I was a stepmother in ancient times, and I led my whole family to wealth.

Chapter 352 Secret Competition

Seeing her say that, Lu Yunqing didn't press further and changed the subject: "How long until the wheat can be harvested?"

Dongfang Jin handed the red bean cake to Gu Chenglin: "By the end of the month."

Gu Chenglin chuckled softly: "It will be ready for harvest in another half month. The date Xiao Jin mentioned is the day the wheat harvest will be completed."

Dongfang Jin...

I glared at him.

This is because I've been infected by Ruyi!

Lu Yunqing looked at Dongfang Jin: "Is what he said true?"

Dongfang Jin smiled sheepishly: "I don't know the exact time, but it'll be ripe soon, so just wait."

"Father, where is Mother?"

Cang Nanxi glanced at the conflicted expressions in their eyes and shook his head helplessly: "I've gone to see your cousin's wife."

"How is my cousin's wife?"

“He’s doing great, working in the vineyard all day with Granny Xu.”

By the way, Cangji went to Anyang Prefecture early this morning to pick up Shitou; he should be back soon.

"Are you on holiday?"

Cang Nanxi shook his head: "No, it's because Anyang Academy had an exam, and the children in the junior class got a seven-day break."

Lu Yunqing added, "It's the annual preliminary examination for students of Anyang Academy."

Dongfang Jin understood: "Perfect." Perfect, saves her the trouble of answering it herself.

Cang Nanxi put down his teacup, his expression full of emotion: "Speaking of Anyang School, the Yan family has done a truly outstanding job."

Take the preliminary examination for elementary school graduates, for example. Held annually, it not only keeps children motivated and encourages them to study diligently, but also allows them to clearly understand their strengths and weaknesses in their studies, enabling them to identify and address their shortcomings.

Lu Yunqing agreed wholeheartedly and nodded hastily: "That's exactly right."

The school boasts an exceptionally strong faculty, with its teachers being learned scholars invited from various regions by the senior students.

Their teaching methods are also extremely unique, completely abandoning the rigid rote memorization model of the past.

Cang Nanxi picked up the conversation, his eyes sparkling with admiration: "Indeed, I have heard that in addition to teaching the traditional classics, histories, philosophical works and literary collections as basic courses, schools also teach them."

They also ingeniously added practical courses such as arithmetic and physics.

In this way, what children learn is no longer limited to old books, but can be closely connected with real life.

Whether one embarks on an official career, offering advice to the court, or dedicates oneself to commerce, this knowledge will prove invaluable.

Lu Yunqing glanced at Dongfang Jin and said with a smile, "This is all thanks to Xiao Jin. She has provided us with a lot of information about teaching."

With this kind of teaching, the children who graduate from here will surely be well-rounded, possessing a comprehensive understanding of knowledge, and their future prospects will be limitless.

Cang Nanxi nodded slightly, reached out and patted his daughter's shoulder. He wouldn't ask, much less force her to say.

With a solemn expression, he said, "What you say is absolutely right. Although the school has high admission standards, it adheres to the principle of appointing people based on merit, as long as the students have real talent and knowledge."

Even those from impoverished families can be admitted through special admissions programs, truly opening up a path to a bright future for many children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

This is truly a great act of kindness, worthy of admiration.

Upon hearing this, Gu Chenglin, seeing that they were no longer asking about the capital, stood up and said, "Father, I'm going to the county to buy glutinous rice."

Before Cang Nanxi could speak, Dongfang Jin waved his hand: "Go ahead, buy more."

As she spoke, she glanced at the competitive look in Lu Yunqing and Gu Chenglin's eyes, then stared at Lu Yunqing and said in a low voice, "You seem to have a lot of free time?"

Seeing her like this, Lu Yunqing smiled helplessly: "The renovation of old houses in Dongcheng is more than half completed now, so I just took some time out to relax."

"I heard that you settled those people while you were building the houses?" Dongfang Jin asked.

"Yes, Qin Meng and his team are working in shifts to catch up on the work, but progress is still a bit slow."

