Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 125

After bathing and coaxing the little bun to sleep, Ying Su held the pot of ink orchid in her hands and silently recited in her heart, “System, activate.”

A blue light appeared before her eyes. The large blue screen looked exactly as it had the first time she saw it. Ying Su repeated the same command she had used when saving the Jianyang Butterfly Orchid. Sure enough, the system automatically began extracting the ink orchid’s DNA and repairing it.

Before her eyes, the entire ink orchid quickly returned to its original form. New stems and leaves sprouted from the broken part, growing rapidly until even buds appeared. 

Just as the flowers were about to bloom, the system suddenly let out a beep-beep sound, followed by a mechanical voice, “System energy insufficient, entering dormancy mode.”

The message repeated three times, and then the blue screen before Ying Su disappeared. She cursed under her breath, “Shit!”

This system was really useless. She had only used it twice, and already it ran out of energy and went dormant! And now this was ancient times, where was she supposed to find energy for it? And besides, since that thing was inside her body, even if she did find energy, how was she supposed to charge it?

The next morning, the ink orchid that had been budding miraculously bloomed. Right after breakfast, Feng Qiufang came to find Ying Su. When she saw the ink orchid on the table, her eyes nearly popped out of her head. She kept muttering that Ying Su must have been touched by the hand of an immortal.

Afraid of any further mishaps, Feng Qiufang brought her whole family along. Li Yunyao, still holding a grudge from before, kept whispering slander into her mother’s ear.

“Mother, the flower you sent over yesterday was clearly broken. And now… don’t you think she’s using some kind of witchcraft? Just look at her, she’s like a fox spirit!” Li Yunyao muttered at Feng Qiufang’s ear.

Feng Qiufang also had doubts in her heart, but right now she needed to save Li Yin’s future. She shot Li Yunyao a glare and scolded her under her breath, “Enough out of you!”

Li Yunyao pouted. To be able to revive a flower overnight, Shen Cuihua definitely had some trick. If she could learn this skill herself, wouldn’t that mean fortune? Li Yunyao eyed Ying Su maliciously, sizing her up over and over again.

The Zhang family was considered one of the prominent households in Shili Town. Their residence was grand and imposing. When the gatekeeper saw Feng Qiufang’s family approach, he looked at them with disdain and said unwillingly, “Wait here. I’ll go report.”

Li Zhi bowed and scraped, smiling obsequiously, making himself seem half a head shorter than the gatekeeper. Feng Qiufang also put on a flattering smile. Even Li Yunyao’s expression grew uneasy as she stood before the Zhang residence. Only Li Yin stood tall, back straight.

Not long after, the gatekeeper returned and said impatiently, “Our master has important guests today. You’ll have to wait outside.” He pointed to a corner by the gate, making a shooing motion.

Li Zhi quickly said, “Brother, please be kind. We’ve come to deliver an ink orchid to Master Zhang.”

“Go, go!” The gatekeeper waved them off impatiently. But then he suddenly remembered hearing that today’s honored guest was someone who loved orchids. Master had invited him in order to present the fine orchid the family had recently acquired.

And here this Li family claimed they had brought an ink orchid. If the guest liked it, wouldn’t that earn the master even more favor? Thinking this, the gatekeeper quickly ran back inside.

Inside the hall, a man of about fifty sat in the seat of honor. His temples were graying, but his face showed no signs of age. His complexion was rosy, his eyes lively and spirited. He wore a long robe of deep purple cloud-patterned brocade from Jiangnan’s Jinxiu Pavilion, his bearing was clearly not that of an ordinary person.

Master Zhang was all smiles, his lips stretched so wide they never seemed to relax. On the table before them sat Ying Su’s pot of Jianyang Butterfly Orchid.

The gatekeeper peeked in for a while. The steward, seeing this clueless servant dawdling, hurried over to scold him. When he heard the gatekeeper say that the Li family had come with an ink orchid, the steward told him to wait, then leaned close to Master Zhang’s ear and reported it.

Master Zhang, who had just been annoyed at the steward, froze when he heard the Li family had brought an ink orchid. He lowered his voice and asked, “They really came with an ink orchid?”

The steward nodded. “The gatekeeper said they’re holding a pot of orchids exactly like the ink orchid that broke here.”

A sharp gleam flickered in Master Zhang’s eyes. No matter how they had gotten that orchid, if he could use it to please Imperial Physician Wang, it would be worthwhile. He instructed the steward, “Go quickly and take the orchid from them.”

“Should I let them inside?” the steward asked.

Master Zhang, a bit impatient, replied, “Take the flower, drive the people away.”

The steward accepted the order and left.

Master Zhang’s fleshy face split into a broad smile. Turning to the old man beside him, who was still admiring the Jianyang Butterfly Orchid, he said, “Imperial Physician Wang, you truly are blessed. As soon as you arrived, not only was the Jianyang Butterfly Orchid found, but now another ink orchid has turned up at my house.”

Imperial Physician Wang, spirited and vigorous, withdrew his gaze from the Butterfly Orchid and said with great interest, “Oh? Bring it quickly and let me have a look! This region truly has clear mountains and fine waters, to nurture such good plants. Ink orchids may not be as rare as the Jianyang Butterfly Orchid, but they are extremely difficult to cultivate. In Bianjing I managed to keep three alive only thanks to the warm climate there. To think you in the cold northern lands could also raise them, I’d like to see if there’s a difference between the two.”

Master Zhang smiled. “I’ve already sent someone to fetch it. You’ll see it very soon. You truly are an expert in orchids. If not for my nephew’s request, I wouldn’t have known how precious these plants are.”

Imperial Physician Wang chuckled. “Hai Ru has gone to great lengths indeed.”

Master Zhang quickly said, “Not at all, not at all! If not for you, such fine orchids would have been wasted away in the mountains.”

Master Zhang’s kin now lived in the capital. Though not among the highest nobility, they were not ordinary either, thanks to his nephew Zhang Hairu, who had passed the imperial exam a few years ago and gained a minor official post. 

Zhang Hairu was shrewd. The court was like the martial world, factions and alliances everywhere. One wrong step could cost a man his head. For years, he had tread carefully, never joining any faction openly.

On the surface, he had never sought to curry favor. But when he first entered the court, he had learned that Imperial Physician Wang was a favored man at the emperor’s side. 

Privately, he had befriended him through a shared interest in medicine. Later, knowing Wang’s love for orchids, he had spent years scouring the country for rare specimens.

After some time, the steward returned empty-handed. Master Zhang’s eyes widened. The steward, looking uneasy, whispered in his ear, “That Li family said they’ll only hand over the ink orchid if they can exchange it for their Jianyang Butterfly Orchid. I tried both hard and soft tactics, but it was useless. Master, what should we do?”