After Han Maode bought the hillside, Han Ze hired some workers in the village to start renovating the garden. When he had nothing better to do, he drew a garden design that only he could understand. Based on the design, he directed the workers on how to build the garden.
There were several servants in the town. He kept an old man and a boy. The old man was to look after the garden, and the boy was to be Shubo's servant. He asked the rest to come to the village to buy vegetables and cook for the laborers.
With them, Ge Hongbu and Wang Lanhua were not too tired. Not only were they not tired, they did not need a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law at all when repairing the garden. Later, Han Ze thought that there were many people in his family, so he found someone to buy three women in their thirties to do some rough work at home.
Now, Han Ze hired people to do the work in the fields; he asked servants to cook when repairing the house; and he also hired maids to do the housework at home, raising pigs, feeding chickens, cooking, cleaning the house, etc.
Ge Hongbu and Wang Lanhua had worked for half their lives, and now they were free, and they felt that everything was wrong. They did needlework at home, and Han Ze saw this and bought more than a dozen pieces of cloth, and replaced everything inside and outside the house for adults and children.
When the villagers saw that their family actually had servants, they were envious, especially Liu Juhua. She was not only envious, she also felt jealous.
How rich was Han Maode's family that he even hired a maid to serve him
Thinking of this, her eyes turned red with hatred.
But Sixth Aunt also told the villagers that the maid was bought by Han Ze specifically to serve Wang Lanhua. She was so angry that she could not bear it any longer and went to find Han Ze. Since he wanted to buy a maid to serve his stepmother, then it was fine, then he should buy a maid for his biological mother as well.
Han Ze looked at her in surprise: "You want me to buy you a maid to serve you?"
Liu Juhua said angrily: "You took the rent I owed and the land I rented. I won't say anything. After all, although I rented the land, it was also rented by Chengming's father. But you bought a maid for Wang Lanhua, so you have to buy a maid for me."
Han Ze frowned and said, "The woman was bought to cook and wash clothes for the family, not to serve anyone. Mother, you think too much."
Liu Juhua snorted, "It's not Ge Hongbu and Wang Lanhua who do the housework. If you buy a maid back, isn't that just giving them a bargain?"
Han Ze raised his eyebrows: "Mom, Ge Hongbu and my mother have to do needlework, where do they have time to do those rough jobs? You think too much."
Liu Juhua frowned: "How much sewing work can there be to do? Do you need two people? It's just an excuse for not wanting to buy me a wife."
Han Ze was also impatient. He said, "Mom, you're right. I really don't want to buy you a wife. You're not related to my family. If I buy you a wife, Han Chengming and his family will benefit. Why should I be the scapegoat? If you want a wife, let Uncle Xingwang buy one for you. Why are you scheming against me?"
Liu Juhua choked, her body trembling with anger, pointing at Han Ze: "Hello, you ungrateful bastard..."
Han Ze looked at her and said seriously, "Mom, don't think I'm ruthless. If it were anyone else, I wouldn't be ruthless. If you and my father had divorced and you had never remarried, you could have asked me to take care of you in your old age or buy you a maid to serve you. But you said you've remarried, and you keep asking me to buy you things to help Han Chengming and the others. That doesn't make sense at all."
Liu Juhua listened to Han Ze's words over and over again. It was nothing more than that she had remarried, so no matter what he gave her, it would be a bargain for Han Xingwang and the others, so he would not be a sucker.
She asked angrily, "You really won't buy me a wife?"
Han Ze said: "No."
Liu Juhua also knew that it was useless to say more, and threatened angrily: "Wang Lanhua is just your stepmother, don't regret it in the future."
Han Ze said: "Whether I regret it or not, she is still Dad's wife. As Dad's son, it is only natural for me to be filial to her."
Liu Juhua was secretly resentful. It was so legitimate. She divorced Han Maode and remarried, which meant she severed her relationship with Han Maode's family. Even though she was Han Ze's biological mother, and wanted Han Ze to be filial to her and buy her a wife, it was not legitimate.
Han Ze watched her leave, and drove the ox cart to the town to pick up Shubo. Tomorrow was Shubo's day off. On the way, he met Han Chengming again. After the previous experiences, Han Chengming did not plan to ride Han Ze's ox cart again. When he saw him, he did not even say hello, but just walked towards the town with his head down.
Han Ze chuckled and drove the ox cart in front of him, blocking his way.
Han Chengming looked at him angrily. "What's so great about having a bullock cart? You didn't let me ride in the bullock cart, and I was avoiding you. Why did you come to provoke me?"
Han Ze raised his eyebrows, looked at his embarrassed face, and said, "Your mother came to me and asked me to buy her a maid to serve her. Do you think I should buy her or not?"
Han Chengming was moved and said, "My mother is also your mother. Since she wants a maid to serve her, just buy one for her."
Han Ze laughed sarcastically: "But my mother married your father, and we are family. If she wants a maid to serve her, shouldn't you pay for it?"
Han Chengming also admitted that Han Ze's words made sense, but if he had money, would he still look at Han Ze's face? He said: "My family is so poor that we can't even afford food, where can we get the money to buy a wife? You are a wealthy son, so what's wrong with buying a wife for your mother?"
