The System Wanted Me to Be a Landlady (GL) - Chapter 25: Very Harmonious

Chapter 25: Very Harmonious

The three Song siblings, Song Yuyan, Song Yuban, and Song Yuzhuan, were actually considered a side branch of the Cixi Song family. Their great-grandfather was a brother to Song Xiping, but when Song Xiping was an official, the clan leader was a respected elder. After Song Xiping died, the clan leadership passed to his eldest son, Song Zhiming.

Song Fu, who revitalized the Song family, happened to be Song Zhiming’s son. This meant Song Xiping’s line was the main branch, and most of the clan’s resources leaned toward them. Song Fu and Song Bing were similar in this way. Nominally, Song Yuyan called them uncles, but their relationship was distant.

So, when something happened to Song Yuyan and her siblings, the clan would, at most, offer care according to clan rules but wouldn’t go all out to help. Otherwise, Wu Shi wouldn’t have so easily taken the Song family’s wealth.

To most clan members, these were matters of Song Yuyan’s father and uncle’s households. Even as clan members, they couldn’t easily interfere.

Perhaps because she lost her father young, the original Song Yuyan wasn’t deeply attached to the clan. Later, she wandered the streets, neglected her duties, and acted improperly, so many clan members criticized her. Every time she returned to the clan for rations, she faced criticism and education. Half a year ago, when she went back, people mocked her, saying she looked like a beggar coming to scrounge for food.

That was one of the few remnants of her dignity, and it was trampled. Out of anger, she stopped going back.

Song Bing didn’t really understand these things. His relationship with Song Yuyan was distant, so he didn’t pay much attention. Now, he felt Song Yuyan wasn’t beyond saving, so he wanted to bring her back to the clan to show them her change.

Song Yuyan thought for a moment and agreed.

Though coarse rice wasn’t fine rice, two dou of coarse rice processed into fine rice would yield about one dou and four he. For Song Yuyan, Song Yuban, and Song Yuzhuan, a quarterly ration would be one shi and two dou, which, in modern terms, was seventy-four kilograms!

She always believed self-reliance was the only way to live. But as a qualified new-era youth and an outstanding member of the Song family, she wanted to be self-reliant while practicing thrift and frugality. Since this was a clan benefit, not taking it would waste the clan’s good intentions, wouldn’t it?

System: Are you sure you have such high moral awareness, and it’s not just a “freebie mentality”?

Song Yuyan: My moral awareness is high, praised and recognized by the organization.

System: …

With no need to worry about food for the next three months, Song Yuyan generously bought half a jin of yangmei on her way home.

Yangmei were starting to ripen, but the famous ones wouldn’t mature until May, and their price was high, unaffordable for someone like Song Yuyan, who was on subsistence. So, she bought smaller yangmei grown by local farmers.

The three Song siblings hadn’t eaten fruit in a long time. The only time they had yangmei last year was when they picked some that fell from a tree in front of someone’s house, and they were chased away for it. Seeing Song Yuyan bring back yangmei, Song Yuban and Song Yuzhuan instinctively swallowed hard.

“Wash them clean before eating,” Song Yuyan said, handing the yangmei to Song Yuban. He quickly ran to the kitchen to wash them, sneaking one into his mouth when the others outside weren’t looking.

The yangmei was both sour and sweet. Song Yuban’s face scrunched up from the sourness, but after that moment, the taste turned sweet.

When he came out after washing them, Song Yuyan was back to weaving baskets, while Song Yuzhuan eagerly grabbed some yangmei to eat. She, too, made funny faces from the sourness.

“Bing’er, your face is so ugly, haha…” Song Yuban saw his sister’s expression and immediately started mocking her.

When he couldn’t hold back his own expression while eating, Song Yuzhuan retaliated with exaggerated laughter. “Brother is uglier!”

The two kids mocked each other after every bite. Inside, Song Yuyan thought they must have eaten something like “laughing half-step madness.”

But Song Yuzhuan still remembered her. She grabbed some yangmei and brought them to Song Yuyan’s mouth. “Big Brother, eat!”

