Chapter 226 – Raise Your Precious Foot
The few kernels of golden corn quietly lay on the sand that had been churned around from the activity. Suddenly, a large foot that was shod in straw sandals started going towards the golden colored seeds. Yu Xiaocao's mouth opened and closed but the words to stop the person didn't come out. The giant foot had already pressed the seeds into the sand.
Yu Xiaocao no longer cared that the docks were under martial law and rushed over. She squatted down by the large footprint. Old Hao, who was coming up from behind her with a giant bag, almost couldn't change his direction in time and narrowly avoided tripping over her.
How dangerous! If Old Hao had fallen over, a man who weighed around eighty kilograms and also had a bag that was around a hundred kilograms of weight, he might have killed her on impact or at least injured her severely. Old Hao staggered a couple of steps and then caught his footing. Just as he was about to yell at the offender, he saw who the tiny person in front of him was. He swallowed down the profanities that were about to bubble up and stated with concern, "Little girl Xiaocao, this is not a safe place for you to play around. Hurry up and leave!"
The man behind Old Hao had almost crashed into him as well. The worker raised his head to look at Old Hao and then circled around the two of them to walk past. The other workers behind them also followed his footsteps, working hard to carry the cargo on their shoulders.
Today, the boss had told them that after they finished unloading everything from the ships, they would get double the pay. Although they would be going home later than usual, this job was worth it!
Yu Xiaocao raised her head and smiled at Old Hao. She continued to use her small hands to push away the sand in the footprint until a few kernels of corn appeared! Xiaocao was incredibly excited, 'Corn is a high-yielding crop! Unlike sweet potato, which causes heartburn when a person eats too much, corn can truly be a staple food to be eaten daily!' Childhood memories of eating golden and crispy baked corn cakes and tender and delicious corn porridge passed through her thoughts...Yu Xiaocao suddenly had to swallow down her saliva.
Despite Old Hao's warning, she followed along her eldest maternal uncle's tracks and looked for the corn. The hole in the burlap bag must have been very small. She had to go several steps before she could find the other kernels of corn.
After drinking mystic-stone water every day, Yu Xiaocao's five senses had become very keen. Even though the color of the corn kernels were pretty much the same as the grains of sand, she was still able to find most of the kernels on the ground. Occasionally she would bypass one, but the little divine stone would remind her.
The little divine stone's thoughts were linked with its master's. Thus, it also knew just how important these kernels of corn were to Xiaocao.
When the squadron of imperial bodyguards had finished eating the delectable zhajiang noodles and braised pig head meat, they wanted to return the bowls and utensils. However, the little girl had left and they didn't know where she went. The bodyguards weren't nervous about her disappearance. All of the merchants on the docks had their backgrounds examined earlier and all of them were innocent people making a living. That being said, how much trouble could a little girl, who hadn't reached the age of ten and didn't even have the strength to truss a chicken, cause?
Yu Xiaocao continued her on her journey to find corn with her head bowed down. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. In the front, not far from her, were four to five kernels of corn! If she added those to the ones in her hand, she already had around twenty or so seeds. The weather was getting better, so she could start planting the corn in the rear courtyard to get a good supply of seeds. By next year, she would have enough to plant around two to three mu of corn fields. If another two years went by, then she would become a corn tycoon! Yup! For the sake of growing corn, she needed to buy a few more fields of fertile land!
Her pale and delicate little hands hurriedly reached towards those few kernels of corn. Suddenly, a foot that was shod in black boots crafted of brocade with cloud patterns stepped on the corn on the ground. Before Xiaocao could think things through, her tiny hand had already grasped that foot to lift it out of the way and left a conspicuous sandy print on those black boots.
Zhu Junyang grimaced as he looked at that irksome dirty print on his foot. The atmosphere immediately became awkward. Both Steward Liu and Commander Fang, who were behind the prince, felt as if there were stormy clouds rushing towards them! However, that small and slightly-built figure crouching on the ground didn't detect this change at all. She was still trying to move the young royal prince's foot with all of her might.
"You——Do you know what you're doing?" Zhu Junyang squeezed out a question. His voice held an obvious gloomy undertone as if he was grinding his teeth anger.
Yu Xiaocao didn't even raise her head as she replied, "How annoying, please raise your precious foot, you're stepping on my stuff!"
No matter how much force she tried to use, Zhu Junyang's foot remained firmly planted on the ground. The youth apparently was so angry that he wanted to laugh. His handsome face, which originally had a frosty expression on it, revealed a faint smile. Commander Fang felt the hairs on the back of his arms rise straight up when he saw the abnormal looking smile on Royal Prince Yang's face. He immediately had a desire to be far, far away from this man.
"I would like to know why these seeds, which I, this prince, had traveled the oceans for, are suddenly yours, hmm?" Zhu Junyang crossed his arms across his chest and tilted his head at a forty-five degree angle to look at the little kid who hadn't even turned around to interact with him. This was the first time in his life that someone had the guts to treat him so impolitely. Zhu Junyang felt a desire to play a cat chasing a mouse at this moment.
'This prince? Don't tell me that the person talking to me is the young royal prince who had just gotten home from his seafaring journey? I can't be that unlucky, right?' Yu Xiaocao's grubby little hand abruptly stopped moving on the black boot in front of her. 'Ah! Judging by the material of these boots, even though I don't know much about boot materials, I can tell that it is quite expensive. What kind of ordinary person would be able to afford using something like this to make shoes with? I'm screwed. I was too focused on picking up corn kernels and I didn't notice this. What am I to do? The princess consort had mentioned that her son's temper isn't very good. Am I about to be flogged with wooden planks? That won't do, my body is so weak and small, I definitely won't be able to endure that torture. I need to find a way to draw this out long enough for my godfather to find me to go home...'
She pasted on what she thought was her most innocent-looking smile and opened her large eyes wide before she slowly raised her head up to stare at the person who was the owner of the black boots.
'It's her?!' Zhu Junyang's ballooning impatience and anger had suddenly been popped by something. He felt his temper slowly cooling down. The pair of large, innocent eyes in front of him overlapped with the round eyes that haunted his dreams.
'So it was her! She's the little girl who had discovered me at my lowest point and had gotten her father to save me.' His memories of his rescue were quite vague now. The only thing he remembered with crystal clarity, even after almost two years had passed, were that pair of eyes that seemed to be able to see into the depths of a person's soul.
The smile that she had used hundreds of times to get out of trouble didn't seem to be working today! Yu Xiaocao looked at the expressionless handsome face in front of her and rubbed her nose out of embarrassment. However, right now she was only a little girl who was pretending to be innocent. Although the royal prince's temperament was cold, he didn't seem like a vicious person. He wouldn't lower himself to the level of a child...right?
