Chapter 103: Sister, I Regret It
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Qiao Mai searched online for how to plant rubber trees, how to harvest them, how to collect latex, and how to process them. She stored all this information in her mind.
She started looking for rubber tree seeds. Last time, she bought over three hundred types of seeds, so she should have them.
With a try-it-out attitude, she was surprised to find that she had them.
She grinned and cleared another ten acres of land, planting rubber tree seeds. Each seed was spaced ten meters apart, with four trees per hundred square meters. With over six thousand square meters in ten acres, she planted over sixty trees.
After watering them, she cleared another ten acres and planted them with reishi. Qiao Mai didn’t cultivate but immediately started planning her space.
She replanted ten acres at a time. This way, the space could double the amount of land.
Next, she planted herbs such as Epimedium, Tianma, Sangi, Snow Lotus, Polygonum Multiflorum, Eucommia, Poria, and Huoxiang. She filled the remaining land with valuable medicinal herbs.
Once these herbs matured, the land area in the space would increase by nearly five hundred acres.
When it was time to harvest, she would replant, making the land increase faster than before.
She couldn’t be lazy anymore. Qiao Mai urgently wanted to buy physical items online and hoped the space upgrade would save her the expensive cost of spirit stones.
On the 10th of August, the Feng family sent a gift to Lucky Garden, congratulating Shopkeeper Lu on her housewarming.
Holding a box of gifts, Shopkeeper Lu looked somewhat displeased as she called for Qiao Mai.
“Sister, can you believe this? We didn’t send invitations, so why are they sending gifts?”
“It might be a misunderstanding. They might think this is your housewarming, and since you didn’t invite them, they’re sending these out of ill will, or they genuinely want to congratulate us.”
“The former seems more likely. Their family isn’t that generous. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have remained in the middle class for many years.”
“Should we visit the Feng family to clear things up? It would be better than letting misunderstandings pile up and become more awkward later.”
“You should come with me. I won’t take no for an answer. You never got a chance before when you were busy with Ling’er, so now you must accompany me as my sister.”
“Alright, I’ll go with you.”
They instructed the maid to bring the carriage and set out for the county.
The Feng family’s residence was a three-in-three-out compound, about sixty to seventy percent new, with signs of repairs, suggesting they had been living there for a considerable time.
Once they arrived, they were met by a servant who led them inside.
“Inform the lady of the house that the Lu family from Tianshui Town has come to visit.”
Upon hearing this, the servant quickly bowed to them and hurried inside. It didn’t take long for the lady of the Feng family to greet them.
Their horse-drawn carriage didn’t enter the Feng residence. When the two families met, they warmly held hands.
“Oh my, I just had someone send a congratulatory gift, and you’re here in person?”
“It’s a bit awl«vard to accept the gift.”
“Why do you say that?”
“The house belongs to my younger sister. My two nieces and I are living with her. It’s not the Lu family’s new home.”
Madam Feng then noticed Qiao Mai standing to the side and asked, “Who is
“This is my younger sister.”
“Hello, Madam Feng.”
“Very well, please come inside. Come on in.”
“Let someone bring the gifts down from the carriage. It’s my younger sister’s first visit, and we can’t come empty-handed. These are some of the fine items from her shop. Please, have a taste.”
“No need to be so polite!”
The three entered the Feng residence’s living room, and Qiao Mai found herself a seat.
“Xin’er will get married at the new house?”
“Yes, my sister thought that since Lu family consists of just us three women, and with Xin’er getting married, we’d have even fewer people. She suggested that we move in together.”
“When should we go and pay our respects then? We wouldn’t want to get lost on the way when it’s time for the wedding.”
Shopkeeper Lu glanced at Qiao Mai, and Qiao Mai immediately understood. “I leave it to your discretion, Sister. It’s your home.”
“How about the 8th of September? The weather should be pleasant by then.”
“Sounds good to us.”
