Chapter 985 Farm

Chapter 985: Farm Chapter 985: Farm Editor: Atlas Studios “Is the farm just ahead?” The four little ones leaned against the carriage window and looked out excitedly.

When they first boarded the carriage in the morning, they were still a little sad.

Little Lion almost cried out in discomfort, but by now the child had completely gotten over it.

After leaving the city and gazing at the green mountains and rivers outside, he cheered up again.

Mu Yangling glanced out of the carriage window and nodded with a smile.

“The farm is right over there.” She pointed at the mountains outside and smiled.

“Look, these mountains also belong to our family.” Tiger Head and Little Lion exclaimed and praised, “Mother is amazing!” The Second Prince also looked at Mu Yangling with starry eyes.

Only Little An said doubtfully, “But my father said that it’s simply a waste of money for Fourth Aunt to spend so much money to buy this mountain.

There’s no hot spring or precious resources on it.

There’s only trees.” Mu Yangling asked, “How do you know that there’s no hot spring up there?” “Eh?

There’s a hot spring on it too?” Little An’s eyes lit up.

“Fourth Aunt is so awesome.” Mu Yangling coughed lightly and said, “I don’t know if there’s a hot spring up there, but I think that the two mountains that your Fourth Uncle bought have hot springs.

If this area is connected to those two mountains, there might be one too.

Right now, the mountains are high and densely covered with trees.

I’m not sure for the time being, but we might know when we develop them in the future.” Could she tell the children that she’d bought this mountain out of excitement because it was pretty cheap?

The mountain, together with the flat land below, only cost a total of more than 200 taels of silver.

And the smaller ones only cost slightly more than 100 taels of silver.

In her excitement, she’d readily bought them.

After buying them, she realized that this was unlike in her previous life where land and resources were scarce, but in the Great Qi Dynasty, where there were fewer people and more land.

No one would have the intention to buy these rows of mountains outside Guangzhou City.

That was because when there was not enough land, the government office would directly split up mountain land to families.

The farmers would then mostly chop firewood on the mountain.

The most reasonable use was to plant a few tea trees at the foot of the mountain and plant some vegetables to support their families.

Mountain clearing?

Unless it was someone like Mu Yangling, who could afford to hire tenant farmers from the beginning, most people didn’t have the manpower and material resources to get rid of the roots and weeds on a mountain.

Moreover, the Imperial Court had explicit regulations regarding mountain clearing; mountains exceeding a certain height couldn’t be cleared, and even the cutting of firewood was regulated.

Of course, this was also related to economic development.

In modern times, population was high and land was scarce, and everything had to make way for the economy for a period of time.

Naturally, when it came to environmental protection, modern China simply couldn’t compare to the ancient Imperial Court.

That was why Fan Zijin said that she was wasting money by buying useless mountains.

Other than two or three low hills that could be cleared, the other mountains could not be cleared.

Unless there was a hot spring upon it, or it was so gorgeous and exquisite that it made sense to build a villa upon it, this mountain would be completely useless.

Of course, with the Prince’s estate’s influence, even if they violated environmental protection laws and cleared mountains without conforming to the regulations, the local government office would not dare to hold them accountable.

But the key was, what exactly were they after?

Spending 200 taels to buy a mountain, then spending another 1,000 taels to clear the mountain, and then using the mountain to plant fruit trees that would yield an unknown amount of profit?

Was she crazy or what?

At the same price, she could buy more than 300 acres of cleared fields in the north.

Hence, she really wanted to see who had suggested for her to take this crazy path.

She remembered that the two estate managers she chose were honest and steady farmers with more than 30 years of farming experience.

They did not seem like people who would suggest her to clear a mountain.

The carriage stopped at the first farm.

The estate manager, Ma Dafu, had brought tenant farmers to wait at the entrance early in the morning.

When he saw the carriage coming, he immediately ran up to welcome it.

Mu Yangling lifted the curtain and glanced at everyone.

Smiling, she said, “It’s been hard on everyone.

You didn’t have to wait here.

Everyone, go do what you need to do.

Estate Manager Ma, follow me up the mountain.

I have something to ask you.” The hot spring estate was right above the first farmstead.

The farmstead was the first line of defense, and it was Qi Haoran’s suggestion to have it built back then.

Considering there were many pirates in Guangdong, it was not a bad thing to have another layer of defense.

Ma Dafu nodded repeatedly.

Just as he was about to wave his hand and ask everyone to retreat, his second son, Ma Xiang, ran up.

“Father, I’ll go with you.” Ma Dafu was in a difficult position.

“Her Highness didn’t ask you to come along.” Ma Xiang smiled and walked past his father, taking the initiative to speak to the person in the carriage.

Xiao Ting, who was sitting on the horse, frowned when he saw this.

He went forward and shouted, “Who are you?

Hurry up and retreat.

Can you bear the consequences of startling Her Highness’s horse?” Ma Xiang bowed and said respectfully, “I’m the second son of Estate Manager Ma.

Because my father isn’t eloquent, I’d like to go with him to answer to Her Highness.” Xiao Ting looked at him disdainfully and said, “Your father was chosen by Her Highness.

He’s the most honest and reliable.

I don’t know if he’s eloquent, but you’re quite eloquent.

This is the first time I’ve heard a son tell others that his father isn’t eloquent.” Xiao Ting snorted and said, “Without Her Highness’s instructions, no one is allowed to go forward recklessly.

No one can bear the consequences of disturbing Her Highness’s carriage.” With a wave of his hand, two servants went forward to pull Ma Xiang away, and the carriage headed straight for the farmstead.

Ma Dafu’s face turned red and he couldn’t help but pat his son gently.

He said angrily, “You silly boy, why are you so reckless?” “Estate Manager Ma, hurry up and leave!” A carriage designated for the servants stopped and the coachman shouted at Ma Dafu.

Ma Dafu hurriedly abandoned his son and climbed into the carriage, then waved at him vigorously to get him to hurry home.

Ma Xiang looked at the carriage in front of him with mixed emotions.

Their voices were so loud just now, so he didn’t believe that the person in the carriage couldn’t hear them.

Her Highness didn’t make a sound, so it was obvious that she didn’t want to see him.

However, if she didn’t see him, how could he tell her about his plan and carry out his ambitions?

There were other stewards and servants managing the courtyard on the mountain.

After receiving the letter from the Prince’s estate, he had already brought the servants to clean up the room.

As soon as the carriage arrived at the courtyard, the four children jumped off the carriage.

The three children, who had already been here a few times, expressed that they wanted to bring Qi Wensu, who was here for the first time, to hunt rabbits.

Seeing that they couldn’t sit still for even 15 minutes, Mu Yangling didn’t ask them to rest.

She just told them to drink a bowl of plain water before letting them run out with their small bows and arrows.

The guards followed behind them.

Mu Yangling turned to look at Ma Dafu then said to Steward Wang, “Follow me.” Steward Wang hurriedly followed.

Mu Yangling asked, “How much do you know about the farms at the foot of the mountain?” Steward Wang deliberated and said, “Although Your Highness doesn’t allow me to interfere in the matters of the farm at the foot of the mountain, because the courtyard is close to the farm, I still know some things.” “Then who told the two estate managers about clearing the mountain?” Steward Wang heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly said, “I do know about this.

I heard that it was Ma Dafu’s second son who suggested it.”

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