Xia Zeshi worried that Yi Shan and Yi Shui would not be able to pull themselves out, so he ordered the two eunuchs beside him to go and help.
Lu Yuqing watched Xu Hengyi fly away, then looked back at Xie Jiang on the small boat.
In fact, Xie Jiang had not gotten up, but had simply grabbed the pole used for rowing and swung it.
Lu Yuqing's eyes immediately showed a hint of respectful distance.
At the same time, he was secretly glad that he had only thought about it and not acted on it, otherwise he would have been flying alongside Xu Hengyi.
However, it was clear that his relief was premature. Xie Jiang finally deigned to turn her head to look at them, frowning with a hint of impatience.
"I told you you were dawdling, delaying my lotus root banquet for lunch. I'm going to be unhappy, you know."
Lu Yuqing secretly curled his lips, thinking how arrogant Marquis Xie was. What did she mean by delaying her lotus root banquet for lunch? She would be unhappy? What could she do if she was unhappy?
If she couldn't eat lotus roots, would she eat people?
When a wave of pain struck and his body was sent flying, Lu Yuqing finally understood a little.
"Aow aow ah—"
No wonder the Fifth Prince was so lacking in confidence in front of Xie Jiang.
He probably got beaten up quite a bit usually, right?
No matter how much confidence you had, it would be beaten out of you after enough beatings.
Seeing that he was next, Xia Zeshi quickly exclaimed, "Tools! Tools! You haven't given us the tools yet! How can we dig without tools!"
As soon as Xia Zeshi finished speaking, a bamboo basket was thrown next to him, splashing mud and water all over his face.
"Just one basket? Shouldn't you give us a hoe? How can we dig without it?"
Xia Zeshi was a prince who had never dug for lotus roots, nor had he seen others do it, so he didn't know what tools were used for digging lotus roots.
A pair of gloves was thrown in front of Xia Zeshi.
Xie Jiang said lazily, "Have you ever seen anyone dig lotus roots with a hoe? One strike of the hoe and the lotus root would be broken, and all the mud would flood into the lotus root. Do you plan to eat a mud banquet for lunch?"
Xia Zeshi picked up the gloves and put them on, his expression shifting unpredictably. "You don't mean we have to dig with our bare hands, do you?"
Who knew where the lotus roots were growing? If they were very deep, would their hands still be usable in the future?
Xie Jiang said, "Of course."
Xie Jiang's tone was already exceptionally impatient. "Are you trying to go back on your word? Who suggested digging for lotus roots themselves just now? And who seconded the motion with both hands and feet raised?"
"Digging, digging, digging! We're digging right away!"
Xia Zeshi wanted to slap himself. Why did he have to join in the fun! What was so curious about digging for lotus roots!
If they wanted to eat lotus roots, they could have just ordered someone to dig them. Why did they have to go into the lake themselves!
Xia Zeshi dared not delay any longer. He tied the gloves securely, making sure they wouldn't come off easily, and then began to dig into the mud with his head down.
~
Upon hearing that Xu Hengyi and the other two had personally gone into the water to harvest lotus roots, and that all the lotus roots for the noon banquet were to be dug by them, Xu Shuo and Yue Lin, curious about how their digging was going, put down their books for a moment and came to have a look along the lakeside.
However, they never expected to see such a scene.
The two of them widened their eyes and were speechless for a long time.
Xu Shuo, unsure whether it was sympathy or schadenfreude, said, "At lunch, I must eat two more bowls. Otherwise, how can I live up to the hard work of these three?"
Yue Lin nodded. It was indeed hard work.
If they hadn't been somewhat familiar with Lu Yuqing and the other two, they wouldn't have recognized who the mud-covered figures in the lake were.
"Xie Jiang, can you be a human! You said we'd dig lotus roots together, but you didn't come down. You beast, and you're treating me like this... Mmph mmph mmph..."
