The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 998 - 977: Leak (Added for the reward from the book friend "Liang Yi")

Chapter 998: Chapter 977: Leak (Added for the reward from the book friend "Liang Yi")

The goods were successfully delivered to Manbao’s home. Changshou, avoiding the servants who came with him, handed a box of ginseng to Manbao and bowed, saying, "This is from Young Master Yin for Miss to have."

Manbao opened the box and was astonished, exclaiming, "This is excellent ginseng."

Of course, their family may lack other things, but they certainly had the most and the best for replenishing vitality and blood.

Changshou bowed and said, "Miss Zhou, I’m entrusting you with taking care of my young master’s illness."

Manbao nodded repeatedly, assuring him, "Don’t worry, I will do my best."

When Manbao said she would do her best, she meant it. She sought out Bai Shan and Bai Erlang, "You two should often bring him along in the academy. The books say that sharing one’s thoughts is one of the methods to alleviate melancholy. Help him make some friends."

Bai Erlang said, "I am at the Highest Institute, which is quite far from the Imperial Academy. I can’t be of much help to him, but I can take him out after school. Besides, isn’t he from the capital? It would be great for him to show us around."

Bai Shan lifted his eyelid slightly and said, "Don’t get your hopes up. He’s probably not as familiar with the capital as you."

"Is that so? He’s a born and bred city native."

"What’s the use of that if he can’t go out?" Bai Shan said. "Haven’t you heard what Liu Huan said? He used to come out for family gatherings. In these past two or three years, he stopped attending and stayed inside the Liu Residence. If it wasn’t for him attending the Imperial Academy now, probably no one would recognize him."

Bai Erlang: "How pitiful. I’m glad I’m not ill."

Bai Erlang paused here and then touched his chest, saying, "I suffered from insomnia last night too, Manbao. I hope I haven’t developed melancholy."

Manbao replied irritably, "You had insomnia? You slept like a log last night. No matter how loudly we called, we couldn’t wake you. Everyone could develop melancholy, but it’s impossible for you."

"How do you know I slept like a log?"

Bai Shan looked up and said, "You talked in your sleep last night, loudly enough to wake us all. Manbao and I even knocked on your window, but you slept like a dead pig."

Bai Erlang: "... What did I say in my sleep?"

"It was unclear, we only heard you shouting something about winning and losing. What were you doing yesterday?"

"I went to watch a polo match," Bai Erlang explained energetically, gesturing wildly, "You don’t know how cool polo is. The horse is like your own legs, chasing after the ball and running. With a swing of the mallet, the ball flies into the air. Some players are so skilled, they can catch the ball mid-air with their mallets. It’s amazing!"

Bai Shan asked, "Did you join in?"

"No," Bai Erlang hung his head, "My riding isn’t very good."

Bai Shan laughed, "See, I told you to take horse riding seriously. Now even Manbao’s riding skills are catching up to you. With your skills, you shouldn’t even think about playing polo. You’re almost good enough not playing."

Bai Erlang sighed but quickly perked up, "I’ve inquired already. Our batch of new students at the academy will also be assigned horse riding lessons. There are no horses for rent in the Imperial Academy, though. We have to rent them from outside or buy our own. Every time we have a riding lesson, we have to ride our horses there, and the academy will only take care of them for a day."

Bai Shan nodded, obviously already aware of this situation.

He said, "We have horses at home."

"That won’t do. The horses at home have endurance but aren’t fast. If I want to learn polo, I need a good horse," Bai Erlang stated, "I’ve already negotiated with someone. I’m going to buy a steed."

Bai Shan thought it over and didn’t see any issues, but then mentioned, "Our stable may not have enough space for that many animals."

"We could sell some," Bai Erlang suggested, "We brought so many carts when we came to the capital because we had a lot of stuff. Now, so many carts sitting around at home is a waste. It would be better to sell them."

Manbao immediately said, "Then I will buy a pony too. I want to raise it myself."

Bai Shan nodded, "I will have Liu Gui tidy up the stable first, and then we can go horse buying."

The two immediately nodded their heads happily.

Bai Shan asked, "What kind of horses do you guys want? I can have Liu Gui help look for some and gather information."

"That’s not necessary," Bai Erlang interjected immediately: "I’ve already found a source."

Manbao and Bai Shan both looked up at him.

Bai Erlang proudly said, "I’ve seen them already, the real steeds, they’re worth a fortune."

The bun Manbao was holding with her chopsticks dropped. Mr. Zhuang, who had been quietly eating, also looked up at Bai Erlang.

Bai Shan: "... A fortune? Ten thousand taels?"

"What ten thousand taels? That’s just an expression, to show that my horse is expensive, you understand?"

Manbao and Bai Shan both breathed a sigh of relief, and Mr. Zhuang also lowered his gaze and resumed eating.

Manbao asked, "So, how much is it actually?"

"One thousand two hundred taels!"

Manbao simply put down her chopsticks then and asked, "So, this really is a steed? That expensive?"

"Of course. The original price was one thousand five hundred taels, but since we know each other, he gave me a discount of three hundred taels."

Bai Shan asked, "Someone we know? Who?"

"It’s Zhang Jinghao from our Highest Institute. He knows a horse trader who has many unselected horses. If you want to buy, you should go there. We are classmates after all; there might be a discount, and the horses are good. That’s better than looking through the horse market."

Manbao turned and asked Bai Shan, "Do you know him?"

Bai Shan frowned and shook his head, "I have not heard of him, but I can ask about him tomorrow amongst my classmates."

Bai Erlang, unhappy, asked, "What, you don’t trust me?"

Mr. Zhuang snapped down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, "You must not talk in bed, nor talk while eating. You’re slacking on your manners. Since you’re not hungry, then stop eating and come to the study."

After saying that, he got up and headed to the study.

The three of them shrank their necks, and Bai Erlang couldn’t help but mutter softly, "Don’t we always talk at the dinner table? The tutor never scolded us before."

Bai Shan and Manbao gave him a side glance. They knew it was because he had angered the tutor.

Mr. Zhuang waited for his three pupils to line up before him and then lifted his eyelids to ask, "Let’s start with Manbao and Bai Shan. What did you say to Young Master Yin yesterday? How did it come to the medicine being sent to the house to be decocted?"

Manbao recounted the events in detail.

Mr. Zhuang nodded at the two and said, "You two, I’ve advised you before. When in the capital, you should focus on your studies and mind your business less. Look at what you’ve done since you came to the capital -- has there been even one thing that’s given me peace of mind?"

After addressing them, he glared at Bai Erlang, "You too. You had a rare day off, and you ran off to watch polo. Isn’t it enough that these two are stirring up trouble? Are you trying to add fuel to the fire?"

Bai Erlang bowed his head, whispering, "Tutor, I just wanted to buy a horse."

"Why would an ordinary student need such an expensive horse?"