There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 42 Assisting with the Annulment of the Engagement

Li Shuchen then told his grandparents about his experiences in Jiangnan, rambling on and on for quite a while.

Li Shuchen returned home as dusk approached.

I had a dream that night about my grandmother.

Grandmother said, "Chen'er, be good. Your grandparents are living very comfortably, and we have servants to take care of us. We have more money than we can spend. Your grandparents are doing very well, so Chen'er doesn't need to worry."

Chen'er, take good care of yourself, be kind to yourself, and don't keep thinking about others.

In his dream, Li Shuchen responded, "Chen'er knows, knows to treat herself well."

After hearing this, Grandmother smiled kindly and then disappeared.

Li Shuchen woke up in the morning, sat on the bed for a while, and felt relieved to know that her grandparents were doing well.

Li Shuchen got up and washed, thinking that he needed to plant the seeds and fruit trees, and that he urgently needed manpower and to find some experienced people to do the work.

In May, the temperature in Weijing is high, which is suitable for growing these melons and fruits.

First, find someone to turn over the soil and plant the seeds and saplings. Anyway, Xiaojizi Market guarantees quality and quantity.

After being upgraded to intermediate level, there are plenty of fruit seedlings and varieties available. I've made up my mind...

Li Shuchen returned to the inn for a quick meal and saw that Brother Zhao was also eating. He was the only one there; none of his brothers were there.

Thinking that Brother Zhao and his group of more than a dozen people were enough for her to farm, and with their fighting skills, they could also keep a good watch over the estate.

After all, the things she grows are very precious.

Li Shuchen quickly finished his noodles, just as Brother Zhao finished eating.

Li Shuchen stepped forward and said, "Brother Zhao, it's been a long time. I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Zhao Tianchuan looked up and replied, "Miss Li, it's been a long time. Please speak freely."

Li Shuchen: "I have an estate in the suburbs of Beijing and urgently need manpower to help me farm. Each person will receive eight taels of silver per month, including room and board. You will be in charge of managing them. Brother Zhao will receive ten taels of silver per month."

Zhao Tianchuan: "My brothers know a little about farming, but we lack experience, so I'm afraid we won't be able to farm well."

Li Shuchen: "Brother Zhao, you don't need to worry about that. I'll find some experienced people to guide you. I see that Brother Zhang and the others seem to know some martial arts. Your main task is to keep an eye on the estate."

Zhao Tianchuan: "Miss Li has a good eye. Such good treatment, I thank you on behalf of my brothers. Does Miss Li have any other requests?"

Li Shuchen: "Be careful and attentive. You also need to watch over the estate at night. Brother Zhao can arrange these things; I trust Brother Zhao."

Zhao Tianchuan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "I, Zhao, will certainly not fail Miss Li's trust."

Zhao Tianchuan: "I don't know when we will set off."

Li Shuchen: "I'll take you there tomorrow."

Li Shuchen asked Manager Xu to prepare the contract.

If these workers take the money without permission, they will be dismissed and fined one hundred taels of silver.

Those who collude with outsiders to steal will be dismissed, reported, and fined one thousand taels of silver.

Once dismissed, you will never be hired again.

The next morning, Li Shuchen went downstairs, and Brother Zhao and the others had already packed their things and were waiting for him in the living room.

Li Shuchen told them the rules.

Zhao Tianchuan took the lead in signing his name, and those who couldn't sign put their fingerprints on the paper. After everyone had done so...

Zhao Tianchuan clasped his hands in a fist and assured her again, "Miss Li, rest assured, we are certainly not people who would betray our promises."

Erhu also spoke up: "Miss Li, you've been so good to us. If we steal again, we'd be utterly inhuman."

Li Shuchen laughed heartily: "Of course I trust you all. There are other workers on the estate, not just you. I need to secure my own future."

Zhao Tianchuan: "Zhao and my brothers understand."

Li Shuchen returned the greeting with clasped hands: "Thank you, Brother Zhao and my brothers."

