Ch 56: The Regent’s Farmer Husband

When Jiang Ji arrived at the restaurant early that morning, it was still quiet. In the kitchen, Han Qingshan was gathering the staff for a meeting. Jiang Ji stopped at the doorway, not going in, simply listening from the side.

Han Qingshan stood before the group, his expression serious.

“…Today as we start work, I hope no one repeats yesterday’s mistakes. Also, there’s something important I need to tell everyone. We’ve only been open a few days, and business is booming. Because of that, other restaurants have already started watching us closely. This morning, someone came to find me—from Xiang Man Lou. This place used to be a restaurant, but it closed down because its chefs were poached by Xiang Man Lou.”

“They told me I could name any salary I wanted. I refused—not only because the ownership papers for me and Xiang’er are in the young master’s hands, but because the young master treats us well.”

“All of us who joined the Jiang household were once together at the labor agency. You’ve probably heard about what happened with me and Yu Yang. Word was, we’d struck our former master’s son, so no one wanted to hire us. But the young master didn’t care about our past. He not only took us in but also helped me find Xiang’er again.”

“Ask yourselves honestly—has the young master not treated us well? You’ve all seen the village yourselves. The young master’s own family still lives in thatched huts, yet he gave us two fine courtyard houses just for our use. In any other household, only the young masters and young ladies would live in such good quarters.”

“He taught us cooking himself—without holding anything back. He even takes the trouble to make sure we rest properly, giving us the bath tubs from the main courtyard for our use.”

“Would that ever happen in another household? What other master, madam, young master, or young lady could compare to ours?”

“Everyone, I’m old. I’m forty-three this year. I was sold into servitude at ten and have served in four households. Of them all, Young Master Jiang and his family are the kindest, most generous masters I’ve ever known.”

“The work we do now doesn’t involve serving anyone directly. We don’t have to flatter or fear others, and we no longer suffer slaps or scoldings for no reason. We just do our jobs well and are paid generously for it. Where else could we find such a master?”

“Xiang Man Lou—or other restaurants—will definitely send more people to approach us. But remember this: what they want is our new recipes, and everything we’ve learned was taught by the young master himself. I hope you all keep that firmly in mind.”

“If anyone comes trying to recruit you,” Han Qingshan continued, “I hope that whether it’s because of your indentures or because you remember the young master’s kindness, you’ll think carefully before making any decision that you might regret later.”

Jiang Ji listened quietly for a while longer, then turned away and left.

He had originally come to remind Han Qingshan to be careful of people trying to poach their staff. He trusted Han and Yu Yang, but not everyone else yet.
Now, he realized there was no need—Han had already said everything he would have.

After a brief word with Manager Lü, Jiang Ji headed to the county office.

When Han Qingshan finished his talk, everyone went back to work. He came out to the front and asked, “Manager Lü, has the young master been here?”

“The owner came just now—went to the back. You didn’t see him?”

Han was taken aback. “He went to the kitchen?”

“Yeah, I saw him go back there, but he didn’t stay long. Said he was going to the county office to meet with the officials.” Manager Lü added curiously, “Why, you needed him for something?”

“I wanted to talk to him about something. Did he say he’d come back later?”

“No, but I’ll let you know if he does.”

“Alright, thank you.”

Jiang Ji had gone to the county office to discuss the second rice planting season—it was time to sell the seeds again.

As he walked, he casually opened his livestream. It was only a little past eight in the morning, yet the viewer count was unusually high—over seven million already.

Surprised, Jiang Ji glanced at the scrolling comments.

【Han Qingshan is such a solid guy】
【He’s loyal—he remembers the young master’s kindness】
【That Jiang Ji kid really has some luck, earning a household’s full devotion】
【Not just luck—he’s kindhearted. If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t have helped find Xiang’er, and they wouldn’t have earned that kind of loyalty】
【He’s always been kind, even back when he took in Jiang Yan】
【Let’s just hope no one else causes trouble】
【That Xiang Man Lou owner doesn’t seem like someone who gives up easily】
【Haha, that Tian guy must be tearing his hair out—no chilies, no chef to poach, nothing】
【Just hope they don’t pull some dirty trick, like planting bugs in the food and claiming it’s contaminated】
【Restaurant rivalries always end up with that kind of nonsense—fake food poisoning, slander about hygiene, stuff like that】
【You sound way too experienced saying that】

Jiang Ji laughed and greeted the viewers. “Morning, everyone. You all seem lively today.”

