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She had other plans in mind.

On May 26th, the Lu and Qin families arranged a marriage, and Qiao Mai was invited as a witness.

She needed to attend Miss Wang’s wedding in September, so Ruyi’s wedding was scheduled for the following spring.

The day after the engagement, Qiao Mai sent her dowry to the Lu family. When Shopkeeper Lu saw the valuable gift Qiao Mai sent again, she felt awkward and hesitated to continue.

“Sister, I think I’ll move back to my house from now on. What do you think?”

“It’s fine. What’s the problem? I can’t stop you from returning home. Is there anything else?”

“Ruyi is also going to marry from my house. We know each other well, so there’s no need to make a grand show.”

“It’s fine. It’s your daughter’s wedding; you can make the decision.”

“Aren’t you angry?

“Oh, come on. Why would I be angry? It’s not like I’m trying to control you. Besides, there’s so much to do at home. We’re still sowing seeds in the fields.”

“Alright, as long as you’re not upset.” “I couldn’t be happier for your family.”

Qiao Mai left, and Shopkeeper Lu wiped away a few tears. She felt guilty for not appreciating her kindness enough

At the Qiao residence, Shopkeeper Lu found life more comfortable than her own home. Although she wanted to stay, she had to accompany Ruxin.

Since she was alone now, her mood wasn’t great.

Lu Ruxin had shifted her focus to managing the snack shop. She was often out, buying shops, hiring workers, and teaching them the recipes.

After successfully setting up a branch, she would move on to the next.

She had to follow the clear path her master had pointed out; otherwise, she would waste Qiao Mai’s efforts.

When Shopkeeper Lu moved back, Liu Ye naturally went along. She had learned embroidery work by now and had a monthly wage of two hundred coins.

Qiao Mai had inquired from Shopkeeper Tong that Liu Hai was doing well there, handling the workload of two to three people. He was planning to increase his salary soon.

She smiled and didn’t say anything. Qiao Mai arranged those jobs to watch over them closely to assess their character. Next, she would help them become prosperous.

The Lu family’s few acres of barren land wouldn’t be able to prosper just by farming. They needed to engage in trade.

Ruxin’s business was limited to the county and prefectural cities. Qiao Mai decided to let the Lu family run the cold noodle shop in Tianshui Town. Along with the oil-fried pastries, they would make a decent living, if not wealthy.

With her shop nearby, many passing traders would recommend after visiting hers. Business would improve in just a few days.

As for the rent, she would let them make money first and then collect it later.

Don’t even think about not paying the rent because Qiao Mai owned the property. That was out of the question!

If they dared to do that, she would send them back to Liushu Town.

Yuan Jiaqi returned home every month. As soon as he got time off, he packed his belongings and took a horse-drawn carriage from the city gates. Upon arriving home, he went to pay his respects to Old Mister Wang.

“Respected teacher.”

“Hmm, what have you learned this past month at the academy?”

“Each teacher has their unique insights. Although there have been some mistakes in the answers due to the large number of students, the responses have been quite innovative and beneficial.”

“After all, I am not a traditional teacher. Those teachers have more experience in teaching and know the strengths and weaknesses of each student. You’re learning more there than you would with me.”

“Your teachings are unique in their own way.”

“That’s true. Your wife is busy planting seeds in the backyard. Go help out. She’s been working hard.” “Understood.”

Yuan Jiaqi put his belongings aside and changed into work clothes before heading to the backyard.

Seeing Qiao Mai planting seeds with the maids, the children holding tools and watering, Yuan Jiaqi quickly walked over and took over the task.

“I’ll take over.” “Oh, you’re back?”

“Yes.”

“What would you like for lunch? Should I ask the kitchen to prepare?”

“It’s so hot. Cold noodles sound perfect.”

A maid immediately put down what she was doing and went to the kitchen.

Qiao Mai sat down on a chair nearby to rest. Yuan Jiaqi carefully placed the sesame-sized seeds into the dug holes and covered them with soil.

“What are you planning to plant on this five-acre plot?”

“Growing grains or vegetables doesn’t make much profit. I’d rather save the trouble and plant five acres of strawberries.”

“But strawberries are quite delicate, and we often have summer rains.”

“Strawberries are not easy to transport. In the past, they were usually sold by hawkers. This time, we’ll grow them ourselves. By next winter, we’ll also plant an acre of strawberries. By the end of the year, we should be able to sell them for ten taels of silver per pound. As for the rain, I’ll set up some shelters when they grow. If it rains, we can cover them.”

“You’ve planned it all out.”

“Studying isn’t my strong suit, but I’m better at making money.”

Yuan Jiaqi looked at the elegant Qiao Mai, her hair neatly tied and adorned with a beautiful accessory and white pearl earrings. Her fair skin exuded an aura of vitality. She looked radiant and full of spirit.

His heart started to beat rapidly again, his face blushing. Yuan Jiaqi lowered his head and continued his work, unable to meet her gaze directly.

After drinking a few sips of water, Qiao Mai rested for a while. Then, she took some seeds and began planting them side by side with him.

Strawberry seeds needed to be cultivated first, which took some time before they sprouted. However, she had the spiritual river water, so there was no need for such trouble. Qiao Mai placed sesame-sized seeds in a basin and poured diluted spiritual river water over them. They would sprout in less than two days, and the germination rate would reach ninety-nine percent.

This was the true use of spiritual energy—to stimulate growth!

In one day, they planted the entire five acres and watered it. Many hands made light work.

During dinner, Mayor Qian and Shopkeeper Lu both came by.

“Madam Qiao?”

“Mayor, what’s the matter?”

“There are more and more refugees coming from the south. I don’t have much grain left, so I wanted to ask if you have any surplus grain to spare.”

“Those who fled brought their belongings with them. They can’t keep relying on others for assistance, can they?”

“The imperial court is only sending relief grain to the south. We don’t have any up north.”

“Isn’t the government doing anything?”

“Unless the imperial court orders grain distribution, no one dares to open their granaries. That’s a crime punishable by death.”

“How much do you need?”

“I’m not concerned about other towns, but in our town and the sixteen surrounding villages, we’ve arranged for 121 households. Each household needs at least a hundred catties of grain.” “So that’s over ten thousand catties.”

“Yes.”

“All right, I just received the grain from our tenant farmers. After deducting the tax, we still have over ten thousand catties of new grain left from last year. We can use that. I’ll add more from my house and another five thousand catties.”

“Thank you, there’s no need for so much. Just give me the aged grain from last year. My family can add more. We can also gather contributions from the wealthy folks in town.”

“If it’s not enough, just say the word. The Qiao family will give you our full support. ”

Shopkeeper Lu chimed in, “I don’t have any farmland, but I’ll donate one hundred taels of silver. You can use it to buy grain.”

“You don’t have to. I’ll cover that.”

“No, I want to donate. It’s my heartfelt contribution. It has nothing to do with you.”

The two started arguing as soon as they saw each other. Qiao Mai shook her head. “Sister Lu, is there something you need?”

“I haven’t received any embroidery from you for a while. I came to ask about it.” “You already have five embroiderers, and you’re still thinking about mine?”

“Your work is just that good..”