Chapter 84 Going to the ground for "transformation"
At Houjiawan side, Hou Wei moved quickly. In one month, he bought enough chicks and dumped them all into Su's 100-mu wasteland to raise them.
However, when the chick were still small at the beginning, they were raised in a pen on the barren hills for nearly a month before they were released to run around the mountains. Since the chicks were still small, naturally they didn’t produce much natural fertilizer. NRight now the raw materials for composting on the barren hills were mostly from someone You Jin hired to pull waste from Su Family’s canal worker's dormitory every second day. It was barely enough for a while.
It was the golden autumn season. In a blink, the harvest season came. This year, Su Family had more than two mus of sunflower seeds to harvest. The rice and wheat in the forty-six mus of fertile fields had already matured. Although Su Family can afford long-term labor now, You Jin still took a few younger sisters to Houjiawan to work when it was time for the Su Family’s reaping.
This time, Su Family hired twelve short term laborers. Without any mishap, it should only take two or three days to harvest all the 46 mu of grain. The sisters set aside about half an mu of land: "Although our family's life is better now, I’ll still take you to do farm work together, just to let everyone remember that we had lived in hard times. No matter how we live in the future, it won't be worse than living in Cuifeng Village."
Holding a sickle in their hands, Su Family sisters who were wearing thick cotton narrow-sleeved clothes and straw hats nodded seriously. Among them, a youth in wide-sleeved silk clothes stood out and wore a straw hat. He panted: "Su Family’s lass, Young Master is here to eat. Why do I have to work in the fields?"
How could Xiao Lin Feng, who was well-clothed and well-fed since he was a child, do such rough work? He started to cry tired before he even went into the field.
You Jin had a malicious smile on her face and responded: "Your Eldest Brother specifically told me to. If you have any objections, go talk to him!"
From the beginning, this delicate noble son wasn’t included in the ranks of labor. However, she met Xiao Lin Yu when she was shopping in the city the day before yesterday. He knew that Su Family was going to reap. So he specially asked You Jin to bring Xiao Lin Feng with them.
At that time, You Jin was a little shocked after hearing this: "Gentleman Xiao, it's not fun to work in the fields. Xiao Lin Feng had never worked before. I’m afraid that he will not be able to bear it?" It wasn't that she looked down on Xiao Lin Feng. He truly looked like a weak chicken.
"That's the reason I want to ask Miss Su. Lin Feng is just a little mischievous. Not malicious at all. It'll do him good if he can grind a little bit." Xiao Lin Yu cupped his hands and smiled gently.
Since he said that, You Jin agreed to the matter: "Since Gentleman Xiao said so, I will naturally not refuse."
Perhaps Xiao Lin Yu was too gentle and polite like an elegant gentleman, You Jin always had an indescribable feeling in front of him. A little fearful and a little cautious. Unlike with Xiao Lin Feng, whom she always treated as a little kid when she got along with him. She was much more at ease.
It was the two’s conversation that day that caused Xiao Lin Feng, who was going to comfortably cross his legs and tease the dog in Su's house, to be ‘exiled’ to Houjiawan to harvest rice. Not knowing the inside story, Xiao Lin Feng cried without tears. Why did he also come to harvest rice! Eldest Brother was trying to kill him?
"Don't just stand there. Dawdling is useless. If we don't finish reaping this piece of land today, no one can leave." You Zhu patted Xiao Lin Feng's shoulder like brothers-in-hardship. The little person acting like an adult sighed greatly: "It's fate!"
She, who was working hard on making pastries in the city, was dragged back to work. Xiao Lin Feng wants to escape this? Not happening!
There was only half an mu of land and Su Family’s seven sisters. Even little Seventh, who was only four years old, wobbled to the ground with a sickle. Xiao Lin Feng wiped his face and resignedly followed into the field in the end. The servants and guards of Xiao Family followed behind Youngest Young Master. They couldn't bear watching Youngest Young Master and turned their heads away. When did their precious Youngest Young Master do such a thing? Eldest Young Master was really too cruel!
This time, apart from Mrs. Su, Yu Lan, and Shan Nai and the others who opened the shop in the city as usual,all the servants of Su Family were also pulled to work in the fields. Although You Jin didn't expect them to do much work, it would be good to grind their temper.
After an extremely miserable day in Houjiawan, Xiao Lin Feng had changed from a beautiful boy in fluttering white clothes to a sweaty, muddy kid. Sitting weakly on the ground, he took the gourd filled with clear water handed over by the guard, gulped it down, and then sighed: "It's finally over."
