Today's basic update + 875 powder tickets, and there will be an additional update tonight. It's the last day, so please continue to vote. Check your personal bookshelf to see if you still have any votes left, or they'll go to waste, hehe!

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  It wasn't long after dawn that Peony led the way with Concubine Lin, Ruhai, Zhen Shi and Sun Shi, as well as several sturdy and powerful house servants, out of the city and onto the dirt path leading to Fragrant Garden.

  Floating in the air are the scents of rice flowers and green grass, unknown birds in the fields and at the edge of the village make clear and melodious calls, from time to time farmers hurry by with livestock that smell of manure, the cowbells on their necks ringing clearly, accompanied by the folk songs of the peasants working in the fields, forming a vivid and lively picture of rural life.

  This made Zhen Shi and Sun Shi feel exceptionally relaxed, Zhen Shi rarely put down the unhappiness in her heart, playfully squeezed her eyes at Peony and Sun Shi: "When I followed my parents to live in the countryside, I often came out with my sisters to tread songs at night, until midnight before returning home. Since getting married, it's been many years since I last tread songs, really miss those days."

  "Wait until the garden is fixed, I'll have to invite my parents and siblings to stay for a while. At that time, if Third Sister wants to sing, will she be worried? The garden is so big, you can do whatever you want, and there's no one to disturb you."

  Zhen said somewhat despondently: "Even if the garden were bigger, with more people, and more lively, it's still not like before."

  Sun looked at her and smiled: "Third sister, you're rarely melancholic today?"

  Zhen Shi gave Sun Shi a glance: "Don't you want to recall the past? I'm not like you, who has nothing to do every day, doesn't need to take care of the family, doesn't need to take care of the children, and can openly follow Dan Niang outside, doing whatever she wants, returning home for dinner and sleep when it's time. It's really enviable for us."

  As soon as she said this, Sun Shi immediately turned pale and averted her face, pursing her lips tightly without saying a word. Zhen Shi still didn't realize that she had touched Sun Shi's sore spot and continued to complain about how her two daughters were not clever or likable enough, and how her son was not diligent or hardworking enough. She said: "Dan Niang, I don't have any extravagant hopes, I just hope that Hui Niang and Yun Niang will grow up to be as eloquent and charming as their aunt. With a garden this big, if it's really well-maintained and filled with peonies, who knows how much it'll be worth? And every year, it'll earn so much money! In the future, no matter what kind of family they marry into, they'll never have to worry about food and drink for the rest of their lives."

  The peony had previously heard Mrs. Zhen reminisce about her youth, and was interested in chatting with her more, asking about rural customs and learning how to get along with the villagers. Before she could even open her mouth, Mrs. Zhen reverted to her true form, not caring about anything except for her own pleasure, always trying to win arguments and making Sun's family feel disheartened. The peony couldn't help but feel annoyed and said calmly: "No matter how good or valuable this garden is, it still needs careful management. If one is not careful, everything will be lost. Even if I am usually very cautious, I still can't do without the help of my family members. Otherwise, relying on just one person, how can everything go smoothly? The children are still young, as long as they are on the right track, they won't turn out bad in the future. Just being able to talk and please people is not enough to keep wealth, what's important is having a big heart and working hard."

  Zhen didn't know if she had caught the implied meaning in Peony's words, but she did sense that Peony was somewhat dissatisfied with her. She wanted to explain herself, but seeing Sun sideways turning a deaf ear and Peony riding up to talk to Sun, it was clear they were both deliberately ignoring her. Frowning, she forced herself to swallow the unpleasantness.

  The three women, including the aunt and sister-in-law, arrived at Fang Garden in a somewhat awkward manner. Due to the generous payment of wages and good food supply, the workers, who were introduced by Monk Fuyuan, worked diligently without intentionally delaying the project. Wu Lang also helped to smooth out relationships, so the construction progressed rapidly. At this point, the scene in the garden was quite different from when Peony had left.

