Chen Damao, Li Yue, and Chen Ermao arrived in Shucheng three days after leaving Gusu by boat, and Chen Ermao took a cargo ship alone to Yingdu, while Chen Damao and his wife rented a carriage and returned to their home in Chenjia Village, Zhuye.

When Ermao broke up, Da Mao repeatedly told him not to mention to Qu Wu and Chen Qing that their family had a conflict with Wujiang, and of course he couldn't mention Xia Ji's list, so he asked Ermao to say that the two couples resigned because they wanted to go home to have children, and Ermao was to take care of his sister.

After Da Mao returned home, his father told him that a young general who claimed to be Wu Mengyao's younger brother inquired about their three siblings at his house and bought their liquor.

Da Mao's father asked Da Mao what he was going to do when he returned home, and Da Mao said that he would rest for a while, and then find an opportunity to buy land and rent it out to tenant farmers for farming.

Chen Damao also accumulated more than a dozen taels of gold, plus the ninety taels of gold that Qu Wu gave him before, although it took some to build a house and get married, he still had sixty taels on hand, enough to buy hundreds of acres of arable land, so that the family could rely on rent and grain to worry about food and clothing.

Xia Ji and Concubine Hui left Gusu on the building boat the day after Chen Damao left Gusu, and a few days later the boat docked at Shucheng Wharf and then transferred to a horse-drawn carriage and made a bumpy ride back to Zhuye.

Uncle Xia Yu was very happy to see Xia Ji come back, and when Xia Ji cleaned up those items that he had never seen, he was completely shocked, every item was extremely exquisite.

In addition to the sweaters, razors, shoes and hats and other daily necessities that Xia Ji bought him, he also brought him two pairs of high-powered binoculars, which surprised him, which allowed him to see farther than others, and undoubtedly preempted the enemy when he was the first to spot the enemy in battle.

Uncle Xia Yu also gave Xia Ji a gift: a palace located in Wanqiu.

Last time, Uncle Xia Yu was rewarded with a palace for his meritorious service in fighting with the Chu army and negotiating with the Chu state.

This palace is in Wanqiu, about ten miles away from Zhuye, and it was the incense house of Chen Gonggong's beloved concubine Taofei before, but this peach concubine was abolished for too much personal gain for her mother's family and was driven out of this luxurious palace.

Uncle Xia Yu has renovated this palace, because there are many green pines and cypresses in this kind of palace, and Uncle Xia Yu named it Bailu.

Xia Ji is very happy that Wanqiu has this palace, because she has a natural intimacy with Wanqiu, and she once read "Chen Feng Wanqiu" in the Book of Poetry when she was studying:

The soup of the son is like a hill. Xun is affectionate, but hopeless.

Kanqi beats the drum, under Wanqiu. There is no winter and no summer, and it is worth its heron feathers.

Kanqi strikes, the way of Wanqiu. There is no winter and no summer, and it is worth its heron.

The reason why I am very impressed by this poem is because this implicit love poem has a very beautiful and clear sense of picture, and the psychological description of the girl's secret love impresses her deeply.

Xia Ji also translated this poem into modern Chinese by hand:

You dance whirling and rippling, dancing on the top of Wanqiu. I love you with all my heart, but I dare not have extravagant hopes.

The drums were beating and dancing, dancing on the flat ground. Regardless of the cold winter and hot summer, the white egret feathers are raised.

Knocking on the tiles, dancing on Wanqiu Avenue. Regardless of the cold winter or hot summer, the heron feather ornament is worn on the head.

In addition to the hot springs, the blue brick building where the owner of the Bailu lives is a double-layer blue brick wall, which is thick and insulated.

Xia Ji asked Uncle Xia Yu to install a fireplace and drew the design drawings herself.

With Wanqiu's Bailu, the Xia family has three mansions: Xiafu, Zhuyuan, and Bailu.

Xia's mansion is in Zhuye, which is the office of Uncle Xia Yu's court; The bamboo garden is in the far suburbs of Zhuye, which is a summer leisure place for the Xia family; The Bailu in Wanqiu is used as a cold shelter and lives in winter.