"Ah...this commoner greets the young royal prince. May the young royal prince have an auspicious life!" Yu Xiaocao hurriedly scrambled up from the ground and haphazardly bowed.
Steward Liu Fusheng had also recognized this little girl's identity and he couldn't help but feel a shiver run through his heart for the child. Earlier, on the ship, he had accidentally said 'young royal prince' and had been given the lightest punishment of being flogged twenty times as a 'reward'. This little girl had not only dirtied the shoe of the royal prince, who was a germaphobe, but also called him 'young royal prince'! If his master accidentally executed this little girl in a fit of pique, wouldn't the masses accuse him of 'biting the hand that fed him'?
Just as Steward Liu Fusheng was contemplating whether he should plead leniency for the little girl, his master finally replied, "Wipe that disgusting smile off your face! How hypocritical!! Tell me, why are the seeds that I, this prince, brought back now yours?"
Although his master's voice was just as chilly as usual, Steward Liu had a feeling, 'It looks like my master isn't that angry! Looks like people truly can change!'
"Ah..." Was her smile really disgusting? Didn't everyone tell her that her smiles were sweet and beautiful and were able to make a person feel happy ah? The young royal prince truly stood out from the masses as his tastes were different from common people. However, now wasn't the time to discuss whether her smile was disgusting-looking or sweet, she needed to get out of this mess as fast as possible!
"Then...this lowly commoner didn't know that the things on the ground were yours, young royal prince. I thought that things that fell on the ground didn't have an owner. Since there's no owner, then it becomes finders keepers!" Yu Xiaocao explained using a child's reasoning.
"Finders keepers? Hm? Who taught you this reasoning? Was it General Fang eh?" Zhu Junyang had received quite a bit of information during the short period of time he had been on land. However, he himself wasn't quite sure why he remembered this particular piece of information. It must be because it was related to General Fang, it must be!
The size of Yu Xiaocao's eyes when compared to the size of her pointed face were a bit large, especially when they were opened wide. It truly made her resemble a little flying squirrel as most of the space on her face seemed to be taken up by those two eyes. She pouted pitifully, "Why do you have to blame my godfather for my mistakes? I noticed that the seeds fell down on the ground. If I didn't pick them up, then they would be buried by the sand. It would be such a shame!"
Zhu Junwang watched her silently. Although the expression on his face was mild, it still made her scalp feel numb. She had trouble keeping a smile on her face.
The young royal prince seemed to have sensed her discomfort. He stooped over and dug up the kernels of corn from underneath his feet and mercifully broke the silence, "You...if you're able to tell me the name of these seeds, then I, this prince, will pardon you from the crime of being rude."
"Really?" Glee rushed through Xiaocao's heart and a brilliant smile blossomed on her face. She almost blurted out the word 'corn'. However, at the last second, she managed to reign in her composure. This crop had just been brought back from the distant seas. If she was able to say its name, then it would truly be astonishing.
She pretended to ponder for a bit before she cautiously replied, "Young Royal Prince, these seeds resemble pebbles of jade, I think they should be called 'corn' [1], what do you think?"
Corn? It was the same term that the emperor had used for this crop. From the little girl's earlier expression, Zhu Junyang was certain that this wasn't a name that was fabricated out of thin air. Instead...she already knew what this plant was!!
However, how could a rural farmer's daughter recognize a plant that grew in the far-away west hemisphere? Zhu Junyang regarded this slightly-built girl in front of him with an inscrutable expression as the doubts in his heart piled up. Apparently, this little girl had a secret that no one else knew about!
"Corn?" Zhu Junyang roughly sounded out this word, as if he was hearing it for the first time. He slowly nodded his head and continued, "This name is not bad. When I submit my report to the emperor, I will also use this name..."
Yu Xiaocao panicked and hurriedly raised her voice to stop him, "Don't do it!!"
She was already quite certain that the current emperor was also a transmigrator like her. In her past life, she had read plenty of novels. In some of those, the people who had transmigrated into high positions would trap other transmigrators in order to not blow their own secret. It was hard to say if something like would also happen to her!
[1] In chinese, the word corn is made up of two characters that literally mean 'jade rice'. For the life of me I could not think of an equivalent English term to use instead...corn is just corn lol.
Chapter 227 – Gift
Her fellow transmigrator was the current emperor, so her life would be over if he just randomly charged her for any crime! That wouldn't do. If the emperor heard the name 'corn', her identity would be exposed! No, she definitely couldn't let that happen!
"Uh..." Under the young royal prince's doubtful gaze and everyone's scared expressions, Xiaocao muttered, "Young Royal Prince, this commoner is just a fisherman's daughter from the mountains. How can I be qualified to name the new species of crop that you, this royal prince, has brought back? Aren't you thinking too highly of me? Young Royal Prince, this commoner reckons that such a valuable crop should be named by the emperor or you!"
Zhu Junyang saw clearly the action and expression of the young girl racking her brains to think of a reason. He felt that the young girl in front of him was very similar to a small animal—an alert, sensitive, and interesting little squirrel. Unbeknownst to him, the indifference in his eyes gradually faded, and an unfamiliar emotion emerged within him.
Head Steward, Liu Fusheng, noticed the slight change in his master. While he felt surprised, he also felt that he should put in a word for his master's savior, "Master, the young lady's words are reasonable. Let's discuss the matter of naming the new crop when we get back to the capital! Master, if you leave the noodles for too long, they will muddle together!"
However, Zhu Junyang didn't want to let go of this young girl who was like a little squirrel. Based on his intuition, this young girl definitely knew how to grow corn. Before he went on the voyage, the emperor had once told him that it would be best if he could also bring back someone who knew how to grow corn. Unfortunately, those natives all felt inseparable from their homeland. As a result, he was unable to fully accomplish the task that the emperor entrusted to him. But, perhaps the young girl in front of him could give him a different surprise!
When Liu Fusheng saw that his master seemed to have taken in his words, he turned around and walked to their temporary lodging. After walking a couple steps, Zhu Junyang stopped again and turned back to look at the young girl, who secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was currently patting her own chest. Seeing this, he almost couldn't refrain himself from laughing. Why did this little lass have so many expressions? Compared to those noble ladies in the capital, who were either delicate or dull, she was simply a weirdo, a cute little weirdo.
He took in a deep breath inwardly, kept a calm expression on his face, and then said to Xiaocao, who had instantly resumed an innocent expression, "If... I give you the seeds, can you guarantee that you can grow them?"
Liu Fusheng peeped at his master and felt surprised inwardly, 'Master has really changed today. Not only is he taking the initiative to speak with others, but they're also chatting very happily (Yu Xiaocao: With which eye do you see us chatting happily?). I wonder what expression Princess Consort Jing would have if she found out about this?'
