Transmigrated Little Farm Girl Bringing Great Fortune

Chapter 312 Working together

Wake up early in the morning.

Jiang Miaomiao habitually threw off the covers and sat up.

She spaced out for a while longer, waiting for Xi'er to bring her a toothbrush, tooth powder, and a towel.

I shivered as soon as I sat up.

Wow! It's so cold.

I suddenly realized that it was already winter, and I was spending the winter in the capital.

It's much colder than Jiangzhou.

She shivered, and the hairs on her body stood on end.

When Lu Qingyao entered the room, she saw her little girl, wrapped in a blanket, sitting on the bed, yawning and still a bit drowsy. "Is Miaomiao awake? If she is, get up."

The little one was wrapped up tightly, with only a rosy little face and a head of messy, bird's nest-like hair showing.

Lu Qingyao took the still-steaming handkerchief from Xi'er's hand, covered her daughter's face, and wiped it.

After having her face wiped, Miao Miao instantly woke up and mumbled, "Mother, be gentle."

She brushed aside the bangs that were stuck together on her forehead before slid off the bed.

"Mother, has Grandmother gotten up yet?"

"You got up early. Your grandmother asked everyone to have breakfast with her this morning, so don't be late." Usually, after breakfast, they would chat, and her mother must have something to say to everyone today.

Lu Qingyao quickened her pace and took out the newly made little jacket for her daughter to wear.

It fits well and looks good.

Today, not only did our daughter get new clothes, but everyone in the mansion got some, even the servants, all sent from our own cloth shop.

Jiang Miaomiao quite liked her new jacket; she liked the color, the style, and even the pattern on the clothes.

A pale yellow embroidered jacket with white fringed edges on the cuffs, hem, and skirt.

After all, it was made according to my own requirements, and it suits my taste perfectly.

This means we can finally have freedom of dress as we please.

She sat obediently in front of the bronze mirror, letting her mother comb her hair, stroking her hair in her hand, her gaze falling on the fluffy hat beside her.

"Mother, I want to wear the hat that my aunt sewed for me."

"Okay, then Mommy will braid your hair into a little braid." After putting on the hat, her pink and tender little face peeked out from under her hair, with a few little braids sticking up below her ears.

So incredibly cute.

After Jiang Miaomiao was dressed and made up by her mother and Xi'er, she went to her maternal grandmother's courtyard.

In fact, she went to her maternal grandmother's courtyard every day.

Mother said that she doesn't need to study these few days because her maternal grandmother is back, and she should spend more time with her maternal grandmother.

So I took several days off.

Although I no longer study, I still practice calligraphy every day.

Miaomiao was very self-aware.

In the morning, I spent time with my maternal grandmother and great-aunt, and in the afternoon, I went to the princess's residence to practice calligraphy.

Because she practiced calligraphy at home, her second brother would get angry with her whenever he saw her handwriting, which looked like chicken claws.

My mother would always come over for a quick look and then quietly walk away.

She probably found her second brother's words a bit harsh, after all, even she, as his mother, had handwriting that looked like chicken claws.

Every morning, she would have breakfast with her maternal grandmother and aunt.

Grandma also said that with Miaomiao keeping them company, the two elderly people ate a few more bites of food.

Miao Miao's persona in front of her maternal grandmother is that of a well-behaved child, so naturally she can't say a word against it.

For the sake of the two elderly ladies' health, she had no choice but to get up early to eat and chat with them.

The old lady slept little and got up early. My maternal grandmother also had the habit of practicing tai chi in the morning. No wonder she was still in good health after being exiled for a while.

But the maternal grandmother also had a loud voice. After finishing her boxing match, if her granddaughter still hadn't come, she would come to find her herself.

As soon as I entered the yard, I started shouting: "Miaomiao... wake up, the sun's already high in the sky..."

Jiang Miaomiao: ……

Uh! !

In less than fifteen minutes, the whole family knew that Jiang Miaomiao was staying in bed and sleeping in.

