Due to the Pope's injuries, the church members had to stay at Sardinson Castle while he recovered. Meanwhile, life in the territory continued as usual, bustling with activity.
After the wheat harvest, a new batch of oats was quickly planted. The estate's irrigation system—though the river feeding it didn't even have an official name—had long been completed. It didn't look like much, but the river was rich with water. Even after ten or fifteen days without rain, it never dried up. Water from the river flowed through canals that stretched across the entire estate. Thanks to this extensive network, villagers no longer had to travel far to fetch water, and watering the fields became more efficient and less time-consuming. The time saved could now be spent on other work—like doing service for the Earl in exchange for extra earnings.
These canals had already been constructed before the winter. Their usefulness became evident come spring. The people of the territory, who always looked to the castle for direction, began building their canals early on. Lacking the money to hire laborers, each village organized its manpower, digging canals during the off-season. After more than half a year of collective effort, now in Sardinson, wherever there was farmland, winding irrigation canals could be seen.
Because of this, even though rainfall had been sparse this year—with only one heavy rain at the end of the wheat harvest and nothing but sun into July—the crops remained lush and vibrant.
As July came and the weather grew even hotter, the vegetable plots entered peak production.
The castle had its vegetable garden. Initially, it was a small patch just to supply the castle's needs. But after Wei Wei arrived, she planted a variety of vegetables in the spring of last year. By autumn, they had already harvested a large amount, with plenty of seeds preserved for future use. This year, apart from certain rare crops like corn and sweet potatoes that had to remain secret and were grown near the villa, most vegetables were still cultivated in the main garden.
Thus, what had once been a one-acre garden expanded to ten acres, now not only growing various vegetables but also multiple types of fruit.
Standing just outside the rear gate of the castle, one could see lush, vibrant vegetables surrounded by wooden fences. Scallions and garlic shoots formed a green blanket over the fields. Bright green bell peppers, and red tomatoes and chilies hung from the branches like lanterns—strikingly festive in red and green. On one side, cucumber vines and flowering loofah plants climbed up wooden trellises, heavy with hanging cucumbers waiting to be picked. Beneath broad leaves, green-skinned pumpkins and tiny winter melons peeked out, hinting at the bounty to come.
Another half of the garden had newly transplanted or freshly planted fruit trees—still saplings, far from bearing fruit—but the future orchard was beginning to take shape. Among them, strawberry plants with white blossoms, red berries, and green leaves stood out brightly, attracting flocks of birds. To protect this just-ripened batch, slaves were assigned to guard the area, driving away birds to prevent them from devouring the fragile fruits.
Seeing the strawberries reminded Wei Wei of her old apartment balcony in the modern world, where she once kept a small potted strawberry plant. It was tiny, but it loved bearing fruit. Every time it finally ripened one berry, a sparrow would steal it before it fully ripened, leaving behind a sad, half-eaten remnant.
These strawberries had been transplanted from the castle. Last year, after they matured, Wei Wei let them propagate freely. From nearly a thousand plants, they'd expanded to over ten thousand, and the number kept doubling. Strawberries were vigorous reproducers—well-cared-for plants continually produced runners that, once buried into the soil, would take root and grow. As long as the runners remained connected to the mother plant, they continued to receive nutrients and could themselves produce new runners, forming long chains of clones like spider plants.
By this year, Wei Wei decided the strawberry patch was big enough. She stopped further expansion and instead had the runners bundled into seedling balls. A notice went out from the castle—anyone interested in planting their own could come and take some.
Wild strawberries did exist in Europe during this period, but they were vastly inferior in appearance and flavor compared to the cultivated varieties. Last year's harvest was already abundant—far too much for the castle's residents to consume. Some of the yield was made into jam and dried fruit; the rest was distributed among the castle staff so everyone could taste their sweetness.
Strawberries were easy to care for, tasted and looked great, and were still extremely rare—only Sardinson had them. Naturally, people believed they could sell for a good price. Some even carefully collected seeds from the strawberries, hoping to grow them at home.
