Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

The difference between Xiao Ran and the people of the Tang Dynasty was never in their clothing and speech, but in their way of seeing the world and dealing with people.

This difference, like the light shining through a window in spring, is gentle yet illuminates a way of life outside the rules that she had never noticed before.

Li Lizhi was accustomed to the hierarchical order of the Tang Dynasty.

When emperors and their subjects meet, they must bow and lower their heads. Young men from noble families often give village officials only a fleeting glance, and there is an invisible chasm between princesses and village children.

But Xiao Ran treated Li Shimin with the same restraint that officials show to emperors, and would say frankly, "Uncle, the stir-fried pork with chili peppers should be less spicy for the best taste."

In Li Lizhi's view, Xiao Ran seemed to have no distinction between "ruler and subject", "honor and rank", or "noble and lowly" in his eyes, and only looked at "people" themselves.

She was peaceful and devoted to everyone. This attitude of "not being bound by status" was a relaxed one that even princes and princesses in Chang'an had never seen before.

She was also familiar with the operating logic of the Tang Dynasty.

Brocade weaving relies on ancestral patterns, tea making depends on the tea farmer's feel, and house construction follows old traditions. In everything, people "follow experience" and rarely ask, "Can it be better?"

But Xiao Ran did not do it that way. He taught Xiao Yu how to build a tea workshop by breaking it down into "selecting a location near the tea mountains to preserve the tea freshness, and dividing it into a withering room and a drying room to improve efficiency".

They even meticulously considered how to modify the ventilation duct in the stove to control the heat, with practical considerations for each step, rather than relying on intuition.

When the village was building a school, the craftsmen said, "Just build it the old way," but he insisted on changing the direction the windows faced.

"It allows children to bask in the sun in winter and keeps their hands from getting cold," and also includes small ventilation windows to prevent the summer heat.

Li Lizhi gradually realized that Xiao Ran never thought about "getting by" when doing things, but only about "getting by well".

He kept in mind the details that the people of the Tang Dynasty overlooked, focusing on making people comfortable and effortless. This pragmatism of "not being bound by tradition" was completely different from the inertia of "acting according to precedent" in the court.

What touched Li Lizhi even more was Xiao Ran's understanding of "people's livelihood".

When officials in the Tang Dynasty discussed people's livelihood, they mostly focused on "distributing grain and providing disaster relief" and "encouraging agriculture and sericulture," but few thought about "how to make it easier for the people to live a good life."

Xiao Ran planted tomatoes because he calculated that "after the summer grain harvest, the land will be empty, so planting these will not take much effort, and the people can harvest more fruit to fill their stomachs."

When teaching villagers how to grow vegetables, they would write down "seedling cultivation and watering" on paper, afraid that the elderly would not remember.

Even pig farmers are researching how to raise pigs quickly and prevent them from getting sick after castration.

He never "gave things to the people," but rather "taught them skills," enabling them to make a living on their own.

This "teaching a man to fish" mentality is closer to the real needs of ordinary people than the simple "benefiting others" in Chang'an.

This also made Li Lizhi realize for the first time that "people's livelihood" is not just an imperial edict, but also a series of subtle considerations hidden in "how to plant less effort and how to live a more secure life".

As for breaking the "rules," Li Lizhi sees it even more clearly.

The Tang Dynasty emphasized that "women should not show their faces in public" and "children should only play." However, when Xiao Ran saw her recording the details of the workshop, he would praise her, saying, "You write more detailed notes than men do. You should record more of these."

Seeing that Di Renjie was young, they would teach him to identify seeds and plants, saying, "Looking around is more useful than just playing."

He never cared about the difference between men and women or the age limit; he only cared about whether someone could do it and whether they could do it well.

Even Li Lizhi once wondered "why she paid special attention to Di Renjie", but later she realized that Xiao Ran never cared whether "the Di family were officials or not", but only that "this child is calm and should be taught well".

This perspective of "judging character over social status" completely broke away from the Tang Dynasty's habit of judging people by their family background.

Occasionally, Li Lizhi would watch Xiao Ran teaching villagers to identify chili peppers in the vegetable garden and helping Li Ke mix glass materials in the workshop, and a vague yet clear understanding would arise in her heart.

In Xiao Ran's world, there were no hierarchical shackles that the Tang people regarded as the golden rule, no obsession with "old rules cannot be changed", and no prejudice that "status determines rank".

He lived a simple yet fulfilling life, and was pragmatic yet warm-hearted in his work. This fundamental difference in mindset from that of the Tang Dynasty may be the reason why he was able to bring tomatoes, peppers, and new workshop methods.

It's not that his status as a "stranger" is special, but rather that his way of looking at the world inherently holds another possibility for making life better.

Li Lizhi shared many of her feelings with Li Shimin.

Everyone knows Xiao Ran is different, but Li Shimin didn't spend every day in Kaolao Village, so his feelings were definitely not as deep as Li Lizhi's.

"Grandpa, Sister is ready to eat," Princess Yuzhang called out, running to the other side to call Sun Simiao, Li Yuan, Empress Xiao, and the others.

Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong were used to it.

