Chapter 42: The Correct Way to Play

In early January, the ice and snow had not yet melted, but compared to the severe blizzards in December, where deep snow pits were created wherever you stepped, the situation has improved over the past two days.

Today marks the one-week anniversary of the six new servants joining the manor, and also the seventh day since Olivia stopped going into the kitchen to improve her cooking taste.

If the world were a game, Olivia felt like she had just unlocked the correct way to play.

In other words, it turned out that it wasn't raining outside at all.

Early in the morning, she was woken up by the servant as usual. After washing up, she sat at the table and Lucy brought her breakfast.

Aida and Ross made today's breakfast together. It included honey and milk oatmeal, and scones, which Aida had just learned to make.

"Madam, the work of chipping away at the ice has been completed in the past few days. We'll start transporting the ice to the manor today. In about three days, we'll start digging the ice cellar."

"Madam, the lambs you mentioned will be put into the pen this morning. I have asked Wana to prepare and take good care of them.

I have also checked the second batch of fifty eggs that are ready to be hatched."

The egg production has been high since the past two months. Now, every egg to be hatched has red blood streaks. Lucy feels that this is God's blessing. When did the hens become so fertile?

Because there were cracks on the table, Olivia covered it with a piece of cloth for the sake of appearance. She yawned at this moment and began to sip the porridge with a hint of sweetness.

Well, this oatmeal is ground finer than before, and cooked more mushy, and the pure wheat aroma is all out. It will be great if you just adjust the seasoning a little.

Is this the benefit of having enough staff in the kitchen?

She did not forget to answer Lucie: "Okay, I understand. Go and call the cook over. Madame de Bordeaux will be here at noon, and I will give her some instructions."

Olivia pursed her lips and watched Lucy's back as she slowly left. She found that there was no feed dust in her hair these days, and there was no longer a thick layer of cow dung on her shoes.

She felt very relieved.

After reporting everything that was going on in the manor, Lucy breathed a sigh of relief and left the room quietly after not hearing any opinions or dissatisfaction from the lady.

Olivia noticed her subtle reaction.

The days with the new arrivals at the manor were probably very normal for everyone else in the manor, but for Lucy and the cook, it was a very unusual change.

In the past, when there were few people in the manor, the lady and the lord were the masters, and the housekeeper was the one everyone had to obey. Lucy only had to do her own thing, which was to work, shovel manure, and feed sheep.

But now, with a wave of his hand, he allocated six people to the manor, and suddenly Lucy and Graya were no longer directly involved in the final labor, but became managers like the butler.

The housekeepers are still Ethan and Adam, who are responsible for running errands and repairing things in the manor.

Lucy assigned the two helpers the physical work of feeding the sheep and shoveling manure, while she herself focused on doing the delicate work, such as milking and hatching eggs.

As for the castrated boar, it did not bring much shock to the two helpers. They had never seen a pig run, and even less pork. Due to shame, they would not ask questions such as why it was so.

Graya and Lucy are not without ambition. They are both working hard to do a good job in management.

Take Graya for example. Now she doesn’t cook every meal, but she has the keys to every cabinet and storage room in the kitchen.

Although the two kitchen helpers were familiar people in the manor, Graya did not take it lightly. Whether it was the housekeeper's instructions or she herself, she knew the importance of being cautious.

From the first day that Graya arrived at the manor, she began to quietly establish and formulate rules in front of the two kitchen helpers.

For example, how many times should oats and wheat be pounded, how many times should bread be sifted, the time and portion of cooking each day, and not wandering around the manor.

Without Olivia's instructions, she had already begun to put the kitchen in order, setting standards as Olivia always did.

Olivia could see that although Graya was a little busy with the cooking and couldn't see the details clearly, she was very able to recognize the changes in the situation.

There are two kinds of people sleeping in the same bed. To some extent, her logic is the same as that of the butler. She is reliable and good at management, and has a natural loyalty to the lord, which is very consistent with the game setting.

Therefore, Olivia also decided to cooperate with Gloria's management. She no longer easily went into the kitchen to work, and no longer easily participated in the distribution of things. Instead, she gave all this right to Gloria, only occasionally inspecting the hygiene conditions and occasionally orally telling them what to eat so that they could learn to cook.

