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Chapter 5: Settling Down
Lin Qing swiftly treated Zhou Tong’s wound. Ideally, it needed stitching, but given the lack of proper equipment, stitching could increase the risk of infection. She had no choice but to stop the bleeding and bandage it as best she could.
While Lin Qing was dressing the wound, people from the county office arrived.
A group of them knelt with their fists clasped, apologizing profusely, “Milord, we are late. Please punish us for your suffering!”
“It’s fine. Lin Nuo saved me, and I’m out of danger now. Let’s go,” Zhou Tong replied weakly.
With nowhere else to go, Lin Qing and Lin Hao followed them back to the county office.
Five Days Later
Lin Qing and Lin Hao settled in a small mountain village under Lihua County called Peach Blossom Village. Their household registration was officially updated to reflect their new identities: Lin Nuo and Lin Lei. Wanting to conceal their past, Zhou Tong arranged for them to be introduced as the niece and nephew of the village chief, Li You, who had fled to the village due to hard times.
The siblings now lived in a small house allocated by the village chief. It was modest, but it provided a place to settle down while they slowly planned to build a proper home.
Although Lin Qing was skilled in medicine, she couldn’t reveal this talent openly. Instead, she decided to buy land and plant crops to live a quiet and self-sufficient life.
Their neighbors were a family of three: Li Da, his wife Shen Shi, and their seven-year-old son, nicknamed Gouzi. Shen Shi was a warm and caring woman who often looked after the siblings. The two children, Lin Hao and Gouzi, quickly became inseparable, strengthening the bond between the two families.
One day, Shen Shi knocked on Lin Qing’s door, calling, “Lin Nuo, are you home?”
“Yes, Sister Shen, I’m here. Do you need something?” Lin Qing responded, opening the door and inviting her in.
“I have news about the land you asked me to inquire about,” Shen Shi said, stepping inside. “The Yang family at the edge of the village is selling some land. Their eldest son gambled away a fortune, and now debt collectors are threatening to break his legs if they don’t pay up. They have no choice but to sell their land.”
“Do they have much to sell? I’d like to buy seven or eight acres of paddy fields and a few acres of dry land,” Lin Qing said, pulling Shen Shi to sit down.
“They do. The Yang family owns the most land in Peach Blossom Village. They were small landlords before, but the family split up among brothers, and now they’ve fallen on hard times,” Shen Shi explained with a sigh.
“Let’s go and have a look right away, Sister Shen. If they’re desperate, the price might be low,” Lin Qing said, rising to her feet.
The two women headed out to negotiate the purchase.
By the end of the day, Lin Qing had acquired seven acres of paddy fields and ten acres of dry land at a bargain price: five taels of silver per acre for the paddy fields and three taels per acre for the dry land, totaling 65 taels.
On their way back, they stopped by the village registrar’s house to handle the necessary paperwork and update the property deed.
Later, Lin Qing invited Shen Shi and her family, along with the village chief and registrar, to dinner as a gesture of gratitude for their help.
“Sister Shen, come over this evening for a meal. We’ve been here a few days now but haven’t had the chance to thank you properly. I’ve also invited the village chief and registrar. Let’s all eat together,” Lin Qing said warmly.
“Sure, I’ll come by later to help you prepare,” Shen Shi replied, equally warm and enthusiastic.
Lin Qing had stocked up on ingredients during a trip to the town a few days ago. She planned to make sweet and sour ribs, steamed pork with rice flour, stir-fried pork, and sour fish stew. However, since Lin Hao was sharp and observant, she avoided taking fish from her space and instead decided to catch some in the nearby river.
She grabbed a basket and headed out. On her way, she encountered Lin Hao and Gouzi.
Lin Hao spotted her from afar and ran up, his chubby face radiant with health and excitement. “Sister! Where are you going? I want to come too!” he said, clinging to her leg.
Gouzi chimed in eagerly, “Lin Sister, take us with you! We promise not to cause trouble.”
Faced with their pleading eyes, Lin Qing couldn’t refuse. “Alright, I’m going to the river to catch fish for tonight’s sour fish stew. You can come, but don’t go into the water, okay?”
Gouzi scrunched up his nose at the mention of fish. “Sister Lin, fish is smelly and gross. You can’t eat that!”
“Don’t worry. I have a way to make it delicious. You’ll love it once you try,” Lin Qing replied, teasingly tweaking his nose. Holding their hands, she led the two children to the river.
The river wasn’t deep, but Lin Qing remained cautious, instructing the children to stay by the shore while she gathered earthworms for bait. Before long, her basket held three large fish, each weighing three to four pounds, along with some small shrimp.
Satisfied with the catch, she headed home to start preparing dinner.
Back home, Lin Qing got to work in the kitchen. While rice steamed on one stove, she began cooking on the other. She skillfully filleted the fish into thin slices, marinated the fish head and meat, and started on the sweet and sour ribs.
When Shen Shi arrived and saw Lin Qing generously scooping sugar into the pan for the ribs, she was astonished. In this era, sugar was a luxury, and most people had never used it in cooking. Doubts swirled in her mind about how it would taste, but she kept quiet and focused on tending the fire.
By evening, the enticing aroma of the food filled the air, promising a memorable feast.
nacion[Translator]
Hiii!!