After the cantaloupe seeds were planted, Zheng Wei had Huo Si drive the cart with him to the county. They didn't return until three days later.
Returning with them were three more large carts.
Coupled with the two carts Zheng Wei and Huo Si had driven, the five carts were filled to the brim with all sorts of tree saplings and flower seedlings.
After paying and seeing off the three carts, their time became even busier.
Every morning after breakfast, Zheng Wei would take Huo Si and the others to clear the wasteland and slopes behind the house.
The wasteland needed to be cleared to plant cantaloupes, while on the slopes behind, all the miscellaneous saplings were uprooted. Then, the tree hollows were modified, dug larger and deeper, to plant various fruit trees.
Earlier, Shen Xiaoyan had wanted to plant more fruit trees, but the conditions didn't permit it.
Even if it were better in the future, there would be plenty of empty land to plant as many trees as she wanted.
The busy days continued throughout the entire month of March. The wasteland and the mountainside were completely renewed, filled with lush cantaloupe seedlings and various small fruit trees.
On the mountainside, Shen Xiaoyan also had people plant some flowers. When they bloomed, it would be a beautiful sight.
Entering April, it was time for Yue Qingxin and Sima Han's son's full moon celebration.
The couple was not well acquainted with the people at Baiyun Manor, so they didn't plan a banquet. They simply had a meal with Shen Xiaoyan and Zheng Wei on that day.
At the dinner table, Sima Han announced the name he had chosen for the child—Sima Shuiyong.
Zheng Wei nodded upon hearing it, deeming it a good name.
However, Shen Xiaoyan found the name somewhat familiar, though she couldn't recall where she had heard it before.
She thought back, but in both her past and present lives, the only person surnamed Sima she knew was Sima Han.
After dinner, Zheng Wei and Shen Xiaoyan returned to the main house. Zheng Wei then asked, "What are you thinking about, Mimi? Why are your brows furrowed so deeply?"
"I just feel that the name Sima Shuiyong sounds very familiar, but I don't know anyone else surnamed Sima," Shen Xiaoyan said with a touch of frustration.
Zheng Wei heard Shen Xiaoyan's words, reached out, and gently tickled her nose. "Mimi, how could you forget? There's a book in your space called 'Dream of the Red Chamber.' Isn't there a supporting character, a prince, who was also named Shuiyong?"
"Oh, right."
Shen Xiaoyan's eyes brightened. She finally understood why the name sounded so familiar; it was because of that.
In her previous life, although Shen Xiaoyan had graduated from agricultural university, she was very fond of 'Dream of the Red Chamber.'
Shen Xiaoyan had read 'Dream of the Red Chamber' over and over again until it was almost falling apart. After Yue Qingxin finished her confinement, the weather grew warmer day by day. She and Shen Xiaoyan would often spend time playing with the four children together.
At the end of April, one morning, Madam Qu and Huo Si returned from buying groceries in town and informed Shen Xiaoyan of something.
"Madam, Yu Duobao is dead."
"How did he die?" Shen Xiaoyan was sunbathing when she heard Madam Qu's words. She paused for a moment before asking.
"He was reportedly bedridden for a long time. His death was only a matter of time." Madam Qu recounted what she had heard to Shen Xiaoyan.
"When did he die?"
"The night before last. They say they hung white cloth yesterday and started the funeral arrangements. However, I heard that Yu Lufa's wife and children only returned to the Yu family to kowtow and mourn, but they didn't move back," Madam Qu continued.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan's first thought was that Yu Lufa didn't want his wife and children to move back to the Yu family because if they did, he wouldn't be able to have clandestine meetings with Xu Xiao'e.
In reality, it was exactly as Shen Xiaoyan had surmised. Yu Lufa didn't want his wife and children to live with him in the Yu family so that he could be with Xu Xiao'e.
Whether it was Xu Xiao'e's immense charm or Yu Lufa was truly a devoted lover, his own father had died at Xu Xiao'e's hands, yet he still clung to her. The mourning hall for his father was still set up, and he was already in Xu Xiao'e's bed again.
Even though the sun was high in the sky, the two of them were still lingering in bed, showing no signs of getting up.
Yu Lufa caressed Xu Xiao'e's smooth skin with longing. Thinking of his wife's slightly rougher skin, he felt a pang of annoyance.
"Xiao'e, now that the old man is dead, no one can give you a hard time anymore," Yu Lufa said, showering her with sweet nothings.
As for Yu Duobao's death, Xu Xiao'e was incredibly pleased. The old scoundrel who had tormented her had finally died by her hand.
Even though the old man looked quite plump, he was surprisingly useless. It hadn't been long, and before she had even fully exerted her efforts, he couldn't take it anymore and kicked the bucket.
However, although Yu Duobao was dead, there was still Yu Lufa. She would make them both pay dearly for the suffering they had caused her.
"Darling, what's wrong? Why aren't you talking? Did I not serve you well?" Yu Lufa said, his large hands stroking Xu Xiao'e's body.
Xu Xiao'e endured the disgust in her heart, turned, and gave Yu Lufa a charmingly seductive smile. However, her smile instantly vanished, and her face filled with worry.
