Reborn as the Crippled King's Beloved
Chapter 272: The Crops from Overseas Seeds Have Matured

Chapter 272: Chapter 272: The Crops from Overseas Seeds Have Matured

Perhaps it was because she had taken too much medicine, Murong Jiu felt no swelling at her chest. By the time she finally ceased taking the medication, half a month had passed, and she found herself unable to produce milk.

As the New Year approached, the Prince Mansion was festively decorated with lanterns and peach talismans, and couplets were written. Jun Yuyan was uncharacteristically busy, personally crafting many red lanterns. He placed candles inside them, which, when lit at night, cast the shadows of various animals.

Murong Jiu saw a set hanging under the eaves, depicting the twelve Chinese zodiac animals, none missing.

Jun Yuyan said to her, "This is our first New Year together, and our first as a family of four. I hope to create some unique memories for you. Although Xiao Jin and Xiaoyu are still young, we can’t just brush this off. When they grow up, they might ask what their father had prepared for New Year’s in past years."

Murong Jiu noticed he was quite energetic, certainly more so than when he attended court, so she let him be.

Unexpectedly, after finishing the lanterns, he started carving small animals from wood, specifically two little sheep, which he sculpted with great detail, hence the slow progress.

Without a doubt, these were intended as New Year’s gifts for the children—their zodiac wood carvings.

Jun Yuyan said that next year, being the Year of the Monkey, he would carve little monkeys for them, and by the time they were twelve, they would have a complete set of the twelve zodiac animals, none missing.

Murong Jiu laughed lightly, praising him for the thoughtfulness of his gifts, certain the children would love them.

Putting herself in their shoes, she thought, if her own father had started carving zodiac animals for her from the year of her birth, she would have been very happy and treasured them deeply, as they would represent her father’s love.

She hadn’t expected that on New Year’s Eve, not only the children would receive gifts, but she would as well—a wooden rabbit, her zodiac animal.

The carving was exquisitely lifelike, with spirited eyes and smooth, worn traces on its surface, showing how long it had been handled. She couldn’t tell how long it had been since it was finished.

"I finished carving it before I went to the Frontier Pass. I took it with me, keeping it by my side day and night, planning to bring it back and give it to you in person on New Year’s Eve. I was determined to return before New Year’s Eve—the little rabbit was my reminder. Fortunately, with Ah Jiu’s Fire-thunder, I was able to come back early enough to be by your side while you gave birth."

Murong Jiu was moved to tears. Before he went to the frontier, she and Jun Yuyan had been nearly inseparable; she didn’t know when he had found the time to carve it, and she certainly didn’t realize the little rabbit had such significance.

The kindness Jun Yuyan showed her often came in these unexpected moments.

Fortunately, having the little rabbit and knowing its story behind prevented her from being kept in the dark. Otherwise, wouldn’t she have remained unaware of his efforts to carve the zodiac animals for her?

Thinking of their previous lives...

At this thought, she gently pounded a few times on Jun Yuyan’s chest.

Jun Yuyan was puzzled, but since her hands were small and even with some force, it didn’t hurt him; instead, he asked if her hands hurt.

"Stop crying, Uncle Zhai says women in confinement should not shed tears. It’s all my fault for making you cry."

"These are tears of joy, they are sweet, and won’t affect my health!"

"Tears of joy are sweet? Not salty?"

Jun Yuyan, seemingly suddenly filled with curiosity, dabbed her tears with his finger to taste them, but it seemed he couldn’t discern the flavor and ended up kissing her face instead.

Whether he ever really tasted the tears was unknown.

Murong Jiu, previously a bit melancholic remembering the past, found herself devoid of any particular thoughts with his antics, her emotions running wild once again.

The family reunion dinner was still held at Qiyun Courtyard, a full table set with all of Murong Jiu’s favorite dishes.

She was wrapped tightly by Jun Yuyan, and not even a bit of wind could sneak through the door cracks; the room was filled with pots of odorless silver thread charcoal, warm as in spring.

Unfortunately, although the dishes were all Murong Jiu’s favorites, they were made quite bland. She had been especially careful with her diet since her pregnancy, and even now, a month after giving birth, she still had to watch her diet.

There was not a single dish on the table that contained Cornus officinalis or pepper among other spices. Luckily, though initially craving those, she had grown accustomed to bland food by now.

She chuckled and said, "I can’t eat strong flavors, so why are you all following my diet? Why don’t you have the kitchen make what you like to eat? Are you afraid I will sneak some?"

Divine Doctor Zhai said, "If you see it, how could you not crave it? I remember when you followed me to the south, your favorite was the dishes with Cornus officinalis, truly a no-spice-no-enjoyment kind of person. And those dishes with spices from the Western Regions, like braised meat, you loved those too. Honestly, even I feel the cravings when I smell those spices in the meat, let alone you! But you still need to avoid certain foods. Once you’ve completed the hundred days of postpartum care and have fully recovered, you can eat whatever you want!"

Murong Jiu covered her face and said, "Master knows me best."

She really did feel like smelling the spiced braised meat again; it seemed like it had been months since she last smelled it.

However, some spices conflicted with the medicinal herbs she was taking. Although she was taking fewer medicines than before, she was still eating medicinal meals, so she had to continue avoiding certain foods.

General Fu chuckled and said, "Xiao Jiu, we actually prefer to eat light foods. If we eat greasy foods during the festival, we’ll feel uncomfortable all month. These dishes are great, full of color, aroma, and flavor. The chefs at the Prince Mansion are indeed excellent."

Jun Yuyan said, "Father-in-law, if you like, I can send a chef to your mansion."

General Fu immediately waved his hand, "No, no need. These chefs are outstanding, creating unique dishes so Xiao Jiu doesn’t repeat meals every day. In our General’s Mansion, that would just waste the chefs’ talents. We four men have never been particular about our meals."

After finishing their conversation, everyone exchanged gifts and then started eating their meal together, enjoying the reunion dinner.

Outside, firecrackers roared and fireworks filled the sky, yet their room was bursting and immensely warm.

The child slept soundly in the crib, with laughter and joy at the table, truly harmonious.

This was the happiest New Year Murong Jiu had ever had.

On the first day of the new year, the Glazed Pavilion delivered the first batch of mature fruits and vegetables, bringing Murong Jiu the first good news of the new year.

The crops that had bloomed that day had finally ripened.

"These are green beans, brought back by the fleet when they passed through the Kingdom of Spain!"

Murong Jiu first picked up a green bean about the length of a palm from the basket on the table. The basket had more of these beans than anything else, as Lady Jing said they grew the fastest and most abundantly, with a half-basket possible from just one vine.

Murong Jiu recognized them because after Manager Chai had obtained these seeds, someone had sent her a sketchbook with images of the mature plants and instructions for cooking them.

"They must be cooked before eating; otherwise, they can be toxic and cause stomach pain."

Jun Yuyan took one, sniffed it after breaking it open to catch a hint of the green leafy scent, and asked with a smile, "What’s the flavor like?"

Murong Jiu replied happily, "Let’s have the chef stir-fry them and try!"

Jun Yuyan picked up another fruit, "This reddish one looks a bit like a persimmon."

"It’s called a persimmon, a persimmon from the foreign countries. There’s also this red-purple hard fruit called sweet potato, which is sweet when eaten raw but can also be fried or boiled. This one is a potato, just like the sweet potato, both yield high crops. These names were given by the people of Great Yan on the ships; overseas names are too long, like bird language, and they can’t remember them."