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Chapter 419: Thoughtful
Chapter 419: Thoughtful
Lu Yuan carried Lu Zhaoyan on his back all the way to the top of the mountain.
Whether Lu Yuan was tired or not, Lu Zhaoyan immediately vomited.
There was no one in the temple, but about a hundred paces away in the open space, a small courtyard had been set up, with two thatched cottages and many mulberry trees planted around it. To the east was a chicken coop and a pigsty, and to the west were a sheep pen and a cattle barn.
The small courtyard was enclosed by a hedge, but the gate in the middle was not very significant, as the hedge was only half a person's height.
Lu Yuan politely approached and knocked on the gate.
"Excuse me, is anyone there?"
After asking, he didn't continue knocking but patiently waited outside the gate.
After about half a quarter of an hour, an eleven or twelve-year-old shepherd boy came out of the thatched cottage and opened the gate for Lu Yuan.
By this time, Lu Zhaoyan had regained some strength.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief and got up to walk towards the shepherd boy.
The boy's gaze shifted between Lu Yuan and Lu Zhaoyan, sizing them up, and asked, "Are you from the Imperial City?"
Lu Zhaoyan replied softly, "Yes, indeed."
The shepherd boy thought for a moment and then asked, "My master said that there would be noble guests from the Imperial City today, a father and son. Are you them?"
Before Lu Zhaoyan could answer, Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Does your master have informants in the Imperial City?"
The shepherd boy shook his head, his eyes clear and without the panic of being interrogated by the powerful. Instead, he answered sincerely, "My master foresaw it."
Lu Zhaoyan sighed, "He is indeed a remarkable person. May I ask if your master is at home?"
"My master has gone into the mountains."
Knowing that they would come, he chose to go into the mountains at this time, indicating that he didn't intend to meet them.
Lu Zhaoyan asked, "Do you know when your master will return?"
"He didn't say," the shepherd boy replied, "You don't need to wait either. He usually doesn't have a set time when he goes into the mountains. Sometimes it's three to five days, and sometimes it's ten days or half a month before he returns."
Lu Zhaoyan felt slightly disappointed.
Lu Yuan hooked his lips and pointed at Lu Zhaoyan, "Little Master, my father climbed the mountain all day and is exhausted. May we go in and ask for some water to drink?"
The shepherd boy hesitated.
Lu Yuan added, "You don't want my father to faint at your doorstep, do you?"
The shepherd boy looked at Lu Zhaoyan.
Indeed, Lu Zhaoyan did look pale and on the verge of collapsing.
But Lu Zhaoyan wasn't tired; it was Lu Yuan's jostling and the vomiting that had affected him. The shepherd boy spoke softly, "But you can't faint in my house either."
Lu Yuan: "..."
Lu Yuan said, "My father just needs to rest for a bit. Don't worry, we won't cause trouble."
The shepherd boy tilted his head and studied Lu Yuan seriously, then nodded, "You don't seem like someone who would cause trouble."
Lu Zhaoyan glanced at Lu Yuan, wanting to say something but stopped.
The shepherd boy opened the gate and invited the two of them into the courtyard, leading them to the stone table and bench, asking, "Please rest here. Without my master's permission, I can't invite you into the house."
Lu Yuan smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Little Master."
The two of them sat down.
The shepherd boy went inside to pour tea.
Lu Yuan softly asked, "May I have a cup of hot tea?"
"Sure."
The shepherd boy had originally planned to pour them cold tea, seeing how hot they were.
He brought out a cup of hot tea and a cup of cold tea.
Lu Yuan placed the hot tea in front of Lu Zhaoyan.
Lu Zhaoyan: "You want me to have this?"
Lu Yuan replied, "I'm the one who's about to faint."
Lu Zhaoyan: ... The culprit speaks.
After putting down the tea, the shepherd boy went back to his own business.
Lu Yuan began to observe the courtyard.
The courtyard's furnishings were very simple. Aside from the stone table and bench, there was only a water barrel and three very wide racks.
