After walking for nearly half a day, we arrived at Xiaoyu Village shortly after leaving the city gate.
This manor is adjacent to the outskirts of Beijing, with a river in front and mountains behind, and an excellent location. It was the dowry purchased by the Yongyi Marquis's Mansion during its prosperous period for the only legitimate daughter. Later, Mrs. Sheng sold most of it to finance Sheng Hong's official career.
After the Sheng family's financial situation improved, it was difficult to redeem the land here, so Sheng Hong bought another farm for the old lady elsewhere. But the old lady was still worried about the land, so she always paid attention to find out which family was in urgent need of money. Over the years, the old lady bought back some more land, a total of 580 acres.
Old Cui was chosen carefully to be married off. Not only was he honest and hardworking, he was also good at farming. Mother Cui was his childhood sweetheart who was separated from him. They met again many years later. When the old lady found out, she spent a lot of effort and money to get Mother Cui out of another family. The two of them got what they wanted, got married and had children, and they were very grateful to the old lady and were loyal to her.
Thanks to the old couple's sincere contribution, Xiaoyu Village is more prosperous than other farms.
Minglan, with her hat covered by a veil, sat in a sedan chair and slowly inspected the farm and the tenants. She saw endless fields with yellow cattle and white dogs in between, and vegetables and grains hanging in the air. Most of the farmers knew Minglan, and when they saw her coming in the sedan chair, they all put down their hoes and went back to their farm work, smiled, bowed, or kowtowed, creating a scene of prosperity in the countryside.
Minglan was quite satisfied.
"How are the crops now?" After returning to the house, Minglan sat at the head of the hall and asked carefully. Old Cui smiled and squinted his eyes, bowed his head and said respectfully, "It's all good. The weather has been good this year, and we should be able to collect more taxes than last year. The drought in the past few years was severe, and there was also unrest in the Jianghuai area. The price of grain in the capital skyrocketed. The old lady and the sixth...oh, and the lady didn't think of demanding rent or raising taxes. They were sympathetic to their lives and comforted them. They all say that there are no masters as kind and benevolent as ours outside!"
Minglan flipped through the land registers on the table, looked up and smiled, "Old Manager Cui, you're so articulate! It'll be interesting to have the old lady take a look at him later."
Old Cui's rough, dark face flushed instantly. He knew Minglan's abilities well, so he decided not to pretend and spoke out what was on his mind. Minglan was startled and exclaimed, "Want to buy land?"
Old Cui nodded vigorously, his face showing excitement. "I don't know what's going on lately, but there are several large farms in the Baitong River area that are ready to be sold. I've done some careful research and the land is good. Anyway, there's been some surplus in the farms over the past few years, so why not expand it?"
Minglan pondered for a moment and said briefly, "As usual, write down in detail how much land you want to buy, who owns it, and the price, among other details. Then have someone send it to me at Black Mountain Manor across the mountain. I'll check it out and tell you."
Old Cui immediately responded respectfully.
Seeing his overjoyed expression, Minglan couldn't help laughing in her heart. Perhaps the greatest hobby of the ancients was buying land.
"...Madam, you don't know that the old lady's farm was originally 20 to 30 hectares in size! The entire mountain forest behind it is also ours!" Old Cui sighed with tears in his eyes, "If we can restore this place to its original appearance, the old lady's kindness will be worthwhile."
Minglan was silent for a moment, then whispered, "I know you mean well, but everything must be done according to reason. If you can buy good land, buy some, but don't force it, or you'll cause trouble."
Old Cui bowed repeatedly with a smile, patting his chest and guaranteeing, "Even if I had the guts, I wouldn't dare! The old lady's rules have been clearly written in the contract for so many years. Madam, don't worry, there will be no mistakes!"
At about 2:30 or 3:45 in the afternoon, Minglan and her group left Xiaoyu Manor and headed straight for Heishan Manor. They took a few more people with them. Although it was not far, the road was not as good as that in the city. They were bumpy all the way until it was dark and they could no longer see the road clearly.
