Chapter 447: Cha Yuan Breaks Ground

Lv Jing said composedly, "Not at all, I'm still following the boss and have a lot to learn."

"In the future, if there's a chance, I'll still need to ask Manager Liao for advice."

Shopkeeper Liao nodded, sighing, "Ah, I always said Boss Gu knows how to pick people!"

"Such an eye for talent, I'm really envious!"

"If I ever hire people in the future, I'd love to ask Boss Gu to help me judge them, hahaha……"

Gu Xixi caught a glimpse in her peripheral vision of Shopkeeper Liao's assistant and accountant's faces slightly changing, and she felt amused inside.

"Manager Liao really knows how to joke."

"If you keep praising me like this, I might get carried away."

The two exchanged glances and both burst into loud laughter.

After selling that batch of grain, there were still no leisurely days.

The fields in the village, the manor, and outside the county seat—three locations—were about to begin preparations for the next season's planting.

The hired workers needed to do clearing, plowing, spreading base fertilizer, irrigation, etc.

Gu Xixi, meanwhile, had to personally prepare the seeds.

Screening, sun-drying, soaking in medicine.

Fortunately, this season they were planting millet with a small amount of intercropped winter storage vegetables; the hired workers had been doing this for two years and were all experienced hands.

Gu Xixi only needed to mention the key points, and everyone knew what to do.

Three days later, the Cha Yuan side also began breaking ground.

Because it was a slope left fallow for many years, just tidying the land would consume a lot of time and manpower.

These tasks didn't require special farming skills; anyone strong enough to do farm work could handle them.

So, after Jiang Mingyuan and Gu Xixi discussed it in advance, they decided to have the Government Office recruit a batch of local laborers.

The wages were ten percent higher than the daily pay of dock laborers.

Additionally, they hired a few women to cook, who would prepare big pots of rice on-site at the Cha Yuan location.

Four meals a day, with plenty of oil and water, eating heartily, all to ensure everyone could work at full strength.

High wages, good food, and the Government Office's reputation as a guarantee.

As soon as these conditions were announced, the next day the Cha Yuan hiring office had a long line.

Once everything was ready and work formally began, Jiang Mingyuan then sent a message letting Gu Xixi come over when she had time.

At that moment, just past noon, Gu Xixi and Lv Jing returned from the orchard.

After the start of midsummer, the weather grew hotter and hotter.

Zhang Shen made rolled pancakes with a vegetarian cold platter, and another plate of cold-mixed sliced pork.

Considering that midsummer often kills the appetite, these were all sour-spicy cold dishes.

But Gu Xixi was tired and hot, couldn't eat for the moment, so she held a bowl of fresh apricot iced tea and sipped it slowly.

Lv Jing took a bite of the rolled pancake and asked, "Officer Jiang said the Cha Yuan has started construction; when do you plan to go see?"

"Tomorrow," Gu Xixi said without looking up.

Shitou excitedly raised his hand, "I want to go too! Tomorrow just happens to be a day off from school!"

Zhang Shen came over holding a bowl of her homemade pepper-leaf sauce and lightly tapped Shitou on the back of the head.

"What go!"

"Let me say, you're not allowed to go! In this great heat, can't you rest at home?"

"Other people's families have finished harvesting wheat; at least they can eat, sleep, and catch their breath."

"As for your older sister Xixi, she's been nonstop since coming back from the border, spinning like a top here and there,"

"Always like this, even an iron-clad person couldn't stand it!"

Gu Xixi knew Zhang Shen was worried about her, and she laughed, "I won't go out this afternoon; I'll rest at home."

"Going to Cha Yuan tomorrow morning is just to look around; I won't have to do any work myself, so it won't be tiring."

Zhang Shen sat down, slipped a few slices of meat into Gu Xixi's plate, and personally rolled a pancake for her.

"How could I not know you? In hot weather it's already easy to lose appetite, and then with extra labor it's even worse."

"Just look— in only a few days, you've gotten thin all around!"

