Chapter 218

Shuiqing and Bai Ziqian returned to their village, Shanshui Village, with Bai Ziqian carrying a heavy basket. Their morning had been quite fruitful.

The sun was high in the sky. Shuiqing took a plump cucumber from the basket Bai Ziqian was carrying, wiped it on her clothes, and started eating it. The fresh taste of the cucumber was refreshing and helped beat the heat.

All the cucumbers from their vegetable garden had been given to the men who went out earlier that morning, even the ones that weren’t fully grown. So, they hadn’t had any fresh cucumbers for the past couple of days. The village women had quickly made up for this shortage.

Bai Ziqian had not expected things to go so smoothly. He looked at Shuiqing, who was crunching on the cucumber beside him, and asked, “Auntie, you said tenant farmers have to turn over sixty percent of their crops to the landowners, which is already quite harsh. But since they don’t have any land, they have no choice but to rent and farm. But these people own their land. Why would they agree to your proposal?”

He was especially surprised that they were eager to farm the land, unlike the reluctant tenant farmers. He had expected to be scolded, or at best, to face sullen agreement. He was prepared to be the bad guy this time.

Unexpectedly, they were met with smiles and even received several gifts: a bunch of fresh cucumbers, tender loofahs, young squashes, snails, clams… all common foods in Shanshui Village, valuable without costing money, and among the best the villagers could offer.

The bamboo basket was also a gift from the village women, who insisted they keep it, saying they had plenty of bamboo at home and someone who could make them. They even tried to make Shuiqing and Bai Ziqian stay for lunch, and it took a lot of persuasion to leave.

This was sincere gratitude.

Shuiqing corrected him, “They didn’t agree with me, they agreed with you.”

Bai Ziqian furrowed his brow, puzzled. “What difference does it make whether they agreed with you or with me?”

Before coming, he had thought Shuiqing was making him take the blame, having the Bai family bear the bad reputation by making him act under their name. But now, it seemed that people didn’t think it was a bad thing at all. So why was Shuiqing so particular about the distinction?

Shuiqing looked at the uneven dirt road in the village and shook her head. “It’s not the same.

You and they are not related. The Bai family are merchants. Business is business. The potatoes are yours, and since you can’t plant them yourselves, you’re giving them to the villagers to plant voluntarily. Potatoes yield a lot. Compared to rice or wheat, which only produce three to four hundred catties per mu, or coarse grains like corn, which yield no more than five hundred catties, potatoes still leave more even after turning over sixty percent.

Besides, apart from winter wheat, nothing else can be planted now. Planting winter wheat would affect next year’s potato planting. Weighing the options, planting potatoes is obviously the most cost-effective choice.”

Bai Ziqian wanted to point out that these same points applied to Shuiqing as well, but she sighed and said, “You don’t understand human nature. People are complicated. They will be grateful to you and the Bai family. But if it were me, they would see it as heartless.

In a village of over four hundred people, don’t you think some might say, ‘We are from the same village. Shouldn’t we help each other? How can she take sixty percent in such a time of need?

Since the Bai family doesn’t want to buy the potatoes anymore and they’re just sitting there, we could plant them. After the harvest, we can return them, maybe with some extra to make up for it. You’d still come out ahead!'”

Bai Ziqian’s long eyelashes trembled, and he suddenly felt that Aunt Shuiqing’s words made a lot of sense…

Shuiqing patted the shoulder of the young man beside her, a slight smile playing on her lips, as she taught, “The human heart, like the sun, cannot be stared at directly; don’t easily probe human nature, because human nature cannot withstand probing. What we should do is avoid it.”

With around four hundred people, how could everyone be good? It’s impossible for everyone to be good.

Bai Ziqian’s mind repeatedly contemplated Shuiqing’s words, momentarily forgetting to respond.

Shuiqing enjoyed her leisure, understanding that thoughtful consideration was a good thing.

As she walked, she carefully surveyed the current Shanshui Village.

When she first arrived last year, most of the houses were thatched cottages, with only a few sets of brick-and-tile or adobe houses, all with thatched roofs.

Now, although the number of brick-and-tile houses hasn’t increased, the number of adobe houses has skyrocketed, all with gray tile roofs.

Before the heavy rain, only Fan Damu and Zhang Tuzi’s families still lived in thatched cottages, and after the rain, it remained the same, except Fan Damu’s family was enslaved and moved to the magistrate’s residence in Wuxian. Now, the only thatched cottage left in the village is Zhang Tuzi’s.

So, when shouting came from the square thatched cottage, Shuiqing walked to the nearest spot and stopped.

It wasn’t that she wanted to listen to gossip, but she heard the name Wenhua!

Bai Ziqian also stopped, looking up at Shuiqing, who gestured for him to be silent.

“I’ve inquired; that Hu Wenhua is also sixteen this year, the same age as me. His father is a butcher, and I heard his mother’s liquor business did really well last year in Niutou Town!

If I marry into that family, won’t I eat meat every day and drink wine every meal?! Maybe I can bring back a big bone to make soup for my father, mother, and brother! What do you think?”

Zhang Tuzi’s voice came, “Hey, bone soup is delicious! Paired with black bread, a sip of bone soup and a bite of bread, oh, I could swallow my tongue!”

“But, but didn’t your father fall out with that Shuiqing from the Hu family? If you marry Hu Wenhua, where will your father’s face be?”

Bai Ziqian frowned, lowering his voice, “Is this Zhang Tuzi’s family?”

Shuiqing nodded.

She remembered Zhang Tuzi’s voice; the Zhang family consisted of four people in total Zhang Tuzi, his wife Aunt Zhang, eldest daughter Zhang Chunhua, and younger daughter Zhang Xiaocao, who were sisters, along with a son, Zhang Xiaogou.

The last voice sounded noticeably older, likely Aunt Zhang’s.

Bai Ziqian’s expression turned grim. Even if Zhang Chunhua wasn’t attractive, she was lazy, greedy, and had lofty aspirations with meager abilities. Now it seemed she had set her sights on Wenhua’s uncle?

That wouldn’t do!

Wenhua’s uncle was robust, hardworking, courteous, and virtuous… as good as one could get. How could he match someone like Zhang Chunhua?

“Ahem, Hu Wenhua is Hu Wenhua, and that woman is that woman, how can you lump them together!” Zhang Tuzi’s disgruntled voice came, “Furthermore, if our Chunhua can marry into the Hu family, she’ll be the mistress of the Hu family in the future. How can her aunt still not look at my daughter’s face? Daughter, then you can give her a good look and let your father vent his anger!”

“Dad is right! I will definitely help Dad and vent your anger!”

Hearing this, Shuiqing chuckled.

She hadn’t even entered the house yet, and she already wanted to control her future aunt? No matter which family this girl married into, there would be no peace.