The Rebirth of a Farm Girl from a Military Family and a Cannon Fodder Princess

Chapter 102 Someone is coming

It seems that Commander Peng isn't a complete incompetent; he actually has quite a bit of prestige. Otherwise, with three out of the four of them suddenly given easier tasks today, it would be strange if the subordinates didn't rebel!

"Yes, that's excellent. This commander is a respected figure, that's good! This should be entirely beneficial for me. Anyway, I didn't intend to do anything underhanded; I just plan to work honestly and make my life better."

Yu Zhe and Peng Zongqi each mounted a tall, fine horse and trotted along, covering the twenty li in no time.

At this very moment, Zisu is leading everyone in digging the foundation.

Upon seeing the approaching people from afar, she immediately stopped what she was doing and went to greet them together with Shen Laihui and the Princess.

Upon recognizing that one of the people was her uncle, Zisu breathed a sigh of relief and said to the princess, "Your Highness, don't worry, one of them is my uncle!"

The eldest princess breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, I'm going to go dig for wild vegetables."

Zisu: "Okay, be careful."

The eldest princess said, "It's alright, I'm nearby, I won't go far." She took all the children from the tree root with her to prevent them from being tricked into saying things they shouldn't.

Zisu quickly said to Luo Jianming, "Brother Luo, why don't you and Brother Pan go with His Highness to dig for wild vegetables? It's not safe during the day either; be careful of wolves!"

Sending the two away was also to prevent outsiders from seeing that there was so much labor force.

"Okay, I understand." Luo Jianming and Pan Kang immediately understood her meaning and disappeared in the blink of an eye, even walking ahead of the princess.

Yu Zhe deliberately stopped and said to Commander Peng, "Sir, dismount and walk around for a bit. Let me explain the situation to you."

Let's stop here to give Zisu and the others some time to prepare. At the very least, we need to get Pan Kang and Luo Jianming away so that Commander Peng doesn't see us. If he sees that we have so much labor, he might cut their holidays by a few days, which is quite possible. There's also the issue of land reclamation; perhaps the original terms will be overturned, and a few more acres will be added.

Peng Zongqi was afraid that Yu Zhe was hiding something, so he immediately dismounted and said, "Alright, let me hear your introduction first, so I won't be completely clueless later."

The two walked and talked. By the time they arrived at the campsite, everyone had already made the necessary preparations.

Zisu led Hua'er, Yue'er, Jiang Yan, Jiang Quan, along with Grandma, Madam Yu, and the two elders of the Jiang family, to stand in two rows, the older ones in one row and the younger ones in the other, to welcome the guests.

Looking at it this way, the group is made up of very old people and very young children, with a girl who is only thirteen years old leading the way. How can such a team complete the originally planned land reclamation task?

Zisu immediately guessed that the visitors must be officials from Stone Fortress.

Yu Zhe nodded approvingly to himself and quickly introduced, "This is Commander Peng of Stone Fortress. Let's give him a round of applause!"

"Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!" Zisu led the applause, which immediately erupted in thunderous applause.

Peng Zongqi's vanity immediately swelled.

He smiled and said to everyone, "Thank you, you've all worked hard! I hereby announce that each of your families only needs to cultivate thirty acres of land! The previous tasks are null and void!"

These words were met with even more enthusiastic applause.

Zisu led the children in a deep bow to Commander Peng, and shouted, "Thank you, sir! You are truly a good official who loves the people like his own children!"

In short, Peng Zongqi was completely swayed.

Yu Zhe quickly introduced, "My lord, this is my niece, Zisu, who was once bestowed the title of Princess of Yulin by His Majesty. She is the one who discovered sweet potatoes and potatoes."

General Peng: "Wow, so it's you! Good, good, you're a good girl! Oh, what a pity, such a good girl, those people wouldn't even let her go, and she's been brought here to reclaim wasteland. Alas, what a tragedy!"

Yu Zhe was a little flustered: "Sir, be careful that someone doesn't hear us. It's not good for you."

General Peng waved his hand: "You don't need to be so careful. There's no one around for twenty miles on this grassland, so no one will hear you. Besides, who doesn't know in the Northwest? How many of those exiled here are truly guilty? At least half of them are innocent! Take you people, for example, what crime have you committed? Others may not know, but I know very well that these are all fabricated charges!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhe couldn't help but feel moved: "My lord, you are truly wise! Nowadays, it's rare to find an official as good and insightful as you! Thank you for your understanding and kind words!"

Zisu smiled and nodded: "Your Excellency is an exceptional official, one in a million. To thank you for speaking well of us, I will personally cook some of your signature dishes for you at noon today!"

Peng Zongqi became interested: "Oh, Princess Yulin, aren't you a princess? What, you can cook?"

Zisu: "Alas, sir, you flatter me. I have also experienced hardship. I learned to cook after my father died in the Northwest."

