They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 386 Going Back to the Village with Them

Meanwhile, Liang Minglang whispered boastfully to Ji Yingxuan, "Did you see that? This whole house and all the rooms in our family were built from scratch by Zhichun. Even the servants were all bought by her. Zhichun is not only capable, but she also has a good eye for people. Granny Qin Qing and Mu Xiang are both very capable, and even Chunfen, whom she brought back, is different from the others."

Ji Yingxuan gritted his teeth so hard they almost broke. He cursed inwardly, "Useless trash, how dare you say that?"

However, he already knew a bit about Liang Minglang's enlistment a few years ago, so he didn't curse him out. But the more he thought about how difficult it must have been for Zhichun all those years, the more Ji Yingxuan felt that Liang Minglang was simply not worthy of being a man.

"Mrs. Xu must have had a very hard time."

"Yes, luckily the village head and the kind people in the village helped her. She's also very capable. She made konjac tofu, konjac noodles, and ice jelly, and partnered with someone to sell them in the city every day, gradually accumulating a lot of capital. And you know about sweet potatoes and potatoes, right? There's also the threshing machine, the windmill, and the water-powered rice mill—she invented all of those, just like the tomatoes you tasted. In short, she's very capable. I can't tell you everything in a short time. You can talk to Granny Qin Qing and the people in our village when you have time. Everyone knows more than I do."

Ji Yingxuan snorted and ignored Liang Minglang.

Now that he's here, he'll naturally inquire about everything related to Zhichun without Liang Minglang even having to say it.

However, he suddenly felt a little uneasy. He suddenly felt that the Zhichun that Liang Minglang was talking about was completely different from his Zhichun. He even had a vague feeling that they were two completely different people.

no, I can not!
At dinner, Ji Yingxuan tasted the konjac tofu, konjac noodles, and potatoes that Qin Minglang had mentioned, as well as a plate of bright red, tempting, and sweet strawberries.

The braised pork ribs with konjac, the konjac noodles stewed with chicken, and the hot and sour shredded potatoes were all delicious. The strawberries were also sweet, plump, and juicy. However, Ji Yingxuan was becoming more and more apprehensive. Was this really the taste of Zhichun's cooking?

He had no appetite and felt choked and short of breath.

As darkness fell, Ji Yingxuan quickly banished his chaotic and agitated thoughts, staring intently at Liang Minglang.

Liang Minglang understood the meaning perfectly: this kid was warning him not to mess with Zhichun.

Liang Minglang nodded slightly to him, indicating that he remembered his promise and that he could rest assured.

If it weren't for the Xu family's sake, he wouldn't bother dealing with him.

However, this is just a superficial response; as long as he doesn't see it, it's considered that I haven't broken my promise.

Back in their room that evening, Liang Minglang couldn't wait to hug and kiss Xu Zhichun. He only let go of her with a light laugh when she punched and pushed him. "Are you tired from traveling today? Is your back sore? Let me rub it for you."

"No, no need!" Xu Zhichun knew exactly what he was thinking. After all, he hadn't even tried to hide it; his eyes gave it all away.

"I'm tired, I just want to sleep."

She didn't hide her thoughts, letting her eyes reveal everything openly and frankly.

I really want to sleep.

Liang Minglang laughed, his deep laughter ringing in her ears. His warm breath made her neck and earlobes feel hot, and half of Xu Zhichun's body went numb. "Minglang, don't laugh."

"I wasn't laughing at you, sweetie." Liang Minglang thought she was just shy, so he gently kissed her cheek. Seeing her fair skin glowing with a faint pink hue in the dim candlelight, he felt even more fond of her. He couldn't help but quickly rub against her again. Before Xu Zhichun could complain again, he picked her up and carried her to the bed. "You sleep, I'll sleep too."

Xu Zhichun swallowed her accusations, nodded and hummed in agreement, then lay down on the bed and moved further inside. Liang Minglang ignored the couch and naturally lay down beside her.

When Liang Minglang got up, Ji Yingxuan was already dressed and tidied up, staring intently at the hydrangea bushes that were about to bloom in the courtyard. Seeing Liang Minglang, he subconsciously glanced behind him, and seeing no sign of Xu Zhichun, he breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't know what he was running away from, what he was holding back, or if it was just self-deception. But right now, he preferred to deceive himself and not delve into anything.

There was only one thing he couldn't stand about Liang Minglang, and he said sarcastically, "Master Liang, you've spent several years in the military camp, how come you haven't developed any good habits? Did you guys get up this late when you were in the military camp too?"

Liang Minglang: "Unlike you scholars, who are known for burning the midnight oil and roosters at dawn. Young Master Ji, you get up early, when are you going to become the top scholar?"

Ji Yingxuan scoffed dismissively, "Superficial!"

He was originally the top scholar in the imperial examination; if I told him, I'd be scared to death.

But he didn't really take it seriously.

If he wanted, high-ranking official positions and generous salaries would be readily available to him.

But he didn't care. He never flaunted it. All he wanted was Zhichun.

Before Xu Zhichun even left the house, she heard two people arguing in the yard. After thinking for a moment, she turned around and went out through the back door. She didn't want to get involved because she couldn't "speak a fair word".

Ji Yingxuan was handsome, elegant, and gentle, the kind of man most liked by aunts, young women, and wives. He could easily find out anything he wanted in the village.

The more you inquire, the more silent they become.

Even Qin Qing, the old nanny, overheard something and felt a sense of crisis for her master, thinking that Young Master Ji was there to steal her master's wife—although it wasn't entirely wrong to say that.

Qin Qing, the old woman, deliberately probed him indirectly, talking at length about how deeply the lady loved the master, how devoted she was to him, and how lovesick she was, which made Ji Yingxuan depressed.

Granny Qin Qing was very good to Zhichun and extremely loyal. He couldn't even bring himself to argue with her, so he could only sulk by himself and try to avoid Granny Qin Qing as much as possible, preferring to ignore her.

Xu Zhichun bought a plot of land of more than four acres on the edge of the village and asked Yang Xiaoan to hire people to level the land and build a workshop to make konjac tofu.

That way, I won't need to come to my house to make konjac tofu anymore; I can just go there.

Now that Liang Minglang is back, it's not good that Xiaoyan, Aunt Zhu'er, and Xiaojuan are coming and going so frequently.

Even if everyone is open and honest, there are still differences between men and women, and sometimes it's not very convenient.

The foundation was finally leveled, all the raw materials for building the workshop were delivered, and the workers were hired. On this auspicious day, construction officially began.

Xu Zhichun knew what kind of workshop he wanted. He was worried that the workers might not understand, so he decided to keep a close eye on them for the first three or four days to ensure that they could build the workshop exactly according to his requirements and standards.

This first day was especially important. She personally spoke with the foreman and two foremen for a long time, explaining where to build what, the distance and orientation of each building, and that these could not be changed. She also explained the required height and size of the warehouse foundation, the amount of open space to be left in the front and back yards, the need to build a connecting corridor between the warehouse and the workshop, and the need to ensure that the drainage ditches were made of blue bricks of uniform size for easy cleaning in the future.
Liang Minglang and Ji Yingxuan accompanied her.

Liang Minglang naturally stayed by her side. Although he didn't say anything, the workers' attitudes became noticeably more respectful with him around.