Yang Haiyan playfully helped Yang Dahua up, saying, “Lady Han doesn’t need to be so polite.”

Then, the two exchanged smiles.

The place for receiving guests in the Han family was the guest room, and Yang Dahua welcomed Yang Haiyan inside.

Yang Haiyan asked, “Is Fubao sleeping?” Fubao was the nickname given to Yang Dahua’s daughter.

Yang Dahua replied, “Of course. She woke up early this morning, but now she’s asleep again. This child loves to sleep; all she does is sleep and eat.”

Yang Haiyan said, “Being able to eat is a blessing.”

And being able to eat is indeed a blessing.

Now that Han Zhen had been promoted to a Captain, Thousand-man Commander, it was a sure thing, so this child wouldn’t suffer in the future, as a Thousand-man Commander earns more than eight taels a month.

Besides, this is the daughter of the male and female leads; in the novel…

No need to mention the novel, since she and Qin Fang would be leaving here soon, it was no longer her concern whether the male and female leads would continue their story.

Their plot shouldn’t affect Qin Fang either.

Yang Haiyan brought up the main point of her visit: “Sister Dahua, you should know that in half a month, we will be moving.”

Yang Dahua was already aware, having learned yesterday when Han Zhen came back and talked about his and Qin Fang’s matters.

To be honest, she was happy about Han Zhen’s promotion, but she also felt a tinge of sadness that Haiyan and the others would be leaving.

They had both married into this place together, and neither of them had anyone familiar around.

Originally, they treated each other like sisters and got along well, especially since their husbands were good friends.

But now, in the blink of an eye, they were going to part ways.

Yang Dahua said, “I know. I wonder when we will meet again.”

Yang Haiyan smiled and said, “In this long life, there will always be times to reunite.”

When they grow old and return to Bai Li Village, perhaps they could meet again.

At least Han Zhen, as he ages, would probably want to go back.

And Qin Fang, being sentimental, would naturally return as well.

By then, maybe they could meet again.

But who knows what the scene would be like then.

Yang Haiyan pulled her thoughts back: “Sister Dahua, I came this time to ask if you have any plans to take over my shop and the estate.”

Yang Dahua’s heart stirred: “I’m interested in the shop. Although I don’t know how to make pastries, having a shop would allow me to do other kinds of business. As for the estate, I haven’t seen yours. If you plan to let it go, how do you intend to do so?”

After all, Yang Haiyan’s estate must have something planted in it.

Yang Haiyan replied, “The estate has a total of five acres, with fifty piglets among other things. The chickens and ducks will be moved over after I settle down there. The remaining crops will have to wait for harvest; the last acre has apple trees, and another acre has pear trees, which will also need to be transferred.”

Because if nothing unexpected happens, Qin Fang won’t be able to move for the next few years. “So, there will be five acres and fifty piglets for you to buy.”

Yang Dahua thought for a moment.

Since last August, Yang Haiyan’s agricultural business had been very successful, and she was quite tempted.

However, she didn’t have the silver to buy land and build an estate.

Now she said, “Haiyan, do you still have those seeds for broccoli, cauliflower, watermelons, and tomatoes?”

Yang Haiyan said, “I bought the seeds from a traveling merchant. Last year, I didn’t buy many because I wasn’t confident, and I planted them all. As for the seeds I collected from the fruits and vegetables, the old farmers in the field are also trying to grow them for the first time, so I don’t know if they will yield. I was originally thinking that it wouldn’t matter if I had no seeds; after all, there will be a market this year, and the traveling merchants will come again.”

In truth, she had never really cared about the seeds.

But since Yang Dahua asked, she couldn’t say she had them.

Because she had bought them from the platform, and they weren’t available outside.

If she told Yang Dahua she had them, she would have to buy from the platform.

This year she could say she had bought too many seeds last year, but what about next time?

Yang Dahua said, “Oh, I forgot. Next month is the market, and you can buy seeds then.”

Yang Haiyan thought to herself, there might not be any seeds by then. “Sister Dahua, you can buy more seeds then to cultivate different varieties of vegetables.”

Yang Dahua said, “Haiyan, I need to think about this. If I take over your shop and estate, along with the piglets, how much silver will it all cost?”

Yang Haiyan replied, “The pastry shop and the yard behind it cost thirty-five taels in total. The estate, being medium-sized at five acres, costs thirty taels. The yard and wall of the estate, all together, would also cost around thirty taels. In total, the estate would be sixty taels. The piglets are two hundred wen each, totaling ten taels, so the grand total would be one hundred and five taels.”

Yang Dahua calculated that their family had only twenty taels, not enough to even buy a shop: “Haiyan, can you give me a day? I’ll come to see you tomorrow, okay?”

Yang Haiyan replied, “Of course. But, Dahua, if you’re short on cash, I don’t mind waiting until you have more to give me the money.”