Olivia thought that compared to her own appetite, the order of the kitchen was the most important thing. She could not continue to act like a talkative young lady in front of the kitchen helpers, laughing and joking every day, otherwise, over time, people would have bad thoughts.

If a person is smart and good at doing things, he cannot be numb. If he is not numb, he cannot be treated as an object.

She also has to comb her hair like an adult...

However, after having more manpower, the quality of her diet has obviously improved.

Aida and Ross were good at cooking. In the poor village, they could improve their meals by fishing, picking wild vegetables and mushrooms. Coming to the resource-rich kitchen of the manor, they could naturally stretch their hands and feet.

Olivia had been eating meals cooked by the new chef for the past few days, and she no longer had to find unsifted wheat husks in the bread or accidentally burnt edges on the grilled meat, which she enjoyed very much.

Mrs. Baudelaire's men had come to the manor two days ago and went into the forest with the housekeeper to select trees.

Most of them are evergreen trees, which are now covered with ice and snow and are difficult to dig. We have to wait until the monastery is almost built and then start digging in April.

Today is the day when Mrs. Baudelaire comes to Olivia to settle accounts and pay the deposit.

Olivia planned to have the kitchen prepare a business-style meal and give Mrs. Bordall a proper banquet.

Although the Baudelaire family had many conflicts with merchants in the past and was not a very well-behaved family, Olivia did not think that Mrs. Baudelaire would be dishonest when doing business with her.

After all, she is not a businessman. If she does not keep her word, the price she has to pay is not something the Bodor family can afford.

Besides, if there was any problem with this business, Mrs. Baudelaire would have to bear greater responsibility, so Olivia didn't worry at all. Mrs. Baudelaire was more worried about problems at work than she was.

All she had to do was cooperate, sit back and wait to be paid.

Halfway through breakfast, Olivia waited for Graya to come. Now she couldn't be called a cook. Strictly speaking, she should be called a housekeeper.

Graya opened the door, straightened her skirt, and walked in calmly. She was usually busy in the kitchen and rarely came to the main house.

As soon as she entered the room, she glanced at the remaining breakfast of her wife. It seemed that her wife was quite satisfied with the breakfast made by the two kitchen helpers.

Graya felt relieved and asked her if she had any instructions for lunch.

Olivia thought for a moment and said, “Mrs. Baudelaire is coming to settle accounts with me today. It will take half a day, and she may bring her children with her.

Ask the kitchen not to cook fish for lunch and dinner. I see Ada has learned how to make scones, so ask her to make an extra plate."

Olivia noticed that Graya's face looked a little strange. She opened the map to check the icons. Sure enough, there was a big "Tangled" sign hanging above the cook's head.

"Don't worry. Even though this is their first time cooking for guests, just cook as usual. Just make some roast rabbit or cream soup. The guests won't be focused on food."

"Yes, I understand."

The cook smiled awkwardly when her thoughts were seen through. She felt that the lady's eyes were still so sharp. She could tell at a glance that she was racking her brains to think of other dishes as alternatives.

Madame always sees right through her.

After Graya left, Olivia finished her breakfast. She finished a bowl of porridge, ate two scones, and drank a glass of milk, feeling warm in her stomach.

In order to stay healthy while being a local landlord, Olivia usually goes out for a walk after dinner.

She got up and put on a light yellow cloak with a hood, pulled on her homemade boots, laced them up, and then went for a walk in the front yard.

The manor was covered in pure white snow. Walking down the steps from the main gate, there was a path at the door, where the horse hoof prints left by Caesar when he left in the morning were still visible.

Her cape was so long that her boots were not even visible, which did help to keep her warm. However, Olivia tried not to let it drag on the ground to avoid making it difficult to clean.

Walking towards the orchard, Olivia was surprised to find that the pear trees and apple trees along the way had been pruned.

These trees are all very old, there are dozens of them in total. In spring and summer, they grow into a green forest, but in winter, they wither and only branches remain.

Normally, it should be trimmed, but the manor is busy with affairs, and even if the housekeeper sends someone to do it, they can't do it in too much detail.

But in the few days that Jagabu has been managing the orchard, the trees in the orchard have become noticeably balder, with pruned branches tied into bundles everywhere, and only a few large branches left on the trees.

She walked forward and found Jacob holding a pair of pliers and destroying an apple tree.

