Chapter 383 - 377_1
"Wow, so many seeds," Lin Yue examined the contents as she rummaged through them, finding sacks filled with sweet potato varieties and other sizable seeds like potatoes, while two large chests contained smaller volumes of various seeds, neatly packed in bags. Some of them Lin Yue had never seen before and couldn’t identify; only by planting would she learn what they grew into.
Upon entering, Zhao Erhu found Lin Yue so engrossed with the seeds on the floor that she didn’t even notice his arrival. "Wife, the ground is cold. Why are you sitting there? Get up and take a stool to sit on."
Seeing that his wife was completely absorbed and paying him no mind, Zhao Erhu had no choice but to fetch a stool for her, lifted her up onto it, and joined her in examining the seeds brought by Jiang Ziqi.
It took most of the day, but Lin Yue and Zhao Erhu finally sorted the recognizable from the unfamiliar seeds, though only a few were unknown to them, with the majority being recognizable.
After putting away the seeds, Lin Yue remembered the letter she had read earlier; there was more than just seed matters to discuss with Zhao Erhu.
"Brother Jiang’s letter suggests that we should make a trip to the Capital City. The workshop is easy to start, but some procedures and details are best known by us. Even if I wrote down the methodology, I fear some nuances might be missed, and the quality won’t match what we’ve sent. We’ll only know for sure once we’re there to oversee everything ourselves," she said.
Zhao Erhu frowned upon hearing this, his mind full of concerns. "But we can’t just drop our affairs here at a moment’s notice. Not to mention that we’re still building the house, there are also the tavern and the grocery store where the crucial recipes are kept under our own care. The workers only handle the basics. If we go to the Capital City, we’ll have to put these businesses on hold, incurring significant losses. Plus, with the start of spring, we need to begin planting crops, and only you know how to sow these new seeds from Doctor Jiang. We can’t just leave this to someone else."
Lin Yue shared Zhao Erhu’s concerns. Although the idea was tempting—she had only ever traveled as far as Xin’an City and yearned to see the Capital and experience its local customs—current domestic affairs made leaving impossible.
"Brother Jiang merely suggested it; he didn’t insist we go right now. After all, the workshop’s main products are still acceptable. They’re selling well, even if they’re not as good as ours. However, for the goods required by the court, we must produce and send them from here. The court has high standards that can’t be compromised. We should discuss further whether or not to go to the Capital City," she continued.
Hearing Lin Yue’s reasoning, Zhao Erhu’s worry eased somewhat. At first, he had thought about leaving her behind and going alone if necessary, but the idea of leaving his beautiful wife at home alone was unsettling—not because he distrusted her, but rather for fear of those with ill intentions taking advantage of a household without its male master present.