  Feng Daigne and Yuhe couldn't help but sigh a few times, and Peony's face also broke into a smile. Seeing the bustling scene, Zhen Shi forgot about the awkwardness on the road just now, "tsked" a few times, and said: "I also have dowry land, I'll build a garden tomorrow."

  Sun's family still remembered that she had just sarcastically said that she didn't have children and couldn't manage anything at home, so she teased her: "Third Aunt is building a garden to plant beans and mulberries, right?"

  Zhen's family saw her sarcastic self not understanding the elegance, angry with eyes staring at her: "I can plant beans and mulberries, what can you do?"

  Sun also turned her face, this time she didn't back down, but instead retorted. The two of them went back and forth, chatting happily. Peony was driven to distraction by the two of them, too lazy to continue mediating for them, so she ordered Ah Tao, who had come to greet them, to take them into the house to drink tea and taste fruit. Taking advantage of the absence of Mrs. Cen's restraint, they could quarrel to their heart's content, rather than bottling it up and getting internal injuries. She went off to talk to Wu Lang herself.

  Wulangzheng followed Peony's previous instructions and directed people to build a low wall around the most fertile twenty-acre land in the corner of the garden, in order to make it a nursery in the future. Seeing Peony arrived, he smiled and said: "Dan Niang you're here? You see this nursery, I didn't enclose it too small for you?"

  "None," Peony smiled. "Actually, these two years have been quite unsatisfactory, and I've only kept it as a precaution." She had originally thought that this nursery was very important, but the garden was too big and inconvenient to manage and guard. It would be best to connect this nursery with her living quarters so she could keep an eye on it at all times. Before, Fuyuan had not said anything, but later when he heard her say that she wanted to build a wall around it, he said that would ruin the entire layout of the garden. With a stroke of his brush, he designated the nursery to this corner. She was hesitant for a long time, but thinking that this place was indeed quiet and the soil fertile, she finally agreed to his arrangement. If she had known that this decision would almost bring her disaster on a certain day in the future, she would not have agreed to it no matter what.

  But all that's for later, at this moment Peony is still full of fighting spirit even in the face of setbacks, and has a beautiful vision for a better future. She likes this land of her own just the way it is. The low wall was almost finished, she walked along the courtyard wall with satisfaction, asked Wu Lang if anyone had come to make trouble in the past two days, and then happily told him about her visit to several families downstream in the city.

  Yu Hehuan was quick-witted and fast-tongued, adding all sorts of details about how others had bullied them and how Peony had responded. Wu Lang listened intently, nodding his head in approval and smiling: "After three days, one will have to look at you with new eyes; going on like this, Dan Niang will soon not need her brothers' help, but can even help them get business."

  "Brothers, where do you need me to drum up business? As soon as I mention the He family's spice shop, people recognize it. If it weren't for your hard work in making our shop so good, even if my tongue were worn out from talking, no one would pay attention to me."

  Wu Lang smiled and said, "Alright, let's not flatter each other. Let's talk about the real matter. I followed your instructions and had Hu Da Lang invite the heads of more than 20 households who helped with the river construction to come over for a meal. I lied to them, saying that when we bought the house and land, they only said that this river was built by them and was transferred to us together, but there's no evidence. If in the future you want to sell, I'm afraid it will be affected by the issue of this river."

  Here is the translation:

  "Ha! You think they'd know what's going on? I've got plenty of food and drink ready for them, and once they're having a good time, they'll all start saying they knew about this all along. And then they'll help me prove that this river has always belonged to us, and we can do whatever we want with it. The local officials are all on board too, saying just come find them if there's any trouble. Lots of people asked me if I'm still hiring workers for the garden, so I picked out a few dozen strong ones from the village, and some nimble women to help in the kitchen. With locals working here, even if something unexpected happens, they'll work hard to protect our estate's interests - after all, it's about their wages."

