Chapter 290 – Discussion
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“I know, but the only transparent materials are oiled paper and glazed tiles. Using glazed tiles would be far too expensive.”
In this era, glazed tiles were uncommon. They were primarily used to make decorative objects or beads for wealthy people’s amusement, worth thousands of silver.
Thinking about the price of glazed tiles, Yan Shuqin clicked her tongue.
“Then let’s use oiled paper instead.”
Yan Xiaosi nodded slightly: “Yes, although oiled paper isn’t durable, it won’t deteriorate in just a few days. An oiled paper umbrella can last more than a year. If we use oiled paper for the mushroom greenhouse, it should last at least a few months. When it deteriorates, we can replace it. After all, oiled paper isn’t expensive.”
Everyone nodded, unanimously agreeing.
Yan Xiaosi’s gaze returned to Tian Dazhuang.
“Brother Dazhuang, I need to stay at the military camp regularly, so I’ll leave the construction of the mushroom greenhouse to you. Here’s the drawing and bank note. Keep them both. For buying materials or hiring helpers, just go ahead and handle it yourself.”
He handed Tian Dazhuang both the drawing she had just made and a fifty-tael silver note.
“The mushroom greenhouse should be built on my family’s land. Try to choose a location sheltered from the wind. From the profits of selling mushrooms, I’ll give you a twenty percent share. The Yu Family Private Kitchen is doing good business now, so twenty percent will be no small amount.”
When Ms. Wang heard this, she was delighted.
This meant that their Tian family would prosper alongside the Yan family’s third branch.
Tian Dazhuang took the drawing and silver note with some bewilderment.
Fifty taels of silver—in all his years, he had never held so much money in his hands.
“Xiaosi, isn’t this too much?”
For building a greenhouse, fifty taels was somewhat excessive, but since Yan Xiaosi was often at the Tongluo Plain military camp and couldn’t frequently return to oversee things, she gave Tian Dazhuang ample funds to prevent any shortage when money was needed.
“Brother Dazhuang, just keep it for now. If you don’t spend it all, you can return the remainder to me.”
He trusted Tian Dazhuang completely.
Tian Dazhuang finally put away the silver note.
“I’ll hire people tomorrow.”
Yan Xiaosi thought for a moment and said, “Find helpers within the village. It’s convenient, and it also supports our neighbors.”
Except for the few wealthy households, most residents in Shaoyao Village lived frugally. Each family had only three or four acres of poor farmland. Now that the autumn harvest was over, most men were idle at home, so finding workers in the village would be quite easy.
Tian Dazhuang made note of all her instructions.
As for mushroom spores, Four Sisters Mountain had them readily available. Mushrooms reproduce through spores that exist in the soil of Four Sisters Mountain. The old method would work—just bring back soil from areas where mushrooms had grown this year.
Ms. Zhong and the Yan sisters had gathered many mushrooms on Four Sisters Mountain this year, so the mother and daughters were most familiar with where mushrooms grew.
Yan Xiaosi asked, “Mother, Elder Sister, Second Sister, Third Sister, do you remember clearly where you went to gather mushrooms before?”
The four women nodded in unison.
Ms. Zhong said, “Yes, we remember. Xiaosi, why do you ask?”
Yan Xiaosi lifted the corners of her mouth as she explained, “Didn’t Brother Dazhuang just mention that we don’t have mushroom spores? Actually, the spores are in the soil where mushrooms have grown. We just need to bring that soil back. Mother, Elder Sister, Second Sister, I’ll leave this task to you.”
At noon, Ms. Zhong and Ms. Wang worked together to prepare a table full of delicious food. Ms. Zhong also made pan-fried small potatoes.
Yan Xiaosi ate until her stomach was round, then went to the kitchen to get the pan-fried small potatoes that Ms. Zhong had already wrapped.
Ms. Zhong had made quite a lot this time. Yan Xiaosi had her wrap five packages in leather paper. Besides His Highness the War King, she also wanted to give some to Murong Qinjian and Wu Bin’s group of three.
Those four people had been quite good to him.
She put the five packages of pan-fried small potatoes into her saddlebag, hung the saddlebag on the horse’s back, stepped into the stirrup to mount, and waved to Ms. Zhong and the others: “Mother, Auntie Tian, I’m heading back to the military camp now. I’ll come back to check in a few days.”
It would take Tian Dazhuang at least four or five days to find people and build the greenhouse, and it would also take Ms. Zhong and the others at least four or five days to collect spores from Four Sisters Mountain. She decided to return in five days to check on their progress.
Riding the chestnut-red horse, she leisurely made his way back to the Tongluo Plain military camp.
The sun was gradually tilting westward. In the commander’s tent, Long Yu was waiting for the little troublemaker’s pan-fried small potatoes, waiting until his eyes were strained from looking.
Long Yi came in to add tea, and Long Yu raised his eyebrows to ask, “What time is it now? Has Yan Xiaosi returned?”
“It’s just the start of the Shen hour, Master. Young Master Yan has not yet returned. Should we send someone to Shaoyao Village to check?”
Long Yi thought to himself: From morning until now, Master, you’ve asked anxiously three times.
Long Yu waved his hand, maintaining a perfectly composed expression: “No need. This king doesn’t care when that little troublemaker returns. This king was merely asking casually.”
Long Yi thought: If Master doesn’t care, why has he asked three times?
After reviewing military reports for half a day and studying the strategy table for more than half an hour, Long Yu felt a slight headache. He pressed his temples and inserted the small flag in his hand into the table.
“Accompany this king for a walk outside.”
“Yes.”
Long Yi followed closely behind his master.
Long Yu left the tent and walked unhurriedly toward the camp gate.
Arriving at the gate, he paced back and forth.
Long Yi followed closely, his heart seeming to understand something.
Master wasn’t out for a casual stroll at all—he had clearly come to the gate specifically to wait for Young Master Yan.
However, after pacing at the gate for more than a quarter hour, they still hadn’t seen Yan Xiaosi. Instead, they had frightened the gate guards so much that they dared not even breathe loudly.
Long Yu stared at the empty winding path, secretly gritting his teeth.
Little bastard, when you return, see how this king deals with you.
“When you see Young Military Doctor Yan return, notify this king immediately.”
He said this to the gate guards.
The guards were so nervous that they didn’t react immediately.
Long Yi, seeing that his master had already turned to walk back, hurriedly followed while reminding the dazed guards: “What are you standing there for? When you see Young Military Doctor Yan return, immediately notify His Highness.”
The guards finally understood.
“Yes sir.”
Shortly after, Yan Xiaosi returned leisurely, riding the chestnut-red horse.
One of the gate guards saw her and promptly ran to report to the commander’s tent.
Yan Xiaosi dismounted, took down her saddlebag, handed the chestnut-red horse to another guard, and headed straight for the tent where Wu Bin and the other two lived.
At this time, they should have just finished training and would be eating dinner. The pan-fried small potatoes would be perfect as a side dish.
“Without Xiaosi here, even eating good food is no longer tasty.”
“Yes, I wonder how Xiaosi is doing with His Highness the War King.”
“It was more lively when Xiaosi was here.”
In the tent, Wu Bin and the other two were holding large bowls of rice and reminiscing about the days when Yan Xiaosi had stayed with them. The more they thought about it, the more they missed those times.
Yan Xiaosi arrived at the entrance just in time to hear this. She coughed lightly and said, “If the three older brothers miss me so much, why did you so happily send me to His Highness the War King that day?”
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