CHAPTER 1039: CHAPTER 1038 PLANTING TREES

Ninth Master Lee discussed with Wang Yongzhu about the workshop for producing cosmetics, hiring people, and opening shops.

Wang Yongzhu was very decisive: "You handle the sales, and I’ll take care of the production. I recently bought dozens of acres of flower fields in Jing County, with constant fresh flowers throughout the seasons. My master, Imperial Doctor Du, is also in Jing County, ensuring quality control."

"The workshop will be set up in Jing County. If the business grows in the future, it would be even better to buy some flower fields near the Capital and open a workshop there."

"As for the sales side, I won’t interfere or manage it. I’ve prepared specialized cosmetics as a tribute for Consort De, along with some new fabrics. I’ve come up with new patterns for dyeing valves, creating a few new designs for you to take as well."

There was no need for Wang Yongzhu to say more; she had already laid the groundwork, even setting up a connection with Consort De.

If Ninth Master Lee still couldn’t succeed, then there was no point in collaborating.

Ninth Master Lee initially planned to use his family connections to quietly send the products into Consort De’s palace. But since Wang Yongzhu had already prepared everything, he felt more at ease.

He nearly patted his chest in assurance.

Both of them were straightforward people, and they clapped hands to seal the deal, just waiting to sign the contract when they reached the county town.

The guards following them could only vaguely hear words about sales and the palace, thinking they were still discussing tea leaves, especially since they had just discovered the tea mother trees, which required some discussion.

Returning to Yingzi Gully, while waiting for the tea tree branches, Wang Yongzhu pulled a wooden box out of the carriage in front of everyone and handed it to Ninth Master Lee, which contained the new fabrics and cosmetics.

She also took the opportunity to write a letter for Ninth Master Lee to take to Jing County to deliver to Imperial Doctor Du.

The letter started with greetings and expressions of longing before asking Lady Qi to help prepare the materials for making cosmetics. Once things were settled with the tea mountain, she planned to go to Jing County.

The cosmetics needed to be made first, but there was no rush, as Ninth Master Lee would be ready by the end of the year.

As night fell, Wang Yongzhu was carefully arranged to stay at a household with women, where the men and children stayed at the neighboring house, leaving her a clean room to herself.

Wang Yongping made do with other guards for the night.

The next morning, all the tea tree branches were ready, the roots wrapped in moist soil and carefully surrounded by leaves, kept in the carriage.

Wang Yongzhu took her leave to return to Qilidun.

Ninth Master Lee and Zhang Yinbao came for two purposes: the tea mother tree and to re-sign the profit-sharing contract. With everything done, there were other matters awaiting them outside, so they couldn’t stay longer and left together.

At Yang Family Village, the two groups parted ways.

The tea tree branches were sprayed with water at night and covered with twigs to be left in a shady spot overnight.

The next day, a messenger from Chongzi Gou had brought word that a lot of mountain goods had been collected, asking the Wang Family to send someone to fetch them.

This task naturally fell to Wang Yongping and Liu Xiaoqiao.

Wang Yongzhu also asked them to take a message to Chongzi Gou to see if anyone wanted to guard her tea mountain.

Liu Xiaoqiao’s eyes lit up at this good news.

Back in Chongzi Gou, not only she but her family was held in high regard by everyone, so she readily agreed.

Once Wang Yongping and his wife left, with no one around the courtyard, Wang Yongzhu took the one hundred branches cultivated in the Seed Selection and Cultivation Room and marked them, placing them together with the tea tree branches from Yingzi Gully.

Wang Yongfu and Wang Yonggui were supposed to help on the mountain but couldn’t leave because it was time to harvest autumn mountain goods.

Wang Yongzhu was glad they didn’t go; she persuaded them to stay home.

Wang Yongzhu led the hired men to deliver the tea seedlings up the mountain.

Wang Yonggui was uneasy and spoke a few words to Lizheng.

The tea planting had already been discussed with Lizheng, who was always concerned about it, but Song Chongjin and Wang Yongzhu went to the county town and hadn’t returned yet.

Seeing Wang Yongzhu buying materials to build a house in the mountains to plant tea, Lizheng was already waiting.

Hearing the Wang Family hired a dozen men to carry tree branches up the mountain, but only Wang Yongzhu was available, fearing she couldn’t manage alone, Lizheng readily agreed to oversee it.

He agreed without hesitation.

Climbing the mountain, Lizheng hesitated to speak several times; Wang Yongzhu, understanding his thoughts, explained: "These branches will first be planted on the mountain. If the survival rate is high next year and the mortality rate is low, I’ll bring another batch. Tea trees take three years to produce, so we’ll wait three years to assess the quality. If all goes well, the southern side of Qili Slope can be fully planted. Right now, I worry about how many of these few hundred plants will survive next year."

Lizheng looked at the frail branches, uncertain yet comforting: "Let’s plant them and see. Whether they succeed or not, your intention is appreciated and represents the community’s sentiment! Rest assured, I’ll ask the villagers to avoid hunting here to prevent accidental damage to the seedlings."

Upon reaching the tea mountain, it had transformed significantly. Abundant wood and stone in the mountain allowed building with stone foundations and wooden structures, topped with a unique mountain thatch, golden and glossy when dried, ensuring no rain seeped through the roof.

Many households lacking funds gathered thatch from the mountains to dry and use for roofs.

The Yingzi Gully people, with a heritage of hunting skills, weren’t knowledgeable about these techniques. These tasks, like building walls and roofs, lacked much technical depth, and following these few days, they had memorized them. Building a roof in the future wouldn’t be a problem.

Following Wang Yongzhu’s instructions, they dug over four hundred pits halfway up and at the mountain’s top.

The surrounding weeds and shrubs hindering tea tree growth were cleared.

Wang Yongzhu casually selected the one hundred superior tea seedlings and chose a few people to plant them at the top.

The rest were planted halfway up, making future differentiation easier.

With many helping hands and prepared groundwork, they quickly planted the four hundred tea trees and watered them from the nearby stream.

With that done, the rest was up to time.

Wang Yongzhu advised them, especially about the hundred on the mountain, to be attentive, removing weeds but otherwise letting them grow naturally.

On their way down, each helper received fifty large coins and enjoyed a meal of buns with meat and mushroom stew, stuffing their stomachs and feeling greatly satisfied.