Grass and mustard reign supreme

Chapter 96 Rouge, Cinnabar, Green Plum, Rena, Little Cobbler
rouge.

Cinnabar.

These two names alone, which carry the scent of cosmetics, could never possibly be associated with "horse maid".

What kind of horse maid would have such a delicate and graceful name?
Little Green Plum gritted her teeth, feeling as if she had just drunk a bowl of sour plum juice, making her teeth ache from the sourness.

The people sent from Liupanshan Ranch, right?

Was it Cheng Dong's doing?

Okay, very good!

Is he giving someone away or a horse?

Qingmei grew angrier the more she thought about it, and even breathing became difficult.

But when her gaze fell on the two girls in front of her, the anger that had been building up in her chest subsided almost instantly, like embers being doused with morning dew.

The elder sister was named Rouge, and the younger sister was named Vermilion. The two girls were born only three quarters of an hour apart, making them a pair of true twin flowers.

Both of them had bright eyes and white teeth, with slightly upturned corners of their eyes, giving them a touch of innocent charm.

Because she is still young and her body has not fully developed, she appears particularly petite and delicate.

They wore narrow-sleeved Hu-style clothes made of light blue fabric, which accentuated their slender waists.

Her hair was styled into playful double buns, with a dried purple flower pinned to each bun, adding a touch of charming innocence.

The two sisters were staring at Qingmei with wide, round eyes, looking at her with curiosity.

The head steward in front of me was dressed in a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with delicate features and a gentle demeanor.

This head steward from Qingmei is so good-looking, he'll definitely treat us well, right?
Thinking this, the two looked at Qingmei with increasing affection, and even their gentle doe eyes were covered with a layer of wet light, which was somewhat similar to the eyes of the snow-white pony beside them.

The little white horse seemed to sense their gazes, snorted, gently pawed at the dry grass with its front hooves, and nudged its head closer to Rouge's hand.

Rouge then tiptoed and gently stroked the horse's mane with her fingertips.

She even hummed a little tune from the grasslands.

The melody is soft and languid, like a gentle breeze blowing across a meadow or a stream flowing over pebbles.

Strangely enough, the white horse, which had been slightly restless just moments before, suddenly quieted down and even stuck out its pink tongue to affectionately lick Rouge's palm. "Ah!"

Rouge was very ticklish, and when the white horse licked her, she quickly pulled her hand back and couldn't help but giggle.

But as soon as the laughter subsided, she caught sight of Qingmei still standing in front of her and immediately stuck out her tongue.

She quickly grabbed her younger sister Zhu Sha's clothes and stood up properly, even straightening her shoulders, looking like a child caught doing something wrong.

Qingmei was amused by their behavior.

Even though Qingmei knew that these innocent and naive girls were "gifts" sent by Cheng Dong to please Yang Can, she couldn't feel any ill will towards them.

An oil lamp hung from the top of the stable, its dim yellow light enveloping the two sisters.

Each of them held a bristle brush and a cloth bag containing black beans, standing there prettily with their heads slightly lowered, looking obedient and waiting to be scolded.

What... what can we do?
Qingmei didn't want to become a wicked old woman like Granny Tu.

She sighed inwardly, drawing out her words, intending to at least give them a stern warning, telling them to stay away from Yang Can.

But when the words came out, his tone was as soft as cotton: "Alright... then. From now on, you two will be in charge of taking care of the master's horses. Remember, you are not allowed to go to the flower hall or the back courtyard."

Qingmei, like a mother, instructed, "You are horse maids, and your duty is to take care of the horses. If you wander around, you will break the rules of our Yang family."

Our master has a terrible temper; he might beat you to death.

"Oh, don't worry, Steward Qingmei, we two sisters are the best behaved!"

Rouge answered first, nodding vigorously, the little purple flower on her double-bun hairstyle swaying wildly.

"Yes, yes! We'll definitely be good!"

Zhu Sha hurriedly echoed, nodding her little head like a chick pecking at rice, her eyes full of seriousness.

Looking at them like this, Qingmei sighed again: "Alright, it's getting late. Let's add the horse feed and go back to rest. We can do the washing and grooming tomorrow."

After saying that, she turned and left. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she would have to worry about arranging a late-night snack for the two young ladies.

I'm so tired!

Rena is shrewd and capable, with a natural allure, and is deeply trusted by Yang Can.

Little Master Jingyao is holy and has a noble and flawless temperament.

These two fairies are already enough to cause trouble, and now two adorable little girls have arrived.