Xiao Tao leaned on the railing of the car and looked into the distance. She could see the dark gate of the farmstead in the distance and some torches lit there. When she got closer, she saw Danju, Quanzhu's wife and a short, dark man standing in front of them, followed by a large group of people.
When the carriage arrived at the door, the short, dark man immediately knelt down and said loudly, "I am Balaofu, and I pay my respects to Madam. Madam, you have worked hard on this journey. All the rooms inside are ready and waiting for you."
Xiaotao and Luzhi jumped out of the car, stood with their hands clasped, and winked at Danju opposite them. Danju nodded slightly.
A graceful voice rang out from the carriage: "Manager Ba, please get up quickly. You've worked so hard, waiting at the door in the dark. I'm not here at the right time."
"That's nothing!" Ba Laofu said in a fawning manner, illuminated by the torch. "Madam is an honorable lady. It's a blessing for us that she can take the time to visit the farm. We can't wait for it!"
Minglan didn't say much, just asked, "Is the master here?"
Ba Laofu stood up and replied, "The master sent someone to tell him to come this afternoon. He said he would be here later."
"Okay, you leave a few people waiting for the master at the door, we will go in first." Minglan felt slightly relieved.
Ba Laofu responded loudly and immediately ordered someone to open the front door. The carriage slowly entered the manor, followed by all the maids and servants.
The main house of the manor was already brightly lit. Inside, the tables and chairs had been wiped clean, and the utensils were neatly arranged. Minglan nodded slightly and turned to the inner room, finding it tidy. Her usual sheep-horn palace lantern sat on the small bedside table. On the round pearwood table stood a warm porcelain tea set with green jade and sunflower petals. The faint fragrance of tea still rose from the pot. Minglan held her breath and sniffed. It was her favorite golden osmanthus jasmine tea.
Minglan sat down on the kang wearily and laughed, "Our Miss Danju is becoming more and more capable. She's managed to tidy up everything so neatly in just half a day. Well, she's learned everything and will be able to get married soon!"
Danju wasn't shy at all. With a stern face, she went over to untie Minglan's belt. "Please don't wash it. You've been so tired all day that your voice has changed. Do you think I can't hear you? And there's all this dirt on your face, and your bun is messed up. It's a good thing you didn't get out of the car and let anyone see you! Go wash up first. If you have anything to say, tell Quan Zhujia to pass it on."
Qin Sang came in from the inner room and smiled warmly, "The hot water is ready, Madam, go take a shower. Luckily, I brought two boxes of bath essence, otherwise I'm afraid it wouldn't be enough."
Minglan was so exhausted that she had no strength left. She soaked in the large wooden tub for an hour. Danju kept adding hot water until her muscles and bones were softened. She came out and stretched out on the bed, muttering, "You're so delicate! You can't even bear such a little hardship."
In the last year of her previous life, there was no running water in the mountain valley, and Yao Yiyi had to fetch water from the well herself. The rough well rope rubbed her palms, which she used to hold a pen, leaving scars, which then faded and formed calluses. She had to walk for five or six hours a day, and when she took off her shoes at night, her feet were covered with blisters. Soaking them in cold water was excruciating. In the past, the soles of her feet hurt when she wore high heels, but now it is her heels that hurt when she walks in sneakers. Her calves trembled like strings, and when she lay in bed, her legs felt like they were not her own.
The city girl was so tired that she fell asleep as soon as she touched the pillow, but she felt very at ease in her heart. She felt that she had helped others. She even dreamed at night that when she went back to the class reunion, she must show off in front of those girls who couldn't even tell the difference between scallions and leeks.
Yao Yiyi can even build a fence!
But now, although she is surrounded by people and served by a large group of people, she no longer has the joy of being exhausted to satisfaction. Even though she is extremely tired, she is still full of thoughts and anxieties. The court is not stable now.
