Traveling through the busy farmland of a peasant girl

Chapter 338 Shen Li Talks About People's Livelihood

Not long after, Shen Li and others were led to an exquisitely decorated banquet room.

The carved round wooden table was filled with more than twenty dishes. The dishes were rich, exquisitely presented, and exuded an enticing aroma.

Nangong Qi saw them come in, with a warm smile on his face. He quickly walked to the side, gently pulled out the chair next to him, looked at Shen Li with gentle eyes, and said softly: "A Li, come and sit here."

Shen Li didn't act coy and walked over and sat down in a calm and confident manner.

Nangong Qi's eyes were filled with satisfaction when he saw this. He then raised his hand to Xuanfeng Sanren and said politely and respectfully, "Old Immortal, please take a seat!" Xuanfeng Sanren bowed in return and slowly sat down on the right side of Nangong Qi.

Without waiting for Nangong Qi to greet him, Su Ran took the initiative to bow and said sincerely: "Thank you, Your Highness, the Crown Prince, for your kindness. This table full of delicacies is really an eye-opener." After that, he took the seat to the left of Shen Li.

At this time, there was a maid standing respectfully behind each person, ready to serve them food.

Shen Li felt a little uncomfortable about this, but did not say anything and just sat there quietly.

Nangong Qi was in high spirits, pointing to the dishes on the table and said to Shen Li with a smile: "Ali, look, these dishes are all your favorites."

Following the direction of his finger, I saw dishes such as candied sweet potatoes, shredded potatoes, and pork ribs stewed with corn.

Nangong Qi's face was filled with pride as he continued, "These are the new grain seeds we obtained from Beichen in exchange for Xiqi's warhorses. We carefully planted and harvested them! Ah Li, try them and see if they are as delicious as those grown in Beichen."

Shen Li showed an awkward smile on her face, and quickly picked up a piece of shredded potatoes that the maid had placed on the plate next to her and put it into her mouth. After chewing it for a few times, she said, "Well, it tastes really good, no different from what I've eaten before."

However, she was secretly embarrassed when she recalled that she had proposed to Emperor Beichen to exchange a bushel of grain for a Xiqi warhorse.

However, he thought again, that was a high-yield grain variety. For Xiqi, although it had sacrificed its war horses, it could also provide relief to many poor people after the grain was harvested. It was not considered a loss. Now that he knew that the four countries were a whole, that is, the China in later generations, how could he promote the grain throughout the territories of the four countries?

As he was thinking this, Shen Li couldn't help but be distracted.

When Nangong Qi raised his eyes, he saw Shen Li staring blankly at the dishes on the table, not moving at all, and no longer picking up her chopsticks to eat.

He couldn't help but think that the food prepared by the imperial chef was not to Shen Li's taste, and Shen Li just said it was delicious out of politeness.

His face darkened, and he slammed his chopsticks down on the table. He then sternly said to the eunuch beside him, "Go get the imperial chef! I want to know how this dish is made!"

This sudden change made Xuanfeng Sanren, who was feasting, and Su Ran, who was dining elegantly, look up in surprise, their eyes full of confusion, thinking to themselves: This dish is obviously delicious, why did His Royal Highness the Crown Prince suddenly get angry?

Shen Li was also surprised. She raised her head and asked in astonishment, "Aqi, what's wrong? This dish is obviously delicious."

As she spoke, she even picked up another piece of food with her chopsticks and put it into her mouth to show that it tasted really good.

Nangong Qi asked with a hint of doubt in his eyes, "Really? When I saw you not eating just now, I thought the food was not cooked well..."

Shen Li quickly said: "I'm really not being polite, this dish is really delicious."

Shen Li gazed at the table full of dishes with a gentle smile on her face, and said softly to Nangong Qi: "These meals look delicious, but there are only four of us. We definitely can't finish so many dishes."

Her eyes flickered slightly, as if she was lost in memories of the past, and then she slowly spoke: "I still remember when I was a child, my family was extremely poor. In order to make a living, my father had to spend an hour and a half every day to go to the town to look for those odd jobs;

My mother also worked from morning till night, busy weaving bamboo baskets and straw sandals. Her hands were often scratched by bamboo strips and covered with scars.

My younger brother was studying in college at that time, full of hope that he could change his fate through knowledge;

As for me, every day I would take two steamed buns made of coarse grains and go to the mountains to cut grass to feed the pigs.

The income from the crops was not great, and after paying the heavy taxes, the remaining grain would not last until the next harvest."

At this point, Shen Li's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He raised his head and continued, "Actually, when I think about it carefully, my family's situation at that time was quite good compared to many other families. Although we only ate coarse grains and wild vegetables, at least we could have a full meal every day. Many more people were homeless, poor and helpless, and having a full meal was even more of a luxury."

After hearing Shen Li's words, the three people at the table quietly put down their chopsticks and their expressions became solemn.

Nangong Qi couldn't help but think of Shen Li when she was eight years old. She was short and thin at that time. Now thinking about it, she was troubled by hunger, so that her physical development was affected.

Su Ran also fell into memories. The petite Shen Li of the past became clearer and clearer in front of his eyes. He couldn't help feeling sad. It turned out that she had suffered so many hardships.

"There's a saying that goes, 'The rich have wine and meat, while the poor have starving people on the streets.' Ah Qi," Shen Li looked at Nangong Qi with a different kind of profound meaning in his eyes. After a slight pause, his expression became more serious. "As the prince of Xiqi, have you ever thought about doing something for the people? In this world today, the rich are extravagant and the poor are hungry, and the people are still living in dire straits.

The past we have just talked about is just the tip of the iceberg of the suffering in this world.

Look at this table full of delicious food. In the eyes of many people, it may be a luxury that they will never be able to achieve in their entire lives.

As someone in a higher position, you should be concerned about the people. Have you devised a plan for how to ensure that the people of Xiqi can live a prosperous and stable life, so that those working in the fields no longer have to worry about food, and so that children can have the opportunity to go to school instead of struggling to make a living at an early age?

When Nangong Qi heard Shen Li's words, his expression became serious. He frowned slightly and fell into deep thought, as if thinking about the heavy practical problems that Shen Li mentioned and the responsibilities and missions he shouldered as the prince.