Liu Rumeng's expression changed drastically after she read the letter.
"We've just settled down here in Qingniu Mountain, why would the Crown Prince suddenly want to visit? Who gave him such a bad idea?"
Liu Ce bowed and said, "Miss, perhaps the Crown Prince heard some news and rushed here out of concern."
Liu Rumeng nodded. "The Crown Prince has already set off, it's too late to stop him. We can only make thorough preparations and ensure absolutely no accidents occur."
"Alright, I'll personally handle the reception of the Crown Prince. You may go now."
When Chen Xiaobei saw Liu Ce asking about Chen Ermao, he looked bewildered. "Steward Liu, Chen Ermao has already fled. Why are you suddenly interested in him?"
Liu Ce nodded slightly. "To tell you the truth, Chen Ermao might have gone to the capital. My Lord has suddenly inquired about his situation."
Chen Xiaobei's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Chen Ermao was quite something to have gone to the capital.
But the boy seemed to have forgotten that he was a fugitive, only allowed back after three years of mourning for his parents.
After Chen Xiaobei finished explaining Chen Ermao's specific circumstances, Liu Ce had a better understanding. "I will report this truthfully to my Lord. Rest assured, Chen Ermao won't escape."
As they were speaking, Chen Xiaobo returned. Chen Xiaobo had been responsible for delivering vegetables to the county town and Xiaojia Town recently.
"Chief Chen, Old Wu from the vegetable stall wants you to visit him in the next couple of days, no matter what. He has something to discuss with you."
Chen Xiaobei nodded. "Yes, it's about time I went to see Old Wu."
The next morning, Chen Xiaobei loaded apples and vegetables onto his cart and headed to the county town. Chen Xiaobei perhaps did not realize that this trip to the county town would bring about a great change.
Upon entering the county town, Chen Xiaobei made a circuit and finally came to deliver vegetables and apples to Old Wu.
Old Wu's face lit up with joy upon seeing him.
After unloading the vegetables and apples from the cart, Chen Xiaobei sat down unceremoniously on Old Wu's stool. "Brother Wu, what's the matter that you had to call me here?"
Old Wu frowned slightly, and the smile on his face disappeared. He pointed to his vegetable stall and said, "Look, what's different about my stall compared to a few days ago?"
Chen Xiaobei scanned the stall and noticed that there were only a few types of leafy greens left. In their place were vegetables like pumpkins and winter melons.
"Old Wu, it's early autumn now, so it's normal to not have leafy greens."
Old Wu nodded, then looked at Chen Xiaobei with anticipation. "Do you have a way to grow more leafy greens? Leafy greens are obviously becoming more expensive now. If you can provide them in winter, they'll sell for at least three wen per jin."
Three wen per jin, Chen Xiaobei was astonished by the price.
But then again, with the current conditions, how could vegetables be grown in winter?
"Old Wu, let me go back and think about this."
Upon hearing Chen Xiaobei's reply, Old Wu beamed. "Great! If you can pull this off, we'll make a fortune."
On the way back from the county town, Chen Xiaobei was engrossed in thinking about the problem.
In his past life, growing vegetables in winter wouldn't have been an issue; a few plastic greenhouses would have solved it. But with the current technology, there was neither plastic nor greenhouses. What to do?
In winter, something that could provide both warmth and light would be ideal. Plastic would be the best choice, and if that wasn't possible, glass would work, but obviously, under the current circumstances, glass was also a pipe dream.
Back home, Chen Xiaobei leaned against the big locust tree, speechless.
Cui Hongyu didn't know what had happened and didn't dare to ask rashly, so she just let him be.
He stayed like that until noon, when Chen Qiao'er returned from school.
However, to Chen Xiaobei's surprise, only Chen Qiao'er returned this time.
Cui Hongyu also looked at Chen Qiao'er's back with confusion. "Qiao'er, where are your sister Ziyan and sister Huangying?"
"The two sisters said they'll cook for themselves from now on and won't come for meals."
This.
Cui Hongyu frowned, but after glancing at Chen Xiaobei, she said nothing more.
Chen Xiaobei felt that something was wrong. They ate at their place every day, so why had they stopped coming? Anyone would feel suspicious.
"Hongyu, why don't you go take a look later and see what's going on? Did I offend them?"
The meal was rather somber.
Even the cheerful Chen Qiao'er just lowered her head and ate her rice without saying a word.
After the meal, before even clearing the dishes, Cui Hongyu took Chen Qiao'er to the school.
Inside Shen Ziyan's residence, laughter and joy filled the air.
Cui Hongyu pushed the door open. Shen Ziyan and Huang Ying exchanged glances, looking somewhat surprised. "Sisters, it's still early to bring Qiao'er here now, isn't it?"
Cui Hongyu looked at the one meat and one vegetable dish on their table and couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you coming to my place for meals anymore? I've already prepared the food."
Upon hearing this, Shen Ziyan quickly stood up and pulled Cui Hongyu to sit in front of her. "Sister Hongyu, we didn't mean anything by it. We agreed that the ten taels of silver included the cost of meals, so we can't always eat at your place."
Huang Ying quickly chimed in, "Yes, Sister, how can we eat at your place every day? Besides, Xiaohua and Du Juan are idle, so let them do the cooking."
"But, you have to buy vegetables, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. Isn't that too troublesome?" Cui Hongyu still looked concerned.
"We didn't buy any vegetables; we grew them ourselves."
As Shen Ziyan said this, she pointed to the windowsill of her room. Cui Hongyu looked over and discovered that the windowsill was filled with several flowerpots, in which lush green leafy vegetables were planted, looking very pleasing to the eye.
"Sister, look, we grow vegetables in flowerpots and move them out to bask in the sun when the weather is good."
Seeing this, Cui Hongyu understood. It was clear that they no longer wanted to eat at her place.
"You all really leave me no choice," Cui Hongyu shook her head helplessly.
Shen Ziyan took the opportunity to suggest, "Sister, Qiao'er can eat lunch here from now on and doesn't need to come home."
Cui Hongyu quickly shook her head. "That won't do. Qiao'er is the apple of my husband's eye. He won't agree to her eating here."
"Oh, Sister, just talk to Brother Xiaobei. It's the same wherever she eats."
Cui Hongyu said no more and turned back to her own home.
Upon seeing Chen Xiaobei, she let out a sigh.
"Those two girls, they're going to cook for themselves from now on."
Chen Xiaobei quickly pressed for details. "Did we offend them somewhere?"
"No, they just said that the ten taels they were given was already a high price and they shouldn't freeload anymore. And, those two girls are quite clever; they've grown quite a few vegetables in flowerpots."
The speaker didn't mean anything by it, but the listener took it to heart. Chen Xiaobei's heart skipped a beat. He looked at the ginseng and lingzhi he had potted. That's right, potted vegetables.