Drive to the Tang Dynasty, where supplies are refreshed daily!

"Yes, but it's not good. Normally, you should still use potato tubers."

Li Lizhi asked, puzzled, "Why is that?"

Li Lizhi felt it was a bit wasteful to plant potatoes directly, as potatoes are quite delicious.

Xiao Ran squatted down, parted the potato vines hanging down to the ground by the edge of the field, and pointed to the slightly raised part in the soil.

“There are two ways to grow this potato. One is the seed from the small fruit that grows on the potato vine, as you just mentioned.”

"The other type is the potato tubers we planted before."

"Many people have tried it before, and the seeds don't work well. They're far less effective than potato chunks. These seeds look nice, but they're not practical."

"The potatoes are all starch, like a bag of 'rations' for the seedlings to be planted next time."

“When you plant potatoes in the soil in spring, the sprouts will grow directly from the starch in the potatoes. You don’t need to wait for rain or fertilizer. They will grow strong in just a few days.”

"If the seedlings have 'food' to eat, how can they grow slowly?"

As Xiao Ran spoke, he pointed to the small green fruits hanging at the top of the potato vines: "Look at the seeds inside those fruits, they're smaller than sesame seeds, and there's no 'food' inside them."

"To grow it, you have to start by raising seedlings in small pots and water them every day."

"We also have to protect ourselves from insect bites. Even when the seedlings finally sprout, they are as thin as a hair and will fall over with a gust of wind."

"It's like a child who didn't bring any food; how can they compare to one who did?"

"What's more important is whether the potatoes that grow are good or not."

"If you plant these potato tubers, the potatoes that grow will be almost the same as the original ones, in terms of size and taste."

"But if we use those small seeds, it's hard to say."

"Some of them grow smaller than a finger, some are astringent and don't taste good, and some don't even produce many potatoes."

"We grow potatoes to eat and to keep them as seeds. We can't grow a bunch of deformed potatoes, can we?"

Xiao Ran paused, then said, "And then there's the question of whether it's convenient to get up or not."

"After harvesting the potatoes, select the right size ones, and you can just plant them directly in the soil next year. You don't even need to start a seedling."

"Then the small seeds need to be cultivated first, and then transplanted when the seedlings have grown three or four leaves. When transplanting, you have to be careful not to break the roots, which is time-consuming and laborious."

Li Lizhi understood Xiao Ran's meaning, "This seed can be grown, but it's not good, is it?"

"That's right, that's what I mean."

Li Lizhi nodded, "There aren't many potatoes, and we shouldn't waste these seeds. I'll take them back and cultivate them so we can plant some next year."

"I can find a piece of land to farm myself."

“That works too. We don’t have many potatoes right now, and seeds are better than nothing.” Xiao Ran agreed. “It’s not feasible right now, let’s wait a bit longer!”

No one would touch these things carelessly, knowing that Xiao Ran cares about them a lot.

If there's a problem, they won't act rashly; instead, they'll go to Xiao Ran.

Sweet potatoes can be planted, and Li Lizhi didn't think it was a waste.

A sweet potato can grow many vines, but a potato cannot.

Li Lizhi had previously observed that a potato is usually cut into three pieces, or even two pieces.

You can't cut too many; it would be a waste if you didn't plant them.

The saltpeter that Li Shimin had promised had also arrived.

Several people also wanted to try out the ice-making effect of this thing.

Zhang Dalang, Cheng Chumo, and the others had just carried the bags of saltpeter sent by Li Shimin into the courtyard when the coarse cloth bags made a "clattering" sound as they hit the bluestone slabs.

Zhang Erya, who was sitting on the veranda shelling beans, was the first to look up: "Is this saltpeter that can make ice? It looks like ordinary white pebbles."

"It's not pebbles; it needs to be used with water."

Xiao Ran walked over, untied the bag, and picked up a pinch of saltpeter; the grains were cold and sharp to the touch.

"Today is a good day to give it a try. Fifth Sister, Sixth Sister, would you like to lend a hand?"

Li Lizhi and Princess Yuzhang were arranging freshly picked tomatoes nearby when they heard this and immediately came over.

Zhang Dalang and the others still need to keep an eye on the glass furnace; they can't be missing a few of them.

Princess Yuzhang also pulled Zhang Erya along, saying, "Of course! I've only heard you talk about it before, but I want to see how you conjure ice in the summer."

Xiao Yu also put down what she was doing and found a large ceramic basin, a small copper basin, and a wooden spoon from her home.

These are all household utensils I use for cooking, and they're easy to use.

Xiao Ran first placed the large ceramic basin in a shady spot in the courtyard.

He poured half a basin of well water into it, then carefully placed the empty small copper basin in the center of the large earthenware basin, and instructed:
"Later, sprinkle saltpeter into the large basin. You have to do it slowly, stirring as you go, and make sure the saltpeter doesn't get on the edge of the small copper basin."

Zhang Erya stood to the side with a wooden spoon, Li Lizhi was responsible for handing over saltpeter, and Princess Yuzhang squatted by the earthenware basin, staring intently at the water.

