The Comeback of the Charming Farmer's Wife

"Forget about that matter; the fox’s tail will show itself sooner or later." Yang Chuxia added, "By the way, I brought back some peach wine from the winery today. I tasted it, and it is quite good. Try some later."

"New wine again? Being with my wife is really a blessing—I always get to eat and drink fresh things."

He really liked those fruit wines, with their fruity aroma and not too strong, very refreshing kind of liquor, and each flavor was different too.

"Right, my wife, when the August festival comes, help me prepare some to give away."

"Who are you giving it to?" She didn’t seem to have heard of Ye Zi’an giving gifts to anyone.

"Our Prefect, of course," said Ye Zi’an with a shrug, "He handed Fushui County over to me to manage, which is quite a convenience for me. Shouldn’t I thank him for that? It might get him to think of me if there’s any good opportunity next year."

Upon hearing this, Yang Chuxia was momentarily dazed.

After a long while, she said, "Isn’t this considered bribery?"

"What bribery?" Ye Zi’an waved his hand and said, "What I’m giving isn’t gold or silver, and besides, I don’t even have that. The wine brewed at home can at most be considered a small token of appreciation, so rest assured and help me prepare it."

Yang Chuxia then laughed, "This is just another form of bribery, you know. Our and the Jiang Family’s fruit wine is currently one of a kind. Those who tried to imitate it a while ago couldn’t reproduce it. A bottle of this wine is worth a lot, some are even priceless. Giving wine can make someone happier than giving gold or silver."

Her words were indeed true. The last time Fugui mentioned that someone was also purchasing fruits, an investigation found that some people wanted to follow suit and make fruit wine but failed. They thought of starting from the winery, but before they could bribe anyone, they were discovered, so their fruit wine remained unrivaled to this day.

And every time there was new stock, Mu Shaofeng would take it away, half sent to the Capital City and half sold abroad, so much so that very little wine was left in Mianyang itself.

As a result, the shops were often out of stock.

Hearing this, Ye Zi’an showed a slightly embarrassed expression, saying, "My wife, you know it well, why bring it up and make it known?"

Seeing his slightly flushed cheeks, Yang Chuxia wanted to pinch them, but was interrupted by the two little devils of her household.

"Daddy, Mommy!"

"Have you discussed the good stuff?"

"We’re coming in!"

The two kids were asking one question after another, each sticking their little heads into the room.

"Come in," she said.

The two children, given permission, dashed inside; one ran toward Yang Chuxia and the other toward Ye Zi’an.

~~~~

Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, the August festival had passed. Before the festival, Yang Chuxia had expanded the winery by another time, and the amount of fruit collected had also increased. Now not only Mianyang County, but also Fushui County and other counties had brought in quite a harvest, allowing the locals to make a small profit and enjoy a prosperous August festival.

As for the canal that troubled Mianyang, it had been dug, and the major problem lying in the middle of Mianyang was thoroughly resolved. The Yanghe River was not yet aesthetically pleasing, as some of the landscaping was still under construction, but the scenery already attracted some people’s attention.

Often, one could see small boats gliding through, and in the villages near the docks, the astute had spotted business opportunities, setting up tea stalls, snack stands and the like.

Some merchants even tried opening one or two inns and restaurants; with minimal competition at the moment, business was quite good.