She couldn't help but say, "Grandma, Mom, you guys are too good to Big Brother Xiao! Big Brother must be sad if he knows."
Seeing her pouting mouth and empty hands, Grandma Gu shook her head.
I thought to myself, what a child! How could I not express my gratitude when my beloved went to war? And I still feel that it's not fair.
He rolled his eyes, blinked, and smiled at her: "Ranran, we are all doing this for your own good. You go and deliver the clothes, and don't say that it was your mother and I who made them."
After saying that, he took the big bag from Xiaolan's hand and stuffed it into her arms.
Gu Xinran felt bitter. She gave more gifts than anyone else, and he could use anything in the yard, but in everyone's eyes she was unprepared.
Alas, she sighed and took the loving clothes from her grandmother with grievance.
Just at this moment, Xiao Mingzhan walked out of the governor's office surrounded by a large group of people.
Seeing the Gu family, he quickened his pace to greet them. Grandma Gu and Mother Gu stuffed large and small bags into his arms, reminding him to be careful, eat well, and get more rest...
Qi Mo Xiao Ba and Doctor Ling followed closely behind, busy helping Xiao Mingzhan carry the bag.
Gu Xinran then handed him the bundle of clothes and chuckled, "These are all the love from Grandma and Mom. You're truly favored! You outdo my elder brother and me. Oh, my teeth are sore. So you have to listen to them, eat well, sleep well, and be safe."
After saying that, he patted her shoulder, which was quite high for her.
Grandpa Gu, Xuanxuan and Tingting also reminded them to take care of their health.
Xiao Mingzhan agreed to all the requests, nodded gratefully, and had a big smile on his face. He was such a modest and gentle gentleman.
The crowd behind him was stunned. Is this still the cold-faced King Yan Luoqi?!
This scene was also seen by several men who were hiding in the dark and watching, and they became suspicious of the Gu family who appeared out of nowhere.
Gu Xinran pulled Doctor Ling aside and gave him a bottle of premium ginseng and antler pills and a bottle of ordinary ginseng and antler pills, which made him smile so happily that his eyes became slits.
Xiao Ba and Qi Mo were not left out either. They each gave them a bottle of ginseng and antler pills and asked them to take good care of Xiao Mingzhan.
The army's march could not be delayed. After a brief farewell, Xiao Mingzhan led a group of people towards the north gate. Thousands of imperial guards had already gathered here waiting to go on the expedition.
After watching them walk away, the Gu family turned around and went home.
There are a lot of things to do today. First, we have to go to the market to exchange cattle, and then send people to the farms. We have to take Yu Zhuangtou and his men to familiarize themselves with each farm.
Grandpa Gu fully supports the idea of replacing cows with horses.
They had just returned home when Mancang came to report that Xiaomei had arrived with the housekeeper and accountant sent by the King of Qi.
Gu Xinran hurried out to greet him. After waiting for so long, he finally had a capable assistant.
Otherwise I would have to borrow Lai Fu today. I am not familiar enough with Jinzhou Prefecture and I can’t even find a place to sell horses and exchange them for cattle.
When I arrived at the door, I saw that one of them was an acquaintance, the former steward of Xueyuan. We had met once when he was in Chengzhou Prefecture.
Although she didn't know his name, she couldn't stop Gu Xinran's enthusiasm. "Hello, Xueyuan Housekeeper, who is this? Please come in, please come in, let's talk inside."
Seeing that Gu Xinran was so easy to get along with, the two of them felt at ease. The prince had instructed that the young master should be placed in the same position as him.
Gu Xinran smiled when he saw Xiaomei return and invited her to go into the house.
As they were talking, several people walked into the central hall. After greeting Grandpa Gu and the others, the two of them took their seats one by one. Man Niang diligently served them tea.
Xueyuan's supervisor started by introducing himself, "Hello, masters. My surname is Zhao. I am honored to be the housekeeper of the Gu Mansion. Please feel free to tell me what you need."
Another man in his thirties, dressed in a Confucian robe, continued, "Hello, masters. My surname is Wang. I am the former accountant of Xueyuan in Chengzhou Prefecture. I will do my job well. I hope you will take me in."
At this time, Xiaomei handed Gu Xinran an envelope with both hands and said respectfully, "This is the indenture of Butler Zhao and Accountant Wang. The master asked me to give it to you. From now on, they will be yours."
Gu Xinran happily took it and secretly praised Xiao Mingzhan for his efficient work.
She was really afraid of people coming from big gardens like Xueyuan, who were disobedient and would feel much more at ease with a physical contract in hand.
Gu Xinran put away the indenture and said affectionately, "Uncle Zhao, Uncle Wang, I'll be in your care for the Gu Mansion from now on."
The two men hurriedly stood up and bowed, "Young Master, you can't address us like that. It's embarrassing for us. If you're respectful, please address us as Steward Zhao and Accountant Wang."
Gu Xinran could see that they were genuinely frightened, so she decided not to make things difficult for them and agreed.
After asking them to sit down, Xiaolan called all the servants in the mansion in and introduced them to Butler Zhao one by one, so that he could better divide the work among them.
After the servants left, they got down to business. Gu Xinran talked about what they were going to do today.
Butler Zhao took Accountant Wang to the stable. After some evaluation, they kept the two best horses for use in the mansion and took the other four to the livestock market for trading.
Gu Xinran didn't have to worry about the whole process. Grandpa Gu just listened to them commenting on the horses' coat color, skeleton, body shape... and was deeply impressed by their knowledge.
Gu Xinran had never been to a livestock market and was ready to go along.
Butler Zhao reminded, "Young Master, the livestock market is not a good place to go. Are you sure you want to go? We can handle the situation even if you don't go."
The grandfather and grandson were very excited to go and broaden their horizons. Grandpa Gu said, "It's okay. We are farmers and can adapt."
Seeing that the two masters were traveling together, Butler Zhao ordered an extra carriage to be equipped and asked Liao Wu and Xiaolan to accompany them for protection.
There is really no need to worry about anything, everything is arranged perfectly.
After strolling around for a quarter of an hour, they arrived at the livestock market, where there were horses, cows, donkeys, mules and everything in between. It was quite lively.
The smell is indeed unpleasant, but fortunately it is winter now, so it is barely bearable.
Gu Xinran thought that she had to sell the horse first and then buy a cow, but she didn't expect that there was a special cattle and horse exchange site, which was very convenient.
Horses were relatively expensive in those days, and the Gu family's four horses could be exchanged for five cows.
Even if we add five more cows, we still won’t be able to plow all the land in the farm.
Gu Xinran talked to Butler Zhao about the 1,500 acres of land and asked if he needed to buy more cows.
Butler Zhao replied, "With so much land, six cows are definitely not enough. But winter isn't a good time to buy cattle; the weather is cold and fodder is scarce. There is an advantage, however, and that is that they are relatively cheap. We can add a few adult cows, but forget about the calves, as they are difficult to raise."
Grandpa Gu nodded as he listened. Gu Xinran had the spiritual spring water to rely on, so he wasn't afraid of not raising the cattle well, but he also didn't need to go against the grain. He was a man who listened to advice, "Okay, then, Housekeeper Zhao, you make the arrangements."
Butler Zhao pondered for a moment and suggested, "Let's pick four more, both male and female, so that we can have our own calves next year.
If you don't have enough oxen to plow the fields in the spring, you can borrow some from the prince's farm. The prince has instructed the Jinzhou Prefecture's chief steward to prioritize planting the fields on your farm."
Gu Xinran smiled like a flower. This boyfriend is really good. He takes all her affairs to heart and hopes that he will have a smooth journey.
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