“Miss, that tree is quite tall. You should just give the grafting method to Zhang Qiu. I think he can do it,” Qiu Ju suggested.
She knew from the capital that her mistress was coming to the estate for something. The fruit trees were as tall as three adults, and Qiuju dared not let her mistress climb them herself.
"Grafting? What is grafting?" Zhang Qiu was completely confused.
"Go find a sharp knife, and then go to the village and find a carpenter. Remember to have him bring a saw."
Zhang Qiu didn't press for details, simply responded and turned to run away.
Jiang Shuyue then said to Zhang Man, "There's something I haven't discussed with your parents yet. I wonder if you and Erniu would be willing to go to the capital to work."
"Yes, of course I'm willing. I'm willing to do any job that Miss assigns me."
Zhang Man was overjoyed. From the first time the young lady met them, she told the brothers to study accounting and reading books diligently, and they had never slacked off for a moment.
Jiang Shuyue didn't beat around the bush and said directly, "My aunt has a cloth shop that will open in a few days. She needs a trustworthy manager. I think you are quite suitable. If you are willing, you and Erniu can pack up and come to the city with me tomorrow."
Finally, the day had come when the young lady would take him under her wing. Zhang Man excitedly bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance and kindness, young lady. I will never forget your kindness. After I go with Erniu, I will definitely work hard and be loyal to the master. Please rest assured, young lady."
Jiang Shuyue nodded in satisfaction. "It is precisely because I trust the character of you brothers that I recommended you to your aunt. As for the specific amount of your monthly allowance, your aunt will explain it to you in detail when we arrive in the capital."
"I don't care about the monthly allowance. Being able to go to the city to broaden my horizons, learn more, and even bring Erniu along is already very good."
"One thing at a time. The shopkeeper has a lot of responsibility, and he should still get what he's owed. Tonight, I'll return your indenture to you. You and your aunt can discuss the details of the contract later."
After Jiang Shuyue finished speaking, she looked across the river and said, "Aunt Cao said that Erniu has gone back to her parents' home and will be leaving for the city tomorrow. Go and inform her."
Zhang Man bowed again, "I will go and bring her back right away."
Seeing Zhang Man run off into the distance, Qiu Ju asked, "Miss, will Er Niu be willing to come into the city with us?"
"If it were you, would you be willing to go to the city?" Jiang Shuyue asked instead of answering.
Qiuju said with a smile, "Of course I'm willing. It's much more lively in the capital. I'm just worried that Erniu will miss her parents."
"You're overthinking it. Erniu still has her older brother. Going to the capital isn't the same as not being able to come home. She's a smart woman; she knows that going to the capital is better than staying here raising rabbits."
The master and servant strolled along the tree-lined path, chatting idly.
After a short while, Zhang Qiu returned with a middle-aged man.
Jiang Shuyue explained the key points of grafting fruit trees to Zhang Qiu, and then said to him, "I also learned this from a travelogue, and I don't know if it will work."
"If the young lady says it will definitely work, it won't matter if it doesn't. There are many orange trees here that produce extremely sour fruit, so it's not a big deal if it fails."
Zhang Man acted immediately, quickly finding a wooden ladder and having the carpenter climb up to saw off all the branches that needed to be grafted.
There was no plastic wrap available, so Jiang Shuyue asked Zhang Man to go to the edge of the field and get some mud.
Qiuju took out all the strips of cloth she had brought from the capital.
Looking at those brand-new strips of cloth, Zhang Qiuzhi said it was such a pity.
"Don't feel bad, these are just scraps that the embroiderers in the manor cut off. Miss brought you a few bolts of fine silk."
Qiuju paused for a moment and then joked, "You could ask your second sister-in-law to make you a few outfits."
Zhang Qiu said earnestly, "Sister Qiuju is absolutely right. Second Sister-in-law is incredibly skillful. Ever since she came into the family, she has made all the clothes and shoes for everyone."
The boy's face was beaming with sunshine, and Qiuju couldn't help but tease him, "Does Zhang Qiu also want to marry a capable woman like you in the future?"
The sixteen-year-old boy was still too naive, nodding repeatedly, "That's right, Mother said that my eldest and second sisters-in-law both found good partners. I should look for someone like them in the future, or I'll remain a bachelor forever."
"puff!"
Jiang Shuyue couldn't help but laugh when she heard this.
Zhang Qiu is lively and cheerful, and has a decent appearance. If he remains a bachelor, then none of the young men in this village will be able to find wives.
Seeing Jiang Shuyue smile, Zhang Qiu chuckled and said, "Miss, don't laugh. I'm not lying. These are all things my mother said."
“I wasn’t laughing. Your mother is right.”
Jiang Shuyue suppressed her smile and said seriously, "We've hired people to work in the fields. You should take time to read and write, especially learn to keep accounts and review them. In the future, you can become a manager in the capital, just like your brother."
"Thank you for your concern, Miss. I study every day. The simple bookkeeping method you taught my eldest brother is very useful, and my second brother has also learned it."
Zhang Qiu has a lively personality and is no longer reserved when chatting with Jiang Shuyue and Qiu Ju.
Jiang Shuyue took him to the yard to pick branches with buds.
I stood under the tree and watched Zhang Qiu operate the equipment.
The carpenter had cut off a large section of the tree branch, which Jiang Shuyue could clearly see from the ground.
Zhang Qiuren is clever and skillful; she can graft a tree in less than 15 minutes.
There were more than ten fruit trees around that needed grafting. Jiang Shuyue watched as the carpenter finished sawing one tree and moved on to the next.
The carpenter worked swiftly, and three trees had already been stripped bare.
She quickly called out, "Master, please stop! This needs to be sawed and grafted on the same day. Let's stop here for today. You can saw it again whenever Zhang Qiu asks you to."
The carpenter immediately stopped and looked up to ask Zhang Qiu, who was busy working on a tree branch.
"Third brother, your boss said to stop here for today. Do you still need to saw tree branches tomorrow?"
"Uncle, yes, you can come back tomorrow afternoon. My dad will settle the bill with you after you finish the work."
The carpenter only left with his tools after receiving confirmation.
Gao Mu and Cang Yun left their horses on a grassy field and headed up the mountain.
The two returned home laden with their loot as the sun set.
When Erniu learned that she could also go to the capital with her husband, just like her sister-in-law, she practically dragged Zhang Man all the way back.
"Thank you, Miss. I'm tongue-tied and don't know what to say. I'll kowtow to you."
Erniu's face turned bright red with excitement, and she knelt down with a "plop".
As soon as her head hit the ground, Jiang Shuyue reacted quickly and pulled her up.
"Erniu, get up quickly. I'm just helping you and your husband find a job. We don't deserve such a big gift from you."
Jiang Shuyue was being polite. The head of the manor was a worldly man and knew that the manager was not like an ordinary servant.
"On behalf of my entire family, I thank you for your kindness, Miss." The head servant's gratitude was evident in his words.
Aunt Cao was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. She used to worry that she would be too poor to afford a daughter-in-law.
After the young lady arrived, her family's life underwent a dramatic change.
I don't know how many times I've said thank you.
Just then, Zhang Qiu came in carrying a fragrant chicken soup. "Miss, please try the old hen stewed with Ganoderma lucidum."
"What! Lingzhi stewed chicken?"
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