After talking with Mr. Liang, Wu Feng took Secretary Jiang back to the academy.

Tomorrow, they're going to the village to see if there's anything different about the watermelons.

They also have watermelons in the Northwest, but they're not very big, only a little bigger than a fist. They have thick skins and aren't very filling, so nobody wants to grow them; they just grow wild and die on their own.

Aside from mischievous kids who occasionally come over for food and fun, nobody really cares.

That evening, Jiang Shuyun returned home and told Mu Yi'an about the people from the Northwest.

"They're here. Who goes there?"

Wei Dong said one was a military general and the other seemed to be a scholar; they should be General Gu's confidants.

The letter from the headmaster shows that General Gu must have had great faith in his father.

"That's good. If it's not someone I trust who comes, then my plan will not be carried out."

Mu Yi'an had never met General Gu; she only knew that he was the headmaster's second son.

From the information Jiang Shuyun brought back, Mu Yi'an vaguely guessed that the person behind the headmaster should be the current emperor.

This was a conclusion she and Jiang Shuwen reached after careful discussion.

His Majesty is not yet thirty years old, but since ascending the throne, the policies he has implemented have been very popular with the people.

Most importantly, the current emperor has a firm grip on the court. There are no powerful relatives of the empress dowager, nor are there any regents who use the emperor to command the princes. The entire Dali Dynasty is very stable.

This is also the main reason why Jiang Shuyun and Mu Yi'an were willing to accept the headmaster's request and actively cooperated.

It's good to rest in the shade of a big tree, and the big tree they chose was a towering one.

Although they only built one side, that was enough, as long as they didn't stand in the wrong shade.

"Yi'an, are you talking about the cotton?"

"Well, after the watermelons are sold out, plus the income from the shops in the county town and the prefectural town, I have about sixty or seventy thousand taels of silver in my hands."

"So many? Honey, you're really something!"

Jiang Shuyun thought about the money she had earned at the academy and decided it was best not to mention it.

Mu Yi'an ignored Jiang Shuyun's performance; their expenses had increased significantly since they came to the prefectural city.

After everything was settled, I had less than 10,000 taels of silver left.

Since the barbecue and vegetable stalls opened and started making a profit, the money in my hands has slowly come back. Now, after deducting daily expenses, I have about 60,000 to 70,000 taels of silver at my disposal, which should be enough.

Land in the Northwest shouldn't be as expensive as here. She thought she could buy a few thousand acres of land, plant cotton, and recoup her investment in a year.

"Although I'm content with a modest life and won't get involved in too much business, I can still accumulate some wealth through farming."

If the negotiations go well this time, I would certainly like to acquire some properties.

In this prefectural city area, we basically have no chance to acquire any good farmland.

Jiang Shuyun thought about it and agreed. It was impossible for officials to have their homes raided all the time. Their current estate was just a lucky find.

Because they didn't believe in those superstitious beliefs, they had the opportunity to buy such a large estate, which was also so close to the city.

The couple had finished discussing things and it was time to rest.

Mu Yi'an went to check on the two younger children and Chu Yue, while Jiang Shuyun went to check on Shao Ming and Shao Yun. This was something they did every day, almost without fail.

The next day, it started to drizzle outside.

Accompanied by the sound of rain, Mu Yi'an slept quite soundly.

Jiang Shuyun got up and tiptoed out of the inner room, wanting to check on the children.

There was no sound from Chuyue's room; she hadn't gotten up yet, and there was no sound from the two little ones.

It's nice; rainy days are perfect for sleeping.

"It's raining!"

Jiang Shuyun heard Shao Yun's voice outside. This child has already developed a biological clock and wakes up at a certain time.

"Shao Yun, it's raining outside. When you're doing the horse stance later, do it under the shed so you don't get wet."

"I know, Dad, I will."

"Big brother, get up."

Shao Yun turned around and went back to the east wing. He knocked on his elder brother's door, and without waiting for a reply, he ran off to the training ground.

Jiang Shuyun stretched her body under the eaves; she couldn't practice her boxing today.

The light rain continued to fall steadily, showing no sign of stopping.

Wei Dong put on his raincoat, got in his carriage, and left first.

Wei San and Zhao Wu also drove the carriage to take Shao Ming, Shao Yun, and two pageboys to the school.

We were so close that it felt like the carriage had only gone a few steps before stopping; we had arrived at the school.

Inside the academy, Wei Dong parked the carriage and handed an umbrella to the master.

"Wei Dong, you and Li Li will accompany the guests to the estate to find Uncle Li later."

"Yes, sir, I'll take you inside first."

Li Li, carrying a box of books and holding an umbrella, entered the academy with Jiang Shuyun.

When they came out, Lord Wu and his entourage followed behind them.

"Wei Dong, our guest has arrived. Let's go."

Wu Daren and his companions were used to riding horses, so they were a little unaccustomed to suddenly being transported by carriage.

However, the general said that from now on, everything must be done in accordance with the old man's wishes.

The rain wasn't heavy and didn't affect the carriage's speed; they arrived in no time.

"Gentlemen, we've arrived. Here's an umbrella for each of you. I'll take you to my grandfather; he's in charge of growing watermelons on the estate."

Li Li led the way, with Wu Daren and the others following behind, looking at the crops that were completely different from those in their Northwest.

"Grandpa, this is a guest that the master asked you to entertain. He's here to learn about watermelons."

“I know, Manager Wei came over and told me.”

"Leave the people to me, you can go and get busy."

Uncle Li led a few people to the melon patch, and when Wu Daren and the others saw the round watermelons covering the ground, they couldn't stop smiling.

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