Transmigrated as A Farm Girl Making Her Family Rich

Hongji and his wife, son, daughter arrived back home from Capital City with some people in tow.

By now, it was nearly dark; the lights weren't on in the main house, yet the lights in the smaller house were shining.

This should have been dinner time. With servants and Mother, the concubine, and Father in the smaller house, why were there no lights on in the main house?

The group made quite a commotion as they entered the main house courtyard, and then lit the lamps while the workers helped open the doors and unload the cargo.

Hongji and Mrs. Li did not concern themselves with the luggage; their first priority was to go into the room to check on Mrs. Lai, only to find the door locked, and the original maids and cook from the house gone.

None of the other workers were there either. Could it be that the servants were given a holiday?

The couple were slightly puzzled, wondering where the mobility-impaired Mrs. Lai might have gone.

With such commotion here, the attentive smaller house abruptly "ah" opened the door.

The first to rush out into the courtyard of the main house was Aunt Lai, whose eyes lit up at the sight of them returning from the Capital, bringing with them so many items.

However, her mouth was dripping with sour words, "Oh, the Eldest Young Master and the Madam are back, it sure took you long enough. We thought you'd forgotten your old home after going to the Capital."

Hongji's father also appeared in the courtyard, silently observing them.

"Father, we're back, where is Mother?"

Hongji didn't pay any attention to Aunt Lai with her "green-eyed monster" act and instead posed his question to his father.

"Father-in-law, where is Mother-in-law and the maids?" Mrs. Li was also most concerned about her Mother-in-law at the moment.

Hongji's father had a gloomy expression and did not respond to their queries.

"Oh, the Eldest Young Master and the Young Madam are so filial. It's fine if you don't take us to the Capital, but you didn't bring Mother-in-law either. Eldest Sister knows you're very filial and went off to enjoy yourselves at Sixth Aunt's place!"

Aunt Lai's words were prickly to the ears. As a concubine, her words lacked decorum.

Ye Daidi was brought into the courtyard cradled by the wet nurse.

Ye Fengqi gave her little brother a look, and the siblings began to divert the conversation, preventing Aunt Lai from spouting more sarcastic remarks.

"Grandfather, we bought you a gift!" Ye Wenjie presented a gift, which was a pipe he had bought for Grandfather.

Hongji's father looked at the jade pipe, which was practically a collector's item. He was afraid to handle it, worrying it might fall and break, feeling that perhaps a large bamboo tube would have been more suitable.

Nevertheless, it was a gift from his grandson and he gratefully accepted it.

"Lady, come here, I bought you a gift!"

Ye Fengqi beckoned to the little Lady Ye Daidi.

Ye Daidi wriggled free from the wet nurse's grasp, asking the wet nurse to put her down.

Ye Daidi received her gift, which was a doll made of fabric.

"Hee hee hee, it's so pretty!"

Aunt Lai pursed her lips; she never received gifts and always felt like an outsider in front of the family!

Hongji and Mrs. Li had found out that Mrs. Lai had gone to stay at the aunt's place in the county. Mrs. Li was planning to bring Mother-in-law back the following day and to deliver the gifts they had brought from the Capital for the Aunt and the children.

Just then, Aunt Lai also noticed that there were a lot of new maids in the house, not only beautiful but also well-formed and capable.

"Oh my, Old Master, look at the Eldest Young Master and the Young Madam, hiring so many maids. We should at least get a few to serve us too, right?"

Hongji's father had indeed noticed, but he remained silent. The sudden addition of ten maids and some young boys to the household made him wonder if his son and son's teacher had made a fortune in the Capital.

His other granddaughter had not returned; he waited for his son and daughter-in-law to explain.

He did not act like Aunt Lai, standing in the yard constantly quacking; he knew his son and daughter-in-law would talk to him about what they were supposed to know.

With no cook present, Mrs. Li, seeing that many people had not yet had dinner, had the maids find some ingredients on the spot to make a simple evening meal.

Hongji's father and Aunt Lai had originally had the food cooked for them by the cook before sending him away. The cook did not live in the house; he was hired from the village.

Aunt Lai always had to follow Mrs. Li, asking her what gifts they had bought for her in the Capital City. Everyone else had something; how could she be left out?

Of course, Mrs. Li had bought gifts. When offloading, she had already set aside the gifts for the Old Master, Aunt Lai, and the Lady

and put others aside.

When Aunt Lai asked, Mrs. Li had the maids move the gifts meant for her family of three into their small house.

Then she placed the Mother-in-law's gift into her room.

As for some relatives, convenient gifts were stored in the storeroom, but fearing Aunt Lai might rummage, they had to move more items into the residences of the daughters who had not returned.

The dinner was ready, and Hongji's father, Aunt Lai, and little Ye Daidi joined in sitting on one side, eating their meal with the others.

The maids still had to serve their masters well, eating in turns.

The sight of these blooming and beautiful maids, looking fresh and lively, made Aunt Lai want to snatch one or two Maids to serve in her small house.

Aunt Lai's thought was, being ladies themselves, why should her daughter be without a maid?

Although nominally a concubine daughter, if the main house's young Lady had three, couldn't she share at least one?

Mrs. Li had four main maids by her side. Giving one to her as a share would be acceptable, right?

As for whether these maids would end up in their masters' beds in the future, she, having just given birth and still without a son, naturally did not want a temptress stealing her favor.

Having just recovered, and not being able to conceive again yet, she also feared these temptresses climbing into the Eldest Young Master's bed.

When Aunt Lai raised these issues, Hongji's father did not react, but his attitude was supportive; the doctor had already said that after her childbirth, Aunt Lai might not have more children. Thus, his dreams of a son could only be fulfilled by finding another Maid.

The maids from the Capital indeed had more grace than country girls.

During this time, Hongji's father had become run-down, his hair had greyed a lot, and he looked haggard. With an unruly beard, he stroked his own face.

He decided that after today, he would dress up properly, who knows, he might soon become the Old Master again.

Aunt Lai was making demands here, unaware that her own husband was already moved by other feelings, and hadn't realized that an honest farmer, for the sake of having a son, had become a lecher.

Aunt Lai's issues were met with silence from Mrs. Li, who did not respond, leading others to assume she consented.

Hongji, noticing his wife's silence, knew it was time for him to speak up.

"The maids and young lads brought back from the Capital are gifts from others, along with their employment money; we cannot take the liberty to give them away!"

Upon hearing this from Hongji, both Aunt Lai and her father were scarcely able to believe it.

Both expressed their views, questioning who would be so foolish as to give away maids without paying for them,

and even the lads would need their wages!

Most importantly, if the addition was to birth sons, who would casually give away household servants.

Hongji explained to his father and Aunt Lai that these were people sent by distant relatives.

Neither his father nor Aunt Lai could believe that such a windfall could just fall from the sky.

How could they possibly have any relatives in the Capital.