Chapter 163: Putting In Order
Shi Tou sniffled with a red nose, “Sis, once Big Brother Gao leaves, I’ll be the only one cooking.”
Shang Wan: “……You’re crying over this?”
Shi Tou nodded.
Shang Wan felt extremely complicated, pointing at Ma Jieyong who was also sniffling, “What about him then?”
“Big Brother Ma said he’ll never find another host family that can feed him until he’s full again. Thinking about going hungry while working makes him sad from the bottom of his heart.”
Shang Wan: “……No need to be so pessimistic.”
He SIZhi smacked the back of his apprentice’s head with a slap, “You’re a grown man crying like a kid, aren’t you ashamed? Stop it quick!”
Ma Jieyong lifted his sleeve to wipe his tears, turning to look at Shang Wan, “Lady Shang, your bok choy is just too delicious. Can you sell me some?”
Shang Wan subtly sized him up. Could this guy have noticed something off about the bok choy?
The next second, she realized she was overthinking it. Ma Jieyong simply thought the bok choy soup was tasty.
Considering how hard this big silly guy worked, Shang Wan fulfilled his small request and gave him a bundle of bok choy.
Ma Jieyong grinned so wide his teeth showed but eyes didn’t, leaving He SIZhi unable to watch.
This silly apprentice!
After a round of goodbyes, Shi Tou drove the ox cart to send the four off.
Shang Wan toured the new house with hands behind her back. Though newly built, it couldn’t be lived in without cleaning.
Before, with just one wooden shed, it hadn’t seemed like much. Now facing so many rooms to clean, Shang Wan already felt backache and soreness before even starting.
Even ability users couldn’t handle this kind of wear.
She thought for a moment and decisively handed the task to Yuan Yuan.
More precisely, to the monkey squad trained by Yuan Yuan.
Many monkeys meant great strength. While the group of monkeys scampered around seriously cleaning the new house, Shang Wan stored everything from the wooden shed into the space.
She planned to convert the wooden shed into a cowshed and sheep shed, specifically for the yellow ox and the ewe.
Keeping the ox and sheep outside meant no smell in the courtyard. With Xiao Hui watching, there was no worry of them being stolen.
If a thief really targeted their home, Shang Wan would make sure he learned why the flowers are so red.
After some dismantling, patching, hammering, and simple modifications, the ox and sheep immediately had a new home.
To prevent the ox and sheep from fighting, Shang Wan put up a wooden fence in the middle to separate them, keeping the sides from interfering with each other.
For the shed where Master He and the others had stayed, Shang Wan pondered and turned it into a simple chicken coop. When going to the market, she’d buy some chicks to raise for eggs.
After modifying the two sheds, the new house had also been cleaned spotless by the monkeys.
Chu Xu held Yuan Yuan sitting on the bench. The bamboo basket on the left held tender green bok choy, and the one on the right held juicy radishes.
Under the old monkey’s organization, the monkeys lined up in order, coming forward one by one to receive their rewards.
Those who liked bok choy took bok choy, those who liked radishes took radishes.
Those who liked both could take both, as long as the total didn’t exceed five.
These bok choy and radishes were all produced from the space, very popular with the animals. Whether herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores, they all accepted them as rewards.
Yuan Yuan traded with her own mother: she had the little birds help mother find seeds, and mother paid the rewards with bok choy and radishes.
Chu Xu originally thought Yuan Yuan was just liked by small animals, but after seeing the monkey army today, he felt it wasn’t quite that.
He suspected Yuan Yuan could control these monkeys, just like the street monkey performers, making the monkeys obey her.
“Yuan Yuan, how do you do it?”
Yuan Yuan tilted her little head to look at him.
Chu Xu pointed at the remaining monkeys in the courtyard, “Them, why do they obey you?”
Yuan Yuan: “Obey.”
Chu Xu repeated the question, “Why do they obey you?”
Yuan Yuan: “Why……?”
Chu Xu went crazy: “Don’t repeat my words!”
Yuan Yuan opened her little mouth wide, “Ahhhhhhh!”
The soft babyish sound echoed back.
Chu Xu: “……”
He wouldn’t argue with a one-year-old little baby girl!
“Why can Yuan Yuan make the monkeys obey her?” Shang Wan turned to look at the pouting unhappy child, “Why are you asking this?”
Chu Xu said honestly: “I want to learn.”
Making all animals obey would be super cool, right?
If he learned this trick, on the battlefield, he could control the enemy’s horses, and winning would be a matter of minutes?
Shang Wan ruthlessly shattered his hope, “It’s innate, you can’t learn it. Yuan Yuan has been liked by animals since she was little, and they willingly obey her.”
“Why?”
“How should I know?” Shang Wan shrugged, “If you want the reason, ask the animals.”
Chu Xu: “……”
He drooped his little head in disappointment, dragging his steps as he slowly walked out.
“Brother!” Yuan Yuan crawled over with the little turtle on her head, reaching out her small hand for the little brother to hold her.
Chu Xu stared at her for a bit, eyes turning as an idea struck him.
He squatted down to pat Yuan Yuan’s little head, face serious as he asked: “Yuan Yuan, do you want to be a general?”
Yuan Yuan blinked in confusion, “Huh?”
Chu Xu gestured animatedly to explain: “A general goes into battle to kill enemies, defends the family and the country, super super majestic.”
Yuan Yuan tried hard to understand the little brother’s meaning: “This?”
“Generals aren’t for eating.” Chu Xu picked her up, deciding to properly tell the little baby girl in his arms about heroic battlefield deeds.
He couldn’t control animals, but tricking the person who could control them to go back with him would do, right?
Hehe, he really was a little genius!
As for whether girls could be generals, sorry, the young master hadn’t thought of that yet.
The house was cleaned, next came arranging the furniture.
Shang Wan selected and took things out from the space, Lu Chengjing helping to organize.
At home with no outsiders, and Chu Xu being in the know, he no longer needed the wheelchair to hide.
During these days as the new house neared completion, Shang Wan had gradually collected quite a few things, and also custom-ordered some from the Li Family. With careful arrangement, the empty house gradually felt like a home.
“In a bit, I’ll fetch some soil to plant the flowers.” Shang Wan stood by the window, looking at the still bare small garden, pointing to the corner, “Leave that spot for the camellias. I’ll move them out when there’s a chance.”
“No need for the trouble.” Lu Chengjing also looked out the window, “Madam Lu disliked those two camellias and ordered them dug up and thrown away. I saw and felt it a pity, so I had them planted in my courtyard.”
Shang Wan said: “But you and Yuan Yuan both like them.”
“Plant some new ones.” Lu Chengjing’s lips curved in a shallow smile, holding Shang Wan’s hand, “We’ll plant them together.”
“Plant what? Still camellias?”
“What do you like?”
Shang Wan lazily propped her chin, “I like tons of them. Flowers, white ones are pure, red ones passionate, spring-blooming, winter-blooming, each has its charm. Sticking to one kind is so boring.”
Lu Chengjing: “There are plenty of flower seeds among the ones Yuan Yuan brought back. We can try them.”
“You’ll plant?”
“Okay.”
“Can there be flowers all year round?”
“Mm.”
