Chapter 28: There is Room For the Poor Daughter
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Chapter 28: The Manor
The Yan family's carriage headed directly out of the county town without lingering.
The county town wasn’t large and wasn’t particularly wealthy. Over the past period, under the guidance of Yan Wenkai, Daohua had already toured the town thoroughly, so the journey was quite orderly.
However, once they left the town gates, Daohua couldn't resist lifting the curtain of the carriage and eagerly looked outside at the scenery.
It was already late October, and the weather had turned quite cold. As soon as the curtain was lifted, the cold wind blew into the carriage.
Madam Li, concerned that both Old Madam Yan and Daohua might catch a cold, quickly said, “Daohua, lower the curtain, be careful not to catch a chill.”
Though Daohua was a bit reluctant, she obediently lowered the curtain. In ancient times, catching a cold wasn’t as simple as taking a few cold medicines to get better.
Sitting in the carriage without being able to see the outside view was very boring, so Daohua had to make small talk to pass the time.
“Mother, does Linyi County ever get snow?”
Madam Li smiled and nodded, “It does. In previous years, it started snowing small flakes as early as November, and by December, the snow would become much heavier.”
Upon hearing this, Daohua became excited again. “That’s great! I’ve never seen heavy snow. If it snows a lot, I can have a snowball fight with Third Brother and Fourth Brother!”
Linyi County was located south of the Yan family village, and in winter, snow fell immediately and melted quickly. Daohua had been in ancient times for a while now but still hadn’t made a snowman.
Madam Li shook her head, “I’d rather there not be heavy snow this year.”
Daohua was stunned, noticing that both Old Madam Yan and Madam Li looked somewhat grave.
Old Madam Yan sighed, “If there’s heavy snow, the common people will have an even harder time. The cold winter is hard to bear, and those homeless refugees... it’s hard to say how many will die.”
Daohua fell silent. She had been thinking about playing in the snow, but now she realized that this wasn’t modern times, where people could just take medicine and recover. In the ancient world, with limited means of heating, a snow disaster could claim many lives.
“Mother, has Father said anything about the refugees’ resettlement?”
Madam Li shook her head, “Resettling the refugees is not an easy task, and now that winter has arrived, it’s even more difficult.”
Seeing Daohua furrow her brows, Old Madam Yan smiled, “Alright, these matters are beyond your concern. Your father will handle it well.”
Daohua nodded but didn’t ask more questions. Her earlier excitement had faded, especially after seeing the refugees walking towards the county town, their clothes thin in the cold wind.
“There are so many refugees heading to the county town. Can Father manage to resettle them all?”
Madam Li replied, “Linyi County is actually quite remote, so many refugees don’t make it all the way here.”
Seeing the refugees shivering in the cold wind, Daohua sighed, “Life is truly difficult.”
At that moment, Old Madam Yan reached over and tapped Daohua on the forehead. “You’re still so young, and here you are sighing. If the sky were to fall, the grown-ups would support it. You’re just a child, so go and do your own thing.”
Daohua squeezed up next to Old Madam Yan, linked her arm, and pursed her lips, remaining silent.
Now that she thought about it, her current life seemed to be rather lucky. At least her father held an official position and the family had some social standing.
If she had been born to commoners at the very bottom of society, even with her space, life wouldn’t be as comfortable.
She knew well that in ancient times, if you didn’t have enough status, even if you earned money, you couldn’t keep it safe.
The carriage bumped along for more than half an hour before finally arriving at the land Madam Li had purchased.
“This is a manor?”
As soon as she got out of the carriage, Old Madam Yan immediately asked upon seeing the two-entry courtyard in front of her.
Madam Li smiled and replied, “You really have a sharp eye, Mother. This is indeed a manor.”
Old Madam Yan asked, “How much land does it have?”
Madam Li replied, “About five hundred acres.”
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Yan tapped Madam Li’s hand. “You’ve used your dowry money again?”
She was very clear about her eldest son’s salary. It was hard enough to support the whole family, so where would there be spare money to buy a manor?
It was clear that this manor had been bought with Madam Li’s dowry money.
Madam Li smiled, “Money is just lying around anyway, so it’s better to use it to buy property. I have my own reasons for doing so. Wenxiu and Wenkai are growing older, and when it comes time for them to marry, the betrothal gifts will be a significant amount. Daohua is also getting older, and her dowry should be prepared too.”
At this point, Yan Zhiqiang, along with Yan Wentao, walked over.
Madam Li turned to the two of them and said with a smile, “I’ve heard that Third Brother is good at farming. Every year, the grain we harvest is much more than other families. I’ve shamelessly asked you to leave your hometown to come help manage this manor, hoping that you can help us earn more income for the family.”
Yan Zhiqiang was a bit taken aback. “Sister-in-law, you mean this manor will be managed by me?”
Madam Li nodded and smiled. “Please take care of it, Third Brother.”
Yan Zhiqiang hesitated. He was indeed good at farming, managing the two hundred acres of land back home. But the problem was, here, he wasn’t the only one.
Madam Li: "What's the matter, Third Brother? If you have any concerns, feel free to speak up, and we can solve it together."
Yan Zhiqiang glanced at Old Madam Yan, who seemed unconcerned, and reluctantly spoke up, "Sister-in-law, if I'm in charge of the manor, what will Second Brother do?" He knew Second Brother well—he was extremely competitive, and if he found out that Yan Zhiqiang was taking over the responsibilities, there would definitely be conflicts in the future.
Madam Li smiled. "So you were worried about this? Don’t worry, Second Brother won’t be handling the manor." Noticing the surprised expressions on both Old Madam Yan and Yan Zhiqiang, she continued, "Since Second Uncle has been working alongside Father, he hasn’t been involved in farming. He must have long forgotten how to handle it."
Old Madam Yan furrowed her brows. "What has Second Son been doing all these years with you all?"
Madam Li’s smile remained unchanged. "He’s been socializing, meeting friends, and gathering information."
Old Madam Yan didn’t ask more, but her expression darkened. She understood her second son’s character—this meant that during all these years under the eldest, he hadn’t done anything of real value.
While the adults discussed matters, Yan Wentao took Daohua on a tour of the manor.
Seeing the tenant farmers on the manor looking thin and gaunt, Daohua, who had been excited at first, suddenly lost her enthusiasm.
Noticing her change in mood, Yan Wentao chuckled, "It’s alright. We’re here now, and with the crops you’ve developed, next year, they’ll have enough to eat and stay warm."
Daohua responded, "But there are still so many people who don’t have enough to eat or stay warm."
Yan Wentao fell silent for a moment, suddenly remembering their time disguised as refugees. He scratched his head and smiled, "It’s okay. Uncle is the county magistrate. Once the crops from the manor are harvested, we can have him promote our seeds throughout the county."
Upon hearing this, Daohua’s eyes lit up. "Right! How did I not think of that? Third Brother, you’re so smart."
Yan Wentao puffed out his chest, pleased with the compliment.
Daohua added, "But my father’s official position is still too low. If it were higher, it would be even better."
Yan Wentao replied without a second thought, "Then let Uncle work harder to get promoted!"
Daohua glanced at him, thinking to herself that her father had been a county magistrate for nine years and still hadn’t been promoted even once. This showed how difficult it was to rise in position, but she still smiled and nodded.
(End of Chapter)
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