Chapter 306: Consultation

Chapter 306: Consultation

"Sister-in-law, the mother camel has given birth to a baby camel!"

Sui Yu turned around to see A’shui standing by the river outside the inn, waving vigorously. Even from a distance, the smile on her face was visible.

Seeing that Sui Yu didn’t move, A’shui ran a few more steps, crossed the small stream, and continued to shout, "The mother camel has given birth to a baby camel! Uncle Wood said five mother camels are about to give birth."

"Alright, I’ll be back soon," Sui Yu replied. "By the way, go back and bring me a bucket and a ladle."

A’shui acknowledged and quickly turned around, sprinting across the river. With a leap, she landed safely on the dry riverbank.

Sui Yu turned her gaze away. This little girl was quite remarkable. She had moved on from her past and wasn’t weighed down by her unfortunate background. Instead of being insecure or overly sensitive, she had become even more determined. She took the initiative to learn abacus, read and write, exercise, and manage the inn’s chores without needing anyone to push her. Like a sprout breaking through the soil, she thrived and grew strong. During her illness the previous month, Sui Yu had worried that the girl might not recover, developing a psychological scar that could ruin her.

A horse approached from the southern road. The farmers glanced up briefly before returning to their digging and turning the soil.

"Auntie, are you here to check on your crops again?" Lvya'er reined in her chestnut horse and asked from atop the saddle.

"Yes."

"Auntie, has any merchant caravan brought news of my mother recently?" Lvya'er asked again.

"It’s only early March. The caravans from Chang'an are probably just entering the Qinling trade route. We’ll have to wait until the end of the month or early April for them to reach Dunhuang," Sui Yu replied. "Don’t worry, I’ll let you know as soon as there’s any news."

"Ah, I was just asking casually. I came to visit the elderly teacher to see if his cough has improved," Lvya'er said, shaking the reins. "Auntie, you’re busy. I’ll go see him now."

"Alright, stay for lunch."

As the sound of hoofbeats faded, Sui Yu bent down to remove the soil clods weighing down the oilcloth. The dry grass covering caused a temperature difference, leading to fine droplets forming inside the oilcloth. As soon as the oilcloth was lifted, the warm, moist air rushed out, along with the musty smell of decaying soil.

Sui Yu crouched and inspected the entire area. The loose soil covering the cotton seeds had formed small mounds. Perhaps in another day, the cotton sprouts would break through.

The sound of running footsteps and a ladle hitting a wooden bucket grew closer. Da Zhuang called from across the river, "Master, A’shui asked me to bring a bucket. Do you need to scoop water?"

"Yes, just half a bucket will do," Sui Yu replied.

The mud blocks had become dry and hard, and Sui Yu was concerned it might hinder the growth of the cotton sprouts. She poured water along the seams where the hemp ropes had cut the mud blocks. Da Zhuang offered to help, but she declined.

Watering was a delicate task. The water had to be poured along the seams because wetting the surface layer of loose soil would increase the resistance for the cotton sprouts to break through. Sui Yu handled this with more care than she would with needlework.

At first, she squatted, but when her legs grew numb, she knelt instead. By the time she finished watering, her back and legs ached.

"Farming is such hard work," Sui Yu sighed, leaning on the bucket as she stood up. She turned around and saw Da Zhuang enthusiastically digging up couch grass roots on the ridge. She thought to herself, "What a simpleton. If it were Huaniu or Aqiang, they’d be pacing around anxiously if the master was working while they just stood by. Even with nothing to do, they’d find ways to look busy."

"Come here, give me a hand. Let’s lift the oilcloth and cover it again," Sui Yu called out.

"Alright," Da Zhuang quickly got up.

The oilcloth was draped over the rattan sticks, and soil clods were used to weigh it down on all sides, ensuring it was tightly secured. The sun would warm the oilcloth, creating a cozy environment inside.

"Should we cover it with dry grass again?" Da Zhuang asked.

"No, let’s take the bucket and head back," Sui Yu said, brushing the dirt off her knees.

Seeing that there was still water in the bucket, Da Zhuang grabbed some couch grass roots and rinsed them in the bucket. A bird landed nearby, and he hurled the wooden ladle at it.

Hearing the noise, Sui Yu turned around and reminded him, "Be careful not to step on the oilcloth."

Da Zhuang retrieved the ladle and quickly caught up, carrying the bucket. "Master, do you want some couch grass roots? They’re sweet."

Sui Yu reached out, and Da Zhuang generously gave her half.