"This can't be rushed. Slow and steady wins the race, especially with houses. You can't cut corners and end up with a shoddy construction project."

That's where things can easily go wrong; it's a matter of life and death.

"No, it's just that those craftsmen were using that cement for the first time, so they were a bit unfamiliar with it."

You know, those craftsmen used to use adobe bricks, blue bricks, and wood, and they used rice paste in the middle.

"There is indeed a process involved."

Lu Yunqing quickly cupped his hands and replied earnestly, "Miss Jin, rest assured, I understand the implications."

If this house is of substandard quality, and something goes wrong, it could be a matter of life and death. I, your humble servant, would never dare to be negligent.

Dongfang Jin: "..."

What's wrong with this guy?

She keeps calling him "your humble servant," who is she trying to annoy, her cheap father or someone else?

Cang Nanxi glanced at his daughter, his eyes filled with worry as he looked at Lu Yunqing. Sigh, he could tell that this kid also liked Xiao Jin'er.

only……

If only my Yao'er were still alive.

"This is a major reform in Ling'an County, and the officialdom here is complicated."

As the county magistrate, you need to keep a close eye on things, because some people will inevitably try to take advantage of loopholes for their own selfish interests.

You need to have your people closely monitor every step, from material selection to construction, and strictly control everything.

Dongfang Jin: "..."

They've gone too far.

The father, despite his cheapness, still favors his daughter.

Lu Yunqing nodded vigorously with a smile, his tone firm: "What you say is absolutely right. I will definitely go to the construction site every day to inspect it and repeatedly emphasize the importance of quality to the craftsmen."

All the materials used were carefully selected by A-Dong and Qin Meng, and detailed records were kept to ensure there were absolutely no mistakes.

Dongfang Jin leaned on Cang Nanxi's arm: "Magistrate, better safe than sorry."

Cang Nanxi tapped his daughter's forehead, but was quite satisfied with Lu Yunqing's reply. This kid was able to take things in stride: "Those craftsmen are probably familiar with it now, so they'll be able to work faster and faster in the future."

Lu Yunqing looked at Dongfang Jin, smiled helplessly, and continued, "Li Xiuwen is now in charge of the road construction, and it's all being done according to the blueprints you gave him."

The Ma, Xie, Liu, Guo, Fang, and Song families also sent many servants to work with Li Xiuwen.

You're talking about the wages...?

Dongfang Jin agreed with him, as she had also seen the newly built highways during her trip to the capital.

Although it's not as paved as modern roads, it's similar to modern rural roads, and much better than the old, bumpy dirt roads.

However, she still preferred the bluestone-paved road on Baihu Street, which was quaint and unique.

"You don't need to worry about those five families, I'll handle them."

By the way, reserve one shop each for them at the dock and the market.

"They kept them, letting the heads of the families choose for themselves. Each family also bought quite a few shops and houses."

They even bought a lot of land around Ling'an County.

After Lu Yunqing finished speaking, she looked at Dongfang Jin with a puzzled expression: "The Guo family and the Liu family have also bought the reed marshland near Jing'an Town."

That's where water is released every year during the flood season. Logically speaking, even giving it away for free wouldn't be acceptable. You tell me about this...

Dongfang Jin was amused by his words: "There are many wild lotus flowers by the river near Lin Min's maternal grandmother's house."

"We happened to talk about this when we were chatting last time, and Ma Wencai was there too..." Then he recounted the story of planting lotus roots and raising ducks.

Cang Nanxi was shocked: "This lotus root has so many benefits?"

Dongfang Jin nodded: "There are many benefits. Lotus root is rich in starch, protein, vitamin C and various minerals. It can be eaten raw and has a crisp, tender and sweet taste."

It can also be cooked, such as stir-fried lotus root slices or stewed lotus root soup, which taste delicious and provide energy and nutrients to the body.

Cang Nanxi and Lu Yunqing were completely confused. Although they didn't understand the terms "protein," "vitamin C," and "minerals," they knew they were good things.

It seems to be a major undertaking that benefits the people and helps them escape poverty.