ADUAAOR, IJWTF Chapter 155: Was It A Coincidence?

TOC

“The wells in this village are far away from pigsties and latrines. Two more wells were dug in the fields this year, making irrigation much more convenient. Since everything was done according to the landlord’s wishes, there have been far fewer minor illnesses and disasters for adults and children in the village.”

Niu Dali’s face lit up with excitement as he mentioned this.

In the past, the two things most feared in this village were disaster and disease.

Disasters were self-evident; when food supplies dwindled and there was nothing to eat, theft was rampant. Petty arguments and conflicts between villagers could even lead to the selling of children. The labor force dwindled, forcing the village to find new residents and readjust to the existing system…

As for disease, it was mostly due to the high cost of medicine. It wouldn’t necessarily bankrupt an entire village, just a single family, but that was only if the disease didn’t spread to others. Otherwise, the entire village could fall ill, which would also be a disaster.

In short, both were extremely troublesome matters and a headache for Niu Dali.

But now, after listening to the new owner’s words, the children complained of stomach aches much less often than usual, and it seemed that they rarely even had headaches or fevers, which was indeed much less of a worry.

Su Yujin was quite happy to hear this. “Illness enters through the mouth, so taking precautions naturally reduces a lot of minor illnesses and pains. Everything is fine at the farm, and I feel very relieved. A few days ago, I saw the ledger for this year’s rent payments at home, and the amount was accurate with no shortage.

“Speaking of which, it’s all thanks to the diligent management of the farm manager, Mr. Niu. In the future, we will have to trouble Mr. Niu to work even harder. The weather is gradually getting colder, and after winter comes, Mr. Niu will have to worry more about whether each household has enough quilts and enough food.”

“Besides, as I walked along, I noticed that most of the houses in these villages are dilapidated. Many have been neglected for years, with large cracks in the walls. I’m afraid people will freeze to death in the winter. Now that the weather is good and it’s not particularly busy with farming, we should get everyone together to repair the houses.”

“If we don’t have enough clay for making mud bricks, I see there’s a low-lying area near the village entrance that’s empty. Why don’t we dig some soil there? The soil there is all uncultivated, and we probably won’t be able to grow anything there for the next few years. We can simply dig a pond, plant some lotus roots in it, raise some ducks, and sell some duck eggs. That would be extra income.”

“Don’t be so rigid in your thinking. If I can’t think of anything, as the head of the village, you should be more resourceful. If you have any good ideas for starting a business, lead everyone to do it.”

A farm is an industry where the owner and the farmers share both prosperity and adversity.

High profits meant the farmers lived well, and the owner’s pockets bulged. But if the farmers were struggling and couldn’t pay rent, the owner could only watch helplessly as they saw so much rent due but couldn’t collect it.

Su Yujin didn’t consider herself a heartless landlord who would resort to using Xi’er as collateral for debts, so she felt she should do everything possible to create conditions for the farmers to prosper, thus enriching herself.

Niu Dali listened attentively to Su Yujin’s suggestions, nodding repeatedly while simultaneously planning how to proceed.

Su Yujin stayed at the farm for half a day, having lunch at Niu Dali’s house.

She stopped Zhang Shi, who was about to slaughter her young rooster for guests, and only asked her to make a bowl of noodles.

But even with noodles, Zhang Shi didn’t dare to be negligent, using pure white flour to make the dough…

Salt water and eggs were added, and the topping consisted of green beans and minced meat. An extra poached egg was given to each of Ai Cao and the others.

Su Yujin received two.

There wasn’t much minced meat, and Zhang Shi’s cooking skills were only average, but the green beans were freshly picked and tender. Half a spoonful of lard was added to the topping, and the poached eggs were cooked perfectly—tender, soft, and oozing with a runny yolk. It was delicious when eaten hot.

Su Yujin nodded repeatedly, clearly approving.

Niu Dali and Zhang Shi… Seeing this, I felt both gratified and happy.

It was truly fortunate to have such a sensible, kind, and unpretentious owner.

They absolutely had to help the owner manage this estate well and ensure she made money!

Su Yujin stayed a while longer after lunch before leaving, taking some things back with her from the estate.

Some were dried shepherd’s purse, because Niu Dali and Zhang Shi had seen how much Su Yujin liked it in the spring and wanted to save some for her.

But shepherd’s purse was only delicious when it was freshly grown and tender in spring. Since it was not available at other times, they had the children from the farm dig up lots of fresh shepherd’s purse, wash it clean, add salt and a little oil, boil it, blanch it briefly, then put it in cold water to cool, and finally dry it thoroughly to make dried shepherd’s purse. This way, it can be soaked when needed. While the taste wasn’t as good as fresh, it had its own unique flavor.

The rest were fresh sesame leaves, red radish leaves, and white radish leaves.

These four items filled two large baskets and were placed in the carriage.

Smelling the radish leaves mixed with the fresh earthy scent, Ai Cao blinked.

Was the girl preparing to feed the rabbits?

Su Yujin, on the other hand, was planning how to prepare these things when they got back.

By the time they returned to the courtyard from the farm, even with their hurried pace, the sun was already setting, and the western sky was full of rosy clouds.

Su Yujin told Ai Cao and Granny Liu to quickly pack up the things they had brought back from the farm.

Granny Liu and Ai Cao moved the things into the yard and began to fetch water to wash them.

Seeing that it was getting late, Granny Liu went to close the yard gate.

Before she could even close it, a riding crop was thrust out, followed by Lu Wenjing. Almost before Granny Liu could react, Lu Wenjing had already hopped around in the yard a few times.

“Ha, I knew there would be good food tonight! Looks like I came at just the right time.”

Su Yujin, who hadn’t even gone back inside yet, was speechless.

The last time Lu Wenjing came, it was when she returned from the estate, and now it was again.

What a coincidence. No, scratch that—what an incredible coincidence!

“Miss Lu, what brings you here at this hour?”

Having received the rather valuable gold bracelet inlaid with gemstones from Lu Wenjing last time, Su Yujin considered Lu Wenjing her second benefactor and greeted her with a smile.

“I was so bored staying at home, and I’d been thinking about how delicious your food is, so I thought I’d come and mooch a meal,” Lu Wenjing chuckled. “Seeing you all busy here, what are you making for dinner?”

Was it the rich and flavorful braised mutton, or the fragrant yet still satisfying dumplings?

“Jìcài Chǎo Xiānggān, Hóng Luóbo Yīng Zhēngcài, Yán Yān Bái Luóbo Yīng, and Zhīma Yè Miàntiáo,” Su Yujin answered honestly after giving it some thought.