Farm Girl Turns Everything Around: Sly Husband, Let's Farm

“That works,” she nodded.

The secret tunnel wasn’t her responsibility, so why was the Chief telling her about it?

“When the time comes, invite Village Chief Tong. After all, it belongs to his family, let him take a look too,” said the Chief.

“Also, these students come from influential families. You’ve cooked for the retired emperor before, and they hope to try your cooking after visiting the secret tunnel.”

“Alright,” Qiao Xiaomai nodded again.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be paid handsomely for your meals. Whatever you can make, just bring it all out,” the Chief instructed.

“OK!”

As long as she gets paid, she is confident these people will be pleased.

“What dishes should I order?” the Chief stroked his beard, his eyes twinkling with delight, “There must be cake. And Buddha Jumps Over the Wall must also be included.”

“No problem.”

The Chief rambled on about other dishes, and when the Team Leader from the construction crew arrived, he gave him some instructions before letting Qiao Xiaomai and the Team Leader leave.

The Team Leader of the construction crew was called Miao Dali, a man in his fifties from Miao’s Village near Bailu Town, his bronze complexion covered in the markings of time.

Miao Dali followed Qiao Xiaomai around the three hillocks, listening to her general ideas for the manor, and finally proposed, “The barrier wall, fifty taels, includes everything.”

Beneath the three hillocks was one hundred and fifty acres of farmland, and Qiao Xiaomai’s manor would take up approximately twenty acres. The wall they were planning on building would enclose these twenty acres.

The fifty taels of silver covered the cost of the foundation, bricks, and labor.

Qiao Xiaomai nodded, “Then let’s go back home first, I will get the silver for you.”

Miao Dali nodded, and got onto the ox cart with her.

“You can plant a ring of jimsonweed around the hillocks,” proposed Miao Dali.

Qiao Xiaomai had mentioned that she would be planting some fruit trees on the hillocks. All three hillocks combined covered fifty acres, and if they were to encircle all fifty acres with a wall, the cost would be too high.

If a natural barrier was created using thorny plants, it could save a lot of money.

Qiao Xiaomai lit up at his suggestion, “That’s a good idea.”

A barrier constructed from a thorny bush and jimsonweed, coupled with a few dogs, would indeed be a good solution!

“Master Miao, do you know anyone who sells fruit tree saplings?” Qiao Xiaomai asked.

“What type of fruit trees?”

“Just the common ones, like jujube, hawthorn, grapevines,” she had no plans to plant any exotic fruits.

She had the Spiritual Spring water. If she irrigated these fruit trees with it, the resulting fruits would surely be delicious.

Last time she asked Yang Ye for some mulberries to brew mulberry wine. Since she couldn’t use the miraculous Spiritual Spring water for brewing, she soaked the mulberries in it which resulted in a slightly superior wine than normal ones.

Therefore, if she wanted high-quality fruit wine, she needed to irrigate the fruit trees with the Spiritual Spring water and improve the quality of the fruit from the root up.

“We can manage that,” Miao Dali nodded.

He had worked on almost all the houses in Bailu Town and knew quite a few influential people. Some of them were in business, and sourcing some fruit trees for her wasn’t a big deal.

With the fruit sapling issue settled, they headed back to Anping Village. Qiao Xiaomai paid Miao Dali fifty taels of silver, and he assured her that the bricks would be delivered that day and that she could visit the site to supervise anytime.

After seeing Miao Dali off, it was already noon.

Just as Qiao Xiaomai was about to prepare lunch, there was a knock at her courtyard gate.

An unexpected guest had arrived: Zhu Cuiying.