Chapter 373: Semi -Automatic Oil Press Machine

I ranslator: coczero       ea•ror: xannystars

At noon, Lu Jiao arranged a table full of dishes in the main hall of the front courtyard to entertain Xie Erzhu, Xu Duojin, and Uncle Xiao.

The four children found Xie Erzhu and the others particularly familiar and kept asking about the situation in the village—how was Gou Shening? How were Brother Stone and the others?

Taking advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention, Xie Yunjin whispered to Lu Jiao about Uncle Xiao’s suggestion.

Lu Jiao didn’t immediately reject the idea but whispered back, “Helping me manage the fields is not a problem, but I don’t intend to use an outsider. The person managing the fields must sign an indenture. Is Uncle Xiao willing to do

As soon as Lu Jiao finished speaking, Uncle Xiao beside her spoke up, “I’m willing. ”

Lu Jiao turned to look at Uncle Xiao and asked, “Are you sure, Uncle Xiao?” Uncle Xiao nodded firmly, expressing his agreement.

“I, Xiao Shan, have no relatives and am all alone. There’s nothing wrong with signing an indenture. It’s just a piece of paper.”

After Lu Jiao heard Uncle Xiao’s name, Lu Jiao choked on the food in her mouth. She choked because of Uncle Xiao’s name.

The villagers referred to him as Uncle Xiao and had never called him by his full name – Xiao Shan.

This was the first time Uncle Xiao said his full name.

Others were calm while Lu Jiao was in shock. This was because, in the book, Xie Yunjin had a very capable steward named Xiao Shan.

This steward was not only loyal and competent but also skilled in martial arts.

Could it be that this person was actually Uncle Xiao?

Lu Jiao was incredulous, but she couldn’t help but look at Uncle Xiao again.

Seeing her gaze, Uncle Xiao’s eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and said calmly, “Yunjin’s wife, do you think I can stay and take care of your land for you?”

Lu Jiao didn’t know what to say. After all, this person was the future First Assistant’s steward. Wasn’t it a bit too much to have him manage the fields for her?

However, they already had Lu Gui taking care of things at the manor, so she couldn’t simply ask Lu Gui to step down from his position as steward and give it to Uncle Xiao.

Lu Jiao’s eyes flickered as she decided to keep Uncle Xiao for now. She would figure out a way to transfer him to Xie Yunjin’s side later. Alternatively, if she and Xie Yunjin eventually went their separate ways, she would give Uncle Xiao to him as a gift.

Lu Jiao was lost in thought when Xie Yunjin interrupted, saying, “If you have other arrangements, then don’t worry about it.”

Upon hearing this, Uncle Xiao’s eyes dimmed for a moment, but he quickly composed himself and said, “If it’s causing trouble for you, Yunjin’s wife, I can still go back to hunting.”

Although he spoke these words, his expression appeared exceptionally pitiful and helpless, as if he were a destitute and forlorn old man with no one to rely on.

Xie Erzhu and Xu Duojin immediately felt some sympathy for Uncle Xiao.

Lu Jiao, however, secretly cursed the old fox. While others might not understand, she knew that Uncle Xiao possessed martial arts skills. Despite his old and frail appearance, his abilities were far from weak.

She believed that his act of appearing pitiful was just a ruse. With Uncle Xiao’s capabilities, hunting was not a problem for him at all.

So, why would he sell himself to take care of their fields?

The whole situation seemed quite peculiar, but Lu Jiao didn’t doubt Uncle Xiao’s intentions. In the book, Uncle Xiao had shown great loyalty to Xie Yunjin.

Moreover, their family didn’t possess anything valuable that others might covet.

Contemplating the situation, Lu Jiao turned to Uncle Xiao and said, “It’s not that I don’t want Uncle Xiao to stay. The main issue is that I’m a bit conflicted. Originally, I wanted to buy someone capable to manage the fields, and I’m sure Uncle Xiao would do a better job than the person I hire. But asking Uncle Xiao to sign a contract to sell himself… It doesn’t feel right in my heart.”

