Most of the people who co to the palace as palace maids and eunuchs are from poor families.
Xu Yu is naturally the sa. It is said that she was bought into the palace when she was only seven or eight years old. However, after she entered the palace, her family maintained contact with her, which is quite rare in the palace.
Because although palace maids in the palace also have days when relatives visit, it is generally treated as a holiday, and relatives do not actually co to visit.
Only those palace maids whose families are near the capital or have relatives nearby occasionally have visitors.
Therefore, in this regard, people in the palace are quite envious of Xu Yu.
While eating, Manbao listened to Ma Fuming’s report and then said, "In that case, although Xu Yu’s family is poor, she should be having a decent life."
Manbao’s family had been poor before, and she always felt that physical poverty was nothing, as long as one’s heart was content, life would not be too hard.
Ma Fuming said, "I also feel that Xu Yu’s life is good, and many people in the palace envy her."
Compared to inner servants, the lives of palace maids are much better. Of course, this does not refer to food and clothing, but because palace maids can still have family contact, while inner servants sent to the palace basically have no such concept of family anymore.
Even if they do, it is just their own wishful thinking. Deep down, they know their families may no longer have much affection for them.
Not to ntion, they also have to constantly endure physical pain.
Even Ma Fuming, who didn’t know Xu Yu well before, couldn’t help but envy her after making inquiries.
Manbao and Bai Shan exchanged a glance and decided to investigate Xu Yu’s aunt and family after leaving the palace.
Yin Huo thanked Ma Fuming and only after he left did he say to Bai Shan, "I went to find Manbao yesterday and ran into Xu Yu in her yard. I didn’t notice anything different about her. Are you sure you didn’t misunderstand?"
Manbao thought: I might be mistaken, but Keke would never be wrong. Xu Yu did secretly look at her several tis, and on one or two occasions, she sensed a faint hostility from Xu Yu.
Bai Shan thought: I might be wrong, but Uncle Zhou would certainly not be mistaken, right?
He doesn’t believe any villain can hide in front of Uncle Zhou, but unfortunately, Uncle Zhou seems only able to stay near Manbao and can’t constantly keep an eye on evildoers.
Last ti, when Uncle Zhou watched over the Crown Prince was to offer so livestock as tribute, maybe...
Bai Shan turned to Manbao and said, "When we have a break, I’ll ask Fourth Brother Zhou to reserve a cow for ; I don’t know if he’s registered them all."
Manbao understood and lanted, "I forgot about this."
She thought to Keke: "I forgot, how could you forget too?"
Keke: "...Host, I didn’t scan the cow your fourth brother brought back."
Not scanning it ans it doesn’t exist in its database, so it naturally didn’t remind the host to record it.
Zhou SiLang did not drive the hundred cows he bought into the city; he is not reckless, where would he put so many cows in the city?
Moreover, feeding them was also an issue.
So they left the cows outside the city, set up several farmhouse courtyards, and had people guard them.
His intention was to enter the city to discuss with Manbao and Bai Shan whether they could temporarily place the cows at the Bai Family’s manor, as he knew the Bai Family had a manor near the capital, close to Yongzhou.
Unexpectedly, his parents ca to the capital, and coincidentally, Bai Dalang was getting married. He couldn’t help but have a few more drinks, and exhausted and weary, he slept until the next day at dawn.
But he no longer had to worry about the cows because Manbao took a farm field to cultivate, giving him plenty of space to settle them.
The next day, except for Zhou Liulang, who was running a restaurant, and so children going to the study and pharmacy to learn, everyone else followed him out of the city to Pu Village.
Of course, before going to Pu Village, Zhou Liulang first took them to see the cows and people outside the capital.
Then, the group delivered the hundred cows to Pu Village.
They set off in the morning, but since cows walk slower than horse-drawn carriages, they only arrived after lunchti.
The Chief of Pu Village and tenant farrs saw the large procession of cows and were so shocked their mouths hung open, unable to utter a word.
The Chief was the first to co to his senses, imdiately went up to Old Zhou, repeatedly bowing and praising, "Old Master Zhou, such noble righteousness! Lord Zhou truly embodies a healer’s benevolent heart, bringing so many cows for us."
Old Zhou: ...
Zhou SiLang was afraid his father would agree to sothing in the heat of the mont and imdiately squeezed in to speak. His father was already responding quickly, "Chief, you’ve misunderstood; the cows are for sale."
The Chief’s expression stiffened, turning his head rigidly to look at the cows, trembling lips asking, "For sale?"
Old Zhou nodded and smiled, "If anyone in the village wants to buy, I’ll let my fourth son give you a bit of a discount."
The Chief straightened up, thinking: Forget it; we’re barely able to eat, let alone buy cows; we can’t even afford a piglet.
Disappointnt was visible on the villagers’ faces.
Old Zhou didn’t mind, thinking, how long did it take for their family to afford a cow? Would he give them away for free?
He’d rather drive them back to Qili Village than gift them!
However, while he wouldn’t give them away, he could let them temporarily use them for farming; after all, winter wheat needed planting, and these tenants hadn’t even begun the necessary ground preparation.
Moreover, the cows needed training, and registering them took ti, so he let them use them for now.
The villagers went from great joy to great sorrow, and then from sorrow to a bit of joy, overall quite pleased, all fixing their bright eyes on the cows.
Zhou SiLang smiled amiably and said, "I hear from my niece you have a hundred households; coincidentally, I have a hundred cows here. Each family can take one ho temporarily, but you’ll be responsible for the fodder."
Everyone naturally agreed without any objection.
Old Zhou added from the side, "Be careful not to overwork them; these cows were bought from the grasslands and have traveled a long way to get here, quite a hardship."
Relative to caring for cows, all of Pu Village combined couldn’t match Old Zhou’s dedication; he personally tended to their cows.
After New Year, Old Master Bai even sent them a bull and a cow, said to have been bought by Manbao long ago, and by the ti he ca out, the cow was already pregnant...
Thinking of this, Old Zhou couldn’t help but feel hosick.
Just as he was thinking, Zhou SiLang and a few others had already cheerfully started distributing the cows. This thod secured them a place to stay and solved the issue of feed, quite simple indeed.
Zhou SiLang quietly said to Zhou Dalang, "Manbao is clever, knowing I’d need a place and preparing one well in advance."
Zhou Dalang, however, was looking at people working in the distance and asked, "What are they doing over there?"
Zhou SiLang took a glance and said, "Building a house, I guess. Didn’t Manbao say she’d build a little manor here, convenient for you and father to live and also for us to stay?"
Zhou Dalang was surprised, "Why haven’t I heard her ntion this?"
Zhou SiLang pointed to Zhou Lijun not far away and said, "Lijun ntioned it, also said Bai Shan and Bai Family’s Second Young Master contributed money.
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