Ye Wenxue ignored Zhiwang's methods of selling bean sprouts and focused on researching how to grow vegetables in the charcoal kiln.
After several days of digging by her and Zhiwu, the charcoal kiln was expanded considerably, barely enough to cover two vegetable plots.
Ye Wenxue: Now I understand why so few people grow vegetables in cellars during the winter.
These cellars and charcoal kilns are really hard to dig.
"Let's leave it like this for now." Ye Wenxue flattened the dug soil, picked up the basket, and left the charcoal kiln.
Zhiwu haphazardly brushed the mud off his head and obediently followed behind, picking up soil.
"Brother Ye, how's Zhiwang doing with selling bean sprouts?"
"I don't know, as long as I don't lose money, it's fine."
Soybeans are considered a grain, and they sell for quite a high price in winter, so sprouting soybeans is actually not very cost-effective.
If she loses money instead of making a profit, Ye Wenxue will be very upset.
Zhiwu thought for a moment, then smiled sheepishly: "Zhiwang is smarter than me, he definitely won't let you lose money."
Ye Wenxue poured the soil from the basket into the cave and then smoothed it out with a hoe: "Everyone has their strengths, and you don't need to belittle yourself."
Zhiwu felt a warmth in his heart, but didn't say anything more. He chuckled twice and buried himself in his work.
Not long after, seeing that it was getting late, Zhiwu quickly patted the mud off his body, said goodbye to Ye Wenxue, and hurried back to the bamboo house.
He still had to go back to the bamboo house to burn charcoal; he couldn't be late.
Ye Wenxue invited him to stay for dinner several times, but he refused each time. In the end, she had to give him a few sweet potatoes and corn to take with him on his way.
Watching Zhiwu walk away on the valley path, Ye Wenxue soon welcomed Dazhuang and Su Jiu back home.
Dazhuang was exceptionally happy today, running over in a few quick steps, almost throwing the basket on his back off.
"Mother, Zhixing sent someone to deliver some medicinal herbs, and there happens to be some you need among them. I'll go and brew the medicine for you."
Su Jiu's face instantly tightened as he secretly observed Ye Wenxue's expression.
Ye Wenxue smiled and said, "Okay, go ahead. Shuangshuang is cooking in the kitchen. Go see how it's going."
Dazhuang wasn't afraid of the slippery roads in the snow and ice. He tightened his grip on the basket and sped back to the earthen house, leaving Su Jiu to face Ye Wenxue's storm.
Su Jiu: "...No...that...I didn't..."
"Oh." Ye Wenxue glanced at him, then lowered her head to rearrange the trap.
Not long after, a jade bottle was silently placed in front of them.
Su Jiu gritted his teeth: "It's a pungent sleeping gas made from chili peppers. It's not very lethal, but it's quite effective. It can prevent the opponent from attacking for a short time."
Ye Wenxue accepted the gift, stood up, and patted Su Jiu: "Let's go back for dinner."
Su Jiu stood there silently for a long time, unable to hold back his curses in his heart. He had been tricked again!
Shuangshuang's cooking skills are worse than Dazhuang's. She can only make stews and stir-fries. Today she made a stew of radishes, cabbage, mushrooms and bamboo shoots, and added a little bit of cured pork bones to make it taste meaty.
The whole family seemed hesitant to speak as they ate.
Especially Dazhuang, Sanyuan, and Siwang, who were used to Ye Wenxue's hard-earned culinary skills, suddenly jumped below average, which was somewhat unacceptable to them.
Dazhuang had lunch at the bamboo house, but the food was just so-so, and now he was eating with a listless expression.
"Sis, you... I'll cook for you when I come back."
Sanyuan silently finished a bowl of rice and then said tactfully, "Let me do it. I learned some medicinal cuisine recipes from my master, so this is a good opportunity to practice."
Siwang was not even as tall as the stove, so he could only light the fire at most, and could only eat his rice without tasting it.
Ye Wenxue put a piece of radish on each of the children's plates: "It's good enough that you have something to eat, why are you being picky? But Shuangshuang worked so hard today, she must be tired, so Mom will cook tomorrow."
