Chapter 35 Are You a Monster? "Whenever you are willing to tell the truth,...
Liu Yeshu opened the porcelain jar, and the fresh herbal aroma wafted out. Inside the jar was a light green ointment.
She made this a few days ago while browsing the system's herbal encyclopedia. She wasn't sure whether it would be effective or not.
"I made this ointment myself, using some cooling herbs. You can try it."
Liu Di couldn't wait to stretch out his arm and said anxiously, "Sister, please wipe it for me quickly. These mosquito bites are making me uncomfortable all over!"
Liu Yeshu scooped out a small spoonful and applied it in circles on the mosquito bite. The cool ointment had a faint herbal aroma. After applying it, the stinging quickly subsided and the itching also lightened.
"Hey, sister, your ointment is amazing!"
Seeing this, the tall and strong servant and the short and fat servant also came over, but did not actively ask for it. Liu Yeshu offered it to them. By the time they finished applying it, the mosquito bites and scratches on Liu Xiaodi's body were still there, but the swelling had subsided.
The tall, sturdy servant turned the bottle around, examining it carefully, unable to help but marvel at it. "Most of the things stuffed here are mint for itching. I've seen some clinics selling ointments made with Chinese herbs, but they're nowhere near as effective as yours. The cooling effect is instantly gone as soon as I apply it." He added lamentably, "It's a pity it's autumn now. If I'd made some ointment specifically for mosquito bites in the summer, it would definitely fetch a good price."
Liu Yeshu smiled calmly and didn't explain much.
Father Liu remained silent. When he finished applying the ointment and returned it to Liu Yeshu, he looked a little uneasy: "Shu'er, where did you get the ingredients for this ointment?"
Liu Yeshu sensed a hidden meaning in the question, but couldn't grasp it immediately, so she answered truthfully, "In the general's vegetable garden, I have a separate area where I grow some herbs."
Father Liu looked at the two servants, who nodded in agreement. "Yes, the vegetable garden hasn't been cultivated for a long time, but the soil is surprisingly fertile. Miss Liu waters it every day, and the seeds she sows grow when the wind blows. She's already got a crop."
The short and fat servant added: "It is said that the General's Mansion is a blessed place. I think Miss Liu is also a lucky star."
Father Liu hesitated to speak, his eyes flickering for a moment, and finally he just said vaguely: "That's good, that's good."
Liu Yeshu put away the small porcelain jar and said, "Okay, let's get back to work. While the weather is good, let's finish the work quickly."
A few days later, after Liu's father had left some corn for his family to eat and some cotton for making quilts for the winter, and seeing that the corn and cotton were almost done drying, he sent his younger brother Liu to contact the grain merchant who had purchased the wheat from him the previous time. The merchant was very impressed with the quality of Liu's wheat, and after hearing from Liu's father, he agreed without hesitation.
The familiar ox team came to the drying yard again, and several grain merchants walked into the yard with a smile, ready to check the harvest.
In the drying yard, golden corn blanketed the ground, each kernel plump and juicy, gleaming faintly in the sunlight like a sea of gold. The grain merchant bent down, picked up a kernel, and with a gentle twist of his fingers, it crackled with a crisp sound. The merchant nodded, satisfied, and said, "It's dry and plump, the kernels are even, and the color is beautiful."
The grain merchant's gaze then shifted to a nearby pile of cotton. The cotton was pure white, fluffy and soft after days of drying. He grabbed a handful and gently kneaded it, feeling its elasticity and texture. He praised it, saying, "This cotton is top-quality, clean and fluffy." Turning to his clerk, he instructed, "Hurry and load the truck! This is a big trip."
Upon hearing this, the men immediately set to work. They expertly packed the dried corn into sacks and loaded them onto the oxcarts one by one. The cotton was also carefully packed and piled onto the carts. Soon, several carts were filled to the brim, their wheels squeaking as they pressed against the ground.
The grain merchant said to Liu's father, "I'll buy your corn and cotton at a price 10% higher than the market price. That's 800 kilograms of corn and 1,000 kilograms of cotton, for a total of 18 strings of cash." After agreeing on the price, the two chatted casually for a few moments before suddenly saying, "We've harvested so much corn and cotton this year. I bet it's quite a lot, right?"
"My family doesn't have much land, just a little over eight acres in total."
Hearing this, the grain merchant and his associates were stunned. They exchanged glances. The merchant raised his brow, his wrinkles woven into a pattern like terraced fields. "Eight acres of land? That's how much grain you can produce?" He frowned again and asked, "What kind of seeds do you use? Is it a special variety? Where did you buy them?"
Father Liu shook his head: "They are just ordinary seeds I got from Manager Li in the village."
After hearing this, the grain merchant's eyes were filled with confusion: "With the same seeds, why don't other people's crops yield as good a harvest as yours? Are they using some unique farming method?"
Father Liu just smiled calmly and said nothing more. Seeing this, the grain merchant stopped asking questions and said, "Uncle Liu, if you have a good harvest in the future, remember to come to us again."
Father Liu bowed and said, "Of course."
