"You watered them," Dengzi Tui said, "each tree got a ladleful of water as the Madam instructed."
"This water is from the bitter well. It's good for these young lads to build up their arm strength by fetching it. It's quite effective."
"Madam, are there any more saplings? We'll finish planting this batch soon. Planting trees on the edge of the desert is also good for training the soldiers."
"Uh..."
Seeing Qin Junyao's expression darken, Dengzi Tui wisely stopped his enthusiastic chatter and asked, "Madam, did I say something wrong?"
Qin Junyao loosened her clenched fist and asked Dengzi Tui as calmly as she could, "You used the well water to water the trees. What about the water I set aside for you?"
"Fed the camels," Dengzi Tui replied, turning his face away to avoid Qin Junyao's gaze.
The General's wife had indeed instructed them to use that water for the sa sa saplings. But as they were carrying water to the sa sa field, they passed the camel enclosure. The camels, thirsty, chased after them, and he made the decision to give them the water.
He had drunk some of that water himself, and it tasted no different from well water.
"You fed all that water to the camels?" Qin Junyao asked Dengzi Tui, disbelievingly.
Dengzi Tui seemed to realize something. "Madam, did you put medicine in that water?"
"The camels liked it, so I left it all there. I drank some too. Nothing bad should happen, right?"
Qin Junyao let out a sigh of relief, placed her hands on her hips, and said wearily to a stunned Dengzi Tui, "The camels are fine, and so are you."
The one who was truly in trouble was her.
That was the water she had worked for half a month to obtain.
"The temporary workers I hired will arrive in two days. We won't plant the sa sa for now. We'll first pull out the dead ones, and then replace the saplings when the workers arrive. It will be a bit more work for you all."
Even though Dengzi Tui had fed the spatial well water she had worked so hard for to the camels, Qin Junyao couldn't say anything.
After all, these soldiers were supposed to be fighting on the battlefield with Zhao Liangcai and earning military merits, not planting trees with her in the desert.
Dengzi Tui scratched his head and secretly snapped off a sa sa seedling by his leg.
Hmm, quite brittle. Definitely dead.
.
After Qin Junyao returned to the Zhao family's main hall and settled in, Steward Sun reported that the tables and chairs borrowed from the villagers had been returned, the courtyard tidied, and the gift list and account books compiled and handed over to Grandmother Qin.
It was the wedding of the new village chief of Yangshu Village, and all the families in the village who weren't on bad terms came to offer their congratulations.
Some gentry and people sent by Ling Manshuang and others to observe the ceremony also needed to be properly entertained, so Qin Junyao naturally instructed the household servants to help.
Qin Junyao nodded at Steward Sun to acknowledge his report, "Alright, thank you for your hard work. Are the temporary workers ready?"
Steward Sun sat on a chair and respectfully replied, "Reporting to Madam, all the workers have been found and can start working the day after tomorrow."
"Madam, shouldn't we hire some long-term workers?"
Qin Junyao shook her head. "We'll look for them after autumn. I still need to reclaim land. At that time, we'll build some houses near the wheat fields for the long-term workers to live in. They shouldn't live too close to us."
"Also, regarding the new servants for our mansion, you and Granny Wang must select them carefully. It's better to have fewer people than to have uncontrollable individuals enter the estate." Su Dan Novel Network
"Yes."
After Steward Sun left, Qin Junyao called for Granny Wang and Granny Ma and gave them instructions regarding the household arrangements and precautions for the coming days.
The Feng Shui master Ling Manshuang had found had already assessed the Feng Shui for the three households and chosen auspicious dates for breaking ground.
At that time, the courtyard walls would be dismantled, and the influx of outsiders would increase. Care must be taken to prevent scoundrels from exploiting the situation.
Qin Junyao had this precaution because of the information brought back by Qin Erniu.
He didn't mention troop movements, only that his brother-in-law's training of soldiers was truly brutal, almost to the point where the new recruits couldn't stand up every day.
