Xu Feng walked from one end of the large greenhouse to the other end, a span of a thousand feet. A thousand feet of pure happiness.
The structure was made with a wooden skeleton, and around 90 percent of the greenhouse was underground. The portion that came out of the soil was covered with window paper, with a wooden layer on top that could be taken off like a wooden window covering.
It was mimicking the windows that were common in Donghua. It would allow them to open the wooden "window" coverings when there was no snow, rain, or other harsh weather.
This way, the plants could get sun like a modern greenhouse in a temperature-controlled space even in colder months.
Xu Feng didn't know if this was the most efficient greenhouse design, but it was the best he could come up with, given the resources of the ancients and his little experience. There was no plastic or glass to use at the moment.
For the inside of the building, there was a small pond to trap heat for the wintertime and to keep the greenhouse cool in the summer. Xu Feng even commissioned three little stoves for the other three corners of the greenhouse if the winter was too cold.
This greenhouse was his new happy place. Even the new cellar built beside the greenhouse would get plenty of use in the future.
Xu Feng once again walked from one end of the greenhouse to the other as the sun set outside the structure. He wasn't nervous about his wedding tomorrow, he was only excited about this greenhouse!
All other thoughts were unwelcome in this space!
…
'The greenhouse…focus on the greenhouse...'
It had only been a day, but it wouldn't take too much time to plant the greenhouse with Erlang help.
Maybe he would even purchase a few servants before planting and with his ability, there was no way they couldn't get the seeds to sprout even in the dead of winter.
He wasn't stupid enough to sell the fresh produce in the middle of winter, but he could sell prepared dishes, and those would be even more expensive and rare in the wintertime.
If the weather was on their side, they could make it to the city to sell goods.
…
'Goods…'
Xu Feng's face reddened as he paused. From his neck all the way up, his ears were dyed a faint pink that softened his face even more.
"Why does the young mistress keep walking around in this weird wooden cellar?" Si asked San.
She just made a really important guess a few minutes ago, that made her feel like she understood their young mistress better. But not even a stick of incense later, and she was already confused by said young mistress again.
"I don't know," San answered honestly, just as confused as Si.
"Now his face is red!"
The two girls watched their strange young mistress acting even stranger. Watching him laughing to himself like a madman, before his nose began to bleed.
Again.
His nose was always bleeding!
*Slap
Xu Feng was so quick that before either girl could comment to him about the bloody nose, he'd already slapped himself squarely across the face.
"Young mistress!"
"Young mistress!"
.
.
.
"Young mistress, with the final checkup from the doctor, I sent news to the mistress in Yilin. We've gone over the course of the wedding already. The young master will come to pick up his bride tomorrow from the residence you stayed in before (Budding Courtyard).
Then he'll bring you back to your new residence." As Steward Wu said this, he looked around at the large reception hall in the Blooming Courtyard.
It was unknown if he was disgusted by the modern decorations or the cost of renovating this courtyard. Either way, Xu Feng didn't care.
Since the renovations, this reception room was the only place the two older women servants and Steward Wu had gotten to see. This was his home, and soon enough, they wouldn't even be allowed into his estate.
"After that, it'll be a small ceremony with family entertained in the main hall of the mansion. Seating will be set up by the gates to entertain the villagers below with food and drink. It will be a joyous day."
Xu Feng nodded, "Can you please remind me why all the livestock of the Nanshan mansion were slaughtered?"
Xu Feng learned about this from Erlang only a few minutes ago when he came to thank him for his new clothes.
Steward Wu looked a bit disdainful before a guilty look came over his face. Finally, he went with the disdainful look for the village ger. The last time the chilling words from Xu Feng must have been his imagination, this was a village ger after all.
"Well, the funds sent by the main house had been depleted in renovations and the additions you requested, and we need to maintain the face of the Xuan family and ensure there is enough meat for the attendees."
"Mhmm," Xu Feng nodded and looked toward Si and San, who stood in the corner, "And as a new bride, it's best to have new things like the renovation? It's best not to keep the old livestock?"
Steward Wu jumped on this reasoning immediately, nodding his head in agreement "The young mistress is very wise."
His disdain for the country bumpkin of a new young mistress was momentarily forgotten in his haste to cover up the funds he had probably embezzled.
Lady Xuan surely wouldn't know how much money it took to prepare for the wedding and renovate the mansion. Steward Wu, on the other hand, was always upset when Xu Feng made demands for the quality of the renovations or added a new structure.
He couldn't even be bothered to buy meat for the wedding, instead, he slaughtered the livestock that should have belonged to Xu Feng without consulting him.
"I should thank you for your hard work, Steward Xu, even though you'll no longer be in charge of this estate in two days, you've worked so hard."
Ah, Steward Wu began to sweat in the chilly January breeze, "Thank you, young mistress."
Xu Feng smiled shallowly as Steward Wu excused himself. Instead of dealing with shallow, petty backyard politics with a steward, Xu Feng would rather think about a certain pair of goods or a package he would receive tomorrow.
Was he nervous? A bit.
Was he anticipating it? Yes!