The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 779 - 778: Can’t Beat the Song Family Brothers

Chapter 779: Chapter 778: Can’t Beat the Song Family Brothers

```

I didn’t expect Zhang Yinbao to be so generous.

However, Wang Yongzhu thought about it and realized that in this era, people loved jade.

The saying goes, "gold has a price, jade is priceless." Good jade can be worth more than a city.

As for gemstones, due to the polishing process, they are not as valuable as jade. Plus, since the Western Region produces a lot of gemstones, if they are brought over from there, the price could be nearly halved.

So, this whole case of gemstones probably isn’t even worth half of that piece of Mutton Fat Jade.

Thinking this, Wang Yongzhu felt somewhat relieved.

After putting away the case of gemstones into the storage chest, she left the courtyard.

Outside the door, a carriage was waiting; once Wang Yongzhu locked the courtyard door and boarded it, they set off to meet with Zhang Yinbao and headed towards Yingzi Gully together.

※※※

Meanwhile, Ninth Master Lee sat in his carriage with a sullen face.

The young servant didn’t dare to breathe too loudly, deeply regretting that he was in the carriage instead of underneath it.

After a long time, Ninth Master Lee finally spoke gloomily, "Zhao Cai, do you think I’ve become less beautiful lately?"

Zhao Cai sighed inwardly, here it comes.

He tried to muster a smile: "Young Master, you are the most famous among the four distinguished young masters of the Capital. Countless young ladies go crazy for you, they would crash into walls for you! You are the dream lover of all the maidens in the capital, many a heiress cries and begs to marry you, willing to be your concubine or even a servant! How could you not be beautiful? To me, since you’ve taken over the business, you’ve grown even more imperious!"

"I imagine, if you were to return to the Capital now, those young ladies waiting in their boudoirs would go even more insane!" Zhao Cai praised his master without changing expression.

Ninth Master Lee sighed deeply: "Of course, I know how popular I am! But if, as you say, my beauty hasn’t waned, then why does it not work outside of the Capital?"

Zhao Cai blinked: "Perhaps women outside the Capital are too inexperienced and have never seen a divine appearance like yours! I’ve heard that country women don’t like scholar-types; they say they seem too frail. They prefer the tall ones, the ones that look like they can work the fields!"

"Are you saying Lady Wang is too inexperienced? Or that she prefers someone like Song Chongjin, that big, dark fellow? It’s really absurd. She doesn’t appreciate someone of my talents, what’s so good about that foolish big guy like Song Chongjin?" Ninth Master Lee got angrier the more he thought about it.

Zhao Cai knew better than to speak at this time and merely bowed his head, playing dead.

After a while, Ninth Master Lee couldn’t hold it in, "Zhao Cai, do you think I, your master, should get a tan to seem more manly?"

Zhao Cai couldn’t help but kneel down right there in the carriage: "Young Master! You must not! Not in a million years!"

What was his master thinking? Though Young Masters from the Capital didn’t necessarily prioritize fair skin, they all took great pride in their appearance.

His master was renowned for his fair and handsome features, with skin whiter than many heiresses; people behind his back called him the ’Jade Master,’ you know?

If he were to get a tan, wouldn’t he be called the ’Charcoal Master’?

Zhao Cai couldn’t bear to picture such a scene. If he really got tanned, he feared that upon returning to the Lee Family, the butler would beat him to death with a cudgel!

So, with tears streaming down his face, he knelt and begged, using all sorts of arguments to dissuade Ninth Master Lee from the idea.

But it was Shopkeeper Wu who couldn’t stand it any longer and quietly said, "Ninth Young Master, even if you were to get a tan, you certainly wouldn’t be darker than the Song family brothers—"

A deadly strike!

```

Ninth Master Lee decisively made everyone aware on the spot that his expression had turned dark, just as inscrutable as Song Chongjin’s.

Along the way, no one dared to speak again, all holding their breath, cautiously making their way along the mountain path...

※※※

By the time Wang Yongzhu and Zhang Yinbao’s group arrived at Yingzi Gully, the sky had already turned a murky yellow.

Halfway through their journey, a fine drizzle began to fall. It wasn’t heavy, feeling like a mist on the face, soft and carrying the fresh scent of vegetation.

Though the rain was light, it didn’t take long for their clothes to get soaked.

Fortunately, these shop assistants had plenty of experience traveling around with Zhang Yinbao, braving all kinds of weather.

They quickly took out prepared raincoats and bamboo hats from the carriage, effectively shielding themselves from the pleasant yet annoying drizzle.

Yingzi Gully was bustling with noise in the cave, livelier than it had ever been before.

Wang Yongping and Jinhoo were busy weighing on one side while the women and older children of Yingzi Gully formed a neat queue before them.

The weighed tea leaves were promptly moved by hunters under Master Qi’s direction to a large cave not far away.

The bamboo winnows and mats from the hunters’ homes had all been requisitioned and placed on the stones brought into the cave.

The bamboo mats were evenly spread with the freshly picked tea leaves.

A few children surrounded the mats, using the light from the torches in the cave to pick out the little insects and debris; any leaves not part of a bud-and-leaf pair were also removed.

At the side, a stone stove had been set up with a large pot on top where Master Qi, with sleeves rolled up, was busily frying tea.

The large pot was set at an angle, with one assistant responsible for adding firewood.

Master Qi’s hands moved continuously and quickly through the steaming pot, with an indescribable rhythm.

Those tender green leaves that could have been squeezed for moisture obediently evaporated their water content under his touch, allowing Master Qi to knead and roll them, gradually forming them into bundles...

A fragrance of tea permeated the cave, lingering persistently.

The tea picked today had to be fried on the same day because if left overnight, moisture would form, ruining the taste.

Though Master Qi was advanced in age, he was extremely energetic when it came to frying tea.

Ever since the women started bringing the tea leaves back, he had begun frying them over the stove.

Behind him, the clean bamboo mats were covered with fried tea leaves, simply waiting for the heat to dissipate before being wrapped in parchment paper and stored in clean ceramic jars to preserve their flavor.

However, in these mountains, what quality ceramic jars could the dozen or so impoverished hunters who lacked even proper houses possess? They had to pick a clean clay jar, making do for a couple of days.

With so many people picking tea, likely the only person frying the tea was Master Qi.

These past days, he had been so busy he hardly had time to eat, forcing the hunters’ wives to pick less these few days. Otherwise, even if the tea was picked, he wouldn’t be able to finish frying it – that would be a complete waste.

In the past few days, Master Qi had been working late into the night, his arms so tired that he could hardly lift them, yet he clenched his teeth and persisted.

In the morning, he could barely manage to rest for a while, catching his breath.

As an old tea fryer, Master Qi was wholly sustained by his remarkable willpower and his steadfast love for tea.