Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 162: The Secret Tome Acknowledges Its Master - Picking Flowers and Flying Leaves (5)
Zhang Junyao had barely entered the secret chamber when he felt a lock of hair beside his ear fall. Turning toward the newcomer, he knelt on the ground and clasped his fists, "Envoy Hua."
Hua Wuying walked to the stone table, sat on the stone rest, and with a flick of her hand, Zhang Junyao was lifted to his feet.
"Thank you, Envoy Hua," he said, standing aside and quietly listening for his master’s questions.
"The master asks if you have recently cooperated with someone named Feng Xuxu?" Hua Wuying asked, curling her thin lips slightly as she spoke to Zhang Junyao.
"Yes, I just signed a contract with Feng Xuxu today. For the next three years, we will be cultivating greenhouses together."
"Well, during this period you must protect Feng Xuxu well, with no slip-ups whatsoever, and assist Feng Xuxu as much as possible without arousing any suspicion."
"...Yes, Master." Zhang Junyao grew even more puzzled. Who exactly was Feng Xuxu?
Hua Wuying, seeing the confusion on Zhang Junyao’s face, stepped forward and said, "Remember the master’s instructions. Do you have anything else to report to the master?"
"There is. Today, when investigating Feng Xuxu, I discovered that her mother has a suspicious background, and someone prevented us from continuing the investigation."
"There’s such a matter? I understand; I’ll report it to the master," Hua Wuying said, noticing Zhang Junyao was still lost in thought as she quietly left.
The next day, Feng Xuxu and her party rose early. The local Wu middleman had given them the deed to the land the previous evening, and Feng Xuxu had also made up the remaining silver. They set off in their carriage towards the manor, where they saw a vast, empty expanse with only the sparse wheat struggling to grow on malnourished land, a sight that saddened anyone who looked upon it.
"Well, this manor is fairly complete. We’ll go back later and buy some quilts, curtains, and other household items. We will reside at this manor for our time in Zhangzhou Prefecture." Glancing at the nearby woods, she thought of how pleasant it would be to enjoy the cool evening breeze and take leisurely walks.
"Miss, shall we buy some servants this afternoon?" Baihe, tidying up the yard, glanced at the several hundred acres of crops nearing harvest. Without hiring more workers, they couldn’t possibly finish reaping with just the three of them.
"Yes, let’s take care of that this afternoon. Then send a message back, asking Feng Qi to come with Liang Shisan." Feng Xuxu mused that once she handed over the manor to Feng Qi and the land to Liang Shisan, she could once again be a hands-off shopkeeper.
"Miss, the names you choose for people are so interesting. You named the person in charge of the crops ’Liang,’ which is homophonic with ’grain’!" Baihe commented with a giggling smile, thankful she wasn’t assigned to farm work; otherwise, Liang Shisomething would have been her today.
"What, you think I didn’t give you a domineering name?" Feng Xuxu teased with a mischievous smile, pondering what kind of grand name to give Baihe.
"Ah, Miss, this name is already quite domineering and very nice-sounding. Truly, I like it very much. I see the land over there hasn’t been swept; I’ll go check on it." Baihe quickly grabbed a broom and fled to sweep the other side, desperate to keep her life safe by keeping her distance from her mistress.
Ha ha ha, Feng Xuxu, watching Baihe run faster than a rabbit, laughed heartily, amused and touching her chin, wondering if the names she chose were indeed so domineering.
"Miss, you’re laughing in such a lewd manner." Yingsu rolled her eyes and said, then hastily ran off to join Baihe, not daring to look at the mistress for fear she would be the next to suffer a cutting jest.
"...." Am I lewd? I should look in the mirror.
The three of them finally tidied up a relatively small courtyard; it had one main house, two side rooms, and an additional outer room. Dusting off their hands and noting that it was nearly noon, they boarded their carriage back to Zhangzhou Prefecture.
After a simple meal at the inn, they went straight to the Wu middleman, selecting twenty-seven skilled farm workers. Among the group of twenty or so, a few had bought their wives too, which bumped the number up to thirty-four, plus three little children about four or five years old. Led by Yingsu, the crowd headed straight for the manor. Meanwhile, Feng Xuxu and Baihe visited the clothing store to pick out attire and fabrics for dozens of people and bought bedding and some utensils before finally returning to the manor.