In ancient times, the official career was full of blood. She had seen officials being escorted to the capital in shackles and chains, and officials' families whose homes were destroyed due to confiscation of property. The girls in the boudoir who once had tea and laughed with her were suddenly punished by being sent to the Jiaofang Bureau or even reduced to official prostitutes because of the crimes of their fathers and brothers.
Whenever Minglan thought of this, she was extremely grateful to Old Man Sheng. He never sought fame and fortune, never engaged in opportunism, and never squandered the family fortune. He was an upright official and a very tactful person. No matter how many other shortcomings and mistakes he had, he always fulfilled the obligations of an ancient man and created a safe and prosperous living environment for his wife and children.
Speaking of the Sheng family, a few days ago, because the Dragon Boat Festival was approaching, Minglan sent someone to send festival gifts back to her parents' home in advance. Xiaotao found out the news that Sheng Hong was having a quarrel with Wang Shi again recently because of the matter of arranging a marriage for Changfeng.
Although Changfeng was born out of wedlock, he had the advantage of good looks, handsome and elegant manners, and good conversation (very similar to Sheng Hong in his youth, who charmed the old lady of the Wang family at first sight). He was very likable, and he was already a juren at a young age. Not only did his father and brother have great support, but most of his sisters had good marriages. It was estimated that it was only a matter of time before he would be admitted to the imperial examination. Therefore, as soon as Sheng Hong spread the word, many families responded.
However, Sheng Hong knew what kind of person his son was, so he suggested that as long as the family background was acceptable, the girl's character should be the first consideration. He wanted to find a daughter-in-law who was well-mannered, virtuous, and preferably had a strong temper.
"Gentleman Feng is such a person, he needs someone to support him!" Sheng Hong said very subtly, "Someone who can hold his ground (withstand the bullying of his mean mother-in-law), and also be able to suppress his misbehavior (prevent him from letting his romantic pursuits interfere with his work)!"
Wang was dumbfounded. This request was too specific. She jokingly said, "Master, why don't you find a mother for Feng Ge'er?"
"I didn't count on you." Sheng Hong said unhappily. Even if he dared to trust Wang's heart, he couldn't trust her vision.
——Minglan buried her face in the bed and laughed muffledly. She could almost imagine the scene.
But Sheng Hong couldn't go see the girl himself, so he had to ask the old lady for help. Unfortunately, the old lady had been raising her great-grandson and playing with her great-granddaughter, living a very harmonious life, and didn't want to get involved in the mess again. She was now arguing with Sheng Hong.
In fact, if Aunt Lin had not destroyed her own Great Wall, Sheng Hong really loved Molan and Changfeng very much. In life, one should not be too greedy... When Danju brought in dinner, she saw Minglan holding a book and had fallen asleep. She covered her with the quilt and quietly retreated.
At the end of the hour of Xu, Gu Tingye and a group of personal guards came galloping over on horseback. Seeing a row of more than ten men in military uniforms who had just come down from the reviewing ground, all of them were riding fine horses, tall and burly, with murderous aura from the battlefield still on their faces, Ba Laofu became even more honest, even his smile froze, and he bowed and nodded all the way to welcome Gu Tingye into the manor and went to the main house.
The servants in the manor were busy leading the horses of the entire team of guards into the trough, and the remaining cavalry guards went to rest in the wing rooms that had been prepared long ago. As they walked along, they saw Gongsun Meng and the Tu brothers walking quickly towards them.
"Thank you, Brother!" Gongsun Meng shouted loudly. He went up and put his arm around the shoulder of a young man in riding clothes, about twenty years old, and said warmly, "You're here!" Xie Ang turned around and smiled, patting Gongsun Meng with his big hand. "A Meng!" He then caught sight of the two people behind him and shouted again, "Brother Tu, Brother Tu!"
