Chapter 483: Cooperation Offer ( 3 )

Noticing Bai Yunxiao’s doubts and suspicions, Yao Zhi said, "Although this project benefits my family, it benefits the Marquis and his people even more."

"From a rough calculation, this project will increase commerce tax revenue by at least 30%. This does not include other taxes."

"After taking a sip of her tea, she continued, "Since my family is providing the materials, we want 15% of the commerce tax for twenty years."

Bai Yunxiao frowned when he heard this. He thought for a long time before saying, "Madam Hu, I can’t make this decision by myself. I will report this matter to the Marquis."

"Very well," Yao Zhi nodded. Standing up, she added, "Then I will wait for Prefectural Commander Bai’s good news. Farewell."

As soon as she finished speaking, she nodded to him and left with her servants.

Bai Yunxiao stood up and cupped his fists as he said, "Walk slowly, Madam Hu."

After leaving the southern outskirts, Yao Zhi went to the western outskirts.

It had been two weeks since her estate project started. With a total workforce of more than 117,000 people, the progress was exceptionally fast.

When she arrived at the western outskirts, Yao Zhi could see the wall surrounding her estate from afar. Besides the estate wall, the road had already been built.

The road was built using permeable interlocking concrete pavers. The solid concrete blocks were laid in patterned grids, and the spaces between the blocks were filled with small crushed stones.

This material and patterned layout allowed rainwater to drain through the gaps and naturally recharge nearby underground water supplies.

Besides that, roads built using this method and these materials were strong enough to support heavy vehicle traffic in the modern era.

Since the vehicles in this era were not as heavy as those in the modern era, the road was strong enough even for military use.

Thanks to the smooth road, the horse carriage was not as bumpy as usual.

Twenty minutes later, the horse carriage finally stopped not far from the estate’s main gate.

The moment the soldiers saw the emblem on the carriage, one of them quickly went to inform their squad leader, while another walked over.

Cupping his fists, he said, "Greetings, Madam Hu."

Yao Zhi got down from the carriage with the help of Kui Baiyi. Raising her head, she asked, "Is Battalion Commander Fu here?"

Hearing this, the guard nodded and replied, "Battalion Commander Fu arrived not long ago."

Yao Zhi nodded and glanced at Kui Baiyi.

Receiving her signal, the puppet opened the bamboo basket and handed him a handful of strawberries.

These strawberries were taken from Yao Zhi’s system orchard. Each strawberry was bright red, juicy, and very sweet. They were about twice the size of ordinary strawberries. A handful consisted of only three pieces at most.

This was not the first time the guards had received food or drinks from the Lei family, so they no longer refused this small gift.

While Yao Zhi checked the progress of the work near the entrance, Fu Chen’an received the report about his wife’s visit.

The moment he heard that his wife had come to see him, he dropped what he was doing, mounted his horse, and galloped toward the entrance.

Although he often met his wife inside the shared manor, the time they spent together was limited. Being able to see her more could be considered a pleasant surprise for him.

When Fu Chen’an found his wife, she was chatting with the soldiers who were responsible for supervising the farmland.

As soon as he saw his wife, he dismounted from his horse and walked toward her in large strides. When he was a few steps away from her, he took several deep breaths to control his emotions and called out, "Madam Hu."

The moment Yao Zhi heard her husband’s voice, her eyes lit up instantly. Turning around, she saw him covered in dirt and dust.

At this moment, he was no different from the soldiers and workers. Despite his body odor and dirty appearance, she didn’t feel repulsed or disgusted at all. Instead, she found him charming in his armor.

’A hardworking man is the most handsome!’ she thought to herself.

With this thought, she took two steps closer and greeted him with a smile. "Battalion Commander Fu."

Hearing his wife’s soft and charming voice, Fu Chen’an had to take a sharp breath to suppress his impulse to pull her into a kiss.

He let out a cough to cover his awkwardness and asked, "Madam Hu, what brought you here today?"

Yao Zhi knew that with their current identities, they had to keep their distance. So, with a wave of her hand, she took out more than 300 large vats of watermelon soup.

These watermelons were grown in her system’s orchard, so they contained a small amount of spiritual energy. The workers and soldiers had been working for more than ten hours a day under the sun.

Although they had entered the autumn season, the weather was still hot and dry. To keep everyone from getting sick, she often sent juice, fruit, or soup to help them cool down.

The watermelon soup was made from watermelon with some lemon juice, chopped fresh mint, and honey, making it refreshing and sweet.

"Battalion Commander Fu, I came to send some fruit soup for everyone to cool down the heat," she replied.

Seeing that his wife had come to deliver soup again, Fu Chen’an smiled and leaned closer to her.

"Wife, the weather is still hot. You don’t need to come here personally. Just leave the drinks in the shared manor next time," he said in a low voice.

Yao Zhi understood her husband’s concern. But as the estate owner, she still had to come and understand the project’s progress. Therefore, besides visiting her husband, she also came to check on the project’s progress today.

"Husband, I miss you, so I came to see you. Besides, I need to see if there is anything you need or if the project lacks anything," she replied softly.

Hearing his wife’s words, Fu Chen’an sighed and could only shake his head helplessly.

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