She made a point of mentioning her father, because he was highly respected in the Northwest. She wanted to use this opportunity to test whether he had truly died for his country.

General Peng tentatively asked, "May I ask, Princess Yulin, who is your father?"

Zisu proudly replied, "In response to your question, my father is none other than General Shangguan Mufeng, the Protector of the Nation!"

Upon hearing this, Commander Peng was stunned for a moment before recovering and becoming even more friendly: "Oh, so the young lady is General Shangguan's daughter? Oh my, the general is someone we all admire; he is a heroic figure worthy of praise and tears! My apologies, my apologies, I didn't know you had such a connection with General Shangguan! Oh, how about this, each of your families only needs to cultivate ten mu of land to deal with the inspection from above!"

Zisu's smile became more sincere: "Thank you, sir. You truly live up to your reputation; you are indeed a good official who loves the people like his own children..."

Zisu said a whole basketful of nice things.

General Peng grew increasingly pleased as he listened, praising her repeatedly, "Hmm, she's a good girl. No wonder His Majesty bestowed upon you the title of County Princess!" Perhaps, before long, she'll be able to turn her fortunes around again. This girl is not to be underestimated; we must be even more polite to her uncle in the future.

Zisu and Shen Laihui personally accompanied Commander Peng to visit the brick kiln. Along the way, Zisu explained everything about the brick kiln, from digging it to firing the bricks. She also gave a fairly detailed explanation of coal.

Peng Zongqi keenly sensed that both the brick kiln and the coal mine were likely her doing. As for why the credit was attributed to that person named Shen Laihui, he had a rough idea, but he didn't want to delve into it.

Regardless of whose credit it is, as long as they are willing to share the credit, that's enough. Taking everything too seriously is ultimately detrimental to both yourself and others, so why bother?

The credit for discovering coal and knowing how to fire a kiln was easily attributed to Shen Laihui. Commander Peng readily agreed, not pressing the matter further, and assured everyone, "Alright, I'll go back and write a letter to Commander Qianhu, presenting him with the kiln-firing method and the coal. I'll mention in the letter that the kiln-firing method was given to me free of charge by Yu Zhe, and that I discovered the coal by chance. What do you think? Don't worry, I can guarantee that I won't let Yu Zhe go around instructing others on how to fire kilns."

Hearing this, Zisu's eyes lit up immediately, and she nodded happily, "Yes, I think it's great, Uncle, what do you think?" It seems that Commander Peng isn't too greedy after all, and he's willing to consider his uncle's feelings. Her previous worries were now unnecessary.

Yu Zhe: "Well, if you have no objection, I have no objection either! But is this a good idea? Didn't we agree that we would say it was Hero Shen who discovered it?"

General Peng explained, "If I'm not mistaken, both the kiln firing method and the coal should be thanks to perilla, right?"

Huh? You were able to tell?

Zisu simply nodded: "That's exactly right, sir."

Peng Zongqi: Are you worried that if the higher-ups find out, they'll transfer you to various places to help out?

Zisu: "Yes, I'm only thirteen years old, and I don't want to leave my mother and younger brother!"

General Peng: "No, if you were the one who discovered the coal, you might be asked to search for it everywhere. But if it's just about firing the kiln, you just need to train someone and have that person teach you the craft."

Zisu breathed a sigh of relief: "What you say makes sense, sir. The brick kiln here was managed by me and one of my former guards. Here's what I'll do: I'll write down the kiln firing process for you. If there's anything you don't understand, you can have my guard give you some pointers."

General Peng: "That's great, thank you!"

Zisu: "However, they have been free for more than a year and are law-abiding citizens. Whether they go or not, I still have to discuss it with them. It has to be their own willingness to go! Moreover, if they go to give guidance, you have to treat them as your teachers and absolutely not as servants. This is my only requirement!"

General Peng: "Why is that?"

Zisu: "Because, more than a year ago, I already considered them brothers. The reason they came along this time was because they were worried about me and my family, so they escorted us all the way to the Northwest. Also, you have to give them some compensation; you can't let them work for free. After all, they all have parents and relatives back home, and they need to send some money back to their parents to support them in their old age!"

"Oh, I see! Okay, I'll remember that. I'll definitely give them the respect they deserve!" Commander Peng was a little surprised, but he readily agreed. Despite his surprise, he couldn't help but feel respect for such a loyal man.

For a soldier like General Peng, who had spent many years in the Northwest, anyone who was loyal to their master or superior was worthy of respect.

Zisu added with a smile, "The man who worked with me at the kiln is called Pan Kang. He used to be my father's personal guard, but he retired due to injury. After recovering, he voluntarily joined the Marquis's mansion as a guard. He also spent a few years in the military camp in the Northwest. This time, along with him was Luo Jianming, who was also my father's former personal guard."

