Chapter 61: Buying the Land

In a certain house in the county city.

Nie Huiyang pushed the door open and walked into the courtyard. He said with a serious expression, “Boss, if we don’t get a job soon, our Chaoyang Building will be disbanded.”

An Shanwu’s face was filled with worry. “Every time we get a job, another building team will snatch it away at a lower price. There’s nothing I can do now.”

Nie Huiyang patted the back of his hand. “Boss, we can’t just sit around and wait for death.”

An Shanwu looked at Nie Huiyang. “Then do you have any ideas?”

Nie Huiyang avoided his gaze and said without much confidence, “If only I had.”

The two of them sighed in unison and fell into sorrow.

Suddenly, a beautiful woman’s voice came from outside the door. “Brother

Shanwu, Brother Huiyang, are you there?”

The two of them looked up at the door. Then, An Shanwu stood up and walked towards the door happily.

When he saw who it was, he couldn’t help but shout in surprise, “Sister Ruyue?” Shen Ruyue smiled. “Brother Shanwu, I was afraid that you wouldn’t be home.” An Shanwu glanced at Chu Qingzhi and her siblings behind Shen Ruyue and said enthusiastically, “Come in, come in.”

The four of them entered the courtyard.

When Nie Huiyang saw Shen Ruyue, he quickly fetched some tea

There was a set of tables and chairs made of wood in the courtyard. There were unique carvings on them. An Shanwu asked the four of them to sit down.

Chu Qingzhi and Shen Ruyue sat down. The two little ones stood behind Chu Qingzhi.

Nie Huiyang brought the tea to the table and said enthusiastically, “Sister

Ruyue, Miss, please have some tea.”

An Shanwu asked with concern, “Sister Ruyue, you…”

Shen Ruyue knew what An Shanwu wanted to ask. She smiled and said, “This girl beside me is called Chu Qingzhi. She saved me from prison. The two children arc Qingzhi’s younger brothers.”

When Nie Huiyang heard this, he quickly went into the house to get two apples for Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao. “Little Brothers, cat.”

With Chu Qingzhi’s permission, the two young boys took the apples. “Thank you, Uncle.”

Nie Huiyang smiled, revealing his white teeth. “What a polite child.”

An Shanwu, Nie Huiyang, and Shen Ruyue were orphans who grew up together.

An Shanwu learned how to build a house from others when he was 12 years old. He was quick on the uptaking. When he was 20 years old, he established the building team called the Chaoyang Building.

When Nie Huiyang found out that An Shanwu needed a helper, he came over to join him.

Shen Ruyue was sweet-looking. She went to a rich family to be a servant girl and relied on her smart brain to secretly learn to read and write. She was promoted and became Madam’s personal servant girl. It was just that the madam she followed wasn’t a good one.

The three of them caught up with each other for a while before getting down to business.

Shen Ruyue unfolded the blueprint of the bungalow and handed it to An Shanwu. “Brother Shanwu, Qingzhi wants to build such a house. Take a look.” An Shanwu took the blueprint and looked at it carefully.

A few minutes later, he said, “No problem, but it will take a longer time. Moreover, it will cost at least 200 taels to build this house.”

Chu Qingzhi secretly observed An Shanwu. This person didn’t look cunning. He had a calm temperament, which meant that he was not someone who liked to boast. “My budget is 1,000 taels of silver.”

An Shanwu could not help but look sideways at Chu Qingzhi. The girl was dressed like a peasant girl. Was she joking when she said that she would spend 1,000 taels to build a house.

An Shanwu asked in a friendly tone, “Miss, did you say 1,000 taels just now, not 100 taels.”

Even if it was 100 taels, ordinary farmers would not be able to fork it out in their entire lives.

Shen Ruyue laughed and reminded him, “Brother Shanwu, don’t judge a book by its cover.”