Tulong was a sturdy man in his thirties, with a scar running diagonally from his forehead to the bridge of his nose. His smile was rather ferocious. He laughed heartily and said, "Don't laugh! Little Ah Meng isn't thinking about you. He's thinking about the scenery on the training ground today."
Hearing this, Ah Meng was indeed unhappy: "My uncle refused to let me go. I thought protecting the lady was the most important thing, but the lady asked me to accompany a few little girls to escort the ceremony!"
"Don't be so ungrateful, kid!" Tu Hu laughed rudely. "Your uncle is thinking about you. You should study hard and practice martial arts, and then take the martial arts exam. It's really a good thing! Brothers like us, who can't even read a single word, are hopeless!"
Although Gongsun Meng was not small in stature, he was actually only fourteen years old. With a young mind, he quickly let go of his worries and just kept pestering Xie Ang with questions.
"By the way, Brother Xie, it's so late, why did you have to rush back?"
Xie Ang said with a smile as he walked, "The governor is worried about this place. We don't know the details of this village."
"Don't try to hide it. With so many brothers protecting us, there's nothing to worry about." Tu Huping lowered his voice and grinned, "I'm afraid you just can't bear to leave your wife!"
"How dare you gossip about Master Gu's affairs?" Tu Long glared at his brother and scolded him, "Isn't this clear? Perhaps Madam wants to sort out the affairs of the manor, and I'm afraid Madam is young and lacks authority, so I'm here to support her."
"How is your power not enough?!" Gongsun Meng cried out in surprise, "Madam, you lecture me on my studies even more harshly than my uncle, and I can't even answer you a word."
He recalled a day when Minglan smiled and said, "Pang Juan and Sun Bin were both disciples of Guiguzi. Pang Juan didn't like studying and left to become an official and lead troops. Sun Bin studied hard every day. After completing his studies, he came out of seclusion and quickly defeated Pang Juan. Ah Meng, do you want to be Pang Juan or Sun Bin?"
Ah Meng was stunned and couldn't help asking, "Could it be that Pang Juan couldn't defeat Sun Bin because he didn't study hard?"
His old uncle stroked his beard and said with a smile, "Yes, yes."
And yesterday, he muttered that he wanted to escort Gu Tingye or Minglan, and was unwilling to do the job of escorting the luggage. Minglan still persuaded him with a smile: "A Meng, what do you think is more important, the things or the people?"
"It's people who matter."
"So who do you think is better in Kung Fu, you or the Tu brothers?"
"Of course, the two brothers of the Tu family are amazing."
Then Minglan stopped talking and just looked at herself with the expression of a five-year-old child, shaking her head with pity.
My uncle continued to stroke his beard and said with a smile, "Yes, yes."
Whenever this happened, Gongsun Meng suddenly felt that he had become ten years younger. He became depressed for no reason and shrank against the wall in a daze. It took him a long time to mourn before he could recover.
"It's still good to have a wife!" Tu Hu sighed, "I remember the mansion was a mess back then. We followed the master everywhere, and when we returned to our own rooms in the outer courtyard, there was no one to take care of our food and clothes. The master only gave us money, which forced us brothers to live and eat in brothels for ten days or half a month..."
"Get lost!" Tu Long interrupted unhappily, "Are you going to brothels because I'm still single? You're becoming more and more unruly. I'll find a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for you! I'll find a strong wife to keep you in check!"
Tu Hu was quite in awe of his elder brother and did not dare to retort. He only muttered softly, "We are two eggs laid by the same mother."
…
"What's going on?!"
Minglan was helping Gu Tingye undress when she saw a shocking bloodstain on the shoulder of his brocade robe. She was shocked.
Gu Tingye looked down and recalled, saying calmly: "Today is the first day, there is nothing important, everyone was in a good mood, so they had a few spear competitions... Don't worry, all the spear heads have been removed." Seeing Minglan's frightened face, he added the second half of the sentence.
