The Tale of A Villainess ✔️

Ch 54: Peas, Mendelian Genetics

**

I spend the rest of the night trying to crack the code. Sitting on a mahogany chair near the wooden window, I continue to write the possible passcodes.

I remember twisting the shift knob; I was only able to twist four numbers before the knob rewinds itself.

Four numbers..

With an arrangement of 0 to 9, the correct math would be 10^4, or 10 x 10 x 10 x 10. Henceforth, there are 10,000 possibilities, starting from 0000 to 9999.

Let's think back to the clues in the cavern. I scribble suspicious objects I saw: two stone walls, eight arrow dispensers camouflaged on each side so sixteen in total, and four types of swords from the walls.

Could the number of the objects mean something?

I indulge in countless thoughts and write drafts of connections between the objects I saw to the pair of flowers inscribed atop the door. My frustration almost mounted to agony, as I cannot infer any relevant interrelationships.

Flowers.. Sixteen dispensers..

My head sinks down on the table and my eyes close like curtain.. Ah. How nice it is to sleep..

Everything is blank..

I suddenly envision Sir Xu.. who seems to be sending glances to my direction.. Is this a dream?

Ah, he's walking away now. I hold onto his sleeves. Then something pinches my cheeks.

Argh, flies.. STAWP it.. ruining my dream.

Dream..

Dream..

I GASP!

I rise up and wipe away the drool, glancing out the windows. The sun is almost beginning to rise already! Did I oversleep?

Shoulders are sore. I feel something is draped over me. Ah, where did this purple wool cape come from?  I shudder.

Oh, benevolent ghosts and spirits, please don't mess with me. I did my good deeds this year.

I quickly exit my designated room. There is yet to be sunlight; the sky remains a sea of grey blended with yellow. I see Wan'er, who is tying the herb stems in bundles and hanging them upside down.

"Good morning, Wan'er," I continue, "Do you need any help?" To ease the awkwardness between us, I approach her.

She is now separating peas from the long beans while sitting on a stone bench. "..No. No need," her tone sounds vexed.

"Wan'er," I take a seat opposite of her. "Have I done something that exasperated you?"

She takes a peek at me and frowns, "Does it seem so?"

I nod intensely. She remains silent for the time being. I sigh with her unresponsiveness, beginning to depart for my room.

She interrupts my departure, "I confessed to Sir yesterday evening, you know.. He said that he is too emotionally invested in his kitten right now."

E-Emotionally invested in his kitten?

Does he even have a kitten?

"He said his kitten is an idiot. Completely oblivious to her surroundings. Someone who looks foolish, who reacts slow. Someone who doesn't know how to communicate her feelings. Someone who lacks confidence but performs anything she does exceedingly well."

She squints her eyes at me, "He said only you have seen the kitten. What kind of relationship do you have with the Co-Commander?"

My eyes widen in awkwardness. "Me? No, no. I have not heard of any kitten. He is lying to you."

"Lie! How preposterous! Our Sir Xu would never lie!" BLAH BLAH BLAH...

"Girl, you think too highly of Sir Xu. He is clearly lying to you. What kind of kitten has confidence?"

She rolls her eyes, "Sir Xu would never lie. He is the most charming, most..." BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH..

At this point, I am just picking my nose. Sheesh, becoming rivals with this girl will be doomsday..

"Anyways, that's good to hear! Here, why don't you help me separate these peas?"

I nod, assisting her with picking the peas out of the green beans. I notice the variety of shapes and colors, "There are quite the amount of pea varieties you have here."

"It is pure coincidence. The two types of pea plants I grew ended up mixing together. Last time when this happened, there were four variations in the sixteen that germinated. Miss Yuan, are you interested in pea plants?"

Two types of pea plants. Sixteen germinated.. A cross breed?

"Wan'er!" I pat her on the shoulders, "Thank you for the help!"

"What, I only—"

I swiftly sprint back to my room and jot down the ideas I have.

There's no mistake. This is Mendelian Genetics. If I apply the logic of the peas to the types of flowers atop the secret door, then perhaps I can find the code..

Gregor Mendel, the father of modern day genetics, created the dihybrid cross to determine if different traits of pea plants, like flower color and seed shape, were inherited independently.

The flower variations in the cavern were white flower with a longer stem and the other is a shorter-stemmed red flower.

The first generation offsprings would all have the same genotype, RrYy, so the ratio cannot be the code since it is not four digits. Maybe it's the F2 generation?

If so, then the mother and father are dihybrids, which are written as RrYy in scientific language. I scribbled the cross in a Punnett Square: RrYy x RrYy.

After the process of independence assortment, four different classes of gametes are created: ry, RY, rY, and Ry. Within the sixteen progenies, eight different combinations can be created with these two cells.

I take note: two variations.. represent the two walls. The eight arrow dispensers camouflaged on each side symbolizes eight different combinations. Sixteen dispensers in total and sixteen plants that germinated. Four types of swords from the walls represent the four classes of gametes created.

I take a glance at my Punnett Square that is dimensions 16.

The final genotypic ratios include RRYY 1: RRYy 2: RRyy 1: RrYY 2: RrYy 4: Rryy 2: rrYY 1: rrYy 2: rryy 1. That is a 9:3:3:1 ratio.

That's it!

The code is the dihybrid ratio: 9331!