Chapter 60 - Sixty: Refusing to Reveal

Translator: 549690339

At that moment, Su Wenyue only cared about her seeds. She didn’t even notice the undercurrents between the two men, but still, she was somewhat displeased that Han Yu had intercepted her midway. She attempted to pry off the arm wrapped around her waist, to no avail. Her feeble strength was no match, and Su Wenyue didn’t want to entangle herself with such trivial matters. She turned to look at Su Hengxuan.

“Second Brother, how many seeds do we have? Second Brother, I want to plant a lot. You have to get me more; they’re really good stuff. Not only will I plant them, our family can too. And the sweet potatoes, the ones you brought back for me to roast last time, get me more of those too.”

“Of course, there’s no problem. Though it takes some effort to transport them by sea from outside the country, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my younger sister, not even pluck the stars from the sky for you. Just wait and see. But, Yueyue, can you tell me what’s so special about these two crops from outside the country, that you would go through all this trouble to have me grow them on our farm? It can’t just be for eating; there must be other uses, right?”

Not only was Su Hengxuan curious, but Han Yu was also eager to know why Su Wenyue had taken such pains to bring these seeds from foreign lands. He was unfamiliar with them and couldn’t see any other use aside from consumption. Perhaps they could be used as medicinal materials?

“You mustn’t underestimate these two crops, sweet potatoes and corn. They may look plain, but they are high-yield crops. Currently, the Daming Dynasty has low food production. If the Imperial Court is stable and there’s no war, the commoners can barely maintain their livelihoods at home after paying taxes, without going hungry. But once war breaks out, with the Imperial Court requisitioning military rations and taxes rising, food will become scarce. Right now, signs of chaos are appearing in the Daming Dynasty, and war seems inevitable. If we could cultivate these two crops on a large scale, then…”

Su Wenyue stopped there. Han Yu and Su Hengxuan were smart enough to get the point without further explanation; they probably already connected it to many related issues, so there was no need for her to waste her breath.

“Younger Sister, is this also something you learned from your dream?” Su Hengxuan said confidently. He had watched his little sister grow up. She had never seen such foreign things before, apart from those mentioned in her dream. He couldn’t think of any other possibility.

There was no point in hiding it; Su Wenyue nodded affirmatively, confirming Su Hengxuan’s thought: “Yes, you don’t know, but back then, the Imperial

Court was in constant chaos, with starving people everywhere, and a severe lack of food. The commoners were barely scraping by. Consort Li, somehow learned of these two crops and presented them to Emperor Wu, solving the refugees’ problem. She made a significant contribution, earning praise from court officials and the commoners, and Emperor Wu even made her Noble Consort Li for her merits, giving her unlimited glory, second only to the Empress.”

Having finished, Su Wenyue concluded, “So you see, these are definitely good things. If Consort Li could use them to become Noble Consort Li, if you make good use of them, maybe you could get promoted and make a fortune too, hehe.”

“Shh, quiet down. You can’t just blurt out things like this!”

Seeing Su Wenyue speak so indiscreetly and without any guard, both Han Yu and Su Hengxuan showed a helpless look on their faces. They glanced around to ensure no one was nearby before breathing a sigh of relief.

“Younger Sister, you need to be more careful! We’re still under the Daming Dynasty, and that person above hasn’t changed yet. You shouldn’t be mentioning Emperor Wu and Consort Li so casually; it’s taboo, and if someone hears you, it could be punishable by death. Don’t talk about these matters so freely in the future, do you hear me?” Su Hengxuan scolded Su Wenyue impatiently. He found his sister’s nature somewhat exasperating and could only hope Han Yu would take good care of her.

“I got it; I won’t do it again.” Su Wenyue acknowledged her carelessness, as she had let down her guard in the presence of Han Yu and Su Hengxuan and had spoken too freely.

Han Yu, seeing that Su Wenyue had already been admonished by Su Hengxuan, didn’t say much. He was less worried than Su Hengxuan, for after spending time together, he understood his daughter-in-law well enough to know that although sometimes she seemed simple-minded and carefree, she was actually very cautious and distrusting of others. It was only in the presence of trusted family members that she let her guard down, appearing somewhat foolish. However, this also showed that deep down she was a kind-hearted, n?IVe girl, changed only by the dream. It was because of this that she sometimes exhibited a mix of innocence and complexity.

Every time Han Yu saw that look of desolation on Su Wenyue, he felt a deep ache. In her dreams, this silly girl must have suffered many hardships. Both Su Hengxuan and Han Yu only knew about the parts of Su Wenyue’s dream that she chose to share. When they wished to know more, she was unwilling to reveal any further.

“By the way, Husband, why did you come so early? You’re not really here to take me back to the Han Family, are you? I’m comfortable here and don’t want to return just yet. Let me stay a bit longer. That woman, Wang Qianru, is nothing but trouble. Her big brother’s gambling debt hasn’t been settled, and she’s probably still scheming against me. Now, with Mother favoring her for the sake of her eldest grandson, I won’t back down. So it’s better not to go back yet to avoid unpleasantness with Mother over Mrs. Wang’s matters, putting you in a difficult position, right?”

In the end, Su Wenyue simply didn’t want to go back. Han Yu understood and sympathized with her feelings, and patted Su Wenyue on the head, smiling, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to take you back. Haven’t you always wanted to visit the city? Since I’m free today, why don’t I take you to the city for fun? Today’s the day of the big market, and it’s sure to be very lively in the city.”

“Really?! Hehe, I want to go, I want to go. Let’s set off right now.” Upon hearing that Han Yu was taking her to the city, Su Wenyue was overjoyed.

Although Su Wenyue had been doted on by the Su Family growing up, treated like a precious gem by everyone, she had also been bound by many restrictions, especially as a girl and uniquely attractive. The family feared for her safety outside and restricted her from leaving the mansion, rarely allowing her to go out to play, and even then only with a family member’s accompaniment.

It was only after marrying into the Han Family that these restrictions had loosened somewhat. A peasant family like the Han Family wasn’t so particular about such matters. In her past life, the freest time for Su Wenyue was with the Han Family, though it wasn’t always to her liking. Later on, when she entered that mansion, which had stringent rules, a concubine like her could only stay in the Inner Courtyard and was not allowed to roam the outer courtyard freely, let alone leave the mansion. Confined in that strict four-square space, she hardly ever went out, which showed how much she yearned for the outside world..