After the grain merchant left, Liu Yeshu and his father stood in the yard, watching the ox cart gradually go away.
Liu Di also imitated the adults, with his hands behind his back, looking at the grain merchant's back, his face serious: "This year is really a good harvest, Dad, will we have enough food and drink this year?"
Father Liu patted him on the back of the head and said with a smile: "At least this year I can make sure you have a good New Year."
Liu Yeshu took two strings of money and gave them to the two servants. The two men stopped pushing and shoving each other, and after taking the money, they hurriedly said goodbye to buy meat and drink wine.
The afterglow of the setting sun, like a soft golden veil, gently spread across the winding country road, dyeing the entire field red. Liu Yeshu, his father, and his younger brother walked side by side on their way home, accompanied by the cool evening breeze, and the soft soil under their feet made a slight rustling sound.
Liu Di walked in front, jumping like a happy little bird, his face filled with endless excitement. He waved his sickle in his hand and chattered incessantly, looking forward to this year's New Year's Day.
"Sister! Can we make dumplings for Chinese New Year this year?" Liu Di turned around, looking at Liu Yeshu with sparkling eyes, his words full of joy, "I want to eat pork-filled ones, and the red bean paste-filled pancakes you promised me last time! Oh, yes, and braised pork in a bowl..."
Liu Yeshu smiled and shook her head, unable to resist teasing, "You greedy guy! It's still quite some time before the New Year, and you're already thinking about food?"
Liu Di grumbled unconvincedly, "That's right. After the crops are harvested, shouldn't we prepare for the New Year? We had a good harvest this year, so we must have a good meal for the New Year. Pork, chicken, fish..."
Father Liu remained silent the entire way, his gaze occasionally falling on Liu Yeshu. His brow furrowed slightly, a wave of unspoken doubts swirling within him. Finally, he stopped, patted Brother Liu on the shoulder, and whispered, "Ling'er, go home first and get the seeds back for Manager Li. If you're late, he'll have no one to take care of you."
Liu Di was in high spirits and happy to be ordered around, so he agreed and ran away.
Father Liu watched Brother Liu go away, then slowly turned around, his eyes as sharp as torches, gazing intently at Liu Yeshu. His voice was low, revealing a hint of suppressed emotion: "Shu'er, I have something to ask you, and you must tell me the truth."
Liu Yeshu was slightly stunned and felt vaguely uneasy, but still said softly: "Dad, feel free to ask if you have any questions."
Father Liu looked at her with a deep gaze: "Since you woke up from your illness, you seem like a completely different person. I have been thinking..."
"Are you really my daughter, or are you possessed by some evil creature?"
Liu Yeshu opened her eyes wide. "Dad, why are you suddenly saying something like that? I've only recently learned some things about taking care of the house. How could I be connected to these monsters?"
Father Liu's brow furrowed, his tone growing stern. "What have you done recently that wasn't bizarre? You were just a willful girl before, how could you possibly understand farming or business? How could you have accomplished all this without resorting to unorthodox methods?"
"Dad, don't listen to my nonsense. I just read some agricultural books and got lucky. Besides, the seeds I got from Manager Li are also used by others. Our crops are so good because of the right time and place!"
Father Liu snorted coldly, his tone becoming increasingly harsh. "The right time and place? You can fool Ling'er, but I have to ask you, before you were exiled, you spent all your time in your boudoir, reading nothing more than the 'Instructions for Women' and the like. You never even touched the Four Books and Five Classics, so how could you possibly have agricultural books? Also, where do you get the seasoning for kimchi and sesame eggs? I asked Ling'er, and he's never seen you buy them at the market. How much faster are those chicks in your yard growing than normal chicks?"
The air seemed to be stagnant for a long time. Liu Yeshu forced a smile and stepped forward to gently pull at his father's sleeve: "Dad, please believe me, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. This is just luck—"
"Nonsense!" Father Liu could no longer suppress his anger and suddenly waved his sleeves. "How could you have been so capable before? I'm not a fool. What are you hiding?"
"When you are willing to tell the truth, come to me again!"
Father Liu was filled with rage and didn't want to say any more. He flicked his sleeves, turned around and strode away, leaving Liu Yeshu standing there, as if struck by lightning.
Her hands were numb and drooped limply at her sides. She had originally planned to go straight home, but the General's Mansion was probably closed by now. She walked slowly and aimlessly along the path. The road became increasingly deserted, and a cool breeze blew against her collar, causing her to shiver.
The surrounding villages gradually became silent, with only her footsteps echoing in the night wind. Suddenly, she felt the faint sound of footsteps behind her. She turned around and looked, but saw only dark fields and vague shadows of trees in the distance, no human figures.
She took a deep breath and quickened her pace.
However, the sound of the wind not far away suddenly became strange, as if it were following her steps closely. Liu Yeshu's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, as if it would burst out of her chest at any moment. She forced herself to remain calm, but she still felt the unknown presence behind her getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, a cold breath touched her neck. Liu Yeshu felt a sudden force pressing down on her from behind. Then, a sharp pain pierced her neck, like a sharp blade. Her eyes widened, and her body gradually softened.
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