As the saltpeter was poured into the water, the stirring with the wooden spoon continued unabated.

Before half a cup of tea had been brewed, Princess Yuzhang suddenly exclaimed, "Ah!"
"My hand touched the side of the basin! It's so cold!"

When everyone reached out and touched it, a thin layer of white frost had formed on the once warm outer wall of the ceramic basin, and even the air seemed a few degrees cooler than the surrounding air.

"Wait a little longer, the water is going to thicken."

Xiao Ran pointed to the water in the small copper basin. As soon as he finished speaking, tiny ice crystals slowly condensed on the edge of the water, like a handful of broken silver.

After stirring for a while, more and more ice crystals accumulated, and the surface of the water gradually stopped swaying. In the end, it actually froze into a thin piece of ice.

The edge was still stuck to the earthenware pot wall, and it could only be removed by gently prying it with a wooden spoon.

Li Lizhi carefully lifted the piece of ice. The ice surface reflected the sunlight, gleaming brightly. She couldn't help but pull her hand back as soon as she touched it.

"It really is ice! How could it freeze so quickly in the summer!"

Princess Yuzhang leaned closer, touched the ice with her fingertip, and exclaimed in delight, "It's even more translucent than the ice in the cellars during winter!"

Zhang Erya also said with a smile, "From now on, if you want to eat something cold, you won't have to wait until winter to store it?"

"What are you all doing? What a commotion!" Li Yuan and Sun Simiao followed the commotion and walked over from under the corridor.

Upon seeing the ice in Li Lizhi's hand, Li Yuan was taken aback: "Where did you get ice at this time?"

Xiao Ran briefly explained the method of making ice with saltpeter.

Saltpeter absorbs heat when it comes into contact with water, which can cause the water to freeze into ice in summer.

Sun Simiao picked up a pinch of saltpeter, touched the earthenware basin he had just used, and said thoughtfully, "This method is quite novel, saving a lot of trouble compared to storing ice in winter."

Li Yuan nodded, but also frowned: "Storing ice in winter, although it requires digging deep cellars and hiring people to guard it, can keep a cellar full of ice until summer, enough to supply a large family for a month or two."

"This saltpeter can only freeze a small basin of ice at a time. If we want to use it for the workshop and the villagers, how much saltpeter would we need?"

"What Lord Li says is true."

Sun Simiao picked up the conversation, speaking in a pertinent tone, "Its advantage is that it can be made 'as needed,' without having to wait for winter."

"There's no need to take up space to dig an ice cellar. This is the most convenient option for when you occasionally want to eat something cold or to cool down a patient."

"But in terms of 'large quantity,' it still can't compare to winter-stored ice—saltwater is a rare commodity, and right now we only have this much. If we want to make it more widespread, I'm afraid it will be difficult."

Xiao Ran nodded in agreement: "The old man is right. This method can only be used as an emergency measure. If we want to compare it with the 'enough' of storing ice in winter, we'll have to wait until we can get more saltpeter."

"However, being able to freeze ice anytime in the summer will make it much more convenient to make popsicles and store perishable fruits in the future."

Li Lizhi put ice into the freshly picked tomatoes and said with a smile, "Even if it's a small amount, it's a novel method! From now on, we won't have to look forward to the ice cellar in winter when we want to eat chilled tomatoes." Princess Yuzhang also came over, staring at the ice and tomatoes in the basin, her eyes full of anticipation: "Try it! Chilled tomatoes are definitely sweeter!"

The sun was still warm in the courtyard, but the ice in our hands was chilly. Laughter mingled with occasional exclamations, and even the wind seemed to carry a touch of coolness.

The results were good, and Li Lizhi wrote down all the specific procedures.

It wasn't easy for Li Shimin to acquire these saltpeter stones; at the very least, he should be informed of the outcome.

Xiao Ran had previously said that the method was very simple, but he hadn't had any saltpeter and hadn't tried it himself.

This has now validated what I said before.

If the others are interested, they can give it a try too.

There is still plenty of saltpeter.

The evening breeze, carrying the fragrance of wildflowers, drifted up from the back slope of Kaolao Village.

The setting sun painted the horizon a pale pink, and even the grass underfoot seemed to glow with a warm light.

Xiao Ran led Li Lizhi by the hand and walked towards the top of the slope, holding his mobile phone in his hand.

"Young master, what rare item have you brought this time?"

Li Lizhi was pulled along by him, her steps light and quick, her gaze fixed on his hands that were holding something.

She had seen this "phone" before; it could display images and play music, but it always required others to hear it, as if the sound was being scattered in the air.

Xiao Ran smiled without saying anything. When he reached the old elm tree at the top of the slope, he took out his earphones, one round earbud on each side, connected by a wire.

"I'll show you something different today,"

He picked up one of the earplugs and held it to Li Lizhi's ear, saying, "Put this in and try it."

Li Lizhi curiously took the earplug, touched the soft rubber with her fingertips, and gently inserted it into her ear. Xiao Ran put on the other one himself.

Just as she was about to ask, "What is this for?", she suddenly heard a clear singing voice drifting into her ears.

