Chapter 97: Then We Back Out?

Seeing this, the household servants and the workers in front worked more diligently than before.

Time slipped to May 26, the day the Feng Family presented the engagement ceremony to the Lu Family.

Qiao Mai didn't go, but sent two Kitchen Maids over.

In the afternoon, Lu the Shopkeeper came to the house looking for her, his complexion rather unpleasant.

"Girl, you really said it right."

"How much betrothal gifts?"

"Thirty-load; I've seen the gift list and double‑checked the betrothal gifts, the total doesn't exceed a thousand taels of silver."

"Don't feel uneasy; the Feng Family has many descendants supporting several scholars. Though modestly wealthy, it's only on the surface. If you give Ruxin a generous dowry, his family won't dare covet it. After marrying into his family, Ruxin will hold herself upright, so we can consider it a downward marriage."

"Sigh, I shouldn't have been so impatient; I should have waited longer. If it weren't for my friend's relative, I truly would have wanted to back out of this marriage."

"Each has its own merits; at least you have a young scholar‑son‑in‑law with a bright future."

"Mm, one must not have a harmful heart, but must keep a guardful heart; the money we worked hard for must be protected."

Sigh—once a girl grows up you can't keep her; she only has that man in her eyes, not considering the future at all. Surely with love, even the toughest days become sweet, right?

In the Qiao Family, one mu paid a hundred jin of grain tax; sixty‑five mu amount to six thousand five hundred jin, plus an additional eleven thousand five hundred jin of wheat.

"Probably, I heard their birthdays fall on the same day."

As she spoke, she was about to kneel before Qiao Mai, and she helped Ruxin to her feet.

At this moment the shop was crowded; some old customers rested at the tables outside and, seeing her busy greeting, …

Seeing Lu Sanniang light up when she mentioned her daughter, her eyebrows dancing, her mood inexplicably lifted.

The child is solely hers; she won't allow the filthy hand of the Tian Family to reach for Ling'er. If one day they truly set their sights on Ling'er, she wouldn't mind wiping out the entire Tian Family.

Everyone gazed at Ling'er in her arms, enviously; her clothing, the jade on the silver collar, and those exquisite shoes all revealed Qiao Mai's affection for the child.

"Xin'er, have you started embroidering the wedding dress?"

Some whispered, "I heard Qiao Niang had a previous‑life divorce and bore a daughter who died a few days after premature birth; she's so kind to this daughter, perhaps because of that earlier daughter."

Five mu of land, eight adults, three children, harvested completely in one day, and it hasn't rained these past days.

The wheat ears were dry, needing no sun‑drying; they were simply threshed on the open ground. Over two thousand jin of wheat, processed in two days, went straight into the granary.

"I didn't let her embroider; I ordered it directly from Fucheng—a set cost Two Hundred Taels of Silver."

The three tenant families cultivated corn; good fields usually grow those, but on poorly yielding reclaimed wasteland they plant sweet potatoes, peanuts, and other root crops.

"There's no need for you to act; as a master craftsman, I will certainly shred him to pieces."

She merely pretended not to hear, a smirk at the corner of her mouth; that's the effect she wanted.

"Indeed, a true mother really knows how to be generous."

Ruxin's face flushed, "I follow Mom's arrangement; besides, it's not far—if I want to return, a carriage ride takes an hour."

"Not working today, I'm tired; I'll take the daughter out to play a bit and then go home."

If we harvest these five mu again, the granary will hold over fourteen thousand jin of wheat, enough for the whole family for a year.

"Yo, how old is the daughter?"

She mentioning that immediately woke Lu Sanniang.

"Only once in a lifetime; one must be willing to let go."

Even with many people it wasn't too tiring; on the third day, Qiao Mai hired a tenant from her own household, turned the five mu, and planted the corn seeds she supplied, just like them.

"Then we back out?"

The farm tools at home were all ready; Qiao Mai ordered a dozen or so sets in one go from the blacksmith shop.

May 27, Yuan Jiaqi and the children returned.

