Chapter 164: Master, You Forgot to Teach Class Today

A day of rest.

Ministry of Justice Director Tan Kunlin was sticking his rear in the air, laying bricks behind his small courtyard, with soil he had specially dug up from the outskirts of the Capital beside him, along with a small bag of stinking Fertilizer.

As soon as Madam Tan came out of the house, she was hit by a stench and said with some dissatisfaction, "What are you tinkering with? It's so smelly!"

Madam Tan covered her nose and walked over, "What on earth are you doing?"

Tan Kunlin smiled and said, "I am preparing to grow vegetables."

Madam Tan was displeased, "You are an upright official with no extra income, but there is no need to grow vegetables at home. Besides, it is convenient to buy vegetables, and this smell is unbearable to even sniff."

Tan Kunlin was not annoyed; he smiled and said, "Madam, the vegetables I am growing cannot be bought."

Seeing that Madam Tan's expression was not very good, Tan Kunlin washed his hands, changed his clothes, and said to her, "I bought a few dishes back from Ruyi Restaurant; you will know once you have tasted them."

He had packed Tomato Beef Brisket, Boiled Pork Slices, and an additional side of Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes.

Tan Kunlin went to heat up the dishes.

Before they were even brought out, a pungent fragrance wafted over, making one's mouth water.

Tan Kunlin set the dishes out and said to her, "Try it and see how the taste is?"

Seeing many dishes she had never seen before, Madam Tan picked up a chopstick-full, and her eyes immediately lit up.

Tan Kunlin said with a beaming smile, "Madam, how do you find the taste of these dishes?"

Madam Tan said, "This red fruit tastes very good, with a bit of sourness. What is this red stuff inside the Boiled Pork Slices? The taste is a bit spicy, but delicious."

"And this Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes, to think it could be made this way?"

Tan Kunlin said with a beaming smile, "Indeed. When I ate it for the first time, I felt amazed. Just like the Boiled Pork Slices, it is all thanks to the chili pepper. That is why I bought two extra portions of Chili Pepper Seed when I bought the Seed this time."

Madam Tan asked, "But, we are planting quite a lot of vegetables; what if we don't know how to eat them when the time comes? Wouldn't that be all for nothing?"

Tan Kunlin handed a book to Madam Tan, "This was bought at the Grocery Store; it only cost one hundred copper coins."

Madam Tan took a look at the cookbook; the amounts of seasoning used were written very clearly inside.

It was just that this book was printed horizontally, so it felt a bit unusual to look at.

Madam Tan found it strange, "You say the person who wrote this cookbook gave us all the methods, but how do they make money? The taste of these dishes is truly excellent."

Madam Tan thought about trying more in the future; perhaps she could make dishes similar to those at Ruyi Restaurant.

Tan Kunlin said, "I suspect the owner behind Ruyi Restaurant is the Crown Princess. The dishes sold inside are excellent in color, aroma, and taste, yet they are priced very cheaply. Moreover, many of the dishes in this cookbook are signature dishes of Ruyi Restaurant."

Madam Tan was somewhat surprised, "This... if the Crown Princess opens a shop and doesn't earn silver, wouldn't it be all for nothing?"

Tan Kunlin shook his head, "I guess the Crown Princess wants to promote the Seed through this Restaurant. This Seed had been stagnant in the Grocery Store for a long time. It was only after this Restaurant opened that the Seed could be sold."

Madam Tan pondered, "The Crown Princess certainly has many strange things in her hands."

Tan Kunlin said happily, "Madam, you might not know yet, but we all privately say that the Crown Princess and His Majesty are auspicious omens. Their luck is truly good; many things were exchanged with foreigners."

"Look at our Capital; there are foreigners here too, but we haven't seen any treasures in their hands."

Madam Tan did not ask any further.

After the meal, Madam Tan, who had previously complained about the smell, accompanied Tan Kunlin to plant the Seed.

Madam Tan even said, "This Grocery Store is truly thoughtful; it is written clearly how to plant everything."

Tan Kunlin thanked Yan Ning in his heart, then stuck his rear in the air again to plant the Seed.

Yan Ning had been thinking about how to develop agriculture these past few days.

Or rather, she was thinking about how to increase the amount of arable land in the hands of the common people.

At this time, Biyu came to find her.

Yan Ning asked with a smile, "Have you been well during this period?"

Biyu was somewhat melancholy, "The business is fine, it's just that I can't find suitable pork."

Yan Ning was a bit curious, "How so?"

Biyu frowned and said, "Previously, the pork was sent from the Imperial Farm, and the taste was very good. But when I go to the market to buy it, I always feel it is a bit gamey and smelly; no matter how I try to remove the odor, it doesn't work."

"Your Highness, can we continue to buy the meat from the Imperial Farm?"

Yan Ning understood immediately.

The pork flavor is difficult to handle; it must be because the farmers are not castrating the pigs.

After thinking it over, Yan Ning decided to issue an order for the farmers of Daxia to remember to castrate their pigs.

After writing it, she thought of a book, *Postpartum Care for Sows*. She copied this book, printed five thousand copies, and had them distributed directly to the villages, hoping that every farmer could see this book.

Around Jingdu, or to be precise, around the Imperial Farm, the villages all began to castrate their pigs.

Because they did not dare to castrate the pigs at will, they asked Steward Feng.

Steward Feng had received instructions from Yan Ning in advance and took these people to see what the castrated pigs looked like.

The pigs in the pigsty were all plump and sturdy.

Compared to the pigs they raised, the difference was truly huge; the pigs they fed were somewhat thin.

Steward Feng said, "It might also be the reason for the feed, but castrating the pigs can indeed reduce the odor and also allow the pigs to grow fatter."

The village chiefs of the nearby villages thanked him repeatedly and began preparing to castrate the pigs after returning.

It was just that it was their first time castrating pigs, and they couldn't bring themselves to do it.

At this time, a young man in the village said, "For those of you who don't dare to castrate the pigs, I can help. One wen per pig."

These people in the village all had money in their hands. By planting high-yield crops, they could sell the surplus for money, and they also made things like straw paper and ink to sell to others; they all had income.

One wen to castrate a pig; many people handed the task over to that young man.

The other villages were the same.

On the other side, at the Imperial Academy.

Yun Shu had been soaking in the office for the past two days, where some test tubes were placed. It had taken a great deal of effort to get the Glass workshop to make more test tubes.

He was busy researching when, at this moment, the door was knocked.

Seeing Song Yu approach, Yun Shu asked in a gentle voice, "Are there any questions?"

Song Yu shook his head, "Master, you forgot to teach class today..."

Yun Shu was stunned.

He had been working on the Mirror for the past two days and had momentarily forgotten that he had to teach today.

Yun Shu said, "I will go now."

Song Yu glanced at his desk, sweeping his eyes over it; it was all strange and bizarre things he had never seen before.

Song Yu only took one look, then went out together with Yun Shu.

This time, Yun Shu spoke at a faster pace and wrote on the blackboard quickly, finishing the lecture in less than half an hour.

He hurried back to make the Mirror.

Ancient bronze mirrors were very blurry; he couldn't even see a pimple on his face clearly.

Yun Shu placed the Glass properly and prepared the solution, ready to plate it onto the transparent Glass.

This time, he worked cautiously.

Hard work pays off, and he finally managed to get it done.

After Yun Shu finished making two finished Mirrors, the first thing he did was go find Yan Ning.