CH 65

Lu Qionghua was both surprised and delighted, even doubting for a moment if she was dreaming, until Fu Ping’An spoke, "It's been a long time since we last met. Ping Sheng told me that you haven't come over before. Is there something happening at home?"

In Lu Qionghua's eyes, they hadn't seen each other for half a year and Ping’An had grown slightly taller with a sharper chin. She looked more elegant but also slightly frail. Lu Qionghua approached and held Ping’An's hand, pitifully saying, "I have been confined and unable to leave the house."

In Fu Ping’An's mind, images of what happened back then couldn't help but surface. A noble lady who was supposed to attend the Deer Banquet suddenly disappeared and returned home only in the middle of the night. If she were Ahua's parents, they would have forbidden Ahua from leaving as well.

She nodded, realizing the situation, and said, "You've had it hard."

Half of her words were polite, but unexpectedly, Lu Qionghua immediately continued, pouring out her grievances, "Yes, even when I was confined before, I could still climb over the wall. There was... a jujube tree as tall as that wall, but I could climb it by standing on a stone pedestal..."

As she spoke, her proud expression instantly collapsed, and she said, "But Mother moved all the stone pedestals in the courtyard, and even Tiezhu and Erya were confined because of me. There's no one to assist me anymore..."

Fu Ping’An tilted her head, looking towards Tiezhu and Erya, who were squatting by the field, staring at the seedlings. Fu Ping’An greeted them as well, and the two exchanged glances. This time, they also spoke up and asked about each other's well-being.

After exchanging greetings with Tiezhu and Erya, Fu Ping’An looked back at Ahua and asked, "Is today the end of your confinement?"

Lu Qionghua's words abruptly stopped, and she smiled, pursing her lips. She said, "Hmm, it's over. What's planted in this field? Ping Sheng and Elder Brother Huo aren't here?"

Fu Ping’An replied, "They went to the military camp."

Surprisingly, Fu Ping’An didn't know if there was such a thing as a military star in this world. As soon as Huo Pingsheng got involved with riding horses and shooting arrows, he learned quickly. Coupled with his natural strength, even though he was only fifteen years old, he had already made a name for himself in the military camp and often went there.

Seeing Ahua still looking at the field, Fu Ping’An continued, "It's rice in this field."

As soon as she finished speaking, Erya said, "How can you plant rice in dry land?"

Fu Ping’An became excited, "You know how to farm?"

Erya replied, "Of course, who doesn't know how to farm?"

Fu Ping’An couldn't help but smile wryly and looked up at Zhang Qixing.

Zhang Qixing guiltily said, "I'm getting old, not even as good as a child."

However, Lu Qionghua also raised her hand and said, "I don't know either."

Fu Ping’An helplessly said, "Neither do I."

Here is the corrected version of the text:

Laughing together with Tie Zhu, they said, "We know how to plant, and there must be water in the rice fields." Fu Ping'an said, "Then you don't know, my kind of rice must be upland rice."

"This rice is not good. The yield is very small, and it's not tasty," Fu Ping'an said immediately, disappointed by what she heard. "So that's the case."

"Nowadays, millet and grain are mostly planted in the Northland, and the yield is not high. There is upland rice, and I thought it could be popularized in the arid areas of the north, so I planted it. But the seedlings were sparse and wilted, and the planting was not very successful."

However, she always felt that the fact that most of the people around her did not know how to farm was also an important reason.

【Bobo milk tea with taro paste: I think we still have to wait for the shipping fee to be collected before buying the plant seeds in the mall. They are all good seeds that have been cultivated.】

[Wen De: That's right, anyway, the shipping fee will be collected soon.]

[Sweeping the floor and burning incense: Do you think two million is a lot?】

【Chang'an Hua: It must be said that compared to the shock of hearing seven million for the first time, two million is really not bad.】

Fu Ping'an also knows that once the freight is collected, these won't be a problem, and she can even obtain seeds of many plants that people have never heard of, such as corn and cotton. However, before getting the seeds, she needs some expertise in farming.

She thought for a while and asked, "Erya, do you know how to farm? Would you like to help me occasionally? I will reward you."

Erya looked at Luo Qionghua, who had been bought out by the Ying family.

Luo Qionghua nodded repeatedly and said, "Okay, okay, I will help you when the time comes."

Wang Ji and Chen Yan were the ones who accompanied Fu Ping'an out of the palace today, so Fu Ping'an called Wang Ji to calculate the reward. As a result, Fu Ping'an also remembered something else.

Speaking of which, the last time we parted, we agreed to give Ah Hua a reward.

But later, because I couldn't find her—of course, I didn't find her; there were too many things going on, and I almost forgot. So naturally, I forgot about the reward.

It's okay if you don't meet the other party, but now that you do, it's a little embarrassing. Fu Ping'an touched her entire body and only found the jade pendant on her belt, but the jade pendant was carved with a dragon, which was a little inappropriate. She found an ivory comb in her pocket, which she had put in there in the morning while combing her hair.

But the reward for saving a life seems a bit inadequate.

Fu Ping'an felt a little embarrassed. Just as she raised her head, she met Ah Hua's eyes. Ah Hua smiled sweetly, showing her teeth.

It seems that Ah Hua forgot.

But she is the Emperor, and since this matter was mentioned, it cannot be disregarded.

Fu Ping'an stood up, intending to ask Wang Ji and Chen Yan if they had brought anything from before. However, as soon as she stood up, Ah Hua followed, stuck to her like maltose."

Fu Ping’An didn't find an opportunity to ask, so she sat back down. Luo Qionghua looked at her eagerly, as if waiting for her to say something. She had a feeling that if she couldn't respond, she would let the other person down. Fortunately, at that moment, Er Ya suddenly asked her, "Empress, why are these fields divided into patches?"

