After Lu Qianqian finished speaking, she didn’t wait for anyone else to react and immediately carried five mangoes into the kitchen.
There was no helping it — the mangoes were huge, nearly the size of an adult’s palm. Even carrying just five required her to hug them against herself.
Old Madam Lu naturally listened to her daughter without question and immediately had Lin Gui carry a basket to the well in the courtyard. Washing fruit with water was a simple task.
As for Old Man Lu and the others, they looked at one another helplessly and could only wait in silence.
“Father, do you think those two trees in the backyard were really made by Little Sister?”
Lu Zhenghui couldn’t help asking aloud.
As the only scholar who had passed the county examination in Xinghua Village, and with the Chen family connections behind him, Lu Zhenghui had broader knowledge than most.
He knew that if those two trees had truly been created by his little sister, then the implications would be enormous.
Chen Xin, who sat beside Lu Zhenghui, had her eyes flicker slightly. She stood up and said, “I’ll go see if Little Sister needs any help.”
With that, she walked out.
The only ones left in the main hall were the Lu family men and the three little children. As for one-year-old Lu Yuan, he was still asleep in bed.
“Whether it’s true or not, we’ll know soon enough.”
Old Man Lu held considerable authority within the family. Although Old Madam Lu usually managed household matters, major decisions were still made by him.
After hearing his words, everyone quieted down, though inwardly they were dying of curiosity.
Meanwhile, when Chen Xin arrived at the kitchen entrance, she saw Lu Qianqian skillfully handling the mangoes. With just a few swift cuts, the fruit was neatly diced into small square pieces that dropped into bowls with practiced ease.
Chen Xin became even more curious about this young sister-in-law of hers.
She hadn’t been married into the Lu family for very long and wasn’t very familiar with Lu Qianqian yet. She had heard this little sister-in-law had a terrible temper, but for some reason, Lu Qianqian had always treated her politely and wasn’t at all like the rumors described.
Besides, she and Lu Zhenghui normally lived in town and only returned home two or three days each month.
“Little Sister, do you need help?” Chen Xin asked.
Lu Qianqian had still been wondering why she could process the mangoes so naturally when she heard the voice at the kitchen door. Looking up and seeing it was her newly married third sister-in-law, she smiled.
“Third Sister-in-law, then I really will trouble you. Please help me carry a few bowls over. I can’t carry them all myself.”
“Alright.”
Chen Xin smiled in agreement and carried two bowls of prepared mangoes into the main hall.
The five mangoes were quickly finished. Lu Qianqian carried the remaining two bowls out of the kitchen.
By the time she returned to the hall, Old Madam Lu and the others had already washed the guavas.
“Alright, let me explain today’s situation. A few days ago, didn’t I hit my head? While I was unconscious, a lot of knowledge suddenly appeared in my mind. For example, those two trees in the backyard — one is a mango tree and the other is a guava tree. Both are fruits that can be eaten.”
As she spoke, Lu Qianqian handed each person a guava and demonstrated by taking a bite herself.
Mm.
So juicy.
So sweet.
She had never known guavas could taste this good.
She had eaten guavas in her previous life, but none had ever been this juicy or sweet.
“This is called guava. You can eat it directly. Father, Mother, try it — it’s really sweet.”
The three little children had already been drooling from the smell of the mangoes. Now that their aunt said they could eat and had already started herself, they could no longer hold back.
The moment they took a bite, their eyes lit up.
It was delicious.
They had never eaten anything this good before.
Unlike the Lu family, Chen Xin had eaten fruit before while growing up at home, but none could compare to the guava in her hand.
After finishing the guava, the Lu family became curious about the other fruit called mango.
“Its name is mango. But you shouldn’t eat too much at once — just a little each day.”
Without forks or utensils, Lu Qianqian felt somewhat helpless. It seemed she’d need to make some later. Eating with hands every time was inconvenient.
She demonstrated again by eating a piece herself.
Soft, rich, sweet.
Her absolute favorite.
The three children shared one bowl of mangoes and stuffed pieces eagerly into their mouths. After tasting the guava earlier, they had zero worries that this “mango” might taste bad.
Sure enough, the flavor was so good they couldn’t stop eating.
The adults also began eating.
Fruit was a luxury they normally couldn’t afford.
“About Qianqian’s matter — all of you keep your mouths shut. If I find out any of you are spreading this outside, then you can pack up and return to your maiden homes.”
Old Man Lu understood the seriousness of the situation.
His daughter suddenly becoming a Florist seemed related to the injury to her head. He didn’t know what would happen next, but he did know one thing:
An unregistered Florist was both valuable and dangerous.
Before a new Florist was officially registered with the authorities, the government would not guarantee their safety because their value had not yet been confirmed.
Many people would try to recruit newly discovered Florists before they were reported to the authorities. And if recruitment failed, some people would simply eliminate them.
After all, if they couldn’t profit from you, then why let you live?
That was why Old Man Lu issued this warning.
“Father, I won’t say anything.”
Lin Gui’s eyes gleamed brightly as she spoke.
She understood exactly what it meant for the family to gain a Florist. It was a tremendous blessing, so of course she would never reveal it.
“Father, I won’t either,” Liu Zhaodi said with lowered head.
But hidden within her lowered gaze was an unreadable glint.
Chen Xin spoke next.
“Father, since Little Sister has become a Florist, we should head to the prefectural city as soon as possible, just in case.”
What Old Man Lu knew, Chen Xin knew even better.
If Lu Qianqian truly became a Florist, it would benefit the Chen family as well. It seemed she would need to send a letter home to her father.
“Lin family, Liu family, come with me and start preparing lunch right now. After the meal, Zhengjun and Zhenghui will escort Qianqian to the prefectural city.”
Once Old Madam Lu heard this, she immediately led the eldest and second daughters-in-law away to cook.
Neither Lu Zhengjun nor Lu Zhenghui objected to the arrangement.
“Little Sister, what are you planning to do with all those mangoes and guavas?” Lu Zhengjun asked.
The harvest from the two trees was quite large. Keeping everything for the family to eat was impossible.
Before Lu Qianqian could answer, Chen Xin spoke first.
“Little Sister, how about selling these fruits to our Chen family?”
Chen Xin had already tasted the mangoes and guavas. No fruit she’d ever eaten compared to them.
Whether sold for profit or used as gifts in social exchanges, these fruits were exceptional treasures.