Thus, this strange little creature became a regular visitor to Manor Garden. After every meal, it would dart off, but whenever it got hungry, it would jump onto the table and start squeaking noisily, demanding food.
Ning Shu figured the creature might be a mutated mouse, though it was incredibly odd. Despite its small size, it ate an unbelievable amount. Raising this glutton was clearly unsustainable in the long run.
One day, Ning Shu ventured into the forest again, determined to find the sweet potatoes. If she still couldn't locate them, she'd have to return home. It was almost time for Duan Xinghui to return with Er Ya, and she had to deal with that matter too. She sighed at the thought.
As she pushed aside the brambles and underbrush with a tree branch, she scanned the ground carefully. Sweet potatoes typically thrived in dark, damp environments, making this forest an ideal spot.
"Jiji, jiji…" The gray furball followed her, squeaking noisily.
Ning Shu bent down to inspect the soil and asked, "For better or for worse, you're a native of this forest. Do you know if there's anything called sweet potatoes around here?"
"Jiji…" the creature responded.
"It's not called jiji, it's called sweet potatoes…"
Just as Ning Shu was about to give up, she spotted a plant with leaves that resembled those of a sweet potato. She carefully dug around the roots and found a small sweet potato, no bigger than a carrot, with bright red skin.
Though it wasn't large, Ning Shu's excitement was immeasurable. Finally, she was making progress with her task, bringing her one step closer to leaving this world.
Ning Shu put the sweet potato, vines and all, into her sack and continued her search. Soon enough, she found another. This meant there were likely more hidden in the area.
As expected, she discovered several sweet potato plants scattered nearby. Deciding not to take them all, she gathered a few to experiment with.
"Jiji…" The little gray furball continued to follow her out of the forest.
Back at Manor Garden, Ning Shu immediately called for the manager and tenant farmers to prepare a small field for sweet potato cultivation. Sweet potatoes reproduce asexually, meaning even a cut vine could grow if planted in the soil, provided the soil was loose enough.
Ning Shu shared her limited knowledge with the farmers and supervised until the field was ready.
She stayed in Manor Garden for a few more days, monitoring the sweet potatoes to ensure they were adjusting well to their new environment. Before leaving, she made sure to stress the importance of caring for the crop, even invoking Li Wen's name.
"His Majesty wants these crops," she told the manager. "Make sure they are well-tended. If everything goes well, there will be a reward."
Upon hearing that the emperor himself was involved, the manager's expression turned serious.
Satisfied with the arrangements, Ning Shu set off again with her entourage. To her mild frustration, the little gray furball followed her once more.
Ning Shu didn't believe for a second that the creature was following her out of affection. It was clearly just after more cake. But if it wanted to tag along, she'd let it. She'd just treat it as a pet with a voracious appetite.