It should be noted that it was always Princess Consort Jing pestering his master. She had even pretended to be sick to gain sympathy from him so that he would say a few more words with her. Princess Consort Jing was always worried about whether her youngest son would lose his ability to speak. It seemed like Princess Consort Jing's concern was unnecessary.
Yu Xiaocao noticed that the crisis had been resolved, so she quickly put on a flattering smile and said, "Of course! Young Royal Prince, you can go ask around. My family members are experts in farming. During this season, besides families with hot spring resorts, only my family can grow fresh vegetables! There're also watermelons, which my family has already started breeding. In a little over two months, if you can come to Tanggu Town again, you will be able to eat my family's watermelons... I can say for certain that if my family can't grow the seeds, then there isn't anyone else who can!"
Zhu Junyang watched as the young girl patted her chest and vowed with confidence, yet he didn't detect any sense of boasting at all. It seemed like this young girl was really confident in her family's farming skills. Perhaps... he could believe in her this one time. If she could really grow the crop of the seed that he brought back, then that could make up for his regrets from this voyage.
"Head Steward Liu, go make the arrangements to get fifty catties of corn and fifty catties of potato seeds for the little lass." After thinking about it briefly, Zhu Junyang decided to give a portion of the seeds from the two crops that he brought back the largest quantity of and let the young girl try growing them. Even if she failed, it wouldn't be a big problem.
Yu Xiaocao was extremely delighted about this. Fifty catties of corn seeds were enough for at least ten mu of land! But, there didn't seem to be enough potato seeds. She looked at the young prince with bright eyes and weakly asked, "Young Royal Prince, can you give me a little more of the potato seeds?"
Zhu Junyang looked at Yu Xiaocao with a 'so you really do know what a potato is' expression. Yu Xiaocao decided to just go-for-broke and continued to stare directly at the young prince's intimidating gaze with expectant eyes.
"How much do you want?" Zhu Junyang stopped trying to find out where the little girl had heard about corn and potatoes. Since she had heard about them, it meant that there was an even higher probability that she would be able to grow them.
Yu Xiaocao thought about it and answered, "At least a hundred catties? That's enough for half a mu of land..."
"I'll give you two hundred catties! Do you dare to make a military writ that you will definitely be able to grow the potatoes?" Zhu Junyang's intuition became even clearer—this young girl might be able to create a miracle! His intuition had never been wrong since he was a child!
"Yes!" Yu Xiaocao replied firmly without any hesitation.
Head Steward Liu Fusheng coughed on the side and tried to give the little girl some room for leeway. He explained softly, "Young maiden of the Yu Family, do you know that if you can't fulfill a military writ, you will be beheaded?"
Zhu Junyang swept a sharp glare at him, but he didn't blame him for being talkative. Liu Fusheng secretly wiped the sweat on his forehead, 'Master, isn't this old servant just thinking about this little girl's kindness to you?' It's so hard to be someone's servant ah!
Yu Xiaocao's eyes shifted slightly, and then she continued, "I will definitely be able to grow them, as long as there aren't any natural or manmade disasters!"
Natural or manmade disasters? Zhu Junyang secretly praised the young girl's carefulness in his heart. He couldn't control natural disasters. As for manmade disasters, wouldn't that be taken care of with just one word from him?
"Rest assured! This prince will ask the county magistrate to tell your village head to fully cooperate with planting. As for natural disasters, it's not someone that can be controlled by humans, so it will not be considered within the scope of the military writ!" Zhu Junyang's decisions were quite humane, so Xiaocao was very satisfied.
Seeing that the little girl was full of confidence, Liu Fusheng stopped persuading her. He took his order and led several imperial bodyguards to retrieve the corn and potato seeds from the carriage nearby.
Yu Xiaocao, on the other hand, followed the young prince to his temporary lodging nearby. She saw that there was a bowl of bean sauce noodles, which had already lumped together, on the table, as well as her family's braised food. She slightly hesitated and said, "Young Royal Prince, the noodles won't taste good if it's cold. Should this commoner bring you another bowl?"
Zhu Junyang glanced at the noodles that he had just eaten a few bites of. It was quite tasty. As for the braised food, before he had the chance to taste it, he saw this little lass walking behind the dockworkers with her waist bent and bending down from time to time to pick up something from the ground. After eating some noodles, he no longer felt so uncomfortable in his heart. Prompted by his curiosity, he walked over to see what she was picking up. Unexpectedly, he had found a treasure due to his curiosity!
Zhu Junyang ordered a little eunuch to buy the noodles at the noodle stall. He instructed someone to bring the four scholarly essentials, and then he wrote down the military writ with exquisite calligraphy. He was afraid that the little girl couldn't read, so he read the contents to her.
Yu Xiaocao saw that there wasn't anything difficult to achieve within the military writ. Not to mention that she had grown corn and potatoes in her past life, but even if she had never planted them before, she still had the mystic-stone water as cheat. She could even revive a dead plant, so what would she be afraid of! Without any hesitation, she picked up the brush and signed her name. After practicing her writing with her younger brother for a period of time, she could write her own name pretty well.
Could daughters of peasant families also read and write now? Zhu Junyang didn't show the confusion in his heart and handed the dried military writ to Head Steward Liu, who just came back with the seeds. After that, he sat down uninhibitedly, picked up his chopsticks, and grabbed the bright red 'pig ear strips in chili oil'. The pig ear strip was crispy, slightly spicy, and very appetizing.
By the time the piping hot bean sauce noodles was brought, he had already eaten half the plate of pig ear strips. Xiaocao pointed at the sautéed pig intestines and said, "Young Royal Prince, this has gotten somewhat cold. You can put it in the noodles and heat it up before eating it, or you can take it back to our stall to heat it up...."
When Zhu Junyang heard her addressing him as 'Young Royal Prince', he paused briefly. But he didn't say anything and just waved his hands at Yu Xiaocao. Head Steward Liu quickly went forward and whispered, "Miss Yu, the prince asked you to leave! Come, I will send the seeds over for you!"
After sending away the necessary people, Zhu Junyang looked at the plate of sautéed pig intestines. He thought about it and placed two pieces into the piping hot noodles. After a while, he picked it out and placed it into his mouth. He savored the taste as he carefully chewed it. 'Sautéed pig intestines' was Xiaocao's best dish. When it just came out of the pot, it had a golden color, and it was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. With a savory and fragrant taste, it was suitable for all ages and people would never get tired of eating it.
