Chapter 130: Obtaining Soybeans
Zhu Bingwen had thought that during this botanical garden trip, Xiang Chuan or the A Bite of China Club would definitely do something, but when he saw a middle-aged woman wearing botanical garden work clothes warmly shaking Xiang Chuan’s hand and asking after her health during the lunch break gathering, and an anti-gravity transportation device that everyone was almost tired of seeing from the class competition parked next to Xiang Chuan along with a large container, he couldn’t help but laugh: the students in his class really don’t know how to stay quiet.
At this time, curious Class Eight classmates had already gathered around, curiously examining the container, and they even pulled in other A Bite of China Club members to inquire what delicious things Xiang Chuan had bought.
Who in this school doesn’t know that Xiang Chuan is a big foodie? Whatever she buys must be delicious! — Affirmation from a group of foodie trainees in Class Eight toward Xiang Chuan.
But contrary to everyone’s expectations, the A Bite of China Club members, and even Nancy and Chou Manman who often hang out with the A Bite of China Club, all had complicated expressions at this time, leaving the class members looking at each other in bewilderment.
What’s going on? Did Xiang Chuan give them a gag order?
“Bros, don’t be so distant, spill some info?” Ainuo and Liang Gong were dragged aside by the boys in the class, and Hamilton even started calling them brothers to pry words out of them; if Xiang Chuan heard that, she would definitely exclaim: this is too street.
“Uh…” Ainuo and Liang Gong glanced at each other and fell silent, one furrowing his brows tightly, the other piling a bitter smile on his face, the only common point being that both their faces were full of helplessness.
“No way, did Xiang Chuan give you a confidentiality order of such a high level? You can’t even mention it?” Fu Chengkai said in surprise. Generally speaking, confidentiality orders only restrict discussing the confidential content in public settings, but private conversational discussions and information exchanges are not restricted—unless it’s a business level or political level confidentiality order.
Could it be they missed the moment Xiang Chuan issued a business level confidentiality order?! The Class Eight boys got restless thinking about this. Although there are quite a few children of Third Fleet government personnel or mid-to-large enterprise cadres in the school, due to age restrictions, they still can’t access their parents’ work processes, let alone business level or political level confidentiality orders. For youths lacking influence from traditional culture entertainment books (simply put, novels), this kind of confidentiality order is one of the elements that best satisfies their modern chuunibyou tendencies.
Completely prohibited! Not to be leaked! Top secret!
These words are too attractive to chuunibyou boys and girls.
But unfortunately…
“It’s not that serious, it’s not a big deal like that, and where would she get the authority to use a confidentiality order of that level? Don’t forget we’re only first year high school.” Ainuo looked at his classmates with an idiot-staring gaze.
It has to be said that when Ainuo uses this gaze on their club president, it’s quite amusing, but when the object of this gaze turns to themselves, the feeling isn’t so wonderful.
However, Class President Lu Daiqing and some other boys reacted: right, using this kind of authority requires adults aged 18 or above; if minors use it, a guardian must be present. Xiang Chuan’s busy parents naturally aren’t here, so naturally there won’t be the scenario they were hoping for of “a classmate using high-authority confidentiality orders on club members.” Other classmates also gradually remembered this, shrinking their heads somewhat embarrassedly.
They forgot this basic common knowledge completely…
But if it doesn’t involve a confidentiality order, then what’s in this container?
“It’s filled with soybeans.”
Liang Gong said with a bitter smile, and sure enough, seeing the classmates’ playful smiles fade, one by one they all furrowed their brows.
Soybeans… soybeans??
Can this thing be eaten?
Everyone looked at the container doubtfully and fell silent. The female students from the same class who were eavesdropping on their conversation nearby also fell silent.
