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Inside the main house, she held Dabao in her arms, thinking that she needed to talk to the child again.
This was ancient times when men were considered paramount. Chu Lingxuan himself came from a powerful family, had a prestigious occupation, and possessed a dominant personality. His acceptance and kindness toward Dabao were already quite remarkable. Chen Feng felt that his ability to treat Dabao so well was due to being moved by her treatment of Chu Hanyan, based on his own broad-mindedness, and perhaps because he genuinely loved her.
She hoped that Dabao would appreciate this kindness. Even if he couldn’t immediately regard Chu Lingxuan as he would a biological father, he should at least make things bearable on the surface and not harbor any ill intentions. He thought he was very clever and that he concealed his thoughts well, but the adults had already seen through him.
But how to address it? This made Chen Feng feel a bit embarrassed. Children are sensitive and suspicious, and she had to handle this carefully, or it might backfire.
Dabao, embraced by his mother, heard her soft sigh. He nuzzled his head against her chest and spoke up, “Mom, do you think I’ve been scheming against Uncle Chu? Actually, I don’t want to do that either.”
The fact that he knew it was wrong and even used an idiom indicated that he was aware of his mistake. She asked, “If you know it’s wrong, why do it?”
Pouting, Dabao said, “I just can’t help it. Whenever I think about us all sleeping in the same bed with him in the future, I feel uneasy.”
Chen Feng couldn’t help but smirk at his choice of words – “sleeping in the same bed”! She said, “Nonsense, who sleeps in the same bed? People would laugh if they heard that.”
Confused, Dabao said, “What’s there to laugh about? Doesn’t every family do this? I’ve seen Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle, Aunt, and the other families in the village. As long as it’s a married couple, they sleep in the same bed, and they even bring their sons and daughters. In some families with fewer rooms, even the grandchildren sleep in the same bed.”
He was already five years old and should have his own room. This matter would need to be dealt with soon, Chen Feng thought to herself.
“Our house has many rooms, so that won’t happen.” Chen Feng said, ruffling his hair. “Dabao, look at your sister Hanyan. She’s not my biological daughter, nor is she your biological sister, and she didn’t live with us in the past. Do you think she likes me? Does she like you?”
Dabao looked up, surprised, and said, “Of course Hanyan likes both of us. Haven’t you noticed, Mom?” He felt that his mother was asking knowingly.
Chen Feng continued, “Yes, she likes us because we treated her sincerely, cared for her like family, which earned her love. Now, your father is treating you sincerely and caring for you like family, hoping for your affection in return. If you continue to be guarded against him like a stranger, he will feel upset. Not only him, if Hanyan knows you treat her father this way, she will also feel upset. Imagine if I treated Hanyan with kindness, but she didn’t reciprocate, and instead, she was wary of me at every turn, wouldn’t you feel upset?”
If that were the case, he would indeed feel upset. He nodded and then asked, “Mom, does uncle… father genuinely like me? If you marry him, will you continue to love me as you do now?”
This was his most pressing concern.
Chen Feng gently nudged his head, and the ticklish sensation made her smile. She said, “First, at least for now, your father genuinely likes you. Think about it, if he didn’t, why would he recognize you as his adopted son, bring you gifts every time he visits, teach you martial arts, and even arrange for a tutor from the capital to teach you? He hopes for your success and wants you to become someone valuable to the court. As the saying goes, ‘One good turn deserves another.’ You, too, must treat him sincerely. Even if you can’t genuinely like him yet, you must at least genuinely respect him. You’re a smart child and know what’s best for you. Otherwise, if he’s hurt, I don’t know if he will continue to treat you well… Regarding the second question, son, it saddens me to hear you ask this. I want to tell you that in this world, there’s a love that will never change, and that’s a mother’s love for her child. No matter when, no matter how much time passes, this love will never change, never, never…”
As she spoke, Chen Feng thought of her own mother, how difficult it must have been for her after losing her son!
Chen Feng’s last words deeply moved Dabao. He knew that his mother would forever and always love him, and he knew that stirring trouble with Chu Lingxuan wouldn’t do him any good. He promised, “Mom, I understand. I will make an effort to genuinely like father, make an effort not to scheme against him or to be deceitful. I won’t worry that you won’t love me if you marry him.”
Chen Feng lowered her head to look at the still conflicted Dabao. Only in the future, by showing him that he wasn’t abandoned, would he gradually let go of his grievances. She kissed his little face and said, “Good, you must remember what you just said. Your mother will be watching.”
Afterward, Dabao went to the study to complete the tasks left by his tutor.
Chen Feng then summoned Old Zeng, Chu Xiaoniu, and Xue Dagui to discuss the transportation of watermelons the next day.
The combined six acres of melon fields in the northern part of the courtyard, including the several plots between Fengyuan and Luyuan and a few from the back garden of Luyuan, had yielded over six hundred ripe watermelons, weighing around seven thousand catties.
In a previous life, the yield per acre in the watermelon fields could reach over 6,000 catties. However, in ancient times, various aspects such as pest control and fertilization were relatively backward. The seeds used for planting were not treated with soaking or medicinal fertilizers, so the yield per acre for the melon farmers here was less than 1,000 catties.
Through experiments with cucumber seeds, Chen Feng discovered that after the watermelon seeds were placed in the space, not only did it improve their taste, but it also enhanced the seeds’ disease resistance. Additionally, after soaking the seeds in warm water, they sprouted faster. In particular, the nearby six-acre melon fields, where she applied swallow manure, showed better growth and higher yields. In contrast, the 80-acre plot in Wangshan Village, without swallow manure, would have slightly lower production and a longer growth period due to some pest damage. However, compared to the local melon farmers, their yield was still much better.
After estimating, she projected that the yield per acre for these six acres wouldn’t be less than 4,000 catties. Even at 4,000 catties per acre, the total yield for the six acres would be 24,000 catties of watermelon. The first harvest would be ready tomorrow, followed by the second harvest in five days, and the third harvest in ten days.
Following this, it was time to harvest at the melon fields in Wangshan Village. The yield per acre there was estimated to be less than 3,000 catties. With a conservative estimate for the 80-acre plot, the total yield would be around 200,000 catties of watermelon. With such a large quantity and underdeveloped ancient transportation, to fetch a good price, it was essential to first secure a market for the produce.