Chapter 1134: Block
Ding Erzhu and Ms. Zhou became increasingly exasperated with these antics.
The most absurd part was when Fifth Grandma Ding accused Ding Erzhu of being naive and easily manipulated, claiming that he had been set up and taken advantage of.
Fed up with the situation, Ding Erzhu had no choice but to seek help from the Land Officer and senior clan members in Shaoding Village. Land Officer sought Ms. Fang’s opinion, but she distanced herself, stating that she had no involvement with them. Land Officer then warned Fifth Grandpa Ding and Fifth Grandma Ding that any further humiliation would not be tolerated.
In an era when the power of the clan surpassed that of the law, everyone feared such consequences. Both angry and fearful, Fifth Grandpa Ding and his family ceased their actions.
Meanwhile, Qiao Xuan, who had just returned, was unaware of the situation.
During her visit to Zhang Village to inspect the properties, Ding Erzhu carefully chose what to share with her, avoiding any private matters.
Satisfied with her visit, Qiao Xuan gathered fresh lotus roots, fish, and shrimps and returned to the village.
The tea field had expanded to an impressive 600 mu and was flourishing. She anticipated opening another 200 or 300 mu next year, envisioning the scale reaching 1,500 mu, with potential for further expansion in the future.
Collecting tea tree seedlings required a trip into the mountains to gather tea seeds. They planned to spend a couple of days in the mountains, and upon their return, Shao Dalang and others would take care of the seeds. Once the weather became slightly warmer after the New Year, they could begin the breeding process.
Qiao Xuan intended to apply her superpower to the seeds over a range of 500 meters, hoping it would yield positive results.
She planned to visit again in the spring.
Additionally, they could transplant some tea tree seedlings from the mountains and cultivate tea seeds in the space, which would offer greater convenience in the future.
During their journey, Qiao Xuan shared the plan to pick tea seeds in the mountains with Yang Xiaoni and the others. However, Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sanlang expressed hesitation, considering the absence of Qi and the potential dangers of venturing into the deep mountains. They felt it was unnecessary for Qiao Xuan, as an officer’s wife, to take such risks.
Qiao Xuan was aware that she needed three escorts to accompany her for assurance during the trip.
The six escorts were still residing at the Shao Family’s place, and only the Yuezheng Family’s servants had returned home.
Qiao Xuan didn’t stay home for long, so she didn’t make arrangements for them to go to the county city. As a result, they had plenty of free time, mostly tending to their own mounts.
Yang Xiaoni and Shao Sanlang were not afraid of Qiao Xuan’s expedition and even promised to keep her company.
Later that evening, as they returned to the village, they excitedly discussed what to have for dinner, mentioning dishes like lotus roots stewed with bones, sweet and sour pig trotters, and mountain mushrooms stewed with chicken soup. Suddenly, their enthusiasm dimmed when they noticed Fifth Grandma Ding intercepting the wagon with her daughters-in-law.
Yang Xiaoni and Taotao’s expressions changed, and Qiao Xuan’s eyes sparkled, as if she had anticipated something.
With Ding Erzhu being the only link she could think of, she couldn’t imagine any other reason why Fifth Grandma Ding and her family would seek her out.
As they were almost home, Qiao Xuan alighted from the wagon, wearing a smile, and asked, “Are you here to talk about Uncle Erzhu and Aunt Zhou?”