Xiang Chuan didn’t notice the gazes from her classmates at all, and was flusteredly dealing with this general manager of the botanical garden’s spring visit area, who looked quite middle-aged in appearance and showed middle-aged features, meaning this person’s physiological age was at least four or five hundred years old, older than her parents’ modern ages by at least a hundred years; being treated so warmly by her truly made Xiang Chuan, who had been instilled with the fine tradition of respecting the elderly and loving the young by her parents and elders since childhood, feel at a loss.
“Supervisor… Auntie,” after hesitating repeatedly, Xiang Chuan still couldn’t bring herself to call her “sister,” “I just bought some soybeans for my personal needs, you don’t need to…”
“Oh, Xiang Chuan classmate, you don’t know, these things have troubled us for a long time. Not all areas in the nature reserve need these soybeans; these things just sit in our warehouse and harden. Hardened soybeans can’t sprout or feed animals, but using them as material for the energy bureau seems such a waste. With you taking them like this, you’ve solved a big problem for us.”
The middle-aged woman supervisor got more and more excited as she spoke, finally heavily patting Xiang Chuan’s soft, fragile little shoulders—which had never experienced much heavy labor in her life—a few times, nearly patting her off balance.
“I heard from the people at the agriculture bureau and nature reserve that you solved the long-standing freshwater fisheries problem with just a small stem block. If these soybeans of ours can bring you some new ideas, don’t forget to notify us first! Then we’ll make the agriculture bureau people come begging us with thick faces, hehe…”
Uh…
Xiang Chuan and Ouyang Yating, Nancy, and others standing not far from her turned their heads with wordless smiles.
They didn’t hear a thing about fleet political high-level gossip, mm.
After much persuading, they sent off this middle-aged supervisor auntie. As soon as Xiang Chuan sat down to rest, she was immediately surrounded by Class Eight classmates. Everyone was naturally curious about how the soybeans in this container were going to be used.
“Xiang Chuan, these are almost all dry hard soybeans, right? Can they be eaten?” The class president asked with furrowed brows, and many classmates had the same expression.
The Third Fleet is after all the fleet with the most developed agriculture. Most students have been exposed to animal husbandry or have families engaged in animal husbandry, so they’ve naturally seen these dry hard soybeans occasionally used to feed cows and chickens; even cows with strong jaw muscles crunch them loudly, hard to imagine what they’d be like made into a dish to eat.
“Of course they can, but I don’t plan to use this batch for any dish.” Xiang Chuan thought of the crispy fried soybeans added to rice noodles back in her hometown province, involuntarily swallowing some saliva, but still suppressed her craving for rice noodles.
After all, without seasoning, even the best rice noodles have no flavor.
“Not for cooking then what for… could it be like that ginger before, mixed with ingredients?” The class president was quick-thinking and immediately recalled the steamed fish situation.
“Mm… yes and no?” Xiang Chuan tilted her head, suddenly not knowing how to explain, and simply gave up: “Anyway, after it’s done, I’ll let you all try it; this is a good thing.”
After saying that, Xiang Chuan sat right there and said no more. Seeing this, the Class Eight classmates didn’t press further, so they dispersed, taking out the boxed meals they bought from the canteen or Yue Xiang restaurant this morning to eat lunch. Other classes also had plenty of students with buns, pancakes, or cakes, and the wafting gourmet aromas made Xiang Chuan feel gratified that her efforts over this month to correct modern people’s dietary habits had finally shown some obvious results, while also making her stomach growl.
“Huh? Xiang Chuan classmate, you’re not eating lunch? Mm? Ouyang classmate, has your club started distributing dim sum benefits to club members?” The class president sitting nearby curiously looked at Xiang Chuan who was sitting dazedly without moving, then at Ouyang Yating and others’ meal boxes, and couldn’t help but voice his doubt.
“Someone brought it on themselves.” Ouyang Yating glanced at Xiang Chuan gloatingly, happily putting a bite of fruit cream cake into her mouth, her face full of enjoyment. Xiang Chuan: …
Whatever! At worst, treat it as weight loss!
The self-brought-it-on club leader stroked the newly acquired container in self-abandonment, comforting herself tearlessly.
