Chapter 469 Accidentally Becoming a Landlady
After three cups of tea, Cheng Wanwan finally arrived late.
She said apologetically, "We had guests at home and neglected Madam Zheng. Please don't mind."
Madam Zheng dared not show her emotions. She quickly stood up and bowed, saying with a smile, "Having learned that you, sir, are moving to your new home today, I have brought a congratulatory gift. Please accept it."
She handed over a large box that was next to her.
Cheng Wanwan frowned slightly.
Generally, when guests arrive, the gifts are given directly to the housekeeper. Since there is no housekeeper at the moment, they should be given to Cheng Jia or Granny Qi.
But Madam Zheng handed it directly to her, which made her meaning quite clear.
She said calmly, "I may not be able to accept this generous gift from Madam Zheng. Please take it back."
Madam Zheng's smile froze. The gift box hadn't even been opened yet, how could the people of Sui'an know it was an expensive gift?
She gripped the handkerchief in her hand tightly and sighed softly, "To be honest, I've come here today to ask for your help. Only the people of Sui'an can help our Zheng family."
“I don’t know what happened to the Zheng family, but I am very clear about my own abilities.” Cheng Wanwan said indifferently, “I have some ways to deal with things in the fields, but I, a mere peasant woman, really don’t understand things in officialdom. Madam Zheng has come to the wrong person.”
Although she had never inquired about the Zheng family, she could guess why Madam Zheng had come.
Having the audacity to scheme against the eldest daughter of the Lin family, one should have anticipated such consequences. One cannot simply have the desire to do evil without the capacity to bear the consequences.
“People of Sui’an, I only wish to meet Madam Lin. I implore you, people of Sui’an, to make the connection.” Madam Zheng slightly curtsied, adopting an extremely humble posture. “Whether Madam Lin is willing to let the Zheng family go or not, my Zheng family will always be grateful to you, people of Sui’an. Whatever help you may need in the future, my Zheng family will do our utmost.”
Cheng Wanwan shook her head: "I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with Madam Lin. Madam Zheng, why don't you ask Madam Ge for help?"
Madam Zheng pursed her lips.
She also went to see Madam Ge, but Madam Ge refused, saying that military officers did not interfere in the affairs of civil officials and leaving no room for negotiation.
She wouldn't have come to Sui'an for help if she hadn't been so desperate to find someone else.
She tried everything to persuade them, but no one in Sui'an was willing to help. Did she have to kneel on the ground and beg for their help?
She was, after all, the wife of a county magistrate; she couldn't do something so humiliating.
Madam Zheng took a deep breath: "I was being presumptuous and disturbing the people of Sui'an. I have matters to attend to at home, so I will take my leave now."
"Wait a minute." Cheng Wanwan picked up the gift box. "I wasn't able to help, so Mrs. Zheng should take the gift with her."
Madam Zheng clenched her fists tightly, took the gift box, and walked out without looking back. She got into the carriage and left Dahe Village.
Cheng Wanwan shook her head. Both Madam Zheng and Zheng Wangfeng were scheming people. She didn't know what kind of person Lord Zheng was. If Lord Zheng was upright, the Zheng family might still have a chance to survive. If Lord Zheng was also full of schemes and plots, this family would probably never have a chance to turn things around... No, that's not right. If Zheng Wangfeng passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi, the Zheng family would still have a place in the officialdom.
Cheng Wanwan only thought about the Zheng family's matter for a short while before stopping.
She arranged for a security escort agency to send six top craftsmen back to the capital, and also wrote a memorial expressing her gratitude to the emperor, asking the craftsmen to deliver it to him.
She has repeatedly expressed her gratitude that the current emperor is a wise ruler; otherwise, she would not have achieved her current status.
If the emperor is willing to grant her status and position, then she should do something for this dynasty.
Next up is cotton.
She had to ensure a bountiful cotton harvest, select the best cotton, make it into a birthday gift, and send it all the way to the capital to congratulate the emperor on his birthday.
The current emperor naturally uses silk, and the various quilts and clothes made of silk are far superior to cotton fabrics. However, only high-ranking officials and nobles can afford silk products. When she presents cotton quilts and cotton clothes, it appears to be a gift to the emperor, but in reality, it is a gift to the millions of ordinary people of the Great Yu Dynasty.
If the emperor is truly a wise ruler who cares deeply for the people, then cotton will certainly be promoted accordingly.
If the emperor only cares about his own pleasure, perhaps she can restrain herself a bit in the future.
Cheng Wanwan put on a straw hat and went to inspect the cotton field.
It's almost July now, and the weather is scorching hot. Just walking around in the fields leaves you drenched in sweat.
Cheng Yi and Cheng Bing were guarding the field. These two men, who were previously just burly, had now become much darker from the sun and looked no different from the other farmers in the village.
Dozens of children were also searching for insects with small buckets. In the past two weeks, the insects in the cotton field had been almost completely eliminated, but these little guys who had tasted the sweetness of success were unwilling to give up. They would come and search every day, and even a cotton bollworm the size of a fingernail or a newly hatched red spider would be caught and then shown off to Cheng Wanwan.
"You guys are amazing!" Cheng Wanwan gave a thumbs up. "But there aren't many bugs now, so you can come every other day. Look, you've all gotten tanned."
The children were very obedient and nodded in agreement.
After walking around the cotton field, Cheng Wanwan went to the new chili pepper field. Because the area was so large, she didn't start seedlings and just scattered the chili pepper seeds on the ground. She planted some of all kinds of chili peppers, watered them, and they would sprout in a few days. She estimated that the first batch of chili peppers would be ready to be harvested in two months.
Cheng Wanwan did the math and realized that her family now owned nearly a thousand acres of land, making her a landlady.
Walking back from here, you can see the rice paddies in the village. This year, the weather has been favorable, and the rice is growing very well. Judging from this, it will be ready to harvest in about twenty days. The busiest time of the year is just around the corner.
Meanwhile, the first branch of Daheyan Restaurant is about to open.
During this period, Zhao Ergou went to Hekou County every day, mainly to keep an eye on the renovation. Zhou Niangzi went to the main store of Daheyan to learn cooking skills. After a month, the renovation of the branch was finally completed, and Zhou Niangzi had almost mastered all the dishes. So, they chose a date to open the store.
"Manager Zhou has set the opening date for the second day of the seventh lunar month, which is the day after tomorrow," Zhao Ergou reported upon his return. "Mother, please come and support us on the opening day. With you there, we're sure to have no shortage of customers."
After his mother became a sixth-rank official, she became a legendary figure in the nearby counties and towns. There were even storytellers in teahouses who wrote stories about his mother. He went to listen to one and found it very funny. His mother was not like the one in the story at all... However, because the story was passed down by word of mouth, his mother became even more famous in Hekou County.
“When the main store opened, I was unsure of myself, so I went in person and even invited Magistrate Shen to cut the ribbon,” Cheng Wanwan said slowly. “The opening of the first store relied on status, but the opening of the second branch will rely on reputation. It will also be a good opportunity to test whether the Dahe Banquet brand is up to par. I won’t go. If you don’t have enough manpower, have Cheng Jia and a few others go over and help out.”
Zhao Ergou nodded: "Don't worry, Mother, I will definitely not ruin our family's reputation!"
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