【Hey, the streamer’s reading the chat!】
【Haha, I thought you were just walking in silence—turns out you were watching us type】
【We’re just discussing business warfare tactics for your restaurant. Pay attention, could be useful!】

“I see, thanks everyone.” Jiang Ji chuckled, noticing the numbers still climbing. “Why are there so many people today? Usually around this time, it’s only two or three million. Don’t you all have work?”

【We’re off today—it’s National Day】
【Holiday! Still in bed right now】
【Three-day break! Gonna watch you the whole time】

“Oh, it’s National Day? No wonder there are so many people.” Jiang Ji grinned. “But why aren’t you all sleeping in? When I had days off, I’d sleep straight until noon.”

【Still in bed】
【Eating breakfast】
【Wanted to sleep in but my mom woke me up】
【Same! Moms are relentless】
【Classic mom behavior】

Jiang Ji laughed softly. “Then let me wish you all a happy National Day! May your country prosper and its people live in peace and safety.”

【Thank you, streamer!】
【Happy National Day to you too!】
【Wishing peace and prosperity to the nation!】

The chat filled with red-colored messages, festive and bright. It reminded Jiang Ji of his previous life—how livestreams on National Day were always flooded with patriotic blessings, full of heartfelt pride.

Many viewers sent gifts—golden, plump little rice grains with tiny wings fluttering across the screen, dropping endlessly like rain. It looked adorable.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Ji said, “Alright, everyone. To celebrate your National Day, let’s do another giveaway at noon!”

【Ahhhh, giveaway time!】
【Yes! Finally another one!】
【What’s the prize this time?】
【When exactly?】

“Noon, twelve o’clock,” Jiang Ji announced. “The prizes will be twenty-five dishes from my restaurant’s menu—one dish for each of twenty-five winners. And when I get back this afternoon, I’ll have Jiang Yan write a calligraphy scroll that says ‘Peace and Prosperity to the Nation’ as a special grand prize!”

【I want that grilled fish! I’ve been drooling since the last time you showed it】
【I want the roast duck】
【Braised pork trotters for me!】
【No, I want the grand prize!】
【The calligraphy, the calligraphy!】
【You fools, that scroll’s worth millions and you’re asking for food that’ll be gone in five minutes!】
【As if winning any of it’s easy, come on!】

Jiang Ji couldn’t stop laughing at the chat. “You’re all too funny. Anyway, I’ve got to head into the county office now. Go spread the word and bring more people in!”

【Spread the word? No way—I’m not lowering my chances of winning!】
【Exactly, higher odds for us if fewer people join】
【Makes sense】
【Don’t tell anyone, I want to win!】
【Anyone who shares this is a puppy】
【Too late! It’s already trending on Weibo under a giveaway tag!】

【Ahhhhh! Who did that?! Traitor!】

【Who shared it! You’ve been single for decades and this is how you use your hand speed?!】

【Look at the viewer count—it’s shooting up!】

Jiang Ji almost burst out laughing. “No need to be like that. If you all really enjoy the food that much, I’ll hold more giveaways so you can try it again later.”

【I’m remembering this! You better keep your word!】
【Do the math yourself—it’s been forever since the last giveaway!】

Jiang Ji rubbed his nose and smiled. “It hasn’t been that long. I haven’t even been here that long myself! Anyway, I’m at the county office now. I’ll leave the hype to you guys and catch up later. Noon sharp—see you then.”

He closed the livestream and turned to the guard at the county office gate. “Brother, is Magistrate Xu in?”

The guard, now quite familiar with him, grinned. “He’s here—go on in.”

“Thanks.”

Jiang Ji walked into Magistrate Xu’s office and knocked. “Sir.”

Magistrate Xu looked up from his paperwork, eyes lighting up. “Ah, come in! I was just thinking of going to see you tomorrow.”

“You needed me for something?” Jiang Ji asked, sitting in the chair by the desk.

Magistrate Xu stood and came around from behind his desk. “The threshing machine is finished. I wanted you to take a look.”

Jiang Ji’s eyes brightened. “Both units are done?”

“Mm. They’ve been tested—work perfectly.” Magistrate Xu tilted his chin toward the courtyard. “Come on, let’s see them.”

“Alright.”

