Chapter 146: Old Lady, You

The old lady's gaze showed an envious expression; Wang Jiaru's Old Servant could no longer keep up with the young man.

Qiao Mai saw it and thought that when she had free time she would also pick a gift for the old lady online; honestly, this old lady really suited her taste.

In both speech and conduct, the two share the same traits, so she wants to be a bit kinder to the old lady.

Seeing her full head of white hair, her eyes suddenly lit up; she bought a natural plant hair dye on the Platform, to dye the old lady's hair black, which would make her look more than ten years younger instantly.

She also bought a set of anti‑wrinkle, anti‑aging Skincare Product, and mixed some Linghe Water into them, so that her skin would rejuvenate and appear younger.

Not only that, to improve the health of the two elders, a daily addition of Linghe Water to the water they drink is necessary.

Long‑term consumption can extend lifespan and make the body sturdier.

Starting tomorrow, she will periodically pour some into the water‑filled jar, so that everyone in the Qiao Family will benefit.

The day Yuan Jiaqi returned to the Academy, she also poured him a gourd of boiled water mixed with Linghe Water, and reminded him to drink some each day, saying it was good for his health.

Rain made people feel melancholy; the Qiao Family gathered on the big kang in the house, with the windows half‑open, quietly watching the cool rain outside.

Therefore the Wang Family's workshops are all built in Beifang, and the finished products are shipped to various parts of the Imperial Court.

Previously sweet potatoes sold for one Wen per two jin, now they sell for two Wen per jin; a mu can yield two to three thousand jin of sweet potatoes, which brings over five liang of profit; planting ten mu yields fifty liang of profit, and after taxes about thirty liang remain, enough for a farmer's consumption for more than a year— not planting would be foolish.

"Welcome, let's get ready and set off from my house; I'll bring you some extra snacks on the way."

Drinking juice, eating fruit, chatting and laughing.

"I, old man, am not being picky; I just want to scold her. I don't have your ability to make her happy, to make her so delighted. Her reliance on you is justified; don't take it seriously."

Moreover, because of the Wang Family's formulas and workshops, the people's income has risen and fewer are starving; the Ming Emperor cannot be displeased and must praise the Wang Family's deeds.

As long as seeds are sold on the Platform, whether ordinary or low‑grade Spirit Medicine seeds, she buys them when she has money; if she lacks money she sells goods, but still buys.

It's like a blind cat meeting a dead mouse, striking great luck.

One after another are eager to try, constantly sending people to strike at the Wang Family.

She plans to use the idle rainy season to refine alchemy, first adjusting herself to optimal condition, then preparing all the Spirit Medicine of the first stage.

Qiao Mai always takes advantage of rain to plant those plots in the space.

Nanfang is unsuitable for planting sweet potatoes and sesame because the rain is too abundant, which hinders the growth of those two crops.

"Just get used to it, want to try?"

She stepped forward, and the old lady immediately started scolding.

Qiao Mai asked the old lady for a cup of passion‑fruit honey water; the old lady looked at the straw curiously and asked.

From June to August is Beifang's rainy season; every few days the heavens bring a rainstorm—heavy, moderate, or light.

Her cultivation has remained at the peak of the Qi Refining Ninth Stage; it's not that she doesn't want to cultivate, but she still lacks confidence.

"What a White-eyed Wolf, I was so good to her, and when she left she never hugged me and cried; you two have known each other how long, and she's just like that, a heartless little thing, hum!"

The old gentleman and his wife, after hearing this, treated Qiao Mai even better, truly regarding her as their own granddaughter.

She had a clerk slice a fruit platter, and the old lady was unusually relaxed; the old and the young were like friends without age difference.

They replaced all second‑season grain crops with sweet potatoes or sesame; it must be said that the Wang Family brought a boon to the people of the Imperial Court.

When leaving, she even hugged Qiao Mai and cried, truly reluctant to depart.

"This cup is really odd, slender and tall?"

Miss Wang stayed at the Qiao household for over half a month before leaving; the two arranged to meet in Jingcheng.