  "Peony smiled and said, 'No wonder the construction has been progressing so quickly. It turns out that there's a reason for it. Fifth brother is really too thoughtful. With you guarding this place, I have no worries at all. However, I think inviting them to testify should be done more carefully to eliminate any future troubles.' In the past two days, she had studied the deeds of Fangyuan and the land several times. The river that flowed through her own land was undoubtedly hers, but the upper and lower reaches of the river did not specify who owned the occupied land. It belonged to those who spent money but didn't go through formal procedures - this was a small but significant oversight that needed to be rectified as soon as possible."

  Wulang is a man who attaches great importance to his promises, so he naturally believes that the words of the villagers and the village head are also trustworthy. When he heard Mudan say this, although he was not very convinced, he still said: "What do you plan to do?"

  "Although I may have thought things a bit too seriously, I think it's better to be safe than sorry. Let's ask them to testify and speak the truth according to the facts, which is only reasonable. However, we can't rule out the possibility that someone might intervene and use their wealth and power to force people to lie. If that happens, not only will it harm us, but also put others in a difficult position. So, I think we should write down the origin of this river and ask them to sign and fingerprint as proof. Only by confirming the ownership of this river can we prevent those people from making trouble on this river, not just during the construction period, but also in the future."

  Wu Lang pondered for a moment, then said: "You also make sense. Since that's the case, let's hurry up and take care of it." The brother and sister quickly returned to the house, one grinding ink, the other holding a brush, discussing and deliberating, and soon finished writing the document. It stated that this river was originally introduced by the Zhou family at their own expense, and all the land it passed through was purchased with money, without mentioning Peony's complete control over the river. They also wrote down the names of the villagers who had arrived yesterday, preparing to ask them to sign and confirm one by one. Then they carried two jars of wine and took half a sheep from the kitchen, preparing to go ask the village head for help.

  The Sun and Zhen families quarreled until they were exhausted, then sat staring at each other with nothing to say. They watched as Wu Lang and Mu Dan ran back and forth, busy with excitement, and decided to follow them to join in the fun. When asked where they were going, they said they were going to find Li Zheng. Both Sun and Zhen expressed their willingness to go along, but Mu Dan had no interest in playing with them, so she asked Zhen to help take care of the construction site and Sun to help take care of the kitchen, and thus sent the two women away.

  Out of the Fragrant Garden, Wu Lang pretended to wipe away a sweat and said: "Aren't you three sisters-in-law and six sisters-in-law usually very close? How did they end up quarreling like this today? You didn't even try to mediate, just letting them fight. If later on they blame you for standing by and laughing, not trying to make peace, what will you do?"

  "Her and Liu's wife got along well, that was in the past. Now they both have their own backing, no need to unite with anyone or please anyone, of course, they also don't fear anyone. Usually at home, there is a mother to keep them in check, even if they are angry, they dare not make a big fuss. Today it's like giving them a holiday to vent, love how they scold, you watch, later when we get back home, it will be fine again." This is the biggest change among the women in the Xun family after Mrs. Xun clearly distributed the property: the phenomenon of forming gangs and secretly scheming has decreased, while individual combat has increased.

  Wulang just shook his head: "You women are really strange, you quarrel when you have something and you also quarrel when you don't have anything. Anyway, there's always a reason to quarrel. Luckily your sister-in-law doesn't like to argue with people, otherwise I would be annoyed to death by her."

  The peony looked at him with a smile that was not a smile: "Are you really going to annoy Wu Sao? Then I'll go back and tell her."

  "Wulang scolded with a smile: 'What kind of sister are you? You can't wait for your brother and sister-in-law to quarrel. If you dare, I'll take care of you.'"

  "Peony smiled and said: 'You dare to accept me, I'll find my parents and sister to take charge of me. You don't allow me to tell the truth to my sister.'"

  "Indeed, you've been spoiled rotten. Your audacity knows no bounds."

