"Tch." Xie Shangguang scooped out the clod of earth and crushed it.
The agricultural official and his men, who were busy moving sweet potatoes in the melon field, weighed the third basket and first gave it to Xie Shangguang for tallying.
The total weight is 1,200 jin.
Si Xi Nian's one mu of sweet potatoes weighed a total of 1,500 jin.
It weighed 300 jin more than Xie Shangguang. This was unbelievable to Xie Shangguang, who had been watering the fields with fertilizer every day and talking to the sweet potato vines whenever he had a spare moment, hoping they would grow fatter so he could return to the Xie family.
The sweet potato prince did nothing but weed and loosen the soil, so how come his land produced 300 more pounds of sweet potatoes?
Xie Shangguang was unconvinced. He crossed his arms and puffed out his cheeks. Then he handed the collected sweet potato slices and peels to the Minister of Agriculture: "There are more here."
The official in charge of agriculture had no choice but to say for him: "Half a tael, one thousand two hundred and half a taels of sweet potato."
Si Xinian breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could explain to her elder sister. But why was it so quiet?
Looking up, he saw Xie Shangguang staring at him, his face full of resentment.
Si Xinian guessed that he was agonizing over the extra 300 jin.
He added fuel to the fire, saying, "If you talk less, you might weigh three hundred pounds more than me."
Xie Shangguang retorted even more indignantly, "How can sweet potatoes help people lose weight?!"
In an instant, the atmosphere between the two boys became tense. After working in the melon field for half a year, both of them had grown quite a bit taller. The Xie family boy, who was originally only five feet tall, was now seven feet tall.
Si Xinian was half a head taller than him because of his royal genes.
The two clashed again, and Xie Shangguang, seeing that he was shorter than him, became even more angry and picked up a carrying pole.
Si Xinian didn't hold back either, picking up the chamber pot.
The two men each took a step forward, the chamber pot versus the carrying pole swinging and striking in mid-air, blocking each other. The clanging and thumping sounds frightened the official in charge of agriculture, who quickly led his men away, not wanting to be implicated.
Xie Shangguang's marksmanship was superb. He flicked the chamber pot, then kicked it away with his right foot like a football kick, sending it flying far away.
Si Xinian snatched his carrying pole and threw it behind him.
A voice came from behind: "Oh no! Enemy attack! Protect the marshal!"
Si Xinian's eyes widened in surprise. Upon landing, he quickly turned around, straightened his appearance, and became very proper.
As Xie Shangguang landed, he grabbed two clods of mud and threw them at Si Xinian: "You arrogant prince, take this cannonball!"
Si Xinian tilted his head to avoid it, as if the back of his head had eyes, and the mud slammed forward.
Xie Lanzhi was having a particularly unlucky day. She had just arrived at the melon field to see if those two brats had completed their mission when her personal guard was knocked unconscious by a flying carrying pole, and then a bucket flew down from the sky.
She punched it until she realized it was a chamber pot. Her left hand reeked of urine.
Another punch shattered two lumps of mud.
He stood still with a dark expression, refusing to move forward.
After the ceasefire, Si Xinian seized the opportunity to rush to Xie Lanzhi, clasped his hands in greeting, and knelt down, saying, "Greetings, Marshal!"
Xie Shangguang finally realized how unlucky he was, that the marshal had to see him fighting, and he came over to salute, feeling extremely guilty.
"Shang Guang greets the Marshal."
Xie Lanzhi raised her hands and clapped them, signaling someone to take the unconscious soldier to be treated.
Someone brought water in a wooden basin, along with a piece of soapberry. She washed and washed until she felt clean.
She took another white cloth to dry her hands, and finally finished cleaning under the anxious gaze of the two boys.
Xie Lanzhi sized up her brother-in-law, whom she hadn't seen for half a year, and Xie's simple-minded son. Both of them had grown quite a bit taller. Her brother-in-law used to be ten centimeters shorter than her, but now he was at least twenty centimeters taller. He was now sharp and tall, with a slender figure and much more handsome.
He used to exude a feminine aura, but now his appearance is more resolute. His features, which resembled those of Little Phoenix, are beginning to show some differences.
