kingnovel Chapter 105 Mission
Chapter 105 Mission
Looking at the bustling scene of land reclamation in the wasteland, Li Xiaonuan suddenly felt that something was missing. First, she hadn't figured out what to do with the pond area. Second, planting crops on newly reclaimed land was really not a good choice. Finally, she didn't know where to get the manure needed for farming.
Li Xiaonuan turned her gaze to the uprooted weeds and thought of the term "composting." She had Xiaoyang dig seven or eight large pits around the edge of the wasteland and tamped the inner walls of the pits shut with clay. Then, she piled the removed weeds, vines, and other debris into the pits.
Once the pit is full, water is poured into it, along with farm manure. When the grass starts to rot and stink, lime is sprinkled into the pit. This continues until the surface of the pit is covered with a layer of lime about the thickness of a finger joint.
So, to fill those pits, Xiao Yang led the others to the nearby mountains to collect fallen leaves. Of course, Li Xiaonuan also told them that the decaying leaves from the black pine trees on the topsoil were excellent fertilizer. Therefore, they dug up quite a lot and piled it up by the edge of the ground.
Li Xiaonuan told them to take advantage of the dry weather and expose the loose soil mixed with decaying leaves to the sun for several days. After that, they should mix it with lime, pile it up, and cover it with straw to prevent the organic components from being washed away by the rain.
With the manure problem solved, the next step is the pond area. Li Xiaonuan intends to transform it into an elegant and refined place, a gathering place for scholars and literati. This will also provide the villagers with a way to earn money.
However, even after thinking for half a month, Li Xiaonuan still couldn't figure out how to create it.
Unfortunately, just as Li Xiaonuan was racking her brains, Xiao Si arrived. However, this time he didn't come to summon Li Xiaonuan, but instead brought her two magnolia trees that were over two meters tall.
The tree was planted in a large, wide-mouthed vat, and it grew very well. Li Xiaonuan liked it, but she didn't dare to accept it.
"Xiao Si, please thank your young master for me. But I can't accept these trees. Just by looking at these two trees, I know that someone planted them specially, and they must be very precious. I don't take what others like, and I also know the principle of not accepting a reward without merit."
Xiao Si, with his usual smile, said cheerfully, "Miss Li, this tree was sent by Doctor Jing and has nothing to do with my young master. However, my young master once told Doctor Jing that you greatly admire magnolias."
Li Xiaonuan still didn't believe it and asked, "Why would your young master talk about this with Doctor Jing for no reason? Also, how did he know I like this magnolia?"
Xiao Si said matter-of-factly, "My young master can tell who he likes just by glancing at them. As for why he told Doctor Jing that the young lady likes magnolias, I really don't know."
Li Xiaonuan resisted the urge to roll her eyes, but still couldn't accept the two trees with mysterious intentions.
"Xiao Si, just tell me what your young master's request is. Or, does Doctor Jing have any business for me to handle?"
Xiao Si smiled somewhat embarrassedly and said, "You guessed right, young lady. My young master and Doctor Jing both have letters for you to deliver."
As she spoke, Xiao Si took out two letters from her narrow sleeve and handed them to Li Xiaonuan. Li Xiaonuan took the letters, thinking to herself that this was more like it. She gestured for the men to unload the tree into the backyard, invited them to sit in the main room to rest and have tea, and had her father accompany them before going back inside to read the letters.
The first letter Li Xiaonuan read was from Prince Jing. In it, he told her that a group of people had successfully returned from a voyage. Moreover, the person who led the voyage was now living in Xinzhou Village.
Prince Jing's intentions were twofold: First, he wanted Li Xiaonuan to befriend that person. Second, he wanted her to inquire about their voyage, the direction they were heading, and the situations they encountered at sea.
The letter said that the person lived in the Zhao family's house.
Li Xiaonuan suddenly felt a headache coming on. She really didn't want to have anything to do with the Zhao family anymore. She knew that Aunt Zhao actually disliked her contact with Zhao Wangchuan. When she was younger, it wasn't so obvious. Now that they were all adults, they had even more reason to disapprove of their relationship.
The letter also stated that the person was Zhao Wangchuan's master, and an old Taoist priest. Therefore, in order to get to know and contact that old Taoist priest, Li Xiaonuan and Zhao Wangchuan had no choice but to meet each other.
On one side, Li Xiaonuan was troubled by the task assigned to her by Prince Jing, feeling extremely burdened. On the other side, Wei Yu said he had acquired quite a few seeds of foreign crops and asked if she would be willing to try planting them. Alternatively, he could directly provide the planting methods so they could plant them themselves.
This reminded Li Xiaonuan of when she suggested Wei Yu exchange crop seeds with the passing barbarians. At the time, she thought Wei Yu was trustworthy and decisive. Later, after the rumors surfaced, Li Xiaonuan changed her mind.
After all, working with people who act on emotion can be exhausting. Unexpectedly, Wei Yu still remembered their verbal agreement and managed to find the seeds. At this point, Li Xiaonuan really had no choice but to accept the order.
Wei Yu's situation was easy to resolve; Li Xiaonuan simply replied, asking him to bring the seeds for her inspection before making a decision. As for Prince Jing's request, Li Xiaonuan could only say she would do her best. After all, given her reputation, it was truly inappropriate for her to have any further contact with men.
After replying to the letter, Xiao Si didn't leave immediately. Instead, he looked at Li Xiaonuan, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating. Seeing this, Li Xiaonuan asked, "What's wrong? Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
Xiao Si glanced at Li Xiaonuan, gritted his teeth, and said, "Miss Li, you've actually misunderstood my young master. He values you very much. It's just... it's just that he has his reasons, so... so..."
Li Xiaonuan smiled calmly and said to Xiao Si, who couldn't continue, "Well, I know your young master's character and I haven't misunderstood him. As for your saying that he values me, I'm sure you've misunderstood. Your young master and I are just nodding acquaintances, how could I value him? Alright, stop praising your young master. Since I said I'd exchange the seeds, I'll find a way to grow them. Please don't worry, young master, I'm not one to blur the lines between public and private matters."
Before Xiao Si could say anything, Li Xiaonuan walked out of the main room first. Li's father followed behind, adopting a gesture of seeing him off. Xiao Si sighed helplessly, ultimately saying nothing more, and followed her out.
After everyone left, Li Xiaonuan went to the backyard and stared blankly at the two magnolia trees. At that moment, she was filled with turmoil. She didn't want to trouble the Zhao family, yet she had no choice but to go. The thought of her current awkward situation—a single woman in her late thirties who had been jilted—made her even more depressed.
If she rashly tries to establish a relationship with the Zhao family, people will surely accuse her of trying to sell herself, regardless of the truth. Most importantly, this could very well sever her already meager connection with the Zhao family. Then how would she complete the task assigned by Prince Jing?
Therefore, the most urgent task is to come up with a perfect solution that avoids any connection with the Zhao family while still maintaining good relations with that old Taoist priest.