Even I, an unmarried young girl, feel soft-hearted and want to be their mother. How could Yang Can not want to be their father?

How are we going to live from now on!

As Qingmei muttered to herself, just as she turned through the moon gate of the back courtyard, Granny Zhuo, like an oiled shadow, suddenly darted out from behind the pomegranate tree, startling Qingmei.

Granny Zhuo approached Qingmei with a mysterious look and whispered, "Manager Qingmei, the master is in the flower hall."

That old foreign woman was there too, chatting animatedly with the master; the two of them were practically sitting very close together!

Pressing down one gourd only resulted in another!
Qingmei's anger flared up again in an instant; the jealousy that the twin sisters had just suppressed resurfaced completely.

She gritted her teeth, thinking, "Can't this Yang Can just give me a break? Does he only stop when I castrate him?"

Qingmei didn't say anything more. She lifted her skirt and hurried towards the flower hall. Her steps were so fast and hurried that the skirt fluttered in the wind.

In the flower hall, Yang Can sat at the table, holding a calligraphy brush and a ruler in his hand.

Rena stood beside him, slowly grinding ink for him.

Her deep blue eyes, like sapphires submerged in water, were fixed on the calligraphy brush in Yang Can's hand, her gaze full of curiosity.

As Yang Can continued drawing, a strange shape gradually appeared on the paper.

Below is a rectangular wooden frame with strings of round beads drawn on it, arranged in two rows, which looks quite novel.

"Alright, this is called an abacus. Come on, let me tell you how to use it."

Yang Can put down his brush, pointed to the abacus he had drawn, and recited the formula while demonstrating the abacus drawing on the paper with his finger.

"One up, one down, five down, four down, one down, nine down, one up; if the down bead isn't enough, add more, then add or subtract five to make ten; if the current bead is ten, carry one up; if the down bead isn't enough, move the up bead..."

"Look, this is much faster than counting rods, and it's less prone to errors."

The counting rods were the prototype of the abacus, and the principles were the same. After Yang Can explained it to Rena, she suddenly understood.

Her eyes widened suddenly, a gleam of surprise shining in her azure pupils, and her voice trembled slightly.

"My goodness, the manor lord is so wise! He actually has such a calculating tool! This is so much more convenient than counting rods, and it's so much easier to carry around!"

During her time at the Yang residence, she had already heard the servants talk about the master's abilities.

The improvement of plows made crops grow stronger, and the improvement of waterwheels saved a lot of effort in irrigating the land. Each of these improvements is amazing.

But she never expected that simply setting up abacus rods in front of him would lead him to come up with such a more effortless and efficient calculation tool. It was truly incredible!
Looking into Rena's adoring blue eyes, Yang Can couldn't help but feel a little smug. "Thank you, Master! I'll find the best carpenter tomorrow and have it made as soon as possible!"

Rena was overjoyed. She carefully picked up the paper with the abacus drawn on it, looked at it closely several times, and even memorized the position of each bead before reluctantly folding the paper up.

She habitually inhaled, pulled in her stomach, and reached out to stuff the paper into her belt.

Yang Can's eyes widened instantly, she forgot to blink, and her breathing unconsciously became lighter.

"Uh……"

Rena's hand suddenly stopped, as if she remembered something, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across her face.

She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not stuff the paper into her belt. Instead, she stuck the paper to her lapel, gently tucked it into the tucker at her chest, and patted her lapel.

Looking up again, she saw Yang Can staring intently and expectantly at her chest.

Rena's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood what he was expecting. Her pretty face flushed red.

She bit her lip and glared at Yang Can reproachfully. What kind of person is he? He's so mean. Does he just want to see her make a fool of herself?

Yang Can, thick-skinned and not embarrassed at all, chuckled and looked away.

Which needleworker sewed this herbal tuber?

The quality is terrible; it didn't even stretch.

However, despite the romantic feelings, Yang Can's real thought at that moment was that he valued Rena's abilities.

Haven't I always been worried about not being able to find someone I can completely trust and who can be of use to me?

Rena seems like a good candidate.

She was a Hu woman, and also a captured female slave. She had no relatives or complicated interpersonal relationships in the Central Plains.

If we can win her sincere allegiance, she will trust us completely and will not harbor any disloyalty like others.

More importantly, she is not just a pretty face; she is capable, quick-witted, and has a natural sensitivity to business, making her a rare business prodigy.

With her helping to manage the affairs of the Western Regions trade route, I can save a lot of trouble.

