The Lucky Farmgirl

"The rent for housing is not low either; monthly rent ranges from two thousand to eight thousand coins, depending on the house’s location and size," he said, "I don’t mean to boast, but there aren’t many scholars who can afford to rent a courtyard in Changqing Alley. Moreover, education doesn’t happen overnight; it might require two, three, or even seven or eight years. Just calculate how much the rent itself costs."

Bai Erlang said, "So living in the capital city is truly challenging."

Bai Shan nodded, "Indeed, many students who come to study, as well as scholars who travel each year to take exams in the capital, crowd into small inns and guesthouses in the outer city, with five or six people sharing a room. Even in such dormitories, it costs at least six hundred coins per month. It’s truly not worth it compared to renting an independent house with a courtyard in the Yongzhou area."

Wei Yu was shocked, asking, "How do you know this so well?"

Bai Shan said wistfully, "Because when we first came to the capital, we also thought the courtyard in Changqing Alley was too expensive." So we considered moving out and secretly inquired around, but ultimately settled in Changqing Alley. Later, because of classmates from the Imperial Academy, we naturally paid attention to the housing rental matters in the capital.

Not to mention Zhou SiLang and Zhou Wulang, who rented houses for returning trade caravans every year. Occasionally, they also helped students and merchants coming from Mianzhou with their housing needs. Over time, we became quite knowledgeable.

If the road here is opened, it may take only about an hour to reach the academy in Wannian County. Surely many students will choose to live here; even if it takes two hours each day for a round trip, they would be willing for a more comfortable living environment.

And the basis of trade is people. As more people frequent this road, it will come to life, and the fiefdoms radiated by this road will naturally be more vibrant.

Bai Shanxin planned in his mind, continuing to persuade Princess Mingda, "It doesn’t need to be too well built, just use bricks and stones, make the rooms brighter, set up a table and chairs in the courtyard, and plant two fruit trees."

The main thing is that it needs to be big enough; scholars who’ve lived in cramped houses will undoubtedly appreciate it. Lowering the price will only increase demand, Bai Shan is quite confident about this.

Mingda couldn’t help but look at Bai Erlang.

Bai Erlang also nodded.

Mingda smiled, "Alright, let’s have a few courtyards built later."

Manbao saw she agreed and then turned to speak to the elderly man beside her, "You haven’t planted the rice seeds yet, have you?"

The elderly man nodded blankly, and Manbao smiled, "Then you should be leveling the land now, one man from each household should be able to serve."

The elderly man, "...my lord, the village head, we served before the new year."

He reluctantly said, "We have dug a canal."

That was when Zhou Lijun went to seek labor service orders from the Liyang County magistrate. A canal was there, which had not been used for many years; each spring and summer, it was just a shallow layer of water. Back when this area wasn’t Zhou Man’s food fiefdom, they were often called for labor to maintain official roads and some large hydraulic projects, but small village water projects couldn’t find time to be repaired. Ultimately, there were too few people.

Manbao said, "There is only one labor service per year; don’t worry, you won’t be called for service again in winter."

The elderly man hesitated.

Manbao said, "I know you worry about farming seasons, just rest assured. Before the seedlings grow, even if the road isn’t finished, it won’t delay your farming. Farming is paramount."

Upon hearing this, the elderly man immediately gave a thumbs up, "My lord, the village head is most righteous." Mainly because she understands the situation.

Farmers fear officials who don’t understand the business the most.

Manbao then stood up, turned to Bai Shan, and said, "The labor service requires orders from the county magistrate; it’s a good chance to talk to him."

Bai Shan nodded, bowing his head to speak kindly to the elderly man, "Old sir, please help explain to the villagers. If this road is completed, in the future, you can send vegetables, poultry, and eggs to Yongzhou New City, where the prices are higher than in the market."

The elderly man repeatedly agreed.

The group walked around Zhou Man’s fief and took a look at the Zhou Family’s workshop.

The Zhou Family’s workshop was more than two hundred meters from the village, in a separate courtyard. At the moment, smoke curled up, and a faint medicinal scent wafted out.

Everyone knew this workshop belonged to the village head’s family, so even the loafers wandering in the village dared not provoke.

This was the most satisfying work Zhou Lijun had done since she started handling affairs.

In the past, whether she rented a courtyard outside the city to make medicine or took medicinal creams and ointments to sell to various ladies, she had to manage relations with her neighbors.

And she always tried to maintain good relationships with them.

But here, as long as her little aunt agreed, she had the greatest usage rights, within the confines of the law, since there was still a county magistrate above. She would never do anything illegal.

Here, she didn’t have to worry about managing relationships, nor did she have to deal with loafers with an insincere smile, nor bow to neighbors who envied her.

She chose the workshop’s location at the downwind direction, with the nearest household over two hundred meters away, ensuring both privacy and minimal disturbance.

When Manbao and the group arrived, Zhou Lijun was covering her mouth and nose with a cloth while inspecting the workshop’s progress. Upon hearing her little aunt had brought a large group, she immediately came out to greet them.

"Why are you here?" Manbao asked when she saw her, "Didn’t I say you are pregnant and shouldn’t come here frequently?"

Zhou Lijun smiled, "They said there was an issue with the herbs delivered today, so I came to check. Some of them were damp, so I came to return them."

Manbao wanted to take Mingda and Changyu to see the show but didn’t want Zhou Lijun to enter and inhale the medicinal fumes. Though these herbs didn’t pose a significant threat to a pregnant woman, they indeed contained blood-activating medicines. Even if she only smelled them, caution should be exercised.

So she asked Zhou Lijun to stay outside.

Bai Shan and the others were not interested in how to make creams, so they stayed outside the workshop to chat.

Manbao took Mingda and Changyu inside to watch, seeing herbs being boiled in large pots, and in another room, mutton fat was being melted, which was then divided into small basins at batch intervals. Before it solidified, it was taken to another room for dosage blending.

Finally, they ended up with a large pot of ointment, emitting a faint fragrance.

Manbao showed them, "I reduced the proportion of mutton fat, so the ointment comes out lighter. I find it better than heavy oils, but my older sister-in-law thinks the previous ones were better, so Lijun decided to have them packaged in two different porcelain jars. The price is the same, but the ratio is different. Heavier creams are recommended for older ages, while lighter ones are for the younger. Do you want to try some?"

Mingda and Changyu nodded repeatedly.

Manbao said, "Earlier Lijun wanted to make pills for sale, but she’s pregnant now, so this matter must be postponed. However, the family bought a lot of herbs, when I have time, I’ll make some for you. They’re commonly used pills like digestive pills and energy supplementing pills."

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