"You!" Minglan said angrily. She moved more gently and quickly helped him take off his outer robe. "Who said you can't kill people without a gun?!" How do you think the fatal scholar died?
“Huh…?”
The outer robe was taken off, but there was no blood stain on the snow-white satin lining. Minglan lifted his collar and took off the clothes along half of his arm, revealing his naked light brown skin. His shoulders and arms were bulging with strong muscles, but there was no injury, only a faint purple spot on his shoulder.
She was puzzled.
"That's right." Gu Tingye sighed softly, "I'll have to wrap the gun barrel with cloth in the future. I got carried away and lost control of my strength, and I almost pierced that little brother's arm."
Minglan was stunned, secretly laughing at herself. It turned out to be someone else's blood. She said "oh" and handed the changed robe to Xiaotao before asking, "Is the injury serious?"
"I lost some of my strength in the end, but luckily it was only a flesh wound. I specially hired a good doctor from outside to see him."
"That's good." Minglan nodded and came over to loosen his hair crown with a smile. "To be able to force you to use your full strength, I think that little brother's kung fu is very good."
"Well, he's young and promising, and he's also open-minded. He's a promising talent."
Gu Tingye was tall, and even when sitting on the edge of the bed he was only half a head shorter than Minglan who was standing. He put his arms around her slender waist, rested his cheek on the girl's soft chest, and listened quietly to her heartbeat.
Minglan laughed. Actually, he was only 26 years old this year, but he spoke in an old-fashioned manner. Just as she was about to make a joke, she saw a flash of silver in his thick black hair. Looking closely, she found that he had a few white hairs growing on his temples, which were not visible when he usually combed his hair.
Somehow, Minglan suddenly softened her heart, lowered her head, and gently kissed his hair.
Gu Tingye took advantage of the situation and pulled her to sit on his lap, his chest against her cheek, and said slowly, "Don't be too cautious about buying land. The powerful in the capital have many ways to make money. If I don't even dare to buy a few acres of land, I've wasted all these years. When you go back, ask Mr. Gongsun to send someone to find Lu Tongpan of Shuntian Prefecture and ask him to be an official. Just handle the deeds and money. As long as the procedures are complete, we won't be afraid of anything."
"Yeah." Minglan responded softly, "Have some more midnight snacks. I'll set the table for you."
She stood up and was about to leave, but a big hand gently grabbed her ear and pulled her back to sit on his lap.
"I have something to ask you." Gu Tingye said with a hint of interest, "Just now, did you think I was injured?"
Minglan chuckled twice and nodded embarrassedly.
"There are indeed bloodstains on the robe," Gu Tingye raised his eyebrows, a barely perceptible smile in his eyes, "but the fabric is intact, there are no holes. Didn't you notice?"
Minglan was stunned. How big would the hole in the clothes be if the wooden pole without the spear head poked it? She changed his clothes with her own hands, but she didn't notice it at all during the process. She only breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there was no injury on his skin.
"You, why, didn't you notice?" The man's low and pure voice seemed to be tempting for an answer. He knew that she was brave and careful, not the kind of person who would panic.
"Yes, why?" Minglan blinked her eyes and asked in confusion, "I don't know either."
Gu Tingye stopped talking and just stared at her quietly. Minglan tried hard to act innocent, but under his gaze that was as scorching as the sun, blushes inevitably rose on her cheeks and she gradually couldn't hold her expression anymore.
The man saw that her cheeks had turned into big red apples, and uncontrollable laughter shook from his chest. He hugged the girl's petite body and leaned back, and the two of them rolled onto the bed.
The girl covered her feverish face in frustration, and was pressed down heavily by the man. When she looked up, she met a pair of deep, dark eyes. He held back his laughter and glared at her hard.
"fraud."
He said so.
With his thick hair disheveled, he laughed loudly, as happy as a child who had discovered a magic trick.
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