read 4k words)

Several people squatted beside the ceramic basins in the warehouse.

As the water in the earthenware basin gradually condensed, the water in the copper basin inside the earthenware basin also froze rapidly.

In about twenty minutes, the water in the copper basin turned into a solid block of white ice, which was not transparent.

This is also why Zhang Xian wanted to purify saltpeter. If he used the purchased mirabilite, the ice that would form would not be in blocks but would be scattered ice particles.

After making a solid block of ice with the help of the four men, Zhang Xian used a cloth-wrapped hand to knock the ice out of the copper basin.

"Lan Di, take this to the cellar. We should go back for dinner now."

"okay."

Zhang Xian's Courtyard.

Tables and benches had already been placed in front of the door. Ever since the head of the family had these tall tables and benches made, the people of Taoyuan have come to love them because they are so convenient to sit on.

The fragrant pork stew was placed on the table, and Li Zhen and Huang Xu couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

Braised pork belly, blood sausage, stir-fried pork with chili peppers, and braised pork knuckle.
Each dish is unique and has never been seen anywhere else.

In order to teach Zhou Cui and Huang Zhong's wife Yue Rou, Zhang Xianke wasted a lot of meat. Fortunately, even the failed attempts were considered delicacies in this era when meat and oil were scarce.

The iron wok is the greatest cooking utensil in Taoyuan. Since the invention of stir-frying, other cooking methods such as stewing, boiling, and roasting have become auxiliary. The unique texture and taste of stir-frying quickly conquered everyone's taste buds.

"The patriarch is back!"

Li Zhen and Huang Xu, who were lying on the square table smelling the aroma of the food, spotted five people walking over from not far away.

They skipped and jumped as they went to greet them.

"Master, Master, the dishes smell delicious today!"

"Yes, Uncle, it smells delicious!"

Li Zhen and Huang Xu took Zhang Xian's hands, one on each side, much to the dismay of Huang Zhong, who watched from the side.

No, my son, that's my son!
He said to the newly arrived Han Ji, "Gongzhi, look at me, I almost don't recognize my father anymore."

The sarcastic tone made Han Ji want to laugh, but he felt mostly puzzled.

My lord is indeed somewhat different from the powerful figures I've encountered before.

No matter what kind of person he was, his lord seemed to be quite trustworthy.

Including myself, yesterday when I met my lord in person, it felt as if I had met an old friend I hadn't seen in a long time. That feeling of being convinced arose spontaneously.

In particular, his lord is quite approachable, behaving politely and respectfully with members of powerful families and noble clans, and also able to sit and chat intimately with ordinary villagers.

The entire Peach Blossom Spring is just like its name suggests, free from intrigue and strife, presenting a peaceful and idyllic scene.

if
Shaking his head, he sighed, "It's a pity my son is gone. Otherwise, he would be as lively as Xu'er if he came here."

"Sigh, why are you saying this?" Huang Zhong sighed and patted his shoulder.

Hearing the commotion behind him, Zhang Xian patted the two children on the head: "Gongzhi, give me some time. Once Peach Blossom Spring is stable, I will surely let you personally avenge your enemies!"

"My lord."

Han Ji's eyes welled up with tears; all these years, what had sustained him was his desire for revenge.

Zhang Xian turned around and patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, it won't be long."

Han Ji's status in his heart has now soared. A scholar who can handle matters big and small and has unique insights is far superior to someone who can only read books.

Although I have no recollection of his historical status, the qualities he displayed alone are enough to make him comparable to Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun in Peach Blossom Spring at this time.

For people like this, it's best to settle down as soon as possible.

As for Chen Mao, the prefect of Nanyang, I can only apologize.

With a somewhat preoccupied look on his mind, Han Ji sat down at the table, and the group began their meal.

There was another table nearby, where women, children, and other children were seated.

The table was filled with clinking glasses and toasts. Even Zhao Yun was forced to drink a few cups of wine, but Zhang Xian only looked at the food and didn't want to touch the wine again after trying it once.

Tonight's meal was a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate. The scallions, ginger, and garlic helped to remove any fishy smell, making the flavor of the black pork even more pronounced. In particular, the addition of Sichuan peppercorns, a seasoning commonly used in the Han Dynasty, gave the dishes a numbing and spicy taste.

The group ate with great satisfaction, and even Han Ji, a former scion of a prominent family, felt conquered by the cheap meat.
-
The next day.

Peach Blossom Spring gradually awakens with the crowing of roosters.

The farmers didn't need to be urged anymore; they picked up their hoes and plows and went to the fields on their own.

In early June, the crops in the fields were nearing maturity, and the bright red ears of sorghum, taller than a person, swayed in the wind.

Needless to say, the pumpkin patch is also amazing, with pumpkins bigger than a human head lying on the ridges. In less than half a month, Taoyuan will usher in its first harvest season.

