Chapter 483: The Thousand-Year-Old (4)
"You've never seen this before, have you? This is what the cabbage you interrupted earlier looked like when it was young. Isn't it amazing? From such a tiny head, it grew into an edible cabbage. Watching it grow little by little must be very rewarding, right? And you get to eat what you grew yourself. That's quite an achievement! My father once gave me a test in growing vegetables. Only then can I become a qualified crown prince, a qualified prince. As my father's good daughter, and a princess, surely you know how to grow vegetables, don't you?"
"How could that be? It's just growing vegetables. You can do that, so how could I not?"
After that, Wen Wan began to direct the Seventh Princess to grow vegetables. Other palace maids wanted to help, but Wen Wan stopped them.
On the surface, she said, "Really? The dignified Seventh Princess actually needs help from others?"
"Don't come any closer, or I'll punish you to death."
The palace maids: "..."
Gu Li asked Xiao Cui to bring over a chair and privately asked her if she was alright. Xiao Cui shook her head.
Wen Wan knew that it was practically impossible to make the Seventh Princess think that her behavior toward Xiao Cui was wrong at this moment.
She can only make up for it in other ways. Children are too idle, so they are full of scheming at a young age. She should do more work so that she won't have time to think of bad ideas to torment her.
Wen Wan drank the sour plum soup that Xiao Cui had cooked for her, which was even cold. Drinking it on a day like this was simply heavenly. She also prepared a portion for Xiao Cui and Gu Li.
Qi Mingzhu had never done anything like this before, and in just a short while, she was exhausted and her mouth was dry.
"No way, no way? You only planted five trees, but Zhuzhu, you just destroyed dozens with one whip. Are you not going to be unable to do it?"
"You're no good. I'm not tired. I'm sure I can do better than you. It's just growing vegetables."
Wen Wan: "Go for it, Zhuzhu!"
Xiao Cui was laughing so hard she could hardly contain herself, while Gu Li stood quietly to the side, her gaze not on the Seventh Princess who was the center of attention, but on Qi Yu.
The more suspicion there is, the more flaws this deposed crown prince reveals.
It was full of flaws, and the reasoning was so clumsy it was outrageous. Apart from Xiao Cui, no one would believe that she was telling the truth.
Finally, Qi Mingzhu collapsed from exhaustion. Wen Wan then brought her some plum juice. Seeing that she choked after taking a big gulp, Wen Wan patted her back and said, "Drink slowly. All of this is for you. Zhuzhu, you've worked hard. Zhuzhu truly lives up to her title of princess. She's even good at growing vegetables."
Qi Mingzhu: "Of course."
Afterwards, Wen Wan asked Qi Mingzhu to stay for dinner. Qi Mingzhu's maid originally did not want to agree and wanted to persuade the princess to leave, but Qi Mingzhu nodded and stayed.
On the dinner table that evening, there were no delicacies, only simple fare.
This was done by Gu Li, which brings us to another matter. The Imperial Kitchen was warned, so they weren't very attentive to her, the deposed crown prince. Even if they spent money, they wouldn't get anything good and would even be ripped off.
So when Wen Wan learned that Gu Li could cook, she asked Xiao Cui to buy groceries and set up a makeshift kitchen there.
After trying the male lead Juejuezi's cooking, Wen Wan instantly regarded him as her benefactor—and he truly was her benefactor! As a foodie, she really couldn't resist.
Qi Mingzhu said with some disgust, "You are a prince, how can you eat this? Is this something a human can eat? This is pig feed!" Before she finished speaking, Wen Wan stuffed a vegetable ball into her mouth, which contained some minced meat.
Qi Mingzhu ate it subconsciously, then her eyes widened.
"Is it tasty?"
Qi Mingzhu's eyes lit up, but she said arrogantly, "It's just so-so, not that delicious. I've had much better food before."
"Then why don't you try something else?"
"Alright."
So Qi Mingzhu started eating quickly, and later she even lost all her reserve and arrogance, becoming a happy little rice eater.
Wen Wan smiled.
Then they all started eating, while Xiao Cui, the male protagonist, and the palace maids who came with Qi Mingzhu ate at a separate table.
In the end, all the food was eaten, and Wen Wan slumped in her chair, while Qi Mingzhu was also stuffed to the point of bursting.
"Which imperial chef made this? I want to take him back and cook for me."
Wen Wan: "No, this was made by Gu Li. If you want to eat it in the future, you can come anytime. Besides, do you think growing vegetables is just about planting seeds and expecting cabbages to grow?"
"Otherwise what?"
So Wen Wan started explaining to Qi Mingzhu how to grow vegetables.
Watering, spraying pesticides, weeding—not a single step could be omitted, leaving Qi Mingzhu stunned.
Is it that difficult?
"Is it difficult? I learned it a long time ago, so it's only moderately difficult."
Qi Mingzhu: "It's not difficult, I can definitely make it grow."
"Would you like to raise chickens? Chickens are so cute when they're young." Wen Wan led Qi Mingzhu to see the chickens while they were digesting their food.
Qi Mingzhu stared wide-eyed at the sight of the three chicks.
"It's so cute, so tiny, do we really want to eat it?"
"Of course, isn't chicken delicious?"
Qi Mingzhu swallowed hard. "Delicious."
"This one is for you. You must take good care of it." Wen Wan grabbed a chick and placed it in Qi Mingzhu's arms. Qi Mingzhu carefully held it, afraid that if she used too much force, she would crush the chick to death.
