Xu Jiang was pulled into the yard by Liu Mei. Several maids came up to greet her. She greeted them one by one before going to the front room with Liu Mei.
When he reached the door, Xu Jiang straightened his clothes and looked much more relaxed than the last time he came to pay his respects.
Liu Mei pinched her waist and measured her, "Why do you get thinner every time I see you?"
Xu Jiang laughed when she was pinched. "I'm busy. But even though I'm thin, I'm in good spirits."
After all, I earned so much money and the bookstore gradually gained a reputation, which made me very happy.
Happiness is the most nourishing thing.
Seeing her smiling face and bright eyes, as vibrant as a young water chestnut, Liu Mei was quite convinced. She continued to say with concern, "No matter how busy you are, you have to take care of yourself. Don't overwork yourself and harm your health."
"I know. I know my limits."
The two of them walked into the house together.
Inside the room, a light curtain filters through, light dances through the air, the windows are clean, and a fragrant breeze wafts through. On the table, offerings are placed: bamboo branches, incense burners, and cypress wood carvings.
Xu Jiang recognized that the Baiya wood carving was the birthday gift she gave to Madam Lou last time.
Just as he was looking intently, he heard Liu Mei say, "Madam is in the wing room."
The two of them then went into the wing room.
Mrs. Lou had heard the noise outside a long time ago and wanted to get up to greet them, but the headscarf that the little maid had tied in the morning was not stable and it came loose while she was moving. She was combing her hair again and could not move.
Seeing Xu Jiang coming, she felt that her appearance was not very solemn and felt a little embarrassed. When she felt embarrassed, her expression became dull and she looked a little cold.
Seeing the scene in the room, Liu Mei hurried forward to take the comb from the maid's hand, patted Mrs. Lou's shoulder soothingly, and then neatly combed and tied up her long black hair.
Xu Jiang was not in a hurry. She waited until she had taken care of everything before going forward to greet her.
"Greetings, Madam. How are you?" He then apologized, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Seeing her smiling face, Madam Lou felt relieved and her expression softened. She held her hand and stroked it, saying, "It's okay, it's good that you're here."
Xu Jiang was pulled in front of her. Seeing her in a blue cloth skirt without hairpins or jewelry, she knew why she was dressed like that. She felt touched and praised her, "Madam, you are so beautiful."
Who doesn't like to be praised? A smile appeared on Mrs. Lou's face, and she became much more natural.
Liu Mei smiled and said, "This is the dress Madam wore when she was a girl. I wanted to give it away earlier, but Master wouldn't let me. This morning, when the young master came to pay his respects, he said he was going to Ziranxuan to plant vegetables. He then remembered this dress and asked Madam to change into it."
Mrs. Lou lowered her head and tugged at her sleeves, a flicker of nostalgia crossing her face. "I thought I couldn't wear it, but it actually fits perfectly."
Xu Jiang nodded repeatedly, "It fits well and looks good."
Mrs. Lou was born with a weak constitution and was often sickly. It was said that giving birth to Lou Yunchun was extremely dangerous, so Lou Jing never had another child. She had taken good care of her over the years, and now she was safe, but she just couldn't gain weight and remained frail.
Xu Jiang could get a glimpse of her former charm through her attire. She must be a rare beauty with an extraordinary and unique temperament.
After finishing packing, Liu Mei walked to the window to take a look at the sky and said, "It looks like the rain is not over yet. We need to hurry and plant the vegetable seedlings before it starts to fall. The Qingming rain will moisten the soil and make it a good time for growth."
"good."
Several people then headed towards Ziranxuan together.
Once they arrived at Ziranxuan, there was no one else there except Shuangshou and Lou Yunchun. Liu Mei and Yinyin sent Madam Lou and Xu Jiang to the small courtyard, and then asked Shuangshou to leave.
Lou Yunchun ushered the two into the main hall and asked Madam Lou with concern, "Are you tired after all this journey, mother? I've prepared some tea. Would you like to take a break?"
"Not tired." Madam Lou turned to Xu Jiang and asked, "Are you tired, A Jiang?"
Lou Yunchun and Xu Jiang were both startled by the call of "A Jiang". Xu Jiang then shook her head and said, "Auntie, I'm not tired."
Mrs. Lou breathed a sigh of relief. It was Liu Mei who came up with this idea, saying that calling her that way would be more intimate. It really worked. She was also happy when Xu Jiang called her "Auntie".
Lou Yunchun came back to his senses and said to the two of them with a smile, "The seedlings have just been separated. Do you want to go take a look?"
"Let's go." Mrs. Lou changed her clothes and seemed to have regained some of her girlish nature, her steps became much lighter.
She walked in front, Lou Yunchun and Xu Jiang walked behind, and the two of them secretly hooked their hands.
The three of them passed through the small door into the backyard, where they saw pear clouds blanketing the sky, a blanket of white, petals drifting across the sky, a breathtaking spectacle. Lady Lou stepped into the painting, leaning over to peer at the spring seedlings. The harmony between the figures and the scenery created a scene of a fairy nun teaching farming.
Lou Yunchun and Xu Jiang were stunned and couldn't bear to go forward to disturb them.
Madam Lou looked up at the two of them, then waved to Xu Jiang, who floated away like a wandering soul.
Mrs. Lou pointed and said, "Here we have pumpkins, cucumbers, eggplants, and cabbages. What do you want to plant?"
Xu Jiang smiled foolishly: "Everything is fine..."
Mrs. Lou touched her forehead and asked, "Did the wind blow you?"
Xu Jiang came back to her senses and coughed twice awkwardly. She was bewitched by the beauty.
Scenery, beauty.
"It's okay." Xu Jiang looked at the seedlings that had been divided, then assessed the vegetable garden a few times and said, "The seedlings have been divided just right. Why don't we plant them all?"
"Okay." Mrs. Lou nodded and then ordered her son, "Yunchun, come hoe the fields."
It was the first time that Lou Yunchun saw his mother being so friendly. Seeing Xu Jiang looking at him with a silly smile, his heart softened. Without saying a word, he found a hoe and started to hoe the ground.
While Lou Yunchun was hoeing the ground, Xu Jiang worked with Madam Lou to clear the weeds.
Both mother and son were very frugal with words, and they asked and answered questions with Xu Jiang. Xu Jiang also made a few witty remarks from time to time, making the two of them smile.
Under the guidance of Madam Lou and Xu Jiang, Lou Yunchun gradually mastered the techniques of tilling and ridge-making, and soon he had the entire garden ready. He then dug nests, spread wood ash, planted the seedlings, and watered them. By the time all the seedlings were planted, it was already past noon.
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
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