sbdcsierra Chapter 460 Zhiyan's Sweet Story (Part 2)
Chapter 460 Zhiyan's Sweet Story (Part 2)
Gao Mengli took out the honeydew melons that Li Chunhong had sent over the day before, and sat with Lin Xi in the courtyard, basking in the warm sun and enjoying them.
She originally bought land that was mostly sandy, intending to plant watermelon seeds.
Good news, the watermelon seeds have been found.
Bad news: the first-generation watermelon is completely inedible.
The fact that later generations can enjoy watermelons with thin skin and plenty of flesh is the result of countless agricultural research institutes' breeding and improvement efforts, which took decades to develop.
The watermelon seeds we found so far produced melons with rinds as thick as wooden boards and pale, tasteless flesh.
One bite and your mouth is full of fiber; let alone selling it for money, you'd find it too much trouble to even eat it yourself.
After decades of cultivation, she felt she didn't have the energy to cultivate and select varieties, so she simply found a honeydew melon, about the size of two fists, with sweet and delicious juice, and a taste that was just as good as a watermelon.
It is indeed the best melon for cooling off in autumn.
Gao Mengli smacked her eyes contentedly as she ate the melon. "It's a lucky accident. These melons are quite profitable when grown in sandy soil. It's much easier than cultivating watermelons."
Lin Xi nodded with a smile, and was about to reply when a figure rushed in through the courtyard gate.
This isn't his eldest son, especially not anyone else!
"Father! Mother!"
Lin Xi raised an eyebrow, slowly sat up straight, and wiped her fingertips: "Why did you run so fast? Were you chased by a dog?"
Lin Zhiyan strode to the stone table and sat down next to the two men, his eyes shining brightly. "Father, Mother, what are your requirements for your future daughter-in-law?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Mengli and Lin Xi exchanged a glance and were both stunned.
Their eldest son must have been traumatized.
In the past, when they wrote letters back from the sea, they would ask Ayu to help them find a husband.
He, on the other hand, refused no matter what, no matter what.
Now they're asking.
Lin Xi took a bite of the melon and stared at Lin Zhiyan, clicking her tongue twice.
"I have no requirements, as long as it's alive, and it's a girl."
Lin Zhiyan blushed, realizing that his father was teasing him on purpose.
Gao Mengli smiled, her eyes crinkling, and wiped the melon juice from her fingertips with a handkerchief. She then said, "Your father is right, but I have to add one thing."
Upon hearing Gao Mengli's words, Lin Zhiyan's expression immediately became tense. "Mother, please speak!"
Gao Mengli thought about it seriously for a while before speaking, "As for my future daughter-in-law, I'm not picky, but she can't hit her mother-in-law."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhiyan was first taken aback, then didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Just as she was about to speak in defense, Lin Xi immediately put down the melon she was holding and hurriedly came over to add, afraid of being left out, "And another thing! You can't hit your father-in-law either! This must be added, it can't be omitted!"
The two looked completely serious; they weren't joking at all.
They are afraid of having a fierce daughter-in-law who will beat them in their old age.
Lin Zhiyan swallowed hard, leaned closer, and asked tentatively, "So, what do you guys think of Tiantian?"
“She grew up under your noses since she was little, you know her personality best…”
"Sweet...sweet?!"
Gao Mengli's eyes suddenly lit up.
Lin Xi paused, the honeydew melon she was biting into, at the edge of her mouth.
The couple exchanged a glance, and the surprise in their eyes instantly turned into uncontrollable joy.
Before Lin Zhiyan could say anything more, Gao Mengli slapped the stone table and laughed: "You silly boy, so you were just saying sweet things!"
I've doted on this girl since she was little! When I'm old, she definitely won't hit me!
Lin Xi nodded in agreement, her eyes and brows showing no sign of backing down!
Gao Mengli pulled Lin Zhiyan's hand, patted his arm, and laughed, "Good lad! You're really something!"
"We were still worried about how to help you with the wiring, and you, of all people, have dug right into our hearts!"
Lin Xi nodded, genuinely praising his eldest son for once: "You dug that wall so well! It was brilliant!"
