The Farm Girl's Charismatic Fortune-Chapter 74 - 72 The Land Deeds Are All in Xuanbaos Name
Chapter 74: Chapter 72 The Land Deeds Are All in Xuanbao’s Name
Chapter 74 -72 The Land Deeds Are All in Xuanbao’s Name
Ruo Xuan saw the village chief’s forehead covered in sweat and quickly stood up from in front of a pile of grain seeds. She moved a small stool over to the table under the persimmon tree and pulled the village chief over, “Village chief, grandpa, you’ve worked hard. Sit down and rest a bit, wipe your sweat and tell us slowly.”
She also placed the bowl of red bean soup Madam Liu had prepared for her in front of the village chief, “Village chief, grandpa, have some red bean soup, it’s very sweet.”
The village chief sat down as if it were natural, his eyes creasing into a smile.
He said to Granny Lei, who had come out of the kitchen, “Xuanbao is such a darling, she knows how to take care of others!”
Granny Lei also couldn’t help but smile at how adept Ruo Xuan was, “Xuanbao really is a little cotton-padded jacket right by your heart!”
Granny Lei laughed and said, “Indeed, the village chief has had a hard day. Have some sugar water and take a rest.”
The village chief waved his hand, eager to share, “Today I went to the Governor’s Office to buy some wasteland and just happened to meet the Lord County Magistrate. Upon hearing that Xuanbao wanted to purchase barren hills to plant fruit trees and medicinal herbs, he said to give us a discount. For a total of over three hundred acres, he only charged one hundred taels, saying it was a reward for Xuanbao saving all the people in the county last time.”
Granny Lei was surprised, “That cheap?”
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The village chief chuckled, “That’s right, I also took advantage of Xuanbao’s good fortune and bought a small barren hill at a bargain. It’s the one next to your house. Xuanbao, whatever you plant in the future, grandpa will plant right alongside you!”
“Great! I’ll teach village chief grandpa how to plant. Let’s grow the most delicious fruits and earn the most silver in the world!”
“Ha ha… Good!” The village chief took out several land deeds, for two hills and the sandy land by the river at the foot of the hills, as well as the deed for the homestead, “These are the deeds and the remaining hundred taels.”
Homestead land didn’t require tax in the future, but turning wasteland into homestead land required a land tax and commission. However, the Lord County Magistrate waived all that, only charging a hundred taels in total.
Granny Lei was delighted, she silently calculated in her mind; a hundred taels for over three hundred acres of barren hills and land meant less than three hundred wen per acre—the County Magistrate had essentially given them away at half price.
Ruo Xuan was seeing a land deed for the first time, the large red official seal on it particularly eye-catching, “The County Magistrate really is a good man, when the fruits are grown, I’ll send the first batch to him.”
She had thought she’d have to wait until spring began to earn some silver to pay people to clear the barren hills and plant fruit trees, but now with a hundred taels remaining, she could hire people to clear the hills in advance.
The village chief quipped, “Didn’t you say the first batch was for village chief grandpa?”
Ruo Xuan immediately responded, “The first batch goes to village chief grandpa, I’ll send to both. Now I’ll give a bag of rice to village chief grandpa first, I’ve picked them out already.”
Ruo Xuan pointed to the bag of grain seeds on the ground.
The village chief couldn’t help but laugh heartily, “Ha ha… Then I won’t be polite!”
The village chief didn’t stay for long. He had spent twenty taels on a small hill and needed to hurry back to share the good news with his family.
He casually picked up the bag of grain seeds that Ruo Xuan pointed out and departed.
Ruo Xuan suddenly remembered something and reminded him in her sweet, childlike voice, “Village chief, grandpa, remember to soak the rice in water overnight.”
Dried rice seeds soaked in water overnight would fully absorb moisture, and upon sowing, they would germinate better, resulting in a higher survival rate and faster-growing seedlings.
“Okay!” The village chief answered casually. He wasn’t expecting much since the season wasn’t right but was hopeful to try it out anyway.
Dreaming is a common occurrence, but not all dreams come true!
