BXBX NOVEL Chapter 527 - 527: Luck
Chu Yuhao smiled and waved his hand. “Jiahe, don’t learn from those wily old foxes. They only know how to flatter me all day. No one in Great Yong knows about sweet potatoes. Without Madam Li’s discerning eyes, I’m afraid sweet potatoes are still raised as flowers.”
Hearing Chu Yuhao praise Li Yu, Zhou Jia was also very happy. “Madam is lucky.”
Chu Yuhao smiled and glanced at Zhou Jia. “Jiahe is also very lucky.”
“You’re right.” Zhou Jia glanced at Li Yu, who was picking up the sweet potatoes behind him, and smiled proudly.
Chu Yuhao asked Li Yu, who was picking up the sweet potatoes behind him, “Madam Li, after you finish digging the spring sweet potatoes, when will you start digging the winter sweet potatoes?”
Li Yu smiled and said, “We can dig up winter sweet potatoes in two months.
The yield of winter sweet potatoes is a little worse than spring sweet potatoes.”
Chu Yuhao said in satisfaction, “It’s not bad to have half of such a harvest. I wonder if there are other ways to eat this sweet potato.”
Li Yu smiled. “Master said that sweet potatoes can also be made into dried sweet potatoes, sweet potato flour, and sweet potato noodles. They taste good too.”
Hearing Li Yu mention her master, Chu Yuhao was very curious about Li Yu’s mysterious master. He thought that it would be good if they could meet.
“When we plant them in large quantities, I’ll definitely ask you to teach the chefs to make some to try.”
“Okay, I’ll make some for you to try next year.”
Zhou Jia followed Chu Yuhao for a while. Seeing that he was sweating, he hurriedly said to him, “Third Master, do you want to go to the manor and take a look at the golden laurel by the lotus pond?”
The sun was scorching and it was really unbearable. Chu Yuhao replied readily, “Alright, let’s go for a walk.”
Seeing Zhou Jia follow Chu Yuhao out of the sweet potato field, Li Yu asked Han San to bring a few tenants to the field to start work.
Li Yu looked at the sweet potatoes that had been dug up by Chu Yuhao and shook her head with a smile. She took some sweet potatoes back and went to the kitchen. Auntie He smiled and said to Li Yu, “Madam, I bought two basses and steamed them. I made pepper chicken, roasted duck with taro, and small crispy meat… They’re all home-cooked flavors. What do you think?”
Li Yu looked at the dishes they had prepared and thought about how Chu Yuhao and his son had eaten shark fin and sea cucumber every meal in the palace. Occasionally, they could eat these for a change.
She pointed at the sweet potatoes in the bamboo basket and said to the two of them, “Auntie He, grab some millet and sweet potatoes with the old pumpkin. Use the clay pot to make a jar of sweet potato pumpkin porridge. Steam some more and add stir-fried rapeseed moss.”
Aunt Zhang smiled and took the bamboo basket. “Making porridge on the briquette stove is the most suitable.”
“Alright, do as you see fit! I’ll go to the courtyard and pick some grapes.”
Li Yu took the fruit basket and went to the grape rack to pick out the shiny dark purple grapes. She looked at the two grape racks and thought of wine. She carried the bamboo basket back to the house and found a wicker basket. She carried it back to the grape rack and began to cut the grapes to brew wine.
Chu Yao was wearing a rough cloth coat. He stood on the field for a while and looked at Mao Dou fishing in the ditch. He followed Yangyang and chased dragonflies for a while. Then he fetched water and watered it on the dung beetles. He was having a lot of fun.
The two eunuchs followed behind. They looked at the fair and tender Crown Prince, who was wearing a rough cloth coat, and cheered like a farmer’s child. They were worried about how they would answer to the Empress Dowager when they returned to the palace later.
The few of them played under a large locust tree and sat on a stone stool to rest. Chu Yao said to Yangyang, ‘Yangyang, are you willing to enter the palace to study with me?”
