Looking at the clusters of tender green seedlings in the lake, Li Guang spoke:
"These are local wild water chestnuts. They are very small. I heard from Brother Zhao that there is a type of water chestnut in Southeast Asia that grows very large and has a red skin. Locals use this type of water chestnut as a staple food."
"Then could we plant some water chestnuts in the lake? That way we can enjoy the lotus flowers while eating water chestnuts."
“It should be possible. Brother Zhao has been frequently importing goods from Southeast Asia lately. We can ask him to buy some water chestnut seeds and plant them in the lake. In just a few months, my sister will be able to eat water chestnuts.”
"Is it too late to plant water chestnuts now? Is it too late?"
"It's not too late at all. Water chestnuts thrive in high temperatures, and they will grow even better when the temperature is higher."
“Okay, I’ll go to the village later and ask Brother Zhao to buy some water chestnut seeds. I’ll plant them this time. The lake is so deep, I don’t know how to plant them,” Li Xue said.
Since Li Xue recovered from her illness, she has started calling Zhao Xian "Brother Zhao".
Li Guang gazed into the distance, lost in thought.
"More than a month has passed, and I wonder what the outcome was for General Huo's campaigns to quell the rebellions in Louye and Lanwei," Li Xue murmured to herself.
After a long while, Li Guang finally sighed and spoke:
"This mission to quell the rebellion in the desert is fraught with peril, with foreigners involved. It would be a miracle if General Huo returned alive."
Li Guang's words surprised Li Xue greatly; she didn't know why Li Guang had made such a deduction.
At this moment, Zhao Xian was accompanying Master Qin while he was enjoying tea. He handed a cup of tea to Master Qin, who stood up and accepted it with both hands.
“Master Qin, when I brought Qin Shiyu and her sister back from the brokerage, I regarded them as my own sisters.”
They were only sixteen when they first arrived, and three years have passed in the blink of an eye; they are no longer young.
Two years ago, I told them to redeem their identities and focus on their life's important matters.
However, the two women stated that since their parents were not around, they would not redeem themselves, nor would they consider their future marriage.
Qin, the wealthy man, has been in Shuixian Village for almost a year now. Has he considered the two sisters' future marriage prospects?
After pondering for a while, Master Qin finally spoke: "I asked Shiyu and Yingying some time ago, and they said that Lord Shaoqing saved their lives. They said they would repay Lord Shaoqing for the rest of their lives and would not leave Shuixian Village, much less leave Lord Shaoqing's property."
Qin Yuanwai's words startled Zhao Xian. How could this be? Such thoughts would ruin their lives.
Zhao Xian suddenly remembered something: when he bought the two sisters from the brokerage, there was a contract document. Zhao Xian stored important things like this in the system's storage space.
Zhao Xian quietly took out the contract and handed it to Master Qin. Master Qin didn't know what it was, so he took the contract and started reading it.
This is the document issued by the brokerage firm when Zhao Xian bought the two sisters back from them. The document is very detailed.
Tooth Girl: Qin Shiyu, Qin Yingying.
Age: Sixteen years old.
Condition: Facial disfigurement.
...
Upon seeing this, Master Qin's hands began to tremble. How could it be that the two sisters were disfigured and scarred?
Zhao Xian sighed and said:
"When the two sisters first entered the brokerage, they were in their prime, with outstanding looks, and many people vied to buy their products."
An old man offered a high price to buy the two sisters as concubines, but the sisters refused, even at the cost of their lives.
However, since they were already brokers, they had no freedom and had no say in the buying and selling. So, they scratched their faces and ruined their appearances in protest.
Since the two women were disfigured, no one was willing to buy them anymore. After hearing about this, I went to the brokerage and bought the two sisters back.
At that time, I was doing some small business, and they helped me with business matters.
Because they were disfigured, the two were very depressed, so I helped them find medicine to see if it could heal the scars on their faces.
Fortunately, I met a renowned doctor who gave me a bottle of medicine to treat scars. To my surprise, this medicine was incredibly effective; it removed the scars from their faces, restoring their appearance.
After hearing Zhao Xian's story, Master Qin was already in tears. He had been imprisoned and his two daughters had been sold into a brokerage firm. Fortunately, they met Zhao Xian and were able to be rescued.
He stood up and was about to kneel down before Zhao Xian.
Zhao Xian quickly got up and helped Master Qin up.
“Master Qin, please don’t do this, this is absolutely unacceptable.”
Master Qin wiped away his tears and said:
"Your Excellency Shaoqing may not know this, but Shiyu and Yingying, though not talkative and calm, are strong-willed. They will never submit to anyone who harbors ill intentions towards them, and would rather die than submit."
If it weren't for Lord Shaoqing saving them, they might have died long ago.
"Our Qin family's success today is entirely thanks to Lord Shaoqing."
“Master Qin, you flatter me. It was only by fate that I was able to help them back then. I was on my way home when I heard people talking about this, so I decided to help them.”
After they came to Narcissus Village, they were not only diligent but also shrewd in business, which helped me a lot. My business is now so large, and their contributions are indispensable.
Master Qin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said:
"It seems that all of this is fate. In any case, our Qin family still has to thank Lord Shaoqing."
"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. This is the contract I left behind when I bought the two sisters. Now, Master Qin is giving me two taels of silver to redeem Shiyu and Yingying. In this way, they will be free."
Master Qin glanced at the contract in his hand, his expression turning somewhat serious, and said:
"Would two taels of silver be alright?"
“I bought them for two taels of silver, and now Master Qin is offering to redeem them for two taels of silver. I won’t take a single extra coin,” Zhao Xian said solemnly.
Master Qin said nothing. He took out two taels of silver from his pocket, stood up, and respectfully handed the silver to Zhao Xian.
Zhao Xian also stood up and accepted the silver with both hands.
Master Qin accepted the contract, carefully folded it, and gently put it into his pocket.
Next, the two looked at each other and burst into laughter. After laughing, tears welled up in Master Qin's eyes again.
The two sat down again, ready to continue drinking tea.
Just then, someone came to report that Princess Li Xue had arrived.
Since Li Xue recovered from typhoid fever, she has been living at the farm, where Li Guang and Meng Yaoyao have been taking care of her and helping her recover. She hasn't been here for a while.
Zhao Xian and Master Qin quickly came out of the house to greet Li Xue.
Li Xue is still the same as ever, still beautiful and lively.
"How are you feeling now, Princess? Are you feeling much better?" Zhao Xian asked.
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