Uncle Song brought all the grain back to Su's house with the short term laborers. You Jin sisters weren't as exhausted as Xiao Lin Feng because they had been exercising for the past two years. Little Seventh handed the clean handkerchief to Xiao Lin Feng: "Big Brother, let's go home and eat!"
Now that the sun had set to the west, the laborers still had to light up the lamps to continue to work. You Jin brought a few people to finish the collection of this half mu of rice. Only then, she had the mercy to let everyone in Su Family to go back.
With the help of his own guards, Xiao Lin Feng barely stood up and tremblingly got into the carriage. Afterward, he collapsed inside. So draining. He felt so tired that even moving his fingers was an effort! He’ll never come again. Never ever again!
However, Xiao Lin Feng, who made up his mind to eat and drink at Su's house after autumn harvest, was bundled into the carriage by his Cheshire cat Eldest Brother Xiao Lin Yu and got sent to Su’s house in Wuliqiao early in the morning. Before leaving, Xiao Lin Yu didn’t forget to instruct him: "When you get there, work hard and don't be lazy!"
Through it all, he acted that he didn’t see the despairing expression on Youngest Brother's face. Xiao Lin Yu sent Youngest Brother away and got into a carriage himself. Today, he had an appointment with a merchant in the Western Regions to negotiate a deal.
"Eldest Young Master, won't it be too hard for Second Young Master to collect the grain? This old servant can see a layer of Second Young Master's face peeled off from the sun!" Auntie He stood outside the carriage and felt distressed as she pleaded for Second Young Master.
Xiao Lin Yu, who was sitting in the carriage, heard what Auntie He said. He opened the curtain of the carriage window and smilingly responded: "Lin Feng had been pampered since young. It is good to suffer a little bit. Besides, he has no good friends in Luohe Prefecture. The only ones who get along with him are the little girls of Su Family. Although Su Family is poor, those children are well-educated. It's not a bad thing for Lin Feng to play with them."
"But there is always a difference between men and women. Also, Second Young Master had never suffered any hardship!" Auntie He watched Xiao Lin Feng grow up. She had long regarded him more important than her own flesh and blood and already doted him as the pearl of her eyes. How can she bear for Second Young Master to suffer like this?
"Auntie He, don't worry, that Su Family’s lass knows." Xiao Lin Yu still had unexplainable confidence in Su You Jin's perception. He comforted Auntie He abit and went out in the carriage.
***
You Jin didn’t fail Xiao Lin Yu's trust. Today only Uncle Song took Song Hua to supervise the work at Houjiawan. The rest stayed at home to dry the millet. Xiao Lin Feng heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the news: "Thank God!"
Letting him go to work in the fields would cost his life!
Pushing a sieve into Xiao Lin Feng's hand, You Jin grinned, "Why is Gentleman Xiao willing to let you suffer?"
Not to mention Xiao Lin Feng, even You Jin felt that Xiao Lin Yu was cruel to let him suffer. Yesterday was enough to suffer. Never thought he’ll come here today?
Holding the sieve and not working, Xiao Lin Feng sighed: "Who knows?"
After a hard day yesterday,, he found several blisters on his hands when he returned last night. They were still stinging! He simply threw away the sieve and ran to the parlor to rest.
Shaking her head, she helplessly chuckled. You Jin never thought of getting Xiao Lin Feng to work today. So she let him go.
Su Family had enough sun-drying area now. The 46 mu of fertile land had been harvested in just three days. The short term laborers moved onto the barren hills of Houjiawan, where there were still 20 or so mu of sunflowers planted by Su Family this year.
After the autumn harvest, the straw and sunflower stalks were reserved for composting. Everything was all used up. The half month of good sunshine allowed the farmers to dry all this year's harvest and put it in the storeroom. It was the first time that Su Family didn’t rely on grain purchases to fill up the empty granary.
"In the future, we don't need to buy any more grain!" You Jin looked at the already full granary with her hands on hip. She felt relieved. Now that the number of people in the family was increasing, the rations alone consumed a lot of silver in a day. She had been looking forward to the autumn harvest for a long time.
Now Su Jiaxiang's business was getting better and better. Basically, it reached a net profit of more than 20 liang a day. In You Jin's opinion, it still wasn’t enough. She was really afraid of being poor. She knew that poor and lowly couples suffer all kinds of sorrows. For the sake of her seven younger sisters, she needed to expand the family business.
