The Lucky Heiress Chapter 376: 376 Cloud Family's Constant Headache1

Chapter 376: Cloud Family’s Constant Headache_1

Unlike Wei Ruo and half of the populace of Taizhou prefecture who were rejoicing over their bountiful harvest, Mada Yun was in a state of distraught.

Her shop was poorly managed and the yield from both of her estates was unimpressive.

Although she had grown the late-ripening rice cultivar provided by Wei Ruo and also planted sweet potatoes in the mountainous areas of Xingshan County, both of her estates had relatively infertile soil. In particular, the five hundred acres she purchased near the city of Taizhou prefecture had compact soil, severely lacking fertility.

Initially, Mada Yun sought advice from Wei Ruo, who told her about soil improvent thods. However, due to cost considerations, Mada Yun did not make the significant effort nor investnt in fertilization as advised by Wei Ruo.

Later, due to a lack of silver taels, Mada Yun even sold several of her servants, resulting in a shortage of labor for managing the estates.

Now that the harvest season was here, the yield from her own estates was only one-fifth of Wei Ruo’s, and even the generally easy-to-grow sweet potato yield was much lower, at only a thousand catties per acre.

This yield was far below Mada Yun’s expectations. According to this yield, it wouldn’t suffice for the governnt’s usage in the next year, let alone having a surplus to sell for silver coins.

Mada Yun had a throbbing headache and was so worried that she barely ate anything for several days.

“Madam, please don’t fret, it’s not worth ruining your health over this,” Cuiping advised seeing her distress.

“How can I not worry?” Mada Yun massaged her temples, her expression extrely gloomy.

“Madam, if you really can’t think of a solution, why not have a talk with Miss? Miss is very resourceful in such matters, maybe she has so ideas,” Cuiping suggested.

Mada Yun paused, mumbling, “She does have many ideas in these matters.”

Continuing, Cuiping added, “Madam, Miss is truly a good person. Though her way of doing things is different from that of most young ladies, this is what makes her unique.”

Mada Yun sneered lightly, “Indeed, she’s unique. But she is distant with . I’m her mother, yet she always treats like an enemy. I have her best interests at heart, but she always gives the cold shoulder. Perhaps, I don’t have the motherly bond with her, it frustrates whenever we talk.”

Cuiping tried to comfort her, “Madam, Miss’s differences with you are not major issues. You two are mother and daughter by blood, and blood is thicker than water. As long as you are good to Miss, she will eventually appreciate and grow close to you.”

Mada Yun did not quite agree with what Cuiping said and sighed, “Enough about this, go and call her here. I do have so things to ask her.”

“Yes,” Cuiping went to Tingsong Garden to fetch Wei Ruo.

Recently, Wei Ruo finally had so free ti and was busy tending to the fruits and vegetables planted in the Tingsong Garden.

When Cuiping ca to fetch her, Wei Ruo was not surprised. She had heard so rumors recently about the poor harvest from the two estates of the Military Prefecture and guessed that Mada Yun probably wanted to discuss this matter with her.

“I got it, I’ll go over there right away.” Wei Ruo got up to wash her hands.

Then she followed Cuiping to Tingsong Garden.

On their way, Cuiping unusually spoke more than a few words to Wei Ruo, “Miss, Madam really does care for you. But Madam grew up in the capital and she has many rules, she always hopes you could be as dignified and gentle as the ladies in the capital, so this created a lot of conflicts.”

“Are these your words or did she tell you to say this?” Wei Ruo asked.

“These are my words, Madam did not instruct .”

“The conflict between her and is much more than just differences in ideas, so spare your breath.”

“I overstepped.”

Cuiping dared to say no more.

When they arrived at Cangyun Garden, Mada Yun asked Wei Ruo to sit down and directly began asking about the autumn harvest, “I heard that Taizhou prefecture has received a rich harvest recently?”

“Roughly forty percent had bountiful harvests, twenty percent had average yields which were about the sa as those in regular years, and the remaining forty percent had barely satisfactory results but slightly better than those of the last two years,” Wei Ruo replied honestly.

For this year’s grain production campaign, only about sixty percent of the farrs were willing to comply with the governnt’s arrangents and switch to Wei Ruo’s late-ripening rice variety and sweet potatoes.

Even within this sixty percent, so did not fully follow the fertilization and other managent thods promoted by the Governnt Office and maintained their own thods. As a result, their harvest was sowhat lower, hence only forty percent of them had bountiful harvests.

“Unfortunately, the yields from the two estates of the Military Prefecture were just in the barely satisfactory forty percent you ntioned. Everyone knows about what you have done in Taizhou prefecture and people think highly of your talents. But now your own estates can’t even grow decent crops. If this gets out, I’m afraid it will be a laughing stock,” Mada Yun stated.

Wei Ruo smiled faintly, “Mother, if I recall correctly, you once asked how to manage the estates and improve the yield. I gave you so improvent thods. But you didn’t follow my advice. Moreover, you sold several servants, which led to a shortage of labor and lack of managent in the estates.”

“Don’t you know why I had to sell the servants on the estate? Could the situation at ho at that ti allow to do as you said?” Mada Yun retorted.

Throughout this year, the Military Prefecture was severely strapped for cash, so Mada Yun saw herself as trying to cook a al without rice.

On the contrary, Wei Ruo, with ample money at her disposal, had never thought about stepping in to help.

Therefore, when this matter was brought up, Mada Yun’s words were inevitably filled with resentnt towards Wei Ruo.

“What does that have to do with ? I offered a solution, but you didn’t heed my advice. It’s not my negligence. As for how others view this matter, I don’t care. If they think I’m incompetent, they can just disbelieve . The pioneer land-developnt activity for work-for-relief has progressed to this stage and those who participate can only continue believing in . Any skepticism about my abilities would not benefit them in any way,” Wei Ruo calmly responded.

“You do see through things,” Mada Yun sarcastically “praised.”

“Or does Mother think I should care about these? Or do you think that the poor harvest of the estate is my fault?” Wei Ruo counter-questioned.

“How dare I bla you? Today I called you over just to ask if there’s any solution. I need your help, how can I bla you?” Mada Yun replied.

Though she said she wouldn’t dare bla her, her expression and tone were filled with bla for Wei Ruo’s “inaction.”

“The rice has already been harvested. If Mother asks for a solution now, I’m afraid it’s too late to help,” Wei Ruo responded.

“For the fields you’re developing for work-for-relief, aren’t you about to plant wheat? If you could secure more fields for our ho, then problem will be solved when we have surplus wheat half a year later, won’t it?” Mada Yun suggested.