Jagabu was very immersed in it. His legs and feet seemed to be much better. He was wrapped in several linen robes, a patched felt coat on the outside, and old leather shoes with cloth patches on his feet.

It can be seen that his living conditions were not bad in the past, and he was a self-employed farmer who could make ends meet.

But now he was holding a pair of scissors, walking around the apple tree, and cutting off all the messy side branches, leaving them all over the ground.

As a city dweller who had never done farm work, Olivia couldn't help but go forward to watch this interesting thing.

Jacob turned his head and saw the lord's wife looking at him with a scrutinizing gaze. He was startled and tried to explain:

"Ma'am, I'm not causing trouble..."

"These apple and pear trees haven't had their branches pruned properly. They'll consume more nutrients and water this winter. If you prune them, they'll grow more lush next year."

Jagabu has understood this principle since he was a child. He is very close to plants. At a glance, he can tell whether the plant lacks water or sunlight, or the soil is too poor, or it has been burned by fertilizer. He also knows how to compost the soil to keep it fertile, what kind of plants are suitable for ridge planting, and can even taste the different sourness of water.

He was born with these abilities, but he didn't know where they came from.

Over the years, some people have misunderstood and misinterpreted his actions based on intuition.

Jagabu had to act with caution, and explanations had become his daily routine.

Olivia felt a little sad when she saw Jacob's helpless explanation.

She nodded to show that she understood, and then asked what plants Jagabu had grown in the past.

There were fewer things that could be grown where Jagbu originally lived than on this side of the river, and growing wheat required a separate tax, so people there grew more beets in the summer.

"So, what crops do you think are suitable for growing in each of these fields on the estate?"

Jacopo was not hesitant at this point. He thought for a moment and said:

“There are plenty of water sources near arable land. If you can plant ridges and adjust the fertilizer appropriately, any type of plant can be grown.

As for the land near the hillside, it's difficult to water, has a lot of rocks and sand, and is very permeable, making it suitable for growing crops like onions and radishes."

Jacopo spoke and Olivia nodded as she listened.

Three stars are indeed more useful tools than two stars or one star.

She looked at Jagbu and told him the news of the land reform to be carried out next year, and then said: "Since you are knowledgeable, I will put the responsibility of sowing in the spring on you.

After the miller and the steward divide the land for each group, you can decide which area is suitable for planting what and report back to me."

"If you have any good ideas, you can try them out. If you encounter difficulties in implementing them in the future, you can come to me."

"Me?"

Jagabu asked a familiar question. He never thought that one day his words would be heard by others.

"Can't you do it? You just spoke so clearly and logically, are you trying to fool me?"

Olivia asked back ruthlessly, imitating the behavior of a leader.

Being strangers in a foreign land, Jagabu's family wanted to integrate into the community so that they could move up step by step. Being able to work in the manor was already a great opportunity for him.

Who wouldn’t have enough opportunities?

The land in the manor can be managed in a unified manner, instead of being planted randomly here and there, so the yield will definitely be better than before.

Moreover, with the support of the lord, Jagabu felt that he could now try step by step the methods that he had not been able to use in the past.

"I can do it!" Jacopo quickly took the job.

"Well, tomorrow, have the housekeeper take you to the cellar to check the seeds. Since you're good at it, then do it well."

Jagabu agreed with confidence. He didn't understand why he was trusted, but who cares? It was good enough to be trusted.

As a serf who doesn't even own his own life, Jagabu is very self-aware.

After saying that, Olivia continued walking along the path in the orchard, slowly making a circle.

Walking up the slope beside the wall, she could see not far away several strong tenant farmers pushing carts loaded with ice bricks to store them in the ice pile designated by the housekeeper.

I have already placed about ten blocks of ice like ants moving house, but the blocks are not very big. I stacked them together and covered them with a few shovels of snow.

She continued walking back along the orchard, went home, and asked the maid named Fanxi to sweep the hall and wipe the table in the dining room.

Speaking of Fan Xi, she is actually a miserable person. Both her parents are gone, and because the family’s land and house have been redistributed to other tenant farmers, she lives with her uncle.

Her uncle was the only person in the village who knew how to keep bees. He had redeemed himself and became a self-employed farmer a long time ago. He could make money and support her, but he was not very kind to her and did not redeem Fan Xi.