An Shanwu quickly explained, “I don’t mean anything bad. I just feel that 1,000 taels is too much…”

Shen Ruyue thought to herself. Chu Qingzhi was now earning more than a hundred taels of silver a day. A thousand taels of silver was only a matter of a few days. Moreover, Qingzhi was about to start another business. She would definitely make a fortune.

Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “It’s fine. I can afford it but I don’t have the building materials.”

An Shanwu understood what Chu Qingzhi meant. “Don’t worry, Miss. Leave the materials to us. We will help you purchase them. With your budget, we will definitely use the best materials.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “In that case, come and take a look at the building side tomorrow and prepare for construction.”

An Shanwu was overjoyed. “Okay.”

After discussing some details and finalizing some things, Chu Qingzhi bade farewell to them and left.

At the county office.

Recently, the county city had been very peaceful. There were only some small fights, so the county magistrate was very free.

The secretary was also very free. He walked into the inner hall. “My lord, Chu Qingzhi is here to buy land.”

The county magistrate’s hand that was holding the teacup paused. “That smart girl who solved a case for us?”

The secretary nodded. “Yes.”

The county magistrate looked up and thought for a moment. “Which land is she going to buy?”

The secretary said, “It’s that piece of wasteland in their village. The Chu Village is a big village, but many people have become rich and moved to the county city, so that piece of land has been unoccupied.”

The county magistrate pondered for a moment. “How big is the wasteland?”

The secretary replied, “It’s about the size of two acres. Behind that piece of wasteland is a small mountain.”

The county magistrate waved his hand. “Sell it to her. Remember to be nice to her. If we need this girl’s help one day, she won’t refuse us.”

The county magistrate had always been good at judging people.

The secretary replied, “I’ll do it immediately.”

Chu Qingzhi came out of the county office with two title deeds in her hand. One was for the wasteland, and the other was for the small mountain behind it.

After settling the matter, Chu Qingzhi said, “Let’s go to the market.”

Today, Chu Qingzhi wanted to treat Tang Jinghong to a meal. She planned to personally cook something to thank Tang Jinghong for his help.

At the military camp.

In the tent, Tang Jinghong had been dealing with work for the entire morning.

At the door, the soldier said, “General, it’s noon.”

Tang Jinghong had been very busy these past two days. He asked the soldier to remind him to go to Chu Qingzhi’s house for lunch.

He was especially curious about what Chu Qingzhi would cook for him.

After hearing the soldier’s voice, he put down his pen and stretched his body. He stood up and walked out of the tent.

He placed one hand behind his back and walked lightly with a happy expression.

The passing soldiers could not help but look at their general. What good things happened? The general, who always pulled a long face, was actually smiling.

They were all very curious..

Chapter 62: Treat

Seeing that everyone was looking at him strangely, Tang Jinghong quickly cleared his throat and restrained himself.

When he thought of that girl, he would unconsciously be happy.

Fang Zerong bumped into Tang Jinghong on the way. Seeing that Tang Jinghong seemed to be different from usual, he could not help but ask, “General, where are you going?”

Tang Jinghong said, “I’m going to that girl’s house to eat.”

Fang Zerong’s eyes lit up. “General, can you bring me along?”

Tang Jinghong glanced at Fang Zerong’s expectant face and pretended not to see it. “She only invited me.”

Fang Zerong was a little disappointed, but when he saw Tang Jinghong’s happy expression, a bold guess appeared in his mind.

He lowered his voice and asked, “General, do you like that girl?”

Tang Jinghong choked on his own saliva. “Don’t spout nonsense. It will affect Miss Chu’s reputation.”

“General, why are you so excited?” Fang Zerong rambled on. “General, at your age, you are supposed to get married and even have children long ago. If it were any other man, he would have had several children already. You, on the other hand, have never visited a brothel or taken a fancy to any girl. You don’t even like the princess. What kind of girl do you like?”

At this point, he couldn’t help but mutter, “General, are you…”

Tang Jinghong’s face darkened. “I’m straight. If you dare to spout nonsense again, I’ll send you back to the palace.”