  The two siblings, chatting and laughing, found their way to the Ri family home. After finding the person they were looking for, they presented their gifts with both hands. Ri was surnamed Xiao, named Hui, a man in his fifties, whose family was not wealthy and made a living from farming. It was rare for ordinary families to eat meat at ordinary times, but he was delighted to see the wine and meat, thinking that they had come to pay their respects as landowners, which no one in this area had ever done before. His face and heart were both satisfied, and he was extremely enthusiastic towards Gorō and Botan.

  As soon as they heard the explanation, it wasn't as enjoyable as drinking and eating meat on previous days. The water didn't even pour a cup for them, just frowning and holding the document to look back and forth, afraid that a big pen would fall and cause some unnecessary trouble.

  Wulang and Mudan suppressed their impatience, smiling as they sat to the side waiting for him to have his fill. Once he had finally had enough, he said: "Things that have already been decided won't change, what belongs to your family is yours, why bother with this extra step?" As he spoke, he attempted to return the documents to Mudan.

  "Peony saw that he was unwilling, and felt a bit tense. She quickly got up and bowed to him, trying her best to make her smile appear sincere: 'Uncle Xiao, you also know that this estate actually belongs to me. After I get married, I won't be able to do without relying on it to support my family. Who knows when I might have to sell it? I'm writing this contract not to block the river or anything, and I absolutely won't let the few households downstream go without water because of me. I just want to be prepared for special situations, like if someone upstream cuts off my water supply. As a woman, what could I do? This garden would be ruined. All my dowry is invested in this estate, and it's unsettling.'"

  Xiao Li smiled and said: "Little girl, don't worry, no one will do such a thing. If something like that really happens, we'll naturally be your witnesses."

  It's not that no one has done this, but someone has already taken a liking to this river. Peony sighed: "I'm not worried now, I'm afraid it will be hard to find someone in the future. You see, it only says here that this river was repaired with Zhou family's full payment, nothing else is said. I just want to ask you to prove that there was such a thing. In fact, I also visited the owners of several villages below me yesterday, they were all very understanding, but I'm afraid that in the future, another owner will say it's unclear."

  Although she spoke reasonably, Xiao Li just wouldn't respond. He would glance at her for a moment, then glance at Wu Lang, and then look at the wine and meat they had brought. Peony was getting anxious to the point of being unable to sit still. This was a crucial step, relying on him to lead them in finding those farmers. With him leading the way, it would be easier for others to follow suit. If he didn't cooperate, what could they do?

  Xiao Lǐ Zhèng refused to sign the document, and Mù Dān and Wǔ Láng wouldn't leave. Xiao Lǐ Zhèng had accepted their gifts, but didn't want to return them, nor could he drive them away. The three of them stood there, frozen in awkward smiles, when a woman's loud voice came from inside the courtyard: "Whose dead dog has come here? Has it caught wind of something?" A dull thud was followed by a strange yelping sound from outside the window, then several weak howls that gradually faded into the distance.

  Right behind her, a woman in her thirties, wearing a coarse linen dress, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, clapped her hands as she walked in. Her gaze swept over Wu Lang and Mu Dan's bodies before landing on the two jars of wine and half a sheep, shouting in a loud voice: "Ah, noble guests have arrived, not even a cup of water has been offered, how rude! This dog nose is really sharp, it seems that it indeed smelled the meat."

  Xiao Rizheng furrowed his brow, looking very displeased, but ultimately didn't blow up. Peony, who had a good relationship with his family, smiled and stood up, saying: "Who is this sister?"

  Before Xiao Rong could even open his mouth, the woman had already brought over two cups of water in coarse ceramic cups: "Look at this sweet mouth. My surname is Zhou, everyone calls me Zhou Ban Niang, you can just call me Zhou Ban Niang, little lady. These past two days I've been working in your estate's kitchen, wages are paid daily, and the food is good too. Your family is very fair, not tyrannical or wealthy, it's quite good."

  Peony was somewhat surprised by this comment, and then she smelled a faint scent of incense from Zhou Banniang's body. She also saw that her hands were extremely clean, and the cup she handed over was old but equally clean. Peony took a sip and found that it had a hint of honey flavor, which made her feel quite curious about Zhou Banniang.