It was Song Yuyan’s first time being fed by her little sister. Though the yangmei was sour and sweet, she didn’t show a hint of being affected, not even raising an eyebrow.

Song Yuzhuan was a bit disappointed she couldn’t mock her big brother. She took some yangmei and ran to the Tang family to find Tang Ye.

Luckily, Song Yuyan didn’t know her sister’s plan, or the yangmei wouldn’t have tasted so good.

＿＿＿

When Song Yuzhuan arrived at the Tang house, Tang Zhi and Tang Ye were both home. The sisters had sold vegetables that morning and had just gone out to weed and water the fields, so they were tired. Tang Ye was already asleep inside, while Tang Zhi, rare for her, had a moment of leisure, lying on a bamboo chair, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan.

Suddenly, she heard a young voice calling from outside, sounding like Song Yuyan’s Bing’er. She went to open the door. Sure enough, the little radish-head looked up, eyes sparkling. “Sister Tang, where’s Sister Ye?”

“…” Tang Zhi, amused and unsure when her sister’s name changed, asked, “She’s asleep. Should I wake her for you?”

Song Yuzhuan, lacking the awareness not to disturb someone resting, nodded eagerly. Tang Zhi let her in to wait and went to wake Tang Ye. Hearing it was the little Song radish-head, Tang Ye didn’t linger in bed and got up happily.

Tang Zhi was astonished to see Song Yuzhuan had come specifically to share yangmei with her sister. Her little sister usually didn’t like playing with others. She either worked in the fields with Tang Zhi or stayed home. When did she get close to the Song family’s little radish-head?

Song Yuzhuan was cute and well-behaved when quiet, but Tang Zhi knew she could be like a little pixiu—once something went into her pocket, it never came out to share. Yet today, she brought food for Tang Ye?

Had Song Yuzhuan changed because Song Yuyan had turned over a new leaf?

Seeing the two kids squinting from the sour yangmei and laughing inexplicably, Tang Zhi smiled too.

But as she smiled, she thought of the pest problem in their half-mu vegetable garden and sighed.

Song Yuzhuan, sharp-eyed, asked Tang Ye, “Is Sister Tang unhappy because no one plays with her?”

Tang Ye: “…” Not everyone plays with little radish-heads like her.

“No, Sister is sighing because there are too many pests in the garden, and the vegetables aren’t growing well,” she explained. Then, realizing a seven-year-old wouldn’t understand, she stopped.

Song Yuzhuan, concerned, asked, “The vegetables have lots of pests? Why are there so many?”

Recently, the Song family often received “extra” vegetables from the Tangs. To Song Yuzhuan, if the Tangs’ vegetables failed, it meant she’d have no vegetables to eat. How could she not worry?

Tang Ye explained, “After the late spring cold ended, the weather warmed, and the rainy season came. The pest eggs started hatching, so there are more pests…”

Song Yuzhuan: “?”

Okay, she didn’t understand, but that was fine. If she didn’t get it, her big brother surely would!

So, she went home and told Song Yuyan about it.

Song Yuyan wanted to say she’d never worked the fields or done farm work in her life, so she couldn’t help much. But she couldn’t say that. Having received the Tangs’ kindness, she couldn’t act indifferent. So, on a day she went to buy mat grass from the Shi family, she passed by the Tangs’ garden to take a look.

Tang Zhi was busy hoeing weeds and turning soil in the garden. Many farmers were working around her, so her figure wasn’t particularly striking. But the Tangs’ garden had a fence, making it stand out a bit.

Song Yuyan looked and saw faint yellow spots on the once-green vegetable leaves. A closer look revealed holes from pest bites.

Watching Tang Zhi sweat while hoeing and frequently bending to pick off wilted leaves, Song Yuyan sighed, “Poor children take charge early.”

“Why are you pitying her? By rights, you’re worse off than her, aren’t you?” the system asked.

“You’re everywhere,” Song Yuyan rolled her eyes. “Why do you think I’m so bad off?”