With that, he strode away.

Fang Zerong looked at Tang Jinghong’s steady and tall back and suddenly smiled. It looked like the general was about to fall in love.

In Chu Village.

Tang Jinghong walked into the village and bumped into Tang Dengping, his half-brother.

Tang Dengping carried a box and looked at Tang Jinghong in shock.

Tang Jinghong stood on the spot and looked at Tang Dengping calmly. Just as he was about to speak to him, Tang Dengping actually lowered his head and walked away as if he did not see him.

Tang Jinghong smiled bitterly. Half-brothers were also brothers. Why were they so distant?

He turned around and looked at Tang Dengping’s back. He was carrying a huge box. His back was slightly bent, and his footsteps were a little hurried, as if he was avoiding something.

He retracted his gaze and slowly walked towards Chu Qingzhi’s house.

Tang Jinghong had just walked to the entrance of Chu Qingzhi’s house when he smelled an alluring fragrance. He couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

It smelled so good. What was this girl cooking?

Without hesitation, he walked towards the kitchen.

Chu Qingzhi was cooking something in the pot with a spatula. The pot was steaming, enveloping the surroundings in a fragrance that made people salivate.

Li Qingyu was the first to see Tang Jinghong. A smile appeared on her face. “Jinghong is here?”

Tang Jinghong greeted politely, “Granny Chu, Auntie, Qingzhi.”

Only the three of them were in the kitchen. The others were busy with their own matters. Now, everyone in the Chu family had something to do.

Chu Qingzhi turned to look at Tang Jinghong and said very naturally, “Jinghong, wait for a while. The dishes will be ready soon.”

“Okay.” Tang Jinghong smiled and nodded.

His gaze landed on Chu Qingzhi. The little girl was wearing an ordinary farm girl’s clothes. Her hair was tied into a high ponytail and she had a simple hairpin. Her body was still so thin, but she was always in high spirits. Her eyes were especially clear and bright.

Unknowingly, his heart beat fast.

When the food was served, everyone took their seats.

When Chu Qingzhi saw that the table was too small for the family, she thought to herself that when the new house was built, she would definitely buy a long dining table.

At the thought of this, she felt that she could start purchasing the furniture.

No one knew the dishes Chu Qingzhi prepared today, so she explained it to everyone.

“The meatbail is called Jinling Meatballs.”

“The pancake is called the Golden Fragrance Pancake. It’s made with shrimp and pork. It’s very delicious.”

“The duck soup is called three sets of duck. The soup is very delicious. You must try it.”

“That plate of chicken is called white-cut chicken. There’s dipping sauce beside it. I specially made it.”

“The last dish is called fish biting sheep. It’s also very delicious.”

“Alright, now, let’s eat”

The corners of Tang Jinghong’s lips curled up slightly. Where did this girl learn to cook these? He was considered knowledgeable, but he had never seen any of these dishes.

Grandpa Chu urged Tang Jinghong with a smile. “Jinghong, eat while it’s warm. Qingzhi made the dishes herself today. She usually doesn’t enter the kitchen.”

Tang Jinghong smiled and said, “Grandpa, you eat too.”

Grandpa Chu was smiling every day. “Alright, alright, alright. Let’s eat together…”

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and ate happily.

? ? After dinner, Chu Qingzhi brought Tang Jinghong to the wasteland.

Chu Qingzhi pointed at the barren land and said, “I bought this piece of land.

By the way, the county office gave me that mountain for free.”

Tang Jinghong glanced sideways. “For free?”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “Yes, I think it’s very strange.”

Tang Jinghong thought for a moment and figured it out. “The mountain is not worth much. I think he is trying to rope you in by giving this mountain to you.” “Roping me in?” Chu Qingzhi thought for a moment. He must have taken a fancy to her ability to solve cases. “This county magistrate is quite good at doing things. Now, if he wants my help, it’ll be difficult for me to reject him.” Chu Qingzhi tilted her head and looked at Tang Jinghong. “By the way, there’s something I want to ask you.”