My little green plum, on the other hand, has been unable to get her sense of place lately. She's become a bit spoiled and arrogant, and occasionally she'll act all high and mighty with me.

If I promote Rena and involve her in more affairs, will Qingmei become more restrained when she sees someone who can threaten her position?
But then Yang Can had another problem.

I promised Rena that if she helped me manage the business, I would give her her freedom in five years.

What if she really wants to leave then?
Or... shall I reluctantly use my "handsome man" tactic?
Yang Can stroked his chin, pondering to himself: With my looks, I could be considered a quiet and handsome man, but I wonder if I meet the aesthetic standards of Persian women?
That doesn't really fit.

Nowadays, Persian girls prefer men who are as tall and strong as bears, with thick hair and beards, and preferably with a large hooked nose.

Yang Can, with his handsome and refined "puppy-like" appearance, is not the type that Western women in this era prefer.

Of course, the other conditions were met: young, wealthy, and powerful.

"Um, Rena, how old are you this year?"

"Nineteen years old." Rena's blush hadn't completely faded.

"In your Persia, a woman of this age should already be married, right?"

Yang Can asked again, his gaze falling on her fiery red hair, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Rena's smile faded slightly, and her voice lowered.

"Yes...yes. In our Persia, noble girls usually marry between the ages of 12 and 15, while daughters from commoner families marry between the ages of 14 and 18."

At this point, a hint of humiliation flashed across Rena's eyes.

The reason she was still unmarried at nineteen was not because no one wanted her, but because she was too picky and not good enough for anyone.

With Rena's looks, figure, and wealthy family background, she could at least marry a plantation owner or a local administrator.

But given her family's wealth, her father was unwilling to give up.

However, if one were to marry into a noble family, royal family, or theocratic family, that would be a bit of a stretch.

In particular, she had a flaw that was most despised by the upper class...

Rena raised her eyes and secretly glanced at Yang Can's black hair, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.

If I had a head of noble black hair, I could probably marry into a noble family.

Yang Can noticed the unease in her tone and quickly comforted her, "It must be because you're too outstanding and have high standards that you haven't found someone suitable yet..."

Before he could finish speaking, the door to the flower hall creaked open.

Qingmei came in carrying a cup of freshly brewed hot tea.

She specially changed into a light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with delicate white plum blossoms embroidered on the hem. Her face was adorned with a sweet smile that could drip honey, and her voice was as soft as a goose down pillow.

"Master, it's late. I've made you a cup of warm tea. Oh, Rena's here too."

As Qingmei spoke, she walked to the table, placed the teacup next to Yang Can, and subtly nudged Rena away a little.

"Oh dear, I didn't realize it was so late. Rena, I'm so sorry I didn't prepare your tea."

Little Qingmei smiled broadly, but showed no sign of apology.

……

On the old locust tree outside the village, Cheng Xiaoyi, like a nimble monkey, rode on the thickest branch.

He was wearing a patched gray cloth outfit, with the trousers rolled up to his knees, revealing his muscular calves.

He held a handful of fresh wild goji berries in his hand, occasionally tossing one into his mouth.

The fruit wasn't fully ripe yet; its sweet taste had a hint of astringency, but it was the most common snack for the village children.

Once you leave the village, you can easily find a goji berry tree and pick a whole bagful, satisfying your cravings and filling your stomach.

He was instructed by his uncle, Cheng Dakuan, to keep an eye on the leatherworker, Wang Yongcai.

His uncle told him to keep an eye on things, so he did, not daring to be careless.

Just past midnight, the night wind rustled the locust tree leaves, as if someone were whispering in their ear.

Cheng Xiaoyi yawned, his eyelids began to droop, and his head kept nodding down. Several wild goji berries fell from his hand onto the tree branches.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, a loud "thump" suddenly came from inside the courtyard wall.

When Cheng Xiaoyi looked, he saw that Wang the cobbler had actually climbed over the wall of his own yard!

Wang Yongcai was dressed in a dark short-sleeved shirt, and his shoes were obviously covered with soft leather. When he landed, he was as light as a leaf, without making a sound.

He slid down to the ground close to the wall, looked around warily, and then stealthily slipped out of the village along the shadows of the houses, walls, and trees, as sneaky as a rat stealing oil.

Cheng Xiaoyi quickly stuffed the wild wolfberries into his clothes, hugged the tree trunk with both hands, and nimbly slid down to the ground, kicking off the bark with his feet, and quietly chased after them.

(End of this chapter)