There weren't many hawthorns to begin with, and it was only because the little girl said she shouldn't eat too many while pregnant that she was able to eat them slowly for ten days.
She simply couldn't eat without some appetizing fruit.
Cuihong looked troubled: "Madam, the doctor said that you shouldn't eat too many hawthorns while pregnant. One a day for the past few days has been enough for you. Eating more might not be good for the baby."
Madam Bai frowned but didn't say anything more.
A little while later, a maidservant came in with a beaming smile and announced, "Madam!"
Cuihong frowned and scolded her, "What kind of behavior is this, making such a racket? Be careful not to startle the madam!"
The maid was so frightened that she knelt down immediately. Madam Bai was a distinguished guest of her master, someone whom even the prefect of the county regarded as an honored guest. If she, a mere maid, offended her, she would only face certain death!
"Cuihong," Madam Bai asked the young maid with a faint expression, "What's wrong?"
Only then did the maid dare to say, "My master has found a lingzhi mushroom for the madam, and it is of excellent quality. He has invited the madam to the front yard!"
"Madam?" Cuihong bent down to ask her what she meant.
Madam Bai, however, was unwilling to go: "Lord Zhou is too kind. I am much better now and need not trouble myself. As for the Ganoderma lucidum, there is no need for that."
"Yes, Madam." The maid dared not say more and hurried off to report.
Madam Bai sighed and put down the porcelain spoon in her hand.
Cuihong quickly and gently massaged her to make her feel more comfortable: "Madam, why don't you want that Ganoderma lucidum?"
"I just have no appetite, I can't even eat this midnight snack, what use is that Ganoderma lucidum? Let's set off tomorrow. I was thinking that resting for a few days would help me feel better, but it seems that it won't be of any use. I might as well return to the capital as soon as possible."
"Oh." Cuihong nodded, then stopped talking and continued working intently.
A breeze quietly drifted into the yard, and the leaves began to dance, rustling and swaying gently before violently shaking.
A green leaf twirls and falls.
The wind never stops, and the leaves never cease to fall.
"Madam, shall we go inside? It's getting a bit windy."
"Um."
Cuihong helped Madam Bai to her feet. As soon as they entered the room, Cuihong turned to close the door, only to hear Madam Bai exclaim in surprise, "Who's there!"
Cuihong rushed over and saw a dark figure slowly emerge from behind the screen.
Terrified, Cuihong stepped in front of Madam Bai, shouting, "Where did this thief come from? Do you know who my lady is?!"
When the true face of the dark figure was fully revealed, Madam Bai was even more surprised.
"Your Highness?"
Who else could it be but Gu Ziyi, the handsome young man who slowly emerged from behind the screen?
Upon hearing this, Cuihong immediately knelt down: "This servant was unaware of His Highness the Crown Prince's arrival and has been impolite. I beg His Highness to punish me!"
Madam Bai suppressed her confusion and bowed slightly: "This humble woman greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Gu Ziyi nodded: "It was my abruptness to come in the middle of the night. I hope the young master's wife will forgive me."
"This humble woman dares not. But... why is His Highness the Crown Prince here?"
Her husband was the eldest son of the Marquis of Chongbo, and the heir apparent of the Marquis of Chongbo's household.
The eunuch, Marquis Chongbo, is the current emperor's uncle. As a member of the imperial family, to show their loyalty, the Marquis Chongbo's family, from top to bottom, never takes sides in the court, but is loyal only to the emperor.
Upon seeing His Highness the Crown Prince, Bai's first reaction was to worry that if word got out, it might be detrimental to the Marquis Chongbo's mansion.
Now that I've calmed down and thought about it, how could the Crown Prince have ended up in Nanlin County?
Gu Ziyi answered her question first: "Not long after the Crown Prince's wife left the capital, I requested to go to the border to study with my maternal grandfather."
"I see."
His Highness the Crown Prince's maternal family is the residence of the Mighty General, and his maternal grandfather was none other than the renowned Mighty General.
The mighty general has guarded the border for many years, and it is quite normal for His Highness the Crown Prince, as the one who will inherit the throne, to come to the border to gain some experience.
What's strange is why he appeared in her room without making a sound?
"General Wei Wu is unparalleled in his might and has made indelible contributions to the people. It is a great blessing for the country that His Highness the Crown Prince should follow General Wei Wu to learn from him."
Gu Ziyi chuckled: "The Crown Prince's wife must be wondering why I am here alone."
Bai remained silent, her tightly pursed lips revealing her caution.
Gu Ziyi changed the subject and took out the sachet from his pocket: "This is from Lili."
"Pear?"
Bai was stunned, and the image of that adorable little face appeared in her mind.
Cuihong hurriedly presented the sachet. It wasn't made of very fine material, but the stitching was meticulous, and it had a small, distinctive pear blossom design. The sachet emitted a faint pear blossom fragrance.
For some reason, Bai felt comfortable all over as she smelled the fragrance emanating from the sachet, and the inexplicable tension in her heart disappeared.
"It really is pear-shaped."
This strange feeling convinced Bai Shi of the sachet's origin and made her less wary of the young prince.
"How does Your Highness possess Lili's sachet?"
“She is my friend, and she entrusted me to bring this to you,” Gu Ziyi said calmly.
He remembered when the little dumpling handed her the sachet, he thought it was for him.
I wonder if this little dumpling had already guessed that he would come to see the heir's wife of the Marquis of Chongbo's mansion, and that's why he specially made the dignified Crown Prince act as his errand boy.
Gu Ziyi chuckled.
"Lili is your friend?" Bai was somewhat incredulous.
"Let's not talk about that anymore, let's get down to business." Gu Ziyi stopped smiling, "I've come to bother the young master's wife with important matters."
………
The rice takes about two months to head, and during this time, extra attention must be paid to diseases and pests. Therefore, Lili has been going to the fields for a month straight.
The Shen family knew she was doing something important, so they let her be, except that they had to change the young man to be her bodyguard every day.
"Guoguo, where have Grandpa and the others dug up to?"
While observing the condition of the soil, Lili inquired about the progress of Shen Jiahao's underground ditch digging.
The village had been discussing the digging of the underground canal for more than half a month, and finally, under the leadership of Village Chief Ma, the project started.
As expected, it didn't rain for a month, and she noticed that the water in the fields had become even shallower, which made her very worried.
"Grandpa said they've found the spring, and they've been asking people to come and investigate these past few days."
To find a spring, a geological survey must first be conducted to understand the local geological structure and the distribution of aquifers. Then, the digging location is determined, and specialized digging equipment is used to gradually excavate deeper until the water source is found.
Lili nodded, wiped the sweat from her brow, and Shen Jiahao quickly handed her the small water bottle he carried at his waist and fed her water.
Lili drank heartily: "Brother, you drink too."
Shen Jiahao chuckled and took a few sips, then asked her, "How's it going, Pear Blossom? Our rice is growing well, isn't it? It looks twice as plump as the others!"
Lili chuckled inwardly, "How could she not get fat?"
She scurried around in the rice stalks every day, and she personally plucked out each and every one of the rice ears that were not sprouting properly!
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