Tang Jinghong raised his eyebrows slightly. “What is it?”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Do you know any porcelain master?”

“You want to learn how to make porcelain?” Tang Jinghong sized Chu Qingzhi up. This little girl knew enough, yet she still wanted to learn.

Chu Qingzhi waved her hand. “It’s not me. I want to find a master for Chu Sixth. She has the talent to make porcelain. If she can learn from a good master, her future will be bright.”

Tang Jinghong lowered his eyes and thought for a moment. “There’s a porcelain master. His son joined the army with me. I saved his son’s life. I can help you.”

“That’s great!” Chu Qingzhi was a little surprised. “When are you free? Let’s visit this master.”

Tang Jinghong looked at Chu Qingzhi’s sparkling eyes and suddenly felt that the little girl was very beautiful. “You can set the time. Tell me in advance. I’ll take time out.”

Chu Qingzhi thought about the schedule for the next few days. “Let’s go the day after tomorrow.”

Tang Jinghong nodded. “Okay.”

Chu Qingzhi said, “Then what does the porcelain master like? We should at least bring something.”

Tang Jinghong shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll ask his son before telling you.” “Then I’ll have to trouble you.” Chu Qingzhi did not stand on ceremony.

Tang Jinghong chuckled. “You don’t have to be so polite..”

Chapter 63: Discussing Business

The Tang family.

Tang Dengping rushed home after selling the ice cream bars. He went straight to see his mother and hurriedly said, “Mother, I saw Elder Brother.”

Zhang Xiuqin was washing clothes. When she heard this, she was stunned. “Where did you see him?”

“At the entrance of our village.” Tang Dengping saw that his mother didn’t seem to know, so he asked hesitantly, “Didn’t he come home?”

Zhang Xiuqin continued to wash the clothes and said indifferently, “No, I didn’t see him.”

Tang Dengping was puzzled. “Why didn’t he come back?”

Zhang Xiuqin didn’t like Tang Jinghong. It would be best if he never came back. “It’s good that he didn’t come back. Sell the ice cream bars to earn money. When you save enough money, I’ll find a wife for you.”

Tang Dengping couldn’t help but feel smug. He had a mother, but Tang Jinghong didn’t, so no matter what, he had his mother to worry about him and help. Tang Jinghong could only be chased out of the house.

“Mother, are you really not going to care about Elder Brother? If I marry before he gets married, others will gossip, right?”

Zhang Xiuqin threw away the clothes and said angrily, “Who dares to gossip? If anyone gossips, I’ll get them to marry Tang Jinghong.”

Tang Dengping laughed. “Mother, that’s a good idea.”

Zhang Xiuqin said in a low voice, “Listen to me. In the future, pretend that you don’t know him when you see Tang Jinghong. No matter what happens to him, it has nothing to do with you.”

At the same time, she cursed in her heart. He was lazy and deserved to be alone.

Tang Dengping said proudly, “When I saw him today, I pretended not to see him. He wanted to talk to me, but when he opened his mouth, I ran away.” He suddenly felt that Tang Jinghong was very pitiful, like a stray dog.

Zhang Xiuqin waved her hand. “It’s fine. Anyway, your father is on our side.”

“Yes.” Tang Dengping nodded. “By the way, Mother, it’s almost the Dragon Boat Festival. Do you want to call Tang Jinghong home for dinner?” He no longer called Tang Jinghong Elder Brother!

Zhang Xiuqin frowned. “Why should we call him back? He’ll only eat our food when he comes back.”

Tang Dengping agreed and nodded. “I understand, Mother.”

? ? The young general came to pick up the ice cream bars again. This time, there were 10,000 pieces.

After Chu Qingzhi sent the convoy off, she went to the wasteland. Then, she found ten strong villagers to help her get rid of the weeds on the wasteland and the mountain.