Back then, Wei Wei was not yet the mistress of the castle. People respected her but did not fear her, and since neither she nor Felix had explicitly forbidden it, many made plans to plant the seeds.
Knights had their lands, and even the servants had family plots. For people used to meager harvests, the chance to grow something valuable was a strong temptation.
However, the number of strawberries each person received was small. Most people didn't even realize those tiny dots on the fruit were seeds and simply ate them. The few who did save the seeds later found out that, while they could germinate, the seedlings were weak.
They didn't understand that while seeds could produce new plants, they were genetically unstable. Once dried and planted, the resulting plants might mutate—some better, some worse—but maintaining the original traits was nearly impossible.
Seed-grown strawberries also grew slowly and were fragile. Without expert care, most seedlings died during transplanting. Even if they survived, the fruit quality varied wildly and wasn't reliable enough for large-scale cultivation.
After killing off most of their seedlings and barely keeping a few alive, everyone realized mass planting from seed was impossible.
So when Wei Wei announced she'd give away strawberry runners for free, people rushed to line up. The seedlings were snatched up before they even made it to the castle gate. Some even offered to buy seeds.
They thought their failure had been due to inexperience. Now that Wei Wei was offering real plants and willing to teach them, they were eager to try again.
Wei Wei firmly refused to sell seeds. She patiently explained the flaws of strawberry seeds and advised the newcomers to focus on runner propagation.
Only then did people understand the problem wasn't just their lack of skill—the seeds themselves were unreliable. They gave up the idea.
Fortunately, Wei Wei was generous. For knights—Felix's trusted men—she handed out hundreds of plants at a time. Ordinary soldiers and servants received slightly fewer—forty or fifty each.
Word eventually spread beyond the castle, and serfs and freemen from nearby areas also came to ask. Wei Wei gave them seedlings too, though in smaller quantities—ten per family.
Given a year or two, these seedlings would grow and produce runners of their own, allowing people to expand their patches. Of course, growing runners did reduce fruit yield in the short term.
Strawberries had a three-year lifecycle. The second year yielded the most fruit. Some of Wei Wei's strawberries this year were in their second year, but since she let them propagate, a lot of their energy went into runner production. To preserve fruit quality, she had most of the flowers pruned, leaving only the strongest flower stalks. As a result, there were fewer berries, but each was large, perfectly shaped, red, and delicious.
Dolores had been dreaming about strawberries ever since she tasted them last year. When they ripened, she pulled Wei Wei along to pick them. She probably couldn't pick much on her own—but that wasn't the point. She just enjoyed the act of harvesting.
Last year, the garden's strawberry patch had been tended by the gardener's children. This year, the two older boys went to help at the paper mill, and the remaining children had been recruited as servants. The youngest girl was now assigned to Caroline. If she did well, she might become Caroline's maid.
Wei Wei wasn't sure whether her and Dolores' involvement had influenced this. After all, she'd spent half a year with the kids in the garden, and Dolores had grown close to several of the girls. When someone gained the lady's favor, the household naturally offered more opportunities. It wasn't easy to get into the castle as a servant.
This time, Wei Wei even dragged Felix out to help with the harvest. He'd been busy lately, and she felt he needed a break.
They went out early in the morning before the sun got hot. Felix was amazed by the variety in the garden—it reminded him of visiting Wei Wei's experimental field last year. Most of the plants were unfamiliar, but the fruit gave them away.
Dolores zeroed in on the strawberries. With a basket in hand, she squatted down and picked them one by one. Farther away, slaves were also busy harvesting. This huge patch could yield over two thousand pounds of strawberries. They ripened in waves every few days, and each round produced several hundred pounds. If they didn't pick them up in time, the birds would eat them all.
Wei Wei didn't pick strawberries. She made a beeline for the tomatoes and chilies. The tomatoes were big and bright—prime targets for birds. But the slaves were vigilant. They checked the fruit daily, picking the ripe ones immediately. Someone was always stationed in the field during the day to drive off birds, so the damage had been minimal.