Zhu Junyang, who was born in the imperial family, had never tried food like innards. If he hadn't experienced the hardships of ocean voyage, he probably wouldn't even touch the food in front of him. However, after eating a piece of intestine, Zhu Junyang thought that it tasted rather good, and put a few more pieces into the noodles.
Commander Fang, who had been waiting on the side in silence, watched as Royal Prince Yang ate one piece after another of the sautéed intestines. He was extremely curious about this kind of food—when it was time to change shift, he had to go buy a portion to try!
When Xiaocao returned to her stall, she thanked Head Steward Liu and happily accepted the corn and potato seeds. She planned on eating the delicious roasted corn on the cob and stir-frying a plate of sour and spicy shredded potatoes, which she really missed, in autumn... That would be such a happy feeling!!
When Imperial Envoy Fang came over, the stall was serving the small peak of dinner time. Seeing that his daughter was so busy that she didn't even have time to rest, Lord Fang couldn't just sit down anymore and took up the position of a waiter. All of the dockworkers knew who he was. The imperial envoy was straightforward and unassuming, so the dockworkers all liked him very much. So they joked, "It's really the blessing of three lifetimes to be able to eat the noodles personally served by the Lord Imperial Envoy ah!"
Fang Zizhen guffawed and said, "Eat more! You will have more strength to work when you're full!! In the future, when the harbor construction is completed, would you guys still have to worry about not getting any benefits?"
Most of these workers were regular employees of the management office. The new port, which was not too far away from the old wharf, was starting to take shape and it was more than twice the size of the old docks. There was a commercial street not too far from the harbor. Although the shops weren't built yet, the layouts of the shops could already be seen. Lord Fang was right. With such a large harbor, would they still have to worry about not being able to find work? The salary of dockers had doubled compared to the past and it would only be better in the future!
Chapter 228 – Sowing
Usually, before the setting sun disappeared behind the West Mountains, the Yu sisters would have already reached home. Today, the sky was already dark, but there was still no sign of them. Yu Hai couldn't sit still anymore and led a horse out of the stable. After putting the saddle on the horse, he rode it out of the village.
Halfway on the road, he ran into the three coming back from the docks. Fang Zizhen, who rode on a high steed, held a torch and led the way in front, while the sisters sat on the donkey cart in the back.
Seeing that the sisters were safe, Yu Hai was relieved and asked with concern, "Why did you guys come back so late today?"
Xiaolian excitedly chattered, "Father! Royal Prince Yang, who sailed to the west, has returned. He brought back a lot of things that we didn't have in the Great Ming Dynasty. He also gave Younger Sister some seeds and asked Younger Sister to help him grow them!"
The Yu Family and the Fang Family lived close by, so they usually ate dinner together. Lady Fang was close with Princess Consort Jing, so they naturally knew how much Princess Consort Jing hoped for her youngest son's safe return. When Yu Hai heard that, he nodded and said, "It's good that he returned safely! Princess Consort Jing don't have to worry anymore! What does the young prince returning have to do with you guys coming back late? Also... the young prince gave Cao'er seeds and asked her to help him plant them? What kind of seeds? Will we be able to grow them?"
Xiaolian had glanced at Royal Prince Yang from the distance, and she was still immersed in the excitement of being able to see royalty in person. Hearing the questions, she replied, "Royal Prince Yang brought back too many goods from the west, so the dockworkers didn't finish unloading until very late. In order to save time, they rotated to eat dinner. How would they be able to work without eating? We waited until the last batch of workers finished eating before closing our stall."
After taking a breath, Xiaolian continued, "Royal Prince Yang gave Younger Sister seeds that we've never seen in the Great Ming Dynasty before. The one that is shiny like a golden bean is called 'corn'. The round one is called 'potato', which is similar to sweet potatoes! Younger Sister can grow green vegetables that were ready two months in advance, so what else can't she grow?"
A new kind of crop that didn't exist in the Great Ming Dynasty was something that even the emperor attached great importance to. It wouldn't be a small matter if his daughter failed to grow them. Yu Hai was slightly worried and asked, "Cao'er, what do you think? Do you think you can grow them?"
Yu Xiaocao nonchalantly said, "Don't worry. As soon as I saw these seeds, their planting methods appeared in my mind. It's the same as the usual methods! There definitely won't be any problem! But, Father! The young prince gave me around ten mu of seeds. Our family doesn't have that much land ah!"
"Not enough land? Then buy some ah! I heard that there are several families in the village who want to sell their farmland... However, the land around our village are sandy soil, which isn't very fertile. I don't know if they would be suitable for farming these precious seeds! If we buy them in town, then the far distance would make it inconvenient to take care of..." As he spoke, Yu Hai frowned, feeling somewhat troubled.
Xiaocao thought about it and said, "Let's first buy the land in the village and see how it is. It's best if the land is connected, or else it would be hard to take care of them. As for buying land in town, let's also ask someone to keep an eye out for it. If there's a suitable place, then let's buy it. Even if we don't farm on it ourselves, we can rent it out to others! Both of these crops are high-yielding crops, moreover, they are suitable to be grown on all sorts of land. After the autumn harvest, we can cultivate them in a large area next year!"
Hearing his younger daughter's firm tone, Yu Hai didn't hesitate anymore. She was able to do business and farm; it didn't seem like there was anything that his younger daughter couldn't do. His family had never grown watermelons before, but didn't they turn out pretty good?
The next day, Yu Hai went to find two of the families, who were selling land. He asked the village chief to be his guarantor and spent thirty-six taels to buy the two families' twelve mu of farmland. Dongshan Village mostly had barren, sandy soil, so except for cheap crops like sweet potato, there was a low harvest of other grain. As a result, the price for land was very cheap. It was already very generous of Yu Hai to pay them three taels per mu!
The two pieces of land was only separated by Wang Ergou's farmland. When Wang Ergou heard about Yu Hai buying land, he came over and grinned cheekily, "Brother Dahai, are you expanding the cultivation of watermelons? Your family doesn't have enough land? If you need more land, my family can lend ours to you for free! But... heh heh, you have to give me priority for this year's watermelons... I need to earn more family property for my son!"
Wang Ergou's wife had given birth to a chubby son in January, which he was overjoyed about. In the past, he would go drinking and waste some money with several of his bad friends in the village. However, ever since he got a son, he had become an extremely dutiful father and stayed around his wife and child every day. He also came to the Yu Residence many times to ask for advice on how to make meals to be eaten during the postnatal confinement period. He even personally served his wife during confinement period, nurturing her to become fair and plump. Since she had plenty of breast milk, the little guy ate until his tummy was bloated every day.
Yu Xiaocao teased him, "Why don't you also sell your family's farmland to us?!"
"No, I can't sell it!! I'm leaving this land to my son!" Wang Ergou waved his hands and firmly refused.
