No, she hasn't agreed at all, okay?

But will she object?

The villain in Yu Tang's heart immediately shook his head.

She lowered her head, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

Pei Yan was a very smart and perceptive person, and he immediately sensed her hesitation.

Then he did something that years later he was reluctant to talk about, nor did he know how to explain - he just walked away.

As he ran, he said, "It's settled. Hu Xing and I will go ahead and take a look. You rest here for a while."

Although Hu Xing didn't know what happened over there, his main task was to serve Pei Yan. If Pei Yan left, he would of course follow.

Not to mention Ah Ming and the others.

Half of the people left in a hurry.

Yu Tang, Qing Yuan and Shuang Tao were left alone, staring at each other.

As a result, Yu Tang ignored all the places they went to and the things Pei Yan and Hu Xing discussed. Until Pei Yan finally made a decision: "Plant sea buckthorn trees at the foot of the mountain and on the north side, and peach trees on the south side. Then dig two canals. Start digging one this summer, and dig another one in the winter when the farmers are idle."

Even Yu Tang, who knows nothing about farming, knows how much effort it would take to dig two canals.

But she couldn't refute Pei Yan on this matter - in Yu Tang's eyes, Pei Yan was an expert.

"How about we fix one first?" She tried to persuade Pei Yan, "and see how the situation goes before fixing the other one?"

Pei Yan was naturally unwilling.

Hu Xing had his own considerations.

Such a large project would definitely require the help of the people around Lin'an. Even if the Pei family was willing to pay, it would not be a good thing if they were known for being ambitious.

Not only did he agree with Yu Tang, he also winked at Pei Yan and said, "I think what Miss Yu said makes sense. If there is corvée labor in the state, it would be difficult to argue with the government office."

Yu Tang thought Hu Xing was right and said with a smile, "Besides, repairing the canal is not a trivial matter. Both labor and materials must be prepared in advance. Labor is easy to find, but materials require asking around. Many places have dry seasons in summer, and we don't know if it's good luck or not."

Pei Yan didn't think this was a big project; what he cared about was the look Hu Xing gave him.

After watching Hu Xing work these few days, he gained a new understanding of Hu Xing's abilities.

This man may be lacking in some aspects when it comes to doing serious work, but when it comes to reading people's expressions and being servile, none of the Pei family's stewards or managers can compare to him.

Putting him in the backyard really suits him.

Pei Yan did not make a decision, but changed the subject and talked about planting peach trees: "Hu Xing, you are very familiar with Qingzhou, so I will leave the tree planting to you. Make arrangements as soon as possible in the next two days. If you need to go to Qingzhou, tell A'man and let A'man arrange it for you. And you should also say hello to Aunt Chen. As for your affairs in the mansion, leave them to A'man for the time being, and let A'man assign them."

This means that he has the title of chief steward but does the work of a steward.

Hu Xing was a little confused, but he didn't dare to refute Pei Yan's words. He quickly bowed and replied "yes". His attitude was so good.

Pei Yan just glanced at him, then continued talking to him while walking towards the woods not far away.

Otherwise, why do people say Hu Xing is a smart guy?

He followed immediately.

Pei Yan then lowered his voice and asked him, "What were you looking at me doing just now?"

Hu Xing bent his waist and said hurriedly, "I see that Miss Yu is not very willing, so I thought that there are some things you should listen to Miss Yu. I saw that when the old lady and Mrs. An were together, the old lady never openly contradicted Mrs. An. Moreover, Miss Yu is surrounded by your people."

His father never refuted his mother's words in front of outsiders.

These words pleased Pei Yan.

He said in a brisk voice, "Okay! When you go back, bring a detailed plan to Miss Yu to see. Build one canal in the summer and another in the winter."

Hu Xingru was struck by lightning.

He just felt that building a canal was such a big thing and would cost a lot of money. If the people of Old An knew that he had been watching it and followed the Third Elder's lead, they would probably tear him apart. So he racked his brains to come up with a reason.

Who knew that the third elder actually took it seriously!

That is to say, in the heart of the Third Elder, Miss Yu is someone who can be compared with Old An!

This... this doesn't look like taking a concubine at all, this is clearly about getting married!

Miss Yu... the head lady of the Pei family! The head wife of the Pei family.

Hu Xing was so dazed that he couldn't even remember how he followed Pei Yan and Yu Tang down the mountain.

But when he reached the foot of the mountain and saw Wang Si and the Yu family's forest rangers guarding there diligently, he realized something was wrong.

The third old man didn't dare to tell Miss Yu, so he left the task of convincing Miss Yu to build two canals in one go to him!

Could it be that he was born with three heads and six arms?

Can he accomplish what the three elders couldn't do?

Could he have more face in front of Miss Yu than the Third Elder?

Hu Xing wanted to cry but had no tears. He looked at Pei Yan and Yu Tang who were silent and went to the Yu family's old house one after another, and his mood was very complicated.

Yu Tang's mood was also very complicated.

Whether in her past life or this life, she had never thought about marrying into a wealthy family. In her past life, it was fate, but in this life, it was disrespectful. Besides, as the old saying goes, two people of the same size do not make a good match.

Reject Pei Yan?

She couldn't say it again.

