Chapter 198

Shuiqing was very satisfied with the low-cost acquisition of a large batch of assets.

With a large family to support, the newly acquired hill would be put to good use, ensuring no one remained idle.

Ding Heli was quite worried.

The thought of having to process endless amounts of tuber fleeceflower in the future made him regret speaking up earlier.

Fan Damu had returned to the village mainly to sell his land and move his entire family to the city. With the land now sold, his wife, children, and elderly mother must have already packed their belongings, so there was no better time than the present to move. Fan Jin would drive the ox cart to give them a lift, and they would take the opportunity to transfer the land and forest ownership at the county office today.

Since the full amount of twenty-three taels of silver couldn’t be paid at once, Shuiqing paid a third upfront and signed a contract, agreeing to pay the rest upon completing the transfer at the county office in the afternoon.

Eager to receive the remaining silver, Fan Damu was very cooperative, boasting about his new position as a household servant of Magistrate Wu, ensuring that the officials at the county office would expedite their transaction.

Due to the unrest outside, they were worried about Fan Jin’s safety on the return journey, so Hu Wenhua and Ding Heli accompanied him.

Fan Jin first drove the ox cart to Fan Damu’s straw hut to help move things, while Hu Wenhua and Ding Heli waited at the village entrance.

Once Hu Wenhua and Ding Heli had walked away, Fan Damu turned to Fan Jin and earnestly advised, “Brother Jin, there’s an old saying: ‘If a woman rules the house, the roof will collapse!’ Your family is doing well now, but you can’t let your wife squander everything. I’m telling you this for your own good.”

He had noticed that it was Shuiqing who had handed over the silver, indicating that in his cousin’s household, both big and small matters, including finances, were managed by Shuiqing.

Fan Jin smiled faintly, his clear, dark eyes gazing at his cousin, his voice sincere, “Brother Damu, your wife doesn’t make any decisions at all. You are the absolute head of your household.”

Fan Damu’s face filled with pride, “Of course.”

His expression of pride gradually turned to a dark scowl.

His cousin, a scholar, was clearly speaking in riddles, implying that despite being the head of his household, he had ended up selling himself into servitude!

What an unyielding character.

Fan Damu, furious, flicked his sleeve and stormed off.

Fan Jin, as usual, drove the ox cart at a steady pace.

The July heat was intense, and Shuiqing had prepared a large pot of mung bean soup, soaking it in spring water to serve it cool and refreshing after lunch.

For lunch, they had a cooling dish of cold noodles.

Fresh cucumber shreds, crisp mung bean sprouts, crunchy peanuts, all mixed with homemade spicy chili oil, hot and bright red, making for a delicious and appetizing meal.

Qin Yilin ate a full bowl!

Ding Jiajia also finished a large bowl.

The others enjoyed it just as much.

Qin Yilin had been spending more and more time at Shuiqing’s place lately, ostensibly to help prepare medicinal herbs, but really to enjoy the food. She felt truly rejuvenated now!

The food here was even better than what she had in the Ding family’s mansion in Jinling City, and she was extremely satisfied.

“Life is all about eating and drinking,” she thought, realizing how true it was. What had she been eating before? Pig slop?

She felt guilty for making her precious daughter suffer along with her.

Qin Yilin glanced at Jiang, He, Hu again, feeling they was still too young…

Shuiqing focused on cooking, leaving the cleaning and tidying up to others. With Fan Jin away in the afternoon, she planned to check on the academic progress of Yan Qiuxing and Zhaodi.

No matter where you are, it’s important to keep improving yourself.

The three young girls cherished the opportunity to learn, studying diligently and practicing their writing.

Especially Zhao Di, who, in less than a month, had learned to recognize many basic characters and write them. Although her writing wasn’t as steady and beautiful as Yan Qiu’s, it was quite decent.

The little girl was very earnest, like a dry sponge absorbing water, or like grass in a crack, striving to grow with just a little bit of sunlight and rain.

Shuiqing was very pleased.

It’s not scary if a child wants to learn; it’s scary if they don’t.

A hardworking, diligent, and motivated little girl like Zhao Di would be a precious treasure if she were born into a family in China. Many parents would cherish her dearly.

Fan Zhaodi’s eyes sparkled with admiration as she looked at Shuiqing, holding her booklet obediently, waiting her turn behind her two sisters.

Shuiqing reached out to take the booklet from Fan Zhaodi when a thunderous knocking sounded at the gate of the courtyard. It was more like pounding than knocking. The loud bangs were anything but polite.

Yan Qiu and the others furrowed their brows simultaneously. Who would come at this scorching time of day? And this knocking was far from courteous, even the villagers of Shanshui Village wouldn’t be so rude.

Fan Jiang and Fan He, who lived closest to the gate, ran to inquire. Fan He quickly ran towards Yan Qiu’s room after getting an answer. Meanwhile, Butcher Hu, Ling Ran, and Bai Ziqian also stepped out and looked towards the gate.

Fan Jiang waited for a while before opening the door.

“Mom, big sister, quickly get little sister into bed, uncle is here!” Fan He urgently said as he entered the room, hastening Fan Zhaodi to lie down and pretend her leg was still injured.

Yan Qiu and Xinghui were equally anxious, one lifting the quilt and the other placing a pillow at the head of the bed. After a month of living together, they had developed a deep bond and didn’t want Fan Zhaodi to return and endure the household chores and verbal abuse.

Fan Jiang opened the gate, revealing Fan Qian and two thin elderly men.

“Seeing your uncles and not greeting them? No manners!” The older uncle scolded, glaring at Fan Jiang.

The younger uncle started inspecting the place, clicking his tongue in disapproval.

Fan Jiang stepped aside, looking at his uncle and the two other men. He felt they were familiar but couldn’t quite place them.

After scolding Fan Jiang, the older uncle began scrutinizing the courtyard. He was stunned by what he saw.

Three bright and spacious main rooms, with two smaller rooms on either side. The smaller rooms alone were likely bigger than his family’s main hall! On both sides were three-room wings, each side more spacious and better than his entire house.

Entering the courtyard, he saw five broad, neatly arranged main rooms. If his family had this many rooms, every child and grandchild would have a separate room. Additionally, the rooms were connected by covered walkways, protecting them from rain and sun. Every room was made of green bricks with gray tiles, even the firewood room.

Even the ground was paved with rough bricks and blue stone slabs, a real waste of good materials. Their homes didn’t even have rough bricks and blue stone slabs, yet Fan Jin had used them for his courtyard!

The older uncle’s face darkened as he glanced at Fan He and assumed a commanding tone, “Where is your father? Your uncles are here, and he doesn’t even come out to greet us!”