Chapter 58: Mastering The Branch Combing Method
Being led by Madam Fran for her first outing to attend social events, after spending a long morning and afternoon, Xilutiya could finally bid farewell to these noblewomen.
“See you next time, Anluo’er~” They waved their fingers, smiling as they bid farewell to this maiden.
In response, Xilutiya curtsied again, then boarded the horse carriage.
When she finally leaned back against the chair, this maiden let out a sigh of relief; the tension in her heart that had been building up finally relaxed.
Madam Fran was sitting across from her at the moment, finding Xilutiya’s demeanor quite amusing.
“Are you a bit tired? After all, you were the only junior today, hehe.” She naturally understood the situation Xilutiya faced today, lightly covering her face with the folding fan.
“However, after getting to know those few, even if I’m occasionally not at home, you can seek their help, so you’re not completely isolated and helpless.”
“Moreover, since you’re my student, you’ll eventually be known to everyone; hiding away will only make people suspicious, so it’s better to step out openly.”
“I understand, Madam.” Xilutiya knew this was also for her own good.
After calming her mood, as the horse carriage moved along, the scenery by the roadside changed again; from the gap in the curtains, she saw several noble classmates passing by.
Baron, and also Toss, they were riding horses, with several retainers by their side; it looked like they had just returned from hunting, with several prey like foxes and geese hanging on the side of the horses.
Upon seeing Madam Fran’s horse carriage, these two seemed to know and slightly adjusted the reins, moving the horses to the side of the road, allowing the carriage to pass safely; this made Xilutiya even more aware of Madam Fran’s status in the city.
“Jiaoshi City isn’t large; the most noble here is Viscount Xue Feng himself, followed by his family.” Madam Fran introduced to Xilutiya.
“However, his family has few members; aside from the madam, he has only one son and one daughter, and neither is currently in Jiaoshi City.”
“Where are they then?” Xilutiya asked curiously.
“At the Royal Academy in Royal Capital White Cliff City; it gathers heirs of many great nobles and allows one to connect with the noble circles of the entire Regas Kingdom through socializing, so most nobles send their children there to study.”
“Iona in your class was previously a student there.”
“Aside from Viscount Xue Feng, the higher-status figures in Jiaoshi City are some powerful nobles, such as Baron Kuid, Baron Kenny, knights under Viscount Xue Feng, and so on; after that are those without noble status but still influential, such as the owner of the Oak Barrel Merchant Guild, the person in power at the Adventurer’s Guild, guild leaders of several major industry guilds, etc.”
“These figures form the important pillars of Jiaoshi City, and finally, the relatives, friends, subordinates, etc., who depend on them.”
“Madam Pollyia, whom you met today, her husband is the owner of the Oak Barrel Merchant Guild, managing a merchant guild organization of nearly a thousand people.”
“Cali is the guild leader of the Gardener Guild; though her strength is average, you should have quite a few cooperative connections with her in the future.”
“Moran is the wife of Baron Kenny, that is, the noblewoman in the sea-blue dress with wine-red hair just now; she was originally the daughter of Viscount Wo Shan in central Regas Kingdom, and has been married here for nearly ten years.”
Madam Fran introduced one by one the backgrounds of the several noblewomen Xilutiya had interacted with earlier.
“As for me… how much can you guess?” Madam Fran showed a teasing smile.
“Um, during the gathering earlier, Madam said she came from the distant Bellflower Country.” Xilutiya had a good memory.
“You remember clearly; that’s right, I hail from Bellflower Country in the central Continent, slightly towards the north; it’s a relatively small country located in the grasslands, growing vast and lush bellflowers, with a pleasant climate and quite stable life.” She reminisced slightly.
“But those are memories from twenty years ago; I’ve been away from there for a long time.”
……
“You ask why I left my homeland? The reason isn’t that clear; perhaps one day I suddenly felt like traveling, and then never went back.”
……
“I’ve traveled to many places, not just Regas Kingdom, but also the Winter Kingdom to the north, the Merchant Capital Union to the east, the Hot Rain Marsh further south, and so on.”
“In each place, I stay for a few years, familiarizing myself with the local plants and special cultivation skills, then after a few more years, move to the next place.”
“Many gardeners always stay in one place, devoting all their attention to their garden; I think this easily leads to stagnation and limits one’s horizons.”
“But everyone has their own choices; just like I occasionally tease Cali, saying she could go see the farther Merchant Capital Union, where there are many new things she likes, but unfortunately she rarely takes such advice.” Madam Fran lightly shook the folding fan.
“The more places you go, the more friends you make; this nice dress you’re wearing was commissioned from an acquaintance in Gully City; though it doesn’t match the intricate luxury of the Merchant Capital, it’s still a rare excellent piece even in Royal Capital White Cliff City.”
Madam Fran’s account allowed Xilutiya’s cognitive perspective to break free from the increasingly repetitive student life, overlooking the present from a broader angle.
More distant places? Xilutiya silently noted these place names and features.
……
The horse carriage arrived at Madam Fran’s mansion; Xilutiya got off and strolled a little in the courtyard before returning to the living room.
After resting a bit, Lining came to tell her that Madam Fran was waiting for her in the flower field.
“Alright, I’ll go now.” She put her hat back on and headed to the flower field in the backyard.
The sunflowers here were still brilliant, with layers of goose-yellow and golden flower petals like waves, swaying slightly in the sunlight, emanating waves of warmth.
Lightly brushing the flower stems and leaves in front of her with her hand, Xilutiya walked along the path in the flower field and soon saw Madam Fran in the center of the flower field.
She was sitting on a wooden chair placed in the flower field, with a small round table and an empty chair beside her, presumably reserved for Xilutiya.
“Sit, Tiya.”
“Mm.” The maiden softly acknowledged, then sat beside her.
“How’s the scenery here? Isn’t it very comfortable.” The sky overhead was a clear blue, with the occasional rustling of branches and leaves in the wind from the side.
“Since you’re my student now, today I’ll teach you the first lesson: about combing flowers and plants, that is, the Branch Combing Method.” She slowly explained while sipping tea water.
“Unlike the Dew Prayer Method, it requires you to have at least First Order Emerald Honey rank.”
“Just as the literal meaning suggests, like combing hair, clearly combing and adjusting the internal conditions of plant specimens.” Madam Fran then began to explain in detail the effects, principles, results, precautions, etc., of this secret art.
Occasionally, she would demonstrate directly in front of Xilutiya.
Unlike Scholar Heide’s mere transmission of secret art knowledge, this one-on-one and intuitive display of ability allowed Xilutiya to comprehend and understand at an extremely fast speed, gradually grasping some of its true essence and rhythm.
In about one afternoon, under Madam Fran’s guidance, Xilutiya learned the Branch Combing Method.
【Branch Combing Method Lv.1】（Emerald Honey）: Combs nutrients, water, fiber, structure, etc., within plants; it is an ability that can actively regulate plant states.
In the past, one relied on observing plant conditions and striving to create the most suitable environment, which was relatively passive; for example, to achieve the most suitable humidity, one had to repeatedly adjust the environment, water, etc. But with the Branch Combing Method, one can directly guide the plant to absorb water or expel excess water; the same applies to absorption of trace nutrients.
This way, when cultivating plants, it’s easier to achieve the optimal state, or even surpass the optimal to reach a state beyond perfect.
