Chapter 43: The Estate

The next morning, after breakfast, Old Master Xu took the silver notes and set off for the county town with his two sons.

This time, it was Wang Shi who couldn’t sit still. One moment, she was worried about the silver being stolen, and the next, she was concerned about the three men being swindled.

To distract her, Xu Nian brought up another matter.

“Grandmother, our family has been quite busy lately, and it looks like we’ll continue to be occupied for some time.

Although Uncle Wang can help deliver Longevity Greens to the restaurant, this isn’t a long-term solution.

So, I was thinking, why don’t we let go of the Longevity Greens business and hand it over to the five families in the Wang clan? This way, they can have an easier year.”

If Wang Shi were to say she wasn’t reluctant, that would be a lie. But her granddaughter had a point—aside from the Wang Hunter family, which could get by through hunting, the other four households were struggling to make ends meet.

After all, they had all fled together during troubled times; if she had to let go, then so be it.

“Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll go talk to your Granny Wang right now.”

“Grandmother, there’s no need to rush—”

Before Xu Nian could finish, Wang Shi had already stepped out the door.

“I’d rather go now. If I stay home, I’ll just worry even more.”

Xu Nian chuckled and shook her head.

Just then, a voice rang out.

“Aiyo! You wasteful girl! How could you feed such good food to animals?”

Hearing the scolding, Xu Nian stepped outside and saw her Second Aunt berating Xu Ling.

“What’s wrong, Second Aunt?”

“Just look at this wasteful girl feeding this to the rabbits!”

Xu Nian glanced at the carrot strips in Zheng Shi’s hands and smiled as she explained, “Second Aunt, I gave these to Ling’er. Please don’t scold her. If you’d like more carrots, I can plant some extra tomorrow.”

Zheng Shi pointed at one and then the other.

“You’re just spoiling her! Fine, I won’t interfere anymore!”

Xu Ling stuck out her tongue as she watched her mother huff her way back into the hall.

“Big Sister, next time let’s chop the carrots into tiny pieces—then Mother won’t notice.”

Xu Nian tapped the little girl’s nose.

“You little troublemaker! Go wash your hands and coax your mother.”

Xu Ling giggled and ran toward the kitchen.

---

By midday, not only had the three men not returned, but Wang Shi was also nowhere to be found.

Xu Nian told the family that she would go fetch Wang Shi for lunch.

However, before she even reached Old Man Wang’s house, she saw four people on a donkey cart. When the cart approached, she climbed aboard.

“Grandmother, why are you on the donkey cart too?”

“I went to talk to your Granny Wang, and then I went to the village entrance to wait for your grandfather.”

Xu Nian grabbed Wang Shi’s hands and rubbed them vigorously—they were ice-cold. Just how long had she been waiting in the cold?

A hint of irritation flickered across Xu Nian’s face, and her voice lost its usual gentleness.

“Grandfather, Grandmother, from now on, neither of you is allowed to do this! No matter what happens, your health is the most important thing—do you understand?”

Wang Shi had never seen her granddaughter angry before and was a little startled.

“I understand, I understand. Just this once.”

Old Master Xu felt a bit resentful. It was all his wife’s fault—now even his granddaughter was upset with him. At this moment, he completely forgot how he had almost taken a nasty fall just the day before.

When they arrived home, Zheng Shi and Xiao Wang Shi came out to greet them. Xu Nian understood everyone’s eagerness, but no matter what, they had to eat first.

“Is Little Six not coming home for lunch today?”

Seeing that his youngest grandson was absent, Old Master Xu asked.

Xiao Wang Shi sighed helplessly. “He’s eating at his teacher’s house.”

Just thinking about her youngest son’s words last night made her both amused and exasperated.

“I won’t be here for much longer, so my chances to see Little Peach Blossom are running out. Starting tomorrow, I’ll eat lunch at school instead. Mother, please pack me some dry rations…”

Oh, right—Little Peach Blossom was the teacher’s daughter.

---

After the meal, Old Master Xu took out the estate deed.

“We bought a small estate—100 acres of dry farmland, 30 acres of paddy fields, and 50 acres of mountain land. In total, 180 acres. There are also ten tenant households living on the estate.”

“Aiyo! That’s not a small estate at all! How much did it cost?”

Old Master Xu had expected this question—his old wife only cared about one thing.

“Six hundred and eighty taels. The owner was eager to sell, so we got it for a bargain.”

Xu Nian wasn’t particularly concerned about the price. Even if they told her, she wouldn’t really understand the market value.

“Grandfather, did you and my uncles meet the tenants? What do you think of them?”

“We met them. They seem like honest folks, but whether they’re good workers or not, we’ll have to see in time.”

Xu Nian nodded. It seemed they would have to wait until spring to evaluate them properly.

Xu Wei’an wasn’t interested in any of that. He only cared about one thing.

“Father, does the estate have a house?”

Xu Fugui patted his son’s shoulder with a smile and said, “I knew this was what you were most concerned about. I specifically checked—the previous owner really knew how to enjoy life. The main house not only has many rooms but also has one with underfloor heating.”

Xu Weian didn’t really care about the underfloor heating. As long as the room was warm enough, he was satisfied.

“Father, Mother, when are we moving?”

“You’re always in such a rush! Moving is a big deal. I need to find someone to choose an auspicious date.”

Xu Weian felt miserable. Who wouldn’t be in a hurry when they were freezing every day? What if the chosen date ended up being after the New Year? How would he survive until then? He looked at Xu Nian with a pitiful expression.

Xu Nian blinked knowingly.

“Grandfather, Grandmother, I’d like to visit the estate tomorrow to see if there’s anything we need to furnish the house.”

Wang Shi found the idea reasonable. If it weren’t for the need to pick a date, she would have wanted to visit first.

“Then let your second uncle accompany you.”

“No need, Grandmother. Let my little uncle go with me instead. I was also thinking that he could stay there for a few days to clean up the house.”

Wang Shi immediately understood her eldest granddaughter’s intentions. She glanced at her youngest son, who was winking and making faces at his niece.

“Fine, let your little uncle go first. He can’t sit still at home anyway—always fidgeting like he’s sitting on needles.”

Xu Weian’s wish was granted, and he grinned from ear to ear, completely ignoring his mother’s complaints.

---

The next morning, Xu Weian had already packed his belongings. As Xu Nian watched him eagerly loading things onto the donkey cart, she couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth. It seemed her little uncle had truly been suffering these past few days.

Soon, the two of them set off for the estate. Following the address given by Old Master Xu, they traveled for more than half an hour before finally reaching their destination.

Standing on the donkey cart, Xu Nian surveyed the surroundings. The estate really wasn’t far from the county academy—she could vaguely see the outline of the academy from a distance.

Further ahead lay the road leading to the back mountain of Ling Shan Temple, which she had traveled before.

Seeing that road reminded Xu Nian of Luo Jin’an at the temple. Her second and third uncles had visited him before and reported that he was fine, just suffering from a cold. She wondered how he was doing now.

“Nian’er, let’s go inside.”

Snapping out of her thoughts, Xu Nian jumped down from the cart and used the key in her hand to unlock the courtyard gate.

“This courtyard is really big. Looks like I won’t have to squeeze into a room with those three smelly brats anymore…”

Since stepping into the courtyard, Xu Weian hadn’t stopped talking.