Chapter 673: Chapter 445: No Poison
Xiaomi did not notice her older brother’s gaze; she was just surprised to see him checking Jiang Wei’s pulse, feeling quite shocked: "Big brother, you can diagnose illnesses now?"
Jiang Yu withdrew his hand: "Of course not."
Xiaomi was greatly disappointed: "Then why were you taking Xiao Wei’s pulse?"
"Although I can’t diagnose illnesses, I can interpret simple pulse signs without any issues. Xiao Wei’s pulse is steady, showing no signs of poisoning."
Xiaomi was surprised once again: "That’s quite impressive!"
She herself had no idea, merely sensing the pulse’s rhythmic beats, with no clue about what was normal or abnormal.
It seemed that her big brother was indeed multi-talented.
Having confirmed that Jiang Wei wasn’t poisoned, Jiang Yu felt somewhat relieved and turned his attention to the potatoes on the ground.
"What do you plan to do with these things, eat them?"
Jiang Wei shook his head repeatedly: "No, no, we need to plant them. Oh, big brother, where’s Commander Yang? I want to ask them for help."
Jiang Yu thought briefly and understood his intentions: "You want to scout around nearby to see if there are more?"
"Exactly! The family’s courtyard is still barren, and I want to try planting in the yard. I could build a straw hut to see if they can grow. If it’s too cold to plant now, I’ll try again in spring."
Evidently, on the way back, while talking to Xiaomi, Jiang Wei had already formed his own plans and ideas. Now, explaining them to his big brother, he was clear and organized.
Jiang Yu nodded: "It’s good that you have a plan. Commander Yang is over there training the soldiers; they mentioned having nothing to do this morning and being quite bored. You can go find them later."
Regarding these matters, Jiang Yu naturally didn’t have much insight. His knowledge about farming was similar to Xiaomi’s, limited to the surface.
Among the siblings, the youngest brother understood these things best, so let him handle it.
Jiang Wei moved all the potatoes back to the courtyard and made a trip to the mountains to bring back a large pile of potato stalks before bringing the dry potatoes to find Commander Yang.
The five hundred imperial guards were still the same group that had followed them to Anning Village initially.
These guards were appointed by the court to protect the Noble Marquis of Agriculture. They were supposed to be rotated every six months in two groups.
However, everyone seemed reluctant to leave, mainly because Anning Village provided good food and drink without much tiring work, making them unwilling to return.
As a result, Commander Yang applied for an extension from above, changing the rotation from every six months to a yearly cycle.
When the next batch of imperial guards arrives after the New Year, they could return to the Capital City and reunite with their families.
However, according to what Xiaomi knew, the main reason for returning around New Year seemed to be the cooler weather, and everyone wanted to bring things back to their families from Anning Village?
But none of these details mattered; at least Jiang Wei could easily go find Commander Yang.
Commander Yang was currently training soldiers. With no tasks recently, except for those on day-to-day patrols, the others had resumed training.
Even after such a lengthy period without encountering any danger, they couldn’t forget their skills.
Especially during this time, everyone experienced varying degrees of laxness. Although the crops were well-planted, their bellies had grown thicker too.
So, yes, Commander Yang joined them in training. Every day, he circled Anning Village twice before practicing with his spear.
Leading from the front, he wielded his Red Tassel Spear skillfully, demonstrating substantial strength and prowess, with no hindrance even after gaining some weight recently.
Indeed, he felt much better physically over the past few months.
Behind him, apart from the dozens on patrol, the remaining four hundred soldiers trained in unison, creating an impressive atmosphere, especially when they shouted together.
After more than half a month of training, they regained their previous vigor, even more energetically than before.
It looked as if just a few hundred soldiers had managed to muster the momentum of a thousand.
Someone was the first to notice, "Leader, the princely heir is coming over, carrying something."
Although Jiang Wei was not the eldest son, as Jiang Yu mentioned, no child in the family was considered inferior.
Moreover, Jiang Yu had clearly stated that he wouldn’t inherit their father’s title, allowing Jiang Wei, the youngest son, to naturally become the Princely Heir.
Yes, even if he spent all day tilling the soil, he couldn’t escape the fact that he was indeed the princely heir.
Commander Yang adjusted his gun and signaled his deputy to continue. He walked toward Jiang Wei.
"Why is the princely heir here? Do you need our help?"
He also noticed the straw in Jiang Wei’s hands, unfamiliar and unseen before.
Yet, if the princely heir sought him out, it definitely wasn’t due to idleness.
Even in the womb, Jiang Wei seemed deprived of nutrients by his elder sister Xiaomi. From birth, he was dark and small, severely malnourished, once thought to be difficult to sustain.
Despite Xiaomi feeding him Spiritual Spring water for a while, he still appeared quite thin.
Having always been shorter than Xiaomi in childhood, he suddenly sprouted taller over the past two years, surpassing her height.
Still, he remained thin. As Xiaomi remarked, he resembled a clothesline, though his skin was no longer dark and yellow like in childhood, turning brown in summer and lightening in winter.
Despite being slim, he worked tirelessly, never faltering behind others, and had a good appetite for food and meat. Earlier, Aunt Jiang Hu had taken him to see a doctor, confirming his health.
This reassurance brought Xiaomi relief, ensuring she hadn’t caused her younger brother to become sickly.
After all, he’s just a thirteen-year-old youth. In contrast to Commander Yang, a sturdy man in his twenties or thirties with years of martial practice, there’s no comparison.
He’s shorter than Commander Yang and two Jiang Weis combined wouldn’t match a single Commander Yang in stature.
Nevertheless, Jiang Wei didn’t show any fear before the imposing Commander Yang, fresh from the training field.
Setting the potato stalks aside, he said, "Commander Yang, I discovered something good today. Try it out."
He then pulled a roasted potato from his sleeve pocket. If Xiaomi were asked, she probably wouldn’t know when Jiang Wei hid it.
"What’s this?"
It was roasted until nearly black, yet warm.
"I discovered it while cooking with my sister on the mountain at noon. I’ve tasted it; it’s horrible raw and numbs the mouth, apparently not suitable for eating raw. But it is quite delicious when roasted. I’ve been eating it for nearly an hour, and I’m fine."
Commander Yang didn’t think much, broke open the roasted potato which emitted steam and a tender yellow scent, giving off an enticing aroma.
Biting down, Commander Yang savored it before swallowing.
He thought for a moment.
"It tastes somewhat like roasted sweet potato or yam, but not as sweet."