The mountain looked like it occupied ten acres of land. There were no trees.

She planned to use it to grow precious herbs.

There was no need to plant too many. Just twenty types would do.

Before that, she needed to collect herb seeds.

However, this was not urgent. She had to build the house first.

In the afternoon, Chu Xuhua rushed to the wasteland. “Fifth Sister, I brought back a boss. He said that he has something to discuss with you.”

Chu Qingzhi was cutting grass with a sickle. When she heard this, she stood up. “Boss?”

Chu Xuhua said excitedly, “Yes, he’s the boss of a restaurant.”

“Let’s go.” Chu Qingzhi placed the sickle on the ground and walked home with Chu Xuhua. “Brother, when we discuss business later, stay and listen. Try to learn as much as possible. In the future, you have to discuss business yourself. Do you understand what I mean?”

Chu Xuhua was slightly stunned. “Fifth Sister, what do you mean?”

“What I mean is that I’ll hand over these businesses to you in the future.” Chu Qingzhi smiled and said, “Brother, you can’t keep me at home for the rest of my life, right?”

Chu Xuhua had never thought of taking over the business. When he suddenly heard this, he panicked and quickly refused. “No, no, no. Fifth Sister, even if you get married, these businesses will still be yours. Your brothers and sisters will help you.”

Chu Qingzhi glanced at Chu Xuhua and smiled. “Brother, you don’t have to be nervous. Even if I give you the businesses, you can still give me dividends, right?”

Chu Xuhua shook his head. “Fifth Sister, I know very well what I’m capable of. I’m not cut out for business.”

Chu Qingzhi thought to herself that her brother really didn’t realize his potential. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Since the beginning, Chu Xuhua had displayed great interest in doing business.

When he was doing things, as long as he was the person in charge, he would arrange it in an orderly manner. He was extremely efficient and had never made any mistakes.

The ideas he came up with were also very pragmatic and effective. If something unexpected happened, he would immediately find a solution.

If he was nurtured well, he would definitely be a business genius.

“Brother, no matter what, you have to do what I want you to do seriously.” She only wanted to slack off. She had cultivated for hundreds of years without stopping and was too tired.

Chu Xuhua nodded solemnly. “I’ll do my best.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded.

?? Walking into the central room, Chu Qingzhi saw a fat middle-aged man dressed in expensive clothes sitting on a chair and eating an ice cream bar with a look of enjoyment.

Shen Ruyue accompanied the guest at the side. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

When she saw Chu Qingzhi return, she immediately stood up and introduced the fat middle-aged man to her. “Qingzhi, this is Shopkeeper Zhou from Fuyuan Restaurant in the county city. He’s looking for you for something.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded at Shen Ruyue.

When Shopkeeper Zhou saw Chu Qingzhi, his sparkling eyes revealed obvious surprise. This was a little girl. How could she make something like ice cream bars?

However, he still bowed. “Greetings, Miss Chu.”

Chu Qingzhi said politely, “Shopkeeper Zhou, please sit. Let’s talk slowly.”

Shopkeeper Zhou sat back in his chair and said with a smile, “Okay.”

Chu Qingzhi gave Shen Ruyue and Chu Xuhua a look and asked them to sit down and listen. Then, she said to Shopkeeper Zhou, “Shopkeeper Zhou, we’re all straightforward people. If you have something to say, just say it.”

“Alright, I like Miss Chu’s personality.” Shopkeeper Zhou rubbed his hands and said excitedly, “Then I’ll be straightforward. Miss Chu, can you tailor-make some ice cream bars for me?”

Chu Qingzhi asked, “How do you want me to tailor-make it?”

Shopkeeper Zhou described, “For example, make some special shapes. It doesn’t have to be too big, but it has to be more exquisite. It will be provided to the esteemed guests who came to the restaurant to eat.”

Chu Qingzhi said patiently, “Shopkeeper Zhou, please tell me in detail. What’s the special shape?”