Ignoring Song Yuyan’s annoyance and filtering out her blame, the system cheerfully said, “Exactly! I promised to be your close friend, your warm little jacket, always watching your mental state, giving you the best companionship and comfort!”

Song Yuyan’s mouth twitched. She ignored the system and sank into thought about her chemistry knowledge. Her university and graduate studies were in water conservancy and civil engineering, so her physics knowledge far exceeded her chemistry. She needed time to recall what little chemistry she knew.

As she mentally reviewed her knowledge, Tang Zhi noticed her figure. A person standing silently by the fence in broad daylight would make anyone uneasy.

“Song Dalang, what are you doing here?” Tang Zhi approached, took off her hat, and wiped sweat with the towel around her neck.

“Just passing by and checking out your garden,” Song Yuyan answered honestly.

Tang Zhi thought she was eyeing their vegetables again, and her gaze turned wary and sharp.

Song Yuyan smiled helplessly. “Don’t misunderstand, Miss Tang. Bing’er mentioned your fields have a pest problem, so I thought I might help and came to look.”

Tang Zhi said, “What help can you offer? You’ve never worked the fields.”

Song Yuyan realized Tang Zhi underestimated her. “Miss Tang, you’re mistaken. I worked the fields before I was ten.”

Tang Zhi paused, recalling that before Song Yuyan’s mother died and her uncle took her in, their family did have some fields. But as orphans and a widow, they couldn’t manage much, so they rented most out, keeping one or two mu for themselves.

She stopped doubting and asked, “What’s your solution?”

Song Yuyan searched her knowledge. “Let me think.”

Tang Zhi assumed she was just talking and couldn’t help, so she didn’t take it seriously.

On her way back, Song Yuyan saw trees by the roadside and suddenly recalled something. She remembered trees by roads often had their bases painted with white limewater, which was slaked lime, used for sterilization, pest control, and frost prevention.

As for quicklime, the main ingredient in limewater, it had existed since the Eastern Han dynasty, used in city walls and tombs. But people of this era generally didn’t know it benefited plants.

She recalled a teacher mentioning that some farmers sprinkled quicklime in fields to adjust soil acidity and kill pests. This improved soil quality and promoted crop growth, acting as a fertilizer.

Some medical texts also noted quicklime’s use for pest control and stopping bleeding, though it was called “mineral ash,” not “quicklime.”

Limestone was found across most of the country, but the south used lime more for moisture-proofing. Mingzhou likely had lime kilns for burning quicklime.

Still, she doubted Tang Zhi would believe her if she explained this, as no one here used it in fields yet. She decided to find a lime kiln first.

_____

After finishing a batch of baskets, bamboo containers, and mats, Song Yuyan delivered them to Lin Yongming. They had worked together several times, and based on that trust, he brought her more orders.

“Last year’s Goryeo envoys are returning home soon. They brought some Goryeo merchants who want to buy goods to sell back home. The deadline is one month, and every workshop is busy but can’t keep up, so they asked me for help.”

Song Yuyan said, “With your ability, you shouldn’t lack mat grass or bamboo baskets to collect.”

Lin Yongming replied, “This is different. It’s for the Lou family in Fenghua. They have high standards for their workshop products. I can’t pass off shoddy goods, and the Lou family won’t accept them. I trust the quality of your work, so I came to you.”

Song Yuyan knew of the Fenghua Lou family. Mingzhou wasn’t particularly wealthy, with only a few prominent families and rich households. The Lou family was a wealthy one, and their head, Lou Hao, was also Fenghua County’s registrar. With official influence and wealth, they weren’t to be crossed lightly.

Song Yuyan had no ties to the Lou family and didn’t worry about offending them. She asked Lin Yongming about the order’s quantity, found it manageable within a month, and accepted.

With a new order, she needed to find more bamboo. Instead of rushing to the mountains, she chose a rainy noon to visit Bai Can.

The rain was heavy, and she figured Bai Can wouldn’t be cutting trees in such weather, so he’d likely be free. Sure enough, when she found him, a group of lumberjacks were sitting in a tea shed at the mountain’s base, drinking tea.