"We've been hoping that Tian Tian would become the Lin family's daughter-in-law for a long time. We even secretly lamented that you were a disappointment, letting that Dou family boy get the better deal."
So, you got off easy, kid!
As she spoke, Lin Xi immediately made up her mind: "Don't just stand there!"
This matter should be done sooner rather than later. The Dou family's son just broke up with Tian Tian, so we need to settle the marriage quickly to avoid any unforeseen complications!
"Come on, Dad will take you to settle your marriage!"
Gao Mengli, who was listening nearby, nodded repeatedly and quickly added, "Yes, you should hurry up and prepare the gifts, and go back to Wangyue Village as soon as possible to propose to Muyang!"
Lin Xi pushed his eldest son out of the mansion gate as quickly as possible.
That speed is as fast as it can be.
After the two left, Gao Mengli turned her head and instructed, "Go and call Wang Xiaoman here."
"Yes!"
The guards received the order and immediately left the mansion.
Before long, a figure in black landed silently on the steps. It was Wang Xiaoman, who bowed and said, "My Lord."
“Xiaoman, you used to travel the martial arts world, and now you are in charge of restaurants and eateries in the north. You have many connections, so go and investigate the matter of Su Wan saving the Crown Prince two years ago.”
Gao Mengli stood beside the stone table, her earlier joy gone, replaced by a more somber expression.
She looked up at Wang Xiaoman: "The Red Phoenix Guard investigated for months and only found that Su Wan happened to appear at the desolate ridge at that time and rescued the Crown Prince."
But how could a frail woman like her carry an adult man on her back for such a long distance?
Also, please investigate the fire in their village thoroughly.
Wang Xiaoman bowed his head and accepted the order, his eyes sharp: "Understood, I will set off immediately to Su Wan's hometown to investigate and find out the whole story."
After speaking, the figure in black swept over the courtyard wall like a wisp of smoke and disappeared without a trace.
Gao Mengli frowned.
Su Wan's act of "sacrificing herself to save the crown prince" is full of flaws.
The fire in the village was suspicious; it was probably meant to cover up the truth and eliminate any potential threats.
However, the Red Phoenix Army has limited intelligence gathering capabilities when operating within its ranks.
Wang Xiaoman, a seasoned veteran, once served in the army in the capital of the previous dynasty and was familiar with that area.
It's most appropriate to let him investigate this matter.
Half a month later, as dusk fell, the gates of the Marquis's residence opened slightly.
Wang Xiaoman stepped in, covered in dust, with a ragged man beside her, whose face was marred by gruesome burns.
It was Shi Sheng, a hunter from Su Wan's hometown.
Gao Mengli dismissed everyone around her, leaving only the three of them in the hall.
Upon seeing her, Shi Sheng knelt down with a thud, his voice hoarse and filled with hatred: "My lord, I beg you to do justice for me! That Su Wan is a vicious woman!!"
Wang Xiaoman stood to the side and reported in a deep voice, "My lord, the matter has been investigated."
"Two years ago, the Crown Prince was attacked, and it was Shi Sheng who stumbled upon it while hunting in the desolate mountains."
He was familiar with the mountain paths and was strong and robust. It was he who carried the seriously injured prince for more than 20 miles along the mountain path and delivered him to the nearby post station.
Su Wan simply happened to be resting at a teahouse next to the post station when she witnessed this scene.
Shi Sheng's eyes reddened, and he clenched his fist and slammed it hard on the ground: "I am from the same village as Su Wan, and I have been in love with her for a long time."
After rescuing the young master, she pulled me aside and said that we had rescued him together. She also said that the young master was of noble status and would definitely give us benefits.
I believed her, but who knew she would try to take all the credit for herself!
"She took advantage of my home to rest and then set my house on fire."
She even sent people to hunt me down, to eliminate any future trouble, so that her debt of gratitude for saving my life would be firmly established!
Shi Sheng's voice trembled, and his half-burned face looked even more horrifying in the candlelight. "I've been hiding for two years, constantly being chased and never having a peaceful day. I beg you, Lord Marquis, to do me justice!"