"Complaints aside, it's mostly concern."

Zhang Shen handed the rolled pancake to Gu Xixi, coaxing, "Be good, at least take two bites."

"I've soaked the beans; this afternoon I'll grind soy milk and make you some tofu pudding."

Gu Xixi didn't want Zhang Shen to worry, so she took a big bite, beamed, and said, "Mm! Delicious!"

In the past, when Gu Xixi couldn't eat rice, Zhang Shen would prepare a separate small stove for her.

For example, tender tofu pudding, after cooling, drizzled with honey and white sugar mixed in a specific ratio and boiled into a syrup.

Finally, a spoonful of rose sauce is added for fragrance.

Even when Gu Xixi had no appetite, she could still eat two bowls in one go.

Shitou glanced this way and that, grinned, and said the essence:

"Grandma Zhang always treats older sister Xixi like a little child."

"So what?" Zhang Shen straightened her face, then laughed. "Even if your older sister Xixi is seventy or eighty someday, in front of me she's still a little kid."

Zhang Shen said this, then also gave Lv Jing and Shitou some meat, "You two are the same."

"You're all growing; you need to eat more!"

Lv Jing felt warm inside. "Auntie also eats meat; don't just give it to us while you yourself are reluctant."

When she first arrived, she had even envied Gu Xixi for having so many family members around.

But now she has already blended into this family.

Gu Xixi, Lv Jing, and Shitou exchanged a glance; everyone sprang into action and in an instant filled Zhang Shen's small bowl to the brim.

Zhang Shen chuckled, "I'm just worried the cook will go hungry!"

Though she said that, one could see she was quite pleased.

The whole family continued eating.

Seeing Gu Xixi gradually able to eat with appetite, Zhang Shen relaxed a bit and asked, "Are you still planning to go to the tea plantation tomorrow?"

"I just heard from Jingjing that the Jiang county magistrate didn't insist you go; he said to go when you have time."

Gu Xixi said, "Better go anyway; the tea plantation is originally a joint venture between me and the government office."

"I'm a farmer, while they are officials."

"The government office has already handled many things for me; I shouldn't be overbearing, should I?"

Zhang Shen, being reasonable, sighed and nodded, "Indeed."

"We have ties with the Jiang county magistrate, but the more so, the more we must act cautiously."

"After all, the government office isn't just the Jiang county magistrate alone; there are many eyes and many mouths."

Seeing Zhang Shen's agreement, Gu Xixi winked at Shitou.

"You didn't say that Mr. Song taught you to read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles?"

"With this opportunity, you should go out and broaden your horizons."

Shitou widened his eyes in surprise, seeing Gu Xixi give another glance.

Clever Shitou at once turned to Zhang Shen, pleadingly, "Grandma..."

"Go on, go on!" Zhang Shen waved her hand.

"I can't manage the big ones, so I might as well let the little ones go!"

Shitou cheered and jumped up from the stool.

"Great! I knew Grandma loved me most; she'd surely agree!"

After Gu Xixi laughed, she recalled the prescription she had been stuck on last night, and asked:

"Did Master say where he's going to see patients?"

Now Zhang Shen knows Old Doctor's whereabouts like the back of her hand, even better than Gu Xixi, his disciple.

Zhang Shen said, "In Qing Tian County there's a wealthy family with surname Wang; their daughter-in-law hasn't conceived after three years of marriage."

"I heard it's not an urgent illness; I didn't want to make an old man like him run to the city under the scorching sun."

"But Old Jiangtou said this kind of consultation is easiest and pays the most, so we have to take it."

"Fortunately that family is decent; they sent a carriage early in the morning to pick up Old Jiangtou."

"He could also take the opportunity to see the other few patients in town."

Zhang Shen guessed Gu Xixi had something to do, and said, "He said he'll definitely be back tonight."

Gu Xixi returned to her room and still pulled out from under the bed the black wooden box for money left by Gu Pipa.

She opened the lock and saw inside full of banknotes, silver ingots, and copper coins.