Chapter 29: Could it be those five men in black from the day before yesterday?

Mu Er-yue and Mu San-yue each took a sip, and finding it wasn't enough, they eagerly went for a second.

"Wait until we start eating the dishes to drink more," Yu Jinzhen said. "If you drink too much juice, you'll get bloated and won't have room for the food."

It would be a pity to miss out on such a wonderful meal. The children obediently listened and set their grape juice aside. Yu Jinzhen smiled and said, "Alright, everyone, let's start eating."

The Mu father and his three children, having never smelled anything so fragrant, reached out with their chopsticks.

"Is there anyone from the third branch of the Mu family here?"

It was not yet dark, and upon hearing the voice, Yu Jinzhen set down her chopsticks and walked to the edge of the stone wall, where she saw four men standing below.

Mu Guhuai walked over as well and asked, "What do you four want with us?"

Lu Yuance laughed, "Using me the day before yesterday and now refusing to acknowledge me?"

Min En added, "Little girl, we did you such a big favor—aren't you going to thank us?"

The other two remained silent.

Yu Jinzhen’s body stiffened. Could these be the five men in black from the other day? She had only intended to lure people from the General's manor; she never expected them to show up here.

Min En continued, "It’s quite tiring talking like this. Why don't you let us come up?"

Yu Jinzhen hesitated, but before they could offer a refusal, the four men—just as she had done—used their lightfoot skills to fly directly into the stone cave.

Upon entering, before they could even recover from the intoxicating aroma, they spotted the obvious tent and the hot pot. The ingredients were clearly beyond the means of a family like the Mu third branch.

Shen Lianyu looked at Yu Jinzhen with a meaningful gaze. "Little girl, your household is truly different from ordinary families."

By now, Yu Jinzhen had seen their faces and recognized Min En. Since one of them was from the military camp, their arrival was actually quite opportune.

Mu Guhuai explained in a flustered tone, "Gentlemen, Zhenzhen didn't intend to use you the other day. We apologize; we were forced by circumstances."

Lu Yuance replied, "No matter. We aren't here for that."

Mu Guhuai was stunned. If not for that, then why were they here?

Yu Jinzhen took out a few more bowls, prepared dipping sauces for them, placed the bowls in their hands, poured them grape juice, and handed out two pairs of chopsticks to each. "Since you arrived at this time, you probably haven't eaten dinner yet. Let's eat together."

Min En stared blankly at the bowl in his hand, filled with oil, and looked at the raw ingredients on the table. How was one supposed to eat this?

Shen Lianyu, being a general, was well-traveled. Though curious about how to eat these dishes, he remained composed. "Then we shall accept your kindness."

Mu Guhuai and the children made space for them. Yu Jinzhen demonstrated how to eat and how to use the communal chopsticks, and soon everyone began to eat.

Except for Yu Jinzhen, the others were conquered by the flavor of the hot pot after the very first bite. Min En’s eyes nearly popped out in surprise. "My heavens, this is delicious! The flavor is so unique."

Lu Yuance, the Crown Prince, had grown up eating delicacies, yet even he found the flavor of the hot pot extraordinary. "It is indeed delicious."

Though Shen Lianyu and his attendant said nothing, the expressions on their faces showed they were equally satisfied.

Mu Guhuai, observing the four men's attire, knew they were prominent figures. While the food was delicious, he felt anxious. What if they exposed Zhenzhen's identity and drew those who were hunting her? Or worse, what if they were among the hunters themselves? To hide his thoughts, he forced himself to appear calm and continued eating.

Shen Lianyu, having eaten the spicy food, felt thirsty and took a sip of the grape juice. "What is this drink made of?"

Yu Jinzhen didn't hide it from him. She brought the half-empty bottle of grape juice to him and said, "It’s called grape juice, made from fresh grapes." It was included in the hot pot gift set.

Seeing the bottle, all four men were taken aback. The bottle was very unusual, with an entirely white exterior. Out of courtesy, they held back and didn't immediately take the bottle to examine it.

Lu Yuance suddenly asked, "Are grapes a type of fruit?"

Yu Jinzhen thought, *They don't have grapes here?* She cleared her throat softly. "Yes, a very delicious fruit. Unfortunately, my family and I haven't been able to find any for the time being. Otherwise, I would let you taste them, though the flavor is not far from this juice."

The four men exchanged glances and continued eating without a word.

The food was truly too delicious. The area where the Capital Guard camp was stationed was also a drought-stricken region that hadn't seen rain in two years. Although the army received regular supplies from the imperial court, for the sake of transport and preservation, the delivered food was rarely palatable. To suddenly encounter such a delicious hot pot with ingredients they had never seen before—it was impossible not to be moved.

Before long, half the food was gone.

Yu Jinzhen thought, *Growing boys really do eat their elders into poverty.* She had underestimated their appetites.

Worried there wouldn't be enough, she took some washed potatoes, sliced them, and filled a large basin. "These are potatoes. You need to boil them to cook them through. If you aren't full, please eat more of these; they are also very good."

The hot pot kit also contained noodles, sea cucumber, and salmon, but she didn't want to bring those out just yet.

Having mostly eaten meat, the four guests didn't mind the vegetable-like dish. After boiling them, they each tasted a piece and were very satisfied.

Mu Guhuai, observing the guests' reactions, casually remarked, "I heard Zhenzhen say earlier that these potatoes can be eaten as a staple food. We've been eating them for the past few days, and they are truly filling. If they could be planted, they could yield ten thousand catties per mu. If only we could grow such delicious and high-yield crops now."

The four men's hands trembled mid-air.

Lu Yuance, rarely losing his composure, asked excitedly, "Ten thousand catties per mu?"

The other three wore expressions of undisguised excitement. If such a crop truly existed, the common people would never have to starve again.

*Well said!* Yu Jinzhen thought. She assumed her adoptive father was saying it for their benefit, so she nodded earnestly. "Yes, it really is ten thousand catties per mu. Furthermore, the growth cycle is very short. The kind we are eating now takes only one month from planting to harvest."

Shun Mao had told her that the variety she had unlocked was a new, unpublished strain developed in the 21st century, which indeed took only a month to harvest.

The eyes of the four men grew even brighter.

Shen Lianyu asked urgently, "Can you find the seeds?"