“Miss Su, you may not know much about Prince Yu. He is a prince and the future husband of the Fifth Princess. It’s a bit impossible for him to help us carve the words.”
Yun Hui felt that her son's concerns were valid. Su Luo had just come from Yongle County and was not yet familiar with the intricacies of the capital.
For people from all walks of life—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—to ask a high-ranking official to carve inscriptions for their pharmaceutical factory would damage their reputation. It would be better to find another way.
If they anger this prince, not only will their small Imperial Physician's Office be ruined, but even Su Luo's position as Deputy Minister of Agriculture will be lost.
"Siyuan, Lady Yun, you can rest assured that Prince Yu is not as scary as you think. He needs my help, so he agreed to write the instruction manual for us."
Looking at their tense expressions, anyone who didn't know better would think that Nangong Chiyu was about to eat someone alive.
"Dr. Du, Prince Yu is actually a very good person. He is not scary at all, and he is also very kind to Yi Huan."
In Yi Huan's heart, Nangong Chiyu was a hero, just like her father. She didn't believe what others said about him being cruel.
The two looked at each other in disbelief.
"Su... Lady Su, are you saying that Prince Yu just carved these words for us like this?"
"Yes! He is a prince, he wouldn't go back on his word."
...
In the afternoon, Shen Yuan came over. Today, Su Luo's investiture was completed, and it was time to go see the estate that His Majesty had bestowed upon her.
Although she promised Shen Yuan that she would plant cotton in all three estates, it was still undecided whether the terrain and location of the estates were suitable for planting cotton.
There are also unknowns about the soil quality, which could affect the quality of the cotton. He is not at ease at all.
"Young Master Shen, please lead the way to this address."
Su Luo showed Shen Yuan the land deeds for the estate. He had brought his servants with him today and was quite familiar with the terrain.
If Su Luo were alone, she might need someone to guide her to find the location of this manor.
"Yushui Village, so that's how it is. The location here is not bad."
Shen Yuan smiled, seemingly quite satisfied with the estate.
Xie Wanwan, on the other hand, seemed dazed when she heard the name of the estate, but then she managed to suppress her emotions.
Cotton was about Wanxiu Pavilion, so Su Luo, Xie Wanwan, and Shen Yuan went to see it together.
It took about half an hour to reach Yushui Village. The land deed stated that the area was 130 mu, which was indeed very large.
Without the owner's permission, the fields are desolate in winter, with only a few wooden houses and twenty cowsheds.
"Someone, go and call out Xie Quan, who is in charge."
Shen Yuan ordered a servant to go to the wooden house to find someone. Xie Quan was the manager there, and his indenture was also given to Su Luo.
Soon, more than ten people came out of the wooden house. As the weather turned cold, they would warm themselves by the fire inside the house, except when they were herding cattle in the morning.
Once they stood in line, this group of people had no idea who their new master was.
Su Luo stood in front of more than a dozen people. Her figure was like that of a young girl, and the red cloak she wore made her even more charming.
"You are the servants of this estate. Where is your manager?"
As soon as Su Luo spoke, her gaze and aura made the servants dare not ignore her. One of them said.
"Manager Xie has gone to check on the fields. There's a acre of land that's been leaking and water is flowing out lately, so he wants to go and check it himself."
Su Luo looked at all the people. There were seventeen people in total, plus four couples. They were originally slaves here.
They only received ten silver coins a month, but before the estate had a master, they lived under the jurisdiction of the government. At that time, these servants did not receive wages and only had scraps of rice to eat.
“Very good. My surname is Su. This estate is now mine, and your indentures are also in my hands. From now on, you only need to listen to me, and I guarantee that everyone will have a good life.”
It is said that a new official makes a name for himself by making three bold moves. Although the new owner was a woman, they knew that this estate had been bestowed upon the current Vice Minister of Agriculture, who was the only female official in the court.
Therefore, this Madam Su is definitely not simple. They all stood with their heads twitching, afraid that this newcomer might not like them and would sell them out.
"Gentlemen, there are no crops in these fields now, but I hope you will manage them well."
Today is my first time visiting this village. I haven't told anyone before, and what I see is the most authentic side of it.
Don't worry, I won't make things difficult for you. Just answer my questions truthfully.
These were all servants of Su Luo Manor. Shen Yuan waited for her to finish her questions before they went to check on the fields.
"Yes, madam."
Seeing that they were all very thin, Su Luo asked, "What did you eat every day during this trip?"
These people looked at each other, shaking their heads in fear after hearing Su Luo's words.
"say!"
The same person who had spoken earlier answered Su Luo tremblingly, "Madam, we eat broken rice porridge and pickled vegetables, twice a day. We don't eat much."
After saying that, they lowered their heads. They were destined to be slaves, even worse off than the cows in the neighboring cowshed, at least they could eat their fill every day.
They dared not eat their fill; broken rice with a little bran was already the best food they could get. They were afraid that if they ate more, their hosts would be unhappy.
"You only eat broken rice every day? What about during the busy farming season? Do you eat this too?"
The dozen or so people fell silent and lowered their heads in unison.
No wonder, no wonder they all look malnourished.
Su Luo took two steps to stand in front of them, her face serious, and spoke in a firm and resounding voice.
"From now on, you are my people. Although you won't have much to do for the next two months, the most basic thing for my people is to be well-fed."
Starting today, your meals will be changed to rice, and your dishes will consist of one meat dish and two vegetable dishes. I will also provide you with extra meals during the busy farming season.
And your clothes... I see you don't have any warm clothes, you're all dressed too thinly. Tomorrow I'll have this young lady bring you some warmer clothes."
Su Luo pointed to Xie Wanwan beside her. She had a scar on her face and still habitually wore a veil when going out in the capital.
"Thank you, Madam, thank you, Madam..."
The group of people hurriedly bowed to thank Su Luo. They thought that their lives would be even more difficult after the arrival of their new master, but the lady still gave them rice and meat to eat.
If they had known they would encounter such a master, they wouldn't have been afraid for over a year.
Su Luo told them to stop and listen quietly as she finished speaking: "Everyone, I am different from others. You can eat your fill and stay warm here."
But my requirements are also high. If you try to cheat or have any ulterior motives, you will be punished.
"Besides selling you out, I have plenty of ways to deal with you. If I'm loyal, do you hear me?"
Give a sweet treat, then give a good whack; that's the best way to get results.
"Madam, we will never betray you."
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