Each rack was divided into three layers, and each layer held a bamboo basket.
The shepherd boy was carrying one of the bamboo baskets, busy with something.
Lu Yuan asked, "The mulberry trees around here, did you and your master plant them?"
The shepherd boy, staring at the bamboo basket, replied, "Yes."
Lu Yuan sincerely praised, "Such lush and healthy mulberry leaves are rarely seen these days."
Lu Zhaoyan was hearing someone describe mulberry leaves as lush for the first time.
He couldn't quite understand this 'wild son' who suddenly appeared on the road; clearly, she only knew how to cast chicken curses, and didn't seem to have such a devious mind.
Lu Yuan walked up to a rack, examined the bamboo baskets on it, and said with a smile, "Your master also knows how to raise silkworms, and he does it so well!"
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The shepherd boy quickly looked up, proudly correcting him, "I'm the one who raised them!"
Lu Yuan, feigning ignorance, said, "You're so young, yet you can raise silkworms so well? How many years have you been doing this?"
The shepherd boy puffed out his little chest and said seriously, "This is my first year!"
Lu Yuan gasped in surprise, "Just the first year! You might raise a Queen Silkworm at this rate!"
No amount of flattery can penetrate.
The shepherd boy, flattered, felt a tinge of pride, his ears turning slightly red. He whispered, "Do you want to see the silkworms I raised? I have some even bigger ones."
Lu Yuan replied, "I'd love to!"
The shepherd boy showed Lu Yuan his silkworms, and Lu Yuan praised each one, even finding something special about the ordinary cocoons.
Lu Zhaoyan was stunned, unable to believe that the girl who only acted and never spoke would have such a shameless son.
He muttered, "Whose child is this..."
Lu Yuan hadn't expected his flattery to come so naturally.
After introducing his last silkworm, the shepherd boy cleared his throat and said to Lu Yuan, "Before my master goes into the mountains, he usually checks on the crops in the fields first. He left not long ago, so if you hurry, you might still see him there. But remember, don't tell anyone I told you this; my master doesn't want me revealing his whereabouts to outsiders."
Lu Zhaoyan looked deeply at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan smiled and said, "Dad, shall we go?"
Lu Zhaoyan decided to go, bringing Lu Qi along.
But the shepherd boy had said that if they waited any longer, they might miss his master.
"Thank you, little master."
Lu Zhaoyan expressed his gratitude.
The shepherd boy watched as the two left. Although he often encountered villagers and his master's visitors, Lu Yuan was the only one who put in so much effort to make him happy.
Taking a deep breath, he asked Lu Yuan, "Big brother, what's your name?"
Lu Yuan turned and replied casually, "You only need to know that my father is the Crown Prince of Great Liang."
The shepherd boy scratched his head and muttered, "The nobleman my master mentioned is from the Great Liang royal family?"
Lu Zhaoyan left Jiefeng to look after Lu Qi, but Jiefeng didn't receive the order to carry Lu Qi up the mountain, so he followed Lu Qi closely, being very cautious.
Lu Qi's legs were almost worn out from walking, and he gave Jiefeng several meaningful glances.
Jiefeng didn't notice any of them.
Lu Zhaoyan and Lu Yuan headed towards the back mountain as directed by the shepherd boy.
Recalling Lu Yuan's conversation with the shepherd boy, Lu Zhaoyan asked, "Have you raised silkworms before?"
Lu Yuan replied, "Yes, I have."
Lu Zhaoyan thought he did it for fun, but then Lu Yuan nonchalantly said, "120 silkworms can produce a pound of cocoons, 3 pounds of cocoons can yield a pound of silk, and 5 pounds of silk can be sold for an ounce of silver, which can feed someone for a month."
Lu Zhaoyan's eyebrows furrowed.
He... had gone hungry? Feeling a surge of protectiveness, he wanted to make up for his son's hardships!
End of the month, everyone, double votes, please!
(End of Chapter)
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