When Song Jinzhao visited again three days later, she found that all the servants and maids in the Spring Water Courtyard were unfamiliar faces. Two guards stood outside the courtyard gate, and even Liao Xiwen was nowhere to be seen.
Looking at Kong Wanru lying on the bed, she seemed as if her soul had been drained away. Her dark eyes were hollow and lifeless, and her whole body exuded a deathly aura of lost hope.
Just as she set down her medicine chest, Kong Wanru's voice reached her ears.
Doctor Song, you do not need to come here anymore.
Song Jinzhao turned around and looked at her. You do not want to get pregnant anymore?
The corners of the woman's mouth curled into an extremely faint smile, hard to tell if it was self-deprecation or bitterness.
It is the same whether I am treated or not. I will never be able to have my own child again. What is the point of being able to give birth?
Just like this dark and sunless Spring Water Courtyard, she would never be able to leave until she died of old age.
Song Jinzhao furrowed her brows, feeling dissatisfied. Is Liao Xiwen not your child?
Kong Wanru weakly closed her eyes. A daughter will eventually be married off. She cannot inherit the family property, so having one is the same as not having one.
Song Jinzhao rolled her eyes to the heavens, decisively picked up her medicine chest, and left. You deserve to never have a son in this lifetime.
Not long after walking out of the Spring Water Courtyard, Song Jinzhao bumped into Liao Xiwen near the rockery.
Miss Song... no, she quickly curtsied and greeted, Greetings, Lady of the County.
Song Jinzhao noticed the dark circles under her eyes and her somewhat sallow complexion, clear signs that she had not slept well.
Did you not take the soothing medicine I prescribed for you?
A wave of bitterness rose in Liao Xiwen's throat as she forced out, I was upset, so I did not take it.
May I ask, Lady, how is my mother's illness? I heard from the new maids that she has not eaten for the past two days.
Song Jinzhao asked, You did not go to see her?
Liao Xiwen shook her head, her eyes growing slightly moist. My father said that my mother made a mistake and will not let me see her. He even replaced all the servants in the Spring Water Courtyard. There are guards at the door, so I cannot get in.
Song Jinzhao blinked, having already guessed most of what happened.
It was likely that Concubine Su's multiple miscarriages were the work of Kong Wanru.
Now that the truth had come to light, not only was her marital relationship shattered, but Kong Wanru was also imprisoned in her courtyard, which was why she no longer wanted treatment.
Your mother harbors a death wish and told me not to come anymore. Without a son, she does not want to live.
Tears welling in her eyes, Liao Xiwen stood blankly on the spot. Even until Song Jinzhao's figure disappeared from her sight, she did not move an inch, as if she had been frozen.
Without a son she did not want to live, so did that mean she, her daughter, was not important to her at all?
After being titled as the Lady of the County, the pace of Song Jinzhao's life did not change much.
The only difference was that commoners would kneel and bow before speaking to her, respectfully addressing her as Lady before daring to rise.
As the weather gradually warmed up, Song Jinzhao had the manor's servants transplant all the flowers in the garden into pots, and then tilled the soil.
When Song Qiming returned from the academy and saw the uneven, dug-up garden, he curiously asked Song Jinzhao what she was doing.
The farm is outside the city, too far away to conveniently check on at any time, so I plan to plant the potatoes in the garden.
Thinking of that pile of sprouted potatoes brought all the way from Xining City, many had already died.
Song Qiming looked worried. I saw that many of the sprouts have withered. Can they still survive?
Song Jinzhao nodded. Some that are greenish on the surface and haven't fully sprouted should be able to survive. About half of the ones that sprouted earlier still look viable. Let's plant them first and see.
It was precisely because there were not many that she did not dare to plant them at the farm and leave them entirely to the servants.
With only this small amount of seeds, if they were all ruined, it would probably be difficult to find more.
She did not yet want to take a sheepskin map and cross the ocean in search of a new continent.
Song Qiming lowered his voice and confirmed with Song Jinzhao, Sister, can these potatoes really yield over a thousand catties per mu?
He had asked several times, always feeling it was too surreal.
The yield of rice per mu was one shi, which was only about one hundred and sixty catties. He dared not even imagine what a concept of over a thousand catties was.
Song Jinzhao gave him a positive answer once again. You will know once they are grown.
After the last batch of greenhouse vegetables was harvested, Song Jinzhao had people dismantle the greenhouses and start tilling the land.
They scattered a layer of plant ash to prevent pests and diseases and supplement potassium fertilizer, waiting until the weather warmed up in April to start planting peanuts.