Yu Xiaocao continued, "Would your son care about that mere two mu of farmland? It's better to earn more money this year, and then buy some good, fertile land for your son in the surrounding villages. If you want to farm on it yourself, then do it. If you don't want to, then rent it out and collect rent!"
With an enlightened expression on his face, Wang Ergou slapped his thigh and said, "That's right! Why didn't I think of that? My wife's village has a lot of good farmland. I wonder if there's anyone selling them. I should ask my younger brother-in-law to help me ask around..."
Both of Wang Ergou's parents had died and he was the only one left in his family. His wife was the eldest child in the family and had four younger siblings, who were all brought up by her. Her younger sisters had all gotten married. One of her younger brothers worked at the docks, while the other one stayed at home to farm and take care of their elderly parents. Looking at Ergou's wife's strong character, one could tell that her family, though poor, were people with integrity. After Ergou changed for the better, his in-laws had changed their perspective on him and treated him like half of a son. Wang Ergou felt the warmth of family from his in-laws, so he would always think of his in-laws when there was something good.
"Brother Dahai, I'll go back and discuss it with my wife. If she agrees, then we'll sell them to you! Brother Dahai, if you need help, then just let me know. Don't be courteous with me!" After being taught by his wife, Wang Ergou was no longer the inconsiderate person he used to be.
Yu Hai stopped being courteous with him and said, "Alright! The land has been thawed these past two days, so I was planning on plowing the fields! If Brother Ergou is free, then come help hold the plow!" There were livestock at home, so they naturally didn't have to plow by hand.
Wang Ergou cheerfully answered, "Okay! I'll come over early tomorrow!"
Over the next few days, Yu Hai and Wang Ergou plowed the seventeen mu of land, which included land that Wang Ergou sold to them. Yu Xiaocao also stopped helping out at the docks because she needed to plant watermelon, corn, and potatoes. Even if it got too busy at the docks, Madam Han and her younger daughter would help serve the food and wash the dishes every day.
The days passed by, and it was soon the spring season. Standing on the hillside, one could see people busily working everywhere. The villagers of Dongshan Village mostly grew sweet potatoes. The Yu Family's over a dozen mu of land would attract curious gazes from time to time.
The reason was very simple. The country magistrate personally met the village head of Dongshan Village and solemnly informed him that the Yu Family was helping Royal Prince Yang experiment with the cultivation of new crops. Thus, they must actively cooperate, assist them with guarding the crops, and firmly stop any hint of theft.
When village head returned home, he solemnly held a village-wide meeting. He made the protection of the 'experimental field' as the top priority of the whole village, which was firmly implemented. The village head was still worried, so he also threatened, "If anything goes wrong with the crops in the Yu Family's fields, and thus delayed the royal prince's affairs, then even the lives of the entire village wouldn't be enough as compensation!"
Got it! Since this was something that concerning the lives of the entire village, it was no wonder that villagers were so concerned. However, they only looked from afar for fear of affecting the cultivation of the Yu Family's crops. In order to prevent the crops from being damaged, the villagers had formed a night patrol team. At night, they would guard the Yu Family's fields so securely that even a mosquito might not be able to fly in. In this way, it made things much easier for the Yu Family.
This year, the Yu Family had doubled their melon field. Besides the eleven mu of land used as an 'experimental field', watermelon was planted in all the other fields. It was quite easy to grow watermelon, which only required burying the seeds into the soil. In order to improve the emergence rate, Xiaocao soaked the seeds in mystic-stone water before planting them. For six mu of watermelon, the Yu Family and a free laborer—Wang Ergou—finally finished sowing after working busily for two days.
The method of presoaking the seeds was also used for the cultivation of corn. When growing corn, it was important to pay attention to the distance between the crops. If planted too densely, it would be stuffy and lack sunlight, and the corn wouldn't be able to grow properly. If planted too loosely, the yield would decrease. Fortunately, Xiaocao had experience with growing corn in her previous life.
The field had been plowed and fertilized. Xiaocao took a hoe and dug shallow pits in the soil, while Madam Liu followed behind her. She put a seed in each pit, and then used her feet to cover the pits with soil. Yu Hai carried a bucket of water and watered the pits... The three family members cooperated very well.
Since the three family members were responsible for the ten mu of land, then it would take them several days to finish sowing. It was their first time trying to grow corn, so the whole family did everything themselves. The job of digging the pits looked simple, but in fact, it was actually hard work. Her waist always had to be bent, and she had to clench the hoe in her hand tightly. After a day, Xiaocao was so tired that she couldn't even stand straight. She also got some blisters on her palms. The pain of popping the blisters made her scream incessantly.
Madam Liu used a needle, which had been sterilized with fire, and carefully popped the blisters on her younger daughter's hands. On the side, Yu Hai's heart ached so much that he gasped unceasingly. Fang Zizhen got the best wound medicine and applied a thin layer for his goddaughter. He also wrapped Xiaocao hand like a pig's hoof with gauze. When eating dinner in the evening, like a seriously injured person, she had to be fed by Zhenzhu.
Madam Liu looked at her delicate younger daughter and could help but say, "Mother remembers the distance between the pits. Cao'er, you don't need to work in the fields tomorrow. Stay at home and rest!"
Yu Xiaocao shook her head repeatedly and said, "No! With just you and Father, when would we be able to harvest all the corn ah?! My hand is just not used to doing hard labor. It will be fine in a few days!"
Fang Zizhen disagreed and said, "The blisters on your hand has just been popped. If they get scraped again tomorrow, a layer of skin will surely be peeled off. I might as well just take two days off and help out in the fields!"
Chapter 229 – Awaiting Labor
"No! The port construction is at a crucial stage, so there can't be any problems. Godfather, you need to go and look over it! Moreover, you have never farmed before, so you will probably be a hindrance if you came!" Yu Xiaocao rejected her godfather's suggestion, and then said, "Maybe... Tomorrow, Mother can dig the pits in front while I scatter the seeds. Is that okay?"
Fang Zizhen continued to refuse, "You hand is injured. What if it got dirty and caused an infection? At that time, you wouldn't be helping out, but causing more problems!"
Xiaolian and Yu Hang rushed to say, "Tomorrow, I won't go to the docks (I won't collect seafood) and will go help out in the fields instead!"
"Alright! Everyone stop talking!! It's merely ten or so mu of land, yet you're all fretting so much. In the future, if we buy a hundred or so mu of good farmland, wouldn't you guys worry so much that you can't even sleep at night? It's decided. Tomorrow, your mother and I, along with Cao'er, will continue to work in the fields. Cao'er will watch on the side to ensure that nothing goes wrong and won't need to do anything at all! Everyone else should do what you need to do!" At this time, Yu Hai brought forth his weight as the head of the household and made the final decision.
