Chapter 51: Buying a Shop and a House

Bai Mucheng never imagined that one day he would be rejected. Leaving aside his status, even his appearance was enough to make many young women swoon. Yet that fat man only glanced at him once, his eyes going wide, and then drugged him.

Undoubtedly, Bai Mucheng was proud, but after being rejected, he quickly reined in his emotions.

He said nonchalantly, “Hurry up. Soon they’ll realize and come after us.”

Then, he started running ahead, and Tian Mi had no choice but to follow. What did this person mean? Now that the hard work was done, was he trying to avoid responsibility?

After a night of fleeing through the dense forest, they finally escaped Qinghe County at dawn on the seventh day.

When entering the city, Tian Mi bid Bai Mucheng farewell, explaining that she hadn’t been home for many days and feared her family would worry, so she would return first.

Bai Mucheng nodded.

As he watched the back of this woman, whose radiance shone like the sun, his gaze dimmed.

Master Kongming had once said that his fateful connections were with those he could not refuse. Not to mention that fat man.

Tian Mi, who could refuse him, was probably someone he was destined not to be with!

It was indeed a twisted fate. To find her, only by breaking the curse could it be resolved. Bai Mucheng didn’t understand why, but after that moonlit encounter, his resentment toward her had diminished. However, he still wanted to give her a beating to vent his frustration. Why was it always him who ended up losing?

Tian Mi returned to the valley, which had changed considerably. Although the peaches and other fruits in the yard hadn’t ripened yet, they had grown large. Minghui and Xu Feiyan were holding their two children in the vegetable garden, where cucumbers, small tomatoes, peppers, and green beans were ready to eat.

They were delighted to see Tian Mi return and ran over.

Xu Feiyan said, “Sister Tian Mi, you’re finally back!”

Tian Mi happily took the little girl Tian Mei from her hands and kissed her round, chubby face.

“Little treasure, did you miss Mommy?”

Tian Mei opened her little mouth, babbling excitedly, her eyes full of sparkling stars. She really adored her.

Xu Feiyan added, “She missed you a lot when you first left. She cried whenever she didn’t see you, but she’s been better these last couple of days.”

Minghui also brought over Tian Lin. Tian Mi passed Tian Mei to Xu Feiyan and took Tian Lin in her arms, planting a kiss on him.

He smiled with his toothless mouth, looking absolutely adorable.

It was impossible not to love them. Seeing them made Tian Mi feel willing to do anything for them, not tiring at all.

Tian Mi said, “Qinghe County has been captured. In a few days, we can start planning the next steps.”

Minghui replied, “Everyone’s ready! The people of Fengqiu Village have already divided up the land, taking care of their fields. Those with spare time are going to gather herbs and wild mushrooms.”

After Bai Mucheng took control of the county government, Huang Yuanying and Zuo Zhengfeng reported the situation. The sudden loss of Qinghe County by Bai Dongyuan had left many things behind. They had seized a large amount of goods, but there wasn’t much cash. No one knew where Bai Dongyuan had hidden it.

Not long after, Yanzu returned with her horse, and Bai Mucheng’s horse arrived as well.

Thinking of Bai Mucheng, Tian Mi still felt a bit melancholy. She had finally suppressed her feelings for him, but he kept provoking her.

Too much!

Tian Mi remained rational. She didn’t want to get involved with someone of his status. It could lead to the loss of her baby, or even her life! No handsome man was worth more than her baby and her life.

Qinghe County had just been captured, and the city gates weren’t opening so quickly. Tian Mi stayed at home for several days, spending time with the children, and also went hunting in the mountains. She returned with some game and made several new dishes.

The vegetables were all ripe. While the watermelons hadn’t fully ripened, they had grown large. The small tomatoes and cucumbers were ready to pick. The only problem was the chili peppers. After tasting one, no one wanted to eat another. They suspected it might be poisonous.

Tian Mi spent the next few days cooking with the peppers, preparing several dishes for everyone.

To her surprise, the food from this era mostly consisted of boiled or raw dishes, but fortunately, they had cooked the green beans. Otherwise, they might have actually been toxic.

