Yang Haiyan was entertaining Sister Lu and Madam Yang.

Although Captains Lu and Yang were now seventh-ranked officials, seventh-rank captains were not allocated official residences by the court, so they didn’t have homes in Yunxiang County.

Normally, they would have to buy or rent homes on their own.

However, Captain Lu and Captain Yang were previously centurions, earning only one tael of silver per month, and both had children to support.

It was impossible for them to save enough to buy a house in the county.

Therefore, Yang Haiyan had two courtyards sectioned off within the general’s estate for them to stay in.

The general’s estate covered a large area.

In Yang Haiyan’s view, it was even bigger than the village in the border manor.

So, partitioning off two courtyards for Captains Lu and Yang’s families didn’t affect their own living space at all.

The courtyards were separated by walls, making them independent.

If the Lu and Yang families wanted to visit the main house, they would have to walk around the outer walls of the general’s estate, a walk that would take about fifteen minutes.

Additionally, the other side of the wall separating the Lu and Yang families’ courtyards was the general’s orchard and vegetable garden, and they were quite far from the main quarters where the general’s family resided.

With their husbands now back and the families settled down, they visited today, bringing some gifts to thank Yang Haiyan for providing them with accommodations.

Otherwise, whether buying or renting a house, it would have been a significant expense.

Yet they were delighted that their husbands were now officials, earning a monthly salary of eight taels of silver.

Sister Lu brought some homemade cured meat, using a recipe that Yang Haiyan had once shared when they lived in the centurions’ family quarters.

Sister Lu said, “This cured meat was just made, and I brought some for you to try. Please don’t find it unworthy. You taught me this recipe, after all.”

Yang Haiyan had granny Lian take the meat and said, “Not at all! I was planning to make some myself, but things have been so busy lately that it kept getting delayed. I really enjoy cured meat.” Few modern people dislike cured meat.

Madam Yang added, “So it was you who taught her! Sister Lu here is a skilled cook. We’ve tried her cured meat, and even my son praised it as delicious.”

Madam Yang, who didn’t cook, had brought a set of handmade clothing, including shoes.

The fabric was of high quality, finer than anything Madam Yang would normally wear herself.

She said, “These are clothes I made myself. With the warm weather, they’re just right for the season. Please don’t find them lacking.”

When Madam Lu and Madam Yang came to deliver gifts, they were both aware of each other’s presence.

Their husbands worked under Qin Fang, and the two families had a good relationship, so they coordinated their visits.

If the gifts were too disproportionate, it would be awkward for both sides, so it was better to discuss it beforehand.

Madam Yang made a long skirt in a beautiful glazed red color, and what surprised Yang Haiyan the most was Madam Yang’s embroidery skills, which were even better than her own.

Yang Haiyan’s embroidery skills were inherited from the original owner, who learned from a master at the Yang family residence.

The embroiderers from the Yang family were considered to be trained by renowned masters, which explained why the original owner’s embroidery was decent.

However, upon seeing Madam Yang’s embroidery, Yang Haiyan realized what true master-level skills looked like. “Your embroidery skills are indeed at a prestigious level,” she remarked.

In the past, when she was at the border, she had sensed that Madam Yang was different from ordinary centurion wives; she understood etiquette and decorum better than others.

Now, seeing her embroidery skills, Yang Haiyan was convinced that Madam Yang’s family must have some background.

Sister Lu also looked over and couldn’t help but praise, “Sister Yang’s embroidery is indeed impressive. A rough person like me, I wouldn’t even dare to touch such delicate fabric; I’m worried I might ruin it just by handling it.”

The hands of an embroiderer are also very important.

An embroiderer’s hands must be soft and smooth; otherwise, as Sister Lu said, what if they damaged the fabric?

Rough hands could leave marks on fine materials, like pulling threads.

Encouraged by Sister Lu’s words, Yang Haiyan glanced at Madam Yang’s hands, which were well cared for, clearly the hands of someone who didn’t do manual labor.

This further surprised Yang Haiyan.

Beneath Madam Yang’s seemingly straightforward and efficient demeanor, there seemed to be a delicate heart.

With such embroidery skills, the Yang family’s life must be good, as good embroidery pieces were very valuable in ancient times.

It appeared she had overestimated herself and underestimated others.

Madam Yang smiled and explained, “My mother used to be an embroiderer for a noble family, making clothes for her masters. Later, when she got older and had some health issues, she returned home and was married off. After I was born, she taught me embroidery from a young age, so I’ve been learning for quite a few years now.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Haiyan realized that being an embroiderer for a noble family indicated a level of skill that was extraordinary.

Even after leaving such a position, a person with such skills wouldn’t just settle for a mediocre family.

Furthermore, Madam Yang’s mother likely had some savings, and looking at Madam Yang’s hands, she probably grew up in good conditions.

“Speaking of which, marrying my husband was also a stroke of luck. One time, while I was out, I encountered some ruffians, and my husband saved me. That’s how we became engaged.” She admired him for saving her, and despite their significant differences in status at the time, she never looked down on him.

Madam Yang, with her embroidery skills, often sold her pieces to supplement the household income, so the Yang family’s situation was quite decent.

