Chapter 48: Tang Mo, the Master of the House

Chapter 48: Tang Mo, the Master of the House

As the morning light gradually changed color, the early morning chill began to recede. The two people watching the small children catch fish on the ridge of the field left with lingering interest, only to find Manager Yang and the manor staff already waiting for them.

"Young Mistress, do you want these fish? My mother says they are incredibly delicious when coated in egg and deep-fried."

A boy of about half-grown height held a half-bucket of finger-sized fish and looked expectantly at Xin An. Xin An smiled and said, "Your name is Er Shan, right? I'll take the fish. Please have them brought to the manor; have someone coat them in egg and fry them for lunch today. How about I treat you all to a meal?"

Several children's eyes lit up, especially Er Shan's. He had actually never eaten them before; in a farming household, it was rare to have things both coated in egg and deep-fried. Even his mother had only mentioned it after seeing wealthy families do it. Seeing that this beautiful Young Mistress was so kind, he had taken the liberty of suggesting it, hoping to secure a little benefit for his younger brothers.

Setting down his bucket, he quickly knelt on the ground and kowtowed. "Thank you for the reward, Young Mistress!"

Even while kneeling, he didn't forget to call his younger brothers to kneel as well. One by one, the half-grown children knelt all over the ground for a bite of food. Xin An smiled and told them to get up. "I see the sun is still early; why don't you continue catching some more? It wouldn't be bad to fry a larger batch."

A pack of dogs approached from a distance. Xin An looked up and recognized them as the same group from yesterday evening. Er Shan stood up. "I will escort the Young Master and Young Mistress back. These dogs don't bite people randomly."

Tang Mo raised an eyebrow. "You're quite observant, kid."

Er Shan gave a simple, honest smile. He urged his younger brothers to hurry up and catch fish while he escorted the two back to the manor barefoot. Along the way, Er Shan answered whatever Tang Mo asked. Only then did Xin An realize they were not tenant farmers; the manor only had sixty acres and no tenants. These people all had varying degrees of connection to the Prince Jin Mansion. When the Prince Jin Mansion fell into trouble, these people were not implicated and continued to work here.

"Did Prince Jin come here often before?"

"He came every year when the jasmine bloomed, staying for about half a month each time."

Er Shan looked to be about thirteen or fourteen and knew quite a lot about the manor's affairs. Tang Mo's plan became clearer in his mind, and he remarked that the jasmine on the manor indeed bloomed beautifully.

Upon reaching the entrance, Er Shan did not enter. He bowed to Manager Yang and then turned and ran. Manager Yang stepped forward to invite Tang Mo inside. "Our manor is not large, only sixty acres. We have three farm managers who respectively oversee the paddy fields, dry land, vegetable plots, and orchards. They are all long-time veterans of this manor."

"When Prince Jin was still here, the grain and vegetables produced by this manor were supplied for his needs. Later, when the Prince ran into trouble, the manor's produce was sent to the palace. The palace didn't want the fruits, so we selected some to sell, pooling the money to distribute monthly wages."

What Manager Yang did not mention was that since Prince Jin's downfall, the manor staff had not received monthly wages, and the palace no longer managed them. They had to find ways to survive on their own. Thus, as soon as the manor became part of the Marquis Mansion, he personally came to ensure the monthly wages could be resumed.

At this moment, over a dozen people, men and women, were standing in the courtyard. Manager Yang introduced Tang Mo to them, making it clear that Tang Mo was now the master of this manor.

The people knelt and kowtowed. Tang Mo told them to rise. He did not sit in the prepared armchair, but simply said that although the manor was not far from the capital, it wasn't exactly close either. In the future, when seasonal fruits were ready, they could send some to the Marquis Mansion, but there was no need to send them constantly.

"I have seen the registers. You are all veterans of this manor. Since the former Prince Jin trusted you, there is no reason for this Young Master not to trust you. In the future, you shall continue doing exactly what you did before. Only one thing: this manor is not large and there are only so many of you. I do not wish to see any bullying or oppression of the weak. If such things are discovered, I will show no mercy."

Everyone hurriedly complied. What Tang Mo did not know was that Prince Jin had originally been very strict with his subordinates. There was once a manager on the manor who was caught embezzling wages; Prince Jin beat him half to death and drove him out. The families in this manor were all well-known to one another, and they lived in relative harmony.

Tang Mo continued, "I noticed the manor has few fruit trees. I plan to pick a spot here to build something nice, making it convenient for friends to gather for small parties in the future. Within the next two days, please come up with a plan. Additionally, the Young Mistress likes the jasmine here; you must tend to it well and plant more. The gardeners must pay extra attention."

The gardener, who was currently responsible for vegetables, was delighted to learn that his skills would be put to use and immediately agreed with a smile.

Seeing that Tang Mo was relatively easy to get along with, everyone was happy. The greatest fear for servants is that when a new master arrives, all the rules change. Furthermore, the former Prince Jin Mansion had treated them well; although they had suffered misfortune, they still held them in their hearts. Especially the jasmine—the former Princess Consort loved it most, and she had been very kind to those below her. Being able to keep those jasmines fulfilled their longing.

When they saw a servant coming out carrying a tray, they became even more excited. They had been waiting a long time for the new master to distribute reward money. After Tang Mo said a few words to affirm everyone's hard work, he announced that everyone in the manor would receive a reward. The managers would receive two taels of silver each, and the men, women, young, and old working on the manor would receive one string of copper coins each, including newborn infants. The crowd was instantly filled with joy.

Only after the crowd dispersed did Tang Mo keep Manager Yang behind. He was the head manager of the manor, and many things would inevitably require his assistance in the future. Tang Mo was not stingy and directly rewarded him with five taels of silver. "You have managed this manor well. You must continue to be meticulous. This year, there is no need to send the grain to the mansion; I have other arrangements."

"I may occasionally bring people here. The garden I mentioned earlier must be made into something special—something fresh and interesting that can keep people coming back."

Manager Yang accepted the silver with a beaming smile. He said that although the manor was not large, the scenery was beautiful, and the water used came from the nearby mountains. There were also mountain delicacies on the mountain to serve guests, and the manor had a lotus pond. "It has been around for many years, and the lotus roots are quite good. Let's choose the area by the lotus pond for the garden. That way, there will be flowers and fruit, and people can fish. We can just build some pavilions. Opposite the lotus pond, we raise chickens and ducks; gathering eggs is a joy. This morning, the Old Madam and the Madam even gathered a few."

"Later, we can also raise some rabbits. Rabbits are beautiful, and their manure can fertilize the soil."

Manager Yang already had a series of ideas in his mind. In his eyes, what wonderful things had those young masters not seen? Once they came here, they naturally had to see something different. Take the jasmine, for example—the former Prince Jin Mansion had planted plenty, and they were all tended to at great expense. Didn't the Princess Consort come here specifically every year to see them? They were all jasmine, but jasmine growing in a manor was different.

Tang Mo felt the money was well spent. "I leave this matter to you. Go and get it done."

"By the way, there was a boy today named Er Shan. He seems quite clever. For the next few days, let him follow me around to run errands temporarily."

He couldn't go looking for the manager every time something happened, and besides, managers were smooth and slippery; they weren't as easy to handle as a half-grown boy.

(End of Chapter)