Cherry Miller put on a look of envy and said, "Too bad my brother doesn't have that kind of talent. All he can do is stay home and farm."
"Hey, being able to farm well is a blessing too. I heard the Zhang Family has been buying more and more grain these past two years!" Mrs. Liu said. "They used to only buy new grain for a month, but this year they're even taking the old grain! My in-laws go up the mountain to open up new fields whenever they get the chance, hoping to grow more crops this year and make a little extra money for the household. It's a good thing!"
Cherry Miller's brows furrowed slightly. "Why is the Zhang Family collecting so much grain this year?"
"Who knows? Anyway, it's a good thing!" Mrs. Liu said. "Here in Six Saints Town, we don't have any land tax. Any land you clear is yours, and whatever you grow is yours, too. Used to be, all our farmland was just at the foot of the mountain, but now we've opened up several hills nearby."
A trace of worry flashed in Cherry Miller's eyes. She asked, "How many years have these lands been cultivated?"
"Oh, it's been nearly two hundred years, I think?" Mrs. Liu recalled. "I remember my mother-in-law saying our family’s mountain plot has been passed down for generations. At first, it was just our family with a patch of land for sweet potatoes and beans. Then more and more people started clearing the mountains, until the whole hillside was turned into farmland. Good thing we have so much land—otherwise, how could we feed so many people? Your family doesn’t have a lot of people, right? Mine’s huge! Counting from my in-laws’ generation to my son's, we've got over fifty people!"
Cherry Miller looked utterly shocked.
That's practically a baby-making machine!
Is that a whole army or what?
"People in Six Saints Town are easy to feed. As long as there's food, we survive." Mrs. Liu must've felt a connection with Cherry Miller, because once she started talking, she couldn't stop. "My mom said that back then, Six Saints Town only had a few dozen people. Now we've grown into more than a dozen villages."
"A dozen villages?" Cherry Miller's eyes flashed with surprise. Wasn't she told there were only a few villages?
"Yep, some villages are remote and far away—you might not know about them." Mrs. Liu replied. "My family’s from the other side of the mountain, and it’s dozens of miles from town."
Cherry Miller couldn't help but ask, "So how many people live in Six Saints Town altogether?"
"Who knows?" Mrs. Liu said. "There’s gotta be seven or eight thousand people, at least."
Cherry Miller didn’t show any surprise, just acted casual. "But it doesn’t look that crowded to me."
"Oh, that’s because a lot of people went to the Zhang Family’s mine and never came back." Mrs. Liu said. "Over the years, maybe one or two thousand have gone."
"Mining?" Cherry Miller’s eyes lit up.
"Yep... but don’t go spreading this around. I’m only telling you because we’re close." Mrs. Liu said. "I heard the Zhang Family found a mine, and every year they recruit a batch of people from nearby villages to dig. They pay a lot! My neighbor’s third son went mining—he brings home over twenty thousand yuan a year! Thanks to that money, their family built a big new house and even got his brother married. Life’s pretty sweet for them!"
"So Mrs. Liu, do you know what kind of mine they’re digging?" Cherry Miller asked.
"No idea." Mrs. Liu said. "Never heard a word about it!"
Cherry Miller wanted to ask more, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone approaching and quickly changed the subject. "Mrs. Liu, what's your specialty dish? We shouldn't make the same thing, since the family kept both of us. Let's work together and see if we can stay here long-term."
Mrs. Liu didn't think much of it and went along with Cherry Miller's topic. "I'm best at making pastries—steamed buns, flower rolls, baked flatbreads, you name it."
"Really? That's perfect! I'm good at cooking dishes, so we make a great team." Cherry Miller said. "When you have time, let me try your cooking, and we can learn from each other. My name's Kara King, my husband's surname is Gu, but you can just call me Cherry."
"Alright, Cherry, we're both new here, so the old hands will probably push us around. Let's stick together!" Mrs. Liu said happily.
"You two—" The butler called out from a distance, pointing at Kara King and Mrs. Liu. "Come meet the young master."
"Yes." Kara King and Mrs. Liu hurried after him, turning through a corridor and passing two courtyards before reaching Nicholas Zhang’s residence.
As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, Kara King saw a young man in a pale blue robe sitting in the main hall, reading a book.
The head butler went over and announced their arrival, and the man looked up, his gaze landing right on Kara King.
"Don’t just stand there—greet the young master." the head butler reminded.
Kara King and Mrs. Liu hurried forward and bowed. "Greetings, Young Master."
Nicholas Zhang nodded and said, "Since you've been kept on, do your job well. Say what needs to be said, and keep quiet about the rest."
"Yes, sir."
Nicholas Zhang glanced at Mrs. Liu and said, "You may go."
Mrs. Liu was briefly stunned, but the head butler quickly led her away.