Nearly 20 mus of saplings had survived on the barren hills of Houjiawan. Although none of them had bloomed yet, they were growing very well. It will take another year or two for them to bloom. By then, the majority of the raw materials needed by Sujiaxiang will be available.
After half a month of fine weather, it began to rain continuously in autumn. Everyone in Su Family had now changed into quilted clothes to ward off the coolness of autumn rain. After the autumn harvest, the matter of finding 30 mu of fertile land that had been entrusted a long time ago to Broker Chen by You Jin had results. This time, the 30 mu of fertile land was on the edge of a village more than five kilometers west of Luohe Prefecture. It was also nearly ten kilometers away from Wuliqiao.
The land bought this time was directly under You Yin's name. She didn't mention it to her family. Everyone in Su Family thought that the land bought this time was also under You Jin's name. Currently the head of Su Family was You Jin. So it was normal for it to be in her name.
"Miss Su, you’re buying land and buying people. Your situation must be getting better and better. If you have any business in the future, please take care of me." Broker Chen was now more and more interested in Su Family's business. As long as it was You Jin who entrusted him with the work, the quality and quantity was fulfilled. After all, this seemed to be a long-term business. So he had to properly uphold it.
You Jin put the land deed into her sleeve and cheerfully nodded: "Definitely, I will trouble Uncle Chen in the future!"
After the trees on Houjiawan Mountain bloomed, You Jin still wanted to find a few old beekeepers. Taking advantage of today’s meeting, she mentioned it to Broker Chen.
"Beekeepers aren’t so easy to find, but I will try my best to find them." After hearing You Jin's request, Broker Chen pondered for a long time.
You Jin understood and replied: "It's fine. If you really find beekeepers, they don't have to sell themselves. I can hire them to work at a high price."
How many people were willing to sell themselves? You Jin was aware of this point. So she used a roundabout tactic. As long as they can be hired, it’ll work out.
At Houjiawan side, Hou Wei moved quickly. In one month, he bought enough chicks and dumped them all into Su's 100-mu wasteland to raise them.
However, when the chick were still small at the beginning, they were raised in a pen on the barren hills for nearly a month before they were released to run around the mountains. Since the chicks were still small, naturally they didn’t produce much natural fertilizer. NRight now the raw materials for composting on the barren hills were mostly from someone You Jin hired to pull waste from Su Family’s canal worker's dormitory every second day. It was barely enough for a while.
It was the golden autumn season. In a blink, the harvest season came. This year, Su Family had more than two mus of sunflower seeds to harvest. The rice and wheat in the forty-six mus of fertile fields had already matured. Although Su Family can afford long-term labor now, You Jin still took a few younger sisters to Houjiawan to work when it was time for the Su Family’s reaping.
This time, Su Family hired twelve short term laborers. Without any mishap, it should only take two or three days to harvest all the 46 mu of grain. The sisters set aside about half an mu of land: "Although our family's life is better now, I’ll still take you to do farm work together, just to let everyone remember that we had lived in hard times. No matter how we live in the future, it won't be worse than living in Cuifeng Village."
Holding a sickle in their hands, Su Family sisters who were wearing thick cotton narrow-sleeved clothes and straw hats nodded seriously. Among them, a youth in wide-sleeved silk clothes stood out and wore a straw hat. He panted: "Su Family’s lass, Young Master is here to eat. Why do I have to work in the fields?"
How could Xiao Lin Feng, who was well-clothed and well-fed since he was a child, do such rough work? He started to cry tired before he even went into the field.
You Jin had a malicious smile on her face and responded: "Your Eldest Brother specifically told me to. If you have any objections, go talk to him!"
From the beginning, this delicate noble son wasn’t included in the ranks of labor. However, she met Xiao Lin Yu when she was shopping in the city the day before yesterday. He knew that Su Family was going to reap. So he specially asked You Jin to bring Xiao Lin Feng with them.
At that time, You Jin was a little shocked after hearing this: "Gentleman Xiao, it's not fun to work in the fields. Xiao Lin Feng had never worked before. I’m afraid that he will not be able to bear it?" It wasn't that she looked down on Xiao Lin Feng. He truly looked like a weak chicken.
"That's the reason I want to ask Miss Su. Lin Feng is just a little mischievous. Not malicious at all. It'll do him good if he can grind a little bit." Xiao Lin Yu cupped his hands and smiled gently.
