Chapter 224: Your Mother Is Amazing
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Immediately, Qiao Mai had someone prepare a courtyard for Nanny Jin. To avoid making Ling’er run back and forth, she had Ling’er, Yue Hong, and Yue Xia move to the same place. This arrangement was for Ling’er’s convenience and also for taking care of Nanny Jin.
Nanny Jin stayed in the main building, while Ling’er and the two others resided in the east wing rooms. Qiao Mai also added two maidservants to Nanny Jin’s courtyard.
Since it was Nanny Jin’s courtyard, it was named Jin Garden.
There were six subsidiary courtyards: the three brothers had one, Nanny Jin and Ling’er had one, Old Mistress Wang had one, the guards had one, and two were used as storage.
Nanny Jin didn’t feel like a stranger when she first arrived, and Ling’er also liked her. Ling’er guided her around the house.
“Teacher Jin, look; this is the playground my mother had built for me and my brothers. I usually play here, even in the rain and snow. There’s a transparent canopy above; it’s really nice!”
Nanny Jin couldn’t help but admire Qiao Mai’s humility. Ordinary families wouldn’t have such facilities.
Even the palace itself didn’t have them. She glanced up at the canopy; it was as transparent as a glass bottle. Providing shelter from the wind and rain was a grand gesture.
Honestly, it didn’t cost much; it was transparent corrugated steel Qiao Mai had bought on the platform.
She couldn’t buy it before because her space was too low-level Now that it was at Level Seven, she could purchase items up to five square meters in size. When it rained or snowed, the children didn’t have to stay indoors.
She bought it and had it installed, adding several amusement features inside.
These included a trampoline, an air mattress, a Lego kingdom, a small maze, and other recreational facilities for the children to enjoy.
All the children loved to play there and would gather whenever they had free time.
Seeing all these educational facilities, Nanny Jin was deeply impressed.
Next, Ling’er took her to the back to see the greenhouse. “Look, these were planted by my mother. While other families have no vegetables in winter, we do. Isn’t my mother amazing?”
Nanny Jin was impressed. Ling’er handed her a cucumber.
“Teacher Jin, try this. These cucumbers are clean and insect-free. Feel free to eat; I eat them this way.”
Nanny Jin accepted the cucumber, “Your mother is truly amazing!”
She took a bite. The cucumber was crisp, sweet, and fragrant, which immediately won her over.
“It’s delicious!”
“Of course. We planted five types of vegetables this year. We didn’t plant fruit, but if we wanted to eat fruit, it depended on my mother’s mood. Sometimes, when she’s in a good mood, she’ll plant a couple of varieties. We never run out of fruit.
“I see. Your place is well-stocked. I’ve seen quite a few things on your table.” Ling’er held her hand and took her to the cowshed and horse stable.
“These are dairy cows, specifically for our family’s milk consumption. We sell any surplus. When we first arrived, there was one pair, but now there are five. They’re all producing milk. Have you ever tried milk tea?”
“No.”
“I’ll take you to try it later; it’s delicious. My mother says there’s tea in it, so I’m not allowed to drink too much. These horses are our family’s. The big ones pull carts, and the small ones are our riding animals. If we get permission from Mother, we take them out for a ride.’
Nanny Jin was slightly overwhelmed by all the new information and listened as they walked.
“Madam, this is our deer park.”
“You keep deer here too?”
“We keep a lot of things. These deer are raised for their musk. We don’t slaughter poultry at home. Look, right next to it is a musk deer.”
“The ones that produce musk?”
“Yes. My mother says musk and musk deer are valuable, and much of our income comes from them, along with our snack shop.”
The more Nanny Jin saw, the more amazed she felt. This seemingly unremarkable woman had done so many impressive things.
Ling’er led her to the chicken and quail coops. “These two buildings are for raising chickens and quails. In the winter, they stay inside but roam outside in the summer.”
“What’s the point of raising them in the winter?”
