"Oh!!! That was send by cousin before the last dragon boat festival along with others gifts to celebrate the festival. When I wrote him letter to thank him, I asked about the process of growing these new and unique crops. When he knew that I was planning to plant these crops by myself in manor, instead of writing me the procedure, he sent two of his servants who knew how to plant these crops and grow. And that's how I harvested a carriage full of crop." Gu Yanyan shared the story happily.
"So that's how it is." Madam Yun nodded in understanding.
"Yes mother. If you want to plant these crops in your fields, you can let me know, I'll let you borrow my servants. After growing these new crops for a year, they have all mastered it and can grow another field on their own now." After promoting her hard working servants along side her new harvested crops, Gu Yanyan looked at Madam Yun in expectation.
Initially Madam was also thinking the same but since Gu Yanyan had suggested on her own, she didn't want to approve her, lest she take all the appreciation from the old Madam Gu and Gu Tianhao.
But she also couldn't outrightly rejecte her so she just smiled and said-
"You said, these crops will be planted during dragon boat festival?" Instead of rejecting, Madam Yun change the direction of conversation.
'What a clever woman!' Even Gu Yanyan couldn't help but admire Madam Yun.
Along with her acting, she also had some ability in PR too.
"Yes mother." What else could she do? She nodded and replied in affirmation.
"Aiya! Then dragon boat festival is still a few away, you don't have to worry about the crops plantation till then. And now since you have already returned, when mother will need your help, mother will look for you. How does is sound?" Madam Yun asked Gu Yanyan but was looking at Gu Tianhao, showing, look! How much I care about your daughter.
"Yes. What your mother said is only right. Since you have already returned, help your mother when she needs you and don't let her worry about you all the time." Gu Tianhao said in stern voice.
As if Gu Yanyan needed to be worried about!
Tsk.
This husband and wide duo.
But since both Madam Yun and Gu Tianhao had already said so, what could she do more?
"Yes father. Yes mother." Gu Yanyan lowered her head and accepted the decree.
Madam Yun was happy at 'ruining' Gu Yanyan's plan to please her father.
Gu Yanyan was even more happier for not getting to 'please' her father.
Hmph.
When Madam Yun about the servants that her cousin had sent from the far north to help her grow the sweet potatoes and sweet yellow corns, Gu Yanyan had already noticed that glint in her eyes.
Glint of greed!
That's why Gu Yanyan first proposed the idea of sending servants to help Madam Yun in her fields, because Gu Yanyan knew, once she said so, Madam Yun would become alert and overthink things.
Indeed.
The same happened.
Whatever, in the end she don't have to send her servants to serve her enemy and she was very happy about that.
But...
Someone else was not happy.
From the moment Mother Liu had told her that Gu Yanyan had brought more than a dozen of carriages filled with garbage, Gu Yanran was waiting for the moment; the moment when Gu Yanyan would embarrassed herself for bringing trash to Gu Residence but instead of trash, she brought 'gold'. A 'gold' which was sought after the whole aristocratic families in the capital but they couldn't find because it was just that rare.
But this b*itch had just brought a whole carriage of these 'golds'.
Tightening her grip Gu Yanran held her expressions somehow until old Madam Gu waved her hand and said, she was already old and couldn't sit anymore and went to rest that everyone could finally returned to their own courtyard.
After returning into her courtyard, Jade courtyard, the first thing Gu Yanran did was... to sweep all of her things from her vanity table, throwing all kinds of red and blue porcelain vase and other antiques... anything, she could grab at that time was sent straight to the ground.
Gu. Yan. Yan.
Seeing her such a violent side of their kind and gentle miss, servants of the Jade Courtyard were all terrified and trembled in their places.
Specially mother Liu.
Meanwhile in Water Pavilion.
Looking at the barren and ugly courtyard, Gu Yanyan and her two dozens servants were speechless.
It was not that this courtyard was not built we'll, it's just that... it seemed no one had ever entered this courtyard after Gu Yanyan left the Residence.
Water Pavilion was built by Madam Lin for her first child that was Gu Yanyan.
After Madam Lin died, after her funeral, old Madam Gu left Gu Yanyan with nanny Jin and a few more maids including Yang Xumei who only five years old that time in Water Pavilion and never visited her again.
But the little maids in the courtyard took good care of the already beautifully built Water Pavilion.
With a big pond in the center and wide colourful flower trellis surrounding it in all direction, making it look a beautiful decoration.
Lotus leaves would float on the surface pond water all year round and when it bloom, it would leave a very fresh spiritual fragrant making the whole Water Pavilion feel a spiritual place.
White and pink lotus flowers along with it's green leaves and stem would look so ethereal and heavenly, the scenery would be sight to behold.
Her first three years of lantern festival, all Gu family members would go to river side to celebrate the festival only she would celebrate her lantern festival by this pond with her little maid's.
Looking at the almost dried lotus pond in front of her, Gu Yanyan suddenly felt like crying.