Since he said that, You Jin agreed to the matter: "Since Gentleman Xiao said so, I will naturally not refuse."
Perhaps Xiao Lin Yu was too gentle and polite like an elegant gentleman, You Jin always had an indescribable feeling in front of him. A little fearful and a little cautious. Unlike with Xiao Lin Feng, whom she always treated as a little kid when she got along with him. She was much more at ease.
It was the two’s conversation that day that caused Xiao Lin Feng, who was going to comfortably cross his legs and tease the dog in Su's house, to be ‘exiled’ to Houjiawan to harvest rice. Not knowing the inside story, Xiao Lin Feng cried without tears. Why did he also come to harvest rice! Eldest Brother was trying to kill him?
"Don't just stand there. Dawdling is useless. If we don't finish reaping this piece of land today, no one can leave." You Zhu patted Xiao Lin Feng's shoulder like brothers-in-hardship. The little person acting like an adult sighed greatly: "It's fate!"
She, who was working hard on making pastries in the city, was dragged back to work. Xiao Lin Feng wants to escape this? Not happening!
There was only half an mu of land and Su Family’s seven sisters. Even little Seventh, who was only four years old, wobbled to the ground with a sickle. Xiao Lin Feng wiped his face and resignedly followed into the field in the end. The servants and guards of Xiao Family followed behind Youngest Young Master. They couldn't bear watching Youngest Young Master and turned their heads away. When did their precious Youngest Young Master do such a thing? Eldest Young Master was really too cruel!
This time, apart from Mrs. Su, Yu Lan, and Shan Nai and the others who opened the shop in the city as usual,all the servants of Su Family were also pulled to work in the fields. Although You Jin didn't expect them to do much work, it would be good to grind their temper.
After an extremely miserable day in Houjiawan, Xiao Lin Feng had changed from a beautiful boy in fluttering white clothes to a sweaty, muddy kid. Sitting weakly on the ground, he took the gourd filled with clear water handed over by the guard, gulped it down, and then sighed: "It's finally over."
Uncle Song brought all the grain back to Su's house with the short term laborers. You Jin sisters weren't as exhausted as Xiao Lin Feng because they had been exercising for the past two years. Little Seventh handed the clean handkerchief to Xiao Lin Feng: "Big Brother, let's go home and eat!"
Now that the sun had set to the west, the laborers still had to light up the lamps to continue to work. You Jin brought a few people to finish the collection of this half mu of rice. Only then, she had the mercy to let everyone in Su Family to go back.
With the help of his own guards, Xiao Lin Feng barely stood up and tremblingly got into the carriage. Afterward, he collapsed inside. So draining. He felt so tired that even moving his fingers was an effort! He’ll never come again. Never ever again!
However, Xiao Lin Feng, who made up his mind to eat and drink at Su's house after autumn harvest, was bundled into the carriage by his Cheshire cat Eldest Brother Xiao Lin Yu and got sent to Su’s house in Wuliqiao early in the morning. Before leaving, Xiao Lin Yu didn’t forget to instruct him: "When you get there, work hard and don't be lazy!"
Through it all, he acted that he didn’t see the despairing expression on Youngest Brother's face. Xiao Lin Yu sent Youngest Brother away and got into a carriage himself. Today, he had an appointment with a merchant in the Western Regions to negotiate a deal.
"Eldest Young Master, won't it be too hard for Second Young Master to collect the grain? This old servant can see a layer of Second Young Master's face peeled off from the sun!" Auntie He stood outside the carriage and felt distressed as she pleaded for Second Young Master.
Xiao Lin Yu, who was sitting in the carriage, heard what Auntie He said. He opened the curtain of the carriage window and smilingly responded: "Lin Feng had been pampered since young. It is good to suffer a little bit. Besides, he has no good friends in Luohe Prefecture. The only ones who get along with him are the little girls of Su Family. Although Su Family is poor, those children are well-educated. It's not a bad thing for Lin Feng to play with them."
"But there is always a difference between men and women. Also, Second Young Master had never suffered any hardship!" Auntie He watched Xiao Lin Feng grow up. She had long regarded him more important than her own flesh and blood and already doted him as the pearl of her eyes. How can she bear for Second Young Master to suffer like this?
"Auntie He, don't worry, that Su Family’s lass knows." Xiao Lin Yu still had unexplainable confidence in Su You Jin's perception. He comforted Auntie He abit and went out in the carriage.
