Chapter 481: Candied Sweet Potatoes
The next day.
Early in the morning, Lu Ran got the villagers to catch the pigs and bring them to the Hua family.
There were a lot of ready-made vegetables in the Lu family, so she did not have to go out to buy them. Early in the morning, Lu Sheng got someone to pluck a few sacks over herself.
On the other hand, Mdm Fang, Li Zheng, and the rest attended as elders.
Many elders in the village went over together. Even Tao Jia and his wife followed them. They helped to choose the vegetables, kill pigs, and cook. It was bustling.
Seeing that Aunt Yu did not follow them, Lu Sheng was puzzled.
“Aunt Yu, aren’t you coming along?”
Aunt Yu smiled and said, “I’m not going. Let your Brother Liang and Sister-in-law go. I’ll go over later to drink and eat meat.”
“Didn’t we agree that you would follow Aunt Tao?”
Aunt Yu shook her head and chuckled. “A marriage proposal requires a couple. The couple has to be present. Aunt Yu is alone. It’s inauspicious to go alone. It’s good that your Brother Liang and Sister-in-law go.”
So there was such a custom?
Lu Sheng pondered and nodded. “Then, remember to go over and eat meat later. I’ll go back to the vegetable field first.”
As for this marriage proposal, Lu Ran and the rest could just go. She did not have to go.
Aunt Yu nodded. “Go ahead.”
Not long after Lu Sheng walked back, she was blocked.
“Lu Sheng, what’s the meaning of your family?”
Lu Wei blocked in front and glared at her angrily.
Lu Sheng’s face darkened. “What do you mean?”
“What do I mean? How dare you ask?”
Lu Wei smiled coldly. “Uncle’s not around and Brother Ran wants to propose a marriage. You actually didn’t find my parents but those who are not related by blood. You’re sincere in embarrassing my parents, right?”
When Lu Sheng and Lu Daming’s family had a conflict, Lu Wei was not in the village. Hence, she did not know that the two families had already fallen out.
Hence, when she heard her parents complain about this matter this morning, she was very indignant and ran over.
Lu Sheng ignored her and wanted to bypass her to leave, but was stopped by her.
“Lu Sheng, now that you’re rich, you don’t recognize poor relatives like us anymore, right?”
Lu Wei smiled coldly. “Don’t forget that our surnames are Lu. We have the same blood.”
Lu Sheng was so angry. She nodded and smiled. “Yes, you’re right. I despise you poor relatives. So, remember to take a detour when you see me in the future. I find you dirty.”
“You…”
Lu Wei pointed at her angrily and said, “Don’t be arrogant. Our family doesn’t care about your family.”
“Then, move away.”
Lu Sheng’s smile disappeared and she looked at her indifferently.
“When did our family offend you? Why do you want to embarrass us?”
Lu Wei pushed her shoulder and said angrily, “Do you know what the villagers said about my parents? They passed by my house and asked us if you called us over. Do you know that my mother’s face turned green from the questions?”
The more Lu Wei thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. When she thought of her mother’s expression, she could not help but be angry.
Lu Sheng patted her shoulder lightly and raised her eyebrows. “Lu Wei, are you really stupid or are you pretending to be stupid?”
Lu Wei paused. “What do you mean?”
It seemed like she really did not know?
Lu Sheng smiled faintly. “Go back and ask your parents and brother.”
This time, Lu Sheng did not give in to her. Instead, she pulled her aside and strode away.
Lu Wei frowned slightly. In the past, she did not like Lu Sheng. Because of her marriage with Duan Zhen, she was envious and jealous of her. Hence, every time she saw her, she could not help but mock her coldly.
She had only stayed in the house for a while. When she returned, she realized that Lu Sheng seemed to have changed into a different person.
In the past, Lu Sheng was willing to be beaten and scolded. She did not complain at all.
However, the current Lu Sheng’s gaze alone made one subconsciously feel fear.
Could it be that she was so arrogant because she had Lord Chu’s backing?
That must be it!
However, what did she mean by asking her parents and brother?
Lu Wei returned home in confusion.
“Where did you go just now? You ran off before you finished your embroidery work. You don’t know how to do anything and no one thinks highly of you. What’s the use of raising you?”
The moment she entered, Mdm Zheng spoke coldly.
Today, all the villagers asked them to go to the Hua family to eat meat. However, Lu Sheng and Lu Ran did not call them over at all.
Lu Daming and Lu Chuan shamelessly went over, but she did not.
She was still angry and had nowhere to vent her anger. She could only vent it on her daughter.
Lu Wei felt aggrieved to be scolded the moment she returned.
“Mother, how can you say that about me?”