When Wei Wei arrived, that day's ripe tomatoes hadn't yet been picked. She reached out to grab one, and Felix, holding a basket for her, picked one up, rubbed it on his shirt, and bit right in—sweet and tangy.
He knew these tomatoes took more than half a month to ripen. No pesticides were used during that period, and even the earlier pest control used mild treatments that lost potency within a week, so eating them fresh was safe.
"These tomatoes are looking good, and the yield's high. What do you plan to do with them? Sell them?"
Wei Wei bent down and picked one near the ground, handing it back without turning her head. "Collect the seeds. The rest—make them all into tomato paste."
Felix had eaten tomato-based dishes before and loved the taste. If she wanted to make all of them into a paste, he fully supported it. He was sure they would sell well.
She continued, "See if anyone's willing to grow tomatoes for us. We'll provide the seeds and technical support. They provide the land and labor."
Felix was surprised. "You want to outsource this? Why? There's still plenty of unused land in Sardinson and Slot."
Sardinson County was a standard count's domain. Only half the county was actively farmed. Although there had been some land development this year, there was still plenty of unused land. Slot was even more underpopulated—with only a thousand people in the whole county. Though a few freemen had moved back due to recent trade activity, the area was still mostly empty. A little clearing would open up huge tracts of farmland.
"Not just tomatoes. I plan to promote other vegetables too. These aren't grains, but they yield more per acre and bring higher profits. If prices stay high, I worry that people here will only want to plant what sells, not what feeds them."
This had been on her mind ever since people started lining up for strawberry runners. It wasn't just merchants who chased profit—ordinary people did too. With food no longer scarce, it was natural to want a better life. Right now, the fields are still filled with traditional crops, but once options expanded, people would choose whatever made more money.
Wei Wei didn't want the people of her territory to neglect staple crops. This wasn't the modern world with robust logistics. Most of the land should still be used for grains. Vegetables and fruits could be grown, but only in moderation.
But she did want to promote them—so if not on her land, then through partnerships.
She explained her concerns, and Felix understood. He asked about the tomato's growing conditions and already had several suitable sites in mind.
"I'll write to a few people and ask. We won't just work with one partner—spread it out. That way if one area faces drought or disaster, we won't lose everything."
He figured plenty of people would be interested. As for the terms—those would be negotiated.
Wei Wei smiled as he agreed and changed the subject.
"The corn, potatoes, and peanuts over at the villa should be ready for harvest, and Melk's rice too," she said, straightening and glancing toward the castle. "I'll head over in the next couple of days. Keep an eye on things here and don't let anyone follow."
Felix nodded. "Don't worry, I'll keep them in check."
She wasn't worried about the Pope or the bishops—it was their men she was wary of. Those knights and mercenaries were all well-trained. If one got careless, something could go wrong. Especially with Bishop Roberto, who was eager to send messages. The castle had seemed peaceful on the surface lately, but behind the scenes, plenty had been going on—just not made public yet.
Wei Wei and Felix finished their conversation, and then she went to check on Raymond and change his bandages. After giving instructions to the servants, she packed up the next day and left for the villa, bringing only Penny along.
Over the past year, Penny had grown more steady and composed. She was no longer the chatty girl she used to be. As Wei Wei's maid—much like Qin—Penny had received no shortage of attention. Plenty of people, especially from the church, had tried to win her favor. But both she and Qin were smart; they knew exactly why they were being courted. They didn't accept any gifts, and whenever anyone tried to chat them up, they either made an excuse or simply left. No one was able to fish any useful information from them.
Wei Wei had noticed Penny's maturity, which was why she chose to bring her along. The villa's operations were confidential—even the guards weren't allowed inside. They were stationed outside, patrolling the perimeter.
Of course, the guards weren't just standing around all day. Felix had built barracks on a piece of land near the villa and stationed a unit of soldiers there. They regularly drilled in the forest and simply included the villa in their patrol route.
Wei Wei's arrival didn't draw much attention from the soldiers—they were used to her coming and going.
