The Eunuch Has A Wife - Chapter 31

After the old man finished explaining the key points to pay attention to, a bowl of sweet soup had just been emptied. He carefully drank the last sip, savoring the sweetness lingering in his mouth.

A few steps away, the young couple who had just sought his advice walked side by side into the distance.

He brushed off the dust from his clothes and sighed inwardly. The young truly don’t understand the taste of hardship. Planting seeds seems like such a daunting task to them.

Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan returned to the manor and went straight to the fields with the seeds.

The manor had provided a lot of seeds. In the end, seeing that there were still some left, they decided to sow them all. It’s better to have more seedlings than fewer. If fewer seedlings sprout, it would be troublesome. Sowing extra seeds was just a precaution.

With this mindset, the two of them sowed all the seeds cleanly.

Since it was their first time doing farm work and they had personally planted the crops, Bai Zhi was more attentive than ever to the four acres of land. For three consecutive days, she went to the fields early to observe.

On the first day, Bai Zhi returned with a slight frown: “I can’t see anything in the field. It seems like nothing has sprouted.”

On the second day, Bai Zhi returned with a deeper frown: “When do you think these seeds will sprout? Could they all be ruined?”

On the third day, Bai Zhi returned with a worried expression: “Still no sign of sprouting. Should we dig them up to check?”

Wei Ziwan held back but couldn’t resist saying, “Everything takes time to grow. It needs some time.”

You can’t rush things. This isn’t child’s play; what’s the use of being impatient?

Bai Zhi didn’t feel reassured and still wore a troubled expression: “But the old man said that usually, they sprout in three or four days. It’s already the third day.”

Wei Ziwan looked at her, couldn’t help but roll her eyes, and sighed silently at the sky.

On the fourth morning, before Bai Zhi could leave, Wei Ziwan stopped her: “Let’s go together.”

This worrisome eunuch, always fretting, was making her anxious too.

Bai Zhi nodded and walked quickly.

Wei Ziwan followed closely, struggling to keep up.

As soon as she reached the edge of the field, she saw Bai Zhi’s face light up with excitement and nervousness: “Wanwan, come quickly! Are these radish sprouts? Or are they just weeds?”

Wei Ziwan walked over, and the two of them craned their necks to look at the field.

After a moment, Wei Ziwan smiled slightly: “The sprouts are so orderly; they’re probably not weeds. Our radishes have sprouted.”

Bai Zhi’s excitement grew. She stepped onto the ridge and walked further into the field: “They really are radishes. We sowed more seeds here, so more sprouts have come up.”

Not far away, someone looked proud, eyes fixed on the field as if they had achieved a great labor. Their face was filled with joy.

Wei Ziwan’s lips curved slightly, infected by the joy. So many radishes had sprouted, and they had sown them with their own hands.

“Yes, they’re radishes.”

Radishes grow quickly. From sprouting to growing leaves, it only takes a few days. Bai Zhi looked at the lush green seedlings, carrying a bucket of water and carefully watering them with a large ladle.

Wei Ziwan watched the person who seemed tireless after watering for so long and smiled silently. This kind of life didn’t seem so bad.

She stood up and rubbed her waist, then saw a familiar figure approaching.

“Mr. Qiu.” Recognizing the person, Wei Ziwan straightened up and greeted him respectfully.

Although this gentleman wasn’t very reliable, he seemed to hold a special position in the manor, especially after Manager Lu’s death. Many matters were now handled by him, and he seemed to be temporarily acting as the manor’s manager.

Moreover, Bai Li held this person in high regard. It was clear that he was highly valued by the old master, Bai Shu.

Mr. Qiu stroked the stubble on his chin and waved to them: “Come, take a break.”

Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan both put down their ladles and walked over to the roadside.

As they approached, Mr. Qiu smiled slightly: “I heard you’ve managed to grow crops. Qiu finally has a chance to be useful. Let me teach you about farming.”

Hearing this, Bai Zhi’s mouth twitched, and she nearly rolled her eyes on the spot. She took a deep breath and smiled just right: “What advice do you have for us, sir?”

Stay calm. Even though she knew this man knew nothing about farming, he was still arranged by her uncle. She had to show the proper respect.

Mr. Qiu’s smile faded, and his expression turned serious: “Look at these seedlings. Some are tall, some are short, some are dense, some are sparse. They’re so uneven. What should we do?”

Seeing Mr. Qiu’s serious expression, Bai Zhi instinctively furrowed her brow in thought, then couldn’t help but glance away. She was afraid that if she looked at him any longer, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

What kind of nonsense is this? Where have you ever seen crops that grow perfectly even? All the same height? All the same size?

She took another deep breath and said, “Please enlighten us, sir.”

Mr. Qiu slowly shook his head, pointed at the radish seedlings by the field, and spoke earnestly: “These few are clearly taller than the ones around them, but they’re also the most likely to be blown over by the wind. Do you know what this means?”

Bai Zhi’s mouth twitched, and she replied casually: “The tallest tree in the forest gets blown down first? They’re growing too fast?”

What is this unreliable man trying to say? Is he sure he’s not here to waste our time?

Mr. Qiu was silent for a moment, then said: “Wrong. It means they’re exceptionally talented, growing vigorously, and will bear more fruit in the future. So we should select the best and nurture them carefully.”