She had always been raised by Mdm Zheng. Although they did not lead a good life, Mdm Zheng never allowed her to do farm work.
She usually could not bear to say anything harsh to her. She did not expect to be scolded for no reason today when she was seventeen.
“I…”
Mdm Zheng sighed softly. “Where did you go just now?”
Lu Wei wiped her tears and asked her, “Mother, tell me. What did you do to Lu Sheng’s family? Why didn’t they tell our family about Brother Ran’s marriage proposal?”
“If you don’t want to say it, so be it. It’s not as if our family is lacking their meat?”
Mdm Zheng was furious. She flung her clothes so hard that they were almost flung away.
She threw the clothes back into the basin angrily, placed her hands on her waist, and gritted her teeth. “This little hussy looks like her b*tch of a mother. They’re both blind.”
“What happened?”
In the past, even if the two families did not get along, they would still interact when there was a big matter.
Why did they not even come over to inform them about Lu Ran’s marriage proposal?
Lu Wei could not understand.
“What could have happened? Your father was just confused and wanted to sell off the two children Mdm Liu gave birth to.”
Mdm Zheng snorted coldly. “Mdm Liu caused her mother’s death, but she still protected those two children. What an idiot.”
“What?”
Lu Wei was stunned. “Father wants to sell Lu Jiang and Lu Xin?”
“I already said that it was a mistake.”
They did not manage to sell them and she was even made to pay ten taels of silver. When Mdm Zheng thought of this, she felt unlucky.
“Lu Jiang and Lu Xin were raised by Lu Sheng. They’re not close to Mdm Liu. Since Father sold them off, Lu Sheng was naturally angry.”
Lu Wei did not expect her father to do such a thing.
“Wasn’t it unsuccessful? We even lost ten taels of silver.”
After speaking, Mdm Zheng’s eyes flashed and she felt guilty.
She did not dare to tell Lu Wei that she was the one who suggested selling the two of them.
“Father is so silly!”
Lu Wei pursed her lips angrily.
It was not because her father wanted to sell Lu Jiang and Lu Xin that she was angry.
Instead, it was because her father had simply cut off her good fate.
Recently, she would often go around Lu Sheng’s vegetable field and see those young masters there.
One could tell that the three of them were not ordinary people. If she could marry one of them, wouldn’t she be able to enjoy riches in the future?
“What should we do now?”
She sat at the side angrily. “I wanted Lu Sheng to be my matchmaker. Aren’t you cutting off my path to riches?”
When Mdm Zheng heard that, she knew that her daughter had not given up. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to remain silent.
Lu Sheng was also a farm girl. If she could get engaged to Chu Sihan, why couldn’t her daughter marry well?
And…
Her eyes lit up.
“I heard from Li Zheng that Lu Sheng’s marriage was appointed by the State Minister. He said that Lord Chu is to marry a daughter of the Lu family who was of suitable age to get married but had yet to get married. Weiwei, your surname is also Lu. Moreover, you’ve reached the appropriate age for marriage and have also not married…”
How could Lu Wei not understand?
However, although Mdm Zheng had such ambitions, she did not.
It was true that she wanted to marry a rich man, but she did not dare to think of Chu Sihan.
It was not that she did not dare to think about it, but she was afraid.
“Mother, don’t mention such a silly idea casually. That’s Lord Chu. I can’t suppress such a big shot.”
That Lord Chu had interacted with Lu Sheng for so long. One could tell that they had feelings for each other.
If she interfered and angered that Lord, she would probably die.
“Why is it a sinister idea?”
Mdm Zheng snorted coldly. “Why must the destined daughter be Lu Sheng? Our surname is also Lu.”
“But that Lord likes Lu Sheng now. If you want to die, don’t drag me along.”
Lu Wei snorted coldly and returned to her room.
“How useless.”
Mdm Zheng snorted coldly, but she only dared to think about it.
Naturally, she did not dare to provoke Chu Sihan.
…
On the other side.
Lu Sheng started digging sweet potatoes with everyone the moment she returned to the vegetable field.
“Disciple, I want to eat candied sweet potatoes.”
Lu Zhou, who was digging sweet potatoes in his bamboo hat, spoke faintly.
“Candied sweet potatoes?”
Shangguan Dian hurried over and asked, “Ah Zhou, what’s candied sweet potatoes?”
“Here.” Lu Zhou showed him the sweet potato in his hand. “This is a kumara. Candied sweet potatoes is a delicacy made from this.”
“Kumara?”
Shangguan Dian frowned and scratched his head. “Isn’t it called sweet potato? Why is it called kumara again?”
