130 Chapter 130
◎Enjoy the coolness under the wheat! ◎
Cheng Mu was "politely" sent back to Baoqing Hutong by Princess Jing's men.
She also brought back several boxes of rewards from Princess Jing.
"Madam Cheng, why did you take so long? What are these?" The people from the palace put down their things and left. Only then did Gui'er and the others dare to approach boldly.
Cheng Mu: "I don't know what they are, let's open them and take a look."
Xiaoliu opened the first one and said, "It's cloth!"
Xiao Qi opened the second one: "It's the Four Treasures of the Study."
Badou opened the third one: "Yes..." He scratched his head in confusion, "It's the showman and the doll."
Inside the box, a life-size doll huddled up, its round eyes wide open as it yawned. Xiaoliu and Xiaoqi leaned over to take a look, and Xiaoliu laughed heartily, "The princess gave me a fat doll!"
Gui'er: "Why is there a doll?"
The baby in the box was none other than Princess Jing's youngest son. Cheng Mu frowned. Wasn't he just a naughty child? Who told him to get into the box that was being carried out?
Seeing how cute he was, Xiaoliu touched his face and asked him, "What's your name?"
"Aro."
"Come out and play with your sisters and brothers."
Ah Luo suddenly perked up. His brother had been left in the capital, a person he had never met before. He had no playmates in the palace, but here he was surrounded by brothers and sisters. Someone was there to play with him! Look, there was even a crawler in the yard.
A'luo was not shy at all. He climbed up the jujube tree in the yard in no time. A'luo was extremely envious and wanted to climb up too. Xiaoliu held him under the armpits, and Badou and Xiaoqi each lifted one leg. A'luo was overjoyed.
Gui'er was still asking who this doll was, but Xu Xiuying quickly figured it out, "Could this be Prince Jing's son?"
The time she met Princess Jing, she was pregnant. If she gave birth around the end of the year, the baby would be about this size.
Cheng Mu nodded, and Gui'er and Xu Xiuying were both surprised.
Gui'er: "Then we have to send it back to him right away!"
Xu Xiuying: "They had no idea their child was missing?"
Cheng Mu didn't want to send him back. "They detained me for two days, so I have to pay them back!"
"Detain!" Gui'er said harshly, "Didn't I ask you to talk?"
Cheng Mu sneered twice, "Using me to force Mu Yun to fight, how despicable."
Xu Xiuying had always believed that Prince Jing and the Princess were good people. They had been so kind when they summoned her. "They just come and take what they want, bullying us because we have no power or influence."
Gui'er: "With his status, if you want to surpass him, you can only be his mother."
Xu Xiuying covered Guier's mouth: "You are so outspoken and say anything! Be careful, there are ears!"
Gui Er just thought of this and asked Cheng Mu, "Could they have sent someone to monitor us?"
Cheng Mu nodded, and the two fell silent.
A Luo had a lot of fun here. First he learned to climb a tree, and then Xiao Qi took out his slingshot for A Luo to play with.
Each of the six, seven, and eight people had a slingshot, which was made by Mu Yun. It was made of cow tendon and had a leather bag with stones or mud balls inside. When they were in the countryside, they used it to drive away birds stealing food in the fields. Here they had a new way to play with it: hitting dates. They knocked all the dates off the date trees one by one.
It was Luo's first time playing with a slingshot and he loved it. Six, seven, and eight other students took turns teaching him and were all very patient.
It was dark, and Luo still hadn't thought about going home.
Guier asked him if he wanted to go home, but he just shook his head.
Cheng Mu looks a bit like his mother, and he calls her "Auntie" affectionately.
Although Cheng Mu disliked his parents, she was still very kind and friendly to the child. That night, she personally helped him wash and put him to bed.
A Luo rudely wet the kang and soaked Cheng Mu's clothes as well.
The children in Cheng Mu's family have grown up, and she has long forgotten about this!
"Madam Cheng, Steward Qin is here to visit."
"Wait a minute, I'll change my clothes." It was almost done, and the fishy smell was obvious. Cheng Xi was a little disgusted.
Gui'er crossed her arms and looked at the sleepy A'Luo, raising her chin, "Hey, kid, I'm here to pick you up."
A Luo was still in a dream and was not awake. Cheng Mu had just changed his clothes and put on his boots, then led him to the gatehouse.
Last night, the search for the young master at home was a complete chaos. Several nearby streets were blocked off and every house was searched.
Today, Manager Qin came to Cheng Mu just to try his luck, but unexpectedly, he actually found it!
When Cheng Mu appeared, leading Ah Luo, Manager Qin burst into tears of joy. He placed his hand on his forehead, bowed to the gods of heaven and earth, and said, "What a blessing! I found him right here!"
He held Master A Luo in his arms and looked him up and down. He was fine, but he raised his nose. What happened?
Cheng Mu said, "He wet the bed, and there's no change at home. It's a good opportunity for Manager Qin to take him back."
"Madam Cheng, what's going on? Why is the young master here?"
"The princess sent it yesterday, along with several boxes of gifts. I've accepted the gifts, but you should take them back, young master."
