Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

In the courtyard stood an old osmanthus tree, its branches spreading wide. Beneath it were a stone table and several stone benches. The maidservant had brought over a charcoal brazier, making it warm and cozy, so one didn't feel the chill of spring.

Madam Pei sat at the head of the table, Jiang Xing sat to her left, and Chu Zhihe sat to her right. The three of them each held a cup of tea, and at first glance, they looked like a harmonious painting.

Chu Zhihe spoke first. Holding her teacup, she turned her head slightly to look at Jiang Xing, her eyes filled with a gentle smile: "This must be Miss Jiang. I heard Brother Jingshi mention Miss Jiang a few times in the capital. There is an extremely capable woman in the southwest who is good at farming and runs a large business. I only realized today that she is even younger than the rumors said."

Jiang Xing smiled politely: "Miss Chu, you flatter me. It's just a job to make a living."

"This is hardly a livelihood." Chu Zhihe shook her head gently, her tone carrying a naive sincerity: "I've heard that even His Majesty has praised Miss Jiang. It's truly admirable that a woman could achieve such results. By the way, I heard that Miss Jiang also grows a crop called potatoes? His Majesty praised it personally?"

Jiang Xing nodded: "Yes, we were lucky. It just so happened that the court needed it, and His Majesty just casually praised us."

Chu Zhihe's eyes lit up, as if she had become interested, and she leaned forward slightly: "What exactly is this potato? I've only heard of it in the capital, but I've never seen it. I heard it yields more than rice and wheat? How did Miss Jiang come up with the idea of ​​growing this?"

Hearing this as a genuine request for advice, Jiang Xing patiently replied, "Potatoes do indeed have a higher yield; one acre can produce the equivalent of three or four acres of rice. I obtained some seed potatoes by chance, tried planting them for two years, and figured out the tricks of the trade."

"That's truly remarkable," Chu Zhihe praised, then sighed softly, as if lamenting, "But then again, farming like this is hard work. I often hear people in the capital say that farmers toil in the fields all year round and still can't save much money."

"For a woman like Miss Jiang to have achieved this much, she must have endured a lot of hardship, right?"

Her tone carried just the right amount of sympathy, as if she were genuinely feeling sorry for Jiang Xing.

Jiang Xing didn't move his teacup, but glanced at her and smiled slightly: "It's hard work, but you earn your own food, clothing and daily necessities, so you feel at ease. Miss Chu, you don't know from your secluded life that what grows in the ground, at the very least, is your daily meal, and at the very least, it's the livelihood of the people in this area."

Chu Zhihe's smile faltered.

She quickly regained her composure, a slight smile playing on her lips, and changed the subject: "Miss Jiang is right, I was indeed ignorant. But I do find Miss Jiang's hands to be much rougher than those of the young ladies in the capital."

"Miss Jiang is busy with outside affairs all day long, so she probably doesn't have time for these things. I have some hand cream from the capital that's perfect for rubbing hands. I'll send two boxes to Miss Jiang later as a small token of my appreciation."

Madam Pei sat at the head of the table, her brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.

Jiang Xing looked down at her hands. Her hands were indeed not delicate, with thin calluses on her fingertips. Her nails were cut short and clean. Her hands were casually placed on her knees. She raised her head and looked calm.

"Miss Chu, you are too kind. However, I am used to these hands, so it doesn't matter whether I apply perfume or not. Miss Chu, you may not know this, but I rely on these hands to farm in the village and work in the workshop."

"After all, it's something you experience firsthand, which makes you much more assertive than just asking someone for help."

Her tone was flat, as if she didn't take Chu Zhihe's words of belittling to heart.

Chu Zhihe's smile froze for a moment.

She probably didn't expect Jiang Xing to retort so bluntly. In her mind, a woman from the countryside, when told that her "hands are rough," should either accept it sheepishly or try to make amends in an embarrassed manner. She shouldn't retort like this, neither soft nor hard.

She picked up her teacup, took a sip, composed herself, and then changed her tone: "Miss Jiang is right. But speaking of which, since Miss Jiang has built such a great business, why do you still live in the village? I heard you have shops in the town and the county as well."

"Miss Jiang often associates with business people and merchants, so living in the village is not very convenient. Those respectable families are also embarrassed to invite people to the village when they come to visit."

She chuckled softly, as if thinking of Jiang Xing's best interests: "If Miss Jiang is willing, I know a few real estate agents in the capital. I can inquire about houses in the county for you. Living in the city is always better than living in the village."

On the surface, Chu Zhihe was expressing concern for Jiang Xing, but her words implied that Jiang Xing was not respectable enough.

Madam Pei placed the teacup on the table with a soft, crisp sound.

"Zhihe," Madam Pei spoke, her voice not loud, but carrying the authority of an elder: "Where Xing'er lives is her own business. Whether she lives in the village or in the city, it won't stop her from doing business, farming, and helping others. But you, you've only been in the Southwest for a few days, and you're already worrying about someone else's accommodation? You yourself lived in the Marquis's mansion in the capital, and I've never seen you worry about these things."

Chu Zhihe was taken aback by this remark, her face flushed, and she quickly said, "Auntie, you've misunderstood. I was just concerned about Miss Jiang."

"There's no need for such concern," Madam Pei said calmly. "I'll take care of Xing'er myself. I don't mind where she lives. If you're so idle, you should think about what you're here in the Southwest for. Jing Shi is incredibly busy at the county office. Instead of sitting here at home, you should go and check on Jing Shi."

Madam Pei was clearly supporting Jiang Xing: You are an outsider, you have no right to tell Jiang Xing what to do.

Chu Zhihe was completely humiliated.

Although she was born out of wedlock in the Chu family, the Chu Marquis's mansion was still a prestigious family, and she was always treated with deference wherever she went. She had never been so openly humiliated before. Moreover, Madam Pei was her future aunt, while Jiang Xing was just a peasant girl from the countryside.

She clenched the handkerchief in her hand, suppressing her anger, and forced a smile: "Auntie is right. It was Zhihe who was too talkative."

She verbally softened her stance, but her gaze shifted to Jiang Xing, the gentleness gone, replaced by a blatant scrutiny and hostility.

Jiang Xing met her gaze, his eyes calm. She was just a passerby, not worth her attention.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, followed by a maid's greeting: "Master is back."