Chapter 80: Qin Bi's Child

Cultivation families place special importance on spiritual food.

Chinese cabbage is delicious and cheap; the family of the Minister of War could afford it. Yet the Minister of War was helpless—he bought two carts at once, leaving the Minister of Revenue with nothing.

Is that little? No, it's a lot.

Fortunately, he had a young Imperial Prince grandson.

Otherwise, the Minister of War would not have known that the young heir of Rong Fu possessed spiritual vegetables, and in such great quantity—two carts! The Minister of War was suspicious: Rong Juan dotes on his child; would he let the child sell them so cheaply?!

But one Chinese cabbage is truly heavy!

Ten low-grade spirit stones per jin; that doesn't sound expensive, but once weighed, it certainly is.

The Minister of Revenue was also puzzled why Rong Juan let his child sell vegetables. He assumed the produce came from the child's own field, yet how could a child, whose talent has not yet been tested, grow such fine vegetables?

The two ministers were puzzled in their hearts. Before nightfall, Rong Yuan accompanied Rong Juan to his maternal grandfather's home.

"The Heir has brought the young heir?" Qin Tang asked.

In the main hall, Qin Di and He Shi were both present.

He Shi beckoned to Rong Yuan: "Rong Yuan, come to your great-grandmother. Are you cold?"

The child leaned against Rong Juan. Hearing He Shi call him, he wobbled over: "Grandmother, I'm not cold. I planted vegetables in my fertile fields and dug up a cartful to bring to you."

"Harvested so soon?" He Shi exclaimed in surprise.

Jiang Shi had reported earlier that the vegetable plots Qin Bi planted for the child were thriving with all kinds of crops, looking very promising. He Shi hadn't seen them herself and didn't expect them to be harvested already, yet she was still delighted in her heart.

The esteemed son-in-law and young grandson came to deliver gifts, showing how much they valued Qin Bi's natal family.

"Just send word, and we can ask Qin Tang to go fetch them," Qin Di said, equally pleased and beaming. "I told you, Rong He Shizi is even more suitable for our daughter than He Yan. It's already dark, yet they made a special trip with the child."

Qin Tang meant the same; he would have gone himself if asked.

Rong Juan sat in the seat reserved for juniors, radiating noble air. "These vegetables possess some spiritual energy."

Everyone froze. A guard carried a Chinese cabbage over. Qin Di saw how well it grew, its leaves clean. He tore off a piece of the inner layer and tasted it.

Immediately, Qin Di's eyes sparkled with delight: "Indeed, it has spiritual energy."

Qin Tang also tasted a bit and couldn't sit still. He went outside to inspect the vegetables on the cart. The cart was full. Hearing the cabbage was very crisp, Qin Xun dismissed the servants and called Qin Lang to move the cabbages.

Zhu Shi of the Third Branch had come along and found the freshly dug cabbages quite novel.

The children in the Fourth Branch's courtyard were delighted, running about and chatting with their young cousin. Rong Juan didn't stop them, so Jiang Shi didn't call her own child away, lest the Heir grow annoyed.

Rong Yuan wasn't close to his cousins, but neither was he distant.

He Shi felt satisfied; the whole family was joyful. After the cabbages were moved, they invited Rong Juan to stay for dinner. Rong Juan declined: "Rong Yuan's mother is at home. Rong Yuan and I will eat there."

Qin Bi was pregnant, and the Rong Heir guarded her like the apple of his eye. The entire Fourth Branch understood this.

"Will you harvest more vegetables from the fields?" Qin Tang asked. "Qin Xun and I can go help Rong Yuan harvest them."

Rong Juan didn't stand on ceremony: "We'll harvest tomorrow. Bring the children along."

Jiang Shi was delighted, and Qin Tang smiled, immediately agreeing. Qin Lang naturally wanted to go too. After arrangements were made, Rong Juan didn't stay long. He picked up Rong Yuan, adjusted the child's cloak, and left.

Back in their courtyard, the Fourth Branch, Qin Di said: "Qin Tang, give Qin Lang two cabbages."

