Watching Su Yurou, who had arrived full of spirit, being carried horizontally onto the carriage, Su Xiaoqi felt a sense of joy.
She happily held Du Yiyi's hand and praised her.
Du Yiyi squeezed her hand back and said, "I can't stand people who bully others with their status, hmph."
She had initially believed what Su Xiaoqi had said.
But it had always felt too mysterious. Now, she completely believed it.
Given Su Yurou's obnoxious character, she believed anything inhumane her family did.
As Su Xiaoqi watched Su Yurou's carriage depart, a big question still lingered in her mind.
What was that thing the original owner repeatedly mentioned stealing?
However, she wasn't one to dwell on things.
With no immediate answer, Su Xiaoqi pushed it deep into the recesses of her heart.
As it neared noon, Su Xiaoqi, carrying her carefully prepared buckwheat tea, corn, potatoes, mooncakes, and two catties of lotus root powder, followed Du Yiyi home.
Su Xiaoqi had been a little worried about entering the prefect's residence.
But upon entering, she discovered how kind they were.
Before she and Du Yiyi had even arrived, the Prefect's wife, Yurong, came out with maids and servants to greet them.
Su Xiaoqi felt somewhat overwhelmed and quickly took a step back, performing a respectful junior's bow.
Yurou looked at the maiden before her, who was barely sixteen. She knew that although Su Xiaoqi was married, her posture and appearance suggested she was unmarried.
She understood and secretly praised Shen Yun not only for his talent but also for being a considerate person.
Pitying her youth, she had not consummated the marriage.
"Oh, my dear, I've heard about you from my elder sister for a long time, and I've been hoping Yiyi would bring you over for me to see. But she said you had to accompany your husband who was taking the imperial examinations.
So I didn't dare to insist. Now that you're finally here today."
Yurong said, holding Su Xiaoqi's hands, and led her and Du Yiyi into the inner gate.
"Let me tell you, my daughter is mischievous, like a little monkey. She doesn't get along well with anyone, but she has a connection with you. She spends her days with you and doesn't come home."
Yurong was eloquent and with a few "chatter-chatter" words, she dispelled Su Xiaoqi's initial worries and nervousness.
Du Yiyi kept signaling to her: See, isn't my mother easy to get along with? She will definitely like you.
Indeed, when they reached the hall, Su Xiaoqi, with her perfect demeanor, had completely won Yurong's favor.
"To find a girl who is beautiful, kind, and so skillful, no wonder my usually difficult elder sister couldn't help but take you as her goddaughter."
Then, Yurong asked Su Xiaoqi to address her as Aunt based on her relationship with the Yu family.
Su Xiaoqi obediently called her, delighting Yurong, whose well-maintained face bloomed with joy.
After laughing, she seemed to remember something and gently pressed her eyes, claiming she couldn't laugh too much or she'd get wrinkles around her eyes like her elder sister.
"Oh, oh, look at my mother, showing off again." Du Yiyi covered her mouth and laughed.
Su Xiaoqi responded seriously, "Aunt is right, appropriate laughter prolongs life, but too much laughter can indeed cause wrinkles.
However, I have a recipe for wrinkles. I'll give it to Aunt later. You can try applying it to enhance skin elasticity and keep your skin supple."
"Really? That's wonderful, Xiaoqi, you're so capable."
Yurong was overjoyed.
She felt like she had struck gold.
No, it was her elder sister who had struck gold. From now on, she would never envy her for having a daughter.
Soon, a tall figure walked in.
He wore a dark blue straight robe with a round collar, his hair tied up and adorned with a sandalwood hairpin, dressed simply and elegantly.
Yet his face was clear and handsome, his features delicate, exuding a refined scholarly aura.
It was undoubtedly Du Wenqian, the prefect of Yizhou Prefecture and Du Yiyi's father.
Su Xiaoqi quickly stood up to pay her respects.
But Yurong held her arm, only allowing her to perform a junior's greeting.
"This is your uncle. He's busy every day and almost never seen during the day. He came back to the back courtyard today because he heard you were here."
Yurong's voice was gentle but carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
Su Xiaoqi thought that perhaps Prefect Du was too diligent and caring towards the people, always busy with official duties and unable to spend time with her.
"Xiaoqi, is it? I have heard your name long ago.
You and Yiyi have done a great service for the people of Tongchuan. Congratulations, you are as capable as any man."
This was high praise, and Su Xiaoqi quickly and humbly said it was just a small effort.
Du Wenqian naturally offered further praise.
Su Xiaoqi suddenly remembered that she had been guided by Yurong for so long and had not yet presented the gifts she brought.
She quickly pointed to the gifts on the table and introduced them: "As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, I have prepared some modest gifts: this is buckwheat tea, mooncakes, this is lotus root powder, and this is..."
Before Su Xiaoqi could finish her introduction, Du Wenqian asked, "Did you bring any corn or potatoes?"
Su Xiaoqi paused for a moment, then quickly responded, "Yes, yes, I did."
Du Yiyi, seeing her father's directness, covered her mouth and laughed, saying that both items were too heavy, so she hadn't had time to bring them in.
They had already been handed over to Steward He to arrange while they were in the carriage.
Du Wenqian immediately ordered someone to bring them in.
He eagerly leaned closer to examine the two bamboo baskets that were brought in.
Indeed, these were the potatoes and corn he had been longing for.
"When you were still in Mianzhou City, your uncle had been thinking about this matter since he received a letter from your godfather.
He started asking about it as soon as he saw you." Yurong looked at her husband, feeling a little exasperated.
He was good in all respects, except that he cared too much about the common people.
He always prioritized their needs and interests above all else.
It was just that those in higher positions were blind and couldn't see his dedication to the people.
"These things came from Mianzhou City. Where did you find them?" Du Wenqian, after confirming the items, eagerly asked about their origin.
Su Xiaoqi had already prepared her story. She repeated the explanation she had given to Mr. Gu.
"Oh, then Yuanbao Mountain truly lives up to its name, it's a treasure mountain."
Su Xiaoqi nodded and, following this topic, mentioned the buckwheat tea.
This thing truly grew in the mountains, and she spoke about it without any pressure.
"Good, good, good," Du Wenqian seemed particularly excited, and then said, "I'm sure thousands of people have seen them before, but they never recognized them.
It was you, with your sharp mind, who not only discovered them but also turned them into food."
If the yield per mu was as Su Xiaoqi described, then this would truly be a world-shattering achievement.