***
You Jin didn’t fail Xiao Lin Yu's trust. Today only Uncle Song took Song Hua to supervise the work at Houjiawan. The rest stayed at home to dry the millet. Xiao Lin Feng heaved a sigh of relief when he heard the news: "Thank God!"
Letting him go to work in the fields would cost his life!
Pushing a sieve into Xiao Lin Feng's hand, You Jin grinned, "Why is Gentleman Xiao willing to let you suffer?"
Not to mention Xiao Lin Feng, even You Jin felt that Xiao Lin Yu was cruel to let him suffer. Yesterday was enough to suffer. Never thought he’ll come here today?
Holding the sieve and not working, Xiao Lin Feng sighed: "Who knows?"
After a hard day yesterday,, he found several blisters on his hands when he returned last night. They were still stinging! He simply threw away the sieve and ran to the parlor to rest.
Shaking her head, she helplessly chuckled. You Jin never thought of getting Xiao Lin Feng to work today. So she let him go.
Su Family had enough sun-drying area now. The 46 mu of fertile land had been harvested in just three days. The short term laborers moved onto the barren hills of Houjiawan, where there were still 20 or so mu of sunflowers planted by Su Family this year.
After the autumn harvest, the straw and sunflower stalks were reserved for composting. Everything was all used up. The half month of good sunshine allowed the farmers to dry all this year's harvest and put it in the storeroom. It was the first time that Su Family didn’t rely on grain purchases to fill up the empty granary.
"In the future, we don't need to buy any more grain!" You Jin looked at the already full granary with her hands on hip. She felt relieved. Now that the number of people in the family was increasing, the rations alone consumed a lot of silver in a day. She had been looking forward to the autumn harvest for a long time.
Now Su Jiaxiang's business was getting better and better. Basically, it reached a net profit of more than 20 liang a day. In You Jin's opinion, it still wasn’t enough. She was really afraid of being poor. She knew that poor and lowly couples suffer all kinds of sorrows. For the sake of her seven younger sisters, she needed to expand the family business.
Nearly 20 mus of saplings had survived on the barren hills of Houjiawan. Although none of them had bloomed yet, they were growing very well. It will take another year or two for them to bloom. By then, the majority of the raw materials needed by Sujiaxiang will be available.
After half a month of fine weather, it began to rain continuously in autumn. Everyone in Su Family had now changed into quilted clothes to ward off the coolness of autumn rain. After the autumn harvest, the matter of finding 30 mu of fertile land that had been entrusted a long time ago to Broker Chen by You Jin had results. This time, the 30 mu of fertile land was on the edge of a village more than five kilometers west of Luohe Prefecture. It was also nearly ten kilometers away from Wuliqiao.
The land bought this time was directly under You Yin's name. She didn't mention it to her family. Everyone in Su Family thought that the land bought this time was also under You Jin's name. Currently the head of Su Family was You Jin. So it was normal for it to be in her name.
"Miss Su, you’re buying land and buying people. Your situation must be getting better and better. If you have any business in the future, please take care of me." Broker Chen was now more and more interested in Su Family's business. As long as it was You Jin who entrusted him with the work, the quality and quantity was fulfilled. After all, this seemed to be a long-term business. So he had to properly uphold it.
You Jin put the land deed into her sleeve and cheerfully nodded: "Definitely, I will trouble Uncle Chen in the future!"
After the trees on Houjiawan Mountain bloomed, You Jin still wanted to find a few old beekeepers. Taking advantage of today’s meeting, she mentioned it to Broker Chen.
"Beekeepers aren’t so easy to find, but I will try my best to find them." After hearing You Jin's request, Broker Chen pondered for a long time.
You Jin understood and replied: "It's fine. If you really find beekeepers, they don't have to sell themselves. I can hire them to work at a high price."
How many people were willing to sell themselves? You Jin was aware of this point. So she used a roundabout tactic. As long as they can be hired, it’ll work out.
You Jin is slowly starting to accumulate a dowry for each of her sisters I suppose, that's so sweet of her! Thank you for the chapter!
ReplyDeleteI really wish this author didn't push for big age gap relationships! The elder xiao brother was 19 when you jin was 11, thats too creepy :S even if she's older in her heart, the ML is obsessed with a preteen when he's in his 20s, its so hard to read. The dynamic with the younger xiao is much more fun, this is just bad taste in men from the author.
ReplyDeleteIs the ML really the older bro? I don't think so?
ReplyDelete