After saying what she needed to say, Jiang Ran put down the food and left.
The message had been delivered. If Sixth Young Lady and the others didn’t want to plant anything, Jiang Song could simply plant the empty plots himself that evening.
Jiang Ran returned to the Third Branch.
Meanwhile, Su Yu carried the food box into the room and laid out the dishes.
“Young Lady, Miss Jiang has delivered the meal.”
Sixth Young Lady and Fourth Young Lady went to wash their hands before sitting down to eat.
In just that short time, everything had already been arranged on the table.
A maid had to keep her eyes and ears open at all times, constantly observing her young lady’s expressions and understanding her wishes.
Last time, Sixth Young Lady had frowned slightly at the bowls and chopsticks.
So this time, when Su Yu went to collect the meal, she directly brought the tableware that Sixth Young Lady usually used.
She carefully arranged the noodles, sesame cakes, and everything else on the table, placing the chopsticks and spoon neatly on the chopstick rest.
A look of satisfaction flashed through Sixth Young Lady’s eyes.
She said with some surprise, “Today’s meal is different from the last one. Jiang Si really handles things properly. She puts a lot of thought into what she does.”
Did Sixth Young Lady really not know that four bowls of noodles weren’t worth two qian of silver?
Of course she knew.
But Jiang Ran had taken the money and made sure she enjoyed the meal. Once she was happy, whether it was worth the price became far less important.
This time Jiang Ran had made new dishes.
She was willing to pay for that.
The minced meat mixed noodles were beautifully arranged. Compared to last time, there was an extra fried egg and a piece of meat. Several green vegetables were laid neatly on top, making the dish pleasing to the eye.
Sixth Young Lady had never seen taro mash mixed noodles before, nor had she ever eaten them, so she tried that dish first.
Young ladies from noble families all had impeccable manners.
After taking a few bites, Sixth Young Lady dabbed the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief.
“This is better than the lard mixed noodles.”
If the lard mixed noodles were a bold and striking beauty, then the taro mash mixed noodles were much more subtle.
One burst with fragrance the moment it touched your mouth, while the other revealed its charm slowly, lingering afterward.
Each had its own strengths.
Then she tasted the soup noodles.
The sour flavor was stronger than before. The fried egg and pork rib were delicious as well.
As for the sesame sugar cake, it was something she had never eaten before.
It resembled a pastry, yet was somehow different.
Ordinary pastries also came with sesame filling, but they were usually either sticky or dry.
This cake, however, had a filling that actually flowed.
After trying the sesame cake, Sixth Young Lady found herself liking it even more.
The sweetness was mild, and the texture was extremely smooth and delicate.
Before leaving the estate, she could ask Jiang Ran to make more for her to take back.
The soup noodles and mixed noodles weren’t easy to carry around.
The sesame cakes, however, were.
None of the three dishes tasted bad.
Together, they complemented each other perfectly.
There were savory and spicy flavors, while the sweet cake balanced out the richness.
It also didn’t leave one feeling too thirsty.
After all, there was soup.
The sour and spicy broth was delicious on its own.
Every spoonful brought up minced meat and pickled vegetables, fragrant and crunchy.
Inside the food box was also a small bowl filled with chili oil.
Sixth Young Lady loved spicy food.
She added one spoonful.
After tasting it, she felt it wasn’t enough and added another.
She couldn’t help sighing.
“Soup noodles really do taste best when Miss Jiang makes them.”
When she returned to the residence, she had asked the kitchen to make them.
But the noodles weren’t as springy as Jiang Ran’s, and the broth wasn’t nearly as tasty.
Fourth Young Lady nodded.
“Yes, this is really delicious.”
Sixth Young Lady’s lips were already swollen from the spice.
She asked, “Should we send a portion to Third Brother and Fifth Sister?”
The three sisters attended lessons together and often visited the estate together.
However, Sixth Young Lady and Fourth Young Lady were especially close, almost like real sisters.
The Hou Residence had many children.
Naturally, they were not all born to the same mother.
Fourth Young Lady was the daughter of the Marchioness of Yongning.
At first, Sixth Young Lady stayed close to her because her own mother listened to the legal wife.
But after spending time together, the two became genuinely close.
Fourth Young Lady was somewhat spoiled but kind-hearted.
Sixth Young Lady was cheerful and carefree, rarely dwelling on things.
The two sisters were almost always together.
Third Young Master and Fifth Young Lady were full siblings.
Their mother was quite favored in the residence.
On the surface, all the young masters and young ladies were treated equally.
They received the same monthly allowance, attended the same school, and each young lady had the same number of maids.
But in reality, there were always differences.
A legal wife naturally gave extra support to her own children.
And when a concubine was favored, her children benefited as well.