"What will others think of me from now on? And your wife, when she brings your children to live in this mansion, your family will be harmonious, and where will that leave me?"
After speaking, Xu Xiao'e's eyes welled up with tears, and she looked at Yu Lufa sorrowfully.
"Darling, don't cry. I won't let them come here. From now on, this will be our home, just for the two of us. What do you say?"
Seeing Xu Xiao'e cry, Yu Lufa's heart ached immensely. He immediately soothed her gently. Only when he saw Xu Xiao'e stop crying and smile did he relax.
The two of them lingered in bed for a while longer before getting dressed and heading to the front.
Yu Duobao's funeral arrangements had not yet been completed. As his son and wife, they should be there to mourn.
Meanwhile, upon hearing the news from Madam Qu, Shen Xiaoyan speculated that Yu Duobao's death was not simple.
Although she had only met Yu Duobao once, she could tell that his health was very good. He definitely wouldn't suddenly become bedridden and die.
The most likely scenario was that Xu Xiao'e and Yu Lufa had colluded to kill Yu Duobao so that they could be together.
However, this had nothing to do with Shen Xiaoyan, and she didn't want to dwell on it.
Time flew by, and it was already June. The weather grew hotter day by day, and the triplets were nearly four months old.
Because Shen Xiaoyan gave them a drop of immortal spring water every day, their bodies were exceptionally healthy. They had already learned to roll over and could even prop themselves up and play for a while.
Shen Xiaoyan no longer watered the fruit trees herself. Instead, she added immortal spring water to the irrigation ditch that was specially diverted from the river at the back.
Every day, Shen Xiaoyan and Yue Qingxin would take the three children for a walk in the back. During this time, she would add some immortal spring water to the ditch.
The ditch was large enough, and there was a lot of water in it. The immortal spring water Shen Xiaoyan added was diluted, so its effects wouldn't be too obvious, and the servants wouldn't notice anything amiss.
The fruit trees planted last year, after a year, looked as large as three or four-year-old trees.
The fruit trees were covered in buds. Walking through the orchard was like walking through a painting.
Shen Xiaoyan also learned that Zheng Wei could paint, and his paintings were incredibly lifelike.
To match the scenery, Zheng Wei specially commissioned stone tables and stools to be placed in the fruit tree grove. On leisurely afternoons, Zheng Wei would bring his painting supplies and accompany Shen Xiaoyan and the triplets to the back. Shen Xiaoyan would watch the children enjoy the scenery, and they, in turn, were the scenery in Zheng Wei's eyes.
One afternoon, Shen Xiaoyan and Yue Qingxin sat among the trees watching the flowers. The three children had already been carried back to sleep because they were tired.
Looking at the peach trees that were already bearing young, unripe peaches, Shen Xiaoyan's mouth watered.
Thinking about it, she hadn't eaten a peach in over two years.
It was also her foolishness for not thinking to plant fruit trees in her space earlier. Now, her space was so full of medicinal herbs that there was no room to plant anything.
"It seems like it's been a long time since we've seen Huadian Dian come to play," Yue Qingxin said, looking at the black dogs, Hei Hei, and the two cats chasing each other in the distance, then turning to Shen Xiaoyan.
After meeting Huadian Dian more often, Yue Qingxin was no longer afraid of it. She actually missed it after not seeing it for so long.
"It has indeed been a long time," Shen Xiaoyan nodded.
She hadn't gone up the mountain since she became pregnant, and Huadian Dian hadn't visited. Now that she had given birth months ago and had the triplets at home, she was even less likely to leave them to go into the mountains.
Yet, Huadian Dian hadn't visited either, so it had truly been a long time.
"Ah Han and the others went up the mountain today. Perhaps they'll run into Huadian Dian," Yue Qingxin said.
Just as Yue Qingxin finished speaking, a yellow and white blur shot past them and pounced on the animals playing in the distance.
"It's Huadian Dian."
Yue Qingxin pointed at the large shadow in front of them and exclaimed.
"It seems like Xin Xin and I truly have telepathic connection. I was thinking you must miss Huadian Dian, so I specially brought it back," Sima Han said, walking over with a smile. Zheng Wei, who was following behind him, directly sat down beside Shen Xiaoyan.
"Ah Han is too thick-skinned. It was clearly Huadian Dian that ran to our doorstep itself, yet he claims he specially found it," Shen Xiaoyan said.
Zheng Wei's teasing didn't bother Sima Han at all. He continued to smile at Yue Qingxin. "Xin Xin, look, this brat is jealous of our telepathic connection and is deliberately saying sour things."
The three of them laughed heartily at Sima Han's antics.
After playing enough with Luoluo and the others, Huadian Dian ran back.
"Huadian Dian, you're here?" Shen Xiaoyan said, looking at Huadian Dian, who was lying in front of her, and greeting it with a light smile.
Initially, Huadian Dian didn't react. However, to Shen Xiaoyan's surprise, Huadian Dian straightened up and nodded at her.
"It understood?" Shen Xiaoyan said to Zheng Wei in surprise.