Judging by the voice, it should be Xu Hengyi. Before he could finish speaking, he was poked into the mud with a pole.
Xie Jiang's voice drifted over from the small boat, "It's only because you begged me so hard that I agreed to let you dig for lotus roots. When did I ever say I would do it myself? Since this is a task you sought yourselves, shouldn't you complete it diligently?"
"We're digging, we're digging! Aren't we diligent enough? We're practically growing into lotus roots in the mud!" Lu Yuqing's two paws, which were digging in the mud, hadn't dared to stop.
However, the more Yue Lin looked at him, the less he looked like he was digging for lotus roots; it seemed rather perfunctory.
As expected, Lu Yuqing was the next one to be poked into the mud.
Even if Marquis Xie lay on the small boat with his eyes closed, he couldn't be fooled by them.
Watching the two struggle to get out of the mud, Yue Lin was baffled. "What happened that made them beg so hard?"
Xu Shuo said, "If Marquis Xie says they begged, then they begged."
Yue Lin immediately understood.
Xu Hengyi started cursing before he had even stood up properly.
Then, along with Yi Shan and Yi Shui who were helping him, he tumbled into the mud.
Lu Yuqing was not giving up. He tried to dig a trap to lure Xie Jiang into it.
Before the trap was half-dug, he himself rolled into it.
His two attendants pulled him out of the mud like pulling radishes. He happened to bring out a section of lotus root, and after all his efforts, he finally had some results.
As for the Fifth Prince, he seemed to have accepted his fate. Without any unnecessary words, he focused on digging for mud and harvesting lotus roots. Regardless of whether he was willing or not, the work had to be done beautifully. After all, in front of Marquis Xie, did their willingness matter?
The basket next to the Fifth Prince already contained several sections of freshly harvested lotus roots.
Just as Yue Lin was about to shift his gaze away from the Fifth Prince, he saw the Fifth Prince being flipped over by a pole. Yue Lin looked at Xie Jiang in shock and confusion.
Xia Zeshi was equally confused. "I wasn't slacking off, Xie Jiang! Why did you hit me?"
After speaking, he started to cover his throat and gag—
He accidentally swallowed the rotten mud when he opened his mouth! o(╥﹏╥)o
"Oh, I hit the wrong person. I thought it was Lu Yuqing."
There was no apology in Xie Jiang's voice. So what if she hit the wrong person?
"How am I like Lu Yuqing? Besides, Lu Yuqing is on your left, and I'm on your right, so far apart. How did you manage to hit the wrong person? I think you did it on purpose!"
Xia Zeshi's tone was filled with grievance and complaint, not anger or indignation. Although he was dissatisfied with Xie Jiang's actions, he didn't think it was a big deal.
Did he expect Xie Jiang to speak to them gently and solicitously?
Just thinking about that scene—
Who wouldn't be afraid and terrified?
It was better to let Xie Jiang continue to torment them.
At least their hearts would be at ease.
What a damn sense of peace!
After flicking Xu Hengyi, who was persistently trying to sneak attack, away with a pole, Xie Jiang held the bamboo pole in one hand and gently tapped the muddy water in front of Xia Zeshi.
She said with immense self-righteousness, "Of course I did it on purpose. I just love watching you roll around in the mud. Are you happy? Is it fun? Have you rediscovered the joy of your childhood?"
"My childhood wasn't spent rolling in the mud! Xia Zeshi complained a few times, then quietly moved further away from Xie Jiang, not intending to throw an egg against a rock.
"A childhood without rolling in the mud is incomplete. I'm helping you complete it."
"You can have this kind of fun!"
Lu Yuqing flew up again, then crashed heavily into the mud. Yue Lin felt suffocated just watching him; it was always face-first.
Xie Jiang said, "You don't understand my fun."
Xu Hengyi was unconvinced. "Then you understand our fun?" He wanted to bite Xie Jiang to death! Worse than a beast!