Chapter 58: Treating Her as Qin He

Qin Bi did not take it to heart, leaving Lin Yao speechless.

"Consort, none of the seedlings can be eaten during winter," Lin Yao said with a serious expression, pointing to the cabbage seedlings scattered across the ground. "These have only been sprouting for two days; they aren't worth eating. You have to wait until they grow larger."

Qin Bi was not some ethereal fairy disconnected from the mortal world; how could she not know what was edible and what wasn't?!

The cabbage seeds had been sown; while not extremely dense, the germination rate was high, and the plants were not sparse. When they grew too close together, they wouldn't grow properly at all, so picking and digging them up served two purposes at once.

"The cabbage seedlings are too crowded," Qin Bi pointed out, not joking. Looking at the edge of the field, she said, "When we head back, I'll dig up a cluster of the growing seedlings to stir-fry for the child."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yao thought, *Good grief, she really intends to eat them.*

"No," Lin Yao said. "The crowded ones can be transplanted to other vacant spots."

Guard Yan, who was practically ready to summon plants himself, stepped forward upon hearing this. "Consort, you might not know since you spend most of your time in the inner quarters, but vegetables are rare in winter. If you dig up these small cabbages before they are fully grown, a handful won't even make a single meal. If you transplant them, they will grow into large cabbages, which *can* be eaten."

Qin Bi still wanted to dig up a couple for Rong Yang to eat, as fresh little cabbages were a treat. She had planted a large area—over half a mu—and the vegetable garden was quite sizable; digging up a plant or two wouldn't affect the overall yield.

However, there was no rush for now; reclaiming the farmland was the priority, and talking was delaying the work.

Qin Bi walked to the side of the new vegetable plot and took out her tea cup. Every time she held her summoning artifact, Qin Bi felt like laughing; it truly was a tea cup, which was incredibly amusing. She didn't even need to perform a formal summoning; with a simple wave of her hand, she summoned the rain.

It was a fine, dense drizzle. Guard Yan and the others summoned plants to till the soil, and the plants worked busily and happily under the rain, appearing even more joyful than if they had been given spirit stones.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the raindrops grew slightly larger. Qin Bi waved her hand again, and the wind swept the rain toward the vegetable plot.

The winter wind was cold and biting, but no matter how strong the wind was, it could not carry rain to cover more than a mu of land. Yet, this wind specifically carried the rain to the vegetable plot, spreading it everywhere.

Lin Yao was momentarily surprised and cast an extra glance at Qin Bi.

She had only just entered the path of cultivation and was not yet a member of a formal immortal sect; she shouldn't possess such ability.

This "visiting" rain did not linger long. After raining for a while, the vegetable leaves perked up, and then the wind died down and the rain stopped. Meanwhile, the area where the land was being reclaimed was still raining; it could rain indefinitely without necessarily resolving the drought.

Thus, Guard Yan and the others directed the plants to turn the soil, making it easier for the water to soak deep into the ground.

Lin Yao stopped overthinking. Seeing that the soil was thoroughly soaked, he took a bag to sow cabbage seeds. In the afternoon, he would sow radish seeds, as well as coriander and green vegetables. He didn't need much coriander, just enough to have some.

At noon, Lin Yao went back and returned with steamed cakes and several stir-fried dishes.

There was also a spiritual food of boiled sweet potatoes. Lin Yao said, "The Prince ordered this."

Qin Bi felt a warmth in her heart. She smiled and ate the hot sweet potato, holding her tea cup in one hand, while a few meters above the reclaimed field, the summoned rain was pouring down steadily.

Lin Yao and Guard Yan both watched with curiosity. It seemed there was an advantage to not withdrawing the rain; if the soil lacked moisture, it would just keep raining. This was quite impressive—even a constant light drizzle was powerful!

After eating, everyone continued reclaiming the land while Lin Yao sowed the seeds.

