Chaрtеr 20: Таking Оver the Mеdiсine Mаnor
Hе ореnеd his mоuth, pеrhарs unusеd to spеaking for too lоng, аnd cоuld nоt uttеr а singlе sound.
“Whаt?”
It wаsn’t until thе bathtub was fillеd with wаter аnd Granny Hu рreрared to undrеss him that hе tightly сlutсhed his cоllar, saying, “I… I аm а mаn…”
In thе end, two guаrds hаd tо сome in tо assist.
It tоok ovеr ten buckеts of watеr to thoroughlу wаsh this рersоn сlean.
Xi Qiu stаred in аstоnishment, turning to аsk, “Granny Нu, is he rеаllу malе?”
Granny Нu frowned slightlу. “Сlеarly, he is a man.”
When the man еmеrged, he was dressеd in а gray robе, his frаme so emaciated it seemed almost skeletal. His pale skin revealed a sickly pallor, making it impossible to discern his original appearance. Only his clear, watery eyes and a tear mole at the corner of his eye stood out prominently.
“You look very young, at most fourteen or fifteen, right? Are you a servant boy?” Xi Qiu gently stroked her chin, associating the person before her with the mute servant boy and guessing they were around the same age.
The man remained silent, merely shaking his head lightly.
“Granny Hu, please keep an eye on him for now. I’ll go ask the young lady for instructions.”
Granny Hu nodded in agreement, feeling a wave of pity. She still had a young maid bring over a bowl of plain porridge. “Have some light food first to soothe your stomach.”
The man pursed his colorless lips, standing there without a word. After a few seconds of contemplation, he resolutely stepped forward and, without caring whether the porridge was hot or not, picked up the bowl and drank.
“Ah, ah, ah, child, slow down, be careful not to hurt yourself…”
Xi Qiu reported to Ji Ruyue.
Ji Ruyue didn’t pay it much mind. “As long as he’s fine. Ask him who he is. If he’s a tenant farmer, send him home. If he’s not from the estate, give him some silver and send him on his way.”
“Yes, I understand.”
By the time Xi Qiu returned, the man had already drunk three bowls of plain porridge, and Granny Hu had been unable to stop him.
“Hey, what’s your name?”
The man looked up at Xi Qiu, slightly frowning, and shook his head without speaking.
“You don’t have a name?”
The man shook his head, then nodded.
“Are you a servant bought by Zhao Tong, or a tenant farmer from the Medicine Manor?”
The man shook his head again.
Xi Qiu understood. She took out some broken silver from her pocket and placed it on the table. “Our young lady is kind-hearted. If you’re not a tenant farmer, we’ll give you some silver. Rest well and then leave.”
The man stared blankly at the silver, lowering his head without a word.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Xi Qiu clapped her hands. “I’ll head back now. The young lady can’t do without me.”
Granny Hu also prepared to leave. “You’re truly fortunate. If our young lady hadn’t come, you wouldn’t have lasted three more days… Ah~”
She kindly found him a thick coat and even gave him an umbrella. “The wind and snow have been heavy these days. Take this.”
The man sat there in a daze, his gaze fixed on the silver, lost in thought.
As Granny Hu was leaving, he softly asked, “Who is she?”
Unfortunately, his voice was too soft, and Granny Hu didn’t hear him as she walked away.
In the eyes of Ji Ruyue and the others, this matter was nothing more than a small act of kindness, and no one mentioned it again.
Steward Zheng was busy until the sun set before returning excitedly to report. “Young lady, all the medicinal herbs you need are available, and in ample quantities. Additionally, there are…”
Listening to his detailed report, Ji Ruyue felt her heart beat faster. “There’s even a considerable amount of ginseng?”
“Yes, I asked. The warehouse keeper said it was purchased from nearby villagers. This ginseng has been stored for a full five years.” Steward Zheng rubbed his hands together, overjoyed.”Excellent, excellent, all shall be rewarded! Arrange for the medicinal herbs to be transported back to Jizhou City as soon as possible.”
“Yes, I will immediately send someone to find a transport team in town.”
Zhao Tong had already been detained and was to be handed over to the authorities.
Over thirty land deeds from this Medicine Manor had also fallen into Ji Ruyue’s hands. The main deed for the manor was held by Old Master Ji; these were merely additional fertile fields and mountain lands acquired over time.
Additionally, there were nearly two hundred indentured servant contracts, including those for concubines, servants, maids, and a small number of tenant households.
“Bai Mei, sell all these people off,” Ji Ruyue instructed.
She did not keep a single one of Zhao Tong’s people—nor could she afford to.
After sorting out the affairs, Ji Ruyue picked up her brush and made further plans.
The medicinal herbs here exceeded the estimated amount by several times. With these, there was no longer a need to purchase from outside sources; they were sufficient for the people of Jizhou City.
The next day at Chen hour.
The tenant farmers arrived early in the morning, braving the wind and snow without complaint, their hands and feet reddened from the cold.
“Young Mistress.”
Ji Ruyue walked over to Zhao Tong’s courtyard, which was spacious enough to accommodate a large number of people.
Among the tenant farmers, several leaders had emerged, clearly having chosen representatives among themselves.
Steward Zheng spoke up: “The tenant farmer representatives may proceed to the main hall for discussions. The rest may return to work for now and will be notified once matters are settled.”
Upon hearing this, everyone understood and dispersed, leaving only the elected tenant farmer representatives, Ji Ruyue, and the others.
Five representatives remained, led by the elderly man from the previous day.
Bai Mei served tea to everyone, showing them due respect.
Ji Ruyue sat with the tenant farmer representatives around the table. Seeing her lack of arrogance, they felt reassured.
“This Medicine Manor has a thousand acres of fertile fields, a thousand acres of medicinal gardens, and five half-mountain gardens…”
Ji Ruyue had Steward Zheng report the assets that had been tallied, while the tenant farmers listened quietly.
After Steward Zheng finished, Ji Ruyue slowly asked, “Are you all the representatives chosen by the tenant farmers to manage affairs?”