“Song Dalang, why are you here?” Bai Can, sharp-eyed, spotted her and grinned.

“I came to treat Bai Wulang to a drink. Last time, I promised to treat you, and since it’s raining today, I thought you’d be free, so I came.”

Bai Can was slightly surprised. They’d only met once, and he wasn’t sure they’d meet again. Yet she remembered his casual remark and acted on it, stirring something in him.

“Does Bai Wulang have time for a drink?” Song Yuyan smiled faintly.

Bai Can slapped his thigh. “Of course! Let’s go!”

Others overheard and called out, “Hey, Bai Wulang, you’re going drinking without us?”

“If you want to come, come, but let’s be clear—everyone pays for their own drinks.”

Someone laughed and cursed, “Tch, you think I’d mooch off you? The rain won’t stop soon. Let’s go drink!”

With that shout, seven or eight people joined, while others stayed put, thinking if the rain stopped, those drinking wouldn’t return, leaving more work for them. They weren’t employed by the lumber market, just sold their cut wood to it, so the overseer couldn’t control their comings and goings.

The group went to a nearby tavern, ordered a few jin of light wine and cheap snacks, and chatted while eating.

Song Yuyan wasn’t intimidated or reserved around them. Back in her old life, she dealt with workers on construction sites. But back then, for various reasons, she never fit in. Now, standing in the same position as them, with the original Song Yuyan’s memories, she didn’t feel out of place.

Some got talkative after drinking, discussing lumber work or probing Song Yuyan’s background. Learning she was just an ordinary person, they were slightly surprised. “Your manner of speaking doesn’t seem like someone from a small household.”

Others agreed, and Bai Can looked at her more closely, noticing she indeed stood out. Their clothes were old and dirty; hers were just old. They smelled of sweat; she had no “manly” odor.

Their speech was rough and direct, while Song Yuyan avoided crude words but was friendly and understood them, so they didn’t exclude her.

Song Yuyan smiled. “You’re making me reflect.”

“Reflect on what?” they asked, puzzled.

“You say my speech isn’t ordinary, which means I’m holding back, putting on airs. Shouldn’t I reflect on that?”

They paused, then burst into laughter. Bai Can said, “Song Dalang, don’t underestimate yourself. We don’t think you’re putting on airs. You’re warm and easy to get along with!”

Song Yuyan said, “I overthought it. I’ll punish myself with a bowl of wine!”

“One bowl? Make it three!”

Song Yuyan was glad the wine’s alcohol content was low, and three bowls wouldn’t get her drunk.

But she overestimated the original Song Yuyan’s tolerance…

When the group dispersed, she bid Bai Can farewell and headed home. On the way, the alcohol kicked in. Her mind felt empty, her stomach churned.

Barely making it to her doorstep, she vomited. She was still conscious, just dizzy, with her vision blurring, so she leaned against the courtyard wall to rest.

Rain hit her hat and raincoat, some drops seeping through the hat’s gaps, falling on her face, helping her clear her head.

“Song Dalang, what’s wrong?” Tang Zhi’s voice came from nearby.

Her head less dizzy, her vision clearer, Song Yuyan saw Tang Zhi at her own door, one hand pushing it open, turning to look at her. It seemed she was about to go home but couldn’t help checking on Song Yuyan.

Song Yuyan waved it off. “I’m fine.”

She hadn’t expected the original Song Yuyan’s alcohol tolerance to match her own.

Before university, she never drank. She discovered her low tolerance during college when she drank three beers with a heartbroken roommate and vomited on the way back to the dorm. After that, she rarely drank.

After graduating, thanks to her family elders, no one forced her to drink at social gatherings. One glass could last a whole meal.

Seeing Tang Zhi approach, she felt embarrassed—vomiting at her own door would be mortifying if a neighbor saw it back in her old life.

“Your face is so red,” Tang Zhi frowned.

Song Yuyan touched her face and smiled. “It’s fine. It’ll fade soon.”

“You went drinking?” Tang Zhi finally smelled the alcohol.