Fu Ping’An walked over to Er Ya. This method was taught to her by the barrage, called the "sub-field method." It involved creating ridges and furrows and sowing seeds on the ridges. The following year, the ridges and furrows would be exchanged, allowing the land to nourish itself and providing a more efficient way of fertilization.

Because the barrage assumed this was the proper way to farm, Fu Ping’An followed suit.

"Isn't this how you do it?"

"On regular days, when we farm at home, we scatter the seeds evenly across the fields. If we were to farm like you, it would be very laborious to plow the land. Renting oxen and iron tools would also be expensive."

[Ping’An Rabbit's 18th Generation: Has the sub-field method not been popularized yet? No wonder the grain production has not been increasing.]

Fu Ping’An fell silent again. Indeed, the low production of iron tools was a problem. In the previous dynasty, salt and iron were monopolized by the state, but during the reign of the founding emperor, the policy was relaxed. However, the production remained relatively low, and officials had criticized this matter, stating that salt and iron merchants were wealthier than nobles, which had a negative impact on societal values.

However, this matter required careful consideration. On the other hand, the sub-field method could be promoted.

So Fu Ping’An explained the matter to Er Ya in detail and said, "Take a look and see if this method is feasible. If it is, I will teach it to your family."

Of course, she would also send someone to promote it.

After the conversation, Luo Qionghua clapped her hands on the side, and Starry-eyed said, "How do you know everything, Ping’An? You're amazing."

In her daily life, Fu Ping’An mostly interacted with mature and cautious old foxes and her peers who were aware of her identity. It was rare for her to feel like this in front of Ahua. She couldn't help but modestly say, "I only have a superficial understanding."

Luo Qionghua said, "Compared to you, I don't know anything. Zhang Po, you used to say I was smart, but compared to Ping’An, I'm lacking a lot."

Zhang Qixing, who was diligently taking notes on farming next to them, coughed and said, "You can't casually compare yourself to her."

There was a difference between humans and deities.

Having some free time, Fu Ping’An remembered the matter of rewards. She stood up and walked towards the rear courtyard. Luo Qionghua wanted to follow, but Fu Ping’An turned her head and whispered, "Ah... I need to go to the restroom."

Upon hearing this, Luo Qionghua reluctantly returned to her original seat. Fu Ping’An gestured to Wang Ji, who followed her. The two of them passed through the inner courtyard's hanging flower gate, and Fu Ping’An asked in a low voice, "Do you have anything valuable on you?"

Wang Ji hesitated for a moment and gritted his teeth, saying, "I have a gold bar."

Fu Ping’An: "..."

Perhaps Fu Ping’An's expression displayed too clearly her questioning gaze of "Why are you carrying gold bars with you?"

Wang Ji added, "I think gold can be used anywhere if there's a need."

Fu Ping’An waved her hand, signaling Wang Ji to call Chen Yan. However, Chen Yan responded, "I just used my saved money to buy a house, Your Majesty. What do you need?"

Fu Ping’An felt embarrassed to say, so she waved her hand again, took a round in the backyard, but eventually returned. As she approached, Luo Qionghua seemed to sense her presence and turned around, beckoning her over. Fu Ping’An walked towards her, and Luo Qionghua formed a fist with her right hand and brought it close to Fu Ping’An's eyes, saying, "Look what I caught."

Curiosity piqued, Fu Ping’An leaned closer, and Luo Qionghua opened her palm, revealing a jade green grasshopper. Fu Ping’An was startled and took several steps back.

Luo Qionghua immediately stopped smiling, threw away the grasshopper, and stood up nervously, saying, "I'm sorry, are you scared?"

Fu Ping’An instinctively shook her head, "Not scared."

The two kids, Er Ya and Tie Zhu, burst into laughter while Fu Ping’An awkwardly said, "Well... I'm a little scared."

The comments section was filled with "Hahaha"---

[Adorable Ping’An: It's been so long since I've seen Ping’An this cute---not that she isn't cute usually, but this is a different kind of cuteness.]

[Heavenly Claudia: I understand, I understand. She's usually too serious.]

A faint blush appeared on Fu Ping’An's face as Luo Qionghua approached, blinking her eyes and saying, "I'm sorry, I didn't know. That...that was fun, and I thought you would like it."

Fu Ping’An responded, "I'm just not used to it. I haven't played like this before."

"Haha," another familiar voice laughed from the side, this time it was Bo Jiao'er—now known as Shen Zhuojun.

She lived next door and felt sleepy during lunch, so she went back to take a nap. At the moment, she was leaning against the wall, smiling as she watched Fu Ping’An and Luo Qionghua.

Fu Ping’An helplessly asked, "Why are you climbing the wall again?" Back in the palace, Bo Jiao'er was haughty but still had a graceful demeanor.

But now, Shen Zhuojun pouted and said, "I just love climbing."

Saying so, she lifted her foot to climb over, but Luo Qionghua nearby interjected, "No, your climbing posture is incorrect. You could get hurt like this."

Shen Zhuojun was taken aback, there's a correct climbing posture?

Luo Qionghua had a serious expression, "You have to do it in one go, climb up in one motion. Climbing slowly like this makes it easy to slip."

As if to prove Luo Qionghua's point, as soon as she finished speaking, Shen Zhuojun's hand slipped, and there was a loud thud as she fell down.

Just as Huo Pingsheng was sweating and arrived at the door, she heard the familiar cry of Shen Zhuojun. She thought to herself in frustration, "Oh no, why is she crying again?"