Shang Guang was a bit shorter, but he was already quite handsome, with a bronze complexion, a robust build, and a more energetic appearance. However, his personality was still a complete mess. He and his brother-in-law, who also had a volatile temper, used to be quite a troublemaker.
They just both had a good sense of self-awareness.
Xie Shangguang stood ramrod straight, his head tilted back nervously, like a soldier waiting to be called upon.
Having not seen them for half a year, she, as an elder, should have rewarded and educated them, encouraging them to be more mature in the future. But seeing the two boys now grown into young men, she felt a pang of emotion.
In ancient times, most young men who were sixteen years old (by the traditional Chinese age reckoning) were already married, and in ordinary families, they were already fathers.
Xie Lanzhi said, "I have heard the report from the Minister of Agriculture. You have all exceeded the yield target per mu. You have worked very hard."
Si Xinian said, "I didn't feel bitter at all. On the contrary, I learned things in the fields that I had never learned in books."
"You too, kid!" Xie Shangguang chimed in, "I've lived a life of luxury since I was a child and never imagined that working all year round would be harder than rolling around in the army. I was always worried that I wouldn't take good care of the sweet potatoes and that the yield wouldn't be high enough, and then I would never be able to return to my clan and would be stuck growing sweet potatoes for the rest of my life."
As he spoke, Xie Shangguang wiped away his tears with aggrieved expression: "I don't want to become a manure-carrying general. If my grandma finds out, she will definitely make me carry manure for the rest of my life."
Si Xinian: "My dear grandmother."
Xie Shangguang immediately lost his sense of grievance and glared at Si Xinian.
Xie Lanzhi covered her mouth and coughed lightly: "Alright, since the yield per mu has been achieved, I will let you return to the capital."
"Thank you, Marshal!" Xie Shangguang exclaimed with joy, gesturing wildly.
Si Xinian stood up steadily and obediently stayed by Xie Lanzhi's side.
Xie Lanzhi then personally led them back to the capital. They traveled by carriage, and it took them half an hour to reach Tianjing. The farmland where they stayed was in the countryside outside Tianjing, not far away.
Moreover, this year's sweet potato harvest is abundant in various places, with a guaranteed yield of 1,000 catties per mu, and some yields of 2,500 catties per mu, almost reaching modern production levels. Even barren land can yield 500 catties, which can help many people solve the problem of famine.
The melon fields in Jiujin were also thriving, with 5,000 mu planted and a total yield of tens of millions of jin, which were distributed to every household to help them overcome this year's food shortage. Meanwhile, the fertile fields in Jiujin were also prepared for planting rice.
Si Xitong did not collect a potato tax, but instead recycled some of the seeds to keep in the summer.
In Tianjing, the rural hillsides are being developed for planting sweet potatoes and peanuts. The harvested sweet potatoes almost exceed the amount of grain transported from the Southern Region to Tianjing in a year.
In Tianjing, sweet potatoes are now eaten in all sorts of ways, each with its own merits. The gentry eat them with powdered sugar or sauce, while ordinary families roast them, steam them, or dry them, grind them into powder, and develop their own ways of eating them.
The Lan Zhang family of three was reunited.
Xie Lanzhi prepared a feast to welcome Si Xinian back. She did not restrict his drinking, and the two drank rice wine together.
Si Xinian looked at Si Xitong, who also remained silent in front of her younger brother. Xie Lanzhi stood between the siblings at the dining table, trying to liven up the atmosphere.
"Eat and drink everything. It's been a year since I last saw you, and I didn't expect you to have grown so tall."
Si Xinian raised his wine glass: "Thank you, brother-in-law."
Xie Lanzhi clinked glasses with him, then cautiously glanced at Si Xitong. Si Xitong used his chopsticks to place a piece of meat in Si Xinian's bowl, which Si Xinian quickly picked up and ate. Afterward, the siblings clinked glasses in tacit agreement. They had reconciled.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Drink less."
Little Phoenix has grown into a mature young woman at eighteen, and from now on, Xie Lanzhi can no longer call her a little girl.
Little Phoenix hasn't grown much taller, but she's still about five centimeters. Before, she could barely reach my shoulder even when she stood on tiptoe, but now she can reach my shoulder without standing on tiptoe, and even when she stands on tiptoe, she can hook her wrists around my neck.
