Chapter 29: Autumn Harvest, Busy Farming Season "What...what's going on?"
Liu Yeshu sighed secretly. She found that Qi Yu was a sharp and straightforward person, and people did not dare to play tricks in front of him.
She bowed her head slightly, speaking humbly, "Because convicted slaves were not allowed to engage in business, I was nearly thrown into prison that day at the county yamen. If it weren't for Miss Chu's hard work and General Lao's assistance, I'm afraid the situation would be very different now."
Liu Yeshu flattered Qi Yu subtly, and sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, the doubts in Qi Yu's eyes disappeared for the most part.
She took the opportunity to change the subject and said calmly, "I have a question, and I'd like to ask the general for an answer—"
Qi Yu raised his eyebrows slightly, motioning her to continue.
Liu Yeshu stared at Qi Yu, her lips curled slightly as she asked, "What did the general write in that letter that day that caused Magistrate Tang's attitude to change so suddenly? I still can't figure it out."
Qi Yu recalled the scene of that day, a smile flashing in his eyes, as if recalling something funny. He said, "I'll tell you when I can eat rice cakes."
"Yes, then I wish the general a triumphant return." Liu Yeshu pursed her lips. She had tried to make the rice flower cake several times, but she always felt that it was either too bland or too sweet, so she never presented it to Qi Yu. Unexpectedly, he still kept thinking about it after tasting it once from Chuntao.
Qi Yu asked, "Has the gift list been properly registered?"
Liu Yeshu finally realized that when Qi Yu first asked, he hadn't been interested in finding out what was special about the gift; he'd simply wanted to see the list. As she turned to retrieve the list, she silently cursed herself for being so foolish. She regretted it so much that she wanted to bite her tongue.
Qi Yu took the list she handed over, glanced through it briefly, his eyes moving a few times, and then said lightly: "Pick one you like, and consider it a reward for your meritorious service yesterday."
Liu Yeshu's eyes lit up, and he quickly knelt down and saluted: "Thank you, General, for your gift!"
Qi Yu was relieved to see her gladly accept it. He had thought she would ask again if the power he had created could be used to escape slavery, but seeing her accept the reward without hesitation, he felt relieved.
"General Qi, I dare to ask for... the Ferghana horse that the Hu merchant gave me."
"Horse?" Now it was Qi Yu's turn to be confused. "What do you want a horse for?"
She wouldn't want to ride a horse to the battlefield to gain military merit, right? This was Qi Yu's first reaction.
Liu Yeshu smiled and said, "I also hope that one day I can ride a horse and be free and unrestrained."
Qi Yu looked at her lowered head and could imagine her excited expression.
"good."
Qi Yu paused, then said, "Is the horse at home now? Come with me to take a look."
*
Before even approaching the stables, Liu Yeshu could already spot the towering Arabian horse. It stood in the center of the stable, its hooves stamping powerfully on the ground. Its mane shimmered like flames in the sunlight. Its neck held high, its eyes sharp and alert, as if sensing someone approaching. Its ears tucked back slightly, and it snorted nervously.
The groom stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Qi Yu. "Every day, I feed him with the best grass, oats, and carrots, and the stable is also thick with hay."
"This horse is indeed well-born." Qi Yu stopped, raised his eyes slightly and looked at it with a hint of approval in his eyes, but at the same time, his brows were slightly furrowed.
He approached slowly, and the Arabian horse's nostrils snorted, as if it sensed his aura. It immediately pawed the ground lightly with its front hooves, swept its tail suddenly, and looked alert.
"It has a very fierce temper." Qi Yu patted the wooden fence of the stable. "This horse has not been tamed yet and has a very unruly temperament. You must not approach it lightly, and certainly not ride it rashly. Wait a while, until it has adapted to the environment of the mansion and its temperament has settled down a bit, then you can ask a horse trainer to take care of it. For now, don't rush."
The groom nodded repeatedly. "This horse has great endurance and can gallop thousands of miles without getting tired. If tamed, it will become a fine horse. But currently, it doesn't trust anyone and has a violent temper. It will attack at the slightest mistake. No matter who you are, if you don't have experience in horse training, you must not try it lightly."
Liu Yeshu stood aside, gently stroking the horse's back, feeling its strong muscles throbbing beneath its fur. The Ferghana horse's gaze remained fierce. It turned its head, seemingly sizing up Qi Yu and Liu Yeshu, its tail flicking occasionally, as if it were a bit annoyed.
She nodded and replied in a low voice, "Don't worry, General. I will never touch it rashly."
The next day, Liu Yeshu woke up and went to the kitchen as usual. Chun Xing was in the kitchen, lighting a fire. Seeing Liu Yeshu coming, she said, "Last night when I woke up, I seemed to hear some movement at the gate. I went over and saw a figure that looked like a general."
Could it be that Qi Yu has quietly left the house?
Liu Yeshu's heart tightened, and she hurried to the front hall, then quickly walked to Qi Yu's residence. She saw the bamboo slips that Qi Yu usually held lying quietly on the table.
The building was deserted, Qi Yu was indeed gone.
*
With the general away from the mansion, Liu Yeshu's days were much more relaxed. Chuntao usually prepared everyone's meals, saving her from many chores. So, she often sat for a while at the kitchen door, watching the clouds roll by in the sky. But after a while, this leisure time made her feel a little restless.
"Let's go to the vegetable garden and take a look." Liu Yeshu whispered to himself, picked up a few bags of seeds that had been nurtured by the system, and walked slowly towards the vegetable garden.