They went to a nearby courtyard where several carpenters were at work.

As soon as Jiang Ji entered, he saw two threshing machines placed under the corridor of the main hall, surrounded by carpenters inspecting them. The hall floor was covered in wood shavings, and several men were busy assembling more machines.

Magistrate Xu smiled. “They’ve already tested them. Go ahead—see if they match your design, and tell us if anything needs adjusting.”

“Sure.”

Jiang Ji walked up to one machine and examined it carefully. It had a square frame with a lid, and in the center a large rotating cylinder made of long planks embedded with curved metal loops. A foot pedal at the bottom drove a pair of gears on either side, which in turn rotated the cylinder. Comparing it with the version from his system’s blueprint, it looked identical.

He picked up a test branch from nearby, pressed it onto the platform, and stepped on the pedal. As the roller spun faster, he pushed the branch in—leaves on the side touching the roller were instantly stripped clean.

“How is it?” Magistrate Xu asked.

Jiang Ji lifted the bare branch, satisfied. “Perfect. Just like it should be.”

Harvesting rice would be so much easier now.

“Good.” Magistrate Xu pointed toward another room. “The winnowing machine’s over there.”

Inside that room, two or three winnowers had already been completed.

Jiang Ji tested one with some rice nearby—empty husks blew away, leaving only full, plump grains falling neatly into the basket below.

“Excellent. It separates cleanly. Perfect for sorting seeds after harvest.”

“Exactly.” Magistrate Xu nodded, stroking his beard. “By the way, the second-season rice seeds—are they ready?”

“That’s why I came today,” Jiang Ji said. “Sir, please send out the notice. The seeds will arrive in about two days. Just like before, find me a manor—we can start selling the day after tomorrow. The price stays the same. Our own county buys first; as for other counties, you and Magistrate Chen can decide the distribution. They can come buy here—we won’t be delivering this time.”

Magistrate Xu nodded again. “Understood. How much do you have?”

Over the past two months, Jiang Ji had built up a large reserve of points. He’d also converted many viewer gifts into rice seeds—though this time, unlike before when most came from a generous viewer named Mr. Xiao, he had to spend his own points. And it now cost ten points per jin of seed.

Fortunately, the platform’s owner had realized his value—Jiang Ji’s stream had been featured daily on the homepage, bringing in huge audiences.

It was a win-win: Jiang Ji’s popularity drew traffic, and in turn, the platform’s daily active users had surpassed even the biggest rival—it was now the undisputed leader of the streaming world.

By now, the first-season rice fields were heavy with grain, each stalk bearing nearly double the yield of ordinary rice. It was certain that every farmer would want the new seeds for their second planting.

Jiang Ji estimated, “If we supply fully, it should cover about four to five counties. I’m not completely sure how much farmland there is, so let’s call it four and a half counties’ worth.”

Magistrate Xu nodded. “Alright. I’ll inform Lord Chen and let him decide which counties get them. We’ll have the estate ready for you by tomorrow.”

“Perfect.” Jiang Ji pointed to the winnower and the threshing machine. “Sir, could you have someone deliver these to me later?”

“Of course. I’ll send men to transport them shortly.”

Jiang Ji smiled. “Thank you, sir.”

After finishing his business, he returned to the restaurant.

First thing back, he found Manager Lü. “Uncle Lü, set up a large round table in the office at the back. I’ll need it soon.”

“Alright, right away.” Manager Lü immediately called the waiters to arrange it.

Then Jiang Ji headed to the kitchen, where everyone was busy working.

When Han Qingshan saw him, he first reported the morning’s incident.

“I’ve already spoken to everyone and made it clear,” Han said seriously. “I’ll keep a close eye on things from now on.”

Jiang Ji nodded. “I heard your talk this morning,” he said earnestly. “Uncle Han, with you here, I can rest easy.”

Han Qingshan’s expression softened with emotion. “Thank you for your trust, young master. I’ll make sure to keep a close watch over the kitchen.”

“Good.” Jiang Ji waved his hand. “Come on, around noon I’ll need every dish from the menu prepared. Help me make some portions ahead of time—we’ll need them ready.”

“Yes, young master.”

Jiang Ji personally joined in cooking the dishes for the audience giveaway, while Han Qingshan handled part of the workload. After more than half an hour of busy work, everything was finally ready.