Yuchi Jingde, who was visiting for the first time, was not used to it.

Cheng Yaojin pulled Yuchi Jingde to the other side, saying, "Believe me, once you've eaten here, you won't want to eat at home anymore."

"Haha! I'll have to see and try it!"

At Li Shimin's table, everyone was older, and they were all men.

The youngest is Xiao Ran.

Li Tai and Li Ke both went to the other side.

"Uncle, this chili isn't very spicy, and it tastes quite different when stir-fried. I think it smells very good. I wonder what you guys think of it?" Xiao Ran pointed to the stir-fried green peppers and pork in front of him.

"Let me try it!"

Following Xiao Ran's advice, Li Shimin picked up a green pepper coated in oil with his chopsticks. Upon tasting it, he first noticed a faint aroma of char, and after a couple of chews, he could taste the spiciness of the pepper.

The spiciness has lost the intense, pungent flavor that hits the mouth and nose when eaten raw. Instead, it spreads gently on the tongue, as if it has been soaked in oil, further enhancing the freshness of the meat slices next to it.

He chewed slowly, his brows gradually relaxing, a stark contrast to his disheveled state when he ate the raw chili peppers earlier.

“The cooked and the raw ones look like two different things.”

Li Shimin put down his chopsticks, his tone tinged with surprise.

"When it's raw, it's so spicy it makes you want to vomit, but when it's cooked, the spiciness is greatly reduced, and it even has a nice oily aroma. It's not pungent at all; on the contrary, it makes you want to eat a few more bites of rice."

He picked up another bite with his chopsticks, this time specifically to eat it with rice. He found the spiciness of the green pepper mixed with the aroma of the rice to be much more refreshing than eating plain white rice alone.

"Mr. Sun said before that it is spicy and hot and can stimulate the appetite. Stir-frying it like this retains the spiciness to help with appetite, while removing the dryness of the raw spiciness. It can really be used as a good seasoning."

As he spoke, he looked at Qin Qiong, Cheng Yaojin, and the others beside him and gestured with his hand: "You guys should try it too. It's much more palatable than raw meat, and it brings out the aroma of the meat even better."

"I was worried before that this dish was too spicy and most people couldn't handle it. But now it seems that as long as it's prepared correctly, it can become a regular dish on the dinner table of ordinary families."

Cheng Yaojin, who couldn't contain himself any longer, immediately picked up a large mouthful upon hearing this, chewing it with a loud slurping sound, and nodded as he ate: "That's right! The raw kind is so spicy it burns your heart, but this cooked kind is so fragrant!"

After saying that, Cheng Yaojin shoveled a mouthful of rice; it was still very spicy.

Xiao Ran didn't find it spicy, but the others thought it was very spicy.

Qin Qiong also took a bite, and after tasting it carefully, he said calmly, "After it's cooked, the spiciness subsides and the flavor becomes milder. Adding a little when stir-frying can remove the fishy smell of meat and stimulate the appetite. It's much safer than eating it raw."

Li Shimin turned to look at Xiao Ran, his eyes filled with approval: "You're quite resourceful. Knowing that it's too strong to eat raw, you thought of using stir-frying to temper its flavor. If this were eaten raw, you'd probably only be able to satisfy your craving." "Stir-frying it like this would truly make it a good thing for the people."

"I can't get used to it in the summer, but it's a real treat in the winter." Xiao Ran added some more chili.

"How does it taste when cooked? For soups and stews?" Li Shimin continued to ask.

"It doesn't taste good when cooked, but the soup is spicy. I wouldn't recommend this if you can't eat spicy food," Xiao Ran said. "Boil it a little and add some salt, and it will taste different. This is also good with rice."

Xiao Ran pointed to the other bowl.

Li Shimin also tried it, "Sigh, it really is spicy, but quite fragrant. I'll have to take a lot with me later."

Li Shimin, Cheng Yaojin, and the others ate until their faces were flushed.

It seems like I'm getting a little addicted.

"Uncle, you're not used to it at first, so don't eat like this. The spiciness of chili peppers isn't a taste, it's a pain!" Xiao Ran said to the group.

"Pain?" Li Shimin was quite surprised.

Seeing Li Shimin's surprised expression, Xiao Ran put down his chopsticks, pointed to the green peppers on the table, and tried his best to explain in terms that Tang Dynasty people could understand:

"Uncle, think about it, the sweet, sour, bitter, and salty tastes we experience are 'flavors' that our tongues can distinguish. For example, the sweetness of tomatoes and the sourness of plums are real 'tastes'."

"But the 'spiciness' of this chili is different. When you ate it raw just now, did you feel like your mouth was being burned by a small fire, a little burning, or even painful?"

"But actually, my mouth wasn't bruised or injured, so the pain isn't from a real injury."

"It's the spiciness of the chili pepper that stimulates the 'sore spots' in our mouths."

"It's like the 'pain' of your hands being sore from the cold in winter, or being gently pricked by a small thorn, only this kind of pain is milder."

"It's still a bit hot, which is why we feel 'spicy,' not the 'taste,' but the 'pain.'"