Xia Ji estimated that Chen Damao had returned to Chenjia Village, so she sent someone to Chenjia Village to find Chen Damao, saying that Xia Ji wanted to hire the couple to work in Xia's mansion.

The three houses of the Xia family must be managed, and now Jiang Lu is in charge of the Xia Mansion, Chen Ke is in charge of the Bamboo Garden, and Bai Lu has not yet appointed a housekeeper.

Xia Ji decided that Chen Damao was the best candidate for the position of housekeeper, with an upright and decisive temperament, and his wife Li Yue was also a pure and reliable person.

Xia Ji wanted Chen Damao to be the housekeeper of Yuanqiu and the head of the three mansions.

However, Chen Damao was a little hesitant, he was worried about the intricate interpersonal relationships in the deep courtyard, so he didn't agree immediately, but just said that he wanted to think about it.

Xia Ji heard that Chen Damao wanted to think about it, and knew that he might have concerns, so she sent someone to invite him again, and said that Chen Damao would come to Xia Mansion to talk.

Chen Damao was embarrassed to refuse, so he had to come to Xia Mansion to see Xia Ji.

"Da Mao, please come today, firstly, I will hand over to you the one hundred taels of gold that I will give you last time in Gusu, and secondly, I really hope that you will help me, I need people around me who I trust." Natsuhime said.

"Mrs. Xia, no, Wu Mengyao, I also know that you are repaying me for saving you last time, but you give so much at once makes me a little panicked, and suddenly there is so much money, Li Yue and my parents will still ask about the origin." Chen Damao said that it was not that he did not want to accept the gold, but he did not think about how to explain the origin of the money to his family for a while.

"Well, I won't give you this money once, but add it to your salary, and you will be the chief steward, and I will give you another tael of gold every month in addition to the salary that should be given you one tael a month."

With such a generous treatment, Chen Damao was of course tempted: "But I have never been a housekeeper, and I am worried that I will not be able to do it well."

"Don't worry, I will let Jiang Lu, the housekeeper of Xia Mansion, teach you to adapt for a while, with me supporting you, you just need to do it boldly."

"But what if it messes up? After all, I don't know anything about housekeeping, right? I am not familiar with the people of Xia Mansion either. "Da Mao obviously has no confidence.

"You don't have to think about it so complicated, you have to trust yourself. As for the people, they can be mixed in a few days. I am most relieved that you are a housekeeper, Li Yue is not bad, she is in charge of the accounts in the restaurant, if you want, you can also manage the accounts for me, although the salary is not as good as yours, but I will give her a lot of free time and holidays, including maternity leave for giving birth. ”

"Wu Mengyao, you are so good to our family, I don't even know what to say." Da Mao said.

"Da Mao, although you have a life-saving grace for me, it is not to repay you for letting you be the manager, but mainly because of your personality and ability to deal with things. You and Li Yue can live in Xia Mansion, and Zhuyuan and Bailu will also give you a room to live in for a long time, so you two will follow me wherever I am in the future, okay? ”

Chen Damao saw that Xia Ji was so sincere, and he also needed to have a stable job to do, so he agreed: "Okay, Wu Mengyao, you are so sincere and give such a high salary, it would be a bit hypocritical if I didn't agree." But about Li Yue, I'm going home to ask for her opinion. ”

"Good. Whether she wants to do things or not, she can live with you, and if your parents are willing, they can choose one of the three mansions of the Xia family to live for a long time. But next time, don't call me Wu Mengyao, after all, it's too sensitive, remember. ”

"Okay, Mrs. Xia."

Da Mao returned home and relayed what Xia Ji said to him to Li Yue, Li Yue was very happy to hear it, not only did Da Mao have a high salary as a housekeeper, but he could also have something to do.

Da Mao's parents heard that they could live in the Xiafu compound, and they were very happy, living in this small mountain village for decades, and they had long longed for the day when they could step into the city and live a life where they could see the lively scene of traffic in the city every day, which was a great temptation for them who had lived too many quiet days.