Chapter 26 Father and Daughter
Zhu Yuhuan himself threw himself into the work, leaving Zhu Zhanji staring at the pile of farm tools, feeling unsure how to start. Although he had built a greenhouse before, there was no reason for him to do the work himself.
He looked at Zhu Yuhuan and saw that she was very nimble and had already started cutting rice with her own hands. Her movements were so agile that it was hard to imagine that she was a precious princess.
Zhu Youtong and Zhu Zhanji were not close. He originally stayed away from Zhu Zhanji and only helped his mother pick up rice. But when he saw Zhu Zhanji's clumsy appearance, Zhu Youtong became a little anxious while watching from afar.
Seeing that his sister and uncle didn't notice this, Zhu Youtong gritted his teeth, ran to Zhu Zhanji, and whispered, "Emperor Father, you used it wrong." After that, he picked up the farm tools and cut down the rice that had been crushed.
Zhu Zhanji was embarrassed to see that she was also very skilled. He smiled and said, "You have learned a lot from your sister."
Zhu Youtong whispered, "Sister, every day, she's either studying or discussing these things with the craftsmen. She's been trying and failing over and over again. I've only been watching from the side, but I've learned a few basics and can barely help you." She murmured shyly, "If you don't know how, Father Emperor, I can teach you."
In fact, for her, what was more important was that she couldn't bear to see her sister's rice fields being ruthlessly destroyed by the emperor! But her sister had said that food was more precious than anything else and must not be wasted!
Seeing her like this, Zhu Zhanji was silent for a long time before reaching out to touch her head.
His eldest daughter, Zhu Yuhuan, was naturally intelligent and renowned for her filial piety, bearing a striking resemblance to him in childhood. His third daughter, Zhu Hanjia, was still young and raised by the Imperial Concubine, and though sometimes timid and reserved, he cherished her with great affection. Naturally, his attention was drawn to these two daughters, often neglecting Zhu Youtong, who was caught in the middle. It wasn't until today that he realized this daughter was the one most like her mother, Hu Shanxiang.
Hu Shanxiang couldn't help holding her breath when she saw Zhu Zhanji talking to Zhu Youtong. When she saw him touching her daughter's head, she finally relaxed. Then she took out a teapot from the shed next to her, poured a bowl of tea, and brought it to Zhu Zhanji, saying, "Your Majesty is busy with government affairs every day. Why don't you go and rest for a while?"
Zhu Zhanji took the tea bowl and took a sip, then smiled and said, "Tongtong is teaching me how to harvest. Since I want to be a farmer, why worry about the hard work?" He handed the tea bowl back to Hu Shanxiang, his face showing satisfaction, and said, "Changqiu has taught her very well. She has learned so many things at such a young age."
Hu Shanxiang was stunned when she heard his praise, and was slightly surprised. She said respectfully, "This is not my credit. It's because my elder sister Huanhuan has always cared about her and is willing to help Tongtong with everything. Tongtong is not afraid of suffering with her elder sister. I am just teaching Tongtong some small skills."
Zhu Zhanji looked at the sensible Zhu Youtong, and his heart was moved. Then he took Hu Shanxiang's hand and said, "Changqiu is very good, and the children you raised are all outstanding."
Although they were husband and wife, their daily interactions were merely routine. Hu Shanxiang rarely saw Zhu Zhanji show such emotion. Now that he was holding her hand, she felt uncomfortable and forced a smile. "Huanhuan and Tongtong are also your Majesty's daughters. Your Majesty sets an example, so naturally these two children will follow in your footsteps and become outstanding."
Although Zhu Youtong didn't understand the deeper meaning of their conversation, she could vaguely sense her mother's discomfort. She immediately emphasized, "Father Emperor, please watch carefully and don't be distracted." She tried to straighten her chest and raise her head, saying, "Sister said that no matter what you do, the most important thing is to focus."
Seeing how she followed Zhu Yuhuan's every word and action, Zhu Zhanji couldn't help but feel a little amused and said in a soft voice, "Okay."
Fortunately, Zhu Yuhuan himself is outstanding enough, otherwise he would really be worried that his second daughter would go astray because she listened too much to her elder sister. However, it seems that although Zhu Yuhuan is young, he is very attentive to the teaching of his younger sister.
Zhu Yuhuan, who had been buried in the rice fields, couldn't help but sneeze. Zhu Zhanzhen, who was standing next to him, asked worriedly, "What's wrong? Did you catch a cold? It's such a nice day, it shouldn't happen..."
Zhu Yuhuan rubbed his nose and muttered, "Someone must be secretly talking about me..."
Seeing her being suspicious again in strange places, Zhu Zhanzhen said helplessly, "What's the reason?"
Zhu Yuhuan said firmly: "In any case, it is definitely not a good thing."
About half an hour later, Zhu Zhanji, who had already mastered the technique of harvesting rice, couldn't help but feel sore in the waist and legs.
He had followed his grandfather in the Northern Expedition since he was young. Although he had not killed the enemy personally, he was still in good physical condition. But now, not even half a day had passed, and he already felt sore in his back. Looking at Zhu Yuhuan and Zhu Zhanzhen, they seemed to be fine.
Zhu Zhanji felt a little embarrassed, but fortunately Hu Shanxiang had already noticed it, so she reached out and patted Zhu Youtong on the back and whispered to her, "Go and ask your father to come to the shady shed and rest for a while."
Seeing that there was no one else around, Zhu Youtong muttered softly, "I don't want it. I should just let him get some sun."
Hu Shanxiang felt helpless and could only say, "Didn't you learn how to use a hairdryer from your sister? You might as well teach him."
Zhu Youtong blinked, and after a while he whispered, "Mom, why doesn't my sister just take out the finished farm cart and use it..."
Hu Shanxiang looked at Zhu Yuhuan's back not far away and said, "Your sister has her own plans. Go and invite His Majesty first."
"oh……"
Zhu Yuhuan wiped the sweat from his head and returned to the shed. Seeing Zhu Zhanji sipping tea there, he bowed and said with a smile, "Daddy, you have worked hard."
Zhu Zhanji saw that she was teasing him on purpose, but he didn't get angry. Instead, he smiled and asked, "Dad, I heard from Tongtong that you often seek advice from craftsmen. The windmill and the drum cart are both well made. Why are you reluctant to use the farm cart?"
Zhu Yuhuan said seriously, "Farmers rely on the weather and work hard all year round to get a harvest, not to mention the corvée service. This shows how hard the people work. Since Dad is also a farmer today, he naturally understands this."
Zhu Zhanji was amused when he heard this and said, "It seems that Princess Shunde has not been out of the palace in vain. She now understands the difficulties faced by the people."
Zhu Yuhuan giggled and said, "The weather cannot be changed by human power, so Huanhuan is developing agricultural tools together with all the craftsmen." After that, she waved to the craftsmen not far away and pushed the farm cart out.
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