The light wine wasn’t strong, lacking the potent smell of baijiu, but a faint scent lingered.

Song Yuyan didn’t hide it. “Hmm, I drank three bowls.”

“In broad daylight, why were you drinking?!” Tang Zhi scolded without holding back.

Someone annoyed with Tang Zhi might call her nosy, but Song Yuyan was in a good mood and mindset. “If I went at night, I might not find my way back.”

Tang Zhi glared. “Is the time of drinking the point? Why were you drinking at all?”

Song Yuyan said, “I have something to discuss with you. Come inside; it’s raining out here!”

Tang Zhi thought, *You know it’s raining, yet you stood out here so long, getting soaked.*

Song Yuyan’s head wasn’t spinning much, her steps steadier. She went inside, hung up her hat and raincoat, and invited Tang Zhi to sit, getting to the point.

Her visit to Bai Can was partly to keep her promise and partly to build rapport and ask about something.

She hadn’t forgotten about quicklime. Burning lime required coal, followed by firewood or charcoal. Bai Can and the others, who cut wood for the lumber market, likely dealt with others needing wood, like charcoal merchants.

Sure enough, Bai Can knew a lot, even about lime kilns and their trade.

Quicklime wasn’t government-controlled, and Mingzhou had plenty of mineral resources. Some wealthy households used it to coat walls for moisture-proofing or build tombs. The papermaking industry also needed it, so Cixi had lime kilns, though no shops sold quicklime directly—you had to go to the kilns.

“Mineral ash can kill pests and act as fertilizer, making soil more fertile…” Song Yuyan said.

Tang Zhi thought it sounded like a fantasy. When Song Yuyan finished, she asked, “Where did you hear mineral ash can kill pests?”

“From medical books. My mother mentioned it too.”

Tang Zhi: “…”

If Song Yuyan hadn’t mentioned her late mother, she might have believed her.

But Song Yuyan had gone drinking to gather this information, even vomiting from it, showing her seriousness. That made Tang Zhi consider the idea’s feasibility.

“Are you sure?” Tang Zhi asked.

Song Yuyan gestured. “Eighty percent. If I were certain of the mineral ash’s quality, I’d say one hundred percent.”

“Quality?” Tang Zhi didn’t understand.

“Whether the mineral ash is good or bad,” Song Yuyan explained.

Tang Zhi half-understood but didn’t mind. Her family could afford some mineral ash. Given Song Yuyan’s effort, she was willing to try it.

“You and I don’t know where the kilns are, but Brother surely does. Getting drunk just to find out—is that foolish?” Tang Zhi recalled Song Yuyan’s discomfort, slightly disdainful but softening her tone.

To keep her persona intact, Song Yuyan told a small lie. “If I had to pay for the wine, I wouldn’t have drunk. My money is my life.”

Tang Zhi: “…”

Though exasperated, she thought Song Yuyan’s behavior—drinking despite low tolerance just to mooch—fit her character. Song Yuyan usually took advantage of others, never letting herself be taken advantage of.

_____

When Song Yuyan went to Baozi Mountain to cut bamboo, Tang Haogen happened to be free and went with her. His destination wasn’t Baozi Mountain but Sun Lake in Xiyu Township, fifteen li southeast of the county.

Tang Haogen was sent by Tang Zhi to buy quicklime. Since it was far, he borrowed an ox cart and gave Song Yuyan a ride.

Kilns for porcelain or charcoal were usually near forested lakes for easy access to materials, like Du Lake and Baiyang Lake, sixty li northwest of the county, or Shanglin Lake in Yuyao County, all sites for Yue kilns.

Sun Lake was smaller, mainly for irrigating fields, with only a few scattered kilns, including lime kilns, also called “mineral ash kilns.”

On the way, Tang Haogen asked, “Song Dalang, how did you think of using mineral ash for pests?”

“My mother mentioned it when I was young, and I later read it in a medical book, so I remembered.”

Tang Haogen recalled the woman Song Yuyan described as skilled in farming, mat-weaving, and bamboo-weaving—almost all-capable. He didn’t suspect a lie and believed her.

