Chapter 373 - 373: No Need For This
“With just these two things, ordinary people might not even have seen them in their entire lives, let alone not be able to afford them!”
Everyone:… You’re amazing. You make it sound like this thing belongs to your family.
Xiaoxiao waited quietly for him to finish before asking, “Do you know what bird’s nest is?”
The aide was stunned for a moment. “A swallow’s nest?”
Xiaoxiao nodded. “Then do you know how swallows make nests?”
Without waiting for the aide to answer, Xiaoxiao directly announced the answer. “It used its saliva to glue its fur, tree branches, dried leaves, and other nesting things it picked up. These bird’s nests that the nobles usually like to eat are actually dried swallow saliva.”
Everyone was speechless. Suddenly, they felt a little disgusted…
Their hatred for the rich was swept away. They even sympathized with those rich people.
Was the steamed bun not fragrant, or was the meat dish not beautiful? Why did they have to eat the swallow’s saliva? Most importantly, they treated this thing as a treasure and showed off everywhere after eating it.
The Crown Prince’s face alternated between green and white. Thinking of the fate of his former colleague, Shao Lin, the advisor was sweating profusely as he tried to find a way to cover himself. His gaze landed on another bowl of supplements. He cleared his throat. “Miss, try this shark fin. It’s fragrant and nutritious. It’s most suitable for an overworked person like you.”
Xiaoxiao frowned. “Looking at the size of this shark fin, it should be from a shark’s back fin, right?”
The advisor felt that something was wrong, but he could only nod obediently. Xiaoxiao said, “This shark fin is made from the filament-like cartilage in the shark’s fin. A shark can only produce a few pieces. And after removing the shark fin, no one will eat the shark because its flesh is dry and fishy.” “Moreover, sharks are big. If they stay on the fishing boat, they will take up too much space to store other seafood. In order to leave more space, fishermen usually throw the sharks back into the sea after cutting off their fins.”
However, sharks without fins and seriously injured can’t survive at all, so they’re basically caught and killed.”
She was very eloquent and did not give the aide a chance to interrupt.
“The shark fin itself doesn’t have much taste, and it’s not very nutritious. The degree of seasoning and nourishment depends on the broth stewed in it. Our border city lacks everything, so it’s very difficult to find the ingredients to boil the broth. Even if we find them, it’s very likely to be the entire wealth of a family. There’s no need to waste the people’s money for a bowl of shark fin. I can’t eat shark fin made like this.”
“Sir, if there’s no buying, there’s no killing.”
What she meant was that he was wrong no matter what?
The advisor was speechless. If it were anyone else, he would slap the table and scold her for not knowing what was good for her. However, she just had to be a member of the Xiao Family that the Crown Prince wanted to rope in.
It was difficult for the Crown Prince to not be angry when he saw Xiaoxiao’s smiling side profile. Instead, he took the initiative to take the tray. “In that case, I didn’t consider it carefully.”
“Miss Xiao, rest well. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
These were just polite words, but Xiaoxiao really nodded. “Alright, alright. I’m indeed still sleepy and want to sleep a little longer.”
The advisor looked depressed. “Your Highness, are we leaving just like that?” The Crown Prince didn’t even look at him. With a wave of his hand, a personal guard covered his mouth and dragged the aide away.
He didn’t need trash by his side, and he didn’t want to remember how Xiao Ran’s daughter bared her fangs and brandished her claws in front of him every time he saw this face in the future.
On the other side, the Yun Guards were also a little worried. “Miss, aren’t you afraid that His Highness will take revenge when you don’t give him face?” Xiaoxiao waved her hand. “We’ve already formed a grudge. We don’t lack this one.”
She counted with her fingers for the Yun Guards to hear. “Look, I’m the one who got him locked up in the courtyard for a few more days. I’m the one who gave him fake ancient books and made him waste 10 days. I’m the one who ignored his status as the Crown Prince and didn’t even let him enter a vegetable garden. I clearly have the secret recipe for dehydrated vegetables, but I’m the one who made him go to Fortune Village to look for it…” rm still the one who will use this thing to cheat him in the future.
When she was almost done counting, she concluded, “So look, I don’t have to worry since I have too many debts. Anyway, the situation’s already like this. He doesn’t look like a magnanimous person. Why should I suffer and be submissive to him?”
The Yun Guards smacked their lips and felt that it was really as the lady had said.
Since she was already up, of course Xiaoxiao had to go out for a walk, especially after finding out from the NPCs in Xiongnu Border City that everything was stable there and that Little Big Brother had already met up with her mother.
She wanted to see her vegetable garden.
Although it was called a small vegetable garden, the scale was not small now. The seeds produced by the space were of high quality. Other than the big watermelon from before, the remaining potatoes, peanuts, and so on were also produced abundantly. The commoners who helped couldn’t stop smiling.
It was not that the soil here could not grow anything at all, but the output was so low that they could not be self-sufficient. They spent a lot of effort to farm, but in the end, they could not even support themselves. After weighing the pros and cons, the commoners could only give up on this unrealistic plan.
If not for His Majesty’s understanding and the low taxes set outside the pass, they would not know how to survive.
It was not that they had never thought of walking out of this poor desert, but without the customs document, where could they go?
They were not afraid of hardship or exhaustion. They were afraid that they could not buy enough food to support their families even after working hard to earn some copper coins.
The only thing that could thrive in this land was grass. Hence, the commoners of the border city did not rear chickens or ducks. They only raised sheep. No matter how smelly the mutton was, they could at least make a living. However, the Xiongnu people attacked every year. At that time, ordinary people like them were the first to suffer.
They had to prevent the sheep from falling sick, getting lost, and being ambushed by wolves. They had to be on guard, but in the end, they could not defend against the scimitars of the Xiongnu people. They were busy all year round and finally came to nothing.
To them, the outside of the pass was not their hometown. Instead, it was more like a cage, a cage without hope.
Hence, when the commoners heard that someone wanted to buy their sheep at a high price, they suspected that there was something wrong with their ears.
The people in the pass were not used to drinking goat’s milk or eating mutton. They were already planning to find another way out. Why did they suddenly see the light?
After asking, they learned that the person who bought the sheep was the same person who asked them to farm previously.
Why did that young lady buy so many sheep?
Out of goodwill, the commoners who sold the sheep reminded her, “This mutton doesn’t taste good, and no one wants the milk. At most, there will be merchants coming to collect the wool. Do you really want to buy so many?” Xiaoxiao looked up and saw the honest and true concern of the commoners. She tilted her head and smiled at them. “Thank you for your concern, Uncle. Don’t worry. This might not be enough.”
The commoners accepted the money skeptically and heard her say crisply. “It’s been hard on everyone on the way here. Have a melon to moisten your throats.”m
This melon was planted in our experimental field.”
“The experimental field is recruiting workers.. They will be paid for food, accommodation, and work!”