Though this chief strategist of the Rong Prince's Mansion was a scholar, he was no amateur when it came to rushing rain into farmland. Since the Consort had the ability to provide continuous rain, Lin Yao decided to go all out; however much land he reclaimed, he would plant it all.

In the afternoon, farmers from nearby villages wandered curiously by the vegetable plot. Their eyes were wide with astonishment, and some children even leaned over the edge of the field to look. Both adults and children were incredibly fascinated.

"The magic of the immortal sects is truly powerful," an old man said, stroking his beard. "They only planted them two days ago, and the cabbages and radishes have already sprouted. Look at those seedlings, how vibrant they are!"

"Exactly, the seedlings are growing far too fast."

"They were already sprouting when I came yesterday," a child said. "They change every single day. Immortal magic is amazing!"

The people of the fief rarely saw members of immortal sects. They gathered together, looking at the rain with a mix of envy and wonder. Some young farm girls looked at Qin Bi with intense envy, and the children even ran closer to watch the rain.

These villagers were not far away, so while Qin Bi was providing the rain, she could hear their discussions.

Qin Bi did not like drawing attention to herself, so she instinctively restrained her use of the summoning artifact. However, she was beautiful and wore a satin cloak that exuded nobility, so people's eyes naturally fell upon her.

"Is that the blessed Fairy Qin He from the Qin Yan Marquis Mansion? Fairy Qin He is beautiful and knows how to make all sorts of novel things. She has shops right here in our fief."

"It should be her. Only that fairy from the Qin Yan Marquis Mansion has such ability."

"The soap sold in her shop is wonderful—so fragrant. It's a pity I can't afford it."

"Our fief's storefronts are so well-located only because of her influence."

Qin Bi could no longer listen. Hearing the name "Qin He" made her unhappy—it had been so in the past, and it was so now. Theoretically, the people of the fief could say whatever they wanted, but they should not mistake her for Qin He.

"Lin Yao," Qin Bi called out to Lin Yao, who was sowing seeds.

"Consort," Lin Yao stopped in his tracks.

Qin Bi gave the villagers a cold look. "I do not wish for people to mistake me for Qin He."

Lin Yao said nothing, knowing well that the Consort was not on good terms with Qin He. He walked out of the field and went over to chat with the crowd for a few words. Once they knew she was the Consort of the Rong Prince's Mansion and not the "Fairy Qin He" they had assumed, the crowd understood.

The people of the fief only knew of Qin He and knew very little about the Consort. The daughters of wealthy families looked at Qin Bi with shimmering eyes.

Once Lin Yao had finished sowing all the vegetable seeds, he tucked up his sleeves and began digging up the closely packed seedlings to transplant them into the reclaimed field. Seeing that it was getting late, Qin Bi went over to inspect the vegetable plot.

Qin Bi dug up the three largest cabbages, with no intention of planting them in the field.

Lin Yao: "..."

"Those shouldn't be eaten," Lin Yao realized.

"I planted them," Qin Bi said, gathering the vegetables. "Eating a few won't hurt."

Lin Yao was extremely anxious. "One cabbage, once grown, can provide several meals!"

Qin Bi narrowed her eyes, and Lin Yao couldn't say anything more; he could only feel the heartache on her behalf.

Guard Yan and the others had no choice but to help with the transplanting. By the time they finished, it was already late. Lin Yao activated the teleportation array, and everyone returned to the Rong Prince's Mansion. Qin Bi hurried to sit by the fire.

When Rong Yang returned, he looked for Qin Bi first. The child toddled over, wobbling. "Mother."

Qin Bi stepped forward to pick up the child and said with a smile, "I planted vegetables for you. They are ready to eat."

"Where?" the child asked, looking around.

Qin Bi showed the child the three small cabbages. Rong Yang's eyes lit up instantly. Such vibrant vegetables looked delicious. He reached out his small hand to grab a cabbage. This is tasty!

"Can I take them into the palace to eat with Little Imperial Prince Brother?" Rong Yang asked.