~
The wind-dried cured meats hanging from the eaves were ready, and for dinner, it was cured meat rice. It was supposed to be clay pot cured meat rice, but the home’s clay pot wasn’t big enough, so Madam Liu cooked it in a large iron pot instead. She controlled the heat perfectly. The rice was new and each grain was distinct, plump and shiny. The cured meat and sausage, with their alternating layers of fat and lean, covered the entire surface of the rice. As the lid was lifted, a handful of chopped green onion was sprinkled on, and with a burst of steam, a rich aroma filled the entire kitchen and then wafted out into the courtyard.
“It smells so good!” Ruo Xuan was the first to run into the kitchen, standing on tiptoe trying to see what was being made, but she was too short and the stove too high for her to see anything.
Madam Liu picked up her daughter so she could have a look, then said, “Let’s go wash our hands and eat!”
The fragrance lured the whole family away from their chores as they washed their hands and gathered to eat.
After the flood, there were no fresh vegetables, so Madam Liu made a dried-vegetable and pig’s lung soup and stir-fried Zizania with chili and shredded pork, making it spicy because Granny Lei loved heat in her dishes.
A simple meal of one dish, one soup, and rice, the family ate with unprecedented satisfaction.
Especially the golden crisp rice crust at the bottom of the pot—the brothers all scrambled for it!
The children ate until their bellies were round and full. The adults had a bowl of rice each but couldn’t bring themselves to eat more, instead filling the rest of their stomachs with soup.
After everyone had finished eating, Granny Lei brought up the matter of the farmland deed.
“The hilltop land deed I bought today bears Xuanbao’s name, except for the homestead, which isn’t in her name. That’s something I made a point of emphasizing to the village chief. I figured the two hundred taels of silver were earned by Xuanbao, so I’m keeping the purchased wasteland as her dowry. No objections, right?”
The homestead deed included the names of several sons; in the future, this house would be considered the Ruo Family’s ancestral home, to be shared by the descendants of the Ruo Family.
The Ruo brothers immediately declared they had no objections. Xuanbao was the only girl in the family, their niece and as good as their daughter. How could they have any objections?
Ruo Hai said, “What are you talking about, Mother? The silver Xuanbao earned is hers. How could we covet our niece’s property? Not only would I not think of it, but Xuanbao is also like my own daughter and in the future, I intend to provide her with an even more generous dowry!”
Without Xuanbao, his illness wouldn’t have healed. He knew it was Xuanbao who had cured him.
Ruo Jiang said, “Eldest brother is right. Xuanbao might be born to the fourth brother, but she’s not just his daughter, she’s our daughter too. It’s not just about writing her name on the land deed for the land she bought with her own silver. I also intend to make her dowry richer. A girl’s dowry needs to be saved up from a young age!”
He could now walk normally again. It was Xuanbao who had healed him. He wouldn’t be shortsighted about this. Not only would he not be ungrateful, but he would also strive to make a name for himself, ensuring Xuanbao had a prestigious family to rely on in the future.
Fearing that Madam Jiang might object, Madam Liu quickly interjected, “Mother, our family hasn’t split up. Silver earned by anyone goes into the common funds. There’s no rush for Xuanbao’s dowry. Her father and I can slowly earn it over time. Let’s leave the barren hill as part of the common funds.”
On first hearing this, Madam Jiang felt a twinge of discomfort. After all, without a family split, all the silver belonged to the common funds—this had always been the case for this household.
Even if they wanted to save for Xuanbao’s dowry, was it necessary to dedicate all the wasteland to her? They weren’t some wealthy family with plenty of resources. A whole family relied on this income for sustenance.
But thinking about how the silver was truly earned by Xuanbao and that without her, their home would probably still be as it had been before, her husband’s foot wouldn’t have healed and their son wouldn’t have been able to go to school, she let go of her concerns.
One shouldn’t be too greedy in life.
Madam Jiang said with a smile, “I also treat Xuanbao as my own daughter. Without her, we wouldn’t have the home we have now. My husband is right, a girl’s dowry should start accumulating early. I have no objections.”
