Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Upon returning to the estate, Liu Wenying encountered Xue Bi.

Xue Bi cupped his hands in greeting, his gaze sweeping across her neck.

"The Oriole Sings Early".

"Good morning to you too." Liu Wenying subconsciously tidied her hair again.

"Is Wenying bitten by an insect on her neck? There are some insect-repelling herbs in the village."

Bringing up a sore spot, Liu Wenying's cheeks flushed, and she mumbled, "Perhaps the window wasn't closed properly last night, and some mosquitoes flew in."

"I have to go now, I have things to do."

The two passed each other.

Xue Bi stood still, his thin lips gradually tightening.

Pei Zeyu...

After the Frost's Descent, Zhiyun Manor ushered in a true harvest.

Liu Wenying stood at the entrance of the weaving room, watching the last piece of brocade being unloaded from the loom.

She reached out and gently stroked it; it was smooth and delicate to the touch, truly like clouds and snow.

A smile unconsciously crept onto her lips as she turned to the weavers behind her and said, "This batch can be packed up now."

The weavers responded immediately, their movements nimble and efficient.

Since arriving at Zhiyun Manor, Liu Wenying has personally overseen every step of the process.

From selecting silk, boiling cocoons, reeling silk, to weaving on the loom, every step is carefully controlled.

The old bad habits of managers withholding materials and doing perfunctory work have been completely eradicated.

The fabrics woven now are so evenly colored without any impurities, and so supple and smooth that they can reflect a person's image.

"Boss, feel this horse."

An elderly weaver brought over a bolt of satin, her eyes filled with pride.

"I've been weaving cloth for over twenty years, and I've never produced anything of such high quality."

Liu Wenying took it and examined it closely against the light.

The satin surface has fine and even warp and weft, and under the light, it flows with varying shades of blue.

She nodded in approval, saying, "With over twenty years of experience, my skills have naturally become increasingly refined."

Three days later, the silk was carefully packed into boxes and sent to the capital.

The destination was a silk shop owned by the Duke of Yu's mansion.

Liu Wenying didn't have high hopes.

After all, she hasn't been at Zhiyun Manor for long. It would be good if she could clean up the mess at Zhiyun Manor and deliver the goods on time.

Unexpectedly, on the fifth day after the goods were delivered, people from the capital arrived.

The man who arrived was the manager of a silk and satin merchant shop in the capital. His surname was Qin, and he was about fifty years old, lean and capable.

When he saw Liu Wenying, he could not hide his surprise.

They probably never expected that the person in charge of Zhiyun Manor would be such a young woman.

Manager Qin stroked the new satin, praising it repeatedly:

"Excellent material, truly excellent material! The quality of this silk is comparable to that of the top weaving workshops in Jiangnan. The color is perfect, the feel is smooth, and the weaving is impeccable."

He immediately placed an order for another three months' worth of goods, offering twice the price he had paid for the villa in previous years.

"If this estate weren't part of the Duke's estate, I would have loved to buy it all."

Manager Qin rubbed his hands together, half-jokingly and half-seriously saying, "Boss Liu, it's a pity that your skills are buried in the countryside."

Liu Wenying simply smiled and said, "Manager, you flatter me. The reason why Zhiyun Manor is where it is today is the result of the concerted efforts of everyone in the manor."

After seeing Manager Qin off, she immediately wrote a letter to report the good news to Madam Wen Jingshu.

The letter detailed the quality and price of the silk, as well as Manager Qin's comments.

Finally, she added: "This servant has not failed in her mission."

The reply came quickly, and Wen Jingshu's handwriting was elegant and beautiful.

Wenying has worked hard. Now that the farm affairs are on track, you can go and do your job.

In the last few days of autumn, money flowed into Zhiyun Manor like water.

Liu Wenying asked Xue Bi to write it down in the account book.

Afterwards, he presented the account book to Liu Wenying for review.

"After deducting costs and labor, the net profit has increased fivefold compared to the same period last year. According to the rules previously set by the estate, it's time to distribute dividends to the tenants and farmers."

On the day of the dividend distribution, Zhiyun Manor was bustling like never before.

The villagers lined up to receive their money, their faces beaming with joy.

"I've lived most of my life, and this is the first time I've ever seen so much money..."

"We're so glad we can have a good New Year. We've bought new clothes for the whole family."

"Liu Zhuangtou is truly a bodhisattva reincarnated, leading us to a good life!"

Standing under the eaves, Liu Wenying looked at the smiling faces in the courtyard and felt a long-lost sense of peace welling up in her heart.

Xue Bi walked to her side and handed her a cup of hot tea.