Then he thought of his years studying at the Song clan school, sighing to himself. He said to Song Yuyan, “You studied for a few years and know so much. Have you never thought of going back to study?”

This was the second person after Song Bing to urge her to resume studies. Though Song Yuyan no longer worried about her identity being exposed, she had no such plans. “With the Song family’s current situation, forget me returning to the clan school. I can’t even afford paper and brushes for Sun’er’s basic studies. So, studying needs careful planning.”

Tang Haogen scratched his head. He thought Song Yuyan had turned over a new leaf, acting more like a gentleman, which prompted his suggestion. He forgot the Song family’s finances couldn’t support her returning to school.

He felt Song Yuyan was somewhat like him—both lost their parents young, forced to abandon studies to support their families. If possible, he wanted to study, pass the exams, become a jinshi, and fulfill his ambitions. But he had to work as a minor clerk in the yamen, serving superiors and enduring the public’s disdain.

Perhaps because of this, he always showed Song Yuyan kindness, not just because he studied at the Song clan school.

Song Yuyan seized the chance to ask about the wine tax quota. She wasn’t sure the original Song Yuyan’s memories were accurate, or if her穿越 might cause a butterfly effect.

She didn’t ask directly, instead saying, “When I was drinking the other day, I heard the tavern people say the court is issuing a decree about wine taxes?”

“It’s about the wine tax quota. At the start of the month, the Three Departments sent a document requiring local areas to submit wine tax figures to set a fixed tax.”

“Has it been decided?”

“Hmm, but the yamen just got the news. The official document hasn’t even been issued yet. It spread this fast?”

“Wine merchants are well-informed, I guess!” Song Yuyan said vaguely.

Tang Haogen believed her and whispered, “I think this might not be good. Something could happen.”

Song Yuyan had already guessed this was likely the same as in her previous life. The original’s memory was correct, and her butterfly wings had little impact.

“How so?”

“From dealing with the wine tax officials, I can tell they’re unhappy with the court’s move. If the court sets a fixed tax, they’ll likely make other moves.”

Song Yuyan noted Tang Haogen’s foresight, but even he couldn’t change the government’s decisions, so she stayed silent.

With the ox cart, they reached Baozi Mountain quickly and parted ways. Tang Haogen figured Song Yuyan would carry a lot of bamboo back and that the cart would be useful, so he set a time to meet her at the mountain’s base.

This time, cutting bamboo, the effects of drinking with the lumberjacks showed. More people greeted her, and some even offered to help.

She politely declined, having brought a saw and machete to do it herself. As she eyed a fine large bamboo, a patch of white caught her attention.

It was white covering a few trees, looking from afar like modern roadside plants coated with limewater. But Song Yuyan knew that couldn’t happen in this era. It was either diseased trees or…

Her gaze fell on the trees’ branches, and she felt certain.

“Song Dalang, how many bamboos are you cutting this time?” Bai Can spotted her, approaching with a look like he’d help.

Instead of answering, Song Yuyan pointed at the white patch. “Bai Wulang, do you know what that is?”

Bai Can looked and said, “Some white bugs. It’s not just one tree—several in the mountain are like that.”

Song Yuyan couldn’t contain her excitement. Look what she found! White wax trees!

White wax trees were named because white wax insects loved them. The insects secreted a substance used to make white wax!

Bai Can not knowing the trees or bugs wasn’t surprising. The most common candles were still beeswax, called “yellow wax,” made from honey. Due to high costs, only wealthy households used them.

White wax appeared later. Song Yuyan recalled her grandfather saying it was made in the Tang dynasty. Since white wax trees weren’t widespread in Jiangsu-Zhejiang, and no one commercially bred white wax insects, the raw material was scarce.

She examined closely. The trees had many small sacs, and with Grain in Ear approaching, it was the insects’ egg-laying season. To get enough wax, she’d need to wait until August…

Song Yuyan’s excitement cooled. August was too far off. In those three months, someone unaware of their value might cut the trees.

