There weren't many young ladies in Silver Bay, and quite a few women worked for the Pei and Ye families. Qi Jiao knew most of them, but the woman in front of her was completely unfamiliar to her; she was sure she had never seen this woman before.
The woman's bright, watery eyes stared directly at them. Her delicate eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as if she was gently troubled. Qi Jiao asked Pei Xia to put her down and whispered, "Do you know this woman?"
Pei Xia recognized the woman and pursed his lips, saying nothing. Qi Jiao saw the complex look on his face but his silence made her even more curious about the woman's identity. They knew each other.
The woman in the white dress stepped forward gracefully, curtsied, and said, "I didn't expect to meet Brother Pei here. May I ask who this is?"
Pei Xia showed no extra expression. He took Qi Jiao's hand and said, "Jiao Niang is my wife."
The woman in the white dress understood. A look of shock and a hint of sadness flashed across her face. Then she smiled at Qi Jiao and said, "I see. Brother Pei and Sister - in - law are truly deeply in love."
Qi Jiao felt something strange. Did this woman and Pei Xia have a past?
Pei Xia kept a straight face and didn't want to say more. He pulled Qi Jiao away. Qi Jiao looked back at the woman. It seemed that the woman in the white dress had come out with her relatives.
As soon as they left, two little girls with baskets jumped out from the small woods behind. "Sister Xuan, we've finished picking the fruits. It's so sunny. Let's go back."
The woman in the white dress agreed, but her eyes lingered on Pei Xia's back. There were too many emotions in her eyes.
Qi Jiao asked Pei Xia, "Who was that young lady just now?"
Pei Xia glanced at her and said flatly, "She used to be from the same village. Her family moved away a long time ago."
If her family had moved away, why did she come back? And Lady Xuan was wearing a married woman's hairstyle.
Qi Jiao just let out an "oh" and didn't ask further, but she felt a bit uncomfortable inside. Before she married Pei Xia, did he have a young lady he liked? Was it that Lady Xuan?
Qi Jiao didn't like these annoying thoughts. She quickly adjusted her mood. No matter what the past was, she and A Xia should live their own good lives. She had so many things to do. How could she be affected by an insignificant outsider?
Meeting Lady Xuan was just a small episode. Qi Jiao and Pei Xia seemed to have a tacit understanding. They never mentioned this again, and they were still affectionate at night.
*
Aunt Cai's family took excellent care of the olive grove on Xiaofeng Mountain. When Qi Jiao and the others went there, Brother Cai and his wife, Mrs. Liu, were clearing the water ditches, and their little son, Tiger, was pulling out grass beside them.
Pei Jin was thoughtful. Knowing it was hot, she specifically brought a large jar of tea and two bags of snacks. When Brother Cai and Mrs. Liu saw them coming, they quickly put down their hoes and greeted Qi Jiao and the others with smiles.
Aunt Cai was a capable woman. She had two sons and a daughter. Her eldest daughter had married early. Her eldest son stayed at home to farm, married Mrs. Liu, and had Tiger. Her youngest son went fishing on a boat and was still unmarried.
Aunt Cai was willing to help out and also wanted to earn some extra money to send her grandson, Tiger, to school. She usually worked with the other village women in the Pei family's workshop, making sauce, oyster sauce, or doing other jobs.
Brother Cai and Mrs. Liu took great care of the olive trees on the hillside after they finished their farm work. So Qi Jiao appreciated the Cai family. Before the olives had a harvest, she prepaid 30% of the payment to them.
After that, Brother Cai and Mrs. Liu worked even more actively. They took care of the young trees as carefully as they would take care of their own children. No, they were even more careful than taking care of their own children.
Brother Cai thought the soil on the mountain wasn't fertile enough, so he specially made thick fertilizer and carried it to the mountain one load after another. Mrs. Liu was also a hard - working woman. She did everything, like weeding and watering.
Qi Jiao told them to take a break first. Brother Cai and Mrs. Liu squatted beside the ditch to wash their hands, then took the tea Pei Jin offered and chatted with Qi Jiao about their experiences of growing olives these days.