Officially, everyone received ten taels of silver each month.
As the younger sister, if Sixth Young Lady treated her brother and sister to meals, her allowance would quickly run out.
It was only the beginning of the month, and she had already spent quite a bit.
Fourth Young Lady said, “Why should they eat if they don’t pay? Miss Jiang is right there. If Fifth Sister wants some, she can buy it herself. Why should you pay for her?”
She took another few sips of soup and felt a little regretful.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t bring Jiang Ran back to the Hou Residence.
She added, “Didn’t your Fifth Sister take someone from the Jiang family back with her recently? Maybe that person can cook too. Then we won’t have to worry about it.”
Sixth Young Lady thought that made sense.
“Let’s eat it once today, and then once more before we leave. I wonder what good food is available this season. I still want to gather wild vegetables and eat wild vegetable buns.”
Fourth Young Lady rolled her eyes.
“Isn’t the sesame sugar cake good enough? Why are you so obsessed with wild vegetables?”
Sixth Young Lady replied, “After eating too much fish and meat, naturally you start craving mountain delicacies and wild foods.”
The two chatted while finishing their meal.
Afterward, the maids came in to clear the table.
The two young ladies sat in their chairs, savoring the lingering flavors.
Su Yu said, “Young Ladies, the rain has stopped outside. Miss Jiang said her brother has cleared several plots of land and prepared vegetable seedlings. There are cowpea seedlings and eggplant seedlings. If you’d like to try farming, you can go take a look.”
Last time they had come to gather leftover wheat stalks.
This time, they had originally planned to experience rice transplanting.
They seemed to have done it before in previous years, but neither remembered much about it.
“Vegetable seedlings?” Fourth Young Lady asked.
Sixth Young Lady’s eyes lit up.
“Let’s go plant them. There are so many rice fields here that we don’t even know when the transplanting will finish. If we plant some vegetables and let the farmers look after them, we can come back every so often to check on them. Maybe in a few months we’ll be able to eat vegetables we grew ourselves.”
The rain outside had already stopped.
Sixth Young Lady had no intention of taking a nap.
She sent a maid to deliver a message and ask whether Fifth Young Lady wanted to join them.
Meanwhile, she and Fourth Young Lady changed clothes.
They had their own baskets, hoes, and other farming tools specially made for them.
Everything was delicate and compact.
They even had shoes specifically for rainy days so their embroidered shoes wouldn’t get dirty.
Fifth Young Lady had never been interested in such activities.
She said she wanted a nap, so the two girls went by themselves.
When they arrived, Jiang Ran was already waiting.
Beside her sat a basket of melon seedlings and a basket of vegetable seedlings.
After asking Jiang Song for instructions, Jiang Ran had dug some holes in the soil.
All they needed to do was crush the eggshells, place the seedlings into the holes, and cover them with dirt.
Since it had just rained, no watering was necessary.
Seeing that only Fourth Young Lady and Sixth Young Lady had come, Jiang Ran asked,
“What do you think of these two plots?”
The two plots beside her were close together and the same size.
Sixth Young Lady nodded.
Fourth Young Lady looked around and asked, “What about the land beside them?”
Jiang Ran replied, “Those are vegetable plots my brother reclaimed for our family. If the Young Ladies want larger plots, my brother can clear more land this evening.”
Fourth Young Lady immediately frowned.
“That’s not necessary. These are already big enough. Planting all of this will be tiring.”
Jiang Ran cautiously asked, “Then… can my family use the other plots?”
The other branches of the Jiang family had sold vegetables to the Hou Residence before.
She was simply following their example.
Fourth Young Lady said, “Why not? Now hurry and tell us how to plant them.”
Jiang Ran smiled.
“Just dig a hole and bury the seedling. The hole should be slightly deeper than the eggshell. These vegetables grow quite large, so they can’t be planted too close together.”
She explained the characteristics of each vegetable, all knowledge she had learned from Jiang Song.
“After they’re planted, they won’t need watering. If they need water later while the Young Ladies aren’t here, my brother and I can water them and remove any insects.”
The moment they heard the word insects, Fourth Young Lady and Sixth Young Lady both jumped.
Fourth Young Lady felt as if her hair was standing on end.
“Then your brother must catch bugs regularly. Are there any in the field right now?”
Jiang Ran replied, “There might be earthworms, but those are beneficial. They help turn the soil.”
The two girls had their maids inspect the ground carefully first.
Only after confirming there were no insects did they step into the plots.
They dug holes and planted seedlings, looking surprisingly skilled.
There was no need to wait for seeds to sprout.
As soon as the planting was finished, the plots already looked lush and green.
The seedlings swayed in the spring breeze, tender and lively.