Hearing this, Commander Peng had even more respect for Pan Kang: "Oh, so he's a hero of the Northwest Army! My apologies! Don't worry, since that's the case, I will definitely treat him with respect. And I won't let anyone bully him; I will definitely protect him!"

Zisu: "That's good. He went out to collect firewood today, and I also need to ask his opinion beforehand. How about this, I'll have my uncle take him to see you tomorrow?"

General Peng: "Good, very good, no problem! Everything will be arranged as you wish! By the way, aren't you going to build a house? Well then, I'll go back now and have the three members of the Jiang family return immediately so that the foundation can be dug quickly, and construction can begin tomorrow!"

Zisu: "Thank you, sir! You are such a kind person! Since you're here, please have lunch before you leave!"

General Peng: "No, you're all very busy right now. I'd better hurry back and call everyone back. I'll come again when your house is finished and you have your housewarming party!"

Zisu: "Alright, then we won't keep you any longer, sir! Today, we hunted a few wild rabbits, so please take two back with you to improve the meals for the madam and the young masters and ladies."

General Peng beamed with delight: "That's wonderful! My youngest son loves wild rabbit meat the most. Thank you!"

"I'm glad you like it. We lack everything here, but we don't lack wild vegetables and wild rabbits. Tomorrow, I'll have my uncle bring you a bunch of wild vegetables!" Zisu said with a smile.

General Peng: "Okay, thank you. I'll be going now! Goodbye!"

After seeing Commander Peng off, Yu Zhe couldn't help but reach out and poke Zisu's forehead hard with his finger: "You kid, you talk to the commander so casually, aren't you afraid of saying the wrong thing and offending him?"

Zisu grinned and said, "Uncle, I'm still a child, and he needs our help. Even if he says something wrong, it's not a big deal."

Yu Zhe affectionately tugged at her little braid: "Hmm, you little one, what you said makes a lot of sense!"

Zisu stomped her foot hard: "Uncle, I'm already over thirteen years old, I'm not a little kid anymore! If I'm still a little kid, then wouldn't my two younger brothers be tiny little kids?"

Yu Zhe: "I'm your uncle. No matter what, in my eyes you'll always be a little one!"

Zisu pretended to be angry and glared at her uncle, then suddenly asked, "Uncle, didn't this Commander Peng give you any benefits?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhe couldn't help but chuckle: "You little rascal, you've naturally given me a reward."

Zisu quickly asked, "What are the benefits?"

Yu Zhe: "From today onwards, your uncle will be the clerk of Stone Fortress, Hua'er's father will be the head chef of the kitchen, and Yue'er's father will be responsible for registering the number of stones carried. Jiang Yong will remain at the construction site to carry stones. There's no other way; he's young, strong, and so tall."

Zisu couldn't help but sigh: "Sigh, now that crazy woman will have something to say again."

Yu Zhe: "There's nothing we can do about it. They've already done a lot by assigning the three of us light work. If even Jiang Yong stops carrying stones, those who do the heavy work will rebel! After all, nobody is born to carry stones. We're all exiled, so there's no reason for Jiang Yong to be treated specially. Besides, even if no one objects, there's no easy work for Jiang Yong to do right now!"

After a pause, Yu Zhe added, "If that crazy woman keeps gossiping, it's best if our house isn't built next to the Jiang family's; it's better to keep a distance from them!"

Zisu: "Sigh, if it weren't for safety considerations, I would have preferred to build it five miles away!"

Shen Laihui: "Girl, don't worry, we have so many people who know martial arts."

Zisu: "That's true. Our family doesn't need to be afraid, but I would be very sad if any member of the Jiang family, apart from that crazy woman, were injured or killed! Especially Hua'er and Yue'er, I really don't want anything bad to happen to them!"

Yu Zhe: "That's true. Besides, the children get along very well. If they're separated by too much distance, and there are wolves on the grassland, it's not convenient for them to come and go. If these few families aren't united, it's really not right. Otherwise, outsiders will bully us!"

Zisu: "How about this, I'll tell the Princess that I want to be her neighbor, not Hua'er's. From left to right, the houses will be Hua'er's, Yue'er's, my house, and Uncle's! Uncle, what do you think?"

Yu Zhe: "Yes, that's good. Your uncle thinks it's excellent. In a little while, you can talk to the Princess first, and then we'll have a meeting tonight to decide on things."

Currently, we're still in the foundation-digging stage, and everyone's houses have the same structure and size: five main rooms plus three side rooms on each side. Since they're all the same, there's no need to hold a meeting now; we can discuss it together when everyone is here tonight.

After lunch, Zisu talked to Pan Kang.

"Brother Pan, I had my uncle give the coal and kiln firing formula to the commander. Would you like to go to Shitoubao with my uncle tomorrow to instruct the commander on how to build and fire the kilns? I told the commander that if you go, you'll get paid. However, I didn't say how much. Are you willing to go?"

Thank you everyone for your comments and recommendations, mwah!