“My mother says they’re like crops. When the weather is warm and they have plenty to eat, they lay eggs even in the winter. Our family’s eggs are expensive, but people buy them daily.”
“Indeed, who would spend money to let chickens sleep indoors in the winter?
When chickens don’t lay eggs in the winter, eggs become scarce.”
“Yes, but not in our house!”
“You know a lot for someone so young.”
“It’s all because of my mother teaching me.”
Ling’er introduced things like a little adult while they walked.
“Over there is the kitchen. If you want to eat something, tell the maids in our courtyard or the butler, and they will take care of it.”
“Alright, you’re smart!”
“See, other people grow flowers and such in their backyards, but my mother plants fruit trees and medicinal herbs in our open space. Everything is a valuable item, so our family is rich.”
“Right, efficient use of space is more cost-effective than buying land for farming. Your mother is indeed resourceful. What about those large tubs along the walls?”
Nanny Jin had got the wrong idea. These were just distractions Qiao Mai had set up to show the world where her wealth came from. The source of income was something else entirely.
“They are for pickling vegetables during the winter. We have pickled cabbage, spicy pickles, and pickled meat in there. We don’t pickle anything during the summer but fill them with water to prepare for droughts.”
“Oh my, your mother is an extraordinary woman. She plans so thoughtfully!” “That’s why our family hasn’t suffered from disasters in recent years.”
Unknowingly, they came to Qiao’s Small Eatery. The staff rarely saw the young miss.
“Miss Ling’er, why have you come?”
Ling’er squinted and smiled, “Look, I have a teacher now. I’m taking her out to get familiar with the place and try some of our snacks. Bring a little of everything from here, not too much, or it will go to waste. Also, bring us two cups of milk tea. Mine should be half a cup, and my teacher’s should be a full cup.”
Nanny Jin took a loving to this little adult, feeling that Madam Qiao had raised her daughter excellently.
She didn’t need to teach her in terms of conduct, just useful knowledge.
The teacher and student entered the shop. Nanny Jin was blown away. The place was full of counters and shelves, neatly filled with various pots and containers of fruits and vegetables. In the middle was a large open area with tables and chairs.
When they entered, there were already several people eating snacks at the tables.
The two found a corner to sit down, and the waiter brought a variety of snacks on small plates.
The milk tea was served. Ling’er was attentive in taking care of her guest. She lightly pushed the cup of milk tea toward Nanny Jin.
“Teacher Jin, be careful; the milk tea is hot. Here’s a straw. When you sip, try a little bit first. Once it’s warm, you can sip harder. Like this.”
Ling’er demonstrated for her. Nanny Jin laughed and pinched her cheek.
“Teacher Jin, try this; it’s sticky corn. The waiter has cut it into small pieces for you. It’s soft, chewy, and sweet. This is five-spice boiled peanuts, this is five-spice quail eggs, this is five-spice tea eggs, this is popcorn, and this is crispy rice.”
The variety of snacks was overwhelming. Nanny Jin tasted each one in turn.
She was genuinely surprised. Why weren’t these delicacies available in the capital? Why did they appear in such a small town?
The milk tea was just like those from the northern pastoral tribes, yet it was even better, lacking the strange taste and only filled with fragrance.
Ling’er introduced everything to her one by one, and soon the two were patting their bellies and looking at each other with understanding.
“I’m full. I can’t eat anymore.”
“You know, I’m eating my fill for the first time. Haha!”
“Tomorrow, I’ll take you to eat the cold noodles from the Liu family, spicy and sour noodles, instant noodles, deep-fried pancakes, and spicy mixed noodles. I sneak out to eat them sometimes. They’re so delicious. My mother taught them the recipe.”
“Let’s go back; it’s good to walk off some of the food on the way.”
“Yes, Teacher Jin!”
The two got up, and Ling’er waved to Shopkeeper Niu.
“Uncle Niu, my teacher and I are full. Please put the bill on my mother’s account.”
“Sure, little miss, take care!”
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