Shopkeeper Zhou thought for a moment. “How about this? Make ice cream bars the shape of twelve zodiac signs. I’ll give you five taels of silver for a set of twelve zodiac signs.”

Chu Qingzhi had no reason to refuse this business. “Sure, but Boss Zhou, you can’t sell the ice cream bars to outsiders. You can only sell it in your restaurant. We can provide you with a hundred sets every day. What do you think?”

Shopkeeper Zhou agreed. “No problem, but Miss Chu, there is another problem.”

Chu Qingzhi said politely, “Shopkeeper Zhou, please speak.”

This was what troubled Shopkeeper Zhou the most. “Miss Chu, do you have a way to stop the ice cream bar from melting? I don’t have ice storage here, so…”

Chu Qingzhi smiled faintly and said, “I’ll help you deal with this problem.”

Shopkeeper Zhou was overjoyed. “That’s great.”

Then, the two of them discussed some details and signed a contract. After that, Shopkeeper Zhou returned in satisfaction..

Chapter 64: Scheme

Chu Qingzhi came to the forest and chose a box tree. She used a spell to carve a set of twelve zodiac molds. The carvings were the size of her palm, and they were vivid and lifelike.

Then, she started looking for fruits or vegetables of different colors.

After a round of selection, she chose pears, bananas, loquats, mulberries, and strawberries. She could mix them up to make the colors that she didn’t have.

Once the ingredients were ready, she could start making them.

Chu Qingzhi picked four girls who were meticulous to do it with her.

Because they had to adjust the color, they had to be very careful. If they were not careful enough, they would mess it up.

When the four girls were chosen by Qingzhi, they were so happy that they bounced around. They had long wanted to come. If they worked with her, they would earn three taels a month. They could not even earn so much money in a year.

Hence, when they were working, they were very serious. They were afraid that Chu Qingzhi would be dissatisfied and tell them to go back.

They were very quick on the uptaking and managed to produce a hundred sets of ice cream bars with the Twelve Zodiac signs at night.

Chu Qingzhi stopped Chu Xuhua, who was about to go and unload the goods. “Brother, send the ice cream bars to Shopkeeper Zhou tomorrow morning.”

Chu Xuhua looked at Chu Qingzhi with admiration. “Got it, Fifth Sister.”

Chu Qingzhi called the four girls in front of her and instructed, “In the future, you girls will be in charge of making the zodiac ice cream bars. After you finish, you can get off work.”

Chu Xiaotang was overjoyed and thanked her. “Thank you, Sister Qingzhi.”

Chu Qingzhi smiled and nodded. “Thank you today. Go home and rest early.”

“Okay.” The four girls happily went home.

On the way, Chu Xialan said happily, “Xiaotang, I feel like I’m dreaming.”

Chu Xiaotang nodded vigorously. “Me too, me too. In the future, we can earn money to support our family. I’m so happy.”

Chu Lanzhen cried. “My father is seriously ill all year round. The entire family relies on my mother. I can share the burden now.”

Chu Shujing asked in confusion, “Lanzhen, why don’t you get Qingzhi to treat your father?”

Chu Lanzhen hesitated and said, “My father has been bedridden for ten years. It’s so serious. Qingzhi is still young, after all. I don’t think she can treat him.”

Chu Xialan advised, “Give it a try. If you ask Sister Qingzhi to treat your father, she can charge you less. By the way, didn’t you hear what Third Aunt said? She felt much better after drinking the herbs that Sister Qingzhi picked for her for a day.”

Chu Lanzhen’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Chu Xiaotang continued, “It’s true. Third Aunt looks obviously much better now.”

Chu Lanzhen said happily, “Then I’ll go back and discuss it with my mother.”

Rong Mansion.

Ever since Madam Rong met Chu Qingzhi from the government office, she had been feeling annoyed and was constantly thinking about taking revenge on Chu Qingzhi and her son.

