flstandardbreds Chapter 580: A manor with a cabin and a boat
Chapter 580: A manor with a cabin and a boat
Seeing Chuchu looking depressed, Yan Yongning couldn't help but want to tease her.
Although he also hoped that Chuchu could help with some ideas, he didn't want her to rack her brains and add to her troubles because many things depended on chance and coincidence and could not be forced, so he would not force Chuchu.
Yan Yongning naturally hoped that Chu Chu would be happy. Originally, since they had arrived at the foreigner's territory in Weizhou County, he wanted to take Chu Chu there for a walk. But since there seemed to be nothing to do here and they would be returning home soon, he now had the leisure time.
"Fubao, we are not going to have dinner at the government office today. Let's go find a quiet little restaurant to eat and have some fun. Your brother Qingnan went there specially to check it out. He said there is a manor with beautiful scenery not too far away."
When Chu Chu heard this, her interest was piqued. Since she couldn't force it, she should let it go. The best way to let it go was to have fun, eat delicious food, and not think about anything else.
Brother Jue told her that it is useless to try to solve problems when encountering difficulties. Instead, she should relax and do other things with ease. Perhaps before she knows it, she will suddenly realize the problem.
Therefore, eating when you should, having fun when you should, is the right way to live. There is no need to overwhelm yourself with worries that do not exist.
Uncle Zimo borrowed a few small carriages from the government office. According to Yan Yongning, he just wanted to go out for a walk, and he also took the small roads. He would be truly happy only if he didn't have officials from the county office following him.
The officials from the county government who were followed by a large crowd would disturb the residents, and the residents themselves would also be restrained and unable to relax, so it would not be fun.
Moreover, the officials in the government office are very busy now. Only when they are busy can they better serve the spring farming production.
Only Yan Qingnan and Uncle Zimo were riding horses in front, while the others took small carriages. After leaving the city gate, they went down along the path beside the Xiangjiang River. Not long after, they turned towards a small stream. Going straight up, they came to a small village.
The area around Zhuangzi is very secluded and there are no ordinary people living there. It is just a private farm. There are no trees, but it is very open with fields and streams. Some people have already started weeding the fields. Spring shows hope, which is unique compared to the excitement of harvest in autumn.
The stream is very shallow, winding among the fields. Not far from the small village, there are three small wooden houses separated from each other in the open area of the stream. The willow trees on both sides of the stream have sprouted, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom. It looks like a small paradise no matter how you look at it.
Yan Qingnan said, "We will have dinner in this cabin today. It is said that the whole fish banquet here is the most delicious. There are steamed, fried, deep-fried, braised and stewed fish. The fish is fresh. They are all raised near this stream. They are especially fresh and delicious. Most people would not be received here."
Chu Chu was happy as soon as she jumped out of the car. The view here was wide, the air was fresh, and she could see low hills in the distance.
After they all got off the car, Yan Qingnan explained to them: "This farm belongs to a wealthy man. There are many fruits, vegetables, flowers and trees planted in the farm. It's a pity that it's not the season now. If it were summer or autumn, you could go in and pick fruits and flowers at will, but normally people are not allowed in.
However, this family is considered to be my uncle's clan, and also a distant branch of the Shangguan family. If my uncle hadn't mentioned it last time, we would not have known that there was such a good place.
This farm is small and we don’t welcome guests. We usually only receive relatives, noble families, and merchants who have business dealings with us.”
Sure enough, they saw their carriage stop. Perhaps hearing the noise, a servant ran out from the farm, followed closely by two older men.
After hearing Yan Qingnan introduce himself, the servant was shocked and immediately welcomed them in warmly, saying apologetically: "If the master knew that the nephew and the uncle would come, he would definitely let us go out to greet them in advance and make good preparations.
When the Seventh Master greeted our Master earlier, he was thinking of sending a letter to visit Chu Pavilion in Xiangzhou County when he had the chance, and inviting you to come here for a meal. I didn't expect you to come here uninvited, which is really disrespectful. "
Maybe because they saw a group of people rushing in, the people living inside also ran out immediately. There were three or four old women, two servants, and a chef holding a large spatula in his hand. I guess he was the cook in the kitchen.
Looking at the scene of this group of people, one knew that the people coming were definitely not ordinary people. They all seemed a little timid and stood quietly aside, not daring to speak.
After a while, another person who looked like a steward came out, claiming to be Shangguan, and hurriedly called out to the group of people, "You guys go do what you need to do, Sijiu Po will make a pot of tea for you, Xingzi, go and report to the master, saying that our son-in-law, the county magistrate, has returned, and by the way, ask if we can also go to Qiye's house to say hello."
This is a bit of a big scene. If they weren't related, it would become a nuisance to others.
Yan Yongning felt a little regretful for coming here. He originally thought that the place his uncle was talking about was just a small restaurant that used the environment of the farm to do business. It seemed like a small villa specially for receiving distinguished guests. Once you come in, you may not be able to leave for a while. Moreover, they are relatives, so he has to give them some face and leave directly.
But since they are here, it would be disrespectful to leave if they leave. After all, they are relatives from my mother's family, so I have to give them some face. Fortunately, it is still early for dinner, so it’s okay to let the children play here for a while. Besides, the stewed fish won’t cost much, so at most I can leave some money for a meal or give them a return gift.
Thinking of this, Yan Yongning felt at ease. Since he was here, he might as well make the best of it and treat it as an ordinary visit to relatives and friends.
"We brought the kids out here to relax. We heard there are delicious food and beautiful scenery here, so we came out to take a look. In that case, why don't you ask your master to call Uncle Seventh over as well, so we don't have to go to his place again. I don't think we will have time to visit him tomorrow."
Shangguan Zhi is the eldest in his family and the seventh in the clan, so the master calls him the Seventh Master. Now that he has arrived at his uncle's territory, it seems unreasonable not to meet him.
"Also, is there anything for children to do here? Find them a fun place to go so they don't have to jump around."
The steward felt relieved after hearing what Yan Yongning said. Although he had asked the servant to invite the master just now, he was still worried that the nobleman would not want to stay. If he let the nobleman leave without saying anything, the master would definitely give him a good beating.
He quickly called the youngest woman over and gave her instructions: "Tell Ah Zhong to find a few more people from the farm to go fishing with nets. Catch more mandarin fish, carp, and whitebait. Tell the cooks to kill a few more chickens and ducks in addition to the fish feast, and make a few more special dishes tonight for the nobles to taste."
When they heard that they were going to catch fish, Chuchu and the others were so happy that they didn't want to stay in the yard. At this time of year, everything was growing, and there were no fruits or vegetables, so how could they stay?
Zimo simply asked the old woman to take them to the cabin first. There were a few small boats tied under the cabin just now, which they had already seen. If they couldn't catch any fish, rowing would be a good option.