Chapter 37: Buying Land and Building a House 2/3

Mr. Yao had exchanged copper coins for silver before, and the treasurer had given him mostly fragmented silver, cutting off a bit if the weight was too much and adding some if it was too little. This was the first time he had seen such large pieces of silver, and for a moment, he was somewhat dazed, then chuckled bitterly.

After exchanging the silver, they went to the county office.

Buying and selling real estate required payment, as well as giving a little bribe to the officials handling the matter, totaling about one or two taels of silver.

Sometimes, buyers and sellers would haggle over this small amount at the county office, but Jin Xiaoye was quite generous and simply paid the money.

Mr. Yao and his wife were illiterate, and they instinctively feared places like the county office. They kept their heads down and hardly dared to speak a word, so they had no idea that the land was actually registered under Li Qingzhi’s name.

Once everything was done, Jin Xiaoye breathed a sigh of relief, but Mr. Yao’s bitter smile deepened a bit more.

Mr. Yao’s grandparents, as well as his parents, were very thrifty people. They saved money little by little, leaving Mr. Yao with ten acres of land fields, some dry fields, and several dozen taels of silver. After Mr. Yao used the silver to buy a boat, the Yao family became richer and richer… If he hadn’t sent Yao Zhenfu to school but instead bought a few acres of land, Mr. Yao might have already become a landlord.

But now…

Mr. Yao planned to go to Xuniang’s place tomorrow, and Jin Xiaoye would row the boat to take them home. As for Li Qingzhi… It was only noon, so he took Li Damao and Li Ermao with him to continue writing at the Zhu family’s.

Since the money had already been collected, he wanted to finish Zhu Qian’s book quickly.

After spending half a day writing three thousand words, Li Qingzhi left the Zhu family after dinner and saw Jin Xiaoye with two flowers on her head.

“Am I pretty?” Jin Xiaoye smiled when she saw Li Qingzhi, her eyes crescent-shaped.

Li Qingzhi smiled back. “Yes, you are.”

“I also feel particularly pretty today.” Jin Xiaoye touched the flowers on her head, her smile even brighter.

She felt particularly pretty today, not because of the flowers on her head, but because her family owned six acres of land.

Jin Xiaoye felt as if her bones were lighter; if a gust of wind came, she could be blown away.

After Li Qingzhi boarded the boat, Jin Xiaoye said again, “Ah Qing, do you know how much money I’ve earned selling head flowers these days?”

Li Qingzhi asked, “How much?”

Jin Xiaoye said, “In just a few days, I’ve earned over six hundred copper coins! Nearly five taels of silver!”

She exchanged head flowers for eggs, then sold the eggs, and in just a few days, she earned over six hundred coins. This was just the profit from selling head flowers; she also earned money from rowing the boat.

However, rowing the boat didn’t bring in much money, and she wasn’t diligent these days. Today, she didn’t even open for business… After deducting the rent, there was no money left.

“Xiaoye, you’re really amazing!” Li Qingzhi praised.

“I feel the same way!” Jin Xiaoye exclaimed, “Ah Qing, I asked more people to help me make flower accessories, and I went to find some traveling merchants this afternoon. I can sell the flower accessories to them later. Although the price will be lower, I can still earn a lot of money. In this way, in a month, I might be able to earn four or five taels of silver!”

Jin Xiaoye said a lot and then asked Li Da Mao and Li Er Mao, “Da Mao, Er Mao, is Mommy amazing?”

Without hesitation, Li Da Mao and Li Er Mao nodded vigorously, “Mommy is the most amazing!”

After Li Da Mao finished speaking, he looked at Li Qingzhi, his little face serious, “Daddy, you’re also the most amazing.”

“Daddy, how am I amazing?” Li Qingzhi asked with a smile.

Li Da Mao said, “Daddy, you said we can eat white rice every day, and we really do eat white rice every day!”

“We even eat meat every day!” Li Er Mao licked his lips.

Li Qingzhi pulled the two children over and kissed them a few times.

Li Da Mao and Li Er Mao were already used to Li Qingzhi’s actions. After Li Qingzhi finished kissing them, they also kissed him on the cheek.

Jin Xiaoye saw this and came over to kiss the two children as well.

She rarely did this, but Li Da Mao and Li Er Mao were especially happy after being kissed, their eyes shining as they looked at her.

Jin Xiaoye smiled again.

Li Qingzhi noticed that since he went to the Zhu family to transcribe books and Jin Xiaoye started renting out boats to earn money, she had become more lively. These days, Jin Xiaoye smiled all day long and looked very adorable.

When they returned to the village of Miaoxian that day, no one came to buy flower accessories anymore.

However, Jin Xiaoye didn’t mind. After all, she hadn’t sold much in other villages yet! Moreover, outside of Chongcheng County, there were still vast areas to explore.

Li Qingzhi had traveled to many places, and those traveling merchants from the county town had also been to many places.

Jin Xiaoye really wanted to leave Chongcheng County and go see the world, but it was very difficult.

When they returned home that day, Old Li had already prepared dinner as usual.

They used to eat unpolished rice at home, as unpolished rice was more filling.

But recently, they had money, so Jin Xiaoye asked Old Li to polish the rice a bit cleaner. The rice they ate was much whiter than before.

“Xiaoye, I pulled weeds in the field today, and I also polished a lot of rice,” Old Li said enthusiastically, pulling out a chair for Jin Xiaoye.

Jin Xiaoye asked, “What do you want?”

Old Li chuckled, “Xiaoye, can you give me five wen?”

In the past, Jin Xiaoye would definitely ask him what he needed the money for, and at most, she would give him two or three wen.

But today, Jin Xiaoye was happy!

She took out five copper coins and put them on the table, saying, “Take them.”

Old Li looked at Jin Xiaoye incredulously, then eagerly grabbed the money in his hand.

When he got the money, Old Li couldn’t help but ask, “Xiaoye, are you not feeling well? Why are you suddenly so generous?”

Jin Xiaoye was speechless.

Li Laogen continued, “Once you’ve given me the money, it’s mine, and you can’t take it back!”

“I won’t take it back. Dad, I have something for you to do,” Jin Xiaoye said.

“What’s the matter? Xiaoye, just tell me, I’ll do it well!” Li Laogen pledged solemnly.

“Dad, I want to build another room and renovate the kitchen. I want you to help level the land next to it these days,” Jin Xiaoye said.

“We’re going to build a house?” Li Laogen was overjoyed.

In the village, Li Laogen had always been looked down upon, and no one took him seriously.

Before Li Qingzhi, his son, appeared, he was also at the bottom of the Li family. With their small plot of land, his younger brother and nephew could easily finish the work without needing him!

In the eyes of his brother and nephew, he was just a lazy person living off others.

They would make him work, but they wouldn’t let him eat properly. Unable to bear it at home, he could only wander around outside.

It wasn’t until five years ago when he met Li Qingzhi by chance and Li Qingzhi acknowledged him as his father that he gained some respect in the village.

He, Li Laogen, had a son!

Later, when Li Qingzhi disappeared, he felt a bit panicked, but Jin Xiaoye didn’t drive him away!

Li Laogen was quite satisfied with his life in the past few years. Although Jin Xiaoye often scolded him, she would always give him whatever she ate and treated him well.