Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 234: Chapter 143: A Thorny Situation

Having sent someone to call Xiao Xi back, Su Wenyue went to the study and drew the structure of the greenhouse on the blueprint. She also added and subtracted a few details she believed were important. Yet, she still wasn’t satisfied; after all, she wasn’t a true farmer. Even if she was using others’ methods as a reference, she couldn’t possibly cover everything comprehensively. Fortunately, she had mentioned the key points, and the rest would rely on the seasoned farmers at Zhuangzi to figure out.

“Madam, Madam, the Young Master and Miss have woken up. They are crying because they can’t see you,” said the servant girl as she hurriedly entered from outside, knocking on the door.

“Brother Xing and they are awake? Then I’ll go right away,” said Su Wenyue as she haphazardly folded a few pages on the desk and quickly walked toward the bedroom.

The three children were especially clingy to her. They were manageable when asleep at night, but during the day, they would cry loudly the moment they couldn’t see her. Especially Brother Xing, it was strange; he seemed to show little interest in her, yet he refused to let her out of his sight, else he would burst into loud wails. Su Wenyue always suspected Brother Xing was the same Brother Xing from her previous life, but aside from that, she couldn’t find any proof, so she kept those thoughts to herself. In any case, no matter what, Brother Xing was her son.

When Su Wenyue got back to the room, she first soothed the younger two. With his tender age, Brother Xing indeed acted like the oldest—never clamoring to be held like his younger brother and sister. Simply seeing his mother was enough to stop his cries, as he contentedly played by himself.

After feeding and lulling the three little ancestors to sleep, Su Wenyue felt drenched in sweat, yet she took delight in it; these tasks could have been delegated to a nanny, but she had always been hands-on. Whenever she had the opportunity, she would take care of her children personally. Being able to do something for her own children brought her genuine joy—after experiencing the ordeals of her past life, she considered this a blessing.

Xiao Xi was quick to act. Su Wenyue’s messenger had conveyed her urgency, and Xiao Xi followed promptly, even hastening the pace of her horse.

“Miss, how have you been feeling these days?” Xiao Xi had only recently learned of Su Wenyue’s condition, as no one had informed her earlier, and had wanted to return immediately. However, she was tied up with unfinished work, and since Su Wenyue was already well by then, Xiao Xi had managed to hold off. Now, watching Su Wenyue excitedly, she scrutinized her thoroughly, relieved to find the Madam in good health.

Seeing Xiao Xi like this, Su Wenyue inwardly praised the girl’s loyalty. A few days apart and time spent outside seemed to have made Xiao Xi even more composed and capable. She looked decisively more efficient than before, devoid of her previous impulsiveness and volatility.

“I’m quite well, and so are the children. They are sleeping right now. Come over and take a look,” Su Wenyue whispered, beckoning Xiao Xi to avoid waking the little ones who had just fallen asleep.

Eager to see them, Xiao Xi did not hesitate and walked over to gaze at the three little ones sleeping peacefully in their cradles. An uncontrollable joy filled her heart—they were incredibly adorable, much cuter than when they were scrunched-up newborns. In just a month’s time, they had grown plump and fair, particularly inheriting the best traits of both Han Yu and Su Wenyue, and were undeniably endearing.

“The Young Master and Young Misses have grown so beautifully; they are truly adorable.”

“I think so too; the little ones have grown up so well,” Su Wenyue unreservedly agreed, feeling unabashed pride in front of her own people.

After watching the children with Xiao Xi for a while, Su Wenyue asked the nanny to keep an eye on them, and she took Xiao Xi to the study to discuss important matters.

“Take a look at this.” Su Wenyue handed the earlier drawn blueprints to Xiao Xi for her to examine.

“What’s this? Madam, are you planning to build a house? But if it’s made as per this design, wouldn’t it be too shabby? And why are there several trenches to be dug underground?” Xiao Xi flipped through the blueprints, puzzled and unable to figure out the purpose of Madam’s plans.

“This is for a greenhouse, used to grow vegetables in winter. These trenches are for raising the temperature inside the greenhouse, ensuring a stable warmth so that the plants can thrive. That way, we need not wait until after winter to have fresh vegetables,” explained Su Wenyue as she went through the blueprint and details with Xiao Xi, who then understood.

“This is a great idea. If we can really grow vegetables in winter, not only for our consumption but also for selling and as gifts, it would be perfect,” Xiao Xi found Su Wenyue’s idea impressive, although she wasn’t sure if the greenhouse would work. However, if the Madam said so, it must be feasible.

“It’s already November, and in less than two months it will be New Year. There’s not much time, which is why I urgently called you back. I want you to arrange for this to be done immediately,” said Su Wenyue, aiming to have a batch of vegetables ready for the New Year’s gift-giving before the holiday.

Xiao Xi calculated the time and concluded it was feasible since some vegetables only take a month to harvest. As long as she pressed on, there would be enough time. Furthermore, they didn’t have to wait for the greenhouse to be completed before sowing the seeds. The seeds could be nurtured in a warm place and, once the greenhouse was ready and the seedlings had grown, they could be transplanted, thus saving a considerable amount of time.

This had Xiao Xi already brainstorming the logistics. With her experience working at Zhuangzi, she could match the know-how of seasoned farmers and was also quick-witted, as evidenced by her new plan.

“What do you think, can you handle this task?”

“Rest assured, Madam, I am certain to manage this task well for you and will not disappoint your expectations,” Xiao Xi confidently asserted, interpreting the responsibility as a sign of trust and determined to fulfill it to the best of her abilities.

Su Wenyue had intended for Xiao Xi to rest for a day or two since she had been working diligently on various tasks recently. However, with Xiao Xi so preoccupied with the greenhouse project, she quickly ate something and hurried back to Zhuangzi to get started.

Su Wenyue had considered going to take a look herself but couldn’t get away from home. Not least of all because the three little ones couldn’t be without her, she had no choice but to leave the whole project in Xiao Xi and the Zhuangzi steward’s capable hands.

Once the greenhouse was taken care of, it would resolve one of her worries. That evening when Han Yu came back, Su Wenyue wanted to discuss the project with him, but he seemed preoccupied, barely listening to what she had to say.

“Husband, has something happened at the military camp?” Su Wenyue asked worriedly. With Han Yu’s skill, it would have to be a complex issue for him to appear so troubled.