Shen Collection, Upper Volume Radical: Grass (cǎo) Lao Kangxi stroke count: 12 Page 1031, Entry 31 Supplement to the Dictionary of Characters (Zihui bu): Pronounced pei. Collected Remarks from the Western Stream (Xixi congyu): People in the regions of Fujian and Guangdong often eat betel nut by slicing it, dipping it in ash made from oyster shells, and wrapping it in lao leaves to chew. It also has a pronunciation of lao.