After a pattering spring rain, the common people all brought their farming tools and oxen to go plant their fields.

Spring plowing was a joyous occasion. The farmers enthusiastically scattered seeds and tended to them with great care for a whole year, only to reap the harvest in autumn and obtain food for their families.

Of Shou’an Jun’s thousand acres of fertile land, Wei Rao had been given two hundred acres. The good land had reliable stewards to tend it. When the grandmother and granddaughters went to plant, it was more to experience the joy of farming. If they were asked to plant several acres of land, not only would Wei Rao and Zhou Huizhu be unhappy, but Shou’an Jun also lacked the physical strength.

The coachman hitched up the carriage. Wei Rao and Zhou Huizhu helped Shou’an Jun into the carriage and set off with a few guards.

Today, they were going to plant watermelons. Watermelon seeds had thick, hard shells and had already been sprouted at home in advance, just waiting to be planted in furrows.

The spring breeze was pleasant. With the curtains drawn up, both sides of the small road were filled with busy farmers. Some families even had six or seven-year-old children helping with the work.

Shou’an Jun said to the Wei Rao sisters, “What’s called suffering? Poverty is suffering. Having money at least means you can eat your fill and dress warmly. As long as you don’t have too many desires, wanting one thing after getting another, you can live comfortably. Rich young masters and ladies just like to moan about nothing. If you ask me, throw them into the fields to work for a few days, and I guarantee they won’t have any troubles left.”

Zhou Huizhu said, “That would only be temporary. People have short memories. When they have good days, they hope for even better ones. Unless they farm for life, as long as they return to a life without worries about food and clothing, after a while they’ll start wanting more again.”

Wei Rao looked at her little cousin with surprise, “I thought Huizhu only knew about eating, drinking, and having fun. You understand this principle?”

Zhou Huizhu sighed, “Sister has already acted foolishly. If I don’t become smarter, how will Mother manage?”

Shou’an Jun snorted, “You two worry about yourselves. If mothers need their children to worry for them, that’s called being worthless.”

Wei Rao and Zhou Huizhu exchanged glances and continued looking out the window at the scenery.

They reached the sandy soil.

A total of two acres of melon fields was the task for the three generations of grandmother and granddaughters.

Shou’an Jun arranged things well—Zhou Huizhu would lead the ox, Wei Rao would push the plow, and she would sow seeds behind them.

Zhou Huizhu glanced at Wei Rao’s slender figure and smiled, “Let me push the plow instead. The Princess is like a delicate flower—how could she do such heavy work?”

Wei Rao smiled without speaking. She was thinner than her cousin, but her strength was much greater. Years of martial arts training weren’t for nothing.

The big yellow ox was gentle and honest. The cousins put on sun-shading straw hats and began their work.

Wei Rao wasn’t afraid of hard work, but she didn’t want to roughen her palms, so she wrapped several layers of gauze around the plow handles. Zhou Huizhen also wrapped gauze around the rope for leading the ox. This was truly the manner of wealthy young ladies farming.

Before they had finished plowing one furrow, Zhou Huizhu, who was leading the ox, suddenly stopped and coughed, signaling Wei Rao to look back.

Wei Rao turned around and saw a black horse riding along the field path. Fei Mo’s jet-black coat was like satin, beautiful enough to make one envious.

Glancing at Lu Zhuo in his brocade robes, Wei Rao glared at her cousin, “Pull the ox and stop looking around.”

Zhou Huizhu giggled.

At the edge of the field, Shou’an Jun was still organizing seeds. Seeing Lu Zhuo dismount and walk toward her, Shou’an Jun asked in surprise, “How did the Young Master come here? Don’t you need to go to the military camp?”

Lu Zhuo explained, “Usually, the camp only involves training soldiers. Taking a few days’ leave is no problem.”

Shou’an Jun asked again, “How did the Young Master know we would go out today?”

She was genuinely curious.

Lu Zhuo smiled and pointed to a corner of Yunwu Town near the villa, “I rented a residence over there. I was just out riding when I saw Old Madam’s carriage, so I came over to have a look.”