Bai Zhi’s eye twitched. These are radishes. Normally, one plant grows one radish. What do you mean by exceptionally talented and bearing more fruit? Do you think they’re fruit trees?

The air grew awkwardly silent. Bai Zhi didn’t respond. At this moment, she really wanted to go back to watering the plants. Wouldn’t it be better to do something useful?

“Sir, you make a good point. We’ve learned a lot.” Wei Ziwan broke the silence at the right moment, subtly giving Bai Zhi a look.

The look said: Be patient. Even if it’s just for appearances, let’s get through this.

Bai Zhi didn’t respond, her gaze fixed on those “exceptionally talented” radish seedlings.

Mr. Qiu then pointed to another spot: “Look at these few crowded together. They’re clearly shorter. Over time, they’ll definitely grow worse than the other seedlings. What do you think we should do?”

Bai Zhi adjusted her mindset and nodded: “We should control the density of the seedlings and remove the shorter ones?”

That’s what the old man said, right? If they’re too dense, either transplant them or remove them.

What else can we do? It’s not like we can make them grow taller.

There’s still water to be poured, and many seedlings are still thirsty.

Mr. Qiu sighed deeply: “Just because they’re not growing well now doesn’t mean their descendants will always be mediocre. Perhaps among their seeds, there will be some exceptionally talented ones? So we should nurture them all carefully. Crops are like this, and so are the people.”

“Sir, your teachings are profound.” Bai Zhi listened with a serious expression, but deep down, she felt a strange stirring. Is this really about farming? It doesn’t sound like it.

It’s supposed to be about farming, but it has nothing to do with cultivation. Either there’s a deeper meaning, or he’s just bored.

Compared to the former, she was even more inclined to believe the latter. This man was probably just bored.

Mr. Qiu, seeing that she seemed to have gained some insight, nodded with satisfaction: “In that case, come find me later and share your thoughts.”

Bai Zhi watched him walk away, then turned to Wei Ziwan: “What do you think Mr. Qiu meant?”

Wei Ziwan didn’t answer directly but looked into the distance, her tone subtle: “Let’s not worry about Mr. Qiu for now. Let’s see what this person means.”

Bai Zhi looked up and saw Mr. Qiu standing by the roadside. Bai Luo bowed to him, and the two seemed to exchange a few words before parting.

As Bai Luo walked toward them, the two of them tacitly nodded and greeted her: “Greetings, Second Sister.”

“Are you two also being taught by my mentor?” Bai Luo raised her eyebrows slightly, her smile not reaching her eyes.

Bai Zhi also smiled: “Is Mr. Qiu your mentor, Second Sister?”

As for this second sister, she no longer felt any goodwill toward her. In fact, she even felt a slight aversion. In summary: This person is not to be trusted.

Wei Ziwan added: “Mr. Qiu is only teaching us about farming. We haven’t formally become his students.”

So naturally, he’s not our mentor.

“It must be Father’s arrangement. Mr. Qiu is knowledgeable and talented. I’ve been learning from him since I was young and have benefited greatly. You two should also seek his guidance whenever you can.”

Bai Luo wore a smile on her face, full of goodwill, as if the previous conflicts had never happened.

Bai Zhi lowered her eyes slightly and clasped her hands: “Second Sister is right. Mr. Qiu is a great teacher, and we will certainly follow his teachings.”

Bai Luo nodded with a smile, then turned around, her face darkening. Father actually sent Mr. Qiu to teach these two. They really are like a lingering shadow.

It seems Manager Lu’s death not only didn’t help but instead benefited them.

Her eyes grew dim, and her long nails dug into her palm. Why should they have this?

As Bai Luo walked away, Bai Zhi couldn’t help but sigh: “Every day is so restless. What do you think she meant by suddenly coming over and saying all that?”

Why do these people always speak in such vague, unclear ways? It’s really annoying.

Wei Ziwan looked ahead and chuckled softly: “What else could it mean? Either she’s up to no good or she’s trying to steal something.”

I underestimated this second young lady. She’s so composed; it’s not that simple.

Bai Zhi’s eyes were full of curiosity: “What about Mr. Qiu?”

He’s been teaching Bai Luo for years and is her mentor. He really doesn’t seem reliable.

Mr. Qiu?

Wei Ziwan turned her head slowly: “We’ll have to go find Mr. Qiu later to share our thoughts. Do you have any ideas now, husband?”

Bai Zhi’s eyebrows raised slightly: “I had some thoughts before, but now? I have a better idea.”

Wei Ziwan, seeing her mischievous smile, couldn’t help but feel a stir in her heart: “Tell me.”

Bai Zhi’s eyes sparkled, her tone slightly excited: “Do you want to taste the radish sprouts? We planted them ourselves. They must be delicious. What a treat for them.”

Wei Ziwan’s lips curved into a soft smile: “They must be very tasty. It’s really a treat for them.”

This eunuch is occasionally quite clever—no, she’s quite good at pretending.

Since you’re being vague, I’ll take a different approach. Not a bad idea.

About an hour later, in the courtyard next to the accounting room, Mr. Qiu smiled as he watched Bai Zhi and Wei Ziwan approach. They’ve finally come. Now let’s see how effective the first lesson was.

As they got closer, he noticed Bai Zhi holding a plate of greens, which looked somewhat familiar.