Not only was it something she couldn't say out loud, she also felt a subtle resistance in her heart.

What to do?

She was in a state of confusion and had no idea what to make.

Yu Tang sincerely hopes that time will stop at this moment so that she will never have to face the choice in the future.

She declined the invitation to dinner from the female elders of the tribe, had a quick dinner, and locked herself in the house.

What to do?

At this time, she really wanted someone to help her make decisions.

Mom definitely can't do that.

If she knew, she would definitely be shocked, and might even make up her mind immediately to reject or agree to the Pei family's marriage proposal.

Of course her father is even less suitable.

First cousin? First cousin’s wife? First aunt… first uncle?

The more Yu Tang thought about it, the more upset he became.

It would be nice if Miss Xu were here.

But if she were here, she would probably make a scene and everyone would know about it, right?

Yu Tang covered his face in distress and suddenly thought of Ma Xiuniang.

How about going and talking to Ma Xiuniang?

Just look at how Ma Xiuniang lived after marrying into the Zhang family, and you will know that she knows how to live.

People who know how to live are usually smart and insightful.

Telling Ma Xiuniang could keep it a secret from the people at home for the time being.

Pei Yan is a man who always does what he says.

If he really comes to propose marriage out of the blue, my family will be in an uproar.

Yu Tang sighed, and after thinking it over, he felt that only Ma Xiuniang was suitable.

At this point, she suddenly wished she could grow wings and fly to see Ma Xiuniang and settle this matter immediately. Staying in the Yu family's old house for a while longer would be like sitting on pins and needles.

She finally made it to dawn, then got up and told Shuangtao to go back to Lin'an City.

Shuang Tao was so frightened that she couldn't speak clearly. She asked, "What happened?"

She had a quiet conversation with Wang Si yesterday, and made an appointment to accompany Yu Tang and Pei Yan up the mountain today.

Yu Tang was preoccupied with something and didn't notice anything strange about Shuang Tao.

She paced back and forth, anxiously saying, "Nothing, I just suddenly remembered something and need to go back."

So is there something wrong or not?

If it were in the past, Shuang Tao would have asked. But during this period of time, she had come into contact with the maids of the Pei Mansion and learned a lot of rules. Seeing that Yu Tang was upset at this time, she knew it was not a good opportunity to ask questions, so she said, "Miss, I will tell the Pei family's mule to prepare to take you back to the city!" Then she asked her for instructions, "What about Master Pei San?"

Pei Yan came to help the Yu family. Are they going to leave Master Pei San busy here? Or are they going to invite Master Pei San back to the city?

Yu Tang thought of what Pei Yan had said to her on the mountain. Her face flushed and she felt a little angry. She thought that the man had only disturbed the pool of autumn water while enjoying himself. He refused the elders of the Yu family to accompany him and even wandered around the village with his fifth uncle until very late. She could hear their cheerful laughter when his fifth uncle sent him back from the next door. She was the only one who couldn't eat or sleep well. She was resentful in her heart and gritted her teeth and said, "Let him stay here alone. Let's go back to the city."

Shuang Tao instinctively felt that there was something wrong with Yu Tang's tone, but she was still thinking about talking to Wang Si, so she didn't think about it, just responded and walked out.

But she hadn't taken two steps when Yu Tang stopped her and said, "Go to the village and borrow a bullock cart from someone. We will return to the city quietly."

Let him not be able to find anyone and see if he gets anxious.

Shuangtao was stunned.

Yu Tang said, "Go quickly! Don't tell anyone about this. If anyone asks, just say that I was tired yesterday and need to rest for half a day today."

Half a day was enough for her to return to the city.

Shuang Tao was confused, but she listened to Yu Tang more.

She really did as Yu Tang asked, quietly borrowed an ox cart, and returned to Lin'an City with Yu Tang.

Yu Tang went straight to Zhang's house.

Qing, the girl from Ma Xiu's mother's family, is almost two years old. She walks steadily and is at the age when she is quick-eyed and quick-handed. She will grab anything she sees and put it in her mouth to taste it. If you don't watch her for a while, she will disappear somewhere else.

When Yu Tang arrived, Ma Xiuniang was holding her daughter in one hand and pointing at the flowers and plants drying in the yard with the other hand, instructing Xijue: "Put them away carefully, so you can make sachets out of them to give as gifts during the Dragon Boat Festival."

She turned around and saw Yu Tang, her smile overflowing with joy. She handed Qing Er to Xi Que and went forward to hug Yu Tang, saying, "Why are you here? You didn't even tell me in advance. Xi Que, go to the street and buy some cherries and plums, and use the well water to quench Atang's thirst." She also instructed a newly bought maid, "Get some water to help Atang wash his face. Where did you come from? Why are you so dusty?"

Yu Tang has always been fond of Qing'er, the plump and fair girl who looks like a New Year picture. Hearing this, he felt it difficult to hug her. He smiled and said to Ma Xiuniang, "Haven't I been here for some time? I'm coming to visit you." After saying this, he realized that he didn't even bring any snacks to the door.

Ma Xiuniang also figured out something and thought that Yu Tang probably wanted to see her for something, so she stuffed a rattle into Qing'er's hand and pulled Yu Tang into the inner room.