Lu Sanniang and Madam Feng conversed for a while. Qiao Mai remained quiet the whole time. Soon, Lu Sanniang wanted to leave.
However, Madam Feng insisted they stay for lunch.
Shopkeeper Lu and Qiao Mai had no choice but to stay for lunch. Madam Feng, Old Mister Feng, their servants, and their children were all present during lunch.
The atmosphere appeared festive, but upon closer inspection, their smiles did not reach their eyes, which seemed fake.
Seeing this, Qiao Mai had an unsettling feeling. While she had been trained as a special agent in her past life and knew how to handle different people and situations. she wanted to live according to her own values now.
After paying his respects to Shopkeeper Lu and Qiao Mai, he obediently sat on the side and began eating.
The Feng family had good manners and etiquette when it came to dining, and the atmosphere was pleasant, but it was primarily observed when they had guests.
Without Shopkeeper Lu and Qiao Mai, it was uncertain how the atmosphere would be.
After lunch, they headed back home. On the way, Shopkeeper Lu sighed.
“Sister, I regret it!”
“It’s too late now.”
“I know the consequences of breaking off a marriage.”
“It’s not that. It’s just that Xin’er has set her sights on Feng Yinshi. If we break the engagement, it’s like separating two people in love. We might face some divine retribution. ”
“I could tell their family was being overly warm. They must have ulterior motives.”
“Let’s take it one step at a time.”
“Forget about that. It’ll be the Mid-Autumn Festival soon. I need to make mooncakes. I had the oven built in the new house but haven’t used it yet.”
“The county and the prefectural city sell mooncakes now. You should know that your mooncakes are popular. The Qian family has made quite a profit from them.”
“I don’t care about them. I’ll make my own. Besides mooncakes, I’ll make something else. I still owe the town mayor a favor. I promised to give him a new recipe almost a year ago, so I should fulfill that promise.” “What is it?”
“I won’t tell you now. When I figure it out, I’ll let you taste it.”
After a good night’s rest, Qiao Mai began preparing the ingredients for mooncakes the next day.
She had built an oven in her new home when it was completed. Not only that, but she had also ordered a flat-bottomed frying pan from the blacksmith’s workshop. This pan could be used to make pancakes or pan-fry steaks.
She had not used it yet.
In the small kitchen, Qiao Mai, wearing an apron, worked diligently. With the experience from her first attempt, she was faster and more efficient.
Once everything was prepared, she started baking.
The aroma of mooncakes wafted through the air, attracting Old Mistress Wang, Xin’er, and a maid to Qiao Mai’s courtyard.
They saw the boxes filled with delicate mooncakes and the ones already baked on the table.
Taking a deep breath, Qiao Mai, still wearing her apron, greeted them with a smile.
“Please have a seat and help yourselves to the mooncakes.”
Yue Hong kept an eye on Ling’er while Yue Xia collected a couple of plates and picked a few mooncakes to place them on the table.
Old Mistress Wang divided one in half and handed it to Xin’er. “You should also try it.”
“Thank you, Old Mistress Wang.”
In recent days, she has been learning a lot from Old Mistress Wang, observing her walking style, speech patterns, and mannerisms. She was gradually adopting the demeanor of a young lady from a wealthy family.
Qiao Mai observed this transformation with satisfaction. As long as she could learn and adapt to her surroundings, it was a good thing.
She has the capability to not go with the flow, but Xin’er can’t. She belongs to this world and should follow the rules.
Qiao Mai hoped that these interactions would foster a closer relationship between the two. In the future, even if she wasn’t around, Xin’er could seek assistance from Old Mister Wang when needed.
“Hmm, the taste is great, quite similar to the pastries in the Capital. Did you provide the receipt to the Qian family?”
Qiao Mai smiled and nodded, neither confirming nor denying it.
“I knew it.”
“Yue Xia, please give each of us one so we can all have a taste..”
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