mesbooks Chapter 159 Everyday Matters
Chapter 159 Everyday Matters
Ji Chunhua replied without hesitation: "The vegetables in the back garden are almost ripe and ready to be harvested. After this harvest, we'll use them all to plant Dendrobium officinale. As for Eriocaulon rubrum, it can only be planted in the field outside next year."
Then it can't go through the tenants. Yu Man and his son will have to work hard and take care of it themselves!
Yu Wanran looked around at everyone present, recognizing them as trustworthy family members. She nodded and asked Yu Wenrong to bring out paper and pen so she could write down the method for cultivating Dendrobium officinale.
"Dendrobium officinale is not suitable for planting in ordinary soil. It is usually planted in place of bark, sawdust, and moss. Mother, after we leave, please ask the tenants to help you prepare half an acre of land in the backyard these next few days!"
There aren't many Dendrobium officinale plants growing under the cliff; they can only be cultivated slowly. More seeds will be available several years later. Therefore, in the short term, the red velvet grass can still be planted on the estate to maintain secrecy.
After writing down the prescription, Yu Wanran showed it to her elder brother and younger brother. Only after confirming that they could understand it and recite it fluently did she burn the prescription.
This matter concerns the rise and fall of the Yu family for many years to come, and the fewer people who know about it, the better. Even if the two brothers divide the family property in the future, as long as the method of cultivating Dendrobium officinale remains unknown to outsiders, they will not suffer poverty.
After spending the night at the manor, Yu Wanran hitched up a horse-drawn carriage and took the two Yu brothers to Qingping Village.
Yu Man lives alone and misses her family very much. She was overjoyed to see her children arrive at the same time.
The first thing he did was take the three of them to see the bright red velvet grass sprouting. After returning, Yu Wenbin showed his father the contract he had specially brought.
Yu Man held the contract in both hands, and even though he didn't recognize a single word, he had Yu Wenrong read it to him again and again. Only after his excitement had subsided did he let Yu Wenbin carefully put it away.
The contract with Wei Yucai was signed by his eldest son. From then on, the eldest son would have to support himself in transporting red velvet grass back and forth to Beijing every year, and he couldn't keep troubling his daughter.
Fortunately, Yu Wenbin has made three long trips and seems much more capable. He's no longer the quiet, unresponsive person he used to be; he should be able to handle this important responsibility.
Everyone chatted around the dinner table, full of anticipation, and decided to prepare their tools that night and set off early the next morning to dig for Dendrobium officinale. Yu Wanran, skilled and daring, had come back specifically to handle this matter for her family.
Otherwise, she wouldn't feel at ease if any of the three men went off the cliff.
The next day, Yu Man got up early to prepare a hearty meal for everyone, and each person also brought two large fried pancakes as dry rations. They changed into old clothes, carried large baskets on their backs, and set off.
They lived in a remote location and got up early, so they didn't encounter any villagers.
Upon reaching the cliff where the Dendrobium officinale grew, they put down their baskets, securing the ropes firmly to the trees as before, which the father and his two sons clung to tightly. Yu Wanran then tied the other end of the rope to herself, preparing to descend the cliff.
It's nearly May now, spring is in full bloom. This is the season for Dendrobium officinale to produce seeds, and although they are not fully mature, they can still be harvested.
Yu Wanran carefully collected the seeds and used a sickle or hoe to dig out the Dendrobium officinale little by little, avoiding damaging its roots. This type of plant can be temporarily planted in a small container with a mixture of bark, moss, and sawdust, and watered as needed, making it easy to transplant later.
The symbiotic fungi that live with the roots of Dendrobium officinale should also be collected. These fungi play a vital role in the growth of Dendrobium officinale, complementing each other.
Fortunately, the weather warmed up. Although it was more troublesome than the previous collection, Yu Wanran completed the work smoothly. Dozens of culture dishes were neatly placed into four large baskets, covered with a thin layer of grass, and carried home by them.
