Chapter 503: Chapter 503
Tomatoes were what she planted in Prefecture City, and after harvesting, she made them into tomato sauce and brought them back with her. The source of this content ɪs novęlfire.net
This was a seed she had "accidentally" discovered, one that only she had planted, and it was not yet widespread. Rong Heng really liked its taste.
"Beijing also has farms, and when you go back, give them the tomato seeds. Let them plant them. This fruit is quite tasty, and can be cultivated on a large scale."
"I’ll take care of it when you go back. Only I know how to plant them, and I need to keep an eye on it to prevent them from planting it incorrectly."
"That’s good. Besides tomatoes, do you have any other rare seeds?"
"I do have some, but they all came from merchants from the barbarian lands, and I don’t know if they will sprout. I’ll try them out when I get back."
Tomatoes and sweet potatoes, both with ’fan’ in their names, naturally can be said to have come from the barbarian lands, especially sweet potatoes.
"How come we’ve never encountered them?" Rong Heng squinted his eyes, feeling the woman he fancied was just too mysterious.
"Isn’t it normal that you haven’t encountered them? Your heart is not interested in these daily necessities. I’m a cook, and I am more concerned about these rare goods. Anyway, these seeds are not expensive; buying them and trying to plant them won’t cost me much, right? If you were walking down the street, would you be interested in these peddlers?"
When she put it that way, it was quite reasonable and left Rong Heng speechless. To tell the truth, he would probably just walk past without even asking.
Nanling Country rarely saw snow, and for Tangyuan who was born in the Northern region, not having snow during the New Year always felt like something was missing.
Even more terrifyingly, Rong Heng said he would take her to enter the Imperial Palace during New Year’s Eve, which really scared her at the time.
"No way, why would you take me into the Imperial Palace? You’re not married, and there are no females in your family. What would I count as in the palace?"
"My mother wants to meet you."
"Why would Consort De want to meet me? I’m just a maid and a cook—what merits and virtues do I have for Her Ladyship to favor me? Please, no, I’m scared."
"What are you afraid of? You can gain some insights by following my mother."
Rong Heng’s words earned an eye roll from Tangyuan: "What insights to gain? I’m not interested and I won’t enter the palace. Don’t try to butter me up. I’m not going."
Consort De wants to meet her, but what does Consort De want with her? Tangyuan knew it meant trouble, so she flat-out refused without hesitation.
"Do you really despise the Imperial Palace?"
Tangyuan genuinely complained, "It’s not just disdain. I get annoyed just thinking about it. It’s like a prison, and once you’re trapped, it’s for a lifetime. I never want to go back in."
Even entering the palace with the status of a maid was not acceptable.
Seeing her genuine displeasure, Rong Heng knew better than to insist, "But on New Year’s Eve, you will be alone at home."
"It’s okay. I’ve been alone in previous years too. I’m used to it. Being able to spend a couple of years with you has already been very fortunate."
The way she referred to her previous solitary New Year’s Eves sounded quite heart-wrenching, didn’t it?
After being pushed away by Tangyuan, Rong Heng left, and she stood on the balcony of the second floor, staring at the star-filled night sky, sipping her wine, and feeling quite content.
Nanling Country did not have gunpowder, so there were no fireworks or firecrackers, making even New Year’s Eve eerily quiet.
Just as she was about to drift off to sleep, the bells on the various clock towers of Nanling Country began to ring continuously, resounding as if through the entire country, a tradition that heralded the arrival of the new year and embraced the spirit of welcoming the spring.
Tonight, she ate a small hot pot, cooking by herself around the stove. It was a bit lonely, yet she enjoyed this solitude. Perhaps it was the incident with Yuan Yuan that made her feel that being alone was actually quite agreeable—to marry into the Royal Family would be the start of a tragedy.