Chapter 33 Various Arrangements
Shaoyao no longer came early every morning for breakfast as she used to. Before Hua Zhi could react, Fu Dong was the first to feel unaccustomed to it.
Bao Xia suppressed her laughter as she tried to amuse her young lady. "Fu Dong made too much breakfast early in the morning. I reminded her, but unexpectedly, she made too much again at noon. Nian Qiu went to remind her once more in the afternoon, yet she still made too much in the evening. She said she’ll carve a word on her forehead tomorrow so she won’t forget again."
Hua Zhi chuckled. "It’s rare to see her being teased by all of you."
"Exactly. It’s not easy to catch her making a mistake." Bao Xia handed the cooled tea to her young lady. "Miss, does your wound still hurt?"
"It doesn’t hurt anymore, but it’s a bit itchy."
"Please resist the urge to scratch. Miss Shaoyao said it’s normal for wounds to itch as they heal—it means your wound is recovering. Miss Shaoyao’s medicine is truly effective." Bao Xia paused, sighed, and held back a laugh. "Honestly, even I’m starting to miss Miss Shaoyao a little."
Someone with such a personality would be liked by anyone who spent time with her, Hua Zhi thought. She took a few sips of tea and, bathed in the evening glow, inexplicably felt a fleeting illusion of peaceful, tranquil days.
"How is the workshop doing?"
"Everything is going well. As you said, the work isn’t difficult—they learn it quickly, and with practice, their speed improves. However, today, some fruit growers who had received deposits from Liu Yueming started delivering fruits. As the volume increases later, I’m afraid we’ll still be short-handed."
"I didn’t plan thoroughly enough." In her previous life, she had managed a large corporation and focused on grand strategies. This was her first time running a small workshop, and she hadn’t considered that the methods she knew might not adapt well to a different era. She had been careless.
After a moment of contemplation, Hua Zhi said, "Here’s what we’ll do: make some space and clear out the west wing room. Remove any unnecessary items from the room. Then, go find Liu Qi and have him bring people to move the items from the front courtyard to the backyard. Starting from the boiling step, all work will be done in the backyard. Once finished, store the products directly in the backyard’s underground cellars. Tell Wu San and his team to work faster—we need at least four underground cellars in the backyard."
"Miss, this is where you live…"
"Let’s not stand on ceremony." Hua Zhi shook her head. "The space is limited. Once Xu Jie returns with the citrus fruits, the front courtyard won’t even have enough room to store the fruits. So, we must hurry. It’s best to process all the fleshy peaches before he returns with the citrus."
"So many fleshy peaches." Bao Xia felt a headache coming on. She used to love eating them, but after these past few days, she couldn’t bear to look at them anymore.
"Where is Nian Qiu?"
Hearing her name, Nian Qiu emerged from the room, still holding the account book. "Miss, I’m here."
"Go back home once more and ask Grandmother to help select some clever and efficient maids and servant women. The fleshy peaches are relatively easy to handle, but when the citrus arrives, we’ll need to remove the veins from each segment one by one, which is more labor-intensive. Also, bring back a batch of jars on your way. Tell Ying Chun to purchase jars as quickly as possible—we can’t have the fruit pulp ready but no containers to store it in."
"Yes, I’ll return first thing tomorrow morning." Nian Qiu agreed, though her expression showed some concern as she looked at the account book. "Miss, we’re running low on silver."
"How much is left?"
"Aside from the amount you said must not be touched, we have six hundred and forty taels left. After paying the fruit growers, there likely won’t be much remaining."Hua Zhi rubbed her forehead. "Go back and ask Steward Xu if that house has been sold. If not, lower the price a bit more."
"Yes."
Having never worried about money in either of her lifetimes, Hua Zhi wasn't anxious now. For her, making money had never been difficult. Even without considering other methods, as long as they could hold on for these two months, once the weather turned cold, the fruit preserves she had made would sell for a large sum of silver.
Still, she wasn't entirely resigned to just waiting.
Various thoughts swirled in her mind as she watched the last glimmer of light fade from the horizon, stars twinkling in its place, bringing her a sense of peace.
It's different, she thought. Berlin wouldn't be Hua Linqi, her tearful mother would never become Madam Xu, and she herself was no longer Hua Linzhi.
Nian Qiu returned that same day with people and good news. "Steward Xu said the house was sold a few days ago. The buyer was very straightforward and didn't haggle at all. Old Madam suspects it might be one of the Old Master's former acquaintances wanting to do a good deed discreetly. However, when the paperwork was handled, the other party only sent a steward, so we couldn't find out which family it was. For now, we can only keep this in mind and address it later."
Hua Zhi wasn't surprised. Her grandfather had many former acquaintances, and even more students he had mentored. While some might not dare to associate with the Hua family openly, there were certainly those willing to help in secret. "How much silver did it sell for?"
"Three thousand five hundred taels. Steward Xu said he had someone appraise it—the location is good, the environment is pleasant, and three thousand five hundred taels already left room for bargaining. Unexpectedly, the buyer didn't haggle."
Hua Zhi had previously estimated it would sell for around two thousand seven or eight hundred taels, so this price came as a pleasant surprise.
Nian Qiu added, "Old Madam specifically summoned me when she learned I had returned to the mansion. She said she would keep the silver notes for now and give them to you when you return to the mansion."
"That's fine. I hadn't planned to use this money here anyway. The silver we have on hand should be sufficient for now. What about Ying Chun? How many jars did you bring this time?"
"Two thousand. Ying Chun said she ordered another five thousand from another place, which will be delivered directly to the estate in a couple of days."
"Inform Liu Qi about this later and have him inspect the goods carefully. We won't accept defective products."
"Yes."
With more people in the backyard, the place gradually took on a bustling atmosphere. Not wanting to make the workers uncomfortable, Hua Zhi spent most of her time indoors.
Nourished by soups and medicines, and with effective treatment, she recovered quickly, her complexion visibly improving.
"Miss, Lady Shaoyao has sent someone with medicine," Liu Xiang reported briskly as she entered. Bao Xia was busy in the front courtyard, Fu Dong was meticulously preparing food for the young lady, and Nian Qiu, who often handled accounts, was the only one left by Hua Zhi's side. Thus, Hua Zhi had promoted Liu Xiang to first-class maid and assigned her to serve personally. Though no reason was stated, everyone understood it was the young lady's way of rewarding Liu Xiang's loyalty.
Hua Zhi sat up straight. "Where is the messenger?"
"In the front courtyard. It's a man. Lady Shaoyao also had him relay a few messages: she won't be able to visit for some time, to use the medicine in the green bottle after finishing the one in the blue bottle, and to apply the scar-removing ointment about a quarter-hour after applying the medicine, as it's most effective at that time."
"Is that all?"
"Yes."
Hua Zhi couldn't help but ponder further. As a physician, Shaoyao's inability to come could only mean someone was injured. It seems that no matter the era, there will always be those who walk in darkness."Go see what Fu Dong has made, have her pack up whatever she can carry for Shaoyao to take back, and also bring me a message - if it's convenient, send me some more ice."
"Yes."
With so many people around, Hua Zhi didn't want anyone to know she could make ice. Such significant profits could make even her grandmother restless if she found out. It was better to keep it concealed.
PS: Dear readers, though Kongkong often complains, she actually loves writing. Not everyone can turn their hobby into a career like Kongkong has - she's among the rare few, how fortunate.
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