Even the large round table couldn’t hold all the dishes—they had to bring in an additional eight-immortals table to fit them all.

Jiang Ji closed the door, latched it, and told everyone not to disturb him. Then he opened the livestream.

No one came to bother him; it was the peak of lunch hour, and everyone in the restaurant was busy beyond belief.

When Jiang Ji glanced at the stream, he was stunned—
the viewer count had hit an all-time record: more than sixty million people were watching live.

“What the—why are there so many people?!”

【Alright, alright, it’s starting!】
【It’s time! It’s time!】
【Oh my god, I’m drooling just looking at that table!】
【The streamer’s too sincere—he actually cooked everything himself】
【You’re trending right now! Two or three of the top ten searches are about you, the rest are all National Day topics!】
【Everyone knows you’re doing a giveaway for National Day, so they’re here to join and try their luck】
【The winners from last time got rich—some sold their prizes for hundreds of thousands at least】
【But this time it’s food—you can’t resell that easily】
【You can auction it off though!】
【I want to eat it myself!】
【Haha, you gotta win first!】
【Chance is twenty-five out of sixty-nine million!】
【If I win today, I’m buying a lottery ticket immediately!】

Jiang Ji laughed. “Looks like everyone’s excited, so let’s not waste any time—let’s begin.”

The table wasn’t just covered with dishes; there were also large bowls of rice, and even a big steamer full of freshly cooked white rice on the side.

“Since you probably have family at home, I prepared generous portions of rice so everyone can share a bit.”

He set up the giveaway parameters, scooped a big bowl of rice, and paired it with the first dish on a tray—making one complete set.

【Even rice too!】
【You’re so thoughtful, streamer! It’s lunchtime here too, hurry up and start!】
【I’ve been waiting to eat vicariously through this stream!】
【Ahhhh pick me pick me pick me!!】

——Xiao Xuehai tipped ten rice seed gifts.
——Xiao Xuehai tipped ten more rice seed gifts.

The golden name shone brightly at the top of the chat, followed by a spectacular animation of rice seeds—the premium kind worth a thousand coins each.

【Ah, it’s Mr. Xiao!】
【The legendary Xiao himself—so dazzling!】
【Boss Xiao, mighty as ever!】

Jiang Ji was pleasantly surprised. Smiling, he said, “Mr. Xiao, hello! Happy National Day!”

【Xiao Xuehai: Same to you.】

The golden VIP message gleamed at the top of the screen—Jiang Ji spotted it immediately. “Mr. Xiao, are you joining the giveaway too?”

【Xiao Xuehai: Yes.】

“Then I wish you the best of luck.”

【Xiao Xuehai: Thank you.】

“Alright everyone, let’s start! The first dish—braised pork with preserved mustard greens!” Jiang Ji scanned the tray into the system and brought up the raffle interface. “Ready? Let’s roll!”

The livestream screen filled with flashing names spinning rapidly, too fast to read, just streaks of motion.

After three seconds, one name popped up.

“Congratulations to ‘Pick Me, Please Pick Me, Streamer!’ for winning the braised pork dish!” Jiang Ji blinked, then laughed. “This username reminds me of someone from the last giveaway—the style’s awfully similar!”

【Ahhh it’s not me!】
【What was that first winner called again—‘Pick me pick me pick me,’ right?】
【Ahhhh it’s me! I won!】
【My tears of envy are flowing straight from my mouth!】
【Next one, pick me!!】
【Clearly, having a desperate-sounding name increases luck! I’m changing mine too!】

“Since these are hot dishes, you’ll want to eat them right away, so I’ll be sending them one at a time,” Jiang Ji explained. “If you win, make sure you’re at your table—or just sit on the floor if you have to. Hope you enjoy the meal!”

He tapped the Send button, and instantly, the tray of braised pork and rice vanished—leaving only the empty tray behind.

【Whoa! It disappeared!】
【Still looks magical every time!】
【Winner, keep your bowl and tray—that’s an artifact from another world, worth a fortune!】
【Oh right, the tableware comes along with it!】
【What if people start faking the bowls later?】

“You’ll have to learn to tell the difference,” Jiang Ji said, lifting a bowl to the camera with a grin. “Our restaurant’s name is engraved on the bottom of each piece. Still, if someone’s skilled enough, they could fake it—so keep your eyes sharp.”