Lu Zhou raised an eyebrow. “Those potatoes and tomatoes have multiple names. Why can’t sweet potatoes have other names too?”
“Why does a small thing have so many names?”
Shangguan Dian pouted. He really could not understand.
Lu Sheng chuckled. She clapped her hands and stood up. “Okay, I’ll cook for you now.”
She picked up half a basket of sweet potatoes and dragged them back to the river beside the bamboo house to wash them.
Today, Lu Ran, Lu Jiang, and Lu Xin went to the Hua family. Only the few of them and the twenty helpers were left.
“Miss, Master asked me to come over and help.”
Lan Yi placed his bamboo hat aside and stood beside Lu Sheng.
Lu Sheng nodded and passed him the washed sweet potatoes and the peeler knife that the King of Hades had bought for her.
After washing his hands, Lan Yi reached out to receive it.
“After peeling it, do a rolling cut and put them in a basin. I’ll start a fire and boil water.”
“Rolling cut?”
Lan Yi looked confused. “What’s a rolling cut?”
“There’s no hurry. I’ll come out and teach you later.”
“Oh.”
Lan Yi replied and looked at the peeler knife in his hand. He did not know where to start.
Lu Sheng sighed helplessly and had to demonstrate it to him.
Lan Yi stared at it blankly before nodding to indicate that he understood.
Lu Sheng took the pot out and washed it. After boiling the water, she took out the white sugar and starch as backup.
On the other side, Lan Yi was peeling the skin quickly, especially after he started.
After a while, he finished peeling the half basket of sweet potatoes.
“You’re quite fast!”
Lu Sheng rolled her shoulders and smiled in appreciation.
Lan Yi stood up and asked, “How do I do the rolling cut?”
Lu Sheng hurriedly washed the knife and chopping board. Then, she picked up a piece and started cutting.
After cutting two, she passed the knife to Lan Yi.
The tomatoes had bore fruits again. Most of them were half ripe.
The watermelons in the watermelon field were big and round. Lu Sheng went over and knocked on one casually. In the end, with a tearing sound, the watermelon instantly split open.
Lu Sheng was speechless.
She did not use much force.
She lowered her head and realized that the watermelons were ripe.
The watermelon skin was very thin. It would basically break if one knocked on it lightly.
This reminded Lu Sheng of the embarrassing scene in her previous life.
She remembered that it was summer when she first came down the mountain.
At that time, the weather was exceptionally hot. She and her master went to a small town and saw someone selling watermelons.
Her master was buying water at the side. When she saw watermelons, she wanted to eat them. However, as her master had already bought water, she did not have the intention to buy them.
However, when she saw someone knocking on a watermelon, her hand itched to pick one up and knock on it as well. In the end, the watermelon cracked.
She hugged the watermelon and stared at the lady boss. Her master watched from the side and did not know whether to laugh or cry.
In the end, they naturally bought the watermelon and let the lady boss cut it into pieces. The master-disciple pair sat by the roadside and ate.
Lu Sheng plucked the watermelon helplessly.
She initially thought that it would take a few more days to be ripe. It seemed like she could pluck them today.
She brought the watermelon back to the kitchen and broke it open. She picked out the seeds inside and prepared to use them as seeds next year.
Halfway through, she suddenly heard the sound of wheels rolling approaching.
She thought that her uncle had sent someone to pick the vegetables, so Lu Sheng did not pay much attention.
However, after a while, she heard Lan Yi’s voice.
“Lord Chu.”
Lu Sheng’s hand that was holding the knife paused. She put it down and walked out.
She saw Chu Sihan and a young man standing outside.
“What’s this?”
Chu Sihan stared curiously at the sweet potatoes in the basket.
Lan Yi said, “These are sweet potatoes.”
“So these are sweet potatoes?” Chu Sihan clicked his tongue.
“Miss Lu, long time no see!”
The young man turned around. When he saw Lu Sheng, he hurriedly greeted her with a smile.
Lu Sheng smiled and nodded. “Young Master Qi.”
Chu Sihan narrowed his eyes. “You’ve seen each other before?”
Lu Sheng nodded. “Yes.”
“I met Miss Lu at the bookstore previously. I wanted to invite Miss Lu to the teahouse for a cup of tea, but she rejected me!”
Qi Dongjing pretended to be sad and said, “In more than twenty years of my life, this was the first time I’ve invited a girl for tea, but she rejected me. How sad!”
When Chu Sihan heard that he had been rejected, his expression softened.
He pulled Lu Sheng over to stand beside him. He said softly, “It’s been a long time since we last met. Do you miss me?”
Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a faint smile.
Long time no see?
If she remembered correctly, he returned to the Chu Mansion the day before yesterday, right?