Chapter 155: Chapter 154 A Smile Breaks into Bloom
With so many people picking fruit together, the yield was very abundant, with the baskets carried by the guards and the baskets in their hands all filled with fruit.
This was the result of an hour of fruit picking, during which they ate as they picked and filled their bellies.
They rembered carefully, “One lychee, three tis the internal heat,” so after eating so many lychees, they must drink so herbal tea to cool down.
Jinhua ate lychees himself but was worried that the young Master couldn’t handle much, so he let the young Master eat so.
With such large and tasty fruit in hand, who could resist not eating it?
Everyone was to visit the honey bee farm together, but they only took a quick glance from afar, fearing bee stings.
The baskets were full and had to be carried down the mountain. In the shade of the lychee trees on the mountain, the fierce sun of May and June didn’t seem that hot.
When their group arrived at the estate’s house, those who had been picking waterlons and vegetables had already moved the produce.
The guards who stayed behind to pick waterlons had picked dozens of large, sweet waterlons and placed them by the carriage.
Upon seeing the carriage had to fit people as well, and with so many lychees and waterlons, what were they to do?
They could only put the waterlons on the carriage first, and the lychees in baskets were placed on the horses’ backs. The guards’ horses had to bear the extra burden of carrying both people and goods.
The driver, who stayed behind to look after the horses and carriage, had already fed the horses their fill of green grass and old vegetable leaves.
Seeing such big lychees, the driver, while helping to load them onto the horses, couldn’t help but eat a few.
When the guards were picking waterlons earlier, the long-term workers of the orchard had split open a great big waterlon for them—my, it was large, sweet, and delicious. They ate so much their bellies were full, feeling as if they could skip lunch.
Seeing such large waterlons, everyone who had just filled up on lychees went to the orchard’s house and split open a big waterlon to share.
This big waterlon was not only large, but also red and sweet. Its sandy, sweet flavor lted in their mouths; the black seeds inside provided relief from the heat and quenched their thirst.
Just now, Jinhua was concerned that the young Master might get heartburn from eating lychees, but now that they had split open waterlons, while eating, they felt that the issue of the young Master getting heaty might be resolved.
One waterlon was not enough for so many people, and everyone felt that after visiting the restroom, eating just fruit made them hungry again—it was almost ti for lunch.
So, they split open another waterlon, and everyone had a few more slices to satisfy their cravings. Having eaten their fill of waterlon, they wanted to take waterlon and lychees back with them.
Mrs. Li had already had soone pick so vegetables and lons—these were good foods free from pesticides. The cucumbers were so crispy and sweet that they could be eaten in one bite.
The tomatoes were sweet enough to be eaten raw, like fruit, or could be cooked in dishes.
There were also eggplants, pumpkins, and winter lons, as well as a type called ‘earth lon’ that can be eaten raw or cooked. This type of lon grows in the soil and is sweet to eat.
The Ye family didn’t lack for vegetables now, but they still picked fresh vegetables every day. With visitors around, they had even more reason to pick these offerings and host guests at ho.
The vegetables in the Ye family’s estate grew better than most; where others could only harvest a couple of winter lons, here one vine could bear many, and they needed trellises to support the weight.
Pick the larger ones, and the smaller ones keep growing. Everyday vendors ca to pick vegetables, and restaurants ca to buy them. Ever since the Tang Family’s estate was established, they had been supplying vegetables from here.
Not only the wealthy from the county but also those from neighboring counties and cities ca to buy the renowned produce; feeling healthier after eating these pollution-free organic vegetables.
In fact, people back then didn’t use pesticides or the like in agriculture; they only relied on traditional thods for pest prevention.
So local landlords, envious of the Ye family’s success, found themselves compelled to pay for the privilege of healthier produce.
Everything was ready for their return trip.
Since Tang Shunyan, the young Master of the Tang Family, had arrived, he was, of course, to have lunch at the Ye family’s ho.
At this ti, the Ye family was unlike before, capable of accommodating so many guests that had arrived.
A large group of people returned to the village in high spirits. Both adults and children saw their baskets filled with lychees. Even with the lychee leaves covering the top, the red lychees could still be seen through the gaps of the baskets.
People didn’t need to go out to the fields. By just standing at the entrance of their hos and looking towards the estate, they could see lychee trees laden with fruit on the hills.
Those with a little money in the household, for the sake of indulging their taste buds, would go to the estate themselves to pick and buy.
It was said that this way, one could find bargains, as they could pick and eat at the sa ti, thus getting to savor more lychees.
The generosity of the Ye family stirred up envy in the villagers, yet they couldn’t help but give them unanimous praise. After all, who wouldn’t hide away their prized possessions?
By the ti they returned ho, the workers had already prepared lunch for them.
As the host entertained the guests with lunch, Ye Shiqi also had the maids serve everyone honey water.
Eating and drinking honey water, no one held back.
Having filled their bellies with fruit and seeing the delicious food on the tables at the Ye family, they could not resist eating more, regardless of being full, and insisted on having a glass of honey water.
Ye Shiqi also gave Tang Shunyan a pot of honey, with honeycomb inside which could be eaten as a snack.
Tang Shunyan accepted it without reservation. Having eaten a full lunch and about to head back, he felt very reluctant to leave.
Since he had started studying, he had been running between the academy and ho every day, with much less freedom. Playing so joyfully today was the most enjoyable day since he began his studies.
He was grateful that he ca today and thought he might co again in a couple of days, perhaps bringing so friends with him.
He had already thought about giving so lychees to his friends when he got ho, to satisfy their cravings too.
Tang Shunyan was entertaining the idea of tempting his friends to run off to the Ye family’s estate with him in a few days.
In the afternoon, Jinhua and her husband had to arrange for people to return to the county.
Tang Shunyan, who had to leave, told the wet nurse and elder sisters that he would co again after his assessnts in a few days.
Mrs. Li hugged her son, and together with her daughters, saw them out of the gate, bidding them farewell.
Of course, she also kindly urged them to visit whenever they had the chance.
Mrs. Lai, seeing that although they had brought gifts, the amount of fruit they took with them upon leaving ant the loss of a considerable sum of money.
“Taking so many fruits with them… if a carriage ca, they could take even more…” she murmured softly, but everyone ignored her. The fruit might sell for a high price, but it wasn’t as valuable as the gifts the Tang family had brought.
As Tang Shunyan left the Ye family’s village in the carriage, he fell asleep, perhaps tired from climbing the hills today.
Today, he hadn’t allowed the guards to carry him up the mountain. Having practiced martial arts for more than two years, he believed his legs were strong enough to climb.
Now, he was both sleepy and tired and was simply accustod to taking a nap after lunch.
Jinhua sat on one side, gently fanning Tang Shunyan with a maid, while the little pageboy, like Tang Shunyan, also worn out, had fallen asleep.
The little pageboy, since coming to the Tang Family, had been living well following the young Master, but today was the first ti he had tasted such delicious lychees and waterlon. The pageboy’s mouth revealed a sweet smile.
At this mont, he was dreaming a delightful dream where he could pick all the fruits on the hills and all the waterlons on the ground for himself, sharing them with his family. The thought of his family enjoying such delicious fruits and waterlons brought smiles to their faces.
“Heehee”
Reviews
All reviews (0)