The plot of land that was once overgrown with weeds and scattered with rocks has now been cleaned up. The soil is soft and moist, and it is obvious that a lot of effort has been put into it. She bent down and grabbed a handful of soil. The soil is warm and moist, just right for sowing.
She set aside a corner of her vegetable patch for leeks, which grow quickly and can be used for stuffing or, in winter, soup. She then sowed potato, turnip, and radish seeds—all hardy, fast-growing vegetables that store easily and are especially suitable for winter use.
Liu Yeshu walked to the other side of the vegetable patch and carefully fenced off an area for growing herbs. She bent over and scattered seeds of skullcap, licorice, and sesame.
Seeing Liu Yeshu busy working in the fields, two servants came over to help. The three of them worked hard for most of the day and finally finished cleaning the fields.
Liu Yeshu stood up, and for a moment the world was spinning around him. Two people supported him and he found a shady place to rest for a while.
She slowed down, raised her eyes and looked carefully at the two men. One was tall and strong, the other was short and fat, both of them had a strong build.
Liu Yeshu's mind moved, and he asked, "Sir, can you please tell me if you are government slaves or private slaves?"
The two servants were stunned at first, then the short and fat servant stood up straight and replied, "We are all government slaves."
Liu Yeshu nodded. Official slaves were safer than private slaves, and they would not have any bad intentions when they went with her on the way to the autumn harvest.
She got straight to the point: "My family is busy with the autumn harvest these days. If you two are willing to go with me, I can give you extra compensation based on the harvest."
When the two servants heard the word "remuneration," their eyes suddenly lit up. Although the servants in the mansion had fixed jobs and status, their daily remuneration was limited. Who wouldn't want to earn some extra money?
"Is this what the general means?" the tall and strong servant asked tentatively.
Liu Yeshu nodded: "The general allowed me to select a few people, but I don't want to mobilize a large army." With a roll of his eyes, he added, "The farmland is not big, so we don't need so many people."
The two understood that the general's original intention was to let Housekeeper Liu do whatever he wanted, and she was the one who had to pay for it out of her own pocket.
The short and fat slave asked again, "Butler Liu, how big is our farmland?"
Liu Yeshu smiled mysteriously: "Although the land is not big, the harvest may not be small."
"Miss Liu, this is a good thing. We are willing to help you with the autumn harvest." The tall and strong servant responded first, then poked the short and fat one impatiently with his elbow, as if he thought he was talking too much.
The other person also nodded in agreement: "Yes, girl, we both can work. We are taking care of the work in the field now. I guarantee you will be satisfied."
Liu Yeshu smiled and said, "Okay, then it's settled. Starting tomorrow, you will come to help me. I won't let you do any extra work in vain."
*
The next morning, Liu Yeshu, accompanied by two servants, headed towards the fields. The fields were a sea of golden yellow, and the air was filled with the faint fragrance of grass. The rising sun pierced through the morning mist, casting a radiant light on the golden fields. All around them was a joyful scene of a bountiful harvest.
Reaching the edge of the fields, Liu Yeshu spotted his father, Liu Fu, and his younger brother, Liu Yeling, toiling away in the fields. Liu Fu, hunched over, his movements steady, his sickle swishing up and down, slicing down the heavy wheat. Liu Yeling assisted, tying straw together. Despite his youth, he worked diligently.
Liu Yeshu stood on the ridge of the field and shouted, "Dad, Ling'er!"
Father Liu and his younger brother were sweating profusely from their busy work. When they heard the familiar voice, they didn't react for a moment. It wasn't until Liu Yeshu approached that Father Liu stopped what he was doing and looked over. Seeing that it was Liu Yeshu, a pleased smile appeared on his face, and he immediately called out, "Ling'er, look who's here!"
Hearing the sound, Liu Di put down the wheat ears in his hand and looked up. It was actually his sister. He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and ran to the edge of the field. Liu's father also came out. The two of them walked quickly to the side of the road.
"Sister, why are you here?" Liu Di's face was covered in sweat and dust, but his eyes were full of excitement.
Liu Yeshu rubbed his head and said, "I brought two people here to help today." She turned and gestured to the two servants behind her, "These are two servants from the General's Mansion. They're here to help with the autumn harvest."
Upon hearing this, Father Liu nodded in greeting, while Brother Liu regarded them with curiosity. The servants of the General's Mansion indeed looked very capable. Two servants stepped forward and saluted. One of them said, "Uncle Liu, Young Master Liu, we are here on the orders of General Liu to help with the autumn harvest."
Father Liu smiled and said, "Thank you very much. The autumn harvest is a busy time. I feel much more at ease when you come to help."
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to the fields!" Liu Di said excitedly, and couldn't wait to take the two of them to the fields.
However, when the two servants entered the fields and took in the crops before them, they were stunned. The wheat ears were golden and plump, each one dangling from the stalks like a small golden pagoda. The grains were plump and round, gleaming with luster. From a distance, the entire field resembled a golden ocean, brimming with the energy of life.
"This...what's going on?" The short and fat servant widened his eyes, as if he had seen a ghost.
Father Liu and Brother Liu stopped, looked at each other, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
This was also their first time growing crops, and they didn't notice anything wrong. Father Liu's heart sank, and he slowly asked, "But what's wrong with these crops?"
The tall and strong servant couldn't hide his surprise. He walked over and gently touched the ears of wheat, feeling the plump texture of the grains. He stammered, "Miss Liu, how can this harvest be so good? I've never seen such... such a strong crop in my life."
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