He paused, then pointed to his lips: "Look, now that we've eaten cooked chili peppers, our lips are a little red and hot. It's actually a reaction caused by this 'slight pain,' not by the taste."

"If it were a real sense of taste, you would only feel it on your tongue, not on your lips and throat."

"This is the difference between 'pain' and 'taste'. Spiciness is stimulated by the 'pain' it makes us feel excited, but we don't actually 'taste' it."

Li Shimin frowned slightly upon hearing this, and subconsciously touched his lips, which were indeed still a little warm.
"So, according to you, eating spicy food is actually 'enduring minor pain'? But why do we still want to eat a couple more bites even though it hurts?"

“That’s interesting!” Xiao Ran smiled. “After a person experiences a slight pain, their body will quietly begin to recover.”

"For example, if we accidentally bump into a table, rubbing it can actually make us feel better."

"The 'slight pain' of this chili is the same. After the spiciness, your body will feel more relaxed, especially in winter, it can also warm your body, which is why people feel 'addicted'. Even though it hurts a little, you still want to eat it."

Just as Xiao Ran finished explaining that "spicy is a sensation of pain," Sun Simiao put down his chopsticks, his gaze falling on the green peppers on the table, his tone carrying a hint of sudden realization:

"I only noticed this chili pepper these past few days, along with you all. A couple of days ago, I saw the young man eat it raw, and his lips and tongue turned red. He kept saying it wasn't spicy. I also saw others spit it out after taking a bite. I just felt that the 'fiery' nature of this thing was strange."

"Ordinary spicy flavors like dogwood and garlic are 'flavors' that slowly spread in the mouth, but this chili pepper is like it has 'intense force,' causing pain and heat as soon as you touch it."

"I was just wondering what the cause of this 'strength' was, but after hearing what the young master said, I understand completely now!"

Sun Simiao spoke with a serious tone, yet with the joy of his new discovery: "The Yellow Emperor's Inner Classic only says that 'pungent flavors are the main means of dispersing.' I originally thought that this dispersing meant that the pungent flavors would directly penetrate into the blood and qi, causing the body to heat up."

"Only today did I realize that the 'spiciness' of this chili pepper is not an ordinary 'taste'."

"It first uses the 'pain' to stimulate the 'painful places' in the mouth, like a fingertip being lightly pricked by a fine thorn. Although it doesn't hurt, it can draw blood and qi to that place, thus creating that hot, radiating sensation."

"After eating spicy food, my lips and tongue turn red and my forehead sweats slightly. It's not the taste that causes this, but the 'slight pain' that triggers my blood and qi. It's more direct than the usual spicy flavor!"

The others nodded, agreeing that Sun Simiao's words made a lot of sense.

“Pain can be used as a form of punishment. This may not seem like it will break bones, but it must hurt a lot!” Li Shimin looked at the chili pepper.

"Uncle, you're a real devil!" Xiao Ran said with a smile. "I wouldn't recommend it for others, but it's effective against corrupt officials. It hurts much more than rubbing salt in the wound, and the pain lasts much longer."

"You're no better than me. You can't handle spicy food, I can't imagine what would happen if you got it on your wound."

Cheng Yaojin, Yuchi Jingde, and the others standing nearby also twitched at the corners of their mouths.

It's torture to listen to.

Xiao Ran's vegetable garden wasn't just for the people here to eat; it was also a place to experiment with planting techniques.

It now appears that the Tang Dynasty could definitely cultivate these things on a large scale.

Many people don't like eating chili peppers these days, but tomatoes are definitely popular.

Even if you don't know how to stir-fry tea, you can still make soup with this stuff, and it's also fine to eat it raw.

The people of Kaolao Village are now seizing the time to plant, and in a few months, they will not only be able to eat it themselves, but also sell it to Chang'an City.

Selling it now would definitely get you a high price!
A situation where supply cannot meet demand!
Zhang Jinhe thought of this when he heard about having others grow tomatoes.

I told Zhang Huaicai immediately.

There are no roasted chestnuts or persimmon cakes available now, so Zhang Huaicai's shop is doing a bit of a slump.

Tomatoes will definitely make money in the future.

Zhang Jinhe knew that this cycle wouldn't be long.

Once the villagers have grown it, they will definitely be willing to sell any that they can't eat.

Xiao Ran and Li Lizhi wouldn't compete for this kind of business, so the most suitable family would be Zhang Mingde's family.

Zhang Jinhe's family wanted to plant more crops, and after hearing about the publicity, others also wanted to plant more crops.

"This thing can be sold," Xiao Ran said.

They believed Xiao Ran's words unconditionally.

After finishing their meal, Li Shimin and his companions headed back, taking with them a considerable amount of tomatoes and chili peppers.

The Imperial Kitchen now also serves stir-fried dishes in iron woks, so you can enjoy stir-fried dishes right inside the palace.

The taste was still a little off, and Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang knew the reason: it was the seasoning!
There's nothing we can do about it; Xiao Ran's seasonings are not available in the Tang Dynasty.

Xiao Ran always had some, but not much.

The Imperial Kitchen's daily needs are enormous; Xiao Ran definitely couldn't produce enough. (End of Chapter)