Initially, they thought finding the pheasant eggs that day was a coincidence, but unexpectedly, for the next four or five days, Yun Mo would find eggs in the chicken coop every morning.
And not just one.
There were four pheasants—two males and two females. Both females laid eggs, each producing a clutch once a day, with about four to five eggs per clutch.
By the end of the day, they could collect a total of eight or nine pheasant eggs.
It seemed like a lot, but there were also many mouths to feed in Qianxi Sisuo.
Besides Su Muyao and Yun Mo themselves, there was also a picky and troublesome Haidongqing.
Originally, it only ate meat, but ever since Su Muyao, out of boredom, peeled a tea egg and broke off a small piece to feed it, the Haidongqing changed. Pheasant eggs had become its top priority, even surpassing its former favorite, roasted quail meat.
To avoid scaring the two egg-laying hens and affecting their egg production, the Haidongqing now rarely even went to the backyard.
The two humans and the eagle consumed five or six pheasant eggs daily. The remaining three or four eggs were stored by Yun Mo in jars, planning to pickle them into salted eggs once a full jar was collected.
Su Muyao buried boundary stones, dividing the empty land in the backyard into eight small plots. By the ninth day of the month, the procurement department had also delivered the seeds.
A large sack full of seeds contained several smaller packets, including vegetable seeds, grain seeds, and spice seeds of various kinds.
Su Muyao inspected them and, finding no hollow shells, nodded to Yun Mo. Yun Mo then took a small pouch from her sleeve and slipped it into the hands of the procurement matron.
The matron discreetly weighed the pouch in her hand, estimating it to be over two taels, and left satisfied.
Su Muyao smiled. She wasn’t one to be taken advantage of, but she wasn’t stingy either—she knew when to give appropriate benefits.
Mutual exchange was the way to sustain long-term relationships.
Yun Mo took out the packets of seeds from the sack, examined them, and asked, "Miss, shall we plant them now?"
Su Muyao replied, "No rush."
Ancient seeds were different from modern ones.
When buying seeds online in modern times, what arrived were seeds meticulously screened by precision instruments, with germination rates as high as 99% or more. Many sellers even included fertilizers, making planting straightforward and convenient.
However, the so-called seeds sold in ancient markets were quite plain and unadorned—they were simply the fruits of the first-generation plants.
Take rice, for example. It was literally the grains harvested from the first crop of rice, with only the visibly hollow shells removed at most.
Due to genetic stability, planting them directly would result in lower germination rates and, naturally, lower yields.
Therefore, seed selection was essential.
Su Muyao knew of two methods for selecting seeds in ancient times: one was the widely known visual selection, and the other was the saline water selection method recorded in Qimin Yaoshu.①
Both methods had their pros and cons.
Visual selection involved placing the seeds on a fine-meshed sieve, shaking and sifting them so that the plump, large grains remained.
This method was simple and easy to perform but couldn’t filter out shriveled or insect-damaged seeds mixed in. Moreover, it was laborious when applied to large-scale planting.
Seed selection by saltwater refers to preparing saltwater in a basin, then placing seeds into it. By utilizing the buoyancy conditions of objects, after a period of time, the unfilled seeds will float on the water, while those that sink to the bottom are high-quality seeds. Seeds selected by this method can achieve a germination rate of over 95%.
However, there are three issues: First, it wastes salt, and salt was also expensive in ancient times. Second, some seeds that could germinate are also filtered out. Third, seeds soaked in saltwater may suffer surface damage and must be washed after retrieval before they can be planted.
Thus, seed selection by saltwater is quite troublesome to implement.
Su Muyao did not intend to use either of these two seed selection methods. With her cheat ability at hand, why bother with such hassle?
Su Muyao first poured clear water into a basin, secretly adding a few drops of spiritual spring water. Then, she had Yun Mo pour a packet of vegetable seeds into it. After waiting for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, she scooped out the seeds floating on the surface, leaving the seeds that sank to the bottom as suitable for planting.