Although she is still a child, she is very concerned about her image.

After having breakfast with my maternal grandmother and great-aunt, I would chat with them and then go to the backyard to feed the chickens, ducks, and sheep.

My maternal grandmother was very talkative, easygoing, and a very cheerful old lady.

I guess my mother will end up like her when she gets old.

Auntie listened quietly to her grandmother, nodding occasionally in agreement, and smiling at her old friends.

When they encounter potholes in the road, they will help each other out.

They also share any good food they find.

They don't give off the feeling of being sisters-in-law, but more like sisters.

Jiang Miaomiao watched her grandmother eat breakfast. She noticed that her grandmother had probably burned a lot of energy after exercising, so she ate a lot.

It doesn't really matter whether she's with you or not.

She felt like she had been tricked by her mother.

Jiang Miaomiao's favorite thing to do every day is to collect chicken and goose eggs, regardless of age, even in her previous life in modern times, she still enjoys it.

They picked up the white ones one by one and put them into the basket.

It feels just like treasure hunting.

In her past life, she filmed mostly rural scenery and food, and her daily life was spent with chickens, ducks, and geese.

Perhaps it's a habit left over from her past life, but now, when she has nothing to do, she likes to fuss with small animals.

As for her old profession, she just gives advice to Aunt Xiuxiu, only talking and not doing anything, since she's not even as tall as the stove now.

Miao Miao discovered that the two old ladies were still quite energetic and took over their vegetable garden directly.

There's not much work to be done in the vegetable garden during winter; the main tasks are done in the cellar.

As soon as my mother arrived, she expanded the cellar and buried leek roots inside. Now, leek sprouts and leek shoots have already begun to emerge.

Two elderly women were happily harvesting leeks.

Looking at the tender leek sprouts in the cave dwelling in the backyard, Jiang Miaomiao couldn't help but admire the wisdom of the ancients.

I also understood why my mother preferred to live in a large house with a courtyard on the outskirts of the city rather than a small house in the city center.

There's just so much room for maneuver here.

Animals such as chickens, ducks, geese, and sheep are raised, and their manure can be used to grow leek sprouts.

My aunt said that although chives are a common vegetable in summer, they become precious in winter, especially yellow chives, which can cost dozens of times more than in summer.

My maternal grandmother said that leek sprouts were one of the imperial dishes bestowed upon the court.

Because her mother really understood business opportunities and had the help of favorable timing and location, she dug many cellars on the grasslands outside Beijing to grow leek sprouts to supply Yipinju.

With so many sheep and chickens raised, their manure comes in very handy.

In addition, the canal was frozen in winter, making it impossible for cargo ships to reach the capital. It was usually unfrozen around the Qingming Festival.

At times like these, fresh vegetables like leek sprouts become especially precious.

This was also the peak season for Yipinju Restaurant in Beijing.

It can be said that Yipinju is a unique establishment among restaurants in Beijing.

Unlike other restaurants, this restaurant features unique ingredients, including a continuous supply of mutton, bamboo shoots, and dried mountain delicacies. Now, they've added a dish of leek sprouts.

Jiang Miaomiao believes that these things are all about timing and scarcity.

Especially the bamboo shoots. They were alright in Jiangzhou, but the price has increased several times over in the capital.

Moreover, the bamboo shoots that were transported over were not the freshest ones with their shells intact, since they couldn't be preserved anyway.

They are all processed and sealed in earthenware jars or dried bamboo shoots.

Even so, it still increased transportation costs significantly, so it's normal for it to be expensive.

Jiang Miaomiao actually helped come up with various ways to preserve the food, and even had her second brother read many related books.

There was ultimately no other way.

After all, modern times have air transport, but ancient times did not.

Fortunately, there were ice cellars, and many things were transported and stored before the canal froze, which was enough to get through the winter.

Jiang Miaomiao discovered that the reason why there are such large price differences in many things is that the high prices are due to the transportation and storage costs.