Now that Captain Yang’s circumstances had improved, she too had made it.

Listening to the story of Madam Yang and Captain Yang felt like a tale to Yang Haiyan.

She thought that Captain Yang was akin to the male protagonists in modern novels: a poor boy noticed by a wealthy girl, rising to success along the way.

Sister Lu remarked, “That’s indeed a beautiful story.”
Yang Haiyan agreed, “Absolutely.”

The three chatted for a while, when Granny Lian’s voice called from outside, “Madam, Niu Da is back.”

Hearing that Niu Da had returned, Yang Haiyan felt happy: “Finally, he’s back.”

Madam Yang and Sister Lu saw this and said, “If you have matters to attend to, we won’t disturb you. We’ll come to visit another day.”

Yang Haiyan didn’t keep them, but she instructed Granny Lian to prepare some of her homemade pickled vegetables and radishes to give to them.

Yang Haiyan’s pickled vegetables and radishes were quite tasty and paired well with meals.

Madam Yang and Sister Lu had eaten a lot of them on their way from the border to Yunxiang County, so they happily accepted them.

After they left, Yang Haiyan went to the fruit orchard.

Niu Da was already shouting to the workers as they transported the fruit trees into the orchard.

Upon seeing Yang Haiyan, Niu Da came over to greet her, “Greetings, Madam.”

Yang Haiyan replied, “No need for formalities. You’ve worked hard on the journey, but you’ll need to keep working for a few more days until these trees are planted before you can rest.”

Niu Da smiled and said, “It’s not hard work. Seeing them grow well brings me joy.”

As a lifelong farmer, nothing made him happier than seeing crops thrive.

Knowing that his two sons were his main concern, Yang Haiyan didn’t bring it up further.

Instead, she turned the topic to his sons: “Regarding your two sons, I’ve discussed it with the General. He said as long as they are in good health, they can join. If they can’t handle the military training, they can work in the military’s vegetable garden as support soldiers.”

Upon hearing this, Niu Da perked up: “Madam, I’ve talked to Niu Yi and Niu Er about this. Niu Yi is willing to join the General’s military, but Niu Er wants to stay and farm with me.”

If his son didn’t want to join the army, there was nothing he could do about it.

Yang Haiyan said, “From now on, you and your sons will be in charge of the General’s estate and the military’s farms. When it’s time for farming, the guards from the estate and soldiers from the military can be sent to help. You just need to arrange things as necessary.”

Niu Da had no objections to this: “I’ll follow Madam’s arrangements.”

Yang Haiyan thought for a moment: “Why not give Niu Er the title of manager of the military vegetable garden? It would be good for him to receive a monthly stipend, and once he gets the hang of it, he can handle things on his own. It’s certainly better than just following Niu Da around.”

Niu Da was immediately moved: “You really think of everything, Madam. Niu Er, come over and thank Madam.”

Niu Er was a simple and honest boy.

He preferred farming to being a soldier, and most of the time, he simply followed his father’s arrangements.

Hearing Yang Haiyan’s plan now, he felt that the title of manager of the military vegetable garden was quite respectable and made him feel proud. “Thank you, Madam.”

Yang Haiyan smiled and said, “There’s no need to thank me. Just make sure to cultivate the military’s crops well so the soldiers are well-fed.”

Niu Er replied, “I will definitely work hard.”

That evening, during dinner, Yang Haiyan mentioned the Niu family to Qin Fang.

Qin Fang had no objections: “Then let Niu Yi go to the military, and Niu Er can manage the military’s crops. First, let Dr. Li check Niu Yi’s health.”

After Dr. Li arrived in Yunxiang County, he stayed at the General’s residence.

Yang Haiyan had arranged for him to have his own courtyard, making him the official physician of the General’s household.

Originally, Yang Haiyan wanted to assign him a servant, but he refused.

Now, it was just him and Miss Li in his courtyard.

Miss Li, having grown up around medicine, understood some medical practices and now helped Dr. Li, effectively serving as his apprentice.

Dr. Li was not only the household physician but also responsible for the health check-ups of the soldiers in the military camp.

Although Qin Fang didn’t understand health checks or annual exams, because Yang Haiyan was concerned about his health, he applied the same principle to the soldiers.

While he couldn’t afford to give the soldiers medicinal baths each year, he could arrange for them to be checked once a year.

It must be said that this arrangement in the military camp increased the number of men applying to enlist because ordinary families wouldn’t have the luxury of annual check-ups.

The military offering a free annual health examination was a sought-after benefit for common folks, so they were willing to come just for this perk.

Yang Haiyan said, “Yes, I will discuss this with Niu Da. If Niu Yi is healthy, let him report to the military tomorrow.”

Qin Fang replied, “Alright. The camp should be fully built in another half month. When will we start on the military estate?”

Yang Haiyan replied, “I’m not sure about that; you’ll need to ask Niu Da about his plans. Currently, the soldiers are getting their grain from the countryside. It’s surprising how much grain the people of Yunxiang County consume. Some families stockpile grain for a year, and if they can’t eat it all, they dry it out.”

Dried food can be stored longer, like sweet potato and potato chips.