“I’m already studying in the Lin family’s clan school! I have two very good classmates there. Do you not have anyone to play with? Why don’t you come to the Lin family’s clan school to study with us?”
“Grandmother and Mother won’t agree to let me study outside. Besides, I have a lot to learn.” Chu Yao looked at Yangyang and said bewitchingly, “There’s the Grand Tutor in the palace who teaches us. The Grand Tutor is the most knowledgeable person in the world. There’s also General Shen and Minister Wang who teach me how to ride and shoot. We can go to the drill ground to ride and shoot arrows. We can also make bows and weapons ourselves.”
Yangyang’s eyes lit up when he heard that he could ride a horse and shoot
arrows. However, ne couuan?t Dear to part witn Lin Haoran ana Lin Ben. me looked at Chu Yao and said, “Can you ask your father to agree to let Lin Haoran and Lin Sen study at your house?”
Chu Yao thought for a moment and nodded. “I’ll only reply to you after I go back and discuss it with Father.”
Zhou Jia and Chu Yuhao looked around before finding the children under the locust tree.
Chu Yuhao saw his son sitting against the locust tree in a rough cloth coat and smiled. “Yao’er, is it fun to play with Chenxi?”
“It’s fun.” Chu Yao pointed at the small fish and prawns in the wooden basin. “Father, these are all picked up by Little Loach and the others in the ditch. We even caught dragonflies and poured water on dung beetles.”
Chu Yuhao looked at Little Loach and the others, who were standing respectfully at the side. “Jiahe, did you bring these children over from
Yunzhou?”
Zhou Jia nodded. “Yes, the other children are all on the farm. We hired Mr. Liu and left a small steward there to manage the farm and those old people and children.”
Chu Yuhao nodded and said, “You have to choose the people who manage the farmstead well. I’m afraid those farmstead owners will abuse those old people and children with the little power in their hands.”
“Yes, that’s why I hired Mr. Liu and Yang Wei to manage the manor in Yunzhou back then. I also asked Manager Chu Feng to help supervise them.”
Chu Yuhao nodded. He looked at the sky and reached out to Chu Yao. “Come, it’s time for us to go back.”
When the group returned to the manor, Auntie He and the others had already prepared the food. Chu Yao and Yangyang ate sweet potatoes and drank thick sweet potato pumpkin millet porridge. The two children felt that it tasted good.
Chu Yuhao ate some as well. Seeing that Chu Yao ate two bowls of porridge, two pancakes, and some vegetables without anyone’s persuasion, he felt that the child had to move more to have the appetite to eat.
After dinner, they rested for a while and prepared to set off for the city. Li Yu asked Zhao Cai to move the grapes from the wicker basket to the carriage and head back together.
Chu Yuhao and Chu Yao sat down in the carriage. Chu Yuhao looked at his red face and asked with a smile, “Did you have a good time today?”
Chu Yao nodded happily. “Yes! Father, the countryside is more fun than the palace. The things they play are also very interesting. I like to play with Yangyang. Father, can I still come out to play in the future?”
“Yao’er, you know it’s not easy for us to come out once. You’re the heir apparent of Great Yong. You have your responsibilities.”
“Oh!” Chu Yao lowered his head.
At dusk, the group entered the city. Chu Yuhao asked the guard to inform Li Yu and her husband that there was no need to follow them back to the residence.
The two teams split up on East Main Street and headed back. Chu Yao returned to the palace and told the Empress Dowager what he had seen and heard today.
The Empress Dowager looked at her lively grandson and said happily to Chu Yuhao, “It seems that Yao’er likes to play with Young Master Zhou. Send a decree to let him enter the palace to study with him!”
Chu Yuhao smiled and said, “I have already mentioned it to Jiahe. Let him discuss it with Madam Li.”
The Empress Dowager nodded. “Alright, go and see your wife! She’s sick. Let her come out to bask in the sun.”
Chu Yuhao bowed and said, “Yes, sorry to trouble you..”