However, despite her bad fate, Fan Qian was famous for her diligence. She often washed a pile of muddy linen clothes for her family by the lake, and it would take her a whole morning to wash them.

The housekeeper saw it every time and naturally remembered it, so when he mentioned finding someone to do laundry, he thought of Fan Qian.

The Fansi was very thin, with a long braid that looked like withered wheat straw. It was only as high as Olivia's shoulders. Her wrist was about the same thickness as a broomstick, and she was obviously malnourished.

She looked a little timid, bent over and didn't dare to look Olivia in the eye. No matter what was said, she would quickly agree twice and then rush to do it, for fear that when she was idle, she would ruin the scenery in the room.

Olivia opened her character card and looked at it for a long time. Fan Xi's character was not "numb" but "forbearance".

It seems that Fan Qian also has her own way of survival and cannot be stopped for the time being.

Olivia looked carefully and found that in the restaurant, Fansi had cleaned the ashes from the fireplace very well, and she had used a rod to remove the remaining, barely noticeable spider webs on the wall.

Knowing that guests were coming, I got up early and knelt down to wipe the floor tiles one by one with hot water, and then wiped them again with a dry cloth. From a distance, it looked like they were no longer white due to dust.

The linen tablecloth that was supposed to be on the dining table seemed to have been replaced with a cleaner one. There was a candlestick with three candles on it, but it was just a decoration and was wiped clean.

Olivia couldn't help but think, no wonder leadership becomes more and more addictive, becoming increasingly detached from the masses, out of touch with reality, and becoming outrageous.

As a corporate slave, she didn't understand it before, but now she probably understands it. This kind of situation where others don't follow your lead, and everyone rushes to serve you and wants to gain your recognition. Even if your qualifications are not perfect, it's because of your status. This feeling is really intoxicating.

She thinks in time to avoid becoming such a leader.

As noon approached, the butler dressed up, took out a bottle of wine from the locked cabinet, and brought it to the dining room to wake up.

Olivia went back to the house to tidy up her clothes, and when she came downstairs again, Mrs. Baudelaire arrived with her housekeeper and two clingy children.

Mrs. Baudelaire has two children, and the first time she came to Olivia so early was because her children were clingy.

Olivia asked them to sit down.

The butler took Mrs. Bordeaux's butler to the back to settle the accounts with him.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, lunch was served. Madame de Bordeaux had no interest in observing the subtle changes in the room. She was only concerned with her errand and the affairs of the monastery.

"I finally understand why the Baroness cut the budget so much after the nun met with her. It turns out that the nun wanted her to build a cellar under the three high priests. How big a cellar would it take to cost so much money?"

Mrs. Baudelaire sighed and said, there was nothing that could be done. Although the nun was a young girl, her mother was the daughter of a duke. She had been practicing since she was a child. She didn't even call herself by her name but called herself a servant of God. She was very famous, and everyone had no choice but to obey her words.

Olivia listened, but couldn't help but think more.

What kind of attitude did this nun have when she came here?

Is he helping the king's lineage keep an eye on the earl? Or is there some other reason?

The servants gradually brought in the dishes: cream soup, roast meat, pie, scones, and aspic pudding, without any bones.

After the meal, the two housekeepers also finished the accounts and wrote down the names and quantities of the trees one by one on parchment.

In total, more than one hundred trees were dug up to be used for greening the church and surrounding roads, with an average cost of about one silver coin per tree.

Mrs. Baudelaire had people spend several days all over the mountain selecting and marking healthy trees that had good shapes, sizes, and were of similar ages, and were in locations suitable for transportation.

Olivia calculated, erased the decimals, and reported the whole number. He accepted twelve gold coins from her. The two men called a priest to witness, and they signed and stamped their fingerprints.

Mrs. Baudelaire nodded. The money had not been allocated yet. She would hand the note directly to the project accountant and Olivia would receive it directly.

After signing the contract, Olivia felt relieved that the money was in her pocket. She calculated that the only way for her to make some extra money was to sell wood.

Olivia pondered over what else on the estate, besides the trees, could generate money for her.

It seems that wood can be used to process many things. For example, Baskin Manor loves to cut down trees, make charcoal and sell it in the city, but this resource is not endless and resources are not as good as technology.

Olivia came to her senses and sent Mrs. Baudel away.

…