Starting from a thatched cottage, the farmer embarked on the road to wealth through imperial examina

Although Xuyang Prefecture is only two or three days' drive from Shengjing, if you ride a horse, as long as you change horses along the way, it is not uncommon for people with excellent riding skills to set out in the morning and arrive in the evening.

But considering that Wang Xinkuan had just gotten married, the Ministry of Personnel gave him some leave and asked him to rush to Xuyang to take up his post before April 15. Although everyone in the Duke of Wei's mansion hoped that the newlywed couple could stay in Shengjing for a few more days, they all knew that although Wang Xinkuan seemed to be trusted by His Majesty on the surface, the burden on Wang Xinkuan's shoulders was not light.

If Wang Xinkuan fails to achieve some results in Xuyang Prefecture, he will not only fail the trust of His Majesty, but will also attract jealous people who will doubt his ability. The prince of Duke Wei even went to a popular temple in Shengjing City and asked a senior monk to help him choose a date. He said that the ninth day of April was a good day to go out.

Wang Xinkuan didn't believe it at first, but how could he let his father-in-law down? Plus, his junior fellow apprentice Lu Geang often mocked him for already having two sons. Wang Xinkuan had been giving his new wife a hard time in the past few nights after their marriage.

Wang Xinkuan could see with his own eyes that Tong Luyao looked much more haggard these days, so he agreed with his wife to set out on the ninth day of April. The couple would both ride in a carriage, and even if the carriage went slowly, they would still have two or three days of rest before arriving in Xuyang Prefecture.

The day after Wang Xinkuan and Tong Luyao returned home for the third time, they went to Shigu Lane. Although Mr. Cai had already gone to Yujing Palace, everyone except Lu Ge'ang's fellow apprentices returned to Shigu Lane that day. Everyone had already agreed to have a good get-together that day.

The Duke of Wei's Mansion is indeed a wealthy family in Shengjing City. Even Tong Luyao, a girl in seclusion, knows that Master Ye Changyan and his apprentice have made a fortune from the strawberries since the Spring Festival and the watermelons that came on the market a while ago at their farm in Sanyuan County.

Although the Wang family can be considered well-off, it is still relatively thin among the big families in Shengjing. Tong Luyao is accompanying Wang Xinkuan to Xuyang to take up his post this time, and it is not known when he will be able to return to Beijing. When away from home, it is inevitable that he will need money urgently. Although it is not a big deal to ask for some money from her parents' home, Wang Xinkuan is already a fourth-rank official after all. If the outside world knew that his wife was still asking for money from her parents' home, where would his face be?

Tong Luyao thought that she was about to leave Shengjing, and all the shops and farms in her dowry, although her parents' family also gave her the managers as a dowry, but when she saw Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng today, and thought of the time when she was in Wang Xinkuan's arms after the couple's troubles a few days ago, Wang Xinkuan couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips when he mentioned his junior brother.

Tong Luyao had an idea and spoke to Ye Changyan.

"Sixth Junior Brother, Seventh Junior Brother, last year when I was at the farm in Sanyuan County, I saw that the experimental field you and your husband had set up was very innovative. The strawberries from the year before to now, as well as the watermelons that were recently put on the market, are of very good quality. I heard that the dignitaries in Shengjing City may not be able to buy some to taste even if they broke down the door. I was thinking, since the strawberries and watermelons in the experimental field are so popular, and I happen to have a few farms in my dowry, what do you think, Junior Brothers, is there any possibility of cooperation between us?"

Ma, Liao and He were all a little surprised that Tong Luyao had such a flexible mind. She really deserved to have grown up in such a wealthy family as the Duke of Wei's Mansion. But looking at Tong Luyao's proposal, there was a reason why the Duke of Wei's Mansion became a wealthy family.

Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng's eyes lit up when they heard Tong Luyao's suggestion. They didn't know why Liang Jingcheng was so excited last night, so they stayed up late, and both of them were sweating profusely on this night at the end of March.

Liang Jingcheng was held in Ye Changyan's arms. Neither of them felt sleepy yet, so they started chatting. During the conversation, they talked about the grandeur of the Duke of Wei's Mansion. The houses, shops and farms given as a dowry to Tong Luyao alone were a huge fortune. If the farms given as a dowry to Tong Luyao were used to build a greenhouse, both of them were very optimistic about the prospects.

Unexpectedly, Tong Luyao actually brought up this matter today. Ye Changyan and Liang Jingcheng both saw the meaning revealed in each other's eyes, and then Ye Changyan smiled and spoke.

"Sister-in-law, my brother and I, Mr., had a similar cooperation with Xiao's cousin and his wife last year. I wonder if Fourth Brother has mentioned it to you?"

After hearing Ye Changyan's question, judging from Tong Luyao's expression, she didn't know the specific details. She just looked at her husband.

"Before I left for Xuyang last year, you and my two junior brothers did build a test field with Xiao Jingxing and his wife on the farm at the border of Shengjing and Changping Prefecture."

Wang Xinkuan did not expect that his wife would take the initiative to propose cooperation with the two junior brothers, so he did not mention it. After Wang Xinkuan briefly told Tong Luyao about the general situation, Tong Luyao discovered that her husband's junior brother was indeed extraordinary.

Tong Luyao was naturally aware of Chen Bingshuang's family background. This junior fellow in front of him was able to persuade Chen Bingshuang and his wife to only take 20% of the share. However, the subsequent negotiations with Ye Changyan made Tong Luyao finally understand why.

Although Ye Changyan was polite and smiling throughout the negotiations, he refused to give in on the key issues. When Ye Changyan told people about the farms in Sanyuan County and the approximate profits during this period, it had to be said that Tong Luyao was not the only one present who was tempted.

Considering that he was about to go to Xuyang to take up his post with Wang Xinkuan, Tong Luyao finally agreed to Ye Changyan's condition and first used the farm closest to the capital to build an experimental site. Later, depending on the situation, he would consider building the remaining farms into experimental sites.

Ye Changyan, Liang Jingcheng and Cai Lao accounted for 60% of the shares, Tong Luyao accounted for 30% of the shares, and the remaining 10% was used as subsequent investment in the farm and as income for the managers and helpers on the farm.

But the 10% more share that Tong Luyao got compared to Chen Bingshuang was obtained by bearing the cost of all materials and labor for the construction of the greenhouse. However, Tong Luyao felt that it was worth it. This expense was a one-time investment. Once the greenhouse was built, she could get an extra 10% in profit every year.

When these farms were in the Duke of Wei's mansion, they were mainly used to grow crops. In Tong Luyao's opinion, the difference in income from them was too great compared to Ye Changyan's experimental fields in Sanyuan County. Even if he only took 30% of the share, the income he would get would be far more than if he managed the farm himself.