Wen Wan was almost driven crazy by how cute this scene was.
Sure enough, even a ten-year-old little potato can be brought back.
Qi Mingzhu never expected that when she went there with the intention of tormenting the deposed crown prince, she ended up having two more things to do: grow vegetables and raise chickens, which instantly put her under immense pressure.
But she was very happy.
She is happy today whether she is planting vegetables or raising chickens, because she has never done these things before.
Back in the palace.
As a result, the princess's personal maid stood at the door and asked, "Princess, where have you been?"
Qi Mingzhu: "I...I didn't go anywhere."
"The Empress said you should study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting diligently. She will come to test your studies tomorrow."
After saying that, he prepared to leave, and Qi Mingzhu nodded, "I understand."
Qi Mingzhu was a little sad. She didn't like practicing the zither or calligraphy and painting, but her mother made her learn these things. Her mother said that it was already embarrassing for her that she wasn't a prince, and she wouldn't allow her to be surpassed by the other princesses.
Qi Mingzhu sometimes thought, how wonderful it would be if she were a prince. Would her mother not be so irritable every day, and would she not make her learn needlework, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?
Can she grow vegetables and raise chickens like Chyi Yu?
Ten-year-old Qi Mingzhu couldn't understand why she wasn't a prince. That night, Qi Mingzhu practiced the zither all night long, and the music was full of the sadness of being forced into it.
...
Qi Mingzhu did not come the next day.
Wen Wan didn't care too much. After all, she was just a child, and it was normal for her to be inconsistent in her studies.
Unexpectedly, when Wen Wan was getting ready to sleep that night, Qi Mingzhu arrived, and she was crying.
Wen Wan was forced to get up despite her sleepiness. She looked at Qi Mingzhu, whose face was red from crying, and asked, "What's wrong? Who bullied you? I'll go beat him up for you."
"Mother."
Wen Yan: "..."
"This can't be done." "What happened to Consort Rong? Was she scolded?"
"I've tried my best, but why is she still not satisfied? I don't like practicing the piano, I don't like painting, I don't like writing, why did your mother never force you to learn these things?"
Wen Yan: "..."
There's no need to say it that way.
The Empress struggled, but to no avail. The original owner of this body was utterly hopeless and had a sensitive identity. Because of her female identity, the Empress felt guilty towards the original owner, so she tolerated her as long as she didn't cross any lines.
Because of her powerful maternal family, her son became the crown prince.
Who would have thought that her powerful maternal family would be gone now? Wen Wan felt a little sad.
He took a handkerchief and wiped Qi Mingzhu's tears. "You're only ten years old, and you already know how to play the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Your brother, the Crown Prince, is already an adult. I get scolded by the Emperor every day for writing. I'm neither good at literature nor martial arts. Let him scold me. Anyway, this is how I am. If they have the ability, they can put me back in my mother's womb and remake me."
Qi Mingzhu: "???"
"But aren't you afraid they'll abandon you?"
Wen Wan: "The person who loves you will never give up on you, no matter what happens. You have to believe that your mother is the same. Look at my mother, she scolds me for being useless every day. If I were thin-skinned, I would have hanged myself long ago."
Qi Mingzhu's eyes widened.
They seemed surprised by the other party's response.
"Besides, let them curse, I'll just let it go in one ear and out the other. Anyway, I have things I'm good at."
"What is it?"
"I can grow vegetables and raise chickens, and I can also raise pigs. If you can name anything, I can raise it. If dragons and phoenixes exist in the world, I might be able to raise them too."
Qi Mingzhu: "I'm a princess, how could I possibly feed pigs?"
"You're a princess, but do you still want to eat pork? Do you still want to poop? Everyone needs to eat, drink, poop, pee, and sleep, so what's the difference?"
Qi Mingzhu felt that her worldview had been severely impacted.
"In any case, instead of making things difficult for myself, I might as well just give up. As long as I'm bad enough, no one can make me do things I don't like."
Qi Mingzhu: "!!!"
Wen Wan pulled Qi Mingzhu over, "It's so late, let's sleep here."
As she was telling Xiao Cui to take everyone to bed, Qi Mingzhu asked, "Can I sleep in the room next to yours?"
"Can."
Wen Wan went into her room and took off her clothes. She was dressed very loosely because if she continued to wrap herself up like this, she really wouldn't have any breasts left. She couldn't allow that; once she completed her mission, she would have to turn back into a girl.
Wen Wan was very sleepy and fell asleep as soon as she lay down.
Little did she know that there was a second person in the room, and even more so that the other person had already seen her completely naked.
...
When Wen Wan woke up the next day, Xiao Cui fetched water for her to wash up.
Where is Zhuzhu?
"The Seventh Princess is playing with the chicks."
Wen Wan left the room and, sure enough, Qi Mingzhu was bonding with the chicks. Wen Wan asked what they wanted for breakfast.
Gu Li: "Pancake".
"What kind of cake?"
"A pancake made of flour."
Wen Yan: "..."
This world doesn't actually have many things that are common in modern times. After finishing breakfast, Wen Wan suddenly craved tofu. Yes, this world doesn't even have tofu! It's such a shame they don't know how to enjoy life. After learning that this world has soybeans, Wen Wan had an idea. Although she's a kitchen disaster, she's a theoretical genius! After all, she still has the system as a cheat code.
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