The village chief went with him to the study. This time, Fan Zehao used all his patience to keep the village chief occupied in the room.
As long as the village chief didn't lose interest, Fan Zehao would patiently chat with him. They were both making promises to each other, but one was painting a picture of a delicious scallion pancake, fragrant, salty, and a bit oily, smelling wonderful.
The other, however, was painting a dry, unappetizing picture, very hard to swallow. Yet, this did not dampen their camaraderie.
After they left, Wang Hui quickly packed her things, exited the storeroom, and closed the door. She then casually walked towards Zhao Jiaqi's room.
Upon seeing Zhao Jiaqi, she almost burst into tears. "Sister, my father almost cornered me in my room. Just one step away. If it weren't for Young Master finding my father, I might be getting beaten right now."
Her voice was still tearful, indicating how truly terrified she had been.
Zhao Jiaqi patted her back, comforting her. "It's alright, it's alright. You're back now, and your father didn't find out. Don't be afraid."
She also breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. That was a close call. Fortunately, she had sent her husband away. Otherwise, if she were caught, all her hard work would have been in vain.
Wang Hui kept her word and brought her eleven pieces, placing them in front of her. "I used a bit of the first one, so I'm not counting that. Here are eleven. Take them back and see how well they sell. If it goes well, I'll find a way to steal some flower seeds."
As she spoke, she was thirsty. She poured herself a cup of water and drank it down in two gulps, finishing the water in the teacup. She continued, "I'll grow them myself and make them myself. Then we'll have as much as we want. We won't have to sneak around like this anymore."
"If we plant them this year, we can achieve mass production next year. By then, we sisters will be nouveau riche, and no one will be able to bully me anymore."
Zhao Jiaqi became interested when she heard about stealing seeds.
"Are these flower seeds easy to get? What do these flowers look like? Are they pretty? If you can really steal these seeds, I have a manor, over a thousand mu, even ten thousand mu. I'll let you use it for free then."
Wang Hui happily slapped her arm. "You're truly my dear sister! These flowers are very beautiful, very pretty, no less than peonies. Flower seeds are easy to get."
Zhao Jiaqi's heart sank again upon hearing this.
Poppy seeds are easy to get... Does that mean there are already large patches of them planted nearby?
She dared not think about it, nor did she dare to ask. It wasn't the time to be too rash.
"These flowers are actually prettier than peonies? I've never seen them. You're not lying to me, are you?"
Provoked, Wang Hui frowned. "Why would I lie to you? It's true. These flowers bloom on the mountains, in patches. They are so beautiful. Once, I made a flower crown with these flowers and wore it on my head. Even my father said I looked like a fairy."
The back mountain, and patches of them... These descriptions truly stunned Zhao Jiaqi.
"When do these flowers bloom? You've made me want to see them so badly. I want to make a flower crown like you said and wear it to see if I look good, and if it can charm my husband." Kuai Shu Ge
Wang Hui chuckled. Perhaps because she had gotten closer to Zhao Jiaqi, she was no longer so reserved and whispered, "You're shameless."
However, after speaking, she grabbed her and headed up the mountain. "Now is the time when those flowers are in full bloom. They bloom every year in April and fall in June and July. Then the things that grow afterward can be used to make this immortal cream."
At this point, Zhao Jiaqi didn't need to see them; she knew they were poppies. Wang Hui had described their blooming and fruiting periods perfectly.
The two of them, holding umbrellas, went up the mountain. On the way, someone came out to block their path. Seeing that it was Wang Hui leading a woman up the mountain, the person who blocked them didn't say anything, but Wang Hui explained.
"Sister and I are going up the mountain to pick some flowers, nowhere else."
Upon hearing that they were picking flowers, the person blocking the path withdrew and did not stop them. Along the way, people came out five or six times. The blockers were all robust-looking.
Zhao Jiaqi tugged at Wang Hui's sleeve and whispered, "These men are so tall and robust. I wonder how their stamina is. Do they have wives at home?"
Wang Hui saw her lustful look and chuckled. "Be careful of your husband. Although he's a live-in son-in-law, if he found out, he'd lose face."
Zhao Jiaqi pouted. "If he doesn't find out, then it's fine."
"I'm asking you, do you know about their family situations?"
Wang Hui shook her head and answered honestly. "I don't know. I'm not familiar with these people. Most of them are outsiders. Our villagers are all in that cave, making immortal cream. They rarely come down the mountain!"
"So many people don't come down, don't go home. Can that cave hold so many people? How do they eat? Where do they sleep?"
"Someone will cook for them. They sleep in there. Behind that cave is a natural space, and it's very large inside. It's not like what you see from the outside... Sigh, it's hard to explain to you, but anyway, we can't enter that cave."
Zhao Jiaqi frowned. "Why? You're the village chief's daughter, and you can't enter?"
This time, Wang Hui not only shook her head seriously but also warned her. "You are forbidden to speak of this. We will only discuss it in private. The secret of that cave is like the immortal cream I gave you; it must not be spoken of."
Zhao Jiaqi knew she couldn't ask any further. If she pushed it, things would truly go wrong. She replied indifferently, "Oh, what's there to say? If I say it, others might get the same idea, and then I'll cry."
Wang Hui laughed and appeased her. "Don't worry, I'll only do business with you. No one else has a chance."
Zhao Jiaqi smiled. "That's more like it. I believe you."
The two of them went up the mountain unimpeded. After crossing half a mountain, they saw that patch... a large area of poppy flowers.
It wasn't just a patch; it was the entire hillside covered in them, blooming so vigorously that they couldn't see the end of it at a glance.
Zhao Jiaqi asked in astonishment, "Are all... are all these yours?"
These poppies alone could be refined into a lot of contraband. How many people would this harm? Zhao Jiaqi felt like crying.
Wang Hui didn't know she was afraid; she thought her expression was one of shock. She said matter-of-factly, "Yes, they are all ours. And there are many more on the other side. In their beautiful state, they can only be admired for a few months."
As she spoke, she waved her hand, gesturing. "When it's harvest season, our entire village will mobilize. By then, the mountaintop will be full of people, everywhere you look. That scene is also very spectacular. You won't see it everywhere else."