Shou’an Jun understood. To coax her granddaughter back, Lu Zhuo had deliberately rented a house in Yunwu Town. When her granddaughter moved to the villa, he followed. Usually, he only needed to have someone keep track of her granddaughter’s movements. If her granddaughter didn’t go out, he would go to the military camp for duty. If her granddaughter went out, Lu Zhuo would come over to curry favor.

If Shou’an Jun didn’t like Lu Zhuo, she would be unhappy with him doing this. But Shou’an Jun liked Lu Zhuo. Whether in family background, appearance, or ability, she felt Lu Zhuo would be the best husband candidate for her granddaughter. Her granddaughter was just being stubborn out of pride—she hadn’t truly come to despise Lu Zhuo. Therefore, Shou’an Jun was happy to see this development.

Moreover, Lu Zhuo’s pursuit of her granddaughter had one convenience.

The two had been married and then divorced. If her granddaughter had never married, Lu Zhuo, as an unrelated man, persistently pursuing her like this, would have some impact on her granddaughter’s reputation. But the two had slept in the same bed—at least that’s what outsiders thought. So when Lu Zhuo approached her granddaughter again, as long as the two didn’t embrace each other, others couldn’t spread any gossip unfavorable to her granddaughter. If anything, they would spread word of Lu Zhuo’s deep feelings for her granddaughter.

Regarding Lu Zhuo’s persistence, if her granddaughter refused, others would say she had become arrogant after becoming a Princess. If her granddaughter accepted, their reconciliation would be a beautiful story.

“Old Madam, let me help you sow seeds.” Lu Zhuo rolled up his sleeves and squatted down.

Shou’an Jun shook her head and smiled, “I’m not tired here. If the Young Master wants to help, go help with plowing.”

Lu Zhuo respectfully obeyed.

He strode toward Wei Rao.

Zhou Huizhu smiled as she watched the show.

Wei Rao pretended not to hear the approaching footsteps.

“What is the Young Master coming to do?” Zhou Huizhu asked playfully. Although her cousin seemed very angry with Lu Zhuo, Zhou Huizhu had caught her cousin secretly petting Jin Zi. If her cousin truly hated Lu Zhuo that much, how could she be affectionate with the dog Lu Zhuo had given?

Zhou Huizhu had always felt that with Lu Zhuo’s face, as long as he hadn’t done anything heinous or been promiscuous, if she were her cousin, she could forgive Lu Zhuo.

Lu Zhuo looked at Wei Rao’s profile and said, “I want to help. Old Madam asked me to come plow the field.”

Zhou Huizhu immediately said, “Then, Young Master, come help me lead the ox!”

She wanted to give Lu Zhuo a chance to be alone with her cousin.

Wei Rao naturally saw through her cousin’s little scheme. Since Lu Zhuo wanted to help, Wei Rao gave up her position to him with a stern face, “Since the Young Master is so enthusiastic, come hold the plow. I’ve seen other farmers can drive the ox and push the plow together. With the Young Master’s martial arts skills, such a small matter as plowing fields surely won’t be difficult for you.”

Under her wide straw hat, she was beautiful as a flower, her rippling eyes looking at him coldly.

Lu Zhuo wasn’t afraid of her coldness—he was only afraid she wouldn’t look at him at all.

“I’m honored by the Princess’s high regard. Lu wishes to try,” Lu Zhuo said respectfully, then stepped forward to take the plow.

Wei Rao took away the gauze cloth, gave Zhou Huizhu a meaningful look, and went to find Old Madam without looking back.

“Grandmother, didn’t you already know his character? How could you still agree to let him help?” Wei Rao approached Shou’an Jun and whispered.

Shou’an Jun paused in her seed-sowing and glanced at Lu Zhuo ahead. She whispered with a snort, “He bullied you and was disrespectful to your mother, so I want to punish him. A young master like him has never plowed fields before. If he plows these two acres despite losing face, then I’ll respect his ability to bend when necessary. If he finds it too tiring and runs away halfway, let’s see what face he’ll have to appear before us in the future.”

Wei Rao bit her lip. Why did she feel like Grandmother had other calculations?

“Alright, you two, stop being idle and go sow seeds,” Shou’an Jun ordered the sisters. “One sows seeds, one covers them with soil.”

Zhou Huizhu called out, “I’ll sow seeds!”

