But the estate of their wealthy family had some experience, although the yield was not very good, the estate’s housekeeper and long-term workers were experienced.
They paid a high price to hire people to manage the estate, managing it similarly to other estates, which made some other estates laugh.
The highly paid housekeeper, whose salary for these one or two months was higher than others’, initially observed the other styles and successes with caution.
Later, seeing that this estate was managed just like theirs, with the same harvest but different salaries, other estate housekeepers and workers began to complain.
Being a wealthy family entailed more than just buying land, and not just one family would poach staff, yet they couldn’t achieve the same effect as Ye Manor.
Skepticism grew in their minds, and when they summoned the hired personnel for questioning, they all said that they operated according to an established method, using the same planting techniques, yet somehow, the Ye family’s estate had quicker plant growth and more abundant fruits and vegetables, and even fewer mosquitoes in the estate.
Their estates did not see such good harvests of fruits and vegetables, and the rice did not grow as lush, with more mosquitoes around.
The housekeeper felt deeply wronged by the blame, although he earned a higher salary here, the pressure was greater, and the work much harder than before.
It seemed that the work he did before as a long-term worker was less taxing than what he was doing now as a housekeeper, which not only involved his own duties, but he also had to perform the labor himself when he couldn’t get the long-term workers to cooperate.
At this moment, being called by the master to be rebuked, he felt an overwhelming pressure and found himself in a difficult position, without the privilege of returning to Ye Manor after leaving, as they were already blacklisted.
He became a traitor, betraying the master.
The men of those wealthy families who had bought estates shamelessly inquired about the planting techniques of Hongji and his father’s estate.
Hongji’s father smiled and shook his head, saying, "Look, I’m old now. Previously, when I was a farmer, I didn’t really manage the farmland. My son and I are carpenters by trade; we handed over the farmland management to the women at home. Honestly, our fields’ harvests weren’t very good either."
"Come on, old man, stop being modest. How could a farmer’s wife manage well?"
A middle-aged man from a wealthy family said.
"Men do the external work; women handle the internal matters. What could a woman do?"
Another elderly man commented, and some people nodded, sharing the belief that women were incapable of achieving much.
In their homes, women could only bear children and do some housework; regarding the cultivation of farmland, as men, the father and son were supposed to take charge.
Another young man from a wealthy family, recently married and not part of the tour of the Ye estate, listened to everyone talking and chimed in with his opinion, "You two must be joking, right? If you two are farmers and not managing the farmland but letting the women take charge, are you staying at home cooking and washing clothes?"
The young nobleman’s comment drew laughter from the other wealthy individuals.
They were not mocking the father and son, but felt that they were not being truthful, suspecting them of keeping their best experiences to themselves.
Hongji and his father felt so embarrassed by these remarks; they were telling the truth, and if others did not believe it, so be it.
It was embarrassing for them as men not managing the farmland and, having established the estate, letting the women manage it.
How his daughter-in-law managed the estate was also discussed by him; it had been a step-by-step, experimental process at first, initially fearing they might not do well and hesitating to buy more land.
However, he had not expected such success, with one estate earning money and gaining renown.
Now, the grand masters of these wealthy families were asking for their management experience, and when he told them, they did not believe him, assuming they were lying.
Being doubted was also shameful for them; just like he had said, they had really entrusted the farmland to the women, adhering to the belief that men handle external matters while women manage the internal ones, likely because his daughter-in-law was exceptionally capable.
Hongji’s father’s face turned red with embarrassment when questioned further. Initially, when he had married his wife, he not only had to do carpentry but also manage the farmland.
Later, when his children grew up a bit and his son joined him in carpentry, they still had to manage the farmland while working as carpenters.
Finally, after his son got married, they handed over the farmland management to the daughter-in-law.
And he and his son had stepped back from farming; previously, it didn’t seem like a big deal because many farm wives were managing the farmland.