A Blessed Daughter - Chapter 307

A Blessed Daughter
Chapter 307 – Willing to make upfront investment (1)

Translator : Virichime
Editor : Chu
This translation made by Virichime.
Please read my translation only at Moonlight Teatime. 
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For the past few days, Chen Aqing had been following Xiumei. Aside from teaching her how to braise meat and some basic shopkeeping skills, Xiumei was also training her posture, demeanor, and self-confidence.

“She’s doing well. She learns quickly and works very diligently. Even when I tell her to rest, she stays behind to figure things out on her own. She seems very afraid that we won’t keep her, so she puts in extra effort,” Xiumei said.

As she spoke, Xiumei couldn’t help but sigh. “She’s had a tough life. Her parents favor sons over daughters. At home, she has to get up before dawn to cut pigweed, cook pig feed, do the laundry, make breakfast for the whole family, and take care of her younger siblings. She doesn’t get to rest until late at night.”

In comparison, Xiumei felt she was very fortunate. She had followed the young lady, who treated her well, taught her many skills to make a living, and allowed her to live a much more comfortable and happy life than most people.

Wei Ruo said, “Make sure she eats more and builds herself up. I need her to have strength for the work, she can’t be too weak to handle it.”

“Don’t worry, Miss. Her complexion has been visibly healthier these past few days. Besides the three meals a day, I let her take home the test batches we make while practicing braising, and I also give her a piece of fruit every day,” Xiumei replied.

Fruit was considered a luxury for poor families, especially now that winter had arrived and fruit was scarce. Most ordinary families couldn’t afford it.

“Good,” Wei Ruo nodded.

“Miss, you should also take care of yourself. You’ve been so busy lately. Don’t overwork yourself. I’ll go make some bird’s nest soup for you later, and you have to eat it all, okay?” Xiumei instructed.

-bird’s nest soup: a delicacy in Chinese cuisine made from the edible nests of swiftlets, a small bird native to Southeast Asia.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I still need to head to the farm later. Don’t bother with the bird’s nest soup.” Wei Ruo replied.

As soon as she finished speaking, she noticed Xiumei looking at her with a face full of grievance, so she quickly changed her tone. “Alright, simmer it then. I’ll have it when I get back later.”

“Okay!” Xiumei’s expression immediately brightened.

The two of them then went to the farm together. Manager Yu reported the past few days’ updates to Wei Ruo.

“Miss, in the past few days, we have purchased a total of 200 acres of land, taken in 37 refugees, and hired 19 local poor workers.”

As he spoke, Manager Yu handed over the account book and roster. They recorded in detail the price of every piece of land purchased, along with the related transaction information.

After carefully reviewing and confirming there were no issues, Wei Ruo asked Manager Yu, “Have you planted the wheat seeds I gave you earlier?”

The wheat seeds were produced in Wei Ruo’s space. To wait for them to mature, they were planted later than the batch in Xingshan County.

Manager Yu replied, “They’ve all been planted. The weather has been good these past few days, with plenty of sunlight and higher temperatures compared to when the cold wave hit. They’ve all sprouted.”

“The newly acquired land is relatively barren, isn’t it?” Wei Ruo asked.

Madam Yuan had previously discussed the issue of infertile land in Taizhou Prefecture with her.

“That’s correct. It’s cultivable, but the land is quite barren, and the yield has always been low,” Manager Yu replied.

“In that case, there’s no rush to plant anything. Take me to see those fields,” Wei Ruo said.

“Understood.”

Following Manager Yu to the fields for an on-site inspection, Wei Ruo found that the condition of these plots was similar. Some of the soil was compacted, indicating a lack of organic matter.

Wei Ruo asked Manager Yu, “Do the local people typically collect and take away rice straw and stalks after harvesting?”

-Rice straw and stalks are the leftover parts of the rice plant after the grains are harvested.

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