Especially the ice cellar, which must be kept running all year round.

Although there is a lot of ice in winter, it doesn't stop the large amount of food that needs to be preserved. After all, it needs to survive the winter and wait for shipping to resume in the spring so that new ingredients can be replenished.

So, in fact, Mother has been very busy ever since she came to the capital.

Busy preparing ingredients.

All the ingredients for the entire winter must be prepared before shipping stops.

Large quantities of bamboo shoot products and live sheep had to be brought in before winter, especially the live sheep, which had to be transported to Beijing in advance. Although they were all lambs waiting to be slaughtered, they still had to be transported to the grasslands on the outskirts of Beijing to adapt to the climate.

The grasslands on the outskirts of Beijing are not large, and there's nothing that can be done about it.

Under the emperor's nose, every inch of land is incredibly valuable.

After arriving in the capital, Jiang Miaomiao often heard her mother say a few words.

You only realize how little money you have when you need it!

I reckon that my maternal grandmother called the whole family over today because she wanted to share my mother's burdens.

Breakfast is eaten quietly.

Although my maternal grandmother didn't have the rule of not speaking while eating or sleeping, no one dared to say a word.

My maternal grandmother could be quite fierce when she scolded people.

The youngest in the family, Miaomiao, is also very good at reading the room and obediently munches on her steamed bun.

There wasn't even a smacking sound anymore.

Grandma Lu glanced at everyone in the room before speaking, "The reason I called you all here today is that Yao Yao has prepared several sets of winter clothes for each of you. You can pick them up from the head nanny later."

The younger generation all agreed and then thanked their mother.

Miao Miao saw that everyone had happy faces, even her usually picky second aunt and cousin Yun were much more amiable.

This change began the day she went to the princess's residence.

After Miss Zhizhi returned, she boasted to Lu Zhiyun that the princess was as beautiful as a fairy and that the princess had made lots and lots of delicious food for them.

When he left, he also gave her and Miaomiao each a pair of small gold bracelets.

Lu Zhiyun initially didn't believe it, finding it too incredible.

But the maids all said that it was the nanny from the princess's residence who brought the two children back.

Madam Lu continued, “You’ve all been back in the capital for some time now. You’re all perfectly healthy, yet you do nothing. You’ve all gained a lot of weight in just a few days. Don’t think that just because you have maids to serve you, you’re back to how things were before. Don’t treat yourselves like young ladies and mistresses. I think you’ve all recovered quite well. It’s time to find some work to do. I can’t let Yao Yao support you all forever.”

“Mother is absolutely right. Your daughter-in-law is also feeling restless with boredom and is thinking about what she can do for her third sister.” Madam Lan nodded repeatedly.

“Grandson has the same idea.” Lu Mingxi stepped forward. “Grandmother, I don’t want to take the imperial examination anymore. I want to learn how to do business with my aunt.”

He had already told his aunt, and she meant that he should decide for himself.

So he solemnly told his whole family the same thing again today.

Old Madam Lu looked at her daughter, "What does Yao Yao think?"

“Mother, I found a pottery jar in the old Lu family house. Inside were some silver jewelry and silver notes. It was worth about a thousand taels of silver. I took it upon myself to add another two thousand taels and invested it in the cloth shop that I co-own with the Sun family in your name. We can collect some interest at the end of the year.”

Earthenware jar?

Several people looked at each other.

Only the men in the family would do something like this; it's probably a secret stash of money.

Apart from the Lin family, almost everyone guessed who hid it, but they all remained silent.

Lin was afraid that her husband would give money to other women outside and then inexplicably bring some women back home.

He kept all the money in his own hands.

Lu Bingwen, the second son of the Lu family, was not that kind of person either.

But thinking that perhaps it was because he was away from home for many years and his wife only had one daughter, which made her feel insecure, he let her have her way.

Everyone knew perfectly well that the money was mostly given to her son by Old Mrs. Lu.