【I’m keeping mine as a family heirloom—never selling it!】
【First, I need to actually win one…】

“Alright, next dish—grilled fish. This one’s big, perfect for a whole family. Let’s give you a little extra rice.” Jiang Ji pressed down a heaping bowl of rice, placed it on the tray, scanned it, and started the draw.

“Congratulations to ‘Streamer, Love Me Just Once’ for winning the grilled fish!” Jiang Ji’s eye twitched slightly. “What’s with all these ridiculous usernames you people are coming up with?”

【Oh my god, so you really do need one of those ridiculous usernames to win!】

【This system is so untrustworthy—it actually favors those names!】

【Quick, everyone change your names!】

【Done. I’m now “Behaving Honestly.”】

【It’s me! It’s me! Ahhh, I won!】

【All the good usernames are taken already! You guys make it impossible to come up with a new one!】

Jiang Ji couldn’t help laughing. “Alright, moving on to the third dish. This one’s just vegetables, so I added a side of steamed ribs. May your great nation prosper and rise ever higher!”

【Thank you, streamer, and may your country also keep rising and prospering!】
【You’re so thoughtful, thank you!】

——Xiao Xuehai tipped ten rice seed gifts.
——Xiao Xuehai tipped another ten rice seed gifts.

Jiang Ji continued drawing names one by one. Just finishing all twenty-five dishes took nearly half an hour.

“Alright, that’s the last one. I hope everyone who got something enjoyed their meal. How was it?”

【So delicious! I’m literally in tears!】
【I won the grilled fish—my family and I licked the plate clean! Oh my god, it was amazing!】
【I got the roast duck! Haha, it’s incredible—crispy on the outside, juicy inside, rich but not greasy!】
【Ughhh, I’m dying of envy! All I can do is watch!】
【I saw videos of the winners eating. Their luck is unreal!】
【I won the vegetable dish, but the streamer added steamed ribs—thank you! It was so good!】
【The spicy pork was incredible, and the rice was perfect too. I finished the whole big bowl myself!】
【Dude, seriously? You ate that whole bowl by yourself?】
【Sob… I’m a girl! I was on a diet, and now I’ve undone a whole month of progress!】
【……】
【HAHAHAHAHAHA】
【Sorry, but that’s too funny!】
【Worth it, girl. Totally worth it.】

Jiang Ji was laughing too. “Miss, there’s no need to rush a diet anyway! Oh, and don’t forget—the grand prize draw is later this afternoon, around four-thirty. After I eat, I’ll head back. I’m logging off for now.”

【Oh crap, that’s right! There’s still the grand prize!】
【Jiang Yan’s calligraphy—worth tens of millions!】
【Pick me pick me pick me!!】
【The piece Mr. Xiao won last time got borrowed by a museum for display!】
【I went to see it! Majestic and powerful—I didn’t even understand the characters, but it was stunning!】
【The first guy who won one sold it at auction, quit his coding job, and used the money to start his own gaming company. Total dream come true.】
【Yeah, I saw that in the news too. So jealous!】

——Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me tipped ten rice seed gifts.
——Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me tipped another ten rice seed gifts.

【Whoa, that’s him, right? It’s gotta be him!】
【Speak of the devil, and he appears!】
【Dude, you’re watching too?】
【Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me: Thank you, streamer! I sold the calligraphy, started my own company, and just landed my first investor! You helped me make my dream come true!】

The messages were highlighted in gold—he’d tipped quite a lot over time. Jiang Ji saw it and smiled warmly.

“Congratulations, brother! Wishing you endless success and prosperity!”

【Pick Me Pick Me Pick Me: Thank you, streamer!】

【Streamer, you’re still here? Spying on chat instead of leaving?】

“I’m going, I’m going—time for lunch.”

Jiang Ji chuckled, closed the stream, picked up the steamer and tray, and left.

In the kitchen, everyone was still busy. He went next door to the staff dining room, where the servers and cooks were taking turns to eat.

In his previous life, restaurant staff usually had to eat at off-hours—around 1–2 p.m. or after 9 p.m.—once the rush had passed.

But here, with the nightly curfew, they had to close by eight. It wouldn’t be fair to make them eat dinner at four, so Jiang Ji had them rotate their mealtimes instead.

Xiao An was eating when he saw Jiang Ji come in. “Brother Jiang Ji, didn’t you just feed your friends? Weren’t you full already?”

