CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: LOOK AT THIS FOOL, THROWING MONEY INTO THE FIELDS FOR FUN

EDITOR: ENDLESSFANTASY TRANSLATION

Currently, Lin Wanwan’s household consists of two masters and three servants.

When Lin Wanwan is free, she personally takes care of little Qingyu, only entrusting her to Yun Shang when she’s busy.

Yun Shang and Hua Nong are both very diligent and competent, each with their own special skills. Yun Shang excels in embroidery and tailoring, drawing much inspiration from the improved historical costumes Lin Wanwan brought from modern times; while Hua Nong is very skilled in culinary arts, crafting exquisite and delicious snacks.

It must be said that the presence of these two New Luo Maids greatly enhances Lin Wanwan’s quality of life, and their purchase is absolutely worth it. With their skills, it’s just unfortunate they were born in the wrong era, for in modern times, they would each be masters in their respective fields!

As for Kun Lun, he’s even more useful, taking care of horse driving, farming, and various rough chores. Lin Wanwan often takes Hua Nong out mainly to conform to local customs as company; only Kun Lun is indispensable.

Despite the language barrier, it doesn’t hinder Kun Lun from effectively completing the tasks Lin Wanwan assigns.

Because Kun Lun is a strong laborer, Lin Wanwan doesn’t skimp on his diet. She prepares additional meat dishes for him every day, and if others knew about Kun Lun’s daily meals, they would be astonished.

Regarding the saline-alkali land rice planting, as soon as Lin Wanwan got her land, she went back to modern times to consult experts and gather information.

Lu Shouyue, as both a wealthy heir and professor, is very resourceful and knows experts in agriculture.

Through his connections, Lin Wanwan was able to contact an agricultural expert. Based on the expert’s recommendations, Lin Wanwan bought seedlings suitable for saline-alkali land and received a heap of information.

Saline-alkali land requires sufficient base fertilizers, and heavily odorous ones like manure are, of course, sourced directly from the Great Tang, whereas Lin Wanwan brings in phosphorus, zinc, and nitrogen fertilizers, along with industrial-grade concentrated sulfuric acid from modern times.

The manure aside, the modern fertilizers she brings require small, frequent applications. Initially, Lin Wanwan planned to fertilize in secret herself but later realized she overestimated her ability to manage 20 acres, as she simply couldn’t handle it alone.

Therefore, Lin Wanwan later decided to let herself go and directly hired people to fertilize. The hired laborers were mostly local farmers from the vicinity, with limited knowledge, so there was no need to fear them spreading false information. Occasionally, some Lin Clan members also came to help.

This group of farmers didn’t understand Lin Wanwan’s demands for deep plowing and fertilization. At present, farming in the Great Tang is still relatively extensive; although manure is present, it is far from the level of fine and detailed cultivation.

Although Lin Wanwan, clearly an inexperienced farmer, was directing them on how to fertilize and till the fields, everyone was very skeptical and resistant.

But as the saying goes, the one who pays is in charge; these workers, whether they were dissatisfied or not, had to hold back. The noble lady could play however she wanted, regardless of the things she brought out; if she wanted it spread, it was spread, and if she wanted it tilled, it was tilled.

What else could they do? Obey!

Eventually, Lin Clan members stopped coming to work because they felt earning wages from Lin Wanwan was just too shameful! The clan members were convinced that Lin Wanwan’s assorted fertilizers and the wages spent would all go down the drain.

A person who knows nothing about farming insists on teaching others how to farm, making everyone follow her instructions—can anything really be grown this way? Anyway, nobody believed it.

However, for the sake of her farming whimsy, Lin Wanwan was willing to spend enough to buy three oxen at once; everyone expressed extreme envy.

Wealthy and wilful!

While the 20-acre saline-alkali land planting was ongoing, the planting work on the other 10 acres of slightly better land was not neglected.

Regarding Lin Wanwan’s habit of frequently dashing to Little Creek Town and dragging back cartloads of strange things to dump in the fields, everyone outwardly smiled warmly but secretly mocked Lin Wanwan for having more money than sense! Being inept with manual labor and ignorant of agriculture!

Initially viewed as an immortal by the village folks, Lin Wanwan’s series of bizarre farming operations turned her into a joke among the ten-mile radius.

When discussing Lin Wanwan, most people said: "Ah, that Lin lady is clearly not meant for labor, tossing copper coins in the fields for fun. If I had money, I’d drink porridge; drink one bowl and pour one bowl into the fields."

Those a bit more literate might add: "She’s just living without a care in the world."

Clan Leader Lin also found Lin Wanwan’s antics quite bothersome, but after all, she was a part of the Lin Clan, and no matter what, he had to defend her outside.

Regardless of what others said, he only repeated one thing: our Miss Wan is a teacher, building a school for our clan.

What could others say to that? They could only feel envious and jealous.

After all, no matter how much she squandered, she lived a life of luxury, with riches that could never be exhausted, splurging however she wanted. Seeing the school being built day by day, who wouldn’t be delighted?

After almost two months of such chaos, the house was built, the fields were planted, and even the garden in the yard was cultivated. There was also a glass greenhouse resembling the legendary Crystal Palace, leaving even the experienced Wang Dulei amazed.

Who would believe that hidden amongst the coastal mountains of this impoverished backwater was such a greenhouse! These glass panes were all brought back by Lin Wanwan with Kun Lun, though no one knew how she managed it. In any case, they were invaluable!

In fact, Lin Wanwan was raised by an old immortal, with wealth beyond measure, so whatever she brought out, nobody found surprising.

The house began to be roofed, and due to Lin Wanwan’s extravagant spending, Wang Dulei built it using genuinely good timber for her, using agarwood for the main beam.

Agarwood is particularly hard, resistant to decay for a thousand years, and even repels insects. It’s only in the Tang Dynasty that Lin Wanwan could buy agarwood for house construction—modernly, it would be quite difficult.

The extravagance of the affluent class in the Great Tang leaves ordinary people dumbfounded. Agarwood Pavilion, pepper room, all are present. While the earlier Zhen Guan period was slightly better, by the Kaiyuan Period, the indulgence was even more rampant.

A little building such as the one Lin Wanwan built with a strong Tang Dynasty style would even stand out in Beijing, let alone in Wanghai Village.

The house follows a two-entry courtyard format, with the front yard’s side rooms and main hall as a place for children to study. The backyard contains a small building and two side rooms, with the west side serving as the kitchen and storage room and the east as servant quarters, currently housing only Kun Lun.

In the village, most houses are thatched or dirt huts; the better ones are made of oyster shells and stones. Lin Wanwan’s small estate, covering nearly two acres, was indeed a standout, more imposing than the Lin Clan’s ancestral hall.

And since Lin Wanwan used brick and stone construction—a style mostly used for temple building in the Tang Dynasty—it appears especially unique. Of course, to the people of the Great Tang, the most magnificent aspect is the glass greenhouse hidden within the yard.

Technically, according to Tang law, the building is illegal since private residential buildings are not allowed apart from temples, Daoist temples, and imperial palaces. However, such regulations mostly only take effect in Chang’an City; outside it, families with wealth and power don’t bother with them.

In a remote coastal mountainous area like where Lin Wanwan is, no one comes to meddle in her affairs.