Before sleeping, Xiaocao went to the west courtyard next door as usual, and took her godmother's pulse with her bandaged little hand. Although her godmother was pregnant, with a proper diet and the nourishment of the mystic-stone water, her health was much better than when she first came to Tanggu Town. Yu Xiaocao took off her hand, feeling relieved.
Lady Fang gently grabbed her small hand, which was wrapped like a pig's hoof. Her heart slightly ached as she teased her, "Oh! Our Eldest Young Miss has just worked for a day, yet your little hand has already turned out like this ah?"
Yu Xiaocao pouted and grumbled, "It's just Godfather making a fuss over a small matter. I merely got a few blisters, but he wrapped my hand as if it was fractured."
Fang Zizhen came in and touched his wife's belly. He looked at Xiaocao's hand and said to Lady Fang, "You didn't see it. On her fair and tender palm, there were several peanut sized blisters. It bled quite a lot after being popped. Ay! It's just ten or so mu of land. It's not like we can't afford to hire people! If worst comes to worst, we can pick out a few strong ones among the refugees and hire them. Why do you need to do everything yourself?"
Yu Xiaocao laughed, "We're already attracting too much attention in the village. We just bought over ten mu of farmland, if we also hire people to work in the fields, wouldn't people talk about us behind our backs?"
"Just let them talk. If they have the ability, they can also buy land and hire workers!" Fang Zizhen said angrily.
Yu Xiaocao knew that her godfather was worried about her, so she smiled and changed the topic, "Godfather, Godmother will probably go into labor next month at the latest. The conditions in the countryside aren't very good and the midwives aren't very professional. I reckon that she should go back to the town tomorrow and wait for delivery?"
Speaking of the unborn child, Fang Zizhen immediately revealed a silly smile and giggled, "I have already discussed this matter with your godmother. We'll go back to town when your family's corn and potatoes are planted."
Fang Zizhen now firmly believed in his goddaughter's medical skills. His wife wasn't young anymore, and this was her first child, so they didn't have any experience whatsoever. Without his goddaughter around, he would feel uneasy! However, his daughter had signed a military writ with Royal Prince Yang for the cultivation of corn and potatoes. So it couldn't be delayed. Fortunately, there were still a couple of months before his wife's due date. He had learned the term 'due date' from Xiaocao!
Looked at her madam's big, round tummy, Linglong though that it was more safe to return to town earlier. She said in a low voice, "Madam, let Zhenzhu accompany you at home tomorrow. This servant will go help out in the field. With an extra worker, things will get done faster!"
Lady Fang looked up with smiling eyes and glanced at her most trusted handmaid. She smiled at Fang Zizhen and said, "These two maidservants, Linglong and Zhenzhu, have suffered a lot since we arrived in Tanggu Town! Usually, handmaids like them are like daughters of a humble family, who won't need to do any chores. They all have several maidservants who work under them. However, since coming to Dongshan Village, they have to make a fire for cooking, plant vegetables, and gather vegetables. It really has been hard on them ah!"
Zhenzhu hurriedly said, "Madam, you're overpraising us! Madam is tolerant, magnanimous, kind, and benevolent. When this servant went back to the Xia Household, my sisters all envied me for having such a good master!"
Linglong gently massaged Lady Fang's shoulders and said with a faint smile, "That's right! There are advantages to living in the capital, but there are also advantages in staying in Dongshan Village. Our Dongshan Village has a picturesque scenery that relaxes one's mood just by looking at it. We can eat delicacies from the land and the sea every day. This servant's face has gotten rounder ah. In my opinion, although the capital is big, it's more comfortable living in Dongshan Village!"
Lady Fang patted Linglong's hand and said with a smile, "You two are both clever and lovely. I, your madam, knows this very clearly! Alright, tomorrow, Linglong will take Wangfu and his wife to see if there's anything you guys can help with in the fields."
Early in the morning of the next day, the three members of the Yu Family went to the fields with Linglong and two servants of the Fang Household. After working for the entire day yesterday, they had already planted nearly two mu of land. Madam Liu had nearly mastered the technique of digging the pits. Under Xiaocao's guidance, she swiftly got the hang of it.
Wangfu had come over from the estate in town. Before selling himself into the Fang Estate, he was also an experienced farmer. When doing farm work, the Wangfu couple was even faster than the Yu Hai couple. As if it had a life, the hoe in his hands dug quickly and well. Wangfu's wife followed behind her husband and skillfully scattered the seeds and buried them with soil. The two worked very well together.
As a child of servants of the Xia Family, Linglong had grown up the estate of a wealthy family, so she had never done farm work before. Fortunately, dibbling wasn't hard. At the beginning, she was still relatively unfamiliar with how to do it, but she gradually learned how to do it.
Yu Hai carried a bucket of water and followed behind them and sprinkled some water on the buried seed. There couldn't be too much water because the seed might go bad from being soaked in too much water. But there couldn't be too little water either because that might reduce the rate of germination. However, seeds that had been washed by mystic-stone water didn't have these concerns.
With three extra people, who were skilled workers, they worked much more efficiently today! By evening, there were only about two mu of land that needed to be worked on from the remaining eight mu of land.
On the way back, Madam Liu said with a smile, "We should be able to finish planting all the corn by tomorrow. Many thanks to Linglong, Older Brother Wangfu, and Older Brother Wangfu's wife, otherwise, we would have to work a few more days."
Wangfu smiled in a good-natured manner, while his wife said quick-wittedly, "We don't deserve to be called in that way by Madam Yu. Madam Yu is a relative of our general, so you're considered half of a master for us servants. You're already giving us servants face by directly calling our names!"
Linglong saw that Madam Liu still wanted to say something, so she quickly changed the topic, "Tomorrow, we will be able to finish planting the corn in the morning. When are we going to plant the remaining one mu of potatoes?"
Yu Xiaocao replied, "The potato seeds has already sprouted. It can be planted by the day after tomorrow. Older Sister Linglong, you must be exhausted today, right? When you get back, take a hot bath and have a good rest. My hand should be better tomorrow, so it's fine with just me and my parents!"
Seeing that Linglong wanted to say something, she continued, "It has been a long time since anyone has lived in the estate in town. Several servants stayed back to guard the house, but if you guys are moving back, it's better to have people properly clean the place. Also, you guys should find a midwife in advance...Sister Linglong, you're someone who serves Godmother. Now that Godmother is pregnant, you must stay by her side ah!"
In a slightly flattering manner, Wangfu's wife said, "Miss Linglong don't have to come tomorrow. My husband and I will come over to help, so it should be fine!"