Tian Mi stir-fried the peppers with meat, using the onions, ginger, and garlic she had grown. She made several dishes, and everyone ate with such enthusiasm that they were sweating, not wanting to put down their chopsticks.

While eating, Tian Dabiao wiped his sweat and said, “Daughter, this dish is both hot and delicious!”

Tian Mi laughed, “Father, it’s not hot, it’s spicy!”

Tian Dabiao laughed heartily and said, “What you say is true, when the city gates of Qinghe County open, we should open a small restaurant. The business will definitely be good.”

He added, “Why settle for a small restaurant? Let’s open a big restaurant!”

Tian Mi’s grandmother, a meticulous person, had noticed the drastic changes in her granddaughter. Although the changes were shocking, she was relieved that they were for the better. Thank heavens she had changed for the better; it was truly a blessing from the ancestors. The old days, when she was simple-minded, had been worrisome.

Tian Mi rode her horse to Qinghe County, bringing Bai Mucheng’s horse with her. Since the city had been taken by surprise, there were still many of Bai Dongyuan’s people to be dealt with. Therefore, the city gates of Qinghe County couldn’t be opened immediately. Other people couldn’t enter, but Tian Mi was allowed through. She told the gatekeepers that she was Dr. Tian, and this horse belonged to Prince Ding, which she intended to return.

Not long after, the gate opened for her.

After handing over the horse to the guards at the county government for safekeeping, Tian Mi went to find Huang Yuanying, the person most familiar with Qinghe County.

When Huang Yuanying heard that Tian Mi was looking for him, he was so happy that he personally greeted her in the guest hall.

He smiled and asked, “Tian Mi, how have you been? How is the valley?”

Tian Mi replied, “Everything is fine!”

She then shared her reason for coming: “Are there any houses or shops for sale in Qinghe County? I want to buy some.”

Indeed, there were plenty.

After Bai Dongyuan forcibly seized many people’s properties, some of the original owners had survived, and those who didn’t were left with their properties unclaimed. These properties were confiscated by the government and would eventually be put up for sale, with prices falling within a certain range.

As long as it was within that range, it was fine.

Seeing that Tian Mi was interested in buying, Huang Yuanying asked his subordinates to bring the files. He noted down the locations and prices and offered to accompany her to look at the properties. He had been so busy lately that he could use a break, and it was a perfect opportunity to accompany Tian Mi.

Meanwhile, Bai Mucheng had heard that Tian Mi came to return his horse. He was still upset that she had rejected him earlier and had a cold look in his eyes. He was determined that when he saw her next, he would not be as friendly as before.

He continued with his official duties, trying not to show he was waiting for her, but after a long time, she still hadn’t appeared.

He asked Yu Qiu, “Where is my horse?”

Yu Qiu replied, “Your Highness, the horse was taken to the back yard. It’s definitely your horse.”

Bai Mucheng paused before asking, “Where is Dr. Tian?”

When Jin Mingwen handed over the horse to Bai Mucheng, he had indeed asked about her, since he had fought alongside Tian Mi and cared about her well-being.

Yu Qiu replied, “I heard from General Jin that she went to find Lord Huang.”

Bai Mucheng’s gaze turned even colder, and his fists unconsciously clenched.

Tian Mi and Huang Yuanying had visited many houses and shops, all of which were in prime locations. With each property, Huang Yuanying told her who had lived there before, what kind of business the shop had been used for, and how the potential business was. He provided very detailed descriptions and made sure to give her the lowest price in the price range.

Tian Mi immediately decided on six shops and three houses, all of which were conveniently located.

In this era, shops were valuable assets. Whether she rented them out or sold them in the future, she wouldn’t lose.

She took out a stack of silver notes from her purse and handed them to Huang Yuanying, asking him to help her complete the paperwork for the land deeds.

Seeing Tian Mi casually take out such a large amount of silver, Huang Yuanying was speechless. She kept so much silver in her purse so casually—she truly had a big heart.

Huang Yuanying personally handled the paperwork, and it was done very quickly.

Afterward, Tian Mi said her goodbyes and left. Huang Yuanying saw her off to the county gate and watched as she rode off on her horse.

As Tian Mi turned to look back after riding off, she unexpectedly ran into Bai Mucheng’s cold face.