Kara King's eyes flickered slightly. Did Nicholas Zhang sense something off about her?
"What's your name?" Nicholas Zhang asked.
"My husband's surname is Gu," Kara King replied.
"I asked for your name," Nicholas Zhang said, slightly annoyed.
"My name is Kara King," she answered softly.
"You're married already? When did you get married?" Nicholas Zhang asked again.
"Half a year ago," Kara King's eyes flickered. She couldn't shake the feeling that Nicholas Zhang's attention was... a little different.
Could he be starting to suspect her true identity?
Nicholas Zhang just grunted and said nothing more, lowering his head to read again.
Kara King stood there, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Just as Kara King hesitated, Nicholas Zhang spoke up: "Pour some tea."
Kara King was caught off guard. She glanced around the room, saw no one else, and realized he was talking to her.
She almost wanted to say, 'I'm a cook, not a maid.'
But then she remembered—Nicholas Zhang was competing with Zachary Zhang for the right to leave town, wasn't he?
Wasn't this the perfect chance to get close to the Zhang Family?
Maybe Nicholas Zhang himself was the breakthrough she needed.
Kara King immediately turned, picked up the teapot, and elegantly poured him a cup of tea.
Nicholas Zhang kept his eyes on the book, but his attention was still fixed on Kara King.
He could tell, even without looking, that Kara King's movements while pouring tea were as smooth as flowing water—truly a pleasure to watch.
Who would've thought a country girl could have such elegance? What a surprise.
Too bad she's already married.
Still, being married probably means she's more sensible.
Not like I plan to marry her anyway—just a little fun wouldn't hurt.
"Young Master, please enjoy your tea." Kara King set the cup on the table, stepped back two paces, and prepared to leave.
Nicholas Zhang suddenly spoke again: "Isn't it a bit beneath you to be just a cook?"
Kara King froze, not quite understanding what Nicholas Zhang meant.
Seeing Kara King remain silent, Nicholas Zhang finally looked up at her and said, "Come work in my residence. I have a small kitchen there—my meals are your responsibility now."
Kara King was stunned.
What was that supposed to mean?
"Relax, I won’t let your talent go to waste." Nicholas Zhang said with a proud look. "Go get ready. You’ll be moving in today."
It wasn’t until the butler came to congratulate Kara King that she finally realized—Nicholas Zhang had taken a liking to her.
Kara King almost laughed out loud from sheer disbelief.
She’d been going around as a married woman, and someone still managed to fall for her?
Well, that figures.
Six Saints Town isn’t bound by outside laws at all.
Here, the Zhang Family is the law—they make the rules.
Doesn't matter if you're married, or even have kids—if they take a fancy to you, you’ll still end up getting picked, and you’re supposed to be happy about it.
Kara King almost couldn’t resist going back and smashing Nicholas Zhang’s stupid head in.
But for the mission, she held back.
Actually, moving into Nicholas Zhang’s place might be a good thing—she could pick up some inside information.
Let him act smug for a few days!
"Sister Kara, this is your room. Besides preparing three meals a day, you’ll also need to take care of the Young Master’s tea and snacks." A young girl in a pink, fitted brocade jacket and a light purple skirt, her hair styled in twin buns, entered carrying a stack of clothes. "These are your supplies."
Kara King glanced at her and said, "I’m just here to cook."
"Sister Kara, don’t be ungrateful," Sherry lifted her chin and said. "The Young Master is going to inherit the Zhang Family."
Kara King was speechless.
"My name is Sherry. I live next door. If you need anything, just call me." With that, Sherry put down the things and left.
Kara King shook her head. In this world, there really aren't many people who dare treat her like a maid.
Nicholas Zhang, you’ve got guts.
Resigned, Kara King changed into the provided clothes. She opened a box of face powder on the table, sniffed it, and confirmed it was a generic bottle of foundation from the outside world—nothing special.
But here, it was probably expensive.
Heh, women’s money is always the easiest to make.
Kara King didn’t use the Zhang Family’s foundation. She had no intention of charming Nicholas Zhang with her looks, so she went to the kitchen bare-faced and got to work.
"Sister Kara." Sherry showed up again and said, "Tonight the Young Master will dine with the Master. After you finish, pack the food in a box and deliver it to the Master’s residence."
"The Master?" Kara King quickly realized she meant the eldest son of the Zhang Family. "Alright, I’ll get it ready."
The Zhang Family’s eldest son, as the firstborn, had lost the freedom to leave Six Saints Town. For the past twenty years, he must’ve been quite bitter about it.
That’s why he was having his son compete with Zachary Zhang for the right to go out this year.
So even members of the Zhang Family aren’t free to come and go as they please.
Otherwise, why would they be fighting so fiercely over a single spot?
What exactly is it that’s restricting their freedom?