Chapter 16

"Brother, brother..." Could it be a dream? Why does it feel like someone is calling me? This voice sounds quite familiar. Last night, Wang Yong watched a TV series on his computer that reflected rural life. He finished all thirty-two episodes in one go, although he fast-forwarded or skipped over many parts. Even so, he watched from the afternoon until nearly three in the morning. At this moment, he was sleeping soundly.

Seeing that Wang Yong didn't wake up, Wang Qian, with a twinkle in her eye, came up with a mischievous idea. "It's not my fault. Who made you not wake up when I called you?" Wang Qian found a towel, wet it with water, and quietly approached the bed. She lifted the blanket to expose Wang Yong's head, threw the cold, wet towel on his face, and ran out of the room before he could react.

"Ah—! Wang Qian, you wait for me!" Wang Yong's angry voice echoed from the room as Wang Qian had already reached the living room. Hearing Wang Yong's shout, she felt a bit guilty and glanced back into the room, then quickly ran to her grandfather, who was sitting on the sofa smoking. She snatched the cigarette from his hand, put it out in the ashtray, and said in a sweet voice, "Grandpa, why are you smoking again so early in the morning? Didn't you promise to smoke less?"

After saying this, she looked at her grandfather with a pout.

"Hehe, little girl, don't change the subject. Humph, you little rascal, after playing a trick on your brother and fearing he might hit you, you want to find an excuse to get grandpa to help you? Look, the cigarette is still half full. What a waste?" Grandpa Wang saw through Wang Qian's scheme and seemed to have no intention of intervening, preferring to watch the conflict unfold.

"Grandpa, it's not my fault. The sun has been shining on his back for a while now. If he sleeps any longer, he'll be having lunch. I called him several times, but he ignored me. We're still waiting for him to explain," Wang Qian said, picking up a red, egg-sized jujube from the coffee table and playing with it. This jujube was as big as the ones from Xinjiang that she had eaten before, but her grandfather said it was from a local common jujube tree. Could a local common jujube tree produce such large and delicious jujubes? Wang Qian didn't believe it, and Wang Guodong couldn't explain it either.

After getting up early, eating breakfast, and feeding the chickens on the mountain, the grandfather and granddaughter were stunned when they saw the three trees in the orchard. How could this be? Wang Qian, with her sweet tooth, cheered and ran to the jujube tree, picking two jujubes, each as big as an egg, from the hanging branches. Without washing them, she handed one to her grandfather and then put the other in her mouth. The crispness and sweetness immediately won her over.

Wang Guoliang also took a bite of the large jujube. The thin skin broke, and the crisp, sweet taste filled his mouth, followed by a rich, sweet sensation that made his taste buds burst. Looking at the jujube he had bitten, he couldn't see the seed, showing how thick the flesh was. What a good thing! Why haven't I seen this before? Did Wang Yong do it? He's only been back for a few days! No, I have to go back and ask him where he got such a good variety.

Wang Qian finished one jujube and immediately picked another, and then another. In a short time, she had eaten seven or eight egg-sized jujubes. Seeing this, Wang Guoliang quickly stopped her. Jujubes are delicious, but you shouldn't eat too many, as it can cause indigestion and food accumulation. Wang Qian, hearing this, reluctantly stopped eating but filled her small bag with more jujubes. When the bag was full, she put some in her grandfather's pocket until there was no more space. Holding one in each hand, she followed her grandfather down the mountain to Wang Yong's place to ask what was going on.

According to food science research, 100g of fresh jujube flesh during the ripening period contains 23.2g of carbohydrates, 430.54kj of heat, 1.46g of protein, 0.2g of fat, 25.76g of total sugar, 0.34g of total acid, and 1.6g of crude fiber. These substances are essential for the human body. Fresh jujube flesh also contains moderate amounts of mineral elements and trace elements, such as 12mg of calcium, 402.26mg of potassium, 18mg of phosphorus, 20mg of magnesium, 0.32mg of iron, 0.265mg of zinc, 0.12mg of copper, 0.214mg of manganese, and 0.08mg of selenium per 100g. The appropriate intake of these elements is very beneficial to the human body. Potassium enhances muscle excitability, participates in protein and carbohydrate synthesis, and energy metabolism; calcium and phosphorus are the main components of human bones and teeth; magnesium inhibits nerve excitability, participates in protein synthesis in the body, muscle contraction, and body temperature regulation; selenium improves human intelligence, etc.

Fresh jujubes also contain abundant vitamins. 100g of fresh jujube flesh contains 300-600mg of vitamin C, which is higher than apples, pears, grapes, peaches, hawthorns, oranges, lemons, and kiwis, making it the "king of fruits." In addition, jujubes contain vitamins A, B, P, E, etc., and are known as "living vitamin pills." For the human body, vitamin C is a very important substance. A lack of vitamin C in the diet can lead to scurvy. Medical research has shown that vitamin C can soften blood vessels and is an ideal drug for preventing hypertension, coronary heart disease, and arteriosclerosis. At the same time, vitamin C easily combines with the carcinogen nitrosamine, providing a cancer-preventing effect. Although dried jujubes also contain vitamin C, most of it is destroyed during the drying process, with a loss rate of over 97%. Generally, the vitamin C content in dried jujubes (dried jujubes) is only 7-12mg/100g.

