Chapter 212: Happy to Help You

 Chapter 212: Happy to Help You 

Yan Wenxiu continued, “The housekeeper and the others have gone back to the old home. They should be able to gather another batch of seeds, but it won’t be much, and it might be a bit late. I’m not sure if we can plant in time this year.”

Xiao Yeyang fell silent.

From Xingzhou to Yan Family Village, it would take at least ten to fifteen days even if they rushed. Then from here to Fenxi, it would probably be mid-November by the time they arrived.

By then, they would miss the best planting window.

Xiao Yeyang furrowed his brows. “How much can your family gather?”

Yan Wenxiu replied, “About 2,000 shi.”

Hearing the amount, Xiao Yeyang didn’t say anything, but Defu anxiously spoke up, “Only that little? That’s not enough!”  

Yan Wenxiu quickly added, “My third uncle estimated that we can gather about 5,000 shi from the old home.”

Defu replied, “But the time might be too late over there, and even if it’s 5,000 shi more, it still won’t be enough.”

Xiao Yeyang tapped the stone table and said in a low voice, “If it’s not enough, there’s nothing we can do. Just send over what your family has gathered for now.”

Daohua sat nearby, watching the two of them talk seriously. Once they were done, she asked, “Are you collecting grain seeds?”

Xiao Yeyang, distracted by the transportation issue, casually nodded.

Yan Wenxiu, on the other hand, was thinking about how their family’s resources were too thin. If they had more land and estates, they could definitely help the Young Prince and Governor Gu. Unfortunately, Yan Family had only risen recently.

He was so absorbed in thought that he didn’t even hear Daohua’s question.

Daohua, displeased with their dismissive attitude, spoke up, “Why didn’t you ask me if I have any grain seeds?” She looked at them in confusion, thinking that even though they had sent people to the old home, they didn’t think to ask her.

As soon as the words left her mouth, both Xiao Yeyang and Yan Wenxiu turned toward her in perfect unison, their faces a mix of confusion, surprise, and expectation.

“Miss Yan, you have grain seeds?” Defu was the first to ask, his voice full of excitement.

Daohua raised her head slightly. “Of course I do. Don’t forget, I have several estates.”

Xiao Yeyang and Yan Wenxiu both tensed up.

Forgive them—they really had forgotten, or rather, had habitually overlooked this possibility.

In their minds, such major matters were beyond the reach of women in the inner courtyard. They had never even considered asking Daohua.

It wasn’t just them. Even Yan Zhigao hadn’t thought of this.

Xiao Yeyang moistened his dry lips and asked cautiously, “How much grain seed do you have?”

Daohua raised an eyebrow. “How much do you need?”

Seeing her bold response, Xiao Yeyang’s eyes lit up. He held up one finger. “Do you have 10,000 shi?”

The grain seeds his uncle had lost amounted to 20,000 shi. If they could gather more than 10,000 shi, the Gu family would be able to help his uncle avoid punishment.

Daohua smiled. “What’s with your careful tone? It’s only 10,000 shi.” She patted her chest confidently. “I’ll help you out.”

At her words, both Xiao Yeyang and Yan Wenxiu were visibly delighted.

However, Yan Wenxiu, worried that Daohua might not fully understand the quantity, quickly confirmed, “Little sister, you mean 10,000 shi, not one shi, ten shi, or a hundred shi, right?”

Daohua, feeling somewhat insulted, replied, “I’m not a three-year-old! Of course I know how much 10,000 shi is.”

Xiao Yeyang trusted her and immediately said, “The grain seeds are at your estates, right? Just give me the address, and I’ll send someone to collect them right away. We need to hurry; they’re waiting to plant in Fenxi.”

Daohua turned to Wang Man'er and said, "Go call Xiao Liu over and have him bring people to the granary."

Xiao Yeyang glanced at Defu, who immediately said, "I'll go with Miss Man'er."

Once the two of them left, Yan Wenxiu turned to Daohua. "Little sister, how come you’ve stored so much grain?"

Daohua shrugged her shoulders and tilted her head with a smile. "I didn’t store it. This is from the autumn harvest, just gathered recently. I've been busy practicing horseback riding lately, so I haven’t had time to sell it yet."

Hearing this, Xiao Yeyang and Yan Wenxiu exchanged a quick glance before both of them smiled, relieved.

They both knew that Daohua liked to sell things to store money, then buy more estates.

Xiao Yeyang quickly furrowed his brows. "Autumn harvest? Does this wheat seed survive the cold?"

Daohua reassured them, "Don’t worry, it’s a Daohua product, definitely top-notch. Not only can it withstand the cold, but it also resists pests."

The wheat seeds she used on her estates were all grown in the space’s yellow earth. The reason she had so much was to quickly and widely spread the seeds.

Yan Wenxiu glanced at Daohua. He knew where his father’s high-yielding seeds had come from, so hearing Daohua’s words, he wasn’t worried about the quality of the seeds.

Before long, Qin Xiao Liu arrived with Defu.

Daohua turned to Qin Xiao Liu and said, "Xiao Liu, take Defu and the others to the granary to collect the seeds." She paused, then looked at Yan Wenxiu. "Is 10,000 shi enough? Should I get more?"

Xiao Yeyang’s breath caught for a moment, then he cleared his throat and spoke. "If you have more, of course, the more the better."

Daohua immediately turned to Qin Xiao Liu. "Give them all the seeds from the granary."

Qin Xiao Liu nodded in agreement.

Soon, Qin Xiao Liu, Defu, and the guards Xiao Yeyang had brought with him headed for Daohua's granary to collect the seeds, with Yan Wenxiu following along.

"Alright, the seed issue is settled. Don’t worry, just relax and wait," Daohua said, smiling as she refilled Xiao Yeyang’s tea cup.

Seeing the freshly brewed tea, Xiao Yeyang felt thirsty and lifted the cup to drink, while silently reflecting.

The incident with his uncle losing the grain seeds had really taken a turn for the better.

Now, as long as they could get the seeds to Fenxi quickly, his uncle would no longer have to worry about punishment.

With the matter resolved, he felt a sense of relief.

After drinking most of the tea, Xiao Yeyang put the cup down and looked at Daohua, who was smiling and sipping her tea. A warm feeling began to rise within him.

Although he was of royal blood and of high status, there were very few people he was truly close to.

His father had never raised him, and although his uncle cared for him, his duties were too heavy, so it was always his uncle who had taught him.

When his uncle lost the grain seeds and faced punishment, he had been truly anxious and worried.

Fortunately, there was Daohua.

From the moment they first met, she had continuously surprised him, and he couldn’t help but feel drawn to her.

"Thank you."

Upon hearing this, Daohua smiled and, seeing how serious Xiao Yeyang was, waved her hand dismissively. "No need to thank me, we’re friends, after all!"

Xiao Yeyang froze for a moment, then furrowed his brow. "Friends?"

Seeing his hesitation, Daohua’s expression turned slightly sour. "What, you don’t consider me your friend?"

Xiao Yeyang thought the word "friend" felt a little strange, but seeing Daohua’s expression, as if she would immediately turn hostile if he said otherwise, he quickly shook his head. "We’re friends."

Only then did Daohua smile again. "Friends should help each other, so you don’t need to be so polite. Besides, haven’t you helped my family a lot too?"

Xiao Yeyang fell silent for a moment. "I haven’t done anything for your family."

Daohua’s smile faded, and her face grew serious. "Even if you didn’t do anything, you’ve still helped us," she said with a charming smile. "I’m really glad I could help you this time."

(The End of This Chapter)