Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
âThe sweet potatoes are something we will plant for sure. Iâll get someone to send some seeds over when spring comes.
âAs for the rest, we would have to wait and see.
âHowever, we went to the Mother Goddess Temple to ask for seeds today. It would be best if she could give us some.â
âItâs not bad to plant sweet potatoes. I heard that the yield of that crop is very high.â
âItâs alright. Itâs not a problem for one acre of sweet potatoes to feed five or six people. Oh, right, are the fields idle now?â Gu Chengrui asked.
âYes, theyâve been idle since we harvested the radishes and cabbages.â
âAlright, please prepare ash and other fertilizers over the next two days; I plan to try planting greenhouse vegetables.â
âGreenhouse vegetables?â
âYes, itâs an off-season dish in the winter.â
âBut we donât have a hot spring here.â
âIâll build a greenhouse to grow vegetables in. We should be able to grow vegetables as long as the temperature is suitable and there is enough water and sunlight.
âWill it work?â
âLetâs try to plant them. If we succeed, the problem of having no vegetables in the winter will be solved. Moreover, we might even make a lot of money from the off-season vegetables.â
Head Fang understood how big the business opportunity was. He gritted his teeth and said, âAlright, Iâll bring some people to arrange it later.â
âIs there an empty room in this manor?â Zhou Ying asked.
âYes, thereâs a small courtyard. Every time the farming season gets busy, the previous owner will send people over.
âHowever, the masters are generally more willing to go to the hot spring manor, so the renovation there is better than average.
âNow, a widow from our manor is living there, helping to clean up occasionally.â
âTake us there for a walk. Also, bring us around the manor and see where we could build the greenhouse.â
âSure, letâs go over now.â After Head Fang finished speaking, he led them to a green brick house at the end of the village.
The courtyard wasnât big. There were five main rooms, three wing rooms in the east and west, a stable in the south, and a firewood shed. It looked neat and proper.
Mrs. Wu, who was guarding the manor, was quickly called out, âThis is Mrs.
Wu. She has been looking after the place.â
He then introduced Gu Chengrui and his wife to Mrs. Liu.
âNice to meet you, Master and Mistress.â
Zhou Ying looked at the thin woman in front of her, whose hair had already turned white, and said, âNice to meet you too. I heard that youâre a widow. Do continue your great work, and weâll take care of your retirement.â
When Mrs. Wu heard this, she immediately knelt down and kowtowed excitedly. âThank you, Mistress. This servant will do her best to serve you.â
âPlease, get up. Qiu Niang, Haitang,â Zhou Ying said. âStay here and check out the place. Weâll go outside and take a look.â
âSure.â Qiu Niang responded and brought Mrs. Wu and Haitang into the courtyard house.
Meanwhile, the couple and Head Fang went to the fields to take a look.
Finally, the location of the greenhouse was decided to be to the west of the manor.
It was better to build it close by.
Another thing was that the greenhouse would be built with mountains to the north and the manor to the east. A strong wind would weaken before hitting the greenhouse, no matter which direction it came from. There was no need to be concerned about the wind blowing the greenhouse over.
After settling down, the four of them stayed in the manor for a meal. In the afternoon, Gu Chengrui gave Head Fang some instructions before the group returned to the capital.
âYing âer, if we want to live in that courtyard, we need to do a major renovation. The beams of the main house are cracked, and the wall paint inside has fallen off a lot, and the roof tiles are also broken,â Qiu Niang said on the way.
âIs it that serious?â
âYes, according to Mrs. Wu, it was caused by the failure to clear the snow during the snowstorm..â