"Where's the little one?" she asked.

"He's watching the mother camel give birth to a calf."

Sui Yu had almost forgotten about this. Chewing on a reed root, she hurried back home, opened a chest, and took out the long wooden strips she had prepared in advance. She noted the number of cotton seeds planted in the first batch, along with the planting and sprouting times.

"Da Zhuang, Da Zhuang? Here, take this wooden strip and stick it in the ground where you left the water bucket."

Da Zhuang took the wooden strip and ran off. Sui Yu took out an ink stick and inkstone to grind ink, recording the process of cultivating cotton seeds on bamboo slips, along with notes on ventilation, heat dissipation, and watering.

She spent most of the day writing. Zhao Xiping returned, standing at the door and glancing in a few times, but she didn’t notice.

"Still not done? It’s time to eat. You can finish after," Zhao Xiping said as he walked in again.

Sui Yu was startled. She looked up and out the door, the golden sunlight blinding her momentarily.

"Is it noon already?" She put down the brush, remembering the sprouting cotton seeds, and hurried over, saying, "I bet in two more days, all the seeds will have sprouted."

Zhao Xiping wasn't surprised. When he found that covering the seeds with oilcloth could mimic late spring temperatures, he knew that as long as the cotton seeds were alive, they would eventually sprout.

"Can we plant wheat and beans like this?" he asked. "If we can plant them earlier, we could harvest them earlier in late autumn. The September sun is still scorching, and the harvested beans and wheat could be dried thoroughly, without worrying about them getting moldy."

"You can plant them this way, but beans and wheat aren’t like cotton. Try it with seedlings—you’d have to dig holes and plant each stalk one by one. One person couldn’t even plant half an acre in a day," Sui Yu said. "Besides, how many people can afford oilcloth for this?"

Hearing this, Zhao Xiping dismissed the idea in his mind.

"So, you’re saying cotton isn’t for poor families?" he asked.

"The farther east and south, the warmer and wetter it gets. Places where spring comes early are definitely more suitable for growing cotton. As for whether cotton can be grown without oilcloth, I'm still experimenting. This afternoon, I’ll have the male servants dig more mud and plant the second, third, and fourth batches," Sui Yu said.

"Tell them to dig an extra pile of mud and set it aside. In another half month, when there's more water in the river, the mud they dig up will be thinner," Zhao Xiping reminded her.

Sui Yu hadn't thought of that. She wrapped her arm around his neck, stood on her toes, and kissed him, saying sweetly, "Thank you for the reminder, Zhao Qianhu. You’re my go-to guy."

Zhao Xiping pushed her away, whispering, "The kid saw that. Let go."

Sui Yu turned her head and saw the little one standing at the gate, grinning with his eyes darting around.

Sui Yu pretended nothing happened. She withdrew her arm from around the man and asked, "Are you here to get us for dinner?"

The little one giggled, staring at his dad, and sure enough, his ears turned red.

Zhao Xiping coughed uncomfortably and instructed, "Don’t say a word."

Then he reminded the person beside him, "From now on, keep this in the bedroom."

"Is it a crime to kiss my own husband? We already have a child. Who doesn't know what we've done?" Sui Yu teased him on purpose. "Which couple doesn't kiss? Besides, I only kissed your cheek."

Now Zhao Xiping’s face turned bright red. He glared at her and whispered, "This should be done in private. It's not good for others to see."

"Why didn't you push me away just now?" Sui Yu smirked slyly. "If you're so good at talking, you should have pushed me away earlier."

Zhao Xiping: ...

He was speechless now.

Sui Yu reached out her hand, and the little one happily ran over to hold it. Watching his parents bicker, he was as happy as a clam.

Zhao Xiping went to the riverside to wash his face, then entered the kitchen courtyard. Seeing the child chattering around Sui Yu, he breathed a sigh of relief but hesitated to sit down immediately. He went into the kitchen to help serve the dishes.

"Mom, this morning, the camels gave birth to three baby camels, and their fur is so beautiful."

"Oh, why don’t you give them names? Ding Quan, come here, I have a task for you. Take some people to dig mud downstream by the river these days. Dig a pit by the riverside and store as much mud as possible before the river swells," Sui Yu instructed. "When digging the pit, be careful to burn the surrounding grass to prevent grass seeds from falling into the mud pit... Actually, go into town this afternoon and buy ten large bathtubs. Replace the old ones at home and use the old bathtubs to store the mud."

Ding Quan nodded, "Alright, I understand. I’ll ensure no grass seeds get into the mud."

