Qi Zhenzhen couldn't help but laugh, doubling over and clutching her stomach.
She could almost picture Song Mingze's dejected expression when he said that.
"That's not right, didn't the matchmaker say she was like a celestial being? And what did your grandfather say?" After laughing her fill, Qi Zhenzhen asked.
"There was indeed a girl like a celestial being, but she wasn't the grain shop owner's daughter, but the daughter's maid. As for my grandfather, he discussed it with my eldest aunt. They worried that such a person entering the family might be too much for them to handle. They considered apologizing and breaking off the engagement. But my eldest aunt was unwilling. She said the grain shop was giving the young couple a house in the county town as part of the dowry, and they would also support my cousin's studies. Not only that, but she also said the grain shop owner's daughter had a hundred mu of fertile land as her dowry, meaning they wouldn't even be able to spend all the rent money they'd receive. My grandfather said whatever he wanted, but my eldest aunt wouldn't budge. My eldest uncle also sided with my eldest aunt, so the engagement remained as planned, with the wedding date set for the fifteenth of March." Song Mingyue pouted.
Qi Zhenzhen had thought Song Mingze's resistance was successful. Now it seemed his resistance was in vain.
Scholars liked romance, the company of beautiful women. Bringing in a rough, boisterous woman was truly a testament to life's constant despair.
"I sympathize with your cousin," Qi Zhenzhen said sincerely.
Song Mingyue nodded in agreement, "Me too. Fortunately, he won't have to live at home in the future, otherwise, I'd be quite worried."
The matter was settled. Owning a grain shop in the county town meant they weren't ordinary people. The Song family's engagement had no room for turning back. Regardless of Song Mingze's wishes, the engagement could only proceed this way, unless the grain shop side backed out.
"So, it's not just women who fear marrying the wrong man; men also fear marrying the wrong wife," Song Mingyue concluded, shaking her head.
At noon, the workers came to the Qi family's place together. They didn't need to go inside to eat. Two tables were set up in the yard, with a large pot of stewed dishes and a large pot of steamed rice. They could serve themselves as much as they wanted.
"The food at the Qi family's is delicious. So much meat and few vegetables, it's truly satisfying."
"The rice is good too. Our family is still mixing rice with coarse grains."
"And there's big bone soup to drink. A bowl of it warms you up all over."
"After we eat our fill and rest a while, we'll go back to the fields. The Qi family is hosting us so well; we must work harder and not just eat without working."
Qi Zhenzhen, listening to the men talk from inside the house, gave Yu Shi a thumbs-up. "Aunt, your cooking is very popular."
"Ahem, for those who work hard, this is how they eat. It's not about being refined or not. As long as it fills them up and keeps them from being hungry, that's enough," Yu Shi said.
Forty mu of land. Qi Zhenzhen had initially thought it would take at least four days, but it was finished in three.
When it came to paying the workers, Qi Zhenzhen insisted on increasing their wages. They received ninety wen for three days of work, thirty wen a day. The hardworking men were all beaming, saying that if the Qi family ever needed anything done in the future, they only needed to ask, and they would do it with all their heart.
"Miss Qi, will the fertilizer be farm manure or specialized fertilizer?" Qian Bo asked Qi Zhenzhen after the trees were dug up and it was time to fertilize.
Qi Zhenzhen knew what farm manure was. In the countryside, farm manure was usually abundant. However, every household farmed, and they all used farm manure, so no one had any to spare.
"Qian Bo, where do you get the specialized fertilizer?"
"Our Great Feng values agriculture and commerce. There are departments specifically managing agriculture, and they have developed fertilizers for the fields. They are very convenient, but they need to be purchased. It costs about forty wen per mu. Wealthy families with countless acres of fertile land generally use this specialized fertilizer!" Qian Bo said.
"Alright, then we'll buy the fertilizer," Qi Zhenzhen nodded.
"In addition, grafting requires a type of waterproof cloth. After cutting the tree trunk and inserting the trimmed branches, this cloth is used to wrap them until the branches and trunk grow together. This cloth needs to be bought from the Ministry of Agriculture."
Qi Zhenzhen had seen how grafting was done. In modern times, plastic film was used, but she hadn't expected ancient people to use waterproof oilcloth instead. People always said that ancient wisdom was no less than modern wisdom, and it truly was so.
"Qian Bo, for anything needed in the apricot grove, just tell me directly. One thing, though, make sure the accounts are clear. Both labor costs and the cost of purchasing items need to be kept track of accurately. It's not that I don't trust your integrity, Qian Bo, but clear accounts facilitate management," Qi Zhenzhen said frankly.
Qian Bo nodded. "I've noted that."
Qi Zhenzhen didn't need to say it; Qian Bo wouldn't dare to make any small moves. Not to mention the Qian family, there was also the Crown Prince. If they found out, he would be in serious trouble.
On the third day of the third month, grafting officially began. Several skilled farmers were hired from the village to assist Qian Bo. It was a craft. Although it looked simple, as Qian Bo put it, it wasn't something one could learn by watching for a day or two. With the same technique, the branches he grafted would survive, while others would not!
It took a full three days to finish the grafting. Qian Bo wasn't idle; he took Da Jiang and Xiao He to prune the original branches of the apricot trees, saying it was to remove excess to help the grafted branches grow better.
Da Jiang and Xiao He were adept at their work and willing to learn. Qian Bo was very fond of them. After discussing with Qi Zhenzhen, he took them on as apprentices and taught them all his skills in tending fruit trees.
With the work in the apricot grove nearly done, Qi Zhenzhen began to prepare for the construction of the manor.
Zhang Erniu was not home. Qi Zhenzhen found Chang Shan through Zhang San Niu. Chang Shan hadn't received much work this year. When Qi Zhenzhen told him she wanted to build a manor, his eyes lit up. "Miss Qi, I won't boast, but you've lived in the houses we've built for quite some time. You know how good they are, in your heart."
"The houses Chang Ge builds are very good. If they weren't, I wouldn't have come to you again," Qi Zhenzhen smiled. "The manor needs to be not only sturdy but also beautiful. And it's not just one; I want to build several in this area. Moreover, I want to build them in the style of two-story houses."
A large piece of land next to the apricot grove had been allocated to Qi Zhenzhen. Once, Qi Zhenzhen had dreamed of returning to modern times and buying a detached two-story villa with a courtyard, fruit trees in the yard, a grape trellis, a small pond, and a rockery. It was so elegant. After waking up, Qi Zhenzhen had the idea of building the manor like that.
"Two stories?" Chang Shan showed a troubled expression. "Miss Qi, I haven't built two-story houses before, so..."
Qi Zhenzhen thought building houses was all the same. Two stories were just adding another floor on top of the first, which shouldn't be difficult. She hadn't expected Chang Shan to say he couldn't do it.
"Miss Qi, two-story houses are not as simple as you say. We might need to find specialized architects. I don't think anyone in our town can take on this job. You might need to go to the county town to find someone. If you can't find anyone there, you might have to go to the capital. Some wealthy families keep such specialized teams," Chang Shan said. He wasn't discouraged by his inability to build them. While they couldn't build two stories, they could still handle the first floor and the courtyard walls. Given their friendship, they could still get some work.