“Song Dalang, what’re you staring at?” Bai Can called several times.

Snapping back, Song Yuyan smiled apologetically. Seeing Bai Can, an idea formed. She grinned, “Bai Wulang, you’re so lucky.”

Bai Can was confused. “How am I lucky?”

“Those are white wax trees, and those bugs are white wax insects. Hearing ‘white wax,’ what do you think?”

Bai Can didn’t catch on at first, mouthing “white wax.” Then it hit him, and his eyes widened. “White wax?! The white candles?”

Song Yuyan nodded. “This is key to making white wax, like how bees’ honey makes yellow wax. These white insect droppings can make candles.”

Bai Can knew how expensive candles were. In his memory, locals used lamp oil for lighting. Only the very rich used candles, which were pricy in shops.

Song Yuyan telling him this was raw material for white wax was like saying a gold mine lay before him!

His heart raced, but he quickly calmed down. “Even with white wax, no one knows how to make it!”

Song Yuyan smiled. “I do.”

Bai Can realized this slim youth kept surprising him. She even knew how to make white wax—what couldn’t she do?!

“You…” He wanted to ask where she learned this. Mingzhou had no white wax production, and wealthy households used beeswax.

“To be honest, I’m a Song clan member from Jinchuan Village. I’ve read a few books and met people from all over, so…” Song Yuyan lied smoothly.

Though she disliked lying, she felt influenced by the original Song Yuyan, diving headfirst into deception.

But she shamelessly reassured herself it was a white lie. If she could unlock the use of white wax insects, promote their breeding, boost the economy, and aid scholars and commoners with lighting, it was a great deed for the nation. Why worry about a little lie?

Bai Can believed her. Given the Song clan’s influence, it wasn’t strange they’d collect odd knowledge from everywhere. Growing up in such a family, no wonder Song Yuyan knew so much!

He got excited again. “Then… can’t we make white wax?”

Song Yuyan was waiting for that!

She shook her head regretfully. “I’m afraid not.”

Bai Can asked, “Why not?”

Song Yuyan said, “Bai Wulang, have you forgotten why you’re here?”

Bai Can froze. He was here to cut trees. Like him, many didn’t know these trees’ value. If Song Yuyan hadn’t told him, he might’ve cut them without hesitation.

“The white wax insects produce wax in August. They’re only laying eggs now. If we wait three months, it might work,” Song Yuyan said.

Bai Can thought and said, “Leave it to me! I’ll make sure these trees are safe for three months.”

“No one will touch these trees!”

Song Yuyan achieved her goal, and only then did she start doing her own tasks. Bai Can helped her cut a few giant bamboos and had people help transport them down the mountain. After she sold the bamboo tips, she shared part of the earnings with the supervisor and those who helped her.

After receiving the benefits, although no one could guarantee that Song Yuyan could freely cut bamboo here in the future, they at least had a good impression of her.

Tang Haogen soon bought quicklime and returned from Sun Lake. He didn’t buy much, only two bags, because he wasn’t sure if this method would work. Also, if he couldn’t use it all in a short time, it would go to waste.

After returning, Song Yuyan suggested taking advantage of the sunny days to quickly spread the quicklime in the fields. So, the three Tang siblings went out after dinner, and Song Yuyan followed to the vegetable garden to give instructions.

Soon, the days passed steadily as Song Yuyan worked step by step toward her development plans, and it reached late April.

Song Bing drove an ox cart to find her. She gave some instructions to Song Yuban and Song Yuzhuan about looking after the house and asked Tang Zhi to keep an eye on things at home during her free time.

Tang Zhi asked her, “Are we very close?”

Song Yuyan’s face grew thicker, and she didn’t even realize it. She said, “Very harmonious. And does it matter if we’re close or not? Tang Zhi, you’re a good person, and that’s enough.”

Tang Zhi: “…”

This person, was she being too bold?

Tang Zhi had something else to say to Song Yuyan, but seeing Song Bing waiting outside, she decided to wait until Song Yuyan returned to talk.