The people at the table: "..."
The goose crouching in the corner: "..."
Both of them were biting their chopsticks, feeling proud of their cooking skills.
They clearly understood: "Okay, okay, you guys come."
After the meal, Sanyuan rolled up his sleeves, folded the bowls, and went to wash them.
Dazhuang, Shuangshuang, and Siwang sat upright next to Ye Wenxue. Dazhuang was also holding Yuanyuan in his arms. The four pairs of eyes were bright and alert as they supervised Ye Wenxue as she drank her medicine.
Dazhuang: "I followed Mr. Su's instructions and boiled three bowls of water down to one bowl. Mother, please drink it quickly."
"Eeya!"
Ye Wenxue held the bowl and sniffed it: "Wouldn't that be extremely bitter?"
"Ya ya ya!"
They both brought over the jar of sugar: "Here you go."
Siwang curiously leaned forward to take a sniff, but couldn't help pinching his nose: the herbal smell was too strong.
"Wow!"
Curious by the continuous sounds, everyone turned to look at Yuanyuan.
Ye Wenxue put down the medicine bowl, picked up Yuanyuan and checked her over. Her diaper wasn't wet: "Not full?"
Da Zhuang shook his head: "I fed him more than half a bowl."
Ye Wenxue was a little confused. After putting Yuanyuan in the cradle, she swallowed the medicine in one gulp, and the bitter taste instantly filled her mouth.
Ye Wenxue silently prepared a bowl of hawthorn sauce and added two spoonfuls of sugar: "...Sanyuan, where is your master?"
Some people, fearing they couldn't defeat her, deliberately added Coptis chinensis to the medicinal herbs.
Sanyuan, washing the dishes, turned around blankly and said, "Master said he went to a cave to study poisons and told us not to disturb him."
Ye Wenxue clenched her fist, only relaxing it after the bitter taste subsided.
“After you’ve finished drinking, you can go about your business. I’ll go turn over the soil in the charcoal kiln and plant seeds tomorrow.”
Dazhuang immediately turned to his younger siblings with a stern face: "You all go about your business. Mom and I are going to till the soil and plant the seeds tomorrow."
Shuangshuang, Sanyuan, and Siwang: "...Oh."
Ye Wenxue, who hadn't even left the house yet, chuckled.
She carried a basket of firewood to the charcoal kiln, leaving half of it burning inside without sealing it, using the firelight to illuminate and warm the entire kiln that had been dug out.
If you stick torches in the shaded areas, you won't be afraid of the dark or cold when you work, and you won't have to worry about the soil freezing and making it impossible to turn the soil.
Ye Wenxue and Dazhuang squatted in front of the charcoal kiln and talked for a while, mainly asking him what he had learned and his future career path.
Dazhuang may be young, but he's got quite a wild heart: "I want to be the top scholar in the imperial examination, no, I want to be the top scholar of all three levels, and take my mother and younger siblings to live in a big house in the capital!"
Ye Wenxue suppressed a laugh and hummed in agreement: "Alright, that'll fulfill your father's wish."
When the original owner and Cheng Dingfang gave their third son a nickname, it clearly reflected their best wishes—to pass the imperial examinations in all three categories.
Unfortunately... Sanyuan didn't really want to pursue the imperial examination path; instead, Dazhuang harbored great ambitions.
In the original book, his nickname was Dazhuang, his real name was Cheng Zhihuai, and he was known as the villain. He succeeded.
Amidst the chaos of war, he passed the imperial examinations and became the top scholar among the top scholars. With the help of various forces, he controlled the court within five years and became a powerful minister feared by all.
only……
Ye Wenxue concealed the heartache and pity in her eyes, and patted Dazhuang's head: "Mom believes in you! Our Dazhuang is the best!"
Da Zhuang may have thought about it, but he knew in his heart how audacious and unrealistic his idea of winning three consecutive championships was.
Upon hearing Ye Wenxue say that she believed in him and sincerely praise him, Da Zhuang's eyes blazed with fire and ambition.
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