Fu Man'er and Xu Yi quickly accomplished their mission.
These storytellers wouldn't be doing odd jobs if they weren't forced to make a living.
Being exposed to the wind and sun here is naturally not as comfortable as sitting indoors.
So when Fu Man'er 1 spoke up, they agreed without much thought.
"Brother, you should go back quickly. I'll go back with Second Brother later."
After the matter was over, Fu Man'er urged Xu Yi to go back, as it was still a short distance from here to the town.
The two had been out for quite a while, and Fu Man'er was afraid of delaying Xu Yi's business.
"You little brat, you want to throw me away after you're done using me, don't you?"
Looking at Fu Man'er's rosy cheeks, Xu Yi couldn't resist pinching her cheeks with his hands.
"Mmm, brother~ brother~" Fu Man'er, whose beak was pinched into a chicken-like shape, could not even speak properly.
The delicate feel is just like when I was a child, Xu Yi thought to himself.
Just before Fu Man'er was about to make a move, she withdrew her hand.
"Keep your veil on, the sun is strong, be careful not to get sunburned."
“If you want to go out to play, you must have someone with you, otherwise you should wait for your second brother in the yard.”
Xu Yi said as he helped her adjust her veil.
Fu Man'er stood there like a well-behaved baby, her eyes filled with a smile.
“Who said I was going out to play? I’m not going. I’m staying here with my second brother.”
Even through the thin veil, Xu Yi could still see the girl's cunning expression.
Just now, when they passed by a stream, he saw Fu Man'er's restless eyes.
This girl has had a unique love for water since she was a child, and Xu Yi doesn't restrict her from doing so.
However, the area around the manor is all farmland, and Xu Yi was really worried about having everyone following her around.
"Alright, you stay in the courtyard and keep your second brother company." Xu Yi said, taking Fu Man'er's hand and walking towards the estate.
"You don't believe me?" Fu Man'er felt that his face clearly said "I don't believe you."
Xu Yi smiled but remained silent. Sometimes it's better not to say something than to say it. He gave Xu Mao a few instructions before riding away.
"Second Brother, why is your sleeve so wet?"
Fu Man'er found a chair opposite Xu Mao and sat down. She lowered her eyes and her gaze fell on Xu Mao's sleeve.
"Oh, this," Xu Mao said casually, flicking his sleeve.
"The maid who served the tea accidentally spilled it. It's hot, so it'll dry in a bit."
Fu Man'er looked at him worriedly, "Did you burn yourself?"
Xu Mao tugged at his sleeve. "It's alright, the tea isn't hot, it'll be fine."
"By the way, if you want to go play by the stream, I'll have Steward Chen accompany you."
"I'll finish reconciling the accounts here and then we'll leave."
Fu Man'er saw that there wasn't much left in the account book, "Okay, I'll go over now."
Xu Mao reads the ledgers quite quickly; I could still play for a while if I went now.
No sooner had Fu Man'er left than someone else came in.
"Second Young Master, there is no burn ointment in the manor, so I picked some herbs for treating burns from the field."
"Let me apply it to your wound, and it won't feel so hot anymore."
The speaker was Chun'er, who was carrying a basin of cold water and a handful of herbs.
"It's alright, no need." Xu Mao waved his hand in refusal. He was a tough man and didn't care much about these things.
"Second Young Master, it's all my fault for being clumsy. Please don't be angry."
“I will be extra careful in the future and serve the Second Young Master well. Please let me apply the medicine for you.”
"If others find out that I burned the Second Young Master and he didn't apply medicine to you, he will definitely kick me out of the estate."
Chun'er spoke earnestly, her eyes suddenly reddening as she looked at Xu Mao pleadingly.
Xu Mao is quite capable in handling agricultural matters, but he has a very kind heart.
"Alright then." With that, he put the ledger aside and rolled up his sleeves.
After Chun'er brought the tea over, she also helped Xu Mao pour and serve tea, perhaps because Xu Mao was too engrossed in looking at the account books.
The moment his hand touched the teacup, the tea inside tilted and spilled out, landing entirely on Xu Mao's wrist.
He didn't feel much pain, but when he rolled up his sleeve, you could still see that his skin had turned red.
“It was my fault for not holding the teacup properly. Second Young Master, you may punish me as you see fit.”
Chun'er squatted down in front of Xu Mao with a guilty look on her face and first poured cold water on Xu Mao's wrist.
Then squeeze the herbs to extract the juice and drip it onto the burn. The green juice quickly covered the burn.
Xu Mao thought it was almost over and wanted to take his hand away, but Chun'er's next move made Xu Mao blush.
Chun'er reached out and grabbed Xu Mao's hand, then leaned her head closer.
She pouted her lips and gently blew on Xu Mao's burn.
Xu Mao's face flushed, feeling very awkward, and he forcefully pulled his hand back.
Chun'er was startled to realize what she had done and lowered her head in shame.
"Second Young Master, I..."
"When I was a child, if I got burned or bumped, my family would blow on it like this."
"They say blowing on it helps it heal faster, and that's what I just did..."
As Chun'er spoke, she felt increasingly embarrassed. She glanced at Xu Mao and then quickly lowered her head.
Although Xu Mao is a grown man, he doesn't have much contact with women on a daily basis, except for those in his family.
Moreover, his mind was focused on farming, so Chun'er's rather inappropriate behavior just now made him feel very ashamed and at a loss.
He originally wanted to kick the person out directly, but after hearing Chun'er's explanation...
It reminded me of my childhood, when I used to play wildly, bumping and bruising myself all over the place, and my family did the same.
Especially Man'er, whose cheeks puffed out like a fish's, could blow on her injured area for ages.
Thinking of this, Xu Mao finally breathed a sigh of relief. Oh well, they meant well.
"Be more careful next time. This is none of your business. Get out."
Chun'er is only 56 years old, in the prime of her youth and beauty.
Even though she is now considered a servant in the Xu family, Xu Mao is still not used to being in the same room with a strange woman.
"Yes, I'll wait outside the courtyard. If you need anything, Second Young Master, please call me anytime."
Chun'er stood up, curtsied, took a few steps back, and then turned and left.
After everyone left, Xu Mao straightened his sleeves and sat down.
When he picked up the ledger again, he thought to himself, "Women are indeed different from men."
Just a short while ago, Chun'er stayed here, and Xu Mao could smell a faint scent of rouge.
He shook his head, straightened his posture, and began to concentrate on looking at the account book.
He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't even notice Chun'er's head peeking over the courtyard gate from time to time.
After leaving the manor, Xu Yi spurred his horse toward the guards.
As soon as he dismounted and went inside, someone came to report to him, "Commander Xu, the county magistrate just sent someone to say that the governor from the capital will be coming to our Yunzhen in five days."
"The county magistrate said that the town's defenses need to be strengthened during this period, and that the governor will be welcomed at the city gate."
It's neither spring planting nor autumn harvest time, and there are no natural disasters or man-made calamities, so why has the governor suddenly arrived?
"I heard that the governor came not on official business, but on private business."
The young guard was very clever and lowered his voice to speak to Xu Yi.
Xu Yi immediately understood the intricacies of the situation, regardless of whether it was for public or private reasons.
The county magistrate must make sure the governor has a good impression of Lanzhen, as this will only benefit his career in the future.
"I understand." Xu Yi walked into the house. There were only a few days left, and he needed to arrange the manpower first.
But to my surprise, Qian Dayong was already inside when I went in.
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