After carefully putting away the contract, Li Shuchen took the large box and went to the farm with Brother Zhao and the others.

Li Shuchen: "Brother Zhao, today's job is to turn over the soil and bury all the remaining vegetables."

Zhao Tianchuan: "Success"

Zhao Tianchuan directed his men to work.

Li Shuchen looked at the fields and felt that there were still too few people.

He then returned to the inn and had Manager Xu write up a job posting and put it on the inn's entrance.

The notice advertised for fruit and vegetable workers; gender not limited, experienced candidates preferred.

Monthly salary of eight taels of silver, including room and board.

No age limit

There were already a lot of people signing up on the first day.

Li Shuchen selected five people who appeared honest, reliable, and experienced.

After I read the rules to them, they readily signed the contract.

The next morning, Li Shuchen took them to the farm, where the five workers each took charge of their area of ​​expertise.

Li Shuchen followed along the whole time, which was also a way for him to learn something.

Watermelons, cantaloupes, and grapes need seedlings.

Two rectangular nursery plots were prepared, filled with mud, and divided into small compartments five centimeters in length and width, with one seed placed in each compartment.

Before propagating grapevines by cuttings, fertilizer was spread in the nursery, followed by deep plowing, harrowing, and leveling to create raised beds.

For bed planting, the beds are one meter wide and about twenty meters long. Each bed has four rows of cuttings, with a row spacing of 25-30 centimeters and a cutting spacing of about 15-20 centimeters.

With the terminal bud facing upwards and the base downwards, cover the top of the terminal bud with a 1-centimeter layer of soil, compact it, and ensure close contact between the cutting and the soil. Water thoroughly immediately after planting.

With so many people, all the work was finished in one morning.

After lunch, Li Shuchen planned to plant citrus and sweet pear trees.

The citrus and sweet pear trees are saplings and can be planted directly, with guidance from an experienced grower.

In Jiangnan, Li Shuchen could only buy thirty citrus and thirty sweet pear seedlings, but she secretly bought fifty more of each from Xiao Jizi, seedlings suitable for growing in the north and of good quality.

Plant citrus trees in 3x4 meter plots (12 square meters per tree), and sweet pear trees in 2x3 meter plots (6 square meters per tree). Water them thoroughly after planting.

After planting, it only used 1,440 square meters, roughly two acres.

Li Shuchen felt it was too little; there was still a lot of empty space.

He ran into the house, pretending to rummage through the box, but actually he secretly bought eighty citrus and eighty melon saplings from Xiao Jizi.

The land was purchased and then planted; a total of four acres were used.

There are still more than ten acres of land in the village; once the watermelon, cantaloupe, and grape seedlings are grown, they will be planted.

The planting of melons and fruits is proceeding under intense pressure.

Hai Yao was also summoned back by his father's urgent letter.

On the day Hai Yao received the letter, she cursed and swore, "That old bastard must have something urgent that made me come back to the capital."

Hopefully it's something important, otherwise... ugh.

Upon receiving news that Gu Ziying was going to call off the engagement today, Li Shuchen immediately went to help her.

Gu Mansion

Hanlin Academician Hai brought Hai Yaoyi to the Gu residence. Hai Yaoyi was overjoyed, thinking that today was the day to announce the wedding date.

Upon arriving at the main hall and seeing Lord Gu and Gu Ziying, Hai Yao happily greeted them.

Courteous and refined

Hai Yaoyi: "Your son-in-law greets your father-in-law."

He then turned to Gu Ziying, his expression greasy, and said in a cloyingly sweet voice, "Little sister Ziying."

Disgusting, Gu Ziying didn't even look at him.

Lord Gu said angrily, "I am not your father-in-law. I have summoned you here today to discuss the annulment of the engagement."

Lord Hai was taken aback: "Lord Gu, I don't know what has happened that you want to annul the engagement with my family. However, I have failed in my duty of etiquette."

Hai Yao was taken aback: "Why do you say that, Father-in-law?"