Yang Dahua indeed felt financially tight and was hesitant to take on debt, especially since Haiyan and her family were about to move away. “I understand. I’ll discuss it with my husband.”

Yang Haiyan stood up, saying, “Then I’ll head back. I still have a lot to pack at home.”

Yang Dahua replied, “Alright.”

After Yang Haiyan left, Yang Dahua thought for a moment and went to find Mrs. Cui nearby: “Sister Cui, I have something to attend to. Can you come and watch the child for a while? The child is asleep now.”

Mrs. Cui said, “Okay, I’m on my way.”

Yang Dahua left the family quarters and went straight to the bank.

The bank manager greeted her warmly, “Madam, are you here to deposit or withdraw money?”

Feeling a bit shy, Yang Dahua asked, “Manager, may I ask if you lend money here?”

The manager smiled and replied, “Yes, we do lend money, but we need a guarantor. Of course, if you have property, it can be used as collateral. If the other party has a respectable status, we can consider it accordingly. May I ask what your situation is, madam?”

When Yang Dahua first arrived, she was a bit nervous.

Seeing that the manager was friendly and did not look at her oddly when discussing borrowing money, she gradually calmed down: “I can use land and a shop as collateral.”

She could discuss with Haiyan about temporarily transferring ownership of the estate and shop to her, then bring the land deed and the shop’s property deed to use as collateral.

Upon hearing that she had property, the manager became even more accommodating: “The land and shop can be used as collateral, but according to industry regulations, the collateral value will be less than the normal price; it will be discounted.”

Yang Dahua understood this; although she had never borrowed money from a bank, she knew some of the rules. “How much of a discount will it be?”

The manager, happy to continue the discussion since she was easy to talk to, explained, “It’s an 80% discount. If your shop and land are worth a hundred taels, then you can borrow eighty taels from us.”

Yang Dahua calculated that the money wouldn’t be enough to buy both the land and the shop: “Then… how much could I borrow if I have a respectable status?”

The manager replied, “It depends on the status. If your family has land and a shop, and other respectable connections, you could borrow more. May I ask what your household status is?”

Yang Dahua asked, “If it’s a Captain, how much can I borrow?”

The manager was a bit surprised.

A Thousand-man Commander is a seventh-rank military officer, so they could indeed borrow a substantial amount.

However, he added, “May I ask how you are related to this Captain? If you have a close relationship, you could borrow more. If it’s a distant relative, unless they can guarantee, you could borrow less.”

Yang Dahua honestly replied, “He is my husband.”

Upon hearing this, the manager assessed Yang Dahua’s situation from her words: she had property, a shop, and her husband was a Captain, which was stable.

Therefore, he said, “You can borrow two hundred taels, but the Captain must come to write a promissory note.”

Yang Dahua thought for a moment and asked, “What’s the interest rate?”

Being quite astute, Yang Dahua clarified everything she wanted to know before leaving.

This was something she needed to discuss with Han Zhen; she was merely gathering information.

This bank was legitimate, and the interest rates were standard, so she was tempted, but she still needed to go to the military camp.

Qin Fang was currently busy with matters concerning the barbarians, so he had already assigned the Eighteenth District to Han Zhen for practice.

Additionally, Han Zhen had been on night duty this month, so he wouldn’t be coming back for a while.

Thus, Yang Dahua had to make a trip to the military camp.

When she returned home, Yang Dahua greeted Mrs. Cui and asked her to look after the child again before heading to the military camp.

Meanwhile, Yang Haiyan had arrived at the estate.

Since Yang Haiyan came unexpectedly and hadn’t informed Uncle Hong in advance, only Niu Da was at the estate.

If she had given prior notice, Niu Da’s wife would have come to receive Yang Haiyan as well.

Niu Da greeted her, saying, “Greetings, madam. What brings you here today?”

Yang Haiyan said, “Niu Da, I have something to discuss with you. Let’s talk inside.”

Niu Da replied, “Yes,” though he felt a bit nervous, unsure of what the madam wanted to discuss.

Once inside, Uncle Hong was guarding the door.

Yang Haiyan discussed matters with Lian Mama and Niu Da.

As time was tight, Yang Haiyan directly said, “Niu Da, in half a month, we will be moving. My husband has been promoted to the fifth rank Martial Virtue General and will be reassigned to another place, so I wanted to ask if you would like to leave with us.”

“Of course, don’t rush to answer. First, let me tell you my terms. I don’t yet know where my husband will be reassigned, but if it’s far, I can give you a month off each year. If it’s nearby, I can offer you five days off each month.

If you can’t bear to part with your family, you can bring them along. You and your family can be responsible for my estate. If you move over together, I’ll give you one tael of silver each month, which I’ll keep a record of, plus an additional two hundred wen for food expenses each month.”

Their family currently received seven hundred wen a month but had to provide their own food.

If they moved, their income would effectively double. “Also, you can set aside a small piece of land in the estate for your own cultivation.”

This way, they wouldn’t have to worry about food.