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Chapter 384: Digging for Potatoes
Chapter 384: Digging for Potatoes
Queen Qi soon brought up another candidate: "The other is the second granddaughter of Gentleman Wen, the Governor of Xizhou. She is seventeen years old. Because she observed mourning for her mother for three years, her marriage was delayed until now. Having just come out of mourning this year, suitors are reportedly lining up at their doorstep. She is described as a sensible and decisive young lady. Due to her mother's passing and her eldest sister's marriage, she has been managing the affairs of their governor's mansion in recent years, displaying competent household management skills."
The queen was quite satisfied with both candidates.
Especially with Gentleman Wen's granddaughter, aside from Xizhou being a bit desolate, it was said that the young lady's prolonged residence in that barren land had affected her complexion, but everything else about her was quite commendable.
Regarding this point, Queen Qi also spoke up voluntarily.
Although the saying goes, "when marrying a wife, seek virtue; when taking a concubine, look at beauty,"
Yet, if a virtuous wife also happens to be a beautiful woman, wouldn't that be a bonus?
After listening, King Qi casually waved his hand in dismissal: "It doesn't matter who we choose, and besides, the feng shui of the capital nourishes people. Any deficiencies can be remedied within a couple of years. The most important thing is character, and that's something that can't be cultivated overnight."
After saying this, he paused to think, then added: "Forget it, this is Brother Ze's marriage, and we should ultimately respect his wishes. If he has any reservations, then let's choose Miss He."
On this matter, Queen Qi had indeed asked before: "During Brother Ze's birthday, I privately inquired about his preferences, and he expressed a greater inclination towards Miss Wen."
Feng Xuanze was the crown prince and would become the future master of the Qi Wang Manor. His wife would represent the face of their royal household.
Therefore, whether it was temperament, style, or capability, she would undoubtedly need to excel in all aspects.
As for appearance, it wasn't as crucial.
Moreover, it was said that the second Miss Wen was not unattractive; she just had a complexion that wasn't particularly fair, bearing a hint of the distinctive traits of Xizhou.
After all, there were ladies from Xizhou in the capital, and with a year or two of nourishment, their complexions became rosy and lustrous. While one might not describe their skin as snow-white, they were indeed quite beautiful.
After discussing it, the couple favored Miss Wen.
However, this matter still needed to be discussed with the Empress Dowager, and the proper procedures had to be followed with His Majesty as well.
After King Qi's birthday, the weather became even hotter. In the mornings, the stifling heat made one feel irritable for no reason.
Su Su, who used to eagerly run outdoors, now looked at the blazing sun outside with a worried frown.
Her adorable little face was filled with helplessness.
Queen Qi delighted in watching her youngest daughter's antics; she was adorable beyond words!
Towards the end of the month, a letter arrived from the estate, saying that the strange things the little county lord had planted in early spring seemed to be ripe.
The steward had dared to dig some up, and he pulled out several unknown fruits. They felt hard and crisp, but he couldn't identify them. He tried feeding them to the rabbits, but the rabbits refused to eat them.
Later, they fed them to the pigs and sheep, and the pigs happily devoured them without any ill effects, proving that the fruits were non-toxic.
Since the stewards were unfamiliar with these plants, they couldn't determine whether they had ripened or not.
However, the other plants that had been sown at the same time were now in season, so the stewards discussed and decided to come to the manor to ask whether these strange plants should be harvested now. Of course, the final decision on whether they were ripe or not still rested with the little county lord.
Upon hearing this, Queen Qi became intrigued. The unknown plants had ripened, and from the steward's description, they seemed rather interesting.
Her interest piqued, and on the first day of July, after seeing off the two scholars from the manor, she brought the children to the estate.
King Qi happened to be free and tagged along.
It was hot, and riding in the carriage wasn't any cooler, so King Qi decided to ride his horse, accompanied by Su Su.
Queen Qi had been an excellent horse rider back when she was a young noblewoman.
However, considering her status as the Queen and the need to maintain her image, she deliberated and ultimately opted not to ride, choosing to travel by carriage instead.
Fenghuan Rui and Fenghuan Bin had short legs and couldn't ride horses well, nor did they have anyone to accompany them, so they naturally joined their mother in the carriage.
They set off early, just as the sun was rising.
By the time they reached the estate, the sun had climbed higher, and the day was growing warm. The cicadas added to the summer atmosphere with their shrill chorus.
Su Su and her cousins were excited to be in a new place to play and explore.
Recently, Fenghuan Rui and the others had been practicing martial arts at the Qing Wang Manor, and Su Su, occupied with her piano lessons, rarely had the opportunity to visit the estate.
Now that she finally could, she was thrilled.
The little girl didn't mind the sun anymore. After disembarking from the carriage, she eagerly pulled her cousins forward, exclaiming, "Let's go dig up what I planted! Liu, the steward, said they've borne fruit!"
Ren Shuhan and the others had no idea that Su Su had planted something earlier, and they were all curious.
Forgetting about the heat, they eagerly followed Su Su.
The maids and nannies had to keep up with the energetic bunch, ensuring the young nobles' safety.
Shen Huatang, influenced by Su Su's enthusiasm, also became more lively and playful.
Shen Lao Shi was delighted to see this transformation in his usually calm and collected daughter.
After all, children should be carefree and joyful!
The group of children rushed towards the area where the potatoes had been planted.
The potato seeds had been an unexpected find, and they didn't have many to begin with. After removing the rotten and damaged ones, they ended up planting only about a third of an acre.
For the children, though, it felt like a vast expanse.
Moreover, Su Su had no idea how to harvest the potatoes.
The four little girls stood at the edge of the field, looking at the long rows of plants and pondering their next move.
Gazing at the tall, lush green leaves, Ren Shuhan hesitated and asked, "Are these leaves edible?"
Su Su: ...
That's a good question—I'd like to know, too!
Although Su Su didn't know the answer, she had Lele to rely on.
So, she eagerly consulted the system.
[Lele, Lele, how do we harvest these?]
The way children speak is adorable, and even their normal speech sounds like they're cajoling.
The system snapped photos to capture the adorable moments while also responding to Su Su's inquiry.
[Potatoes grow underground, so you need to dig them out gently. Be as careful as possible because potatoes that are damaged during harvesting don't last long. We don't have many, and it rained a few days ago, so the soil is loose. We can try digging with our hands to minimize any damage.]
After explaining how to harvest the potatoes, the system added a reminder: [By the way, potatoes become toxic once they sprout, so don't eat them! This is why the previous buyer said rabbits died after eating them. When they sprout, it means they've matured and can produce toxins. It's a complex reason, but just remember that once they've sprouted, use them for planting instead of eating.]
Su Su listened intently but only understood that they became toxic when they sprouted.
The little girl nodded vigorously, "When they sprout, they're toxic and can't be eaten!"
King and Queen Qi had just arrived and overheard Su Su's muttering.
The couple exchanged a glance, both committing her words to memory.
(End of Chapter)
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