Chapter 54: Purchasing Farmland

Just a few minor changes could significantly elevate their quality of life.

Jiang Yuan figured that neither he nor Xie Wannian lacked the extra money required for the renovations, so why shouldn't they build their future home to be as comfortable as possible?

The two of them hit it off instantly on this matter. Once Xie Wannian’s architectural draft for the house was finalized, Jiang Yuan set out to reserve artisans, laborers, earth, stone, bricks, tiles, timber, lime, tung oil, and more.

As for Xie Wannian, after preparing clothes, quilts, and other necessities for Hao Yu, she wrapped herself up snugly and, with Jiang Yuan acting as her "bodyguard," hurried to Tang County town to find a real estate broker.

The two of them went there to buy land. Over the past six months, Xie Wannian had been gathering herbs and doing embroidery, working industriously from dawn till dusk, and had managed to save a little over two hundred and thirty taels of silver.

Even so, this was only because Madam Qin had assigned her a task that included a confidentiality bonus; otherwise, she could have worked herself to death and still not saved this much money.

Out of her current savings, Xie Wannian planned to use thirty taels to build the house, and the remaining two hundred taels to purchase farmland.

Jiang Yuan had been saving for longer than her and had accumulated far more wealth, but he had no intention of sinking all his savings into buying land and building a house.

The two of them sought out a reputable broker recommended by Hao Yu. After explaining their purpose, the broker led them to some ownerless, top-quality farmland near Mingfu Village.

After tramping about outside for the better part of a day, Xie Wannian and Jiang Yuan jointly purchased a plot of forty mu of prime farmland located between Mingfu Village and Shangzhuang Village.

Xie Wannian’s assets were limited. Although the land near Mingfu Village was not expensive, her two hundred taels were only enough for her to buy a maximum of thirteen mu of top-grade land.

Xie Wannian was not fond of the number thirteen, so she ultimately chose to buy only twelve mu.

The remaining twenty-eight mu were bought by Jiang Yuan.

Their plots of land bordered each other seamlessly, which made Jiang Yuan extremely happy.

According to the respective amounts of land they wished to purchase, Xie Wannian handed over one hundred and eighty taels of silver, while Jiang Yuan produced four one-hundred-tael banknote notes along with twenty taels of silver. After counting everything carefully, they gave the payment to the broker.

Upon returning to the county town, the two of them gave some loose change to the broker as well as to the officials and petty clerks at the yamen.

The money given to the broker was the agreed-upon commission, while the money given to the yamen insiders covered the processing fees and tips for transferring the red title deeds.

When the two of them finally emerged from the yamen alongside the broker, the sky had grown completely dark, and the city gates had already been tightly bolted shut.

The broker warmly invited them to stay the night at his home, but Jiang Yuan shook his head and politely declined after expressing his thanks.

Although he had not accepted the courtyard house gifted by Hao Yu, staying there occasionally for a single night presented no problem at all.

Not to mention, the county town was hardly lacking in inns; there was truly no need for them to put themselves out and impose upon the broker’s family, whom they barely knew.

After sending the broker off, Jiang Yuan asked Xie Wannian, who was looking around with curious eyes, "Would you prefer to stay at an inn, or at Uncle Hao’s courtyard?"

Knowing that Hao Yu was a man of means, Xie Wannian was not surprised that he owned a residence in the county town. After pondering for a moment, she asked Jiang Yuan, "Are there quilts and bedding in Uncle Hao’s house?"

Jiang Yuan shook his head. "No, there is only a small amount of furniture left behind by the previous owner. However, you can buy anything you need in this town. Before the curfew begins, we can go buy them right now."

Xie Wannian smiled and refused. "Then let's stay at an inn after all."

Buying bedding right now was not a big issue, but a house that had been uninhabited for a long time and lacked prior preparation would require them to first buy firewood, boil hot water, and clean the place—the mere thought of it was troublesome.

Jiang Yuan hesitated. "Will you be fine?"

Xie Wannian nodded emphatically. "Though my martial arts are mediocre, I am well-versed in pharmacology."

With adequate preparation on her part, no matter who might harbor ill intentions toward her, she was confident in ensuring they would never make the return journey.

Besides, Jiang Yuan would be staying right next door to her. If she truly found herself in danger during the night, there would still be plenty of time for him to rush over and save the day.

As the two walked side by side down the street, Xie Wannian chattered away, conveying her plans to Jiang Yuan bit by bit through subtle phrasing.

Along the way, she also bought crispy pastries, fried pork slices, and two large bowls of fresh meat wontons. Sitting together at a wonton stall that had no other customers left, they ate their fill while the food was still piping hot.

After finishing their meal and paying the vendor just before he packed up his stall, the two strolled leisurely over to Laifu Inn, which stood diagonally across from the wonton stall.

Laifu Inn not only bore an old-fashioned name, but both the proprietor and the attendants also wore the sluggish expressions of people forced to work against their will. Nevertheless, their attitude toward guests and the cleanliness of the inn itself were quite commendable.

After Xie Wannian and Jiang Yuan checked in, an attendant promptly delivered a warming earthenware bottle, hot water for washing, and clean cloth towels. Xie Wannian detected no strange odors in the room, then lifted the quilt to inspect it, discovering that while the bedding was not pristine, it at least lacked any obvious dust or stains.

When traveling away from home, "not dirty" was already an unexpected pleasant surprise for Xie Wannian; she dared not hope for anything more.

After washing up simply in the somewhat compact single guest room, Xie Wannian lifted the heavy quilt and slipped underneath.

The inn's quilt was very thick, and the spot where the warming bottle had heated the inner lining felt wonderfully cozy and comfortable.

Xie Wannian first moved the warming bottle to a cooler part of the bed to keep generating heat, and then carefully lay down.

The freshly minted land deed was securely hidden away, while the medicinal powder used for self-defense was tucked into the most easily accessible pocket of her left sleeve.

Before long, Xie Wannian drifted off to sleep; after a whole day of dashing about, she was utterly exhausted.

Jiang Yuan, staying in the room right next to hers, also closed his eyes, but he was not as carefree as Xie Wannian. Only after the surroundings grew completely quiet, with no more guests or attendants pacing back and forth in the corridor, did Jiang Yuan finally fall asleep in his clothes.

While one had gone to sleep early and the other late, the two of them woke up at the exact same moment.

It was not their biological clocks at work; rather, both of them had heard unusual noises echoing in the corridor of the inn.

At first, it was a faint creak as a wooden guest door was pushed open. The sound was unremarkable, and though both heard it, neither paid it any mind. However, shortly afterward, they heard a dull thud, resembling the heavy sound of something crashing to the floor.

Jiang Yuan reacted the fastest. He quickly slipped on his shoes, pushed open his door, and stepped outside.

At that moment, the edge of the sky was just beginning to turn a pale, grayish-white, and the windows on both sides of the corridor let in only a faint trace of daylight. He could barely make out a slender figure collapsed on the floor.

Following closely behind him, Xie Wannian emerged from her room holding a lit oil lamp.

The two of them hurried over to the figure and discovered that he was still conscious, but was curled up tightly like a shrimp in excruciating pain, completely unable to pull himself up through his own strength.

Seeing him clutching his belly, gritting his teeth, and enduring the agony with great effort, Xie Wannian instinctively blurted out, "Mister, where does it hurt?"

The man groaned, "St-stomach."

Xie Wannian: ......