Exiled to Lingnan, the Crown Prince's wife raises children, cultivates the land, and leads the

"Mother, does Grandmother really know how to do these things? If wood ear mushrooms can really be grown, that would be another profitable business."

Cheng Qiqi's eyes were exceptionally bright; she had been quite excited ever since the old lady fell asleep!

"Probably...?"

Liu Suyi said uncertainly that the Jin family had already become successful when she entered the house.

"meeting."

Marquis Zhongyong spoke happily, relieved that his mother was now fully lucid. He said, "I remember when I was little, my family was poor, and my mother would grow wood ear mushrooms. But we didn't need them anymore. Those things are from so long ago!"

The Marquis of Loyalty and Valor's eyes were filled with reminiscence.

Cheng Qiqi led the yawning Jin Sui'an back to the room.

On the rooftop, Jin Mozhi quietly lay prone. Knowing that his grandmother had woken up, he was in a good mood, especially after eating the dumplings his daughter had brought him.

Cheng Qiqi whispered to Jin Sui'an that it was intentional.

On the rooftop, Jin Mozhi listened to the occasional sounds his daughter made, and felt exceptionally happy.

As dawn broke, Cheng Qiqi's biological clock woke her up on time. She had eaten dumplings yesterday, so she planned to have something simple for breakfast. She intended to go to the foot of the mountain to see if she could pick up something else to sell for money.

Cheng Qiqi was particularly curious about that sugarcane field. Were they using it to make brown sugar?

I wonder how brown sugar was made in ancient times?

After finishing her pickled cabbage porridge in the morning, Cheng Qiqi took her daughter with Liu Suyi while she prepared to go to work!

"Qiqi, you don't have to work."

Marquis Zhongyong spoke.

"Father, I'm going to work today. I wonder if you could help me by letting me go to the sugar mill?"

Cheng Qiqi had inquired and confirmed that there was indeed a sugar mill in the village.

"You want to go to the sugar shop?"

Marquis Zhongyong said, "These days, through hunting, our relationship with Zhao Heizi has indeed grown much closer. The women have had the easiest time mending clothes!"

"Dad, I'm not very good at needlework, but An'an loves sweets and wants to go see them."

Cheng Qiqi took the initiative to speak.

Marquis Zhongyong glanced at her but said nothing more.

"Sister-in-law, let me go with you."

Jin Xue'er, following Cheng Qiqi, said sourly, "Dad is so good to you. I wish Dad wouldn't make me go to work!"

Jin Xue'er didn't want to pound rice.

"You can tell Dad yourself."

Cheng Qiqi wasn't going to put up with Jin Xueer. She had just eaten the meat Jin Xueer had bought with her own money yesterday, and now she was being sarcastic and unfriendly.

"Father doesn't agree."

Jin Xue'er sighed, then her eyes darted around and she said, "Sister-in-law, why don't you help me?"

"Do I look like an idiot to you?"

Cheng Qiqi glanced at her, then quickly walked over to He Shi and Wen Shi. They were visibly surprised to see Cheng Qiqi: "Qiqi, your business was doing quite well, wasn't it? Why are you like this today…?"

"Nothing much to do today, so I'm going to work."

Cheng Qiqi answered quickly. She had her eye on the sugar factory. Even if she couldn't work there, she wanted to find out more about it!

Cheng Qiqi was probably lucky, because Zhao Heizi actually assigned her and Wen Shi to the sugar mill, while He Shi, Jin Xue'er, and Jin Qing were assigned to pound rice!

"Sister-in-law, I..."

Jin Xue'er looked at Cheng Qiqi, and as soon as she spoke, Cheng Qiqi refused, "No, I won't change it."

After saying that, Cheng Qiqi immediately followed Wen Shi toward the sugar shop.

Jin Xue'er stared at Cheng Qiqi's back and stomped her foot hard.

"Qiqi, the work at the sugar mill is easier than pounding rice. The men will handle the sugarcane transport, and we'll just do the finer tasks." Wen's voice was as gentle as her name suggested, and she introduced the sugar mill to Cheng Qiqi along the way.

When Cheng Qiqi arrived at the sugar shop, she realized that it was no wonder she hadn't seen it before. It was in the opposite direction from where they were going, one in the east and the other at the foot of the mountain in the west.

It's just on the other side of the sugarcane field.

The lush sugarcane fields are now in the harvest season, and the wind seems to carry the aroma of sugarcane!

As they approached the sugar mill, a manager quickly came to take over: "You two, pack all this sugar properly. You won't get any food until you finish it."

The old woman in charge arrived with a cold face, dragging a mountain of candy along.

"Okay, Grandma Leng."

Wen sat down and began instructing Qiqi on how to package the candies. She said, "Nine candies per package, you must be quick."

Nine small candies are stacked in three layers, three horizontally, three vertically, and three vertically, wrapped in oil paper, and finally tied with thin hemp rope. That's how you wrap them up.

"Qiqi, don't be fooled by how easy this looks. There's so much candy, we need to hurry."

As Wen began to speak, he demonstrated for Cheng Qiqi.

"This is different from the candy we usually buy."

Cheng Qiqi thought about the brown sugar in Kyoto. Although it was different from the modern one, it wasn't as different as the one in front of her.

This dark brown sugar has a slightly bitter smell when you smell it closely!

"What are you standing there for? Get to work!"

Grandma Leng held the discipline ruler in her hand, and while Cheng Qiqi was still in a daze, she struck her with the ruler, making Cheng Qiqi gasp in pain.

"Grandma Leng, my niece-in-law just started working here, we promise we'll finish it."

Wen immediately smiled ingratiatingly, begging Granny Leng to be more lenient.

Cheng Qiqi glanced at it.

Wen whispered, "Grandma Leng is the manager here, and her husband is one of the owners of the sugar mill. Let's get to work quickly."

"it is good."

Cheng Qiqi responded, looked at her reddened hand, and started working as well, while inquiring about the situation: "Is Granny Leng's family very rich?"

"Of course they have money. The only brick house in the village belongs to the Leng family."

A girl working across from them grinned and said, "My name is Zhenmei. Are you with Sister Wen? I've never seen you before."

Zhenmei looked at Cheng Qiqi as if they were old friends.

"I had something to do earlier, Zhenmei. So you're a local, right?" Cheng Qiqi said vaguely, looking at Zhenmei, who looked about fifteen or sixteen years old, similar to Jin Xueer.

"yes."

Zhenmei said, "My ancestors have always been from this village. My father and mother grow sugarcane, I work in the sugar mill to earn money, and my younger brother cuts sugarcane to earn money."

"Then, do you know why the sugarcane here, even from the same batch, is a different color and has a slightly burnt smell?"

Cheng Qiqi spoke.

"Okay, then give me your hair tie."

Zhenmei stared at the hairband that Cheng Qiqi was wearing; she had never seen this pattern before.

Cheng Qiqi: "..."

Sure enough, getting information comes at a price.

"OK."

Cheng Qiqi replied, "I brought this hairband from Kyoto, it..."

"I don't have any money. If you don't want to give it, then forget it."

As soon as money was mentioned, Zhenmei's smile vanished, and she looked like no one could take her money.

"I'll give it to you for free."

As soon as Cheng Qiqi finished speaking, Zhenmei smiled again and said, "Of course it's because the sugar-making master had an accident."

"What happened?"

Cheng Qiqi subconsciously pressed for an answer.