After thinking about it, Manager Qin realized that A Luo had hidden himself in the box to play and was carried away by the ignorant servants. He thought to himself that he would punish them severely when he got back!
"Thank goodness I came to Madam Cheng's place. Thank you Madam Cheng for taking care of the young master."
Steward Qin had originally had an excuse to come to her, but now he didn't have time to say anything else. "The princess doesn't know about the young master's condition yet. I'll take him back first."
Ah Luo waved to Cheng Mu: "Aunt, I'm going to look for mother first, I'll come back later."
Manager Qin was anxious. Still coming?
Mr. A Luo is very close to Madam Cheng. Could it be that Madam Cheng is really...
Manager Qin had only heard about it, so it couldn't be true. The princess wasn't very close to Madam Cheng. How could she be like this if they were real sisters?
Cheng Mu said with a smile, "I have something to ask Manager Qin about the farm. Please take Master A Luo back first and come back later."
Last night, Princess Jing was looking for her son in Puyang City, while Prince Jing was supervising the battle outside Yunzhou City. No one in the mansion slept a wink.
In a night raid on Yunzhou, Prince Jing led his troops to engage in a head-on battle with the Mongolian soldiers. Meanwhile, Mu Yun led a team of twenty fierce generals who attacked like a pack of wolves. The silver-armored cavalry charged forward, and iron hooks with ropes were fixed on the city wall. The group climbed bravely, and in a flash they climbed over the city wall and approached the heart of the Mongolian army. Mu Yun pulled the trigger of the magic gun and shot and killed Xu Huan and Baturu in succession. Prince Jing led his troops into Yunzhou city, and all the Mongolian soldiers surrendered except for a small group who escaped.
Prince Jing accepted the surrender in public. The bodies of Xu Huan and Baturu were hung on the city gate. Prince Jing looked at Xu Huan's familiar face and the bloody holes on his body. His worries for many years were finally resolved and he felt relieved.
"Hang the bodies of the two men for three days, then send them to the capital and report to the court."
The battle was won cleanly and neatly. After completing their mission, the twenty riders led by Mu Yun quietly hid among Prince Jing's soldiers, as if the brave cavalry had never existed.
According to the surrendered Mongolian soldiers, one of the dozen or so Mongolian soldiers who escaped was Anda Khan.
All of Prince Jing's generals were heartbroken, regretful and angry. If they had known that Anda Khan was hiding among the Mongolian soldiers, they would never have let him go so easily!
Manager Qin took the young master back to the mansion, inquired about the news last night, and then came back to Cheng Mu.
He thought Cheng Mu wanted to ask him about her family's general, but Mrs. Cheng kept talking about the farm.
In spring, she asked her escort to deliver rice seeds to the palace, as she was concerned about how they grew.
"Madam Cheng's rice grains are three or four inches taller than ordinary millets, and the ears are large and full. Prince Jing and Princess Jing were amazed when they saw them at the farm. Madam Cheng, if you have time, you can come and see them in person."
When Cheng Mu sent him rice seeds, she asked him to pick the strongest and strongest ones and send them back to him. Manager Qin explained, "The rice on the farm hasn't been harvested yet. We'll rush to harvest it after this matter is settled. I, Qin, will never forget what I promised Madam Cheng."
Cheng Mu nodded. "I wonder if Manager Qin has carefully counted how many seeds each plant has produced?"
Manager Qin was speechless. Who has nothing to do but count grains of rice?
Cheng Mi said, "I estimate that this batch of rice seeds can produce 60 to 70 dan per mu."
Manager Qin closed his eyes tightly. Before Madam Cheng appeared, the rice yield per mu in the government fields was more than one stone, and the rice yield per mu in the best area was only about two stones. The rice seeds cultivated by Madam Cheng turned over year after year, and in just a few years, they could see the result of six or seven stones per mu!
"Madam Cheng, is there ever a time when the rice yield reaches its peak?"
Cheng Mu laughed, "Of course not. Steward Qin, haven't you noticed that for every head taller the rice plant grows, the yield increases by one dan. If a person is eight feet tall, and a rice plant grows eight feet tall, the yield can reach over ten dan. If the rice plant is as tall as bamboo, people can enjoy the shade under the rice. Steward Qin, calculate how much you can harvest per mu!"
Manager Qin was dumbfounded when he heard this and exclaimed: "Enjoy the coolness under the wheat!"
Madam Cheng is so bold!
"Everything depends on human effort." Cheng Mu took out her crop booklet and showed it to Steward Qin. "Last year we grew these thousand-happiness fruits. Since Steward Qin is visiting today, I'll give you some seeds to take back with you to entertain the prince and princess during the winter."
Manager Qin was not only interested in tomatoes, he pointed out several items in a row and wanted them all. Cheng Mei agreed and personally packed them for him and marked them.
She had another favor to ask him for. "During the first month of this year, the county magistrate asked me to come over. Your wife and mother are interested in farming, and I promised to give them some good seeds. It's difficult for me to travel here, so please ask Steward Qin to take a message to the county magistrate, asking him to send someone over."