Fearing that storing this extremely important medicinal herb for too long would delay the transplantation, Yu Wanran decided to rush back to Huangshan County overnight.
Yu Man, busy preparing provisions for his children, called his two sons to the kitchen. While cooking, he gave them earnest instructions, urging them to strictly follow the recipe given by Yu Wanran.
He was too busy with the red velvet grass to leave, so the Dendrobium officinale had to be cared for by his two brothers. Fearing failure on the first attempt, Yu Wanran intentionally left a few Dendrobium officinale plants unharvested.
After spending less than two or three days in Qingping Village, the Yu siblings loaded a cart full of Dendrobium officinale and rushed back to their manor in Mingshui Village, working day and night.
Ji Chunhua had already tidied up the backyard. The whole family worked together to transplant a truckload of Dendrobium officinale plants into the ground. Except for a few damaged along the way, most of them survived.
The rest was up to her family, so Yu Wanran boarded the carriage and went home. After resting at home for a few days, she took Zhong Yeliu and headed to Decheng.
Time flies, and more than two months have passed. The Lin family should have almost finished setting up Chengya Inkstone Shop by now, right? With Yanqing and Wangyou helping out over there, Yu Wanran is actually quite confident in the industrial development of Decheng.
On the road, Shunzi drove while Yu Wanran and Zhong Yeliu chatted and enjoyed the scenery in the car. They traveled day and night, and Zhong Yeliu adapted well, which put Yu Wanran at ease.
To manage the family business, Zhong Yeliu needed to be able to handle things independently; someone unaccustomed to the hardships of travel couldn't do it.
Thinking of those who stayed at home, Yu Wanran casually inquired about the newcomers. Zhong Yeliu answered fairly and truthfully.
“Master, Pinglu and the other two were all sold by their families when they were young. They have no affection for their families and have forgotten them. Pinglu is hardworking and good at enduring hardship, Yulan is intelligent but has a slightly irritable temper, and Xiuer is meticulous but timid.”
Yu Wanran understood that Zhong Yeliu was telling her that the three of them could be trusted. Pinglu was worth nurturing, while Yulan and Xiuer needed to change their personalities.
She nodded.
"From now on, when you and Qiu Cui go out, take Ping Lu with you. Yu Lan and Xiu Er will stay in the inner quarters and follow Mei Xue for now."
Mei Xue was among the first batch of servants bought. Qiu Cui stood out, so Mei Xue should have been promoted as well. However, Mei Xue was illiterate and content with her lot, preferring to stay in the small kitchen and hone her culinary skills.
Yu Wanran let things take their natural course, without forcing anyone to put on airs. Now, having Yulan and Xiuer learn Meixue's way of dealing with people would also be beneficial. Meixue could be more relaxed.
Zhong Yeliu nodded in agreement and then recounted Wu Guidi's behavior during her first few days there.
“My lady, Granny Wu said that the best time to learn embroidery is between 9 am and 3 pm. She has seen the hands of Qiu Cui and the others and said that Mei Xue’s hands are too rough and not suitable for learning embroidery. The others are fine.”
"Qiu Cui has indicated that she is unwilling to learn, and Yu Lan has a quick temper. I'm afraid only Xiao Juan, Ping Lu, and Xiu Er are suitable."
Yu Wanran understood why she had specifically mentioned them. If the three of them were to learn embroidery, they couldn't be assigned to the kitchen. Otherwise, their hands would become rough and they wouldn't be able to handle soft, precious fabrics anymore.
She hesitated before saying, "Granny Wu can teach embroidery, mainly to teach Xiao Xiang. If others are willing to learn, we'll give them a chance. However, they will be responsible for the tailoring and embroidery of our family's clothes from now on."
She's raising servants, not daughters. What's the point of training them skills if they don't work? When they reach marriageable age, she'll have to pay for their dowry. She's the mistress, not a fool!
Having an embroiderer at home is also good. Ready-made clothes are too expensive and not very attractive. Having your own trained embroiderers can save a lot of money, and you can also ask them to make some fashionable styles.