Han Ze nodded, "You are right, I have a lot of money. But who told my mother not to marry me but your father? No matter how much money I have, it is mine and has nothing to do with your family. If you and your father still have some dignity, you should not instigate my mother to calculate my and my father's money. People will look down on us. Even if they pass the exams for the next two subjects, people will stab them in the back and say that they passed the exams because of their grandmother's calculation of their ex-husband's money."
Han Chengming's face turned pale and blue. He didn't expect Han Ze to be so cruel and say such vicious words. Although they did want Han Ze to pay for the two children's education, didn't they fail
Han Ze added: "As long as you don't instigate my mother to plot against me, I really don't have that much time to deal with you."
Han Chengming blushed. It would be a lie to say that he didn't want anything from Han Ze's family. If there was a chance, he would not give it up. But Han Ze knew that he was not Han Maode's biological son. It was a complete mistake. It was useless to regret it.
Han Ze didn't look at him again and drove the ox cart away.
Han Ze picked up Han Shubo and planned to take him to the town yard to take a look. When Han Chengming saw Han Jixue and Han Jiwen, he asked, "Did you pass the assessment? Did you get the reward?"
Han Jixue and Han Jiwen looked at Han Shubo with envy. They were also studying in the academy, so why didn't their uncle ask Shubo if he had won any prizes? But their father would ask them every time he had a day off, whether they had won any prizes. If they had won any prizes, it would be fine. If they hadn't won any prizes, they would be severely scolded by their father, so that they were afraid every time they had a day off. They were afraid that their father would scold them.
Han Jixue shrank his head: "No."
Han Chengming glared: "Did you miss the exam, or did you miss the reward?"
Han Jixue whispered, "I didn't get any reward."
Han Chengming's face darkened, and he looked at Han Jiwen again. Han Jiwen hung his head and said, "I didn't get any reward either."
Han Chengming's expression was so gloomy that he would have punched the two kids if they were not at the entrance of the academy. Han Jixue and Han Jiwen were so scared that they dared not utter a word.
Han Ze watched from the side and felt a little sympathy for the two children.
Han Shubo said, "In fact, my cousins Jixue and Jiwen study very hard. The teacher also praised them for their solid knowledge in our class. But for some reason, their grades are not ideal in every test."
The academy determines rewards based on the test rankings. The first time, the top ten in the test received rewards, but now only the top three will receive rewards.
Han Ze patted his head gently and said, "Your uncle Chengming is impatient. Whether you can get a reward is secondary. The purpose of your study is to take the imperial examination. Whether you can pass the examination and become a scholar is the most important thing."
Han Shubo thought about it and felt that his father was right. Paying too much attention to immediate gains and losses would affect one's studies.
...
One day, Han Ze was resting at home when Yu Anzhi arrived in a horse-drawn carriage.
After asking, Han Ze found out that he came for the flowers at home. By the time Han Ze took him to the vegetable garden behind the house to see the flowers, he was so exhausted that he could not walk anymore.
Pulling Han Ze's arm, he said excitedly: "Brother Han, are you selling these flowers? I want them all?"
Han Ze smiled and said, "You also know that I am a vulgar person. If I leave these flowers to you, it would be a waste. You can give me a price and take them all away."
Yu Anzhi clapped his hands fiercely: "Brother Han is a straightforward person. Here are two pots of purple lilies. I'll give you one thousand taels of silver. How about that?"
Han Ze said readily: "Okay!"
Yu Anzhi felt relieved and looked at Han Ze in surprise: "I didn't know Brother Han was so good at growing flowers."
What he didn't say was that the flowers he bought had reached their blooming period but had not yet wilted, and their blooming period had actually lasted for many days, which was really strange.
Han Ze smiled and said, "I'm a country boy, and I only know how to grow crops and flowers."
Yu Anzhi said with emotion: "If you can always grow such precious flowers, it is also a skill."
Han Ze smiled and said nothing.
After Yu Anzhi bought the flowers, he hurriedly took them home. He made an appointment with Han Ze that he would sell him nice flowers next time, and then left.
Time passed quickly. After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the garden in the village was repaired. The houses there were all brick and tile houses, spacious and bright. After Han Maode and Han Ze discussed it, they decided to move the whole family into the garden.
Han Xiaochun and Han Xiaodong have learned a lot of characters in nearly a year and have started to learn the Four Books. Compared with Shuxin and her sister, they are more diligent and even their handwriting is better than Shuxin and her sister. Han Xiaochun is seventeen years old and Han Xiaodong is younger, fifteen years old. It is time for both of them to talk about their in-laws.
Han Ze had taught them for such a long time that he had developed feelings for the two sisters. Seeing that their marriages had not been arranged and not wanting to see them worry, he went to the town and asked Yu Anzhi to help find out if there was a suitable family.
Since Yu Anzhi knew that Han Ze was good at growing flowers, the two of them became close. Of course, he agreed to help with such a small matter.
The author has something to say: Good night!!!