The 180 mu of millet and bean fields and the more than 800 mu of sorghum fields that were reclaimed in time are all the first bumper harvests of the year.

In addition to these, there are more than 1,000 mu of newly reclaimed wasteland that can be planted with crops in early July, waiting for the harvest in November.

Moreover, with Taoyuan's population approaching two thousand, the compost from fermenting farmyard manure is also accumulating rapidly.

Once the second round of planting begins this year, the more than 2,000 mu of land in Taoyuan will be able to use water and fertilizer, and November will surely be a more bountiful harvest season than mid-June.

A martial arts arena.

The Peach Blossom Spring Clan's rest period was not yet over, and the martial arts training ground was empty this morning.

However, Zhang Xian had some free time. The training of doctors in Changshan was almost over, and now only those doctors who had promised to make house calls remained in Taoyuan.

Early in the morning, he pulled Huang Zhong aside and started sparring.

All I can say is that Huang Zhong is Huang Zhong. At his age, he probably wouldn't be intimidated even if he directly encountered Lü Bu.

At the peak of his strength and experience, when he could fight Zhao Yun for over twenty rounds, he couldn't even last six rounds against Huang Zhong.

The pressure was several times greater than fighting against A-Yun, truly embodying the phrase "aggressive as fire." It's clear that Grandpa Huang had been lenient with A-Yun back then.

If the attributes of Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun were displayed, Huang Zhong's attributes would likely be close to 12.3 points, while Zhao Yun's would be around 10 points.

But Zhao Yun is only 15 years old, and he still has a lot of room for growth.

You're asking about your own attributes? Isn't it clearly shown on the panel? You've evolved from a six or seven-year-old layman who first came to this world to a five or nine-year-old great being.

As for why it's the "59 Great Power"? It's because the "Temperament" attribute has unknowingly reached 11 points, giving it a significant lead in one aspect.

(The attribute panel will be provided by the author later.)
Over the past few days, I've roughly figured out why the [Temperament] attribute has improved so quickly.

It's probably related to fame.

After rescuing the young master from the Guo family, his reputation began to spread in Changshan, and it was also at that time that his [Temperament] attribute experience increased rapidly.

When the vaccination event took place, the growth of this [temperament] attribute experience reached a peak.

It's increasing exponentially almost every day.

The sound of weapons clashing echoed continuously in the empty training ground.

At the same time, Zhang Xian's repeated calls for another round also rang out.

Huang Zhong suffered greatly from that fervent desire to fight.

He couldn't hit them hard, but he couldn't let them off too easily either. Even though his own family head was the one being beaten, he was the one who was most exhausted.

After another struggle, Huang Zhong delivered a powerful kick to Zhang Xian's abdomen, and the two immediately separated.

With his long sword planted firmly on the ground, Huang Zhong gasped, "Let's rest, let's rest, Master. I'm no longer young and strong, and my stamina is starting to give out." It's no wonder he was panting so heavily. Look at the sun high in the sky; the two of them had been sparring for almost two hours. Even an iron man would be worn out by now.

"Then let's take a break." Zhang Xian let out a comfortable sigh of relief, and casually rummaged through his pocket, tossing a piece of yellow pasta about the length and thickness of a thumb to Huang Zhong.

"Eat, rest for a while, and then come back."

As he spoke, he also put a piece in his mouth.

【Wheat Pumpkin Stamina Pancake: Immediately restores 20% stamina upon consumption, and continues to restore 10% stamina over the next five minutes.】

The [Medicine Chef] skill proved its power. After months of experimentation, he finally managed to exhaustively figure out how to make restorative food by leveraging the extremely fast production speed of [Homestead Farm].

By kneading wheat flour produced from [Homestead Farmland] with Solomon's Seal and pumpkin, you can produce Stamina Cakes that restore stamina.

By boiling ginseng root produced from the [Homestead Fields] with millet and dried grass, you can obtain a life-restoring porridge.

By baking a potsticker with ginseng root produced from the [Homestead Fields], along with astragalus, schisandra, chili, minced meat, and flour, you can obtain an Endurance Potsticker that restores stamina.

With the food produced by these three [Medicine Chef] skills, it's no wonder that Zhang Xian can fight for three or four hours without getting tired.

However, perhaps because the skill level of [Medicine Chef] is not high at present, it is not guaranteed to produce a finished product each time. Sometimes, it takes eighty or ninety pounds of consumables to get one or two finished products.

Therefore, his current reserves are not much, only about 50 or 60 yuan worth of each food item, all stored in the weight space that can only store [Homestead] template products.

Huang Zhong chewed on the energy biscuit. As the crispy dough crust crumbled, a bitter taste that made his scalp tingle exploded in his mouth.