Even the three tenant farmers of Qiao Mai's family cultivated these, and also signed documents with the Wang Family.

Since the launch of rice noodles, rice sheets, sesame paste, and sesame oil, the Wang Family's business has flourished; although not an Imperial merchant, they earn no less than Imperial merchants, but the Wang Family is more low‑key and never boasts.

After being scolded by the old lady, she left in tears!

She has mastered the Alchemy Manual, sold a batch of Spirit Medicine, then sold dozens of jars of Linghe Water, amassed a pile of spirit stones, and bought all the Dan formulas of the first, second, and third stages from customer service.

As for sesame, the Wang Family purchases it from farmers at thirty Wen per jin; even though sesame yields low, a mu can still produce two hundred jin, not far behind sweet potatoes and also easy to manage.

He remembered the well‑diggers and hurriedly prepared a cartload of gifts, sending them to the Qiao Family.

After all, livelihood plans affect the fate of a nation.

This year the Wang Family openly purchased large quantities of sweet potatoes and sesame from farmers, resulting in many more households planting these two crops.

Mayor Qian, after arranging disaster relief within his jurisdiction, recorded her deeds on his merit list; no one knew he had such a skill.

Although the Wang Family made money, one‑third went to the Main Family in Jingcheng; the Main Family received so much silver and, being a branch, could not possibly not protect it.

As long as the emperor is not foolish, he knows this; therefore the Wang Family's head official was promoted one level, and the Ming Emperor hopes the Wang Family will not betray his intention and continue to seek welfare for the people.

But the diligent discovered it; they never expected that the sweet potatoes eaten by the lowly could be turned into such delicious items.

Zongsheng never imagined that an inadvertent act would profit the Main Family; when the Main Family was pleased, they sent people to deliver five large carts of generous gifts to Zongsheng.

He memorized all the first‑stage Dan formulas in his mind, and repeatedly simulated the techniques and procedures from the Alchemy Manual in his head.

After thorough preparation, standing before the Alchemy Furnace, he flicked his hand, a red light shot out, and the Dan fire was placed beneath the furnace.

"What is this?"

In other words, as long as the emperor does not favor a formula, no one can make it.

"I ordered it from the porcelain kiln, looks good, right?"

He keeps a mental tally of who did good deeds, who donated how much silver, how much grain.

Once purchased, he planted everything in the fields; now the land amounts to about ten million mu.

The Wang Family scrutinizes formulas strictly and the production process even more stringently; not even a fly can get in.

The two linked arms like good friends; taking the chance to leave the residence and send Miss Wang, they went to Qiao Ji Snack Shop.

"Haha, old lady, you're being picky!"

"It just feels weird."

"Alas, on September 10 the old man and I will not return to Fucheng; how about spending the Mid‑Autumn Festival at your house?"

Those who devise formulas and want to investigate find it as hard as scaling heaven.

"Don't take it seriously, don't take it seriously."

When Qiao Mai learned of it, she laughed; a person is about to have good luck, even lying down money comes in, and an inadvertent action can earn a promotion.

When June arrives, the Old Heaven will occasionally bring rain; since Qiao Mai crossed over, Beifang has always had favorable wind and rain.

"A straw, disposable, you can sip without a spoon, very convenient, give it a try."

The old lady also sent Qiao Mai a set of treasured purple jade headpiece, delivering it herself.

The villagers within ten li and eight villages all praised the town mayor.

"Keeping watch over you, I can't endure the guilt."

Preheat the Alchemy Furnace, open the lid, drop the Spirit Medicines one by one in order at the right times, using mental power to sense the process of the Spirit Medicine turning into liquid.

Then, using mental power repeatedly, filter out the residue from the liquid.

Finally, using Dan fire at constant temperature to bake away excess moisture from the Spirit liquid; the last step is to turn a large mass of thick, viscous Spirit liquid into solid form, cut it into pills slightly smaller than a Quail Egg, and finally remove the moisture from each Pill; that counts as success.

If you want the Pill's effect to be good, then filtration is the most important; the purer the Spirit liquid, the better the effect.

(End of chapter)