Chapter Ninety-Five: Picnic

When the Ninth Prince, Li Yonghe, finally realized that his royal uncle had noticed him, he was just about to rise and offer Li Zheng a salute, but Li Zheng only waved him off.

Lin Miaomiao glanced at Li Zheng and said, “I plan to spend the next couple of days inspecting the lands left by Li Yanhe and see whether we can set up a horse farm or something there.”

Li Zheng said, “I already have a horse farm. Yours could never be better than mine.”

Hearing that, Lin Miaomiao let out a sigh. “Fine, I understand. Let’s go eat.” As she spoke, she walked ahead.

Seeing Lin Miaomiao stride off like that, Li Yonghe could not help but think that she truly was an amusing person.

While Lin Miaomiao and Li Zheng were talking, they arrived at the dining hall together. The Seventh Prince, Li Yankang, seeing the Ninth Prince Li Yonghe following at Li Zheng’s side, glanced at him and said, “Ninth Brother, so you really did slip away.”

Li Yonghe curved his lips into a graceful smile and said to Li Yankang, “Brother Emperor, you must not unjustly accuse your younger brother.”

“Your younger brother only happened to run into County Princess Anping and exchange a few words with her. By then, you were already finishing your discussion of court affairs.”

At that, Li Yankang burst into laughter. Smiling, Lin Miaomiao took a seat beside Li Yanhe.

By afternoon, Li Yanhe had also finished his affairs. Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe took Lin Langluan and Lin Langze and toured the shops that Lin Miaomiao had selected.

After making her decision, Lin Miaomiao said to the shopkeeper, “That shop is a little too far off. It would be better to renovate this one and sell food here instead.”

After she finished speaking, Zhao Mammy behind her signaled Chunhua and the others to bring out the braised stew Lin Miaomiao had made. The moment the dish was set down, everyone’s nostrils twitched at the fragrance.

Lin Miaomiao looked at the shop assistants and said, “In a few days, Chunhua and the others will teach you how to make this braised stew. But I have one rule.”

“Anyone who learns to make it must sign a contract. It is called a confidentiality agreement. Once you sign it, you may never reveal the recipe to anyone.”

After Lin Miaomiao finished speaking, every assistant standing there wanted to be chosen for the training. After all, if they were noticed by their master, they could rise to prominence in a single step.

Once Lin Miaomiao had reviewed the assistants and had them all sign the confidentiality agreement, she looked at Chunhua behind her and said, “Teach them how to make it over the next few days.”

Hearing this, Chunhua curtseyed to Lin Miaomiao and said, “Understood, Your Grace.”

After Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe left the shop, Lin Miaomiao went to another poorly managed store. It had once sold cloth.

Oddly enough, business there had never been very good, perhaps because the storefront was too small. Lin Miaomiao looked around the place.

Seeing that its location was quite decent, she said to the shop owner, “Renovate this shop.”

“Change the signboard to match this sketch of mine. Then remodel the interior and turn it into a shop that sells food.”

After looking over the place, Lin Miaomiao already had a plan in mind. She felt it would be perfect for a modern milk-tea shop.

A place that sold milk tea, drinks, and a few delicate, delicious snacks and cakes.

After Lin Miaomiao finished transforming these shops, every store under Li Yanhe’s estate would be under her management, and whenever she introduced something new, people would be sent to teach it.

She said to the shopkeeper, “In the next two days, I’ll draw up some designs. Then you can have the place renovated according to them.”

When she finished, the shopkeeper nodded and saw her off.

Lin Miaomiao’s business was now more or less settled. She and Li Yanhe got into the carriage and took Lin Langluan and Lin Langze to see the estate Li Yanhe had outside the city.

Li Yanhe had a large tract of land on the outskirts of the capital, but it was not suited for growing crops, so it had long been left fallow.

When Lin Miaomiao and Li Yanhe arrived, she looked at the empty stretch of land before her. There was nothing there at all, only a few scattered trees taking root in the soil.

After measuring the ground with her eyes, she said to Li Yanhe, “What do you think of building a racetrack here?”

Suddenly, she thought of modern horse-racing grounds, and of racecourses.

After briefly explaining her plan to Li Yanhe, he felt it was feasible. Lin Miaomiao nodded and said, “Then I’ll try drawing up the plans later. Once the drawings are ready, you can just build it exactly as they show.”

Hearing her, Li Yanhe smiled and nodded, reaching out to pat her little head. “You truly are a born worrier.”

“You never seem to have a moment’s peace. Always fretting over this and worrying about that, and at such a young age, you already have so many things on your mind.”

Lin Miaomiao shot him an ungracious look. “And I wonder who it is I’m worrying for.”

At that, Li Yanhe could only shake his head with a smile. “All right, all right, I know. Thank you for your trouble, Your Grace.”

Lin Miaomiao looked at him with a pretty little curve of her lips. “At least you know it.”

After that, Li Yanhe had people move the picnic things from the carriage onto the grass. Lin Miaomiao sat on the lawn, watching Lin Langze and Lin Langluan run about flying kites.

She took out her drawing paper. In truth, she had already passed the age of running around flying kites herself, and she always had to find something to do.

Since she had nothing else on hand, she might as well sketch all of this down, so that when Lin Langluan and Lin Langze were grown, they could still look back on it.

Lin Miaomiao always prepared a special notebook for this purpose, one reserved entirely for drawing the happy moments when the two children went out to play.

Seeing her painting there, Li Yanhe could not help but smile warmly. He said to her, “I’ve never seen you draw a portrait of me.”

Hearing that, Lin Miaomiao sighed. “I’ll draw one in a bit.”

Li Yanhe sat there watching her paint, and he felt an unexpected sense of peace.

When Lin Miaomiao finished, she drew a portrait of Li Yanhe. He glanced at her sketchbook, smiled, and said nothing.