Chapter 479: Seeking Gu Shuo’s Help to Gift Seeds 6
"What is this?"
Ye Qianning stood up from her chair. With her small hands, she unwrapped a bundle, revealing black novelty grapes, blueberries, hawthorns, and sand fruits that she had grown in her space.
"Try some of these fruits."
Surprise flickered in Gu Shuo’s eyes. The fruits before him were of various colors, all vibrant and fresh. He recognized the bright red fruit—it grew in Shu, but its yield was low.
He had only ever seen it when Shu presented tribute.
The other fruits seemed unfamiliar, though they had a certain familiarity to them.
He picked up a red fruit and took a bite. The sourness instantly made his face twitch, but he chewed a few times and swallowed.
’To eat something so sour without losing his composure... he’s really something else,’ Ye Qianning thought, a little impressed.
"This fruit is..." Gu Shuo’s brows knitted. It wasn’t a flavor he particularly enjoyed.
"It’s very sour, isn’t it? Try this then." Ye Qianning unwrapped a sheet of oil paper, revealing an assortment of snacks made from hawthorn: hawthorn cakes, hawthorn rolls, and dried hawthorn slices.
Gu Shuo examined them closely and realized they were made from the fruit he had just tried. They looked quite appetizing.
After a moment of observation, he picked up a piece of cake and placed it in his mouth. It wasn’t as tart as the raw fruit; a slight sourness was balanced by a fragrant sweetness, making the taste much more agreeable.
Ye Qianning took a few of the dried slices, placed them in a cup, steeped them in hot water, and then pushed the cup toward him.
Seeing this, Gu Shuo lifted the cup without any hesitation and took a sip. It was sweet and sour, and quite delicious.
"Not bad," he said, his eyes filled with amazement.
"These are all made from hawthorn. How do you think they compare in quality to the ones Shu sends as tribute?"
"Twice as good."
"See? There’s your specialty product. And these are called blueberries, black novelty grapes, and sand fruits. They are all cold-hardy varieties, very suitable for planting in Nanyuan." Ye Qianning nudged the fruits forward.
Gu Shuo picked up a blueberry and ate it. The texture was pleasant. It was a fruit he had never seen or tasted before. And the grapes... there were actually grapes as black as ink.
’Where did she get such strange and rare seeds? And where did she plant them to bear fruit?’
He suddenly recalled the two apples she had given Elder Gu and Old Master Zhan at the palace gate. Those apples were far superior to the ones from Yu State.
"Are these all seeds?" he asked, looking at the other bundle.
"Yes. I need you to send these to Nanyuan later. Nanyuan’s soil is very suitable for cultivation. Once they mature, it will definitely become a dark horse."
Gu Shuo opened the other bundle. Inside were several large bags of seeds, all separated.
"Growing from seed to sapling, then flowering and bearing fruit, isn’t something that happens overnight. Will Nanyuan be willing to plant them?"
"The blueberries bear fruit in two years, which can help in the meantime. The other fruits take longer, but it’s not an unfeasible option. Trading five to ten years for Nanyuan’s future prosperity is a choice any intelligent person would make."
Many nations only see the immediate benefits, often overlooking long-term gains.
But a competent ruler won’t be blinded by what’s right in front of them.
Gu Shuo fell into contemplation.
"Nanyuan’s fish are excellent. Have you tasted the meat? It’s more tender and fresh than the sea fish from the other three nations. With proper packaging and transport by merchant caravans, it would absolutely be another path to wealth." Ye Qianning had already come up with a plan for Nanyuan back when the city was under lockdown a few days ago.
"How would you package it?"
"It’s like the apples from Yu State. All four nations have plenty of apples, so why do the rich and powerful only choose the ones from Yu State? The principle is the same. What does it matter if the journey is long? The world has no shortage of wealthy people. The rarer something is, the more prestigious it becomes." Ye Qianning paused, then added, "Nanyuan’s sea fish are the plumpest and most delicious in all the three nations. Once it has a reputation, it will naturally sell well."
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