She repeated this process until all the seeds were sorted.
Next came planting. Using a hoe, she plowed furrows into the empty ground, scattered the seeds, covered them with soil, and sprinkled some water over them. That completed the task.
After working hard for an entire day, Su Muyao and Yun Mo finally finished planting the vegetable plot.
Although Su Muyao was somewhat tired, she felt satisfied in her heart. The days ahead were uncertain, but with a plot of her own land, she no longer feared even if the people at Shoushanfang continued to shortchange them.
To reward themselves, they had hotpot for dinner, with mushroom and spicy broth bases. Yun Mo prepared the broths, and the ingredients were freshly purchased from Shoushanfang, all laid out in abundance on the table.
Su Muyao picked up a few slices of venison from the plate and placed them into the pot. Venison is warming and nourishing, perfect for this weather.
Soon, the pot began to bubble with white steam, and the venison inside was cooked. Su Muyao fished out a slice, dipped it into a sauce made with scallions, chili peppers, sesame oil, and sesame paste. The venison, having simmered in the broth for a long time, had absorbed the delicate fragrance of various mushrooms, making the meat even more tender, savory, and delicious.
Beside them, the Haidongqing grew impatient, repeatedly tugging at Su Muyao’s sleeve with its claws. Su Muyao hurriedly placed a slice into its dish, saying, "Eat, eat, stop making a fuss."
This Haidongqing was indeed impressive, but it was also particularly greedy.
A creature both loved and exasperating.
In Qianxi Sisuo, there were only the mistress and her maid, so there were no rules about not speaking during meals or before sleep.
Yun Mo looked at Su Muyao, noticing a mischievous smile at the corner of her lips as she teased the Haidongqing with a piece of venison held by her chopsticks. Her eyes were bright and spirited.
A pang of sadness suddenly arose in Yun Mo’s heart. She asked softly, "Miss, will we continue like this forever?"
Su Muyao detected the melancholy in Yun Mo’s tone and turned to her, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "What’s wrong?"
Yun Mo lowered her gaze, hiding her reddened eyes. "It’s nothing."
She clearly didn’t seem fine.
Su Muyao silently stared at Yun Mo, who had no choice but to answer truthfully, "I just feel sad for you. With your beauty and talent, you could have married a nobleman from a distinguished family."
In the past, the young lady was often unwell, falling ill every few days. She never dared to think about what the future held for her, only praying to the heavens to bless her and keep her healthy.
But now, the young lady has regained her health and become much more cheerful. If such a young lady remained in the inner chambers, countless fine young men in the capital would seek her hand in marriage. Yet now, she is trapped deep within the palace, waiting for her beauty to fade and her youth to wither away…
Su Muyao remained silent for a long moment before asking, "Do you think I'm not good enough now?"
Yun Mo quickly shook her head. "No, the young lady is wonderful, even better to me than before. But it's precisely because of this that I…"
That she felt indignant and unjust about the young lady's fate.
She paused, afraid of upsetting her mistress, and left the words unspoken.
Su Muyao felt a deep warmth in her heart. She could clearly sense that Yun Mo was wholeheartedly considering her well-being.
Whether Yun Mo was doing this for the original Guaerjia or for Su Muyao, who had arrived in the Qing Dynasty half a month ago, it was now she herself who was receiving this gift of affection.
Once she understood this, there was no need to dwell on anything else.
Su Muyao said earnestly, "Yun Mo, you don't need to worry about me."
Even in modern times, she had always been single. In her heart, living comfortably and happily was what mattered most; everything else was fleeting.
Yun Mo pursed her lips but said nothing more.
Yet a doubt lingered in her heart: Could it be that after suffering that high fever last time, the young lady had awakened to reality, resolved to live well in the palace from now on, and completely forgotten about the Fourteenth Prince?
If that were truly the case, then that would be wonderful indeed!