It didn't come from a cell phone speaker, nor was it carried by the wind.

Instead, it's like someone is gently singing in your ear, with a tender melody.

With a gentle tone she had never heard before, she was so startled that she instinctively opened her eyes wide and turned to look at Xiao Ran.

"Don't panic, this is called an earphone,"

Xiao Ran pressed the phone screen, lowering the volume just enough to drown out the wind. "If we listen to music like this, only the two of us can hear it; no one else can."

He was worried that she wouldn't be comfortable with it, so he slowly turned the volume down a bit. "Before, when I played music, everyone in the yard had to hear it. Today, we'll listen to it ourselves."

Li Lizhi slowly relaxed, tilting her head to the side. The singing in her ears was clear and gentle. The wind blew past her ears, but it did not dispel the sound.

She looked down at the village below the slope, where wisps of smoke rose from chimneys and the distant pond shimmered with the light of the setting sun.

She heard a melody she had never heard before, and held Xiao Ran's hand in hers, feeling the warmth of his palm through her fingertips.

Suddenly, I felt that the hillside was unusually quiet at dusk.

There was no lively atmosphere in the courtyard, no children playing, only the wind, the sunset, and her unique singing voice in my ears.

Why does this sound only resonate in my ears?

She asked softly, afraid that a loud voice would scare the sound away.

"Because the earplugs block out the sound,"

Xiao Ran also lowered his voice and leaned close to her ear, "It's like holding candy in your mouth; the sweetness is only in your own mouth, and others can't taste it."

He changed to a more upbeat tune, "Listen to this, doesn't it sound like when we went fishing by the pond last time, and Little Black was chasing butterflies?"

Li Lizhi gently swayed her feet to the tune, and couldn't help but smile.

She didn't say anything more, and just held Xiao Ran's hand, leaning against the old elm tree.

Gentle singing filled her ears, fireworks lit up the hillside in her eyes, and the wind blew her hair to her ears.

Xiao Ran reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. His fingertips accidentally touched her earlobe, and she instinctively flinched, but didn't let go of his hand.

evening

The sun slowly sank, the pink clouds on the horizon turned orange-red, and the song finished playing.

Xiao Ran took off his headphones, and Li Lizhi followed suit, still clutching the soft earbud in her hand, her eyes full of curiosity.

"I never knew listening to music could be like this. So quiet, like it's just the two of us."

Do you still want to hear it?

Li Lizhi nodded and put the earphones into her ears.

After spending a long time in Kaolao Village, Li Lizhi almost forgot that she was the eldest legitimate princess of the Tang Dynasty.

There seemed to be nothing to miss about the palace.

After arriving in Kaolao Village, Li Lizhi did not go to any further places.

Basically, it was at Xiao Ran's house, or rather, in the village.

This place is much smaller than Chang'an, but Li Lizhi feels more free here.

The gentle melody from my headphones still lingered in my ears. Gazing at the wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys below, I suddenly understood.

Freedom is not about "how much space there is," but rather "how many mental constraints there are."

The palace walls stretched for miles, and the streets and alleys of Chang'an City crisscrossed, but hidden within that vastness were all the "rules" that bound her.

The courtyard in Kaolao Village is only a few square meters, and there are only a few roads in the village, but it allows her to truly "be herself".

In the palace, the title of "eldest princess" was both an honorific and a constraint.

In the morning, one must follow the proper rules for combing one's hair and putting on a skirt, ensuring that not a single strand is out of place.

When meeting palace servants, one must maintain an air of authority; when meeting elders, one must perform elaborate rituals; even one's speech must be carefully chosen to "be befit one's status."

She can't squat on the ground to tease ants, can't pick flowers by the roadside, and can't roll up her sleeves to help shell beans or carry earthenware pots like Zhang Erya, because "a princess should act like a princess."

Once, she saw a palace maid embroidering a handkerchief in the corridor and wanted to go over and learn, but the lady-in-waiting gently advised her, "Princess, you are of noble status. There is no need for you to do such rough work."

Her words were respectful, yet like a thin veil, they separated her from "ordinary happiness."

It's different in Kaolao Village.

Here, nobody always talks about being a "princess".

Zhang Erya would drag her along to the tomato field to pick fruit, not minding that her hands were covered in mud.

Princess Yuzhang would fight with her for the last piece of iced tomato, causing laughter throughout the courtyard.

Xiao Ran would never treat her like a "princess," and would have her hand over saltpeter and remember the ice-making process.

She could chase Xiao Hei barefoot in the yard without having to clean her trouser legs immediately if they got grass clippings on them.

These things that were "out of line" in the palace became the most commonplace daily occurrences in Kaolao Village.

This "ordinariness" is the freedom she has never had before.

What makes her even more comfortable is that she can "make the decisions for herself".

Her days in the palace had already been arranged.

He studied etiquette at Chenshi (7-9 AM), met the Empress at Wushi (11 AM-1 PM), practiced calligraphy at Weishi (1-3 PM), and even when he could play with the little princess depended on whether he had free time. (End of Chapter)