Qin Lang grinned: "Since my sister gave them, I'll really take them."

"Who's playing games with you?" Qin Xun handed two cabbages to Qin Lang.

That evening, Zhu Shi and Qin Lang ate dinner at the Fourth Branch. Qin Tan had returned to his post, leaving only Zhu Shi and Qin Lang at the Marquis Fu. With the two branches on good terms, sharing a meal brought the Third and Fourth Branches even closer.

After dinner, Qin Di took the cabbages first to the First Branch, giving two to Qin Yan Hou, then two more to the elder Qin Yan Hou.

The other branches could be left out. Weren't they all currying favor with Qin He? Let Qin He give them spiritual vegetables.

Now the Qin Yan Hou Fu was also a cultivation family. Though lacking deep roots, it had risen quickly. The First Branch received two cabbages; Qin Yan Hou didn't mind, but his wife was thoughtful.

"I never expected the Rong Heir to treat Qin Bi so well," Qin Yan Hou's wife said. "We waited so many years in our household, yet the Rong Heir never showed any interest. I thought he had no intention of marrying a woman from the Marquis Fu."

"The Rong Heir is fated to lose wives and have no children," Qin Yan Hou said. "Now that Qin Bi has borne him a child, her status is naturally different."

Qin Yan Hou's wife sighed deeply. Who could have imagined that among the many young, marriageable women of the Marquis Fu, the Rong Heir would choose Qin Bi? And not only did he marry her, but despite his fated curse of losing wives and having no children, Qin Bi suffered no ill effects and even bore him a child. One simply had to admit defeat.

Previously, she had worried that Qin Bi was merely a figurehead and that the Rong Heir's marriage to her would bring no benefit to the Marquis Fu.

The next morning, Qin Tang and his brother took the children to Rong Wang Fu. Qin Bi wanted to go too, so Rong Juan skipped court and accompanied his wife and child to their fiefdom. After stepping out of the teleportation array, everyone began harvesting.

One by one, the cabbages were dug up. The Qin children worked especially hard.

Not only did the Qin children work hard; they were also very kind to Rong Yuan. Several children protected Rong Yuan. Rong Juan glanced over, allowing Rong Yuan to grow close to the Qin children. In his first life, one of these Qin children had become Qin Bi's child.

For Qin Bi, the Qin children were special.

In her first life, Qin Bi had married Jiang Mo. Thinking of this, Rong Juan cut off his thoughts, his gaze turning cold. Qin Bi glanced at him. Rong Juan's expression gave nothing away; he simply adjusted Qin Bi's cloak for her.

After loading a cart with vegetables, Rong Yuan and his cousins went to sell them again.

In the bustling streets of Jingcheng, before Rong Yuan reached the restaurant, the young Imperial Prince was already waiting. This was a restaurant frequented by cultivators, lively day and night. Someone saw the excellent quality of the cabbages and approached to ask the price.

"How much per cabbage?"

"Ten low-grade spirit stones per jin," one of the Qin children replied.

The burly man froze: "...Spiritual vegetables?!?!"

"Yes," said the young Imperial Prince, dressed in a beast-skin robe, radiating noble air.

The man didn't believe it. He broke off a piece to taste, then his eyes lit up: "Bring me six cabbages."

The guards carried the cabbages to the scale: "One hundred jin."

"What?" The burly man leaned in to look. Seeing for himself: "It really is one hundred jin. These vegetables are grown so well. Will you come again tomorrow? If they taste good when I try them, I'll buy more."

The young Imperial Prince waved his hand: "No, we won't be coming."

Rong Yuan looked at him: "I have many more vegetables."

Just as the young Imperial Prince was about to speak, a servant from the Minister of Revenue's household ran up. Seeing the reduced load on the cart, he grew frantic. He had arrived just a moment too late; several cabbages had already been sold.

"I'll take the entire cart," the servant declared.

The guards checked the scale. With this cart of cabbages, the children earned five thousand low-grade spirit stones.

When the Minister of War arrived, Rong Juan had already returned, and the young prince waited here.