Rong Yupeng was also very angry. He thought that if Xu Wanrong came to beg him to marry her, he would reluctantly agree to marry her.

Although Xu Wanrong was the daughter of the richest man in the county and had a lot of money, her family was merchants by trade after all. Her status was low. He was a scholar and already had a noble status. This was something that could not be bought with money.

However, after waiting for so many days, he still didn’t see Xu Wanrong, which made him furious.

He went to Madam Rong’s courtyard in a huff. “Mother, Mother…”

Madam Rong doted on her second son and treated him as the Rong family’s hope. When she heard his voice, she immediately smiled. “Yupeng, you’re here.”

Rong Yupeng walked up to Madam Rong. “Mother, I heard from the servants that you’re in a bad mood?”

Madam Rong’s smile immediately faded. She sighed and said, “Your brother is still in prison. How can I be in a good mood?”

Rong Yupeng lowered his voice and asked, “Mother, is money not useful?” He was implying that his family could bribe the county magistrate to release Rong Yufan.

Madam Rong shook her head. “It doesn’t work. The county magistrate doesn’t even care about us.”

“How is that possible?” Rong Yupeng was puzzled. “Brother didn’t do anything too serious. Why didn’t the county magistrate make an exception?”

“I can’t figure this out either,” Mrs. Rong said angrily. “It’s all because of Chu Qingzhi that your brother was imprisoned. That’s why I want to teach Chu Qingzhi a lesson.”

“We indeed can’t let Chu Qingzhi off.” Rong Yupeng quickly agreed with Madam Rong. “How do you want to teach Chu Qingzhi a lesson?”

“To ruin her reputation.” Madam Rong’s expression was vicious. “By the way, when Chu Qingzhi overturned Shen Ruyue’s case that day, she was accompanied by a general. I think that she must have given her body to that general to make him help her.”

“Mother, are you sure?” Rong Yupeng had seen Chu Qingzhi before. She didn’t look like a beauty. How could the general take a fancy to her? Was the general blind?

Madam Rong said, “Chu Qingzhi is just a little girl. She doesn’t have a background. Why would that general help her?”

Rong Yupeng still couldn’t believe it. “Mother, Chu Qingzhi isn’t beautiful. Can she seduce that general?”

Madam Rong said, “Why not? As a general, he must have seen all kinds of beauties, but you’ll get tired when you see so many beauties. It’s not impossible for him to change his taste.”

Rong Yupeng pondered. “If that’s the case, teaching her a lesson will be a piece of cake.”

Madam Rong looked at Rong Yupeng and asked, “Do you have an idea?”

Rong Yupeng sneered. “Mother, leave this to me. I’ll definitely ruin Chu Qingzhi’s reputation and make her notorious in the surrounding villages!”

In Chu Village.

In the room, Chu Qingyue used a pair of scissors to cut off the excess thread on the clothes and unfolded it to admire it carefully.

It was a very simple dress. The sleeves and the hem were flounced. Although it was brown, it looked cute.

Chu Qingzhi walked into the room and saw this scene. “Second Sister, how many clothes have you made?”

Chu Qingyue pointed at the pile of clothes beside her. “There are 20 of them.”

Chu Qingzhi took out all 20 pieces of clothing and looked at them. The quality of each piece was up to standard. “This quantity is enough. I’ll go find Sang Wanlu tomorrow to discuss opening the shop.”

Chu Qingyue nodded with some anticipation in her eyes.

Chu Qingzhi folded the clothes. “Second Sister, come with me tomorrow.”

Chu Qingyue immediately became restrained and said hesitantly, “Fifth Sister, it’s not good for me to go, right?”

“Why is that not good?” Chu Qingzhi turned to look at Chu Qingyue. “Second Sister, have you forgotten what I told you?”

Chu Qingyue stammered, “No, but…”

Chu Qingzhi interrupted her and encouraged her, “Second Sister, be more confident. You have to believe that you can do it.”

After hesitating for a moment, Chu Qingyue nodded firmly. “I will listen to you..”