In addition, fresh jujubes contain abundant amino acids. According to the Food Science Institute of China Agricultural University, 100g of fresh jujube flesh from the northern part of Shandong contains a total of 1.38mg of amino acids, and the composition of amino acids is good. It contains eight essential amino acids that the human body cannot synthesize, such as isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. These eight amino acids are present in moderate amounts, suitable for human absorption. It also contains 10 non-essential amino acids, such as glutamine, aspartic acid, leucine, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, lysine, histidine, arginine, and proline, all of which are present in high amounts. They can synthesize various antibodies, hormones, and other substances that regulate physiological functions in the body. Methionine and cysteine are sulfur-containing amino acids that enhance the immune system. Modern science has also found that fresh jujubes contain high levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which participate in various physiological activities in the body, regulating the immune system, enhancing myocardial contraction, protecting the coronary arteries, lowering cholesterol, and inhibiting cancer cell proliferation.

Jujubes have the effect of replenishing blood and are generally considered most suitable for women to consume. However, in some cases, this is not true: women with swollen eyes or feet, or abdominal bloating during menstruation, should not eat jujubes, as it can worsen edema; women with a hot constitution should not eat jujubes during menstruation, as it can cause excessive menstrual bleeding. Additionally, although jujubes can be eaten regularly, it is best not to eat more than 20 at a time, as excessive consumption can impair digestive function and cause constipation. Due to the high sugar content in jujubes, eating too many can also lead to tooth decay. Furthermore, the skin of jujubes is hard and difficult to digest, so they should be chewed thoroughly to avoid damaging the gastrointestinal tract and affecting the absorption of nutrients.

The grandfather and granddaughter came to Wang Yong's place and saw the open door, assuming he was at home. However, when they entered, they found him still sound asleep. Wang Qian, the mischievous one, called him several times, but seeing no response, she threw a wet towel directly on Wang Yong's face. The cold, wet towel woke him up instantly, and he saw Wang Qian running out.

Wang Yong, now dressed, rushed towards Wang Qian, who was staring at him, ready to retaliate for waking him from a good dream. The two of them circled around Wang Guoliang, making him dizzy. Seeing his beloved grandchildren causing a commotion, Wang Guoliang felt a deep sense of satisfaction and watched them with a smile.

"Grandpa, look at my brother, he's stealing the jujubes I picked..."

At that moment, Wang Yong was trying to stuff a large jujube into his mouth, his mouth full, and still trying to argue with Wang Qian: "This (you) jujube is from (is)..."

Wang Qian made a face and countered: "Can't hear, can't hear, turtle chanting."

Wang Yong, about to counter, choked and caused Wang Qian to laugh. After finally swallowing the jujube and catching his breath, seeing Wang Qian still laughing, he couldn't help but retort: "You're so grown up, and you don't know how to behave. You act like a wild girl all day. Don't you know to smile without showing your teeth? How will you find a husband in the future? Oh, I'm really worried about my little uncle!"

Hearing this, Wang Qian's face turned red, but she still tried to defend herself: "I'll do what I want. The line of people chasing me could stretch from here to the mountain. I'm not worried."

Although Wang Yong admitted that the girl was indeed good-looking and had a great figure, with many admirers, as a brother, he couldn't let it go and continued: "How shameless, I've seen thick-skinned people, but not like you."

"You, you're so annoying!"

"Many people find me annoying, what's it to you?"

Girls have thinner skin, and Wang Qian, unable to take it, turned red and sought help: "Grandpa, you control my brother, he's bullying me."

Wang Guoliang, who had been watching the show with a smile, patted his granddaughter's head and said: "You two, you're really a pair of enemies. You've only known each other for a day, but it's like you've grown up together, not at all strange."

Wang Yong thought about it and realized it was true. With his introverted personality, how could he feel so familiar with someone he had only known for a day? He couldn't understand it. Could it be the blood relationship? They say blood is thicker than water. But I don't have much to talk about with Wang Gang. Hmm, maybe it's just a good match, compatible zodiac signs, and matching constellations... Wang Yong found a bunch of reasons to explain why he felt so familiar.

"Tell us, where did these jujube trees come from? I didn't notice them last year, but they suddenly appeared this year," Grandpa Wang asked.

"Right, confess, honesty leads to leniency, resistance leads to severity," Wang Qian said, pretending to be a serious interrogator.

"Yes, sir, I will confess, no hiding," Wang Yong played along.

"Enough, stop fooling around, let's get serious," Grandpa Wang, annoyed by their antics, said.

Wang Yong, seeing the situation, quickly said: "Okay, okay, let's get serious." Seeing Wang Qian's poor posture, leaning on Grandpa Wang's shoulder, he couldn't help but say: "Look at you, what a mess. Sit properly. Be a lady, a bit more ladylike." Before Wang Qian could get angry and retaliate, Wang Yong said to Grandpa Wang: "The three trees you mentioned, I bought them from the market during the May Day holiday the year before last. The seller said they were a new variety, but I didn't believe it. I just wanted to see what was different about them. Who knew they would be so different, as big as the jujubes from Xinjiang. By the way, there's also a hawthorn and an apple tree. Are they as strange as these jujubes?"

Hearing this, Grandpa Wang thought for a moment and said: "The other two trees aren't as strange, but they are still better than the other varieties in the village. You can tell the fruit is good, much better than the average fruit."

"Okay, I'll go up the mountain and see what they look like," Wang Yong said and ran towards the orchard.

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