Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 498 - 498 499 Warning_1

Chapter 498: Chapter 499 Warning_1 Chapter 498: Chapter 499 Warning_1 Madam Liu also felt it made sense and nodded her head, agreeing to keep the secret together with Muniang.

Doctor Xue had been living leisurely these days, either going up the mountain to gather herbs or riding in a donkey cart to wander about the town, or even going to Mei Garden to watch the opera, just like a retired official, living a life both fulfilling and leisurely.

That day, Muniang was busy in the garden, weeding out the tiny plots of earth, which wasn’t exhausting at all due to the small size of the land.

Doctor Xue was leisurely sunbathing in the courtyard, “I was wondering why Yu Ze liked the life here so much. It’s indeed very different from the Capital, this place is truly about living for oneself.”

Muniang glanced at him, “Doctor Xue is fed up with the Capital, now you think our remote and poor place is better. After a while, once you get tired of this small village, you’ll still eagerly look forward to going back.”

But Doctor Xue snorted, “Go back for what? As an Imperial Physician, I have to twist my neck every day to treat people, and which one of those ladies in the harem is easy to talk to? They’re all full of schemes, I’m nearly tormented to death by that stinky group of women every day.”

Muniang almost laughed out loud, Doctor Xue was too amusing.

“It’s your opera garden that really suits my heart the most. I was saying when will you open one in the Capital? By then, I will definitely frequent your business often,” Doctor Xue leaned in and said.

However, Muniang shook her head, “My Mei Garden is settled in Qinghua City. There won’t be any more changes. If I go to the Capital, it would only be to bring my troupe for a tour, not to stay long. If you want to see an opera, you’ll have to come obediently to Qinghua City.”

Doctor Xue was suddenly puzzled, “You seem so shrewd, why are you acting foolish now? There are many rich people in such a big place as the Capital. If you opened your opera house there, surely you won’t lack customers. Could you possibly earn less than in Qinghua City?”

Muniang raised her head, “Why can’t I? I deliberately refuse to join the hustle and bustle of the Capital. I want Qinghua City to be proud of me, to take pride in my Mei Garden. Once the reputation of my Mei Garden really spreads, even the Capital won’t be able to compete with Qinghua City!”

Doctor Xue was dumbfounded for a long while, his heart nearly too shocked for words. Such ambition and bold aspirations, not all men could have them, yet a woman did, and Yuyang was truly remarkable.

Doctor Xue inwardly clicked his tongue, what a pity she wasn’t a man—otherwise, she might be able to grasp the world in her hands. But then he thought of Yu Ze, the man who was willing to give up the throne that was within his reach. Doctor Xue couldn’t help but smile and shake his head, even being a man wouldn’t necessarily guarantee ruling over all, it depended on whether they truly wanted it or not.

Just then, Yu Ze came out and saw Muniang busy in the vegetable garden. He frowned, came over and pulled her aside, rolling up his sleeves to do the work himself.

Having lived there for some time, Doctor Xue was no longer surprised by such oddities but the sight of the mighty War God weeding in a small vegetable garden was indeed a rare spectacle. He decided to observe well, so he could boast about it later to others and claim he had really “seen the world.”

Yu Ze cast a cool glance over, “When are you leaving?”

Doctor Xue swaggered and shook his head, “Me leave? Leave for what? I haven’t had enough of these leisurely days yet. I need to stay a bit longer. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense for me to rush here all desperately just to return empty-handed, right?”

Yu Ze began to deeply regret ever keeping him around. If he had known this guy would cling on like this, he would have sent him off without a second thought from the start. Having to watch him stand there looking stunned each day, as if watching a play, first looking at him, then at his wife, just made Yu Ze feel utterly uncomfortable.

Muniang, however, said, “Doctor Xue rarely visits; if he wants to stay a little longer, then let him stay a few more days. After all, it’s not a problem having one more person here, and it’s livelier too.”

Doctor Xue raised an eyebrow, “Your wife is asking me to stay; do you still have the heart to send me away?”

Yu Ze ignored Doctor Xue and turned to Muniang, “As long as you don’t find it annoying, it’s fine.”

But inside, he was thinking of having the Hidden Guard send a letter back to the Emperor as soon as possible, reminding him to summon Doctor Xue back to the Capital.

In the end, Doctor Xue just couldn’t outwit Yu Ze. His days of marital bliss were being disrupted by such a third wheel every day. He couldn’t stand it any longer! He had to get rid of him as soon as possible!

With the first three months passed, the most dangerous period was over. Moreover, Doctor Xue had conditioned Muniang’s body so well that she was incredibly robust, so there was no reason to worry. Only then did Muniang start to prepare for Mei Garden. She had let go of the reins for a month, and Zhong Yulang was nearly driven mad with the workload.

Yu Ze couldn’t bear to part with her and stayed close at all times, just to protect her well-being.

Since it wasn’t suitable for Muniang to travel around while pregnant, the task of supervising the construction of the new Mei Garden in Qinghua City had been handed over to Zhong Yulang. The management of the new Yuyang Embroidery House in Qinghua City was also specially arranged with capable stewards overseeing the building issues, as Muniang intended to settle down in Qinghua City thoroughly. With ample silver in her pocket, she made sure everything was done with great splendor.

The Yuyang Embroidery House in Qinghua City was at least twice as big as the one in Chatu Town, and its decoration was even more exquisite. No detail could be overlooked, and Zhong Yulang had to keep a constant eye on it.

As for the old Mei Garden, Muniang took personal charge of its management. Everything there was already on the right track; there wasn’t much for her to worry about. The key responsibilities were training the new actors and preparing new plays.

The actors, originally rehearsing, stopped immediately to greet their master respectfully upon seeing her arrive. Although the new actors had little contact with their boss, they had heard plenty from the servants. In short, the message was: don’t try to play tricks under her watch if you want to survive, just keep your head down and behave.

“In a few months, the new Mei Garden will open, and the new play will premiere. It is an important show that needs a successful opening, so I’m sure you all understand its significance. I’ve heard from Yue Guan’er that the roles for that play have been settled. Whatever role you’ve managed to secure, big or small, don’t start comparing just because of that. Everything relies on your true abilities. If I ever find out that any of you are resorting to dirty tricks to fight over a role, let me tell you, what happened to Guo Yuehua will be your outcome. No matter how high I’ve lifted you, it’s a trivial matter for me to strike you down! Do you understand?”

With a warning tone in her speech and a particularly stern expression, Muniang made her stance clear. It was a critical time, and not a single troublemaker could be permitted to ruin everything. Naturally, Muniang had to take preventative measures.

All the actors, sincerely alarmed, replied, “Yes!” Seeing Muniang like this, even those who harbored small ambitions suppressed them for the time being. They all knew the cautionary tale of Guo Yuehua. With such a tragic end, who wouldn’t be exceedingly careful?