The slaves working inside the villa, however, had been waiting anxiously. They'd been tending the experimental fields here and had gradually realized that none of these crops were common to Pradi. Since they weren't allowed to leave and had no entertainment apart from work, they often passed the time by speculating about the mysterious plants.
For things like corn and soybeans that grew above ground, it was easy to guess they were edible. But crops like potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and taro grew underground. The plants looked leafy enough on the surface, but when they bloomed and bore no fruit, the slaves started to worry. Had they failed in their care and ruined the crop?
They became increasingly anxious, fearing punishment. Thankfully, during a previous visit, Wei Wei had explained that the produce of these crops grew underground, out of sight. That put them at ease, and they began tending the fields even more carefully.
Now that harvest time had come, they were too afraid to harvest without orders, but also worried about missing the right window. So they eagerly awaited Wei Wei's arrival.
Once she arrived and inspected the fields, she immediately instructed them to start harvesting the corn, potatoes, and peanuts.
Penny had helped with the harvest last year, so Wei Wei left her in charge of collecting the corn. Wei Wei herself crouched down in the potato and peanut patches, hoe in hand, showing the slaves how to dig carefully to avoid damaging the crops underground.
As cluster after cluster of potatoes and peanuts were unearthed, the slaves watching nearby couldn't hold back their surprise.
"So many!"
They were shocked. The plants hadn't looked all that tall or impressive, and yet beneath each one were piles of food. Peanuts were less obvious, but the potatoes—each cluster weighing several pounds—were unmistakably a source of sustenance. When the skin broke to reveal the yellow flesh inside, the slaves instantly recognized it as something that could fill their bellies.
The realization came and went in a flash. Almost immediately, the slave who had damaged one of the potatoes dropped to his knees, apologizing to Wei Wei for his mistake.
He had just been warned to be careful, and he still messed up. The Countess must surely be angry.
But Wei Wei didn't scold him. "It's understandable," she said. "Just be more careful next time."
After that, the slaves were extra cautious. Still, since it was their first time harvesting these crops, a few mishaps occurred. But once they gained experience, the damaged ones became fewer and fewer. The total loss was minor.
The damaged potatoes wouldn't store well, so Wei Wei simply had them cooked on the spot.
That evening, everyone at the villa had mashed potatoes for dinner. Hers and Penny's portion was prepared with butter, milk, salt, and a touch of pepper—creamy and fragrant. The slaves had a simpler version—just mashed potatoes with salt.
Even so, the taste won them over immediately. The potatoes were delicious, and filling, and didn't wear down their teeth like the black bread or oatmeal gruel they usually ate.
The harvest for corn, potatoes, and peanuts was bountiful. However, since the planting area wasn't large yet, the ten or so slaves could finish harvesting everything within a few days. Wei Wei didn't plan to stay long—there were still guests at the castle, and her absence could attract suspicion.
She stayed two days—long enough to teach the slaves how to harvest, dry, and store everything properly—then prepared to return to the castle. However, since there were no other supervisors at the villa, she wasn't comfortable leaving it entirely unsupervised. After some thought, she decided to leave Penny behind.
"Don't worry, Madam," Penny said with a steady expression. "I'll make sure they do everything right."
Penny wasn't at all upset about staying. She was happy to share Wei Wei's burden and saw it as a responsibility.
Wei Wei left the villa carrying some herbs. Originally, she'd thought about bringing corn, potatoes, and peanuts back to share with Felix and Dolores. But with so many outsiders in the castle, and with the communal nature of meals, she worried that someone might notice something suspicious. The kitchen was also a place anyone could walk in and out of.
So in the end, she only brought back some herbs she had collected in the forest and medicinal plants grown near the villa.
As for her absence over the past two days, the reactions from the Pope's group were mixed. The Pope thought she'd gone out to collect herbs and take a short break. When she returned, he even thanked her and apologized for troubling her.
Naturally, he was also curious about the unfamiliar herbs she brought back.
Bishop Roberto, however, clearly found her sudden outing suspicious. But on the day she left, he'd already posted someone at a high point in the castle to monitor her carriage. Once it was confirmed she hadn't gone anywhere else, his suspicions faded—for now.