This place used to be for planting flax, but now cotton is the most valuable, so the better and wider ridges are used for planting cotton.
Zhao Dali applied fertilizer to the cotton plants and filled the roots with a hoe before stomping his feet and leaving.
The owner of the neighboring plot also came to see his wheat. Seeing the cotton by the edge of the field, he couldn’t help but envy, "Your family divided so many cotton seeds, and you even planted them on the field embankment?"
Zhao Dali: "The soil here is fertile, and when I fertilize the wheat, I can also sprinkle some for them. The amount of cotton seeds divided among us is the same as yours."
The other party didn’t believe it, leaned in and asked in a low voice, "I see the Zhao Family planted a lot. Did your Seventh Grandfather provide the seeds?"
Zhao Dali did not deny it.
The other party envied him even more.
Zhao Dali continued, "Half of the harvested cotton has to be given to the Seventh Grandfather."
"That’s still profitable," the other replied, "Cotton is expensive now."
Zhao Dali nodded in agreement. Yes, cotton is very expensive now. What he didn’t mention was that if Zhao Ming hadn’t spoken up, the Seventh Grandfather initially wanted to take seventy percent, but Zhao Ming managed to push it down to fifty percent, equal to the rent collected by the court.
"Since your family plants cotton, do you also plant mulberry and flax?"
Zhao Dali: "Of course we plant them. I heard that this cotton is mainly used for stuffing quilts and clothing, but it’s not as beautiful as silk, nor as affordable for close-fitting wear as linen clothes."
Their family bought a new weaving machine, and his wife has already learned to use it. As long as the spun yarn is thin enough, the woven linen fabric is finer than before, not to mention faster.
In just three days, his wife can not only weave the twenty-five-foot cloth required to be handed over to the yamen but also make new clothes for the whole family.
On his way home, Zhao Dali detoured to his mulberry orchard to pick a basket of mulberry leaves to take home.
At home, they raise silkworms, though not many, mainly because his mother and children are raising them, and they’re not too familiar with it yet. But having bought the weaving machine, only weaving fine linen would be a waste.
They want to take on some work weaving silk and chiffon, and it’s just right that his mother and three children are at home to help raise some silkworms.
If they have a talent for it and can make money, they’ll learn silkworm raising techniques at the school. Zhao Dali has already planned that once they earn money, he will send the children to Chen County for their studies.
The clan school and county school are good, but not as good as the state school. He has two sons and a daughter and plans to send them all to Chen County then. Just rent and tuition are considerable expenses.
Moreover, if they don’t do well in their studies, they’d have to spend money to learn some skills. If not from their own money, then from the government’s money, requiring them to sign a contract with the yamen to work for them for a certain number of years after graduation. Although there’s a wage, it’s much less than working outside on their own.
Zhao Dali is from a collateral branch of the Zhao Family, quite distant from the main branch, sharing only the surname and living in the Zhao’s Fortress, oh, now that fortress is no longer called a fortress, but Zhao Family Village.
Calling out "I’m from the Xiping Zhao Family" outside still draws attention, but that’s about it. To gain any real benefits, one must rely on true skills.
So, you have to study, practice martial arts, and learn skills!
This is a truth Zhao Dali realized over the years from elders and the village chief.
At that moment, Zhao Hanzhang was also reasoning with her daughter. She lifted her daughter by the back of her clothes, carried her all the way to the back hall’s bathroom, tossed her on the ground, rolled up her sleeves, and stripped her completely. Looking disdainfully at the mud-covered clothes, she tossed the girl into the pool.
Zhao Renjia was like a fish, holding her breath as soon as she submerged, skillfully flipping underwater. With two kicks of her short legs, she surfaced.
Her mother had put her in the water to swim shortly after she was born, swimming five or six times every ten days. So sinking and floating in water and breathing underwater had become her instinct, just like eating and sleeping, more familiar than walking.
At least she learned to swim before she learned to walk.
So at this time, she could float on the water while talking to her mother, and when her mother’s hand approached, she could swiftly dive underwater, emerging from the other side of the pool, giggling joyfully.
Zhao Hanzhang’s face darkened, "Did you listen to what I said to you?"
Zhao Renjia, slowly rolling in the water like a scroll, replied during her idle time, "I heard, I won’t bully them next time."
Zhao Hanzhang took a deep breath, and seeing her clean herself, waved her over.
Zhao Renjia, unsuspecting, swam closer, only for Zhao Hanzhang to quickly grab her. Zhao Renjia reacted swiftly, diving to swim away, only to be caught by the leg the next moment.
Zhao Renjia was dazed, water droplets trickling down her face into her hair and dripping down. Zhao Hanzhang lifted her up and carried her by the arm towards a wooden couch.
The palace maid had already spread out a large bath towel. As soon as Zhao Hanzhang placed her down, the maid immediately dried her off, dressed her in clothes and socks, and placed her on the ground, standing face to face with Zhao Hanzhang, before bowing and retreating.
The bathroom was instantly left with only the mother and daughter.
Zhao Hanzhang looked down at her daughter, who only reached her thigh. She was cautiously peeking at her mother, her eyes darting mischievously, plotting who knows what.
Zhao Hanzhang asked, "Mingming, do you think you can beat Zu Daosheng and Zhao Jue?"
The three-year-old Zhao Renjia couldn’t distinguish between reality and fiction, "I won; I have martial prowess like Mother, unbeatable."
"Quite confident. Your mother indeed has unparalleled martial skills, but you’re far from it. The youngest of Zu Daosheng and the others are three years older than you. You beat them four to one and claim you won on your skill?"
"I did!"
Zhao Hanzhang burst her bubble, "I saw it. Your punch didn’t even land on Zu Daosheng, and he fell backward with a ’plop’."
Zhao Renjia froze, then her face turned red, her eyes reddening, "Why did they trick me?"
"Probably because your mother is an emperor, and because you’re small and cute." Zhao Hanzhang said slowly, "But remember, if you rely on being small, you’ll grow up eventually. Being cute at three is endearing, but acting like a child at thirty is detestable."
"So the latter two you can’t rely on forever, leaving only your mother being the emperor," Zhao Hanzhang paused, ensuring she understood, then continued, "But remember, relying on someone else’s status to act willfully can be disastrous when that support disappears, like a mountain collapsing."
"What does a mountain collapsing look like? Is Mother not giving me support because you don’t love me?"
Zhao Hanzhang nodded, "When the Ministry of Industry blasts a mountain, I can take you to see a collapse. And if there’s a day, I don’t let you rely on it, it’s because you’ve done something even I, as your mother, can’t tolerate. I love you, but I can’t go against ethics and morality."
Whether Zhao Renjia could understand or not, she turned around after speaking, "Keep today’s words in your mind, whether you understand them or not."
Zhao Renjia followed closely behind, happily responding.
Because of her short legs, it took several of her steps for each of her mother’s strides. So, she simply hopped and skipped, catching flowers and grass along the way as she followed her mother to the main hall.
Fu Tinghan, seeing she had changed out of her muddy clothes and was now clean and fresh, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
But seeing her so happy, for some reason, Fu Tinghan couldn’t help but recall her rolling in the mud with a group of officials’ children.
He couldn’t help but say, "Since she’s so happy, why not start her enlightenment in reading?"

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