Chapter 370 Departure
While eating, Lord He secretly glanced at Huo Lin and Jiang Huan at the head of the table.
Huo Linzheng turned his head slightly, listening to Jiang Huan say something in a low voice, his cold and stern eyes filled with gentleness.
The natural intimacy and tacit understanding between the two seemed to form their own world, in which no one else could possibly intrude.
He glanced at his wife, whose face was full of worry, and quietly tugged at her sleeve, giving her a reassuring look.
"Madam, look at the Emperor and the Empress, their relationship is so deep. It's a blessing for Ling'er to be so highly regarded by them. As for what to do..."
“Since His Majesty thinks it’s good, then it really is good. Our Ling’er is straightforward and can find something she likes to do in the palace, living a peaceful and stable life. That’s better than anything else.”
It's a fact that the daughter is favored. Whether this favor is due to her looks, talent, or farming skills is not important, as long as the result is good.
By getting close to the Imperial Noble Consort, my daughter's life in the palace will be much better.
After hearing her husband's words, Madam He glanced at the beautiful couple at the head of the table. Her tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and she nodded gently. However, deep in her eyes, there was still a trace of unspeakable melancholy.
After the banquet, He Ling accompanied her parents to the palace gate, feeling uneasy, wondering if she had passed the test this time.
Lord He patted He Ling's hand with an encouraging smile: "Ling'er, be good in the palace, listen to the Emperor and the Empress. If you like... if you like farming, then farm well. Your father and mother... support you."
He spoke with some difficulty, but his eyes were sincere.
He Ling felt a warmth in her heart and nodded vigorously: "Father, Mother, don't worry, your daughter will be fine."
Madam He also stepped forward and tidied her sideburns, her voice gentle.
"Ling'er, take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself, look how sunburnt your face is..."
She couldn't help herself in the end, and gently stroked her daughter's dark red cheeks with her fingertips, her heart aching.
"Mom, I'm fine, I'm perfectly healthy." He Ling grinned, revealing her signature big white teeth.
Mrs. He looked at her daughter's carefree smile, forced a smile, and said no more.
Watching her parents walk away under the guidance of the eunuchs until their figures disappeared around the corner of the palace road, He Ling finally breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest.
This should be a pass, right?
She turned around and walked back with light steps, ready to continue her beloved farming career.
At the other end of the palace road, as soon as she turned the corner and confirmed that her daughter could no longer be seen, Madam He's forced smile instantly collapsed, her eyes quickly reddened, and a layer of moisture filled her face.
Lord He noticed his wife's unusual behavior and quickly asked in a low voice, "Madam, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Madam He quickly pressed her handkerchief to the corners of her eyes, forcing back the tears, shook her head, and said in a muffled voice, "It's nothing, it's just... the sand got in my eyes."
How could she tell her husband that she was crying not because her daughter was suffering?
Rather, it was because when she looked at her daughter's radiant smile, she suddenly felt that this vibrant, lively girl with a touch of wild vitality was so unfamiliar that it startled her.
Yet, for some reason, she felt that this was the way her Ling'er should be.
She was much more real and happier than the daughter in my memory who tried so hard to imitate a well-bred lady but never quite succeeded.
She couldn't express this conflicted feeling to anyone.
Lord He looked at his wife's slightly red eyes and tightly pursed lips, sighed, and gently patted her back, offering silent comfort.
The couple walked silently out of the palace.
In the backyard of Weiyang Palace, beside the experimental fields.
After seeing her parents off, He Ling, like a wild horse freed from its reins, immediately changed into light old clothes, rolled up her sleeves and trouser legs, and threw herself into the field work with great energy.
She squatted by the edge of the field, carefully examining the growth of the new crop, humming a tuneless little tune.
Accompanied by Huo Lin, Jiang Huan also went for a walk and some fresh air by the fields.
Seeing He Ling's energetic appearance, working so hard in the soil, I couldn't help but laugh and say, "Looking at you like this, anyone who didn't know better would think that Consort Hui is an imperial envoy in charge of agriculture."
He Ling looked up, wiped her sweat, and chuckled.
"Your Majesty, please don't tease me. I just love what I do. Look at these seedlings, how strong they are! Let me tell you, the ratio of fertilizer to water is very important; it can't be too much or too little..."
She began to enthusiastically share her farming experiences with Jiang Huan, explaining everything from seedling cultivation to fertilization and pest control in great detail.
Jiang Huan listened with great interest, nodding occasionally.
Although she was the one who initially advocated for the reclamation of this land, she didn't actually cultivate it properly by hand for various reasons.
Listening to He Ling's experience from the fields is quite interesting.
Huo Lin stood aside, listening quietly, his gaze falling on Jiang Huan's smiling profile, then sweeping over the thriving field, a slight stirring in his heart.
Yes, if these experiences could be widely disseminated, they would greatly benefit people's livelihoods.
[Moreover, the vegetables He Ling grows are indeed quite good; she's been eating them lately, and her appetite has improved.]
After watching for a while, he suddenly spoke and instructed Wang Degui beside him: "Go, pick a few palace maids who are quick-witted and meticulous, and have them learn how to farm from Consort Hui."
Wang Degui quickly replied, "This servant obeys the decree."
Upon hearing this, He Ling's eyes widened, and she pointed to her own nose.
"Huh? Learn from me? Your Majesty, I... I'm just a self-taught practitioner..."
Huo Lin glanced at her: "If a self-taught method can produce good results, then it is a good method. Teach it well, and if it is taught well, I will reward you."
He Ling immediately swallowed the rest of her sentence and put on a fawning smile.
"Yes, yes, yes, I will definitely teach them everything I know and make sure they become expert farmers!"
[A reward? You should have said so earlier!]
[Teach her, we must teach her! Teach her everything she has learned in her life!]
[System! Quick! Do you have a "Crash Course in Agricultural Technology"? I need to learn it right away!]
System: "Searching... 'Introduction to Fun Agriculture (Illustrated Edition)' requires 20 points. Would you like to redeem it?"
He Ling: [Change! For the Emperor's reward, I'll risk it all!]
Jiang Huan shook her head and chuckled as she looked at He Ling's greedy and suddenly energetic appearance.
Huo Lin's lips curved almost imperceptibly for a moment before returning to their usual calm. He walked over to Jiang Huan, sat down beside her, and took her hand.
"Are you tired? Do you want to go back and rest?"
Just then, the system in He Ling's mind beeped again.
"Beep! Hidden achievement detected: 'Reserve for Misleading Young People'"
"System evaluation report being generated... Evaluation complete."
"Host's current agricultural skill level: self-taught expert, theory is all guesswork, yield per acre depends entirely on the seeds themselves."
"The teaching ability is disastrous, with a risk of misleading students as high as 82%, and the estimated probability that students will develop skewed skills after graduation is 99.8%."
"System reminder: It is recommended that the host prioritize improving their own skills, and can prioritize redeeming 'Learning to Teach from Scratch: How to Keep Your Students From Falling Asleep'."
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