The princess sent someone to keep an eye on her, so to avoid trouble, she didn't go out.
Manager Qin also knew a little about it. Madam Cheng was quite sensible, so he approved of it and agreed.
Cheng Mu escorted Steward Qin to the door. Steward Qin remained silent for a moment, but finally couldn't help but speak, "Last night, His Royal Highness Prince Jing led his troops to annihilate the bandits and recapture Yunzhou City. Madam Cheng's family members are well-versed in martial arts and possess unparalleled courage. Their achievements are outstanding, and His Royal Highness will surely reward them. Congratulations to Madam Cheng."
Manager Qin bowed and said goodbye.
Yunzhou City will definitely be recaptured, Cheng Mu has nothing to worry about. The extra chapter in the original book said that Prince Jing and the princess had given birth to their fourth child, three boys and one girl. It's still early for them to have a second little boy now.
Now that Yunzhou City has been recaptured, Princess Jing will be returning to the city soon.
Cheng Mu looked towards the end of the alley. Princess Jing's men were still staring at her. Even if she dispelled her greater doubts, Cheng Mu would not let her go easily just because she was Cheng Jiuniang.
Steward Qin brought Cheng Ling's letter and also reported back to Princess Jing.
When Princess Jing heard that she only talked about the farm and seeds, she didn't believe it at all and thought she was really patient.
"As soon as the prince's message arrives, we will set off back to Yunzhou," she instructed the servants, "Tell Mrs. Cheng to pack her things and come with me to Yunzhou City at any time."
Cheng Mu had already guessed this, and this was the last time, so she instructed everyone in the house to pack up their things.
Gui'er was ready to go, and Yu's face was filled with worry. She hugged Jiuniu tightly and couldn't say that she didn't want to go.
Xu Xiuying didn't care. It was torture to wake up every day.
Cheng Mu seriously told the seventh, eighth and ninth children about her departure, but they accepted it very calmly.
"Wherever Mom goes, we go."
Badou wanted to follow Madam Cheng in breeding, so of course he was willing to do so.
When Princess Jing's people came to deliver the message, Baoqing Hutong was crowded with people from beginning to end.
Many people were carrying food, and some were holding bags.
"If I can exchange seeds from Madam Cheng in person, I have to come here anyway."
"I heard that Madam Cheng's best rice seeds yield six or seven dan per mu. I hope you won't exchange all of them and leave some for me."
"My dear, I want Madam Cheng's vegetables. Winter is coming soon, and there's nothing green to be seen on the New Year's Eve or the front table. I heard that Madam Cheng's vegetables are very easy to grow. As long as they are not left outside to be severely affected by wind and frost, they will grow a lot and become a vegetable tower."
“…”
Cheng Mu only asked Manager Qin to pass a message to the Puyang County Magistrate. The Puyang County Magistrate asked his wife and mother to come over. Cheng Mu gave them some better vegetable seeds and said that she still had some to give to the people in the county government who had helped her. So the clerks in the government office got to know about it and came to ask for it. When they heard that there was still a lot left, their relatives and neighbors were afraid of being left behind and came to grab these best things.
The front of the door is as noisy as a market, so how can people living in the same alley not come over?
Cheng Mi went out to the door to apologize and selected people to maintain order. Although there were many people, they entered and exited in an orderly manner.
Princess Jing's people finally squeezed in and delivered the message, and Cheng Mu agreed.
When Princess Jing heard about this, she couldn't help but laugh, "Mrs. Cheng Jiu has become so famous, could it be that she really has the ability to breed?"
No matter how unbelievable it was, it had turned out like this. Princess Jing thought to herself, could it be that she had also obtained some great opportunity?
It would have been fine if she was stupid before, she didn't even have to do anything herself, she could just stir up conflict with others and reap the benefits. But now that she's smarter and has gained some reputation, she can dig up the past and stir up some more bloodshed—
Princess Jing's gaze was fixed on a certain spot in the void.
A Luo stumbled in and shook her, "Mom, A Luo wants to go play with his brothers and sisters! Shoot dates with a slingshot, whoosh!"
"A Luo's eldest brother is in Beijing, and Ying Jie'er is in Ding'an Town. When mother is free, please ask aunt to bring Ying Jie over to play."
Ah Luo shook his head, tugged at her clothes, and pointed to the door, "Looking for auntie, auntie!"
Princess Jing knew who A Luo was talking about. This kid got along well with Cheng Jiuniang. She didn't teach him, but he called her aunt. He went to her house by accident and kept thinking about going back to her house.
Cheng Jiuniang is dead, and having contact with her will inevitably attract the attention of those who are interested.
We can't let her run around outside, we can't let her become more famous, and we can't have any contact with her.
To cultivate virtue, one must cultivate it; to eliminate evil, one must root it out.
Princess Jing made up her mind and said to Ah Luo in a gentle voice, "Tomorrow we will return to Yunzhou City. Your father has won the battle and is going to hold a celebration banquet. Mother will ask them to come and see you."
Children don't want to wait until tomorrow, it's too far away for them. No matter how much he quarrels, Princess Jing will not change her mind.
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