Picking Up a General to Plow the Fields

Chapter 178: Third Aunt’s advice

Lunch was the same as the ones for the construction site.
It consisted of steamed buns, egg pancakes, and fragrant beef bone soup, as well as some fried sauce leftover from breakfast, which was perfect for dipping the steamed buns.

Qin Feng and Su Zi Ji refused to eat with the family, they were firm that the rules should not be broken.
“Even is Miss is kind and compassionate, she will definitely buy property for the family in the future and there will be more and more servants.
Since we have broken the rules, what Miss do in the future?”

When Lian Fang Zhou thought about this, she smiled and said: “I was confused! You should eat in the kitchen, there is no need to say anything more, just wait until we are finished eating!”

Qin Feng and Su Zi Ji agreed.

After lunch, they took a short break before heading out.
Except for Third Aunt and the twins, five people went to dig up wild water plantains, feeling optimistic.

The water plantains few in the water and the area was very humid, so they were easy to dig.

Five people dug about sixty plants in just one hour.

Cutting off the excess leaves and leaving only a bare, waist tall pole, they put the plants into the bamboo baskets and carefully loaded them onto the donkey cart, as to not stain the cart.

The sixty water plantains would be planted in the spring at Sanchakou.

The spring was large and active, with two main sources, and there was also a creek that flowed over the land, its source somewhere else.
It could be said that water was quite sufficient!

But Lian Fang Zhou felt that more sufficient was better! Only by protecting the water source could she be sure that the crops would grow better.
After all, this piece of land was more than 1,500 acres!

She also planned on planting some water plantains in Shitouping but it was getting late, so they’d have to wait until tomorrow morning.
After returning tomorrow afternoon, she would settled the accounts with Gu Shi and the others.
The day after that, they would burn the ash and move the pond mud to complete the tree nursery.

With two more adults, who were both very familiar with farming, the work started to move much faster than before.
The sun had just started westward when the water plantains were planted.

Seeing that everything was fine, Lian Fang Zhou smiled and said: “Let’s go back early today! There are still seven or eight days left until the new year and we will be very busy over the next few days!”

The others nodded and agreed.

When they returned home, Third Aunt was surprised to see them but she smiled and said: “It’s really faster with two more people! We will have to thank Young Master Cui!”

Lian Fang Zhou smiled and told Qin Feng and Su Zi Ji: “Wash your hands and face, then go inside and rest!”

Third Aunt suddenly slapped her forehead and said, “Oh yes, there was one mor thing I forgot to tell you!” As she spoke, she pulled Lian Fang Zhou aside and lowered her voice mysteriously.
She said: “This morning… what was the name of the little boy next to Cui Yi? Cui Yi told me that the last time his master was here, he was coaxed into your uncle’s house.
He asked if we had received half of the gifts they had left.
When I heard this, I was so angry, of course I said no! Don’t mention half, we didn’t even see the slightest shadow! Cui Yi was very angry to heard this, he said he would speak to your uncle and have those things sent.
I’ve been waiting here for a while, but they haven’t arrived…”

Third aunt looked eager to try and said, “We have many people now, we don’t have to be afraid of them! Do you want to go to their house and ask…”

Judging from the look on Third Aunt’s face, ‘asking’ was definitely not just asking.

It seemed that she was the same as her own siblings and was heartbroken by the so-called ‘eldest uncle’ and ‘eldest aunt’ and there was no respect in her voice when she spoke.

Lian Fang Zhou was not surprised to heard that that couple had concealed the presents.
How could Cui Shao Xi come empty handed? And how would that couple vomit out what they had grabbed?

Even when they vomited, it would only be as an investment, always thinking about how to gain more in the future.

However, it was quite unexpected that Cui Yi would speak to Third Aunt about this matter in private and then vow to speak to her uncle about it.

She thought for a while.
Cui Shao Xi would definitely not care about this trivial matter.
Most likely, this was just Cui Yi’s temperament, but she didn’t want to start speculating.

However, Lian Fang Zhou’s eyes flickered.
Cui Yi was a very clever boy and one who loved making trouble and bullying people to win his master’s favor.
Having rushed to see her uncle, his expression must not have been very good.
Would her eldest uncle dare to try to hide this? Was he not afraid to offend the Cui family? His temperament was not usually able to bend and stretch!

“Why don’t you ask Qin Feng and Su Zi Ji to go together? It’s easier to have more people!” Third Aunt suggested again.

“No need!” Lian Fang Zhou smiled faintly.
“Since Cui Yi has said so, we should just wait.
And if uncle still doesn’t come, then forget it!”

“Forget it?” Third Aunt was distressed and unbalanced: “Why would you say this? Fang Zhou, though our lives are much better than before, we can’t waste things like this! I heard Cui Yi say that these things were all good things! They must have eaten the dim sum quickly, so how could they not have the other things? New clothes will be made next year and they would have good ingredients!”

“Third Aunt,” Lian Fang Zhou said, “we are in full swing! I don’t know how many people are secretly jealous, wishing they could chew their tongues when something good happens to our family! Even if the separation between our family and uncle’s family is clear, they are still our elders! If my parents were here, it would be better if they stayed away.
Someone will make a fuss and it will be inconvenient for use to distinguish ourselves! We can’t afford to make a big deal over small things right now, understand?”

“Then they will get it for nothing?” Third Aunt was still a little unwilling.

Lian Fang Zhou smiled: “Anyways, it wasn’t ours to begin with so we can’t say something like ‘suffer’.
Just forget about it!”

“Never mind then!” Third Aunt nodded and smiled: “What you’ve said makes sense, so what if they make a little gain? Hmph!”

Saying this, Third Aunt had a good idea in her heart.
When Young Master Cui and Cui Yu came again, she would just talk to Cui Yi again so that greedy couple couldn’t escape!

After stopping to talk for a while, Lian Fang Zhou entered the house.

Relaxing inside, Lian Fang Zhou chatted with Qin Feng and Su Zi Ji.
At first, the two of them didn’t dare to sit down.
Lian Fang Zhou had to ask several times before they would sit down at an angle from her.

However, after a few words, Qin Feng and Su Zi Ji relaxed and were less restrained.
Lian Fang Zhou answered questions easily and occasionally let them take the initiative to say a few words.

Lian Fang Zhou learned that Su Zi Ji was actually very clever.
He used to invent and improve several useful farming tools.
One year, he had gone to inspect the farmland around the Yellow River.
He had always invented a giant waterwheel for irrigation in Kaifeng and Henan.
The local farmers had benefited a lot! After patrolling the south of the Yangtze River, the local spinning wheel in Nanxun had also been improved, greatly increasing its efficiency…

Lian Fang Zhou couldn’t help but secretly have an idea.

TN: I hope this explains a little more about why LFZ doesn’t just lash out at Lian Li and Madam Qiao.
It really would be cutting off her own nose to spite her face! Society is just not in her favor at the moment.