Happily seeing the siblings reconcile, Xie Lanzhi drank another cup.
A short while later, Si Xitong took away the hot wine bottle.
Si Xitong served her some food, and Xie Lanzhi tacitly stopped drinking, even though the alcohol content was low, she drank it like a beverage.
The meal ended harmoniously.
Xie Lanzhi and Si Xitong were used to making tea after meals. She took the initiative to say to her brother-in-law, "You are only a marquis now. If you want to be promoted, you will need military merits to protect yourself."
"Starting tomorrow, you will go with Duke Lu Ping to suppress the mountain bandits and open up the forest roads of various Jin states."
Si Xinian was about to respond.
Si Xitong had already placed the tea on the table. Her gaze sharpened, and her imposing presence was immediately apparent. Si Xinian and Xie Lanzhi instinctively shut up.
“Qi Nian doesn’t need to go to the places that have been cleared to claim credit. Jiu Jin needs manpower right now. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, A Nian can meet with General Ma directly. He will personally teach you then.”
Si Xinian nodded slightly and said respectfully, "Your younger brother will naturally obey your elder sister's arrangements."
Chapter 73 The Kiss at Eighteen
Seeing the drunken boy, she draped her outer robe over his thin shoulders and left the hall.
The night sky was ablaze with countless stars. Si Xitong stood alone, her graceful figure gazing at the brightest star. The star shone so brightly that the surrounding stars paled in comparison.
The brightest star is Sirius. According to folklore, the brightest star represents deceased relatives who watch over and protect their kin who remain on earth.
Gazing, watching over. Xie Lanzhi gazed at the stars. Her thoughts drifted far away.
Si Xitong moved closer to her and gently took her arm. She rested her head on Si Xitong's shoulder and looked up at the night sky: "What are you thinking about, Lanzhi?"
Xie Lanzhi pressed her head against hers. "I wasn't thinking about anything. I've been here for a year now. I wonder how my friends over there are doing?"
"Is it that girl named Ai Min?" Si Xitong had heard her talk about this friend before. This friend was a very considerate person. Lan Zhi had said that she used to be uninterested in anything, only knowing how to eat and wait for death. She lived without any goals for twenty years, doing the same jobs that modern people do, completing tasks in a boring way, and staying in her empty house at night after get off work.
Only one book entered her life. It was a gift from Ai Min.
Hsieh Lan-chih: "Yes, even if I'm not around, my friends can live well because she has loving parents by her side. I don't need to worry about her."
"And what about you?" Si Xitong seemed to have never heard her mention her parents before. She sensed something was amiss, so she didn't ask her directly, thinking that she would find out when Si Xitong was willing to talk about it.
Xie Lanzhi rarely mentioned her parents, and she even felt that her idea of time travel was childish. The idea that she could die of anger because she loved a character in a novel so much that their tragic fate was a reason others would dismiss as a joke or simply foolish.
She is perhaps just a ridiculous person.
When Xie Lanzhi first mentioned her parents to Si Xitong, she said, "I've never met them."
Si Xitong's pupils constricted: "It's...because of what?"
Did they abandon Laneige?
Xie Lanzhi's expression now is ambiguous, whether she's laughing or crying, there's a sense of emptiness about her, a longing for her parents, just like her own origins.
She said, "I don't know. My aunt and uncle said they were very loving. After I was born, they had to go on business trips. As a result, they died in a car accident on their way to a business trip."
“I was only a month old at that time, so even if I knew about my parents, it was only through what others had told me. I had never met them myself, so I knew nothing. But I met many kind people. Although most of them went back to their own families and none of them belonged to me, I have always remembered their kindness.”
Si Xitong's breathing suddenly stopped a few times. She gasped for breath, and her chest ached.
She believed that Lanzhi's parents were still alive. So she cried without restraint in front of her, worrying about her younger brother and crying about the inheritance left by her father. She always thought that her experiences contained unspeakable pain.
She was born without any family, and despite her tragic origins and loneliness, she silently comforted herself, searching for her own relatives and seeking revenge. She accomplished many things that others could not.