Chapter 65: Rare Horse

Chu Xuyuan and Chu Xuyao wore new clothes. Their faces were solemn as they bade farewell to the four elders. “Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, and Mom, we’re going to the school to study.”

Granny Chu was happy. “Good, good, good. You have to listen to the class seriously. This opportunity is hard to come by, understand?”

The two children nodded in unison. “Grandma, we understand.”

Granny Chu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She didn’t expect that her descendants could go to school one day. “Alright, go quickly. Don’t run late.”

Chu Xuyuan clenched his small fists. “Grandma, we’ll study hard and bring glory to our family.”

Granny Chu patted her two grandsons on the head. “I believe you.”

“Let’s go.” Grandpa Chu waved at the two children. He and Chu Rong specially changed into new clothes and sent the children to school together to express how important they took this matter.

The four of them walked further and further away, gradually disappearing from the villagers’ envious gazes.

Many villagers thought to themselves that they had to work hard and send their children to study one day.

Only by studying could one be successful!

When Chu Qingzhi came to the stable, she immediately felt the horse’s warm welcome. Not only did it rub its head against her, but it also licked her hand.

Chu Qingzhi touched the horse’s head. “You have basically recovered. It’s time to help the family. If you agree to help, nod.”

The horse nodded very intelligently.

Chu Qingzhi opened the door of the stable and waved at the horse. “Then follow me.”

The horse followed Chu Qingzhi to the entrance of the courtyard. This scene attracted the attention of many people.

Chu Rong, who had outstanding carpentry skills, had specially built a cart to help his family transport goods. As long as the cart was tied to the horse, it could be used.

The horse stood in front of the cart and obediently let Chu Qingzhi put a rope on it. Its long tail swept gently, looking exceptionally elegant.

There was even a small braid on its tail. Chu Sixth had specially braided it for the horse and said that it would look even better with a braid.

Initially, the horse did not agree, but after hearing Chu Sixth’s words, not only did it agree, but it also liked it very much. It often wagged its tail, as if it was showing off.

Chu Xuhua carried the boxes to the cart. There were a total of three. One was for Shopkeeper Zhou, the other was for Xu Wanrong. She had ordered 1,000 pieces and planned to give them to the workers in the workshop in the afternoon to cool off. The other was for Sang Wanlu. It was also 1,000 pieces.

Chu Qingzhi handed the reins to Chu Xuhua. “Brother, remember to collect the money.”

Chu Xuhua was tall and handsome. He smiled when he heard that. “I’ll remember.”

Chu Third ran over. He would go to deliver the goods with Chu Xuhua. “Fifth Sister, we’re leaving.”

Chu Qingzhi walked to the side and made way. “Okay.”

As the brothers left, the busy day slowly began with the rising of the sun.

Wasteland.

An Shanwu and Nie Huiyang arrived a long time ago. They had almost finished measuring the land.

Chu Qingzhi brought them some water. “I’ll leave the water here for you. Come and drink it yourself if you’re thirsty.”

An Shanwu replied, “Sister Qingzhi, thank you.”

Chu Qingzhi put down the water and walked towards An Shanwu. “Brother An, when can we start building the house?”

As An Shanwu worked, he replied, “We’ll finish planning and then go to buy the necessary materials. Tomorrow morning at five o’clock, ask your family to come over with a hoe. After digging the ground with the hoe, we can start construction tomorrow.”

Chu Qingzhi nodded. “I understand.”

An Shanwu continued, “Sister Qingzhi, I’ll bring 20 people tomorrow. I need your family to prepare lunch. In addition, if we are short of people, I need you to find some people in the village to help.”

Chu Qingzhi agreed readily. “No problem.”

An Shanwu secretly praised Chu Qingzhi for being capable. This was the first time he had seen such a capable girl. “Then everything is good.”

“Okay.” Chu Qingzhi returned home and told Shen Ruyue about the matter, asking her to make the arrangements..