"Miss, Young Master Jiang, you're back." Granny Luo greeted them respectfully as she stepped forward.
"Summon all those servants to the second courtyard," Jiang Hua nodded and ordered.
Granny Luo bowed slightly and immediately withdrew.
It was fifteen minutes later when Jiang Hua returned to her room, changed her clothes, and came out.
"Do they all have names?" Jiang Hua asked, sitting on a stone bench in the second courtyard.
"Not yet, please bestow a name upon us, young lady!" the five maids said in unison.
“Then let’s start with you,” Jiang Hua said, pointing to the first maid standing on the left.
"Pine nuts, white dew, frost flowers, winter spirit, spring breeze."
"Thank you for bestowing a name upon us, young lady," the group immediately knelt down and said.
"I presume that Granny Luo has already told you the general rules, but I would like to add two points here," Jiang Hua said in a cold voice.
“Those who do well in my hands will naturally be rewarded, but those who do things that betray their masters for personal gain will not be any less severe than what Chunniang did.”
"Yes, young lady," the group replied, their faces pale.
They had seen Chunniang's methods before. They remembered a maid who had been sold in and had talked back to the buyer because she was disobedient.
Chunniang had her tongue pulled out and sold her to a brothel. The girl died after only one night, and Chunniang threw her battered body into the middle of the courtyard.
They were forced to watch, and in the end, they could only watch helplessly as Chunniang released two large wolfhounds that devoured the corpse until only bones remained...
Even now, just thinking about it makes me feel nauseous.
Meeting the eyes of their new master, the women were filled with fear and unease, unsure of what their future held.
After giving them a few instructions, Jiang Hua told them to go about their own business.
"Want to go for a walk?" Jiang Hua asked Jiang Xingzhou, who was waiting for her at the archway of the second courtyard.
“Okay.” Jiang Xingzhou was naturally more than happy to agree.
After leaving the house, the two headed towards the fields. Aunt Liu and the others had already planted all the cacti that had been delivered last time.
Walking into that field, you can see the tiny green buds of cacti even from afar.
"Will these plants survive?" Jiang Xingzhou asked, puzzled.
Aren't these things only able to survive in the desert?
"Yes, it's possible, as long as you water it less, and the land in Shili Village is relatively dry," Jiang Hua explained.
I left a few pots in my yard, and I'll take them into my space to raise cochineal insects when I have some free time later.
The cochineal insect was obtained by the little white snake in exchange for the spiritual spring water of the space and other spatial spirits.
"I heard you're planning to build a factory. Do you have enough money?" Jiang Xingzhou asked with concern.
"It's enough. Shen Qingchuan settled my share of Mingyue Tower's profits today."
"That's good. Keep some silver on you and some grain at home. Dasheng has been suffering from drought for the past two years, and the harvests in various places have decreased. Grain prices will rise then." Jiang Xinzhou reminded him softly.
"Will that affect your army's supplies for marching and fighting?" Jiang Hua asked, frowning.
“There will be some, but we have the support of several powerful families in the capital. However, it is the lower-class people who suffer,” Jiang Xingzhou said with a solemn expression.
"Recently, the rebel army on the border has been coming on strong, which has made our Dasheng soldiers somewhat overwhelmed."
"If they need you at the border, you should go back," Jiang Hua advised.
"You don't need to worry about Ayi, I'll take care of her."
"Huahua, thank you." Jiang Xingzhou's deep eyes were fixed on Jiang Hua's eyes.
"Can you wait for me?"
"Huh?" Jiang Hua was caught off guard by his sudden remark.
"Wait for me to come back, and I will marry you," Jiang Xingzhou said cautiously.
“I can wait for you to come back, but saying you want to marry me is too sudden,” Jiang Hua replied calmly.
"Marriage is a lifelong commitment, and we need to understand each other thoroughly before we can do it."
Jiang Xingzhou felt a pang of discomfort at first, but upon hearing what he said next, he immediately dismissed it.
"Okay, we'll get to know each other slowly after I get back."
The two walked around the field again before coming out, chatting idly back and forth.
When are you leaving?
"Seven days from now, tomorrow the government will issue a conscription notice. We'll take the new recruits to the border then," Jiang Xingzhou said slowly.
"Here it comes! My protagonist's chance to turn the tables has arrived!"
The long-absent system voice suddenly sounded, causing Jiang Hua to stop in her tracks.
"What's wrong, Huahua?" Jiang Xingzhou asked worriedly.
"It's nothing, my foot just hurts a little," Jiang Hua casually made up an excuse.
"Did you twist your ankle? Should I carry you back?" Jiang Xingzhou said anxiously.
"It's alright, no need, I can walk back myself," Jiang Hua politely declined.
He was already thinking about what the system had just said, which meant that Zhou Yingxuan might also participate in the government's conscription this time.
A comeback?
Jiang Hua was already thinking about how to stop Zhou Yingxuan from conscripting soldiers.
"When it comes to conscription, will they recruit anyone who goes?" Jiang Hua suddenly asked.
"No, we'll recruit a group of strong and healthy people. We're not going to force people to be arrested everywhere. The environment on the border is harsh, and those who are weak will die on the way before they even get there."
"What do you think of Zhou Yingxuan?" Jiang Hua asked as they walked, naturally missing the fact that Jiang Xingzhou beside her had just heard the name Zhou Yingxuan.
A flash of coldness crossed his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and slowly spoke:
"It would be excellent if Zhou Yingxuan were to be recruited into the army. He is a patriotic man who would protect his country."
Hearing Jiang Xingzhou's tone, Jiang Hua turned her head and looked at him with some suspicion.
"I feel like there's something odd about how you mention Zhou Yingxuan."
"You might be mistaken," Jiang Xingzhou said, his heart tightening, but he still tried to remain calm.
...
In Qingshi Town, as soon as the conscription notice was issued by the government office, yamen runners came down to the villages to announce it with gongs and drums. In less than a day, the news spread throughout the town.
"No, we disagree!"
As soon as Jiang Hua entered Aunt Liu's courtyard, she heard Aunt Liu's voice coming from inside.
"Auntie, what's wrong?" Jiang Hua knocked on the door and came in to ask.
"Huahua, Xiaojiang, you've come at the right time! Quickly try to persuade your brother Tianming!" Aunt Liu angrily grabbed Jiang Hua's hand.
"Tianming, that unfilial son, is going to be conscripted. The border is so far from home. What will your father and I do if something happens to him?"
As she spoke, Aunt Liu's eyes reddened.
"Auntie, don't be anxious. Let's hear what Brother Tianming has to say," Jiang Hua said, helping Aunt Liu sit down.
"Mom, I really want to go! Please let me go."
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