Chapter 80 – My Young Master is Pure and Unpretentious (Part 2)
However, no matter how much Xu Ke racked his brain, it seemed he couldn’t voice what was in his heart.
But he didn’t dwell on it for long, thinking that he had inadvertently let something slip, and he immediately felt embarrassed and offered an apology.
“Why act so formal?” Jiang Pengji sidestepped, only performing a half-bow, “Besides, you did nothing wrong. If what happened earlier gets out, people will definitely say the Liu Residence’s Young Master is stingy and harsh; you’re absolutely right.”
Xu Ke wasn’t wrong; it was just that she didn’t care for reputation.
What did other people’s opinions have to do with her?
Xu Ke muttered, “Even so, the Young Master is humble and magnanimous; I believe they won’t matter to her at all.”
So his previous persuasive words were merely nonsense to Jiang Pengji, and his inward criticisms were even more taboo.
Jiang Pengji silently frowned, her head aching, and poked at the System.
She complained, “System, I feel like there’s a huge generational gap between me and him. It seems I didn’t scold him just now?”
And what was with that guilt-ridden, remorseful expression he had?
The System replied, “Hehe, perhaps that’s the difference between a gentleman and a rogue.”
Jiang Pengji: “……”
Damn it!
Xu Ke discovered that his Young Master not only was well-versed in various household duties but also enjoyed engaging in what others considered menial, frivolous woodwork!
She had generously purchased a lot of timber and tools on her outing. Was she planning to do carpentry herself?
However, this time, despite his many thoughts, he chose to remain silent and observe, wanting to understand the deeper meaning behind the Young Master’s actions. He vaguely felt that Jiang Pengji wouldn’t keep him guessing for long.
Sitting outside the carriage, Xu Ke kept his eyes on the surroundings, his gaze landing on a familiar place, and he couldn’t help but be stunned.
Had it only been a few days? It felt like he had traveled through time!
That night, he had desperately tried to escape from his confinement, only to be intercepted by Liu Zhi and his men, and soon after, he became Liu Xi’s book boy.
On the road, he could already see wisps of smoke rising from the farmhouse in the distance; faint figures were seen tilling the fields, several children chasing and laughing, and even an old farmer sitting at the village head, lazily puffing away on a pipe, exuding a sense of peace and leisure.
Jiang Pengji lifted the carriage curtain, gazing into the distance, and the audience in the live stream could see the high-definition broadcast.
【Don’t Hit Me, Dad】: It has that familiar taste of home. I remember when I was a kid, back when the village hadn’t developed yet, during meal times, all the chimneys would billow smoke. Just seeing this, after a day of frolicking outside, I knew it was time to go home for food.
【Same Color for Everything】: Yes, yes, yes! My hometown was similar. As a kid, there wasn’t much of a kindergarten; we pretty much ran wild. But now, that’s not the case; the village only has some old folks left, all the young ones went off to work…
【Clueless, Lagging, and Bad at Gaming】: sobs _(:з)∠)_ I grew up in the city, I’ve eaten pork, but I’ve never seen a live pig run around.
Once this topic got brought up, it seemed the entire livestream screen instantly shifted into a nostalgic theme, with everyone sharing stories about their childhood in the countryside.
【The Cutest Husky】: My village has changed a lot now; they even built many little factories. We’ve become prosperous, but I feel like I can’t see the scenes from my childhood memory anymore, nor the deep blue sky; the fields are overgrown with weeds.
Jiang Pengji sat in the carriage, resting one hand on the armrest, idly looking at the scenery outside or glancing at the comments to pass the time.
The carriage driver skillfully navigated, trying to minimize bumps, so the noble guest inside wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.
Outside, Xu Ke softly said, “Young Master, we have arrived.”
Jiang Pengji came back to her senses, stepped out of the carriage, dodging Xu Ke’s attempt to help her, and elegantly jumped down.
For convenience, she had already changed out of her flowing, ethereal sleeves and donned a simple, practical brown robe.
Honestly, she was fed up with those complex, ridiculous, and utterly laughable open-crotch outfits she had to wear daily!
What good was wrapping up if the bottom was still wide open?!
“Let’s go.”
Jiang Pengji smiled and took the lead, while the few playing children spotted the stranger approaching and all giggled as they scampered away.
The audience in the livestream found this rural scene familiar and heartwarming; however, for Jiang Pengji, who was used to the cold city and the bustling machinery, it was an entirely new experience, as if her cold heart felt a tinge of warmth.
The group dressed very simply, with Jiang Pengji particularly in a commoner’s robe, giving off an extremely low-profile vibe.
Fortunately, there was Liu Residence’s family crest on the carriage. Although the village head hadn’t seen Jiang Pengji, he knew anyone arriving in this carriage must belong to the master’s family. When he learned that the boy in a brown robe was actually the Second Young Master of the house, he was nearly scared speechless.
“No need to be so formal; I’m here to check on the people sent to the farm a few days ago. None of them have tried to escape, right?”
After questioning the village head, Jiang Pengji slyly glanced at Xu Ke, who looked awkward.
Even if Liu Zhi hadn’t sent someone to intercept him, Xu Ke wouldn’t have been able to escape the farm grounds; Jiang Pengji had also placed people to keep a close watch.
The village head knelt cautiously, trembling as he replied, afraid of upsetting the Young Master and causing trouble for the village.
At present, Dongqing seemed prosperous with music and dance; however, corrupt officials and unscrupulous gentry exploited the common folks—how could their lives be peaceful? Too many people struggled, bearing heavy taxes and facing bandits.
In contrast, the tenant farmers on this estate lived quite comfortably; who wouldn’t envy them across ten miles in eight directions?
The master was benevolent, affluent, and had power; bandits wouldn’t dare easily come here to cause mischief, and thus most tenant farmers enjoyed a flourishing life.
However, if one didn’t serve well and angered the Young Master, things would not go well in the future.
The twenty-some individuals sent earlier, apart from Xu Ke, who was taken away for special treatment, were all arranged at the farm. Because there were no precise instructions, they didn’t dare act independently and only had a few villagers keep an eye on them to prevent anyone from escaping.
“As long as no one has escaped, that’s good. You go call those people over,” Jiang Pengji instructed the village head, then turned to Xu Ke, “You’ll have to tough it out here for a few days and stay in the farm, keeping an eye on their training. Once everything is on the right track, we’ll assign things to trustworthy folks. During your time at the farm, you’re allowed to borrow books from the study back at the residence… so you won’t neglect your education.”
Work is work, and learning is learning; Xu Ke was still young and needed to prioritize his studies, not neglect one for the other.
A subordinate who couldn’t constantly recharge and advance himself wasn’t a good one.
Though she didn’t show it, Jiang Pengji held her past standards for Xu Ke, who’d once been the aide to a military administration in her previous life.
The two had discussed revisions in the morning and had already drawn up a rough draft for the training program; Xu Ke just needed to follow the outlined steps. As for any unexpected events during the process, they would handle them as they came.
