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Chen Feng had just finished going over the accounts and was preparing to stir-fry a couple of dishes in the kitchen. These days, she had been so busy that she hadn’t had a chance to step into the kitchen, and she found herself craving her own cooking. Just then, Old Zeng came to report that an esteemed guest had arrived, none other than Mr. Chen.
Chen Feng walked out to greet Mr. Chen, and she saw Chen Shiying leading his children, Chen Yuqing, Chen Yulan, and Chen Yuxia, into the courtyard.
Chen Feng had anticipated Chen Shiying’s visit, as this was an area under his jurisdiction, and with the recent success of the new watermelon crop, she knew he would be interested. However, she hadn’t expected him to bring along his three children.
She quickly went to pay her respects to Chen Shiying, and Chen Yulan and her siblings also paid their respects to Chen Feng.
The three siblings looked around, marveling at the surroundings, finding it nothing like their imagination of the countryside. In the yard, bamboo trees cast their shadows, flowers bloomed, the house was adorned with carved pillars and painted eaves, and there were a dozen birdcages, each holding brightly colored birds with melodious chirps. Beyond the courtyard walls, there were rolling green hills, presenting a picturesque and enchanting landscape.
“Sister, your home is so beautiful.” Chen Yulan fanned himself and said.
“Yes, it feels like the air is filled with fragrance.” Chen Yuqing added with a smile.
Chen Yuxia simply smiled shyly and nodded.
Chen Feng smiled and said, “If you like it, you guys can stay for a few more days.”
The group then entered the main house, had some tea, and took their seats.
Chen Shiying mentioned, “Father has been wanting to visit your place for a while, but he hasn’t been able to find the time. Today, he was free, and your brother and sisters also wanted to see you, so we came together.” He also praised the delicious watermelons sent by Chen Feng and expressed a desire to visit the melon fields.
Regrettably, Chen Feng said, “The watermelons in the fields near my home were picked a few days ago, and even the seedlings are gone. We were preparing to turn the soil and fertilize it before planting autumn corn in a few days. If you want to see the melon fields, you’ll have to go to Wangshan Village.”
Chen Shiying still wanted to personally visit Wangshan Village, but this would take half a day, and it might be too late to return to the prefectural city today. He suggested that after lunch, he would go to Wangshan Village alone by carriage and stay overnight at the manor there. He planned for Chen Yulan and the other two to return to Dingzhou in the afternoon.
Chen Yulan, Chen Yuqing, and Chen Yuxia were reluctant to leave. Chen Yulan said, “If father stays in Wangshan Village for a night, we’ll stay at Sister’s house for a night.”
Chen Shiying shook his head and said, “You have school tomorrow and can’t miss your studies. When you have a break, you can come and stay at your sister’s house for a few days.”
Chen Feng quickly went to the kitchen with Mrs. Zeng and Autumn to oversee the preparations. Mrs. Zeng had already made several braised dishes: braised ribs, braised pork liver, braised chicken, and braised tofu, which were regular dishes in the house. The old Marquis dined at Fengyuan every day, so these dishes were prepared to accompany his wine. As Chu Lingxuan was off today, they prepared a bit more.
Chen Feng cooked bitter gourd with pork, shredded pork with garlic sauce, golden prawns, winter melon stir-fry, and mushrooms. She also made vinegar-glazed cucumbers, sesame-glazed cucumbers, refreshing watermelon rind, spicy and sour watermelon rind, and a mixed shredded vegetable salad.
Amid the hot weather, these dishes were both refreshing and cooling.
When the preparations were almost done, Chen Shiying called Chen Feng out to the courtyard. He blushed as he mentioned bringing gifts for Mrs. Wang and suggested that after lunch, they should invite Chen Ming and the Mrs. Wang over for a meal. He said, “Your mother is my sister, and Chen Ming’s is my brother-in-law. We’re all relatives, consider it a family gathering. Qing and Xia have not met them yet, so it’s good for them to get acquainted.”
