It's hard for my elder sister. I rely on the mountains to farm and pay off my debts.

The carriage rattled forward.

The three of them sat in the carriage, and Song Zhi was the first to ask, "Sister Wan, where do you want to visit this time?"

"We'll only be at the farm for half a day. If we can't arrange things properly, I'm afraid we won't be able to find out anything."

Wang Wanzhi then spoke carefully, "Some time ago, my grandfather redistributed the family property, and this farm in Ningtong Town was also given to me."

"When I checked the accounts again, I found that not only was there no profit from this farm, but it also borrowed a lot of money from the bank to operate it."

"I originally thought that the harvest had been bad in recent years, and the income from the farms had outweighed the expenses. Second Aunt also said there was a hot spring there, and the village head had been busy maintaining and repairing the houses, so my family hadn't allocated the money owed. That's why I borrowed money from the bank and will repay the debt when there's income."

"But a few days ago, the head of Ningtong Town sent me an account book. I thought it looked a little strange, so I called the head of the village outside the city to inquire about it."

"This year should have been a bumper harvest, but they're reporting that the soil isn't fertile enough for crops to grow well. They're also saying a lot of seedlings died this spring, and buying fruit seedlings is going to cost a fortune."

"After much thought, I decided to go and inspect that farm. If it's really as the headman said, then it's fine. But if he's just pretending to obey his master but actually disobeying him, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

Song Zhi touched her chin thoughtfully and said, "That's easy to check. No one knows the soil fertility and harvest better than the tenant farmers on the farm."

"Sister Wan can send the farm steward away and take someone to the fields to investigate. Find the tenants and ask them. If the farm owner is really doing something oppressive, Sister Wan can simply reveal her identity and promise to stand up for the tenants. They will definitely not cover up for the farm owner."

"As for the fruit seedlings in the mountains, they are also easy to verify. When we get to the farm, sister, why don't you have someone take us up the mountain to pick fruit? We can see if there are any freshly picked fruit seedlings on the mountain. We can find out if the head of the farm is lying or not by taking a look."

"Let's split up and inspect all the suspicious areas within a limited time frame without appearing to be overly conscientious. Sister, just pretend I'm here to have fun at the manor."

"We can discuss the rest after we have concrete evidence!"

After listening to Song Zhi's analysis, Wang Wanzhi grabbed Song Zhi's arm and said happily, "Sister Song is really thoughtful!"

Zheng Hui, who was standing by, was quite surprised when she heard this. It turned out that this trip was not just for sightseeing, but also had a purpose.

But she was still very happy in her heart, because the two of them did not deliberately avoid her when they discussed things again.

That's because he trusts her as a friend.

Thinking of this, Zheng Hui couldn't help but relax from her initial restraint.

It takes two hours to drive from the county seat to Ningtong Town, heading north along the official road. As the sun rises higher, the temperature inside the carriage also rises.

Song Zhi, who was a little restless, lifted the car curtain and moved to the side of the car after getting the consent of the two people, and looked around.

Along the way are wastelands or farmlands, and barefoot farmers busy sowing seeds.

The further north they went, the more clearly Song Zhi could see that there were many mountains along the way, the roads were rugged, and occasionally there were a few farmhouses, which were also small yellow mud houses.

After passing a sparsely populated mountain road, the carriage continued its journey for a while, and gradually more farmhouses appeared on both sides of the official road.

"How long will it take to reach the town?" Wang Wanzhi asked the coachman while looking at the sun hanging high in the sky.

"Miss, we'll reach the town in one mile. After passing through the town, we'll reach our farm in another cup of tea!"

Hearing this, Wang Wanzhi turned around and asked Song Zhi, "We've been traveling for most of the day. Are you hungry? How about we find a restaurant in town to eat first, and then go to the farm?"

"Are there any restaurants in this town?" Song Zhi asked with some confusion.

As she walked along, she had been observing the pedestrians she could see on the road.

It can be said that the further north you go, the more shabby the houses the people live in become, and the clothes they wear are patched up with patches. From a distance, they all look pale and thin, and it is obvious that they live a very hard life.

At this time, the driver said at the right moment: "Don't worry, Miss. Although Ningtong Town is located in the north, it is a must-go place on the way to the county town. Many merchants from the north who can't make it on their way will stop here."

"So there are guesthouses and restaurants in the town, but it's not as prosperous as the county town!"

Hearing the driver's words, Song Zhi nodded towards Wang Wanzhi and said in a low voice:

"Then we can eat something in town to fill our stomachs. When we get to the farm, we can use the excuse that the head of the farm is busy preparing food and we can proceed according to our previous plan."

The two looked at each other, and Wang Wanzhi understood. Then she told the driver to choose a restaurant to stop later.

The group soon arrived at the town. Unlike the sparsely populated and desolate road, the whole town was bustling.

The Wang family's carriage was decorated with exquisite incense balls and sheep-horn lanterns, making it very unique.

When pedestrians on both sides of the road see a carriage surrounded by a group of people, they will choose to stay away from it.

This was Zheng Hui's first time traveling far away after fleeing.

During her three years in Qishui County, the farthest she had been was the county seat and she had never been anywhere else.

Now they arrived at another town, and she also came close to Song Zhi, looking at the street scene outside with great interest.

There are houses on both sides of the road, including teahouses, wineries, cloth shops, butcher shops, etc.

There were mule carts pulling goods, ox carts transporting grain, and peddlers carrying loads and hawking their wares on the road, making it look quite lively.

"Miss, there's a mutton soup shop up ahead. It's quite delicious and has been open in this town for a while. Do you want to stop there?"

Wang Wanzhi didn't agree directly, but looked at the two of them, "Do you want to eat this mutton soup?"

Song Zhi glanced at the crowded shop and shook her head. "There are too many people. Let's buy some food to take with us. It won't delay our journey and we can still fill our stomachs!"

After that, he pointed to the meat pie stall in front and said, "Let's buy some meat pie to fill our stomachs first!"

Ivana Wong felt a little embarrassed. "I invited my sisters out for a trip, how could I just treat you to meat pies? That's so rude!"

"I think meat patties are great. They're crispy on the outside and meaty on the inside. One piece of patty is just enough to fill my stomach first, and I'll save some room for fruit when we get to the mountains later!"

These words not only sounded playful and cute, but also very caring. Wang Wanzhi couldn't help but smile after hearing them.

"Okay, then we'll buy some meat patties to fill our stomachs. If you like fruits, feel free to pick some and bring some back for the family to try."

Song Zhi rolled up her sleeves and said in an exaggerated tone, "Then I won't be polite!"

Because of Song Zhi's joke, Wang Wanzhi, who had been getting more and more nervous as they got closer to the manor, now gradually felt relieved.

She smiled and nodded repeatedly, "As long as my sister can pick it, it all belongs to her!"

Song Zhi grabbed Zheng Hui and suggested with a smile, "Then we must work harder today and pick more!"

Zheng Hui was also infected by the relaxed atmosphere at the moment and nodded in agreement with a smile on her face.