The food was served on the table, and Zhao Xiping took his seat. The child glanced at him, and seeing that he was no longer shy, his curiosity faded, and he focused entirely on eating.

After the meal, Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping followed the child to see the newborn camels. The wild camels had been with them for over half a year and were no longer resistant to human contact. They had copper bells around their necks and would stretch out their necks for food when people approached.

"Today is a good day. I’ll head into town this afternoon to buy a sheep, and you come back early for dinner tonight," Sui Yu said.

Zhao Xiping nodded. He glanced at his son, who was focused on feeding the camels with bean cakes, and asked in a low voice, "What did the doctor say last time we went to the clinic? Do you still need to have medicinal meals?"

After last winter, Sui Yu stopped drinking bitter herbal soups. Seeing that her family was well-off, the doctor recommended that she use red dates, astragalus, ginger, and pepper to stew lamb and hen, drinking a bowl every few days to nourish her blood and energy.

"No more, or I’ll end up with nosebleeds from over-nourishment."

"Then I’ll have the stewed lamb tonight."

Sui Yu paused, glanced at him, and immediately understood his meaning.

Since seeing the doctor last year, the couple had been sharing a bed but mostly used their hands and mouths to comfort each other, fearing she might get pregnant again. For Zhao Xiping, he avoided eating stimulating foods like leeks and lamb as much as possible.

"Third Sister-in-law, Third Brother," Zhao Xiaomi rode over on a camel, holding one child in her arms and another sitting behind her.

"Auntie, little brother," the child called out loudly. "Come quick, our big camel has had baby camels."

The camel knelt, and Aning slid off. He quickly went over and asked, "Brother, when does the school start? My little aunt told me to come to the guesthouse this afternoon. The elderly teacher has recovered from his illness."

"Take your things and go to the school first. Review your lessons so you’re prepared when the elderly teacher asks questions," Zhao Xiping said.

"I want to see my sister first," the child walked over. "Auntie, is Jinhua asleep?"

"She’s asleep. She always dozes off when riding the camel," Zhao Xiaomi crouched down to let her nephew see the soundly sleeping child.

Sui Yu and Zhao Xiping also walked over. Jinhua, five months old and chubby, pursed her lips as if sucking even in her sleep.

"Even cuter than the baby camels," the child held his sister’s small hand and shook it gently.

"Do you like her?" Sui Yu asked.

The child nodded.

"Would you like Mom to have a sister for you?"

"Like Jinhua?"

"No, no, the sister your mom has will definitely look like her, and she’ll grow up to be as handsome as you," Zhao Xiaomi couldn’t stay crouched anymore. She stood up and handed the child to her brother, saying, "They say nieces take after their aunts, but I don’t like that. Third Sister-in-law, it’s best if your next daughter takes after you, not me or my brother."

Sui Yu glanced at Zhao Xiping and said, "Looking like him would be nice too. Your brother has good features, nothing to fault. It’s just that he’s a warrior, been on the battlefield, and looks a bit fierce, always stern, making him seem unapproachable."

Zhao Xiaomi still shook her head in disapproval, "It’s better if she takes after you, not us Zhaos."

Sui Yu looked at the child, and seeing that he didn’t seem opposed, she asked again, "Would you like to have a little brother or sister? Like me and your uncle, we were born to the same mother."

Hearing this example, the child immediately nodded, "Then have a sister for me, and I’ll be a good uncle too. Mom, I miss my uncle."

"I miss him too. I wonder if he's on his way back," Sui Yu sighed and said, "If you and Aning aren’t rushing to school, go wait under the jujube tree to greet your classmates, like your uncle did when he was home."

The little boy took Aning's hand and ran off.

"You're asking the kid for his opinion about having another child? What if he doesn’t agree, will you really not have one?" Zhao Xiaomi finally blurted out after holding back for so long.

"If he’s against it, it’s probably because his father and I haven’t handled things well enough to make him feel that having a sibling won’t mean we love him less," Sui Yu said. "If that’s really the case, then it’s not too late to have another child a couple of years later. If he insists on being an only child, then he’ll have to give up some of his freedom, like not following his father’s path to become a military officer and go to the battlefield."

Zhao Xiping looked at her; this was a novel idea to him. He grew up with older brothers, a younger sister, and plenty of playmates. He had never seen anyone who didn’t want their mother to have another child.

Zhao Xiaomi couldn’t understand it either. She thought it might be the difference between being a commoner and coming from an official’s family, so she didn’t ask any further.