He also boasted about his own good health, being able to exceed the training tasks.
Qin Junyao had previously heard Zhao Liangcai say that military training should be gradual, especially for new recruits. Excessive training could lead to future physical damage, which would be a loss for the commander.
Now, it seemed the impending war had forced Zhao Liangcai to resort to such extreme measures to ensure as many new recruits as possible survived the conflict.
At night, Qin Junyao had Liu Yu and Liu Rong take turns on guard duty. Tonight, Liu Yu was attending to her.
"Madam, if the northwest city goes to war, there will be many refugees. Will our mansion really be able to complete its expansion this year?" Liu Yu asked worriedly, handing Qin Junyao a foot-wiping cloth.
What Liu Yu was truly worried about were the refugees who had not been properly settled.
Refugees who turned into rioters were capable of anything.
"The Ling family's news is even more accurate than mine, a general's wife. Don't worry about the construction schedule. We just need to do our own jobs well and not cause any trouble."
"By the way, select a suitable young maid to be with Xiao Yu. My grandmother wants her to learn some manners and become more disciplined. After my second brother and the others leave, she will come to live with my grandmother."
Qin Junyao placed the foot-wiping cloth by the foot basin, looked up at Liu Yu, and said, "I'll have to trouble you, Liu Rong, and Granny Wang then."
Liu Yu bowed to Qin Junyao. "Madam, please don't tease me. It is our good fortune to be able to help Miss Qin Er."
Seeing Liu Yu bow, Qin Junyao raised her hand to support her. "You deserve thanks. With more household matters, you all will have more to do."
"The weather is gradually getting warmer. Tomorrow, go to the storeroom and select some fabrics. Have Hua Mian and the others make two sets of clothes for you, Liu Rong, Granny Wang, and Granny Ma."
"Thank you for your generosity, Madam," Liu Yu replied happily without declining.
Afterward, she took the foot-washing water to the young maids guarding outside. After washing her hands, she helped Qin Junyao comb her hair before leaving the room.
Qin Junyao lay on the kàng bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. She thought about whether Zhao Liangcai was sleeping well, about the Qin family, and about the wheat and sa sa fields.
She touched her belly and closed her eyes, her consciousness entering the spatial dimension. She would work while thinking; the spatial well water was still far from enough.
The crops she usually grew in the spatial dimension had been replaced by cotton by Qin Junyao.
Now, not only were grains expensive, but fabrics, medicinal herbs, and ironware had also become scarce goods.
More grain was always better, but warm clothing was also essential.
For the first half of the night, Qin Junyao used her consciousness to farm in the spatial dimension. Only in the latter half of the night did she sleep normally. With a life growing inside her, she dared not risk keeping her consciousness in the spatial dimension all night.
The next day was Zhang Dani's return visit. Even if Mother Qin disliked her, she couldn't let the villagers laugh. The return gifts were prepared abundantly.
Four days after Zhang Dani and Qin Daniu got married, Grandmother Qin sent her to the county town to open a shop.
Qin Junyao had originally intended to give this shop as a wedding gift to her elder brother, but Grandmother Qin had stopped her, saying to wait until Dani gave birth to a child.
If Qin Junyao had truly given it to Qin Daniu and his wife, given the current circumstances, Mother Qin would have gone mad.
After Qin Daniu left, Qin Erniu and Qin Sanniu also secretly left the Qin family on a chosen day while Aunt Qin Er was napping.
Qin Sanniu went to Salt Lake, but Qin Erniu rode his horse back to the northwest city, which made Aunt Qin Er cry for several days.
The family already had few people. Grandmother Qin, along with Qin Xiao Yu, moved to the Zhao family's residence. After Qin Sen went out with Bai Qing, only Father Qin, Mother Qin, Qin Lin, and Aunt Qin Er remained in the Qin family.
All the conflicts had not disappeared with the departure of the Qin family members, but Grandmother Qin firmly believed that time would dilute all conflicts.
As long as people were alive, there was nothing that couldn't be solved.