Chen Feng suspected that both Mrs. Wang and Chen Ming would not want to see Chen Shiying. While Chen Shiying could treat them easily, they wouldn’t be able to reciprocate.
But since he had brought it up, she felt she had no choice but to go. So, she took Chen Yulan and her siblings, and the gift for Luyuan, to Luyuan.
Chen Ming, Mrs. Wang, and the grandma Chen were sitting in the upper room when they saw Chen Feng leading two elegantly dressed ladies and a young man into the room. Chen Ming recognized Chen Yulan and guessed that the other two might be Chen Shiying’s daughters.
Chen Yulan bowed and greeted them, while Chen Yuqing and Chen Yuxia, following Chen Shiying’s instructions, knelt and kowtowed to Mrs. Wang, saying, “Greetings, Aunt. We wish you good health and good fortune.”
Mrs. Wang quickly helped them up and, with a teary-eyed smile, gave each of them a handkerchief she had embroidered herself, saying, “Good children, this is a handkerchief I embroidered myself. Please don’t dislike it.”
Chen Yuqing said with a smile, “The handkerchief is so beautiful. We know that Aunt’s embroidery skills are excellent.”
Chen Yulan presented the gifts, which included some candy wine and a pound of bird’s nest for Chen Ming’s health. She also brought some candy and wine for grandma Chen.
Chen Feng invited Chen Ming’s family to dine at Fengyuan, but both Mrs. Wang and Chen Ming declined, citing the presence of grandma Chen and their need to accompany her. They sent Ailu to Fengyuan to attend to the guests on their behalf.
Chen Ming whispered to Chen Feng, “When they leave in the afternoon, we’ll pick some fresh cucumbers and vegetables to give them. Your mother has also made a few jars of fermented glutinous rice, so we’ll give them two jars. People that is not from the countryside may appreciate these delicacies.”
The fermented glutinous rice made by Mrs. Wang was in line with Chen Feng’s craftsmanship, and the addition of agarwood bark in the well at Luyuan gave it an exceptional flavor.
Chen Shiying was disappointed to see Mrs. Wang not joining them. However, he was quite taken by Chen Lu’s resemblance to Mrs. Wang—graceful, fair-skinned, and poised at such a young age. Chen Lu also bowed to him and called him “Uncle.” He presented Lu with a jade pendant and encouraged him to study hard.
As the atmosphere grew lively, the people from Tangyuan arrived. Only the old Marquis, Chu Lingzhi, and Chu Hanyan came. They mentioned that Chu Lingxuan had urgent matters and had gone to Sanqing County.
Chen Shiying and the old Marquis sat at one table for drinks, while the others sat at another for the meal. The two tables were placed in the dining hall with no partition in between. Even with just one additional adult male present, the girls, Chen Yuqing and Chen Yuxia, felt a bit awkward. Nevertheless, the dishes were exceptionally delicious—better than what they had at home or even at restaurants. As they ate, they gradually forgot their shyness.
At the dining table, the old Marquis told Chen Shiying that the exceptional quality of the watermelon was due to the seeds being purchased from the foreign merchants. He also mentioned that Chen Feng had other exceptional seeds, which were given to her by Master Wuzhi. Currently, not only Chen Feng but even Tangyuan had extensively planted corn…
Chen Shiying was delighted to hear about the special seeds and the methods of seed treatment shared by the foreign merchants and Master Wuzhi. He said, “If you can use those good seeds to produce new varieties of wheat, rice, and corn, just like these watermelons and cucumbers, increasing yield, improving taste, and reducing pests and diseases, it would truly be a blessing for the people of Dachun.”
The old Marquis added, “Once these crops are successfully cultivated, it won’t just be a blessing for the people, but also a testament to your achievements as a local official. While our Chu family will protect Feng, as an official in this region, you need to support certain matters. When it’s necessary to maintain secrecy or to stand up, you should do so…”
Chen Shiying quickly assured, “Definitely, definitely. Even if Feng weren’t my daughter, with such great benefits for the nation and the people, I will wholeheartedly support it.”