Flowers in full bloom

"No way?" Hualei twirled her fingers. "If Brother Kong thinks it's not possible, that's fine. I'll find another way..."

"Okay, Boss. You don't need to increase my monthly salary. As long as you agree to let the people in the farm learn to read, I'm willing to teach Brother Zheng and the others if they need to learn."

"Really? That's great." Hua Lei turned around and asked everyone, "Are you willing to learn? You don't need to pay. I will provide all the writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstone. It may be a bit hard for you, but I think it's better to know how to read than not to know how to read, right?"

"Can anyone learn it?" Zhao Xiaohua, who was sitting and doing needlework, asked in a trembling voice.

"Yes, men, women, young and old are all welcome, as long as you are willing to learn?" "Girls can also learn?" Mrs. Zheng, Mrs. Li, who was sitting next to Zhao Xiaohua, opened her eyes wide in disbelief and looked at the flower buds.

"Well, it's all right. Girls can do it, too." Hua Lei said affirmatively, "I don't know what other people's farms are like, but here, as long as they are from Baihua Village, I will treat them equally. Girls are also people, as long as they are willing, they can learn.

"Bang! Suddenly, Zheng Dahai knelt in front of Hua Lei. When the people around him saw this, they all knelt down. "Uncle Zheng, what are you doing? Get up quickly." Hua Lei quickly moved aside and stepped forward to hold Uncle Zheng's arm to help him get up.

"Thank you, boss. Thank you, boss," everyone said in unison, following Uncle Zheng.

Aunt Fu and Xiao Xiao hurried forward and helped the people kneeling on the ground up one by one. Aunt Fu said, "Our young lady is kind and gentle, just like her grandfather. We, including Aunt Song and her three daughters, can all read. We were all taught by our old boss. Although we can't pass the imperial examinations, we know our own names and the basic numbers.

My eldest son Ping An is still under the personal guidance of the old boss. He passed the examination for a student two years ago. Some time ago, the young lady asked my eldest son to study hard and said that he would take the examination for a scholar next year. As long as you do your job well, don't be disloyal, and don't do anything that is not good for the manor or the young lady, our young lady will never treat you unfairly. Your good days are yet to come."

Hua Lei couldn't help but praise Aunt Fu in her heart. She taught the people in the farm to read just so that when the farm needs to sell canned peaches, jams and other subsequent products in the future, in case it is too late, it would be helpful to have a helper to keep count. She hadn't thought so far ahead.

However, Aunt Jingfu's words not only raised Hualei's image of kindness and generosity, but also made everyone more grateful to Hualei. She also painted a big pie for them, making them yearn for it, and they would not do anything that was detrimental to Zhuangzi in the future. Using emotions and benefits to lure people, the old ones are indeed the best.

Seeing the servants' grateful and loyal expressions, Hua Lei really looked up to Aunt Fu. "Then it's settled. I'll talk to Uncle Fu tomorrow and ask him to bring some writing brushes, inkstones, and paper when he comes to the farm next time. The specific time and method of learning will be arranged by Xiao Kong himself."

"Yes, Boss." Everyone answered. That night, everyone in the manor tossed and turned, some were excited, some were grateful, and some vowed to learn something.

Only Hualei had a good sleep. When she opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. After putting on her clothes and preparing to have breakfast, Aunt Zhao came over with a pottery jar in her arms, looking very excited. "Boss, it's ready. It's very tasty." Hualei looked at the half-person-high pottery jar in Aunt Zhao's arms and couldn't help but twitch her lips. Aunt Zhao was not holding the pottery jar but her grandson. The wrinkles on her face seemed to deepen because of her joy.

Hualei put down the chopsticks in her hand, picked up the clean spoon that had not been used yet, scooped a few spoons of pulp from the ceramic jar and put it into the small porcelain bowl, picked up one and put it in her mouth, bit it gently, the pulp was sweet and delicious, similar to the taste of jam, but because it was cut into strips, it was more chewy

Hualei motioned Aunt Zhao to try it. She picked up another piece of fruit pulp and put it in her mouth. After tasting it carefully, the taste was actually okay. The syrup had been marinated into the fruit pulp, but she always felt that something was missing. Hualei carefully recalled the candied fruits she had eaten in her previous life. They were sweet, salty, sour, spicy, sour, sweet, spicy and salty. She wondered if she should add something in.

"Aunt Zhao, is it just sweet and a bit greasy?" Aunt Zhao nodded and said, "Indeed, it's okay for the first few bites, but after eating too much, it feels too sweet later. Did we put too much sugar?" "That's possible. How about this, you go to the orchard to pick some lemons first, and then ask Uncle Zhao to pick half a basket of peaches today." "Oh, okay," Aunt Zhao moved the pottery jar back to the kitchen, and hurried up the hillside behind.

Hua Lei sat down and continued to eat breakfast. When Hua Lei finished breakfast, Aunt Zhao had not come back yet. While digesting her food, Hua Lei walked around to the back and saw several children from the village coming back from the hillside. The boys each carried a large bundle of firewood, and the two younger ones carried a small bundle and were spreading them on the open space to dry.

A few young ladies were carrying bamboo baskets filled with green grass cut from the hillside. They were grunting as they brought the grass back and were preparing to feed the cows and pigs. The chickens nearby fluttered over to grab the food.

Niuniu was trying hard to pour the grass in the bamboo basket into the pigpen, but her height was only about the same as the pigpen, and the basket was stuck there. Hualei stepped forward to help lift the bamboo basket and pour the grass into the pigpen. She squatted down, touched Niuniu's yellow hair, and said softly, "You are still young. You can ask your brothers and sisters for help in the future. Don't get your hands stuck." Niuniu nodded slightly. The seven-year-old girl ran over and carefully took out a handful of small wild flowers from the bamboo basket. She held it in front of Hualei a little shyly and said softly, "Boss, this is for you."

A bunch of small wild flowers, red, purple, white, yellow and all kinds of colors, were crowded together. Some of the flowers on the edge had lost a few petals because they were scratched by the bamboo basket, but they still held their heads up and refused to droop. The girl also carefully picked some green leaves to decorate them. Hualei took it carefully, put it to her nose and smelled it. The unique fragrance of flowers and plants filled her nose, smelling as good as a high-end perfume that Hualei had used in her previous life.

Hualei came forward, gently hugged Da Niu's body, and said, "This flower is so beautiful and fragrant. Thank you, Da Niu, I like it very much." Da Niu shrank shyly. Hualei patted Da Niu on the back, stood up and asked, "Have you had breakfast?" The children all nodded, "Okay, go wash your hands, and I'll give you something delicious to eat."

The children ran to the well, washed their hands quickly, and looked at Hualei eagerly. Hualei smiled and took them to the kitchen. She uncovered the ceramic jar where the peach pulp and dried fruits were soaked, carefully scooped a large spoonful into a small bowl, and handed it to the older boy, who should be Uncle Zheng's eldest grandson Zheng Tiedan, "Take it, don't drop it. Go sit over there and eat with your brothers and sisters." The children happily ran to the stools by the yard, sat down, and began to pinch the dried fruits from the bowl one by one.