Rong Susu looked at the pile of visiting cards with a confused frown. She had almost no personal ties with these wives of high-ranking military officials, so why were they sending cards one after another?
It was eerie. The high-ranking nobles of the capital usually prided themselves on their status and avoided socializing with the Marquis of Changle’s estate, except for the occasional New Year’s greetings from the Jian’an Marquis next door. Even then, the two branches of the family rarely interacted.
“Butler, what do you make of this?”
The butler shook his head, equally perplexed. “This servant does not know either.”
Rong Susu sighed, rubbing her temples. “I suppose we’ll only find out once they step through the door.” She proceeded to reply to the cards, setting appointment times and instructing the butler to tidy up the West Pavilion to receive these influential ladies.
The husbands of these women held significant power, ranging from fourth-rank officers to the wife of the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces. Rong Susu dared not be negligent.
At lunch, the Marquis of Changle actually made an appearance. Recently, he had been obsessed with cockfighting and a new game called “Fight the Landlord.” This card game had become a sensation, even among noblewomen looking to kill time.
Cheng Ruyi and Cheng Yu were busy devouring various appetizers made from the braised game meat. Perhaps because his legs were healed and the verbal engagement was set, Rong Mo’s icy demeanor had thawed considerably. He ate elegantly while constantly placing Cheng Ruyi’s favorite morsels into her bowl.
Seeing this, the Marquis was immensely satisfied with his future son-in-law and followed suit by serving his own wife. Aside from the thick-skinned Cheng Yu, everyone in the room felt a syrupy, sweet atmosphere.
After lunch, the family moved to the side hall for tea, cooled by basins of ice.
“A-Yuan, I received several cards from military wives today, including one from the Old Madame of the Marshal’s manor,” Rong Susu shared.
Rong Mo narrowed his eyes, glancing at his stunning cousin. He knew exactly what those ladies were after and felt a secret sense of relief that he had moved quickly. Even without a formal betrothal, the verbal promise was made.
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The Marquis sipped his tea and frowned. “I don’t recall our estate having any dealings with the military. What do they want?”
“Maybe they’re after the tiger skins Sister brought back?” young Cheng Yu chimed in sensitively. His little face was full of worry. “Sister hunted three tigers yesterday. They must be eyeing those.”
It was like a lightning bolt for the Marquis. “My son is right! I’ve heard that intact tiger skins are incredibly rare. The borders are bitter and cold, especially in winter. They must be here to leverage some connection to get their hands on the tiger and bear skins.”
Rong Susu agreed. Her daughter’s pelts were perfect; it made sense that people would be envious and try to claim them under the guise of friendship.
The three of them—the Marquis, his wife, and Cheng Yu—immediately began a heated discussion on how to fend off the visiting wives, especially the Grand Marshal’s wife. “She has a first-rank title! Why is she staring at our daughter’s pelts?”
Their logic, as always, was quite unique. Rong Mo’s lip twitched as he sipped his tea, hiding a flicker of a smile. He decided not to correct their very black-bellied assumption that they were being “wrongly” targeted for skins.
While they debated, Cheng Ruyi was thinking about her morning. She had been using her wood-type ability on the estate’s orchards and vegetable gardens, eventually wandering over to two thousand-year-old trees her father insisted on preserving.
When she used her ability to probe the roots of these two ancient giants, she discovered a massive surprise. The roots were deep and interconnected between the north and south of the estate. More importantly, these roots stored a staggering amount of water.
She hadn’t expected to find water-storing trees here.
“Cousin, do you know what kind of trees those two ancient ones in our yard are?” Cheng Ruyi asked expectantly.
Rong Mo raised an eyebrow, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. He knew his cousin’s abilities were miraculous. Before he could answer, the Marquis cut in.
“Daughter, I know a bit about those. A thousand years ago, this estate was gifted by the Emperor to a ‘Strange Person’ (a mystic). It’s said those trees were planted by him. He claimed they would help a ‘destined person’ survive a disaster in the future. Over the centuries, no matter how many owners this house has had, those trees have been carefully preserved.”
The Marquis spoke with great animation. “Many tried to find seeds to plant elsewhere, but they never succeeded. Even Emperors thought about moving them to the palace, but fearing the mystic’s prophecy, they left them alone.” This chapter is updated first at novelping.com.
Cheng Ruyi smiled triumphantly. “Well, I’ve found their secret. Their roots are massive and full of water. Since there’s a rare drought coming next year, these trees will be our lifesaver.”
The family immediately headed to the north side of the estate. Using her strength, Cheng Ruyi dug up a section of the root and snapped it. It was segmented like bamboo. She poked a hole in it, and a stream of clear water gushed out.
The manor’s physician checked it and took a sip. “It’s clean, even better than well water. It tastes like mountain spring water.”
The secret of the millennium trees wasn’t kept quiet—the Marquis didn’t see the need. Word soon spread that the mystery of the trees had finally been solved.
While most were simply curious, the Emperor and Prince Pingnan took it seriously, sending men to investigate the water storage.
Next door at the Jian’an Marquis’s estate, Cheng Qingyao was shaken to her core. This never happened in my past life!
In her previous life, the capital’s wells ran dry within two months of the drought. The wealthy relied on stored winter ice until it ran out, eventually forcing a mass migration toward the coast—even the Emperor had to flee.
The drought was followed by devastating floods and a great plague. Surviving both was a matter of pure luck. In her past life, Cheng Ruyi had lived comfortably, protected by her husband’s family. Meanwhile, Cheng Qingyao, an ignored concubine’s daughter, had barely survived after being schemed against and losing her ability to become a mother.
“I hate her!” Cheng Qingyao’s eyes turned blood-red with malice.
She had already crushed her other sisters, but this cousin, Cheng Ruyi, seemed to have luck that defied all her designs. She didn’t know yet that Cheng Ruyi’s “luck” was only just beginning.
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