Jiang Ji paused, filled a bowl, and sat down. “I didn’t eat with them. They took their food to go.”

“Oh.” Xiao An scratched his head. “Then I’ll go clean up afterward.”

He’d been helping carry dishes earlier.

“No need—it’s already taken care of,” Jiang Ji said quickly, steering the topic away. “By the way, who made this eggplant casserole today? It’s pretty good.”

“I heard Brother Xiaojun made it.”

“Not bad.”

After finishing his meal and about to leave, Jiang Ji suddenly remembered the twenty-five sets of bowls and plates that had disappeared with the giveaways—the kitchen needed to keep count.

He went back to tell Han Qingshan, “Uncle Han, those twenty-five sets of tableware—I sent them out with the food. Put them on my account.”

Han nodded. “Got it.”

“Oh, and the lettuce at home is ready for harvest. Starting tomorrow, I’ll send a cartload over every day—add that to the fresh vegetables menu.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Ji stopped by the main hall to tell Manager Lü about the dishes and lettuce, then headed home.

At the village entrance, he saw Zhao Ru and Jiang Yan in the fields pulling weeds from the tomato patch. Standing by the roadside, he called out, “Jiang Yan! Come here, I need you for something.”

Jiang Yan looked up, saw him, emptied his basket, and washed his hands in the irrigation ditch before walking over. “What is it?”

Jiang Ji squatted down, smiling brightly. “Write something for me.”

After drying his hands, Jiang Yan came up the path, one eyebrow raised. “Like before? A gift?”

“Mm.” Jiang Ji stood, eyes gleaming, pointing upward with a grin. “A gift for the immortals.”

Jiang Yan said, “…Alright. What am I writing this time?”

“‘Peace and Prosperity for the Nation,’” Jiang Ji replied, then remembered the winnower and the threshing machine. “Did Magistrate Xu’s men deliver the machines yet?”

“They came this morning. The winnower and one of the threshers are in the main hall; the other wouldn’t fit, so I put it in the woodshed.”

Jiang Ji looked at him. “Have you tried them out? How do they work?”

“Very well. The thresher separates the grain fast.” Jiang Yan frowned slightly. “But it’s a bit dangerous—children shouldn’t go near it. Around noon, we lost sight of Jiang Nan for a moment, and he got curious and stepped on the pedal a few times. He almost got pulled in.”

“What? Jiang Nan’s alright?” Jiang Ji asked in alarm.

“He’s fine. I grabbed him in time. Don’t worry.”

Jiang Ji frowned. “That little rascal… I’ll give him a good talking-to tonight.”

“Auntie already scolded him. He was so frightened himself that he probably won’t dare touch it again.”

As they spoke, the two reached home. Jiang Ji went straight to the woodshed. “The rollers on this machine have really strong suction. Jiang Yan, let’s remove them for now—only put them back when we need to use it.”

“Alright.”

They removed the guard panels, took out the central roller, and set it aside. They did the same for the one in the main hall, not wanting the two little troublemakers to step on it again out of curiosity.

Afterward, they washed their hands. Jiang Ji ground the ink while Jiang Yan laid out the paper and brush.

As Jiang Ji worked, he said, “The day after tomorrow, we’ll start selling rice seeds again. I told the magistrate, and he should have a manor arranged by tomorrow. This time, people from other counties can come collect them themselves. I’m not running around again.”

Jiang Yan glanced up at him with a faint smile. “Good. No need to tire yourself out.”

“Yeah, I think so too. Last time, they were just in a rush to sow before the season ended.” Jiang Ji shrugged.

Jiang Yan used the paperweights to flatten the sheet. “So this piece is a thank-you gift for the rice seeds?”

Jiang Ji thought for a moment. “Mm. One of them.”

Jiang Yan gave him a look but didn’t ask further—he still remembered the two calligraphy pieces that had left the house before and never come back. Rolling up his sleeves, he dipped the brush in ink.

“If there’s ever something I can help with, just tell me,” Jiang Yan said.

Jiang Ji paused, then smiled, eyes curving. “You’re already helping—a great deal.”

Jiang Yan lifted his gaze briefly, then lowered it again and began writing.

— Peace and Prosperity for the Nation.

Grain—the very foundation of peace and prosperity.

If his calligraphy could help Jiang Ji, if it could bring more rice and new crop seeds, then what harm was there in writing a few more pieces?

🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