After thinking about it, Linglong felt that Miss Cao'er was right. Tomorrow, she should go to town and make sure everything was going smoothly. Madam and her unborn child were the most important!
In this way, they worked busily for another two days and finally finished planting on the Yu Family's over ten mu of land. Without a chance to rest, Xiaocao was taken to town by Fang Zizhen and his wife. Linglong was also a very capable person. In two days, she had straightened out everything in the Fang Estate. She had also invited the two famous midwives in town to the estate, serving them with good food and drinks.
These two midwives mostly helped wealthy families in town to deliver babies, so the highest ranking official they had seen were low-ranked officials like the head bailiff of the county yamen and the magistrate's secretary. Their legs had gone limp as soon as they heard about the lord imperial envoy's invitation. They didn't even dare to fart and obediently followed the servant of the Fang Estate over.
After staying in the estate for a day, they gradually recovered their strength and a burst of joy emerged in their hearts: It was their first time delivering the child of the imperial envoy's wife ah! If everything went smoothly, not only would they become famous, but they would also get rich! They had heard that the imperial envoy had gotten a child at an old age, so he would definitely give them a lot of money at that time!
When Xiaocao arrived in town, she didn't idle around. After some inquiry, she found a broker with a decent reputation in town, Li Da.
Li Da felt slightly uneasy as he was taken to the Fang Estate. With his social connections, how could he not know about the residence of the imperial envoy? Why was the imperial envoy looking for him? Could it be that he wanted to buy more servants?
It was a little girl under the age of ten who came to receive him. Although she was dressed plainly, she appeared comfortable and exquisite in all respects. Such a young girl probably wasn't a handmaid in the estate. Perhaps... she was the imperial envoy's goddaughter?
Li Da didn't dare slight her and solemnly went forward to greet her. Yu Xiaocao smiled and said, "Broker Li doesn't need to be so courteous. Let sit down and talk!"
Being influenced by Lady Fang, who had come from a noble family, Yu Xiaocao already had a somewhat imposing manner in the way she dealt with people. She waited for Li Da to sit down, and with a gentle smile, she said in a soft voice, "Broker Li, I heard that you have grasped most of Tanggu Town's middleman businesses in your hands! Is there a large piece of farmland nearby for sale?"
Li Da quickly straightened his body and thought for a moment before asking, "In reply to Young Miss, do you want to buy a plantation or just farmland?"
"Plantation? Are there plantations for sale?" Yu Xiaocao had learned that plantations were generally owned by rich people. Not only did they have a large piece of fertile farmland, but it was also sold together with the tenant farmers. If she could buy a plantation, it would save her a lot of work!
Li Da quickly said, "In town, there is a wealthy family with the surname Ma who had failed in their business and are in an urgent need for money. Thus, the Ma Family have decided to sell one of their plantations, which has sixty mu of superior farmland, thirty mu of average farmland, and eighty mu of inferior farmland. This plantation is located east of town, and it is less than ten kilometers away from town."
A total of one hundred and seventy mu, and it was located in between Tanggu Town and Dongshan Village. This was exactly what Xiaocao wanted. If the price wasn't too outrageous, Xiaocao was prepared to buy it!
"May I ask the price..."
Chapter 230 – Fleeing from Calamity
Li Da naturally didn't dare to give false number to the imperial envoy's goddaughter, "That family urgently needs the money, so the price isn't very high. If you buy them separately, the superior farmland cost twelve taels per mu, the average farmland cost ten taels per mu, and the inferior farmland is seven taels per mu. If you buy them together, it cost a thousand five hundred taels."
The price was quite reasonable, so Yu Xiaocao bought it on the spot. The next day, the head steward of the Fang Estate and Broker Li went to the yamen to go through the formalities.
At this time, it was the time of spring plowing. Since the Ma Family was in a hurry to sell the plantation, they didn't rent the fields to the tenant farmers. Thus, the tenant farmers at the plantation all felt very anxious.
The tenant farmers generally didn't have any farmland and relied on farming on rented farmland to make a living. At the beginning of autumn, at least half of the grain produced in the fields should be handed to the master's family. If they had a harsher master, who charged them sixty percent or more for rent, and they had an average harvest, the tenant farmers might not even have enough to fill their stomachs. However, these tenant farmers, who had no other skills except farming, had no other choice but to rent land. If they didn't farm, was the whole family just going to wait to drink the northwest wind?
In this plantation of the Ma Family, the tenants were waiting for the arrival of the new owner with an uneasy mood. The Ma Family were considered kind masters, who only took fifty percent rent. They were worried about what kind of person the new owner was. Would the rent increase? Would they not rent the land to them? There were more than a dozen families in the plantation who relied on these fields to make a living ah!
Yu Hai wore a dark blue muslin robe with exquisite embroidery on the waist, collar, and cuffs. He had never worn such a formal attire before, so he felt very out of place. For the convenience of work, Yu Hai had always worn light work clothes, which was light and comfortable. Being wrapped in a robe, he felt as if he couldn't even walk properly.
Yu Xiaocao looked at her father's uneasy expression and said with a smile, "Father, you look very handsome dressed like this! You look more dignified than those skinny and short lords! It's our first time inspecting our plantation, so we definitely have to show the imposing manner of owners lest we get bullied by the servants!"
After being praised by his daughter, Yu Hai straightened his chest. He was originally tall with good features and healthy tan skin. Thus, he really did have the charisma of a wealthy nobleman.
The person who drove their horse carriage was the head steward of the Fang Family. Since they were going to show their force as owners, how could they not have someone running errands for them? Thus, Lady Fang sent the head steward over to help them.
The horse carriage soon arrived at the plantation. The tenant farmers, who had long received the news, had already been waiting for them. In the past, the Ma Family usually came late in the morning. The tenant farmers weren't familiar with their new master's habits, so they wanted to leave a good impression on them by coming earlier. Originally, they had thought that they would have to wait for a long time, but they hadn't expected that the horse carriage had already arrived at the plantation at seven in the morning. The tenant farmers looked at one another and were glad to have come early!
The head steward stopped the horse carriage. Yu Hai nimbly jumped down from the carriage, and then turned around to carry his younger daughter down the carriage. When Yu Xiaocao saw the farmers waiting respectfully, she felt rather satisfied in her heart.
Could the tenant farmers not be respectful? Since last autumn, there had been group after group of refugees coming to Tanggu Town. Although a group of refugees had settled at the docks, there were still a lot of refugees looking for jobs. There would be refugees coming to slightly bigger plantations to recommend themselves as tenant farmers. The position of the original tenant farmers at the plantation were being threatened. If they didn't work hard, wouldn't they just be waiting for their masters to replace them? This wasn't something that hadn't happened before. Didn't several tenant farmers get changed at the Zhou Family's ritual fields next door?
