Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 96 Preparing to Build a Greenhouse (8)

An hour later, the fragrance wafted from the small kitchen. Lifting the lid of the pot, a golden-orange cake appeared. Feng Xuxu looked at her own masterpiece. Although it wasn’t perfect, given there were no ovens in ancient times, the cake she had steamed in the big pot could be considered top-notch.

"Miss, it’s so delicious, fluffy and soft, and it smells lovely too." Moli took a bite and nodded vigorously, praising how tasty it was. Several sisters chimed in agreeing with Moli’s words.

"Don’t forget to send a few pieces to my brother. Tomorrow, I’ll find a craftsman to build an oven. Then, cakes and the like will taste even better," Feng Xuxu said, yawning as she headed back to her room. After washing up, tired from the day’s work, she lay on the bed and fell asleep.

The rest in the kitchen, still pondering the cake they had just made, managed to replicate it in less than an hour. The group hugged each other excitedly. Cutting a piece to taste, it wasn’t as delicious as the young lady’s, but it still held its shape. Together, the sisters then went off to bed.

Several days had passed since the last cake-making, and Feng Xuxu arrived at the winery to find the workers busy and orderly, much to her satisfaction. She checked to ensure the fruits were all good quality when, in a corner, she discovered a bunch of blackish purple grapes. "Who picked these?" she inquired.

Seeing her interest, the butler Feng Liu approached, "Miss, these were picked by a long-term worker from Luo’s village. I thought the color looked off, so I set them aside to show you afterward."

"Later on, tell them to pick as much of this kind of fruit as they can," Feng Xuxu said, putting down the grapes and dusting off her hands.

"Yes, Miss," Feng Liu paused before asking, "Miss, after they’re picked, should we still peel them?"

"No need. After picking, just remove the grapes one by one, wash them, let them dry, and I’ll come back to teach you how to ferment them."

"Yes, Miss. I’ll relay the instructions right away," Feng Liu hurried off.

In the blink of an eye, time flew by and it was already autumn. The crops in the fields were turning golden, and the villagers eagerly sharpened their knives in preparation for the rice harvest.

In early October, Feng Xuxu invited Luo Jiabao and Feng Tiemu over. "I’ll keep it short," she said. "We’re facing the rice harvest now. No need to come work at the estate for the next few days. After you finish harvesting and sort everything at home, then you can come back to work."

"Yes, Miss," Luo Jiabao and Feng Tiemu each went back to make arrangements.

"Butler, have someone call over the butlers from the five estates later," she instructed, glancing up at the housekeeper. With the busy farming season approaching, it was best to prepare early.

"Yes, Miss. I will arrange it right away," the butler bowed and departed after seeing Feng Xuxu nod in agreement.

Looking at the gradually cooling weather outside, not as hot as summer, a comforting breeze began to blow.

"Miss, the butlers from the five estates have arrived," Baihe stepped forward, interrupting Feng Xuxu’s thoughts.

"Okay, let’s go," she said, striding towards the hall.

"We pay our respects to the young lady," the five butlers said in unison, kneeling to greet Feng Xuxu as she made her appearance.

"What are you doing? Get up quickly. There’s no need for kneeling in the future," Feng Xuxu frowned, disapproving.

Once the five of them stood up, she relaxed her brows, "Today, I’ve called you here to discuss what we’ll do after the grains are harvested."

Every year after the rice harvest, each estate would plant late autumn vegetables according to their needs. Could it be different this year? Feng Yi asked in confusion, "Miss, after we harvest the rice, will we plant late-autumn vegetables as before?"

"No, that’s why I’ve called you here. I’ve looked through the lists you’ve been working on these past few days. Starting from this year, we won’t be like before. When winter comes, we won’t just know to grow cabbages, radishes, and such," she paused before adding, "After you go back, get the farming tools ready, and the manure from the animals on the estate should be fermented as I instructed. Prepare for unified fertilization."