"Wenying's hard work these past few days has not been in vain."

Liu Wenying took it and noticed faint dark circles under his eyes.

The whole village has been very busy these days, and he has stayed up many nights.

"Xue Bi has also worked hard," she said sincerely.

The next day, the host sent people again.

When the carriage stopped in front of the manor gate, it was magnificent, with red wheels and a canopy.

Liu Wenying is checking the quality of a new batch of silk threads in the weaving room.

Granny Wang rushed in, panting, to report: "Head of the estate! The First Madam has arrived!"

Liu Wenying loosened the silk thread in her hand, quickly straightened her clothes and hair, and hurried out to greet them.

A large crowd had already gathered in front of the manor gate.

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a hand adorned with a jade bracelet rested on the maid's arm. Then, Wen Jingshu slowly leaned out of the carriage.

Liu Wenying hurried forward, curtsied, and said, "Greetings, Madam! You've only just recovered? Why have you come in person?"

Wen Jingshu was wearing a lilac-colored jacket and a silver fox fur coat today, and her complexion was much better than when we last met.

She helped Liu Wenying up, examined her closely, and looked at her with approval in her eyes.

Wen Jingshu smiled and said, "I heard you've managed the estate very well, so I couldn't sit still and came to see for myself."

As she spoke, her gaze swept over the area inside and outside the manor gate.

The lintel was clean, the stone steps were spotless, and even the gatekeepers were neatly dressed and in high spirits.

Liu Wenying personally helped Wen Jingshu to the main hall.

The observant old woman ran to gather the villagers, and soon the hall was packed with people.

Wen Jingshu sat down at the head of the main hall, and Zizhu served her hot tea.

She took the teacup but didn't drink it immediately, instead looking at everyone in the hall.

"I've been looking at the accounts of Zhiyun Manor these days. In the past, we broke even every year, or even lost money. But this year, the net profit has increased fivefold. I'm sure everyone knows who deserves the credit."

The villagers below listened with bated breath, and some of those who had previously gossiped about him quietly lowered their heads.

Wen Jingshu put down her teacup and waved to Liu Wenying.

Liu Wenying stepped forward, and Wen Jingshu took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and put it on Liu Wenying's wrist herself.

Wen Jingshu squeezed her hand. "This bracelet came from my family home to the Duke's mansion. I'm giving it to you today not for anything else, but for your spirit and ability."

The jade bracelet is warm to the touch.

Liu Wenying's eyes welled up slightly, and she curtsied, saying, "Thank you for the reward, Madam."

Wen Jingshu turned to the crowd, her tone becoming serious, "Also, I heard that when Wen Ying first arrived, some people gossiped behind her back, saying that she rose to power by breastfeeding her child, and that she was just lucky."

The hall was eerily silent.

Wen Jingshu slowly surveyed the crowd: "Now that real gold and silver are laid out before us, who still has any objections?"

No one dared to answer.

"In that case, from now on, what Wenying says will be equivalent to what I say."

"She is in charge of all affairs in the manor. If anyone is disobedient, negligent, or disrespectful..."

She paused, and before she could finish speaking, everyone bowed in unison: "We humbly obey the Madam's command!"

After the lecture was finished and everyone dispersed, Liu Wenying accompanied Wen Jingshu on a slow walk around the estate.

The village at the end of autumn has a unique scenery. The sound of looms can be heard incessantly in the weaving room. When the weavers see the First Madam arrive, they all rise and bow.

Wen Jingshu paused at the entrance of the weaving room, looking at the busy scene inside, and sighed softly, "I never expected you could do this much."

Liu Wenying helped her up, saying as they walked, "Madam, you flatter me."

"The foundation of Zhiyun Manor was severely damaged. This year, we were lucky, and the price of silk in the capital rose. I only managed to weave some decent fabric by keeping a close watch day and night."

"The soil in the mulberry fields damaged by the former manager needs to be gradually restored. The silkworm eggs also need to be carefully selected and cultivated."

"This servant, along with Granny Wang and several experienced silkworm farmers, have discussed a plan. If all goes well, we can expect to harvest 30% more silkworms next spring."

She paused, then looked up at Wen Jingshu.

"But these things can't be rushed; we have to take it one year at a time."

Wen Jingshu was so intelligent, how could she not understand the deeper meaning in Liu Wenying's words?

"Wenying, tell me the truth, what are your plans for the future?"

Liu Wenying remained silent for a moment, then suddenly knelt down in front of Wen Jingshu.

"Madam, I have a request for you."

"you say."

Liu Wenying took a deep breath and said, "This servant wishes to leave the manor."

…………