Chapter 318: Would You Like a Chicken Leg?
The old soldier said urgently: “The seedlings’ leaves have turned yellow.”
Long Er knew that Yan Xiaosi had bought some vegetable and rice seeds to plant. After the people from the blacksmith shop in Daxing Town delivered the farming tools, those seeds had been planted. Yesterday evening, when he and Long Yi were on night patrol and passed by that plot of land, he had seen that those vegetable seedlings and rice seedlings were growing quite well—a stretch of tender green that was very pleasing to the eye.
“Yesterday evening, weren’t those seedlings fine? How did their leaves all turn yellow overnight?”
The old soldier thought for a moment and replied: “Perhaps this season isn’t suitable for growing rice.”
Long Er looked completely bewildered.
“If this season isn’t suitable for growing rice, why did you plant such a large area?”
“This was ordered by Military Doctor Yan. Military Doctor Yan said she had a secret method for growing rice, that it could be grown even in this season. Now that the seedlings’ leaves have turned yellow, that’s why I’m urgently looking for Military Doctor Yan to discuss it. If we wait any longer, those seedlings will be beyond saving.”
Long Er glanced at the quietly hanging curtain.
“But Military Doctor Yan is feeling unwell today. His Highness the War King won’t allow him to leave the military tent.”
“What can we do then?”
“How about you go watch over those seedlings first, and when Military Doctor Yan feels better, I’ll tell him.”
“That’s the only option then. Thank you, Guard Long Er.”
The old soldier let out a heavy sigh and was about to leave.
The quietly hanging curtain was suddenly lifted by a hand, and Long Yu said: “Let that old soldier come in to speak.”
The old soldier had never entered the commander’s tent before. At this moment, he followed Long Yu to Yan Xiaosi’s side with an uneasy expression on his face.
Yan Xiaosi had drunk two bowls of chicken soup and was eating porridge cooked with red dates and brown sugar.
Seeing the old soldier walk in with an uneasy expression, she set down her porridge spoon and offered him a chicken leg.
“Old Hu, you’re here. Have a chicken leg.”
Old Hu had thought she was staying in the commander’s tent like any ordinary military doctor, helping His Highness the War King regulate his health. Upon entering and seeing her eating at the same table as His Highness the War King, moreover without any awkwardness at all, he was immediately so surprised he didn’t know what expression to make.
He didn’t dare eat any chicken leg.
“Military Doctor Yan, I’ve already had lunch.”
Since Old Hu wouldn’t eat it, Yan Xiaosi offered the chicken leg to Long Yu.
“Your Highness, would you like it?”
Long Yu’s expression darkened somewhat.
Only when Old Hu wouldn’t eat it did she think to ask if he wanted it—could it be that he wasn’t as important as Old Hu?
Although this possibility was rather small, His Highness was still very angry and said coldly: “No.”
Yan Xiaosi had no choice but to eat it herself.
While gnawing on the tender, soft stewed chicken leg, she asked Old Hu: “Old Hu, you were just saying outside that the seedlings’ leaves turned yellow, right?”
Old Hu felt that the atmospheric pressure in the military tent was somewhat low, and that he was somewhat superfluous standing here.
“Yes, Military Doctor Yan. Didn’t you say you understood the secret arts of rice cultivation? How should we rescue them now?”
He inquired anxiously, wanting to hurry up and get out of there after asking.
But Yan Xiaosi wasn’t anxious at all. She took a few bites of the chicken leg before answering him: “It’s already autumn now, and nighttime temperatures are quite low. It’s very normal for seedlings’ leaves to turn yellow. Old Hu, you should go back first and have the brothers take good care of the vegetable seedlings. As for the problem of the rice seedlings’ yellowing leaves, I’ll handle it properly later.”
Old Hu was the oldest among the group of old soldiers and also the most knowledgeable about farming, so Yan Xiaosi had appointed him as supervisor to manage the other nineteen old soldiers.
“Ah.”
Old Hu let out a relieved sigh and turned to walk out.
After eating and drinking her fill, Yan Xiaosi felt sleepy.
“If you’re sleepy, go sleep for a while.”
His Highness the War King considerately showed concern.
Yan Xiaosi had planned to go to bed to sleep, but being so considerately cared for by His Highness the War King, she suddenly felt embarrassed.
Sleeping after eating, eating after sleeping—His Highness the War King would definitely think she wasn’t pig-like, but actually was a pig.
“Sleeping right after eating is bad for the body. I’ll go out for a walk.”
She might as well go look at those seedlings with yellowed leaves.
Long Yu saw her walking outside while yawning: “Do you want me to accompany you?”
“No need. You handle your own affairs. Although the Rongdi were defeated, there’s no guarantee they won’t take advantage of the Great Chu soldiers’ relaxed state to launch a sneak attack.”
Long Yu smiled as he looked at her, suddenly reaching out to rub the top of her head and instructing: “Since you’re not feeling well, don’t stay outside too long.”
Yan Xiaosi strolled to the rice seedling field. Looking out, she saw a stretch of wilted seedlings—the two leaves that had just grown out were yellowed and slightly curled, shivering in the autumn wind.
Old Hu and several old soldiers were busy in the vegetable field. Seeing her standing by the rice seedling field observing, Old Hu gave instructions to the other soldiers, dropped his hoe, and walked over.
“Military Doctor Yan, I see these seedlings are about to die. You need to use your secret arts quickly.”
“Mm, I understand.”
It seemed that tonight she would have to find time to irrigate with spiritual spring water.
In the evening, Yan Xiaosi lay on Long Yu’s large bed, her eyes fixed on that upright figure at the writing desk.
It was almost the Zi hour, and she had already slept once, yet that man was still studying military treatises.
Long Yu sensed someone watching him and glanced at her: “Can’t sleep?”
“Mm, the light is too bright. I can’t sleep.”
Then she heard a whoosh as His Highness the War King extinguished the last candle in the tent.
“Sleep.”
Yan Xiaosi heard footsteps walking from the writing desk area and prepared to get up: “Then I’ll give you the bed.”
“No need. I’ll sleep on the couch, you sleep on the bed.”
After saying this, he walked directly to the couch and began rustling as he undressed.
Yan Xiaosi lay on the large bed, looking at the pitch-black canopy above, finally waiting until the person on the couch fell into deep sleep in the early morning hours. She tiptoed out of bed to put on her shoes and tiptoed out of the tent.
In the early morning hours, except for the night patrol and guard duty soldiers who were awake, the vast military camp was plunged into deathly silence.
She easily slipped past the night patrol soldiers and hurried toward the rice seedling field by the training ground.
Tonight there was some faint moonlight. She stood beside the rice seedling field, concentrating her mental power to extract spiritual spring water from her space.
The spiritual spring water gleamed with silver light under the faint moonlight. Those silver gleams splashed onto the wilted seedlings, and the air filled with a cool, sweet fragrance.
That was the scent of spiritual spring water.
Nourished by the spiritual spring water, those wilted seedlings gradually straightened up bit by bit.
“Who, who’s there?”
A voice came, startling Yan Xiaosi’s heart.
Yan Xiaosi saw a team of night patrol soldiers walking this way and patted her chest.
Fortunately, she had stopped using the spiritual spring water not long ago.
“It’s me, Yan Xiaosi.”
“So it’s Military Doctor Yan. Military Doctor Yan, what are you doing here so late?”
The leading soldier walked over.
Yan Xiaosi pointed to the rice seedling field and explained: “During the day, Old Hu told me the seedlings’ leaves had turned yellow. I came to look once during the day, and fearing these seedlings couldn’t withstand the cold at night, I came specially to check on them.”