Tiger was munching on the snacks, with crumbs all over his hands and mouth, which made Mrs. Liu both laugh and scold him.
Seeing the olive trees growing lushly and the air in the grove being much cleaner than that in the county town, Qi Jiao was satisfied and looking forward to the day when the olive trees would bear fruit.
As for the production in the Pei and Ye families' workshops, Qi Jiao observed for half a day. With the recommendations of Tang Guiniang and Aunt Ye, she promoted five outstanding women. One of them was only sixteen and still unmarried.
These five women were quick - witted and sensitive. Especially the sixteen - year - old A Lian.
A Lian was a poor girl. Her biological mother died early, and her father remarried quickly. She had lived under the care of her step - mother since childhood. Once there was a step - mother, there would be a step - father. Her step - mother gave birth to two sons one after another and regarded her as a thorn in her eye. The most common thing A Lian heard from childhood to adulthood was "useless girl".
Although A Lian had a sad life, she was extremely intelligent. She learned things quickly and had a strong understanding ability. Qi Jiao took a fancy to this and was willing to help her.
A Lian and the other four women thus became the supervisors in Jiao Niang's workshop. Each of them was in charge of a production line, which greatly reduced the pressure on Tang Guiniang and Aunt Ye.
Finally, Qi Jiao went to the duck farm. After deducting the adult ducks supplied to the store every day and the batch of ducks that died during the cold spell in spring this year, the number of ducks in the farm was still increasing proportionally. The greenhouses were almost full.
Uncle Ye alone had a hard time taking care of everything. Although Pei Li would come to help after school, Qi Jiao still decided to let her elder brother, Ye Geng, be in charge of the duck farm. There were enough people in the store. If not, they could hire more. Instead, the industries in Silver Bay needed someone trustworthy to manage them well to avoid any mistakes.
Qi Jiao told Ye Geng about this, and Ye Geng was of course more than willing. In this way, he could take care of his family, look after Qin Jie'er and Yu Niang, and also earn money. Ye Geng didn't have great ambitions and didn't mind hard work. At heart, he was a family - oriented man.
After Qi Jiao took care of everything in Silver Bay, she returned to the city early the next morning. Pei Xia stayed behind. He had to find some people to expand the factories. Not only the duck farm by the sea but also the family's production workshop. Since there were people living at home, it was inconvenient.
Qi Jiao and Pei Xia discussed and decided to rent the adjacent empty land of the Pei and Ye families and build a spacious factory there. This would be more formal and tidy, and it would also be convenient for the workers to operate.
After Qi Jiao returned to the county town, she threw herself into the store and worked non - stop for five or six days before she finally had time to rest.
Because Miss Shu and her little sisters bought the floral water as gifts last time and it had a good effect. They were all from the upper - class noble girls' social circle in Lingle County. The floral water was a new thing, and everyone liked to be fashionable. As a result, many female relatives sent their maids to buy it.
Jiao Niang was busy during the day and had to make floral water at night. She often couldn't go to bed until the third watch. She quickly lost weight. After all, she wasn't made of iron. She thought that the floral water business needed to be expanded.
Taking advantage of this free day, Qi Jiao packed several boxes of newly made floral water and asked Ge Fan to take her to the Zhang family's mansion.
Zhang Yi was a wealthy and idle man. When Jiao Niang arrived at the Zhang family's mansion, Zhang Yi was playing chess with his friend in the pavilion. Hearing that the owner of Jiao Niang's Restaurant was coming to visit, Zhang Yi was stunned for a moment. He picked up a black chess piece and told the young servant beside him, "Please invite Jiao Niang to the flower hall to wait. I'll come later."
His old friend was understanding. He made a concession when placing the chess piece and said, "Jiao Niang? Is she the one who opened the extremely popular store in the county recently?"
Zhang Yi smiled and said yes. "We're sort of acquaintances. She wanted to rent my store before."
The old friend said, "Her business is booming. One small store must not be enough. She must be here to rent a store from you, the landlord."
Zhang Yi laughed heartily. "That's great."