Yu Hai stood in front of the tenant farmers. He had never spoken under the anticipating gazes of so many people, so his hands that were behind his back slightly trembled. Seeing this, Xiaocao quickly extended her hand and held her father's hand, giving him support.
The future of the Yu Family would certainly be even more than this, so as the head of the household, Yu Hai must be able to support it! Yu Hai secretly took a deep breath, swept over the dozen or so tenants with a dignified gaze, and said in a loud voice, "This year's spring plowing is just around the corner. In order to not delay farming, everything will stay the same! Who is the supervisor of the tenant farmers? Come and introduce the situation of the plantation!"
Hearing that everything would be the same as before, the tenant farmers were apparently relieved, and there was a glow of joy within everyone's eyes. A vigorous old man in his fifties stepped forward and said, "In reply to Master, this old man, Wang Maocai, is the supervisor of the plantation!"
Seeing that the old man was about the same age as his father, Yu Hai's face showed some kindness. He said, "What's the situation at this plantation? Tell me about it!"
Wang Maocai didn't change just because the master was kind to him. He respectfully answered, "In reply to Master, there are a total of sixteen families in the plantation. Among them, there are forty-three young, strong workers. In the previous years, the plantation's fields were distributed according to the number of laborers in the family."
Divided based on number of adult workers? Yu Xiaocao thought about it and asked, "This elder, does the so-called laborer refer to adult male labor force?"
Wang Maocai didn't slight her due to her young age and quickly replied, "In reply to Young Miss, that's right!"
"Then... what if the adult male in the family had an accident?" Yu Xiaocao's worry wasn't without reason. If something happened to the man in the family, then a widowed mother and orphaned children wouldn't even be able to get a portion of land, so how were they supposed to live?
Wang Maocai was silent for a moment before saying, "I was just about to report this to Master. Liu Dazhuang, who works at the plantation, broke his leg after falling in the mountains. He's the only labor force in his family. Last year, four mu of land was distributed to him. What should we do this year?"
Yu Hai ceased his brows slightly. According to the old policy, the family should not be allocated land if the only labor force in the family was bedridden. However, if they lost their farmland when the pillar of the family had fallen, that would be making their bad situation even worse. How would the family support themselves?
At this time, a twelve or thirteen year old boy rushed out from the crowd. With tears in his eyes, he clenched his fist, knelt down in front of Yu Hai and said in a loud voice, "I'm already thirteen years old, so I can work like an adult! Master, please don't take away our farmland."
"Shanzi, quickly come back!" A haggard-looking woman squeezed out of the crowd and shouted anxiously at the young boy kneeling on the ground for fear that her son would get punished for offending the master.
Yu Hai lowered his head to look at the youth, who was about the same age as his eldest son, with mixed feelings in his heart. He recalled the time when he had been bitten by a bear and was lying on the bed on the verge of death. The situation at that time was very similar to the situation of the family in front of him. At that time, he really hoped that someone would help his family.
After pondering briefly, Yu Xiaocao made a decision and said, "My father has already said earlier that this year's land distribution will be the same as last year's until a new decision is made."
The young boy, who was kneeling on the ground, lifted his head with hope and asked, "My family received four mu of farmland last year, so do we still get four mu of land this year?"
Yu Xiaocao nodded and said, "That's right. You will receive the same amount of land as last year. In the future, not only will adult laborers will receive land, but boys over the age of ten and females between the age of sixteen to forty can also get a distribution of farmland. As long as one has the ability to work, farmland will be divided to both male and female based on their circumstances."
What? Women could be allocated land, too? A happy expression appeared on the faces of people with qualified women and many children in their families. On the other hand, there was a slight change in the expressions on the people who had more adult male labor force in the family. There were only so much land in the plantation, so if land were also divided to women and children, they would certainly receive less land. These people felt somewhat dissatisfied in their hearts, but they didn't dare to say anything. The new owner had new rules. If they showed their dissatisfaction and the master didn't distribute any land to them, they could only watch on the side!
Yu Hai said a few more formal remarks, encouraged everyone to work hard on farming, and finally said, "The farming season won't wait for anyone, so everyone should take advantage of today's good weather and quickly go farming! Alright, everyone can go now!"
After coming out of the plantation, the father and daughter were going to buy some daily necessities in town. When the carriage arrived outside of the town gates, they noticed that there had been an increase in the number of refugees outside the town. It was currently the time when there was a food shortage between the two harvests. Many people in the northeast, who didn't want to leave their homeland, had ran out of food after surviving the harsh winter, so they had no choice but to flee to the south.
Yu Hai, who was in a good mood after buying a plantation, sat outside the carriage to talk to the head steward. Suddenly, an emaciated figure among the refugees caught his attention. He stared fixedly at that person's back, clenching his hands tightly. Was it her? If it was her, why didn't she come find him at Dongshan Village, and instead settled down in the refugee camp outside of town?
As if she detected his gaze, that thin figure turned around and looked over. When Yu Hai saw that haggard but familiar face, he slightly choked up as he called out in a soft voice, "Older Sister..."
Perhaps it was too far away, but that person didn't recognize him. Instead, she continued to walk forward and slowly squatted down in a simple shed made of dead branches. In actuality, even if they met face-to-face, Yu Caifeng may not have recognized him.
Since Yu Hai got married, his older sister had only returned once and more than a decade had passed. Although Yu Hai's face hadn't changed much, he had matured quite a lot. For more than a year, he ate well and was in a good mood. Thus, his originally thin and tall figure had become strong and powerful.
Today, he was wearing a new set of clothing and riding on the Fang Estate's horse carriage, like a rich master in town. Even when Yu Caifeng saw him, she just felt that he seemed familiar, but didn't dare to acknowledge him!
"Stop the carriage, quickly stop the carriage!" Yu Hai snatched the reins from the head steward's hands and pulled hard. The horse, who was trotting forward steadily, made a long neigh, stopped, and trod uneasily on the ground. It was fortunate that the Fang Estate's horses were well-trained. Had it been another steed, it might have been startled!
Yu Xiaocao, who was dozing off in the carriage, nearly flew out of the carriage. She poked her head out in confusion, only to see her father leaping off the moving carriage and darting toward the place known as the refugee camp.
"Father! What are you doing? Wait for me ah!" With the help of the head steward, Yu Xiaocao got down from the carriage. Holding her long skirt, she chased in the direction that her father ran off to. She was only accompanying her father to the plantation, but her godmother insisted on having her dress more formally. It was so inconvenient to run in. If she wasn't careful, she would accidentally step on the hem of the skirt.