Fourth Young Lady thought they were adorable.
“You must take good care of these plots.”
Jiang Ran immediately replied, “Please rest assured, Young Lady.”
Fourth Young Lady tilted her chin toward a maid.
The maid understood immediately and handed Jiang Ran a money pouch.
Jiang Ran accepted it.
“Thank you, Fourth Young Lady!”
The two young ladies then went to watch the Jiang family transplant rice seedlings in the fields.
Rows of green seedlings stretched into the distance.
Water filled the paddies, dark and murky, making it seem as though something might suddenly emerge from beneath the surface.
Jiang Ran wasn’t needed there, so she returned home to count her money.
She closed the courtyard gate, shut the door, and spread the copper coins and silver peanut-shaped ingots across the table.
Earlier, she had spent two qian of silver on bowls.
Now she still had four silver peanuts left.
They looked plump and adorable, making them especially appealing.
And since they were money, they were even more lovable.
There were many copper coins.
On the first day, she had over twenty coins left.
On the second day, after buying meat and contributing money to the household, she had sixty-five coins remaining.
For the following three days, she saved around eighty wen each day.
After five days, Jiang Ran had accumulated a total of three hundred and sixty-six copper coins.
Business was gradually stabilizing.
In the future, after deducting meat expenses and the twenty wen she contributed to the family each day, she could still save eighty to ninety wen daily.
If there were no wind or rain all month and she could run her stall every day, she could save two or three guan in a month.
Of course, wind and rain were unavoidable.
But she also cooked meals for the young ladies each month.
Each time she could earn two or three silver peanuts, which roughly made up for the days she couldn’t open her stall.
The joy of earning and saving money filled Jiang Ran’s heart.
Especially because Jiang Song refused to take any of it.
He was an upright person.
Even if they opened a stall together in the capital one day, he would probably only accept the share he truly deserved.
Now that she had money, Jiang Ran wanted to improve her stall.
The first thing she needed was a better pot.
At present, she could only cook one serving of noodles at a time.
If she bought a deeper pot, she could hang several bamboo noodle strainers around the rim and cook multiple portions at once.
Then customers wouldn’t have to wait so long during busy periods.
Could she also add fried eggs and pork ribs to sell beside the stall?
And then there was the capital’s night market.
Jiang Ran was extremely interested in it.
She really wanted to see the bustling, lively marketplace that Zhao Daniang described—a night market that stayed open until midnight.
After counting the money twice, Jiang Ran finally put it away and hid it in several different places.
She had no idea when Jiang Song and the others would return.
When they came back at noon, Jiang Ran hadn’t been home, so she had left food for them.
Every evening, they worked until very late.
Most days, Jiang Ran went to sleep first.
By dawn, they were already gone again.
She stayed home preparing meals and feeding the chickens and pigs.
At dusk, crimson clouds spread across the horizon.
The Jiang family was still working in the fields.
After dark, the First Branch returned, but Jiang Song and the other two were still nowhere to be seen.
Jiang Ran took some sesame-filled sugar cakes and walked through the darkness to find them.
She located the three of them in their family’s fields.
The moment they received the cakes, they devoured them.
After finishing, Jiang Song said, “They’re delicious. Head back soon.”
Jiang Chuanli and Madam Yun said nothing.
Jiang Ran was already used to that.
The two of them were honest and quiet people.
If they suddenly praised her cooking, that would be the truly strange thing.
After eating, Jiang Song grew sleepy and went to wash his face and arms in the nearby ditch.
Jiang Chuanli and Madam Yun also looked exhausted.
Jiang Ran said, “Come back already. It’s dark.”
Jiang Song looked up at the sky.
“There’s still moonlight. We’ll plant a little longer.”
After six days of work, the Third Branch still had more than twenty mu of land left.
Even so, they were already the fastest among all the branches.
Jiang Song wanted to finish as quickly as possible.
Jiang Ran knew she couldn’t persuade him.
So she picked up her basket and headed home.
On the way back, she noticed several members of the Fourth Branch walking around the estate as if searching for something.
She didn’t go over to ask.
Instead, she quickened her pace.
Just as she was about to enter the Third Branch’s courtyard, Jiang Tao from the Fourth Branch pushed open a gate and stepped outside.
Jiang Tao had delicate features, fair skin, and the gentle appearance of a refined young woman.
Unlike the other girls of the Jiang family, who spent their days running around fields and had tanned or yellowed complexions, Jiang Tao stood out immediately.
Standing beneath the moonlight, she called out,
“Father! Mother! Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you forever!”
Jiang Ran clearly saw the expression on her Fourth Aunt’s face.
Shock, disbelief, and anger all mixed together.
Her face looked like a painter’s palette, making for a truly remarkable sight.