The world assumes the daughter was her adopted one; the Tian Family should no longer think of targeting Ling'er.

The necessary tasks were done, the explanations given; with nothing else, she carried Ling'er to the shop.

"Understood,"

"Just over one year and three months old."

"Later if he dares to wrong my daughter, I'll find someone to kill him."

Those sixty mu of land were all harvested by the tenants; each mu yielded three hundred jin of grain.

"Haha, you know, you can't have both fish and bear's paw; nothing can be perfect, and the son‑in‑law is no exception."

Since Qiao Mai began practicing the internal‑energy Mind Technique and the cultivation manual, her hearing became extremely sharp; she heard everything they said in her ears.

They didn't need to manage anything; they cleared four thousand jin, and the three tenant families were all very pleased.

"Being a master and treating a disciple well—who else would you treat well? If you were to marry off within a year at night, the master's embellishments would increase; your mother resents marriage, sending you out so early—if you ask me, you'd have to stay another year or two."

The next day, Qiao Mai had Yuehong and Yuexia carry a box; she took Ling'er to Xiu Zhuang, and in front of Lu the Shopkeeper and Ruyi handed Ruxin a thousand‑tael silver note, along with two Double‑sided Embroidery Palace Fans and a Double‑sided Embroidery screen as adornments.

Ling'er is still young; when she marries in the future, I, as her mother, will ensure the daughter leaves the house in splendor.

When autumn comes, we can harvest another round.

"I say, Qiao Niang, what do you do at home all day? We're all waiting for you to come here and cook delicious food."

"That's what they say, but I just feel uneasy; giving a small betrothal gift means they look down on my daughter."

The moment she heard that, Qiao Mai understood; this servant girl was very willing to accept the Feng Family boy.

"Fine, let's do it this way."

The rainy season arrived and she didn't want to trouble herself, so she'll plant this; after harvesting the corn, in winter she'll grow off‑season vegetables.

Today the weather was perfect; each mu yielded five hundred jin, the tenants got two hundred jin per mu, and the household also had four thousand jin of grain.

Seeing Old Man Wang, Qiao Mai felt a slight headache; this old man just can't take a few days off—he keeps coming back every time.

Not only taught her the craft, but also gave her such a valuable adornment.

"Sigh, we really made it hard on her."

But this time she came back, she didn't let them idle.

Because it was hot, at home they either ate cold noodles or fried‑sauce noodles, and fortunately each was served with six tasty cold dishes, and the gentleman didn't complain.

Everyone else had harvested their wheat, but her family's five mu of fields were still unharvested, waiting for them to return.

Then Youyou said, "Sister, you must remember to take the dowry list to the Yamen for filing."

"Indeed, our dowry is many times their Betrothal Gifts; my daughter is obedient, we must never let their family swindle the dowry away. Sis, you reminded me well; tomorrow I'll go to the Yamen."

The whole family, except the Kitchen Maid and Yuehong, the two Wang Jiaru's Servant Girls—one to cook, one to watch the children—everyone else all went to the fields, even Elder Wang, who wanted to experience what a farmer feels when harvesting wheat.

Ruxin was so moved she cried; in this world, besides mother, only the master has been good to her sisters.

"Eat well, dress well, and naturally it will be like this."

Rarely, the old gentleman gave them an extra two days off, so they stayed at home for five days.

"So beautiful, you're still young, yet you really know how to raise a child; this little one you raised looks so lively."

"Hehe, that's too serious."

He said, after working, a meal is a delight.

When he left, he gave Qiao Mai's shop another quick sweep, and he passed on a message from his granddaughter to Qiao Mai.

Miss Wang said she would come over again when the move is done; she is now busy handling the family business, because the Wang Family has received many prescriptions, and she's too swamped to free herself.

Seeing the completion date of the Xinjia drawing nearer, Qiao Mai and Yahang ordered several Plum Blossom Deer, several Horse Deer, and two dairy cows; the first kind she wants Deer Antler, the second she wants Musk. Since both are herbivores, she can grow their feed in her space, so she won't worry about their fodder.

(End of Chapter)