Landowner Fang, the total is 127 taels and 4 coins. Here is a deposit of 30 taels. Tomorrow, we will finalize the land deed, and I will pay the remaining balance.

“Agreed! Young lady, you are straightforward! However, I have one more request. I wonder if you would be willing to agree to it?”

“Oh? Landowner Fang, feel free to speak!”

By now, Jian Xiu had gained some understanding of Landowner Fang.

She knew that he was a kind-hearted person who often helped the poor in the village.

For such a person, as long as the request wasn’t excessive, she wouldn’t mind lending a helping hand.

“It’s like this—there were a few tenant farmers working on this land before. Now that I am selling the land, they…”

Landowner Fang hesitated, feeling embarrassed to continue.

After all, the land would no longer belong to him, so making such a request was indeed somewhat inappropriate.

“You mean you want us to let them continue farming the land?” Jian Xiu raised an eyebrow.

She hadn’t expected Landowner Fang to bring up this issue.

“Yes. If this is difficult for you, then forget I said anything. I know this is rather…”

“I can do it!”

“Huh?”

“I said I can do it!” Jian Xiu repeated.

There were over a hundred acres of land, and with just her family members, they wouldn’t be able to farm it all.

“If that’s the case, I will thank you on behalf of those tenant farmers.”

“Hold on, don’t thank me just yet. I don’t intend to let them farm as tenants, but I do need their help. In terms of wages, I’ll pay them at the normal rate—fifteen wen for men, thirteen wen for women.”

“You… you’re going to farm it yourself? Do you realize this is over a hundred acres?” Landowner Fang’s eyes widened in shock.

His reaction was exactly the same as Zhang Wenyuan’s when he first heard about it.

“Yes, I have something I want to plant.” Jian Xiu answered briefly.

Seeing this, Landowner Fang, being a perceptive man, didn’t ask further.

Meanwhile, at the county office.

Looking at the investigation report presented by his advisor, Ruan Fengsheng, Mo Shanrui frowned deeply.

“How can there be so many?”

“Yes. According to the method you suggested, during that period, these were all abandoned infants that were picked up.”

After speaking, Ruan Fengsheng handed over another sheet of paper and continued:

“My lord, these are from villages that were farther away back then. The nearby ones include Fangjia Village, Jianjia Village, Chenjia Village, Lijia Village, and Zhangjia Village.”

“Zhangjia Village?” Mo Shanrui asked curiously.

If he remembered correctly, Jian Xiu was from Zhangjia Village.

He hadn’t expected that her village was so close to the site of the past event.

“Yes, Zhangjia Village is relatively far compared to the other four, but still quite close.”

“Based on the timeline, that child should be around twenty years old now, right?”

“My lord, they are twenty-one.”

“Hmm. Start the investigation with Fangjia Village, the closest one. Make sure to be discreet—do not alert anyone.”

“Understood. From the looks of it, there are only thirty-three people matching the age criteria in these villages.”

“That many?”

“Yes, based on their ages.”

“Then start with families that are relatively well-off, those with only one son, or…”

“Or what?” Ruan Fengsheng asked eagerly.

“Or those who have suffered mistreatment.” Mo Shanrui pondered for a moment before replying.

“My lord, do you suspect that they might have abused the child?”

“It’s a possibility. These mountain villages are poor—no, the entire Quanyong County is poor. A child that isn’t their own, in such circumstances, how could they truly treat them like their own? To save time, begin with these cases.”

“My lord makes a valid point. I will get on it immediately!”

“Remember, do not expose your identities.”

“Rest assured, my lord. Everything has been arranged.” Ruan Fengsheng nodded.

“Good. Go make the arrangements.”

“Yes, my lord!”

After Ruan Fengsheng left, Mo Shanrui picked up a letter, walked to his desk, and began writing carefully…

Five days later, in Zhangjia Village.

A luxurious carriage stopped beneath the old banyan tree in the village center.

Spring had arrived, and the village women weren’t as busy as before.

Many were sitting together, cracking sunflower seeds and gossiping about village matters.

But when they saw such an extravagant carriage enter, they were stunned.

Zhangjia Village was very poor, and they had never seen such a grand carriage before.

Forget about carriages—even oxen were scarce. Only the village head had one.

The only carriage in the village belonged to Jian Xiu, and even that was just a simple one.

Otherwise, the village wouldn’t have had any carriages at all.

“Auntie, may I ask where Jian Xiu’s house is?”

“Jian Xiu? You’re looking for Jian Xiu?” Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhao became excited.

Such a luxurious carriage looking for Jian Xiu—this must be good news!

Recalling the large piece of wild boar meat she had received from Jian Xiu, Aunt Zhao’s enthusiasm soared.

“Yes, this is Zhangjia Village, isn’t it?”

“Yes, yes! Jian Xiu lives at the end of the village. Just follow this path all the way to the very last house.”

“Oh, thank you, Auntie.”

With that, the man in the carriage handed a box of pastries to the attendant driving the carriage.

The attendant understood immediately and handed the box to Aunt Zhao.

Before she could refuse, the attendant had already jumped back onto the carriage.

When they reached the village outskirts, seeing the surroundings, Rong Zhihe frowned.

The entire area was empty except for a single thatched hut.

A short distance away, another house was under construction. Clearly, the thatched hut was Jian Xiu’s home.

She had previously mentioned that she lived at the end of Zhangjia Village.

Even Rong Zhihe’s servant, Rong Yi, was stunned, pointing at the hut in shock.

“Young master, this…”

“Let’s go,” Rong Zhihe said in a deep voice.

At that moment, Jian Xiu was busy preparing the seeds of Smilax glabra (Tu Fu Ling).