  Zhou Ba Niang saw Peony drinking water, smiled with satisfaction, and without explaining her identity, stretched out her hand to take the paper in front of Xiao Li Zheng, glanced at it roughly, and said: "It's not a big deal anyway, you've already said it in front of everyone the other day, so what if you made this certificate for her today?"

  Xiao Lǐ Zhèng heard this and, stroking his sparse beard, glared at Zhou Bā Niáng. Zhou Bā Niáng tilted her chin, opened her eyes wide, and glared back without showing any weakness. Xiao Lǐ Zhèng slowly backed down, saying: "Alright, I see you're honest people, so you probably won't harm me. If you use this to play tricks on me and harm me, I'll have no choice but to fight it out with you to the end."

  Zhou Banniang immediately put on a smiling face, giggling as she went to the corner of the room to fetch a withered pen and a small piece of ink, half a broken inkstone and a broken bowl. She poured some water into it, rolled up her sleeves and started grinding, indicating that Xiao Liren should sign his name. Xiao Liren sighed helplessly, lowered his head and scribbled out the truth, then signed his own name.

  Peony and Wu Lang were both surprised, before they guessed that the two men were probably in a father-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship, at most Zhou Bayi was the daughter-in-law who managed the household, so she was so arrogant. But now looking at these two "you" and "I", blowing each other's beards and staring at each other with wide eyes, they didn't seem like father-in-law and daughter-in-law, but rather like a family, however, their age difference was quite large.

  Zhou Ba Niang saw Xiao Li had finished writing and patted his hand in satisfaction, taking the document from him to hand over to Mudan: "Take a look if there's anything lacking."

  Peony took a small box of cinnabar from Yuhe's hand and handed it over. Zhou Banniang smiled and nodded, indicating that Xiaolizheng should press his seal. Xiaolizheng hummed and pressed the seal, then glared at Zhou Banniang and grabbed a bamboo hat, facing Wu Lang and Peony with a sullen expression: "Let's go, I'll take you to find someone."

  Peony was overjoyed and hastily bowed to thank Zhou Banniang, who waved her hand and smiled: "Forget it, I know why you did this." Before she finished speaking, Xiao Lizi looked over suspiciously. Peony felt both nervous and embarrassed, while Zhou Banniang's magnanimity made Xiao Lizi seem unkind for not understanding the situation.

  Zhou Ba Niang burst out laughing: "This is for the better, no need to worry about it later. Alright, we women have a hard time, hurry up and go." From her tone, it seemed like she knew everything.

  The peony slightly blushed and smiled gratefully at Zhou Bamao, then turned around to follow Wu Lang and Xiao Lizi as they walked out together.

  After the crowd left, Zhou Bani quickly hid the wine under the bed and put the mutton in a basket to lower it into the well. Just after finishing, someone came with two packages of pastries and a letter, looking for Xiao Liren to do something. Zhou Bani glanced at the person and recognized him as someone from Ning Wangfu's Zhuangzi, so she politely asked him to sit down and wait while she went to find Xiao Liren. After going out, she didn't go to find Xiao Liren, but instead continued to work in the large kitchen of Fangyuan. The man couldn't think that Zhou Bani would ignore him, so he patiently waited at Xiao's house.

  Because it was a busy farming season, most people were busy in the fields, and Wu Lang and Peony had to walk for a long time under the scorching sun on the ridges between the fields, sweating profusely. Finally, they managed to get things done. Peony carefully folded up the document with over 20 red handprints and put it away in her bosom, thanking Zhou Liren for going to the village to eat. Zhou Liren's face was stern as he said: "I'm not going, you're taking advantage of me again. You took this thing, don't make any trouble."

  Peony Nono should go down, accompanying a smiling face to see people off. Excitedly grasping Wu Lang's hand and laughing, with this, although she still can't fully control the river, at least she can now speak with authority and prestige, and no longer fear others gossiping about her.

  She is happy here, but Xiao Li over there is worried sick.

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