Chapter 275 Ji Wensheng's Spring Outing to Jishui Village
Xiao Qiu looked at the valuable jade pendant but dared not take it, only looking helplessly at Jiang Ling.
Jiang Ling looked at the sincere worry and affection in Chen Wenjing's eyes and sighed inwardly.
This young master Chen is quite the devoted lover, but unfortunately, Hongxiu's heart is not with him.
She reached out and gently deflected the jade pendant Chen Wenjing offered.
"We appreciate Young Master Chen's kindness. However, Xiao Qiu cannot accept this jade pendant."
Chen Wenjing's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his expression frozen.
Jiang Ling continued, looking at him frankly: "To be honest, Young Master Chen, we also do not know the whereabouts of Miss Hongxiu. Although Xiao Qiu was once her personal maid, Miss Hongxiu did not tell her where she was going when she left."
She paused, her tone becoming even calmer, "Xiao Qiu is mine now, and I don't want her to have anything to do with the past anymore."
After saying that, Jiang Ling didn't say anything more. She nodded slightly to Chen Wenjing, then turned around and gestured for Xiao Ran and Xiao Yi to follow. With the still-shaken Xiao Qiu, she walked directly towards the carriage.
The spring rain fell continuously for a month, and Jishui Village was full of vitality.
This officially announces the arrival of spring.
Jiang Ling got up early and saw Xiao Qiu busy in the kitchen as soon as she got up, and Xiao Ran practicing martial arts with Zhao Shiying at the door.
I made a simple breakfast: thick millet porridge, a few refreshing side dishes brought by the villagers, some boiled eggs, and golden and tempting scallion pancakes.
All the children are growing. Although Xiao Qiu is two years older than Xiao Ran, she is still a fifteen-year-old child. Therefore, Jiang Ling insists that they eat at least one egg every day to maintain their nutrition.
When Xiao Qiu first arrived, she didn't dare to eat at the same table with anyone, and she even refused to accept the eggs that Jiang Ling offered her.
After all, these days, even rich young masters can't guarantee they can eat an egg every day.
Over the course of the month, although she still refused to sit at the table to eat, she no longer refused the food Jiang Ling gave her.
"Sister Xiaoqiu, are we having scallion pancakes this morning?" Xiaoyi rubbed her sleepy eyes, sniffed, and approached the kitchen door with an expectant look on her face.
"Yes, go wash up quickly, it'll be ready in a bit," Xiao Qiu replied with a smile, deftly taking the last pancake out of the pan.
Breakfast was laid out on the stone table in the courtyard.
The morning light was soft, the air was fresh, and the occasional birdsong created a unique and pleasant atmosphere.
After breakfast and a short rest, the sun had risen higher, and the light was brighter and warmer.
As soon as Jiang Ling opened the wooden door of the general store, she saw an elegantly decorated carriage parked not far away.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Ji Wensheng, dressed in a light blue brocade robe after the rain, nimbly jumped out of the carriage, his face bearing his usual cheerful smile. He bowed to Jiang Ling.
"Mr. Jiang, I'm sorry to bother you!"
Behind him followed a middle-aged man who appeared to be an attendant, but whose eyes were actually sharp and capable; he was probably responsible for security.
Today was the day to pick up the goods, but I didn't expect Ji Wensheng to arrive so early. He greeted me with a smile:
"Good morning, Young Master Ji. The sun is still high in the sky. Please come to the shop and have a cup of hot tea while I prepare the goods for you."
Ji Wensheng's smile widened: "The weather is so nice today. I'm not just here to pick up some goods. I've come specifically to keep our appointment from earlier today. I'd like to ask Boss Jiang to treat me to a tour of the beautiful scenery of Jishui Village!"
Jiang Ling was taken aback, only then remembering the agreement she had casually mentioned earlier.
It's been raining on and off all month, and besides, it was the Ji family's steward who came to pick up the goods these past few times, so Jiang Ling almost forgot about it.
“I forgot. I happen to have some free time today. Since you seem to be in the mood, I’ll accompany you for a walk.”
Today she was dressed in a simple cotton dress, her hair loosely tied up, looking more relaxed and at ease than usual in the shop.
She turned around and gave a few instructions to Xiao Ran and Xiao Qiu, who were tidying up the shelves, before preparing to take Ji Wensheng away.
"Sister, I want to go too!" Xiao Yi, with her sharp ears, heard that they were going out to play and immediately ran out from the backyard, looking at Jiang Ling with longing eyes.
Jiang Ling smiled and patted his head: "Okay, I'll take you with me."
She then looked at Xiao Ran, "Xiao Ran, you should come too. Let Xiao Qiu watch the shop for a while."
"Okay." Xiao Ran nodded and went to the backyard to fetch the carriage.
With horse-drawn carriages available, it's convenient to visit more distant scenic spots.
The group boarded the carriage, but instead of heading directly into the deep mountains, they first traveled slowly along the dirt road outside the village.
This is the busiest time of spring plowing, and outside the carriage window, a scene of bustling activity unfolds.
Ji Wensheng looked out the car window with great interest and saw that large swathes of fields had been covered in tender green leaves, with rice seedlings neatly arranged in the paddy fields, swaying gently in the wind.
Many villagers were busy in the fields, some bending over to replant seedlings, some diverting water for irrigation, and others driving oxen to plow the remaining corners of the land.
Ji Wensheng exclaimed, "Boss Jiang, the spring plowing scene in your village is truly vibrant. You can't see such a lively scene full of the scent of earth in the capital."
Land in the capital is expensive and has been used to build houses, so only farmland remains in the suburbs.
Although the Ji family owned farmland, Ji Wensheng had never experienced spring plowing so closely before.
Jiang Ling smiled and gestured for Xiao Ran to stop the carriage by a field ridge.
"If Young Master Ji is interested, you may come closer and take a look."
The group got out of the car and stood on the edge of the field.
The scent of damp earth mixed with the fragrance of young seedlings wafted towards us.
Not far away, Grandpa Zhao was inspecting the irrigation canal with a few young men. When he saw Jiang Ling and her group, he walked over with a smile.
"Miss Jiang, are you out for a stroll with your friends?" Grandpa Zhao's voice boomed as his gaze fell upon the distinguished-looking Ji Wensheng.
"Uncle Zhao," Jiang Ling greeted him with a smile.
"This is Young Master Ji from the capital, here to visit our village. Young Master Ji, this is Grandpa Zhao from our Jishui Village, he's the one who oversees most of the spring planting in the village."
Ji Wensheng quickly cupped his hands in a humble manner: "This junior, Ji Wensheng, greets Old Master Zhao. Seeing the neat fields and thriving rice seedlings in your village, I admire your skillful management."
Seeing that this young nobleman from the capital was so polite and unpretentious, Old Master Zhao's smile widened, and he waved his hand, saying:
"Young Master Ji, you flatter me. It's all thanks to the hard work of the villagers and the blessings of God."
Pointing to the fields before him, he recounted them with great familiarity, “This side is planted with japonica rice, that side with glutinous rice, and on the slopes we also plant some beans and other grains. This year, there was plenty of rain in the spring, and the rice seedlings were planted in time. As long as the weather remains favorable, we should have a good harvest in the fall.”
Ji Wensheng listened attentively. Although he was a businessman, he was also quite concerned about agriculture, which was crucial to people's livelihoods. He asked:
"Grandpa, these rice seedlings look so green and pleasing. I wonder how much rice can be produced from one acre?"
“If the weather is favorable, a top-quality field can yield one and a half to two shi of grain, a medium-quality field about one shi, and a low-quality field is hard to say.”
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