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“So burying money can make more money grow?” Song Jingyun asked.
Jiang Mixia responded, “No…”
No, that wasn’t what she meant, although she wished it were true.
Song Jingyun clearly felt his words were off, scratching his head. “It seems wrong. I think you said that only seeds and such can grow, not other things.”
For instance, sticks can be planted, as can beans, apples, and various plants.
Things like benches, tables, or poultry and fish can’t be planted.
These copper coins are lifeless objects, so they couldn’t be planted.
Yet Jiang Mixia had said that the money inside the box would increase…
Song Jingyun felt confused.
“I just meant that we will earn more money in the future, so the money in this box will gradually increase,” Jiang Mixia explained.
“I see.” Song Jingyun suddenly understood. “Do you have a way to earn more money, then?”
Jiang Mixia replied, “I’m still thinking about it…”
“This way…”
After contemplating for a while, Song Jingyun spoke, “When I overheard Mother and Aunt talking, they mentioned that if we’re too busy, we could rent out our fields to others for cultivation and collect rent from them. We’d charge 20% for each acre. If we calculate based on one acre of land yielding about 300 kilograms of wheat and 500 kilograms of beans per year, we could potentially earn just under a couple of silver coins. That would amount to around 200 wen. If we had 100 acres of land, just from rent, we could earn 20 taels of silver each year. If we had 1,000 acres of land, we could earn 200 taels of silver. If we did nothing else in a year, we could lead a very comfortable life with 200 taels of silver. We could buy an acre of good farmland for 10 taels, or slightly lesser quality land for 8 taels. After selling tea and other produce at the market, we could probably earn close to a tael of silver in a month. With the living expenses deducted, we could save enough to buy two acres of land in about three months. At this rate, we could acquire eight acres of land in a year. By continuously renting out this land, along with our regular earnings… I estimate that in about 70 to 80 years at the slowest, and 50 to 60 years at the fastest, our family could have 1,000 acres of land.”
Jiang Mixia patted Song Jingyun’s shoulder and said softly, “You’re good at math. You’ve calculated it well.”
“Not bad,” Song Jingyun chuckled. “I’ve been learning some math from my older brother recently, and he says I’m picking it up quickly.”
“You’re learning fast. But let’s not calculate next time. Let’s go to sleep,” Jiang Mixia said.
Song Jingyun, in the silence of the late night, couldn’t resist reaching out and tapping Jiang Mixia’s arm. “Was my calculation wrong?”
Jiang Mixia responded with a question, “How long can people from your planet live?”
“Our average lifespan is around 600 years, with the longest living up to 700 or 800 years,” Song Jingyun replied.
Jiang Mixia realized her mistake and quickly interjected, “Never mind!”
In the following days, Song Jingyun felt a bit down. He hadn’t noticed before that the average lifespan here was so short, just one-tenth of his people’s average.
This meant that his plans to buy land and collect rent couldn’t be realized. Moreover, with such a short lifespan, the amount of food he could enjoy was limited, unlike the wide variety Jiang Mixia had said existed in this world.
Oh no, he definitely won’t be able to taste everything.
As Song Jingyun dwelled on this, he felt incredibly disheartened.
Noticing the absence of a smile on her husband’s face, Jiang Mixia assumed he was troubled by the concept of aging and death.
With such a short lifespan, it must be very difficult for her extraterrestrial husband to adjust.
It was probably as incomprehensible to him as the concept of aging and death is to a child.
After much contemplation, Jiang Mixia decided to take Song Jingyun to the riverside to relax and possibly lift his spirits by watching the fishing and clam gathering activities.
Initially disinterested, Song Jingyun’s mood brightened when Liu Shi mentioned that if they caught any fish, she could make a tomato fish dish.
Tomatoes were tangy and sweet, delicious whether eaten raw, cooked, or made into soup. Fish, on the other hand, could be prepared in various ways. Combining these two would surely result in an incredibly tasty dish.
Song Jingyun perked up, grabbed a fishing spear, and carried a bamboo basket as he followed Jiang Mixia out of the house.
It was the peak of summer in July, and the weather was scorching hot.
While farm work was not feasible at this time, the rural women remained busy, gathering in small groups to engage in needlework and chat.
In front of Zhang’s house, there were two large poplar trees providing a vast, shaded area, where a few women had assembled.
“I’m telling you all, there’s something definitely not right with Jiang Youcheng’s family. You ought to keep your distance from them in the future and avoid getting mixed up with their dirty business,” Zhang remarked as she cleaned the soles of her shoes.
“But I haven’t heard anything about any recent trouble in their family,” one of the women responded.
“Neither have I.”
Seeing that the other women didn’t continue discussing her topic, Zhang sneered inwardly, but maintained her composure. “They’re getting their hands dirty in other people’s affairs. Of course, they’re fine. Just take my family, for instance. My son, Chunhe, used to go hunting in the mountains without fail. Ever since he had an argument with that wretched Jiang Mixia, he hasn’t caught a thing in the mountains. It’s like he’s been cursed, isn’t it?”
“Could it be that your son, Chunhe, has just had a stroke of bad luck? I saw Aunt Zhao praying at home the other day, muttering about blessings for Jiang Youcheng’s family, and she mentioned that ever since they’ve been associated with them, their wild ducks have been laying eggs non-stop. They can’t eat them all and end up selling the surplus for soy sauce and vinegar money.”
“Now that you mention it, I’ve noticed Sun shi always looking very cheerful lately. I’ve heard that when they lower their shrimp baskets into the river, they always come up full. Others do the same, but they don’t have as much luck as her.”
“Right, the Jiang family said they’ve been picking wild peaches, big and sweet ones, one after another. They can’t even pick them all. I’ve heard that the families who helped build Jiang Youcheng’s house have been experiencing good luck. They say their family is so fortunate that the blessings overflow to others.”
“That’s true. I’ve heard the same. As for my family, everything seems to have been going smoothly lately. I’m not sure if it’s related to this.”
“If everyone feels that Jiang Youcheng’s family is blessed and prosperous, then why do you say they’re involved in dirty business?”