“This, well, I still hope you both will think it through carefully,” Uncle Lizheng advised. “This is a huge sum of money. Once the bow is drawn, there’s no turning back. Once you sign the land contract, there’s no way out.”

“Yes, I understand. Today, I’ll check the soil there. If it’s suitable, I’ll buy it all at once.”

Hearing this, Zhang Wenyuan still couldn’t relax his furrowed brows.

He truly couldn’t understand—what use could such low-grade land have?

And they weren’t just buying a small portion; it was over a hundred acres! If things didn’t go as planned, that would mean losing over a hundred taels of silver.

For an average household, that was an amount they might never earn in a lifetime.

Jian Xiu naturally knew what Zhang Wenyuan was thinking, but she wouldn’t reveal her plans before putting them into practice.

It was early spring. If she planted ginger now, it would still be in time.

“Uncle Lizheng, is it up ahead?” Zhang Zixuan stopped the carriage and asked Zhang Wenyuan.

Hearing this, Zhang Wenyuan stuck his head out of the carriage, took a glance at the mountainous land ahead, and said:

“Yes, yes! That’s the place!”

After speaking, he glanced at the two of them before continuing:

“Go ahead and take a look. If you truly want to buy it all, I’ll ask Landowner Fang to see what he says.”

“Really?”

“Of course. From what I can tell, Landowner Fang is eager to sell. Now that spring has begun, even fewer people are interested in buying land. Since you’re asking, he might be willing to lower the price a bit.”

“Also, look over there—he even built several houses. The tenants you hire can live in them. See that whole row?”

Following Zhang Wenyuan’s finger, they saw that the row of houses was actually quite decent.

Jumping off the carriage, Zhang Zixuan led Jian Xiu inside.

The land was currently unused, but traces of past farming could still be seen.

At least it wasn’t barren wasteland.

As soon as she entered, Jian Xiu crouched down, scooped up a handful of soil, and held it in her palm.

The soil contained sand, but for her, this was just right for growing ginger.

Moreover, the soil wasn’t extremely barren—it even had a slightly dark color.

All things considered, this land suited her needs perfectly.

“There’s more over there. Let’s take a look!” Zhang Zixuan pointed to an open area at the foot of the mountain.

“It’s that big?” Jian Xiu widened her eyes in surprise.

“Ninety-one acres. Of course, it’s big!”

“Let’s go, then!”

If it was such a large area, she really needed to consider whether she should take it all.

She couldn’t possibly plant ginger across all ninety acres.

She was worried she wouldn’t be able to sell it all in time, which would cause problems.

But when she reached the plot and saw the land, she decided instantly—she would buy it all.

Why? Because Coco had just told her that the soil was perfect for planting Smilax glabra (Tufuling).

“Have you thought about what to plant?” Zhang Zixuan asked.

“All medicinal herbs. This soil is perfect for Smilax glabra.”

“Smilax glabra? Do you know how to grow it?”

“I do!” Jian Xiu answered without hesitation.

Even if she didn’t, Coco did.

If Coco hadn’t been certain, it wouldn’t have reminded her in the first place.

Before long, Zhang Wenyuan hurried over, followed by a plump middle-aged man in his forties.

This must be Landowner Fang, whom Zhang Wenyuan had mentioned.

“So, you two want to buy this land?” As soon as he approached, Landowner Fang asked Zhang Zixuan.

“Yes, we do.”

“Well, if you’re serious, I can take you around. But honestly, there’s not much to see—it’s all right here. You’ve pretty much seen everything at a glance.”

“To be frank, I’m in a hurry to take my family to the capital. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be selling this land at all,” Landowner Fang admitted.

Hearing this, Zhang Zixuan and Jian Xiu both nodded in understanding.

Large plots of land were usually sold because the owners were relocating or urgently needed silver.

“Did you see that area? There’s a small reservoir over there. Water flows into it regularly!” Landowner Fang pointed to Zhang Zixuan’s right.

“Really? We haven’t seen it yet. Should we check it out?”

Zhang Zixuan looked at Jian Xiu as he asked.

Seeing this, Landowner Fang immediately realized—the one making the final decision wasn’t the man, but the woman.

At first glance, he had already thought this woman was unusual.

She had a calm and composed aura, yet beneath that calmness, there was an unmistakable determination.

If it weren’t for her simple farmer’s attire, he would have suspected she wasn’t a village woman at all.

“Alright, let’s take a look,” Jian Xiu nodded.

Hearing this, Landowner Fang said politely, “Please, after you, madam.”

“Thank you, Landowner Fang.”

With that, the group made their way to the water reservoir.

It had to be said—this reservoir was the perfect addition.

“What do you think? Are you satisfied, madam?” Landowner Fang asked again.

However, instead of answering right away, Jian Xiu gazed at the water, lost in thought.

So he waited patiently without interrupting her.

“Landowner Fang, do you know where this water comes from?”

“Good question. I only know that it flows down from the mountain and gradually collects here. See over there? I even had a small channel dug.”

Following his finger, Jian Xiu noticed a small stream flowing down the mountain.

“But don’t worry, madam. This water source has never run dry for years. It consistently maintains this flow, and it has never harmed crops.”

Seeing that Jian Xiu still didn’t respond, Landowner Fang added:

“If you’re concerned, you can follow the stream up the mountain to check. But I believe it originates from deep within the mountains.”

“That seems likely,” Jian Xiu nodded.

Actually, the water source didn’t matter much to her.

Besides, as Landowner Fang mentioned, the reservoir would make irrigation much easier.

Finally, after some negotiation, they secured the land for 1.4 taels per acre.

Not only that, but they also got the entire row of houses included in the deal.

Zhang Zixuan and Jian Xiu were very satisfied with the price.

Only Lizheng , Zhang Wenyuan still looked troubled.