She rushed to grab the seeds and considerately handed the soil rake to Wei Rao.

While absent-mindedly wrapping gauze around the rake handle, Wei Rao observed Lu Zhuo ahead. This man was wearing brocade robes completely out of place in the sandy field, holding the plow with one hand and a whip with the other. But he didn’t seem to need the whip—the ox listened to him very well and walked straight ahead. Lu Zhuo’s figure holding the plow was more elegant than those farm men…

He got the hang of it so quickly. Had he been a farmer in his previous life?

But Wei Rao had just finished plowing and knew that no matter how docile the old ox was, the person holding the plow still needed to exert force. Wei Rao wanted to see how long Lu Zhuo could persist.

Lu Zhuo finished plowing one furrow, directed the old ox to turn around, and came toward the three women.

Wei Rao pulled down the edge of her straw hat to prevent him from seeing her face, and heavily dragged soil with the rake in her hands to bury the seeds.

Shou’an Jun and Zhou Huizhu sowed seeds quickly and had already walked far ahead. Wei Rao fell behind by herself.

Soon, Lu Zhuo came to her side.

Unable to see her face, he could see her beautiful chin and tightly pressed red lips.

Her expression while raking soil didn’t look like she was burying seeds, but rather like she wanted to bury him alive.

“What must I do for the Princess to forgive me?” Lu Zhuo asked in a low voice.

Wei Rao pretended not to hear.

One pushed the plow northward, the other raked soil southward, passing each other.

But there would always be times when they met again. Lu Zhuo, as if greeting an acquaintance, smiled and told Wei Rao about his recent situation, “I rented a residence in Yunwu Town. If the Princess has any instructions, just send someone to let me know.”

Wei Rao looked up in disbelief.

Lu Zhuo smiled and pointed in the direction for her.

Wei Rao frowned, “You’re so idle—don’t you need to go to the military camp?”

Lu Zhuo said, “If there’s no war, my duties at the military camp aren’t heavy. Now that Fourth Uncle has gone to the camp, it’s even easier for me to get away.”

Wei Rao sneered, “If the Young Master is doing this to encounter me by chance, then I advise you to obediently go to the military camp. Starting tomorrow, I won’t leave the villa even one step until I return to the capital.”

Lu Zhuo looked helpless. “Very well, I’ll return to the capital. Princess, please don’t let me spoil your spring outing.”

Wei Rao didn’t want to talk to him. Lu Zhuo’s refined, composed, confident demeanor made her angry, as if he were certain she would accept him.

Throwing down the rake, Wei Rao called out to her grandmother, walked to the edge of the field, mounted her horse, and returned to the villa.

Near noon, Shou’an Jun returned with Zhou Huizhu.

Zhou Huizhu ran to Wei Rao’s Yan Garden as soon as she got out of the carriage.

She was covered in sweat. Bitao smiled as she brought water to serve her young mistress in washing her face, while Liu Ya prepared tea.

Zhou Huizhu gulped down a bowl of tea and said to Wei Rao, who was calmly reading on the couch, “Sister Rao, Young Master Lu is hypocritical. When you were there, he honestly plowed the field, but as soon as you left, he found an excuse to slip away. It left Grandmother and me to plant two acres of watermelons by ourselves. I’m exhausted!”

Wei Rao didn’t even look up. Since Lu Zhuo had gone into the field, given his character, he couldn’t possibly give up halfway.

Sure enough, seeing that she didn’t care at all, Zhou Huizhu eagerly leaned over, “He’s not sincere enough—isn’t Sister Rao angry at all?”

Wei Rao made a faint sound of acknowledgment.

Zhou Huizhu immediately felt bored and told the truth, “I was lying to you. Young Master Lu worked very diligently. Not only did he plow the field, but he also helped rake the soil. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was a tenant farmer for our family.”

Wei Rao’s heart stirred, and she asked, “What was Grandmother’s attitude toward him?”

Zhou Huizhu recalled for a moment and said, “Grandmother was polite to him in person, but on the way back in the carriage, Grandmother told me not to be deceived by Young Master Lu, saying he was scheming and not a good person.”

Wei Rao pondered slightly. Could it be that Grandmother truly wasn’t helping Lu Zhuo curry favor with her?