Uncle Xiao immediately said, “What’s there to feel uneasy about? I’m all alone in this world. By signing the contract, at least when I pass away someday, there’ll be someone to take care of my funeral arrangements.”

After speaking, Uncle Xiao noticed the children at the table and quickly smiled, “In any case, I willingly signed this contract to sell myself, so there’s no need for Lady Lu to feel troubled.”

Lu Jiao turned to Xie Yunjin, and he nodded “Since Uncle Xiao is willing to help you with the fields, you should keep him. In the future, we will make arrangements for his retirement.”

Uncle Xiao’s eyes turned slightly red at Yunjin’s words. “With a statement like that from Yunjin, I can rest assured.”

Lu Jiao agreed, “Alright, then it’s settled.”

Xie Erzhu and Xu Duojin didn’t say much about Uncle Xiao’s decision. Everyone had their own considerations. While they all had children and family members, Uncle Xiao had no one, not even a relative. Although he signed the indenture, Yunjin had promised to take care of his retirement, which was a good outcome.

The atmosphere at the dining table became lively again.

The four little ones used chopsticks to pick dishes for Xie Erzhu, Xu Duojin, and Uncle Xiao, which delighted everyone. They praised the children for becoming more and more sensible.

Most importantly, the four kids didn’t look down on them, the less fortunate rural folks, just because they were well-off now.

This made Xie Erzhu, Xu Duojin, Uncle Xiao, and the others very happy.

In the afternoon, Xie Erzhu and Xu Duojin took a rented carriage back to Xie Family Village.

Uncle Xiao stayed behind and signed the indenture to accompany Lu Jiao, Lady Xu, and others as they headed toward Baohe Tang.

Lu Jiao was not dressed in men’s clothing this time, so no one in Baohe Tang knew that this beautiful and charming woman was the miraculous physician, Dr. Lu. The patients in the hall quietly received medical treatment.

Lu Jiao led Lady Xu, Uncle Xiao, Feng Zhi, and Ruan Zhu to the backyard.

Zhao Lingfeng had received a report from the staff inside the store and came to greet them.

“What brings you here?”

“I need someone to show me the fields I bought. I plan to discuss my plans with the tenant farmers.’

It was already September, and the early rice in the fields was almost ready for harvest. Once it was harvested, she would formally reclaim the land and start planting medicinal herbs.

Hearing Lu Jiao’s words, Zhao Lingfeng immediately said, “I’ll accompany you.”

Lu Jiao smiled, “Why don’t you send someone to guide me instead.”

Although Lu Jiao knew Zhao Lingfeng’s future identity and knew that he would become the emperor’s trusted aide, she didn’t change her attitude toward him. At present, they were collaborators.

Hearing her response, Zhao Lingfeng raised an eyebrow, “After looking at the fields, I can also go to the workshop nearby. Recently, because of the things your family encountered, you haven’t had the chance to visit the workshop.

The oil mill has already been set up. I had the craftsmen build the oil press machine according to your drawings. However, no one knows how to use the machine at the moment, so we need you to provide guidance.” Lu Jiao was pleasantly surprised by Zhao Lingfeng’s words.

“Great! After checking the fields, I’ll take a look at the oil press machine.”

The design she drew for the oil press machine was an old-style one, not the advanced type she wasn’t familiar with. Also, there was no electricity at this time, so she designed a semi-manual machine. The early stages of picking and sifting the beans will still need to be done manually. After that, for heating, charcoal was used, and for pressing the oil later on, a continuously rotating shaft was employed.

As for how well this machine would perform, Lu Jiao wasn’t entirely sure. Honestly, her familiarity with this semi-manual oil press machine came from her time living with relatives during her childhood. They used a similar oil press to extract oil, and she used to help them every day. As a result, she gained some understanding of its construction by observing it closely. Now, it was a great opportunity for her to put that knowledge to practical use..