In mid-autumn August, with clear skies and refreshing air, Lian Manman got up early, washed, and tidied herself up. Her maid Ji Xiang took out two sets of robes and skirts from the adjacent cabinet and asked Lian Manman which one she wanted to wear. Lian Manman looked them over and chose to wear the autumnal ochre set.

Earlier this year, they pooled their money to hold a memorial for Old Master Lian’s anniversary. They didn’t make a big deal of it, just gathered the Lian family. Afterwards, Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi, as mother and children, formally ended their mourning period.

For mourning Old Master Lian, Lian Shouxin and his brothers had to mourn severely for three years, while Lady Zhang, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi only needed to observe a one-year mourning period. With the mourning period over, Lian Manman could finally wear colorful clothes and adorn herself with gold and jade jewelry.

Lian Manman, dressed and adorned, stepped out of the west house, strolled to the door, and stood in the corridor, admiring the courtyard scenery and teasing the two thrushes in the birdcage hanging on the corridor.

The pomegranates under the corridor had turned bright red, and the pergola was full of colorful flowers. There were also a few pots of very rustic farm-style ornamental dates and peppers, with bright red fruits hanging heavily on their branches.

With the singing of birds and the fragrance of flowers, there was once again an air of abundance and harvest. Lian Manman couldn’t help but smile at the corners of her mouth.

From outside the gate, footsteps could be heard. Lian Manman looked up to see Lian Shouxin entering from outside the yard, and she hurriedly greeted him.

"Father, so early, you’ve been to the fields again?" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Lian Shouxin wore a set of dark blue fine cloth pants and top, with thousand-layered light blue cloth shoes whose soles were slightly damp with soil.

"Not much to do, I just went to have a look around the threshing ground, walked around, and took a glance at the fields," Lian Shouxin replied.

All the crops in the fields had been harvested, and these days, taking advantage of the good weather, they were drying and threshing. As for the firewood in the fields, there was no hurry to haul it home; they would wait for it to dry completely before bringing it back, making stacking easier.

Currently, within Jinyang County, besides the few hundred acres at Thirty Mile Camp, there was also an estate in Luo Family Village. Over the past few years, Lian Manman’s family had acquired two more estates. With various properties increasing, and with loyal and capable people nurtured under them, they arranged for estate heads on each property to manage affairs.

The fields, fish pond, Lotus Pond, and vineyard at Thirty Mile Camp each had two stewards managing them. One steward was like the estate head on other properties, and the vineyard’s steward was also responsible for making wine.

These individuals, of course, signed lifelong indentured contracts, and Lian Manman’s family provided them with quite generous compensation and treatment.

Because everything was managed so well, Lian Shouxin didn’t really need to go to the fields. However, as a true farmer, his love for the land and crops hadn’t diminished despite changing circumstances. He constantly kept an eye on everything in the fields and sometimes even personally engaged in farm work during the harvest season, despite others trying to stop him, which made his heart feel at ease.

In Lian Shouxin’s own words, no matter when, the land and crops were the foundation of the family. In fact, in this era, many people shared this view, or else the word "cultivation" wouldn’t appear on so many family mottoes.

The fields and crops were not only the foundation for their family but also for all the people under heaven and for the nation’s prosperity.

Some people saw Lian Shouxin working in the fields and couldn’t understand why he was doing such heavy labor given his status and family situation. At times like this, Lian Shouxin had something more to say. He claimed that working the land was, along with studying, the highest form of employment.

"His Majesty and the Empress even go to the fields to work every year."

When Lian Shouxin said this, Lian Manman and the others would secretly laugh. Lian Shouxin got this idea after a letter from Mr. Loo mentioned that the Emperor and Empress were leading officials to personally engage in agriculture. After hearing Xiao Qi read the letter, whenever people tried to persuade him, he would say this.

The current Empress was Shen Jin. A year after entering the palace, she was officially made the Empress.

"Come inside, wash up, and soon it will be time for breakfast." Lady Zhang walked out of the house, smilingly telling Lian Shouxin.

"I’ll wash up outside," Lian Shouxin stood in the middle of the courtyard, looking around. This clear sky, with clouds high and the brisk air of the harvest season, was his favorite time of year.