At this point, it doesn't matter who hid it; it's all been confiscated anyway.

Grandma Lu nodded. That's good, since the Lu family can't recover anytime soon.

The younger generation can't just sit idly by; they have to earn some business for themselves eventually.

Zhizhi and Mingxi are both alright, but Zhiyun is the most troublesome.

I'm getting old.

In the place of exile, where there is no hope, there is no despair.

Now that they're back, the mother and daughter are extremely anxious.

She even came up with the terrible idea of ​​becoming a concubine of the Duke of Shen, and then the wife of the Duke of Cheng.

Although she was her own granddaughter, she had to be honest with herself and knew that Zhiyun was not qualified to enter the Duke's mansion.

She had suffered a great setback because of the broken engagement, and then went to the place of exile with them. They all felt sorry for her and were afraid that she would do something foolish, so they indulged her. In the end, they let her become ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth.

It was her fault, too.

If a marriage is arranged, a dowry will need to be prepared, which will be another large expense.

We might have to use Yao Yao's money again.

It hurts to think about it.

She held her daughter's hand tightly. "Yaoyao, just as you said, all these debts will be recorded, one by one. When your father and brother come back, they will make them pay you back with interest. A family can only prosper if they work together. You will be in charge of all the family members. If anyone dares to complain, I'll beat them up."

“Mother, what are you saying? I am also a daughter of the Lu family. It is important to do my part to take good care of my sister-in-law and the children so that my father and brothers can have no worries.”

After Lu Qingyao finished speaking, she added, "As for Mingxi and Zhizhi, this is how I've arranged it: Mingxi will follow me into business and manage the cloth shop. If she becomes capable of handling things independently in the future, she will be in charge of the cloth shop's business."

“Okay, I’ll listen to Auntie.” Lu Mingxi raised both hands in agreement; he had been eager to become self-reliant for a long time.

He was the only male member of the Lu family in the capital, and he had the obligation to support the Lu family.

There's no reason to let Auntie support the Lu family alone.

When little Zhizhi heard her aunt call her name, she ran over and stood in front of her, asking, "Auntie, what can I do?"

"You should study with Miaomiao. When you have free time, you can keep Grandma and Auntie company." Lu Qingyao smiled and patted her head.

The young ladies of the capital at this age had already read many books and begun to learn etiquette and manners.

But my niece fell behind in her studies while in exile.

It needs to be replenished.

Madam Lan had no objections; her son's intentions were exactly what she wanted.

Her daughter is quite happy that her sister-in-law has arranged for someone to tutor her.

She couldn't even feel at ease living with her sister-in-law who was eating and staying for free. She looked at Lu Qingyao and said, "Third sister, do you see what I can do to help you? Just arrange it."

Lu Qingyao had already considered this in her mind, so she said directly, "Sister-in-law, why don't you help me manage the affairs of the manor?"

The eldest sister-in-law, Lan, was the daughter of one of her father's subordinates. She had been betrothed to her eldest brother since childhood.

She was practically raised by the Lan family to be the matriarch.

Despite being born into a family of military generals, she is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and when she stands out, she is a dignified and proper lady from a prominent family.

Not to mention managing the household affairs, Lu Qingyao felt very reassured entrusting the household's management to her.

Madam Lan was surprised that her sister-in-law trusted her so much.

Without hesitation, she accepted the offer, saying, "Third sister, don't worry, I will manage the household perfectly so you won't have any worries."

This is my way of doing my part to lighten my sister-in-law's burden.

Upon hearing this, Madam Lin could no longer sit still. Her sister-in-law was clearly favoring the eldest son's family.

All the good jobs have been taken by my sister-in-law's family.

In the past, the eldest sister-in-law was the head of the Lu family, and now she is still in charge of managing the household affairs.

This family doesn't treat her like one of their own.

She looked at Lu Qingyao expectantly, a hint of dissatisfaction in her eyes, "Third sister, what about me and Yun'er?"

……