His entire face was contorted in a grimace, and Zhang Xian, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Haha, that's it! Suffering shouldn't be suffered alone; it's good suffering when everyone suffers.

As the creator of restorative foods, he has shed many tears over the incredibly powerful yet utterly disappointing taste of the [Medicine Chef] skill.

The savory biscuit was so bitter it made you question the meaning of life.

The spiciness of the gluten-filled flatbread made one suspect that the chili peppers used were ghost peppers.

Even the only somewhat normal congee tasted worse than regular congee.

This is the side effect of the [Medicine Chef] skill: it may not taste good, but it will definitely taste terrible!
"yue—!" Chew, chew, chew.

"Hey, patriarch, what is this thing? It tastes awful!"

After eating a strength-building biscuit, Huang Zhong's face turned somewhat pale.

Zhang Xian remained silent, only smiled, and then pointed at him.

"Try it out."

"What do you mean by 'experience this'?!"

Suddenly, Huang Zhong was surprised to find that his strength, which had been almost exhausted, was rapidly recovering. In less than two breaths, his hand holding the knife regained its strength!

"You have energy now?"

Huang Zhong nodded: "Got it!"

"Is it still bitter?"

Huang Zhong shook his head: "It's sweet! It's sweet!"

"Then let's try this one!"

As he spoke, Zhang Xian reached into his pocket again and pulled out a flatbread about half the size of his palm, which he then tossed to Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong took it, stuffed it into his mouth, tore off a piece, and chewed it in large bites.

Almost the instant his taste buds came into contact with the filling of the guokui, Huang Zhong's entire face turned bright red.

If he were to play Guan Yu right now, the resemblance would be 100%.

It's really strange. The chili peppers used are just ordinary green peppers, but after being made into an endurance potsticker, the spiciness seems to have increased hundreds of times, like the spiciness of a ghost pepper.

Strangely, the spiciness seemed almost virtual, and swallowing it had no effect on the throat, esophagus, or stomach.

When he first discovered this, he even tried swallowing it raw, but even then, the spiciness still lingered on his tongue.

It's like the concept of "spicy"—you have to experience the spiciness to truly enjoy it.

After struggling to swallow a piece of spiciness-inducing guokui (a type of flatbread), Huang Zhong was feeling quite unwell, but fortunately, the spiciness dissipated quickly.

In just four or five breaths, he returned to normal.

The hand holding the knife was as steady as a doctor's hand performing acupuncture.

【Huang Wuwei Spicy Potsticker: Immediately restores 20% stamina upon consumption, and continues to restore 10% stamina over the next five minutes.】

"Head of the family."

"Ok?"

"Come and fight!!"

Huang Zhong, his face ashen, drew his sword and charged forward.

Zhang Xian was terrified.

"Wait, wait, don't smash the cook's pot right after eating his food!"

He quickly dodged.

But Huang Zhong remained silent, only silently wielding his sword.

The sound of weapons clashing rang out again.

As the fight progressed, Zhang Xian became immersed in the raging, fiery attacks, his body and mind rapidly absorbing the experience of the battle.

Beside the stream in Peach Blossom Spring.

More than a hundred children were squatting on the sand. In front of them, Han Ji, a scholar in a long robe, was reciting enlightenment teachings.

Start with the simplest Three Character Classic.

He would read a sentence and then stop, listening to the hundred or so children repeat it.

Despite having only one pair of eyes, he seemed to have multiple threads running, able to accurately point out who was reciting seriously and who was just going through the motions.

Then, rewards were given and punishments were imposed, and in no time, this established a place in the hearts of many children.

On the sand, many children followed Han Ji, repeatedly reciting the first few lines of the Three Character Classic.

The farmers who went out to cultivate wasteland all had stern expressions on their faces, but they only showed their sternness to their own children in the group of children.

Soon it was past noon.

The young men who went back to their small mountain village yesterday returned to Taoyuan, which means that the people of Taoyuan have ended their holiday.

Today's lesson has also come to an end, held on the sandy bank by the stream.

In the afternoon, Han Ji selected about a hundred of the youngest and strongest men from Taoyuan to choose a spot around the stream.

The stream shimmered with golden light. Han Ji rolled up his coarse cloth sleeves, stepped barefoot into the cool water, and drew a heavy line on the shallows with his wooden ruler: "Build a dam here!"

More than ten villagers immediately wielded shovels and piled the pebbles at the bottom of the river into a crescent-shaped stone base.

He then found many bamboo strips, wove them into a net by hand, covered the stone base, and ordered people to pour in clay and compact it.

“This is the ‘bamboo frame rammed earth method’,” he wiped the sweat from his forehead. “The bamboo strips are as tough as sinews, and the clay is as solid as flesh. Even in the event of a mountain flood, it will not collapse.”

(End of this chapter)