"Miss, these two children are incredibly lucky to have you as their wife!"
Jin Shanyao listened intently, but Qing Yang's father's words led her to the ancestral graves.
She wanted to say, "I didn't burn down your ancestral graves," but then she sensed something was off.
So she kept it to herself and explained to Qing Yang and Qing He when she had a chance that she had never burned anyone's ancestral graves.
Seeing that Jin Shanyao silent, Qing Yang Niang thought she had said too much. "Miss, I... I don't know why, I just talk too much when I see you. Please don't take offense."
Jin Shanyao gazed absently at Qing Yang's retreating figure. The two sisters had never spoken of their family matters, nor had she ever asked.
I used to think that after a dozen or so years in the mortal world, there was no need to get too involved in too many emotions, but now it seems I already have.
She said calmly, "It's a parent's instinct to find a way to survive in the face of natural disasters."
Upon hearing this, Qing Yang's mother burst into tears for some reason.
She has suffered every day since her daughter was sold, but fortunately, God took pity on her and let her two children follow a good master.
When the oxcart arrived at Lush Mountain, the rotten vegetable leaves had already been cleaned up. Qing He's mother looked around but couldn't see her daughter, so she looked away in disappointment.
The rest of the Qing Household got off the vehicle and headed straight for the manure pile. Just as Jin Shanyao had said, fermented and unfermented manure were mixed together.
Qing Yang's father said, "Miss, this fertilizer can't be used now. It needs to be sun-dried for a few more days."
Jin Shanyao humbly inquired, "How many days should it be sun-dried, and to what extent can it be used?"
Qing Yang's father glanced at the sky. "It's hard to say. If it doesn't rain, it'll be eight or nine days. If it rains, it'll be half a month."
Jin Shanyao stared at the pile of manure with a troubled expression. If she had known it would be this troublesome, she wouldn't have bought it. But since she had already bought it, she had to figure out how to use farmyard manure.
Qing Yang's father noticed Jin Shanyao's dilemma and thought of how good she was to the two children.
"If you trust me, Miss, give me this pile of manure, and I'll compost it for you, how about that?"
Jin Shanyao exclaimed with delight, "It's wonderful that you're willing to help, but..."
She stared expectantly at Qing Yang's Qing Yang, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Miss, please speak."
Jin Shanyao chuckled twice, mentally rehearsing her words, "I'd like to ask a master to teach me how to compost. How much will the fee be?"
Qing Yang's father laughed heartily, "I thought it was something serious. If you want to see, come and watch. I'll tell you everything I know, and you don't need to pay any service fees."
Jin Shanyao quickly waved her hand, "That won't do. Such precious craftsmanship deserves payment."
In her mind, Qing Yang's father's skill in composting was like a secret Cultivation Method passed down from immortals. Since Qing Yang's father was willing to teach them, she had to pay him.
Qing Yang's father and Qing He's father exchanged a glance, unsure of what to say. The master of the house was kind, always finding ways to help them. With such a master, their two children would surely be successful in the future.
Jin Shanyao is always decisive and efficient. Now that she has decided to learn, she has no intention of delaying.
She glanced at the sky and said to Qing Yang's father, "It's a bit late today. Fermentation is a delicate craft, so it's not good to start in a hurry. Tomorrow at dawn, I'll have the whole family come and learn together."
Qing He's mother pressed on, "Is Qing He here too?"
"Come on, the whole family will be included," Qing He's mother said bitterly when she heard that her daughter was in the family. If only the flood hadn't happened.
On the other hand, if there hadn't been the flood, the two children wouldn't have had the good fortune they have today; it's all about timing and fate.
After seeing off the Qing Household, who were full of gratitude, Meng Anzhi finally couldn't help but ask in a low voice, "Auntie, do we really want to learn how to compost...?"
Jin Shanyao and said, "It's always good to have more skills. You should all learn what you need to learn while you're still young."
Like a bolt from the blue, Meng Anzhi never imagined that being young could be a reason to study. No, she'd have to wear several layers of handkerchiefs tomorrow—it smelled terrible!
The next day, just as dawn was breaking.
With Jin Shanyao pushed open the door and forcefully dragged Meng Anci out of bed.
"Wake up! We're going to the academy today," Meng Anci, still half asleep with her eyes closed, as someone dressed her. "Auntie, I want to go to the academy."
"What's the point of going to an academy? Reading books all day will ruin your brain," she said, bending down to pick up the shoes and slipping them onto Meng Anci's feet without a word. Then she picked him up and walked out.
They had agreed to pick up the Qing Household, but when they arrived at the foot of Lush Mountain, they found them waiting there.
Qing Yang's father chuckled, "I'm too old to sleep, so I came over early to clean up the ground." He held a broom in his hand and cleared a large open space not far from him.
Jin Shanyao glared at him disapprovingly, " Qing Yang's father, a man is a boy until he dies. Don't ever say you're old again."
Qing Yang's father was amused and burst into laughter.
He pointed to the open space, "The first step in composting is digging a pit. It can't be too deep or too shallow; it needs to be able to breathe while also generating heat..."
As he spoke, he began digging. Seeing this, Jin Shanyao and the others quickly joined the group.
Even Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci followed behind, carrying medicine hoes.
Meng Anci pondered, "How deep should we dig?"
Qing Yang's father raised his thick arm, "Just... about an arm's length deep, enough for them to 'simmer' in."
Meng Anci and began to dig the soil with great effort. Due to the hot weather, the smell of feces became increasingly strong, and flies buzzed around his face.
The disgusting little bean almost fainted.
After digging the pit, they started laying manure: a layer of rotten vegetable leaves, a layer of manure, and then sprinkling some water. Qing Yang's father explained carefully, Jin Shanyao listened attentively.
By the time the composting was finished, it was almost evening. Jin Shanyao secretly used a Dust-Clearing Instruction to make everyone smell of the stench.
Even so, Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci still took a bath for half an hour after returning home.
In the evening, Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci nestled in the Jin Shanyao Room reading. Meng Anci sniffed his arm, seemingly still able to detect a foul odor.
"Auntie, I don't want to learn how to compost, it smells too bad."
Jin Shanyao was surprised; this was the first time Meng Anci had raised an objection.
She put down her agricultural books and looked at Meng Anzhi, "You don't want to learn either?"
Meng Anzhi nodded, "Auntie, I want to be a doctor when I grow up. I think learning how to compost is a waste of time."
Meng Anci in agreement.
The Jin Shanyao, "Is it because it's dirty, smelly, or shameful?"
The two little ones exchanged a glance and muttered softly, "It just stinks..."
Jin Shanyao and said, "You feel wronged already?"
She pinched their little noses. "We want to be the biggest medicinal herb merchants in the Sheng Dynasty, not just peddlers."
Anzhi, if we grow and sell medicinal herbs, and we don't even know the quality of compost, what will we do if farmers cheat us in the future?
Anci, you failed the imperial examination this time, firstly because you are too young and don't know all the characters.
Secondly, lack of experience and weak foundation in policy writing can be improved through practical life experience.
"If you want to pursue a career in government, you can't just rely on rote learning; otherwise, you'll be schemed against and misled by your colleagues."
Jin Shanyao held the two children in her arms. "Auntie doesn't like composting either, it smells too bad. I've thought about giving up countless times, but we can't let our subordinates lead us by the nose, right?"
There are some things you can choose not to do, but you can't be incapable of doing them.
Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci, "Being in charge without real power is just pointless nonsense."
Jin Shanyao chuckled, "Where did these words come from?"
The two little ones chuckled to themselves; they had been hanging out with those workers a while, picking up a lot of their good and bad talk.