BDSMST -Chapter 117 The First “Tasting Conference” for Chili Peppers

The joy brought by the completion of the waterwheel had not yet faded when Woniu Village welcomed another novelty. As autumn deepened, the batch of new crops in Jiang Suisui’s experimental fields reached harvest season. Among them, the most eye-catching were the plants covered with red fruits.

Those fruits were cone-shaped and brightly colored. Under the sunlight, they looked like pieces of red agate hanging from the branches—strikingly beautiful.

The villagers were all curious about what they were. Some guessed they were a new kind of fruit, while others thought they might be a medicinal herb.

Jiang Suisui had people harvest all the red fruits, filling several large baskets. She decided to reveal the mystery of this new species through a unique “tasting conference.”

When the news spread, the kitchens of the entire Woniu Village filled with a scent unlike anything they had ever smelled before—spicy, pungent, and domineering. It came from the chili peppers being processed by the cooks under Jiang Suisui’s guidance.

Some of the peppers were dried and ground into powder. Some were made into chili paste soaked in red oil. Others were used to cook the main dish for today’s tasting event.

Inside the kitchen, the sounds of coughing and sneezing rose one after another. The cooks’ eyes watered from the pungency, yet they were also fascinated by this strange new seasoning.

The tasting event was held in the large dining hall of the school. Long tables were covered with dishes, but the centerpiece was a large basin of food with an almost dazzling color.

Slices of tender white meat floated in a brilliant red broth, topped with bright green chopped scallions and fragrant toasted sesame seeds. The rich aroma—mixing numbness, spice, freshness, and fragrance—was like an invisible hand teasing everyone’s appetite.

Gu Yan, Uncle Fu, several stewards from the estate, and Bai Yutang, whose injuries had healed and who was preparing to return to Jinling to handle affairs, all sat at the main table as the first group of “tasting judges.”

“Madam… this… was made from those little red fruits?” Uncle Fu looked at the basin of boiled pork slices in chili broth, his expression hesitant. Earlier that morning he had only glanced at the chili-processing and had already coughed until tears streamed down his face. Now he felt a bit uneasy.

“Uncle Fu, you’ll know once you try it,” Jiang Suisui said with a smile, personally serving him a small bowl.

Gu Yan looked at the slice of meat in his bowl, glistening with red oil. His face remained calm, but his grip on the chopsticks tightened slightly. The “painful experience” from last time was still fresh in his mind. Still, with so many people watching, as the master of the household he had to be the first to try it.

He picked up a slice of meat and, under everyone’s gaze, placed it in his mouth.

The meat was tender and smooth, while the bean sprouts were crisp. Then suddenly a wave of burning heat exploded across his tongue. It wasn’t the sharp spice of cornel fruit nor the numbing sensation of Sichuan pepper—it was a more direct and aggressive heat. Sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

Yet he forced himself not to lose composure and simply chewed faster. Unexpectedly, after the initial burn, a rich and indescribable savory flavor surged up from deep in his throat, making him want another bite.

“Well, Marquis, how is it?” one of the bolder stewards asked when he noticed Gu Yan’s strange expression.

Gu Yan picked up his cup of cold tea, took a big gulp, set the cup down, and said two words:

“Exhilarating.”

Those two words were like a signal.

A young captain of the guard sitting nearby had already been driven nearly crazy by the aroma. Following Gu Yan’s example, he grabbed a large bite of meat with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth.

“Hiss—ha—!” He sucked in cold air, his face instantly turning bright red and his eyes widening. Everyone stared at him, expecting him to make a fool of himself.

But after a few seconds, he closed his eyes and shouted loudly:

“Delicious! It’s incredibly delicious!”

That was all it took to ignite everyone’s enthusiasm. Chopsticks shot out from every direction, rushing toward the large basin of boiled pork slices.

For a moment, the dining hall filled with all kinds of exclamations:

“Good heavens, what kind of taste is this? It’s so spicy it’s killing me!”

“Water! Quick, give me water!”

“Strange—why does it make me want to eat more the spicier it gets?”

“This is amazing! After eating a bite, my whole body feels warm, like all my pores have opened up!”

The whole scene was extremely lively. Everyone was grimacing from the heat, sweating profusely, yet unable to stop themselves from sending one bite after another into their mouths with their chopsticks. The cold tea and bowls of rice on the table were being consumed at a rapid pace.

As a merchant who had traveled far and wide, Bai Yutang prided himself on having tasted delicacies from all over the land. At first, he simply picked up a small slice out of curiosity. The domineering spiciness made him frown slightly. But very quickly, from this novel flavor he smelled an enormous business opportunity.

Watching the villagers—shouting about the heat while still scrambling to eat more—his eyes flashed with excitement. A flavor this addictive—once promoted widely, how much profit would it bring?

“Madam,” he said, putting down his chopsticks and wiping the corner of his mouth with a napkin, his expression already returning to the calm shrewdness of a businessman. “If this ingredient could be made into sauces, or used in dishes at restaurants, it would surely become popular throughout Great Xia, both north and south.”

“You have a good eye, Young Master Bai,” Jiang Suisui replied as she enjoyed the fiery deliciousness herself. “That is exactly my next plan. I’ve already asked the kitchen to develop several kinds of chili sauces with different flavors. Once the technique matures, our ‘Suisui’ brand can launch an entirely new product line.”

Bai Yutang looked at the woman before him—who always managed to surprise him—and felt nothing but admiration in his heart. Not only could she create these miraculous crops, she could also precisely grasp their value. Partnering with her was the wisest decision he had ever made.

“Then Yutang will wait for the Madam’s good news. All of the Bai family’s distribution channels will always be open for your new products.”

By the time the tasting event ended, that huge bowl of boiled sliced pork in chili broth had been eaten completely clean—even the soup was mixed with rice and finished off.

Wang Xiaopang leaned against the wall, burping from fullness. Tears and snot covered his face, and his lips were swollen like two sausages. Yet he was still smacking his lips, savoring the lingering taste.

“So… so satisfying…” he said indistinctly to Gu Xuan. “Tomorrow… will there be more tomorrow?”

Gu Xuan rolled his eyes at him and handed him a cup of water, his own little face flushed red from the spice.

That night, Jiang Suisui and Gu Yan lay in bed together. A faint spicy aroma still lingered on Gu Yan.

“Did you get used to the food today?” Jiang Suisui asked with a smile. She had clearly seen that although he complained about the heat, his chopsticks had never stopped moving.

Gu Yan turned over to face her. In the darkness, he accurately found her lips. Instead of answering, he expressed his feelings with a somewhat aggressive kiss. Like the chili peppers, the kiss was fiery and domineering.

Only after a long while did he pull away, his voice slightly hoarse.

“Very appetizing.”

Nestled in his arms, Jiang Suisui smiled so brightly that her eyes curved like crescents.

She felt that this winter, Woniu Village would probably be especially fiery and lively.