Chapter 45: Buy the Mountain

Chapter 45

Li Zheng had been busy for two whole days, recruiting over a dozen people to help measure the three barren hills. In total there were 4,800 mu.

These hills all belonged to the village, and were extremely infertile, so Li Zheng gave Li Yao the lowest price—100 wen per mu, totaling 480 taels of silver.

The 400 taels earned from the opening of the upscale shop, plus her previous savings, left her with around 100 taels after paying this money. She would use this to make bricks.

As for the shortage, didn't she earn money every day? With so many bricks, they couldn't be fired in just a day or two. She could pay in installments, or even wait until the quantity built up before paying—so there was no need to worry about money for building the house.

These past two days, Li Zheng had marveled continuously.

He had lived over half his life, and never imagined that River Bend Village could produce such a wealthy person, and it just had to be Li Yao. He really didn't know where her luck came from.

The villagers also knew that Li Yao had bought several thousand mu of barren hills. While incredibly envious, some soured greatly, badmouthing her for being foolish.

With so much money, she could have lived comfortably in Yizhou Prefecture. She really was an idiot.

Li Yao turned a deaf ear to this. Let them be sour—she was a landowner now.

"I've received the money. I'll go to the county office to handle the title deed now," said Li Zheng before leaving.

After he left, Li Yao took Da Zhuang and his wife Xiaoya to the back hill, pointing to the vast mountainous area, "Da Zhuang, from now on, manage these lands."

"Yes ma'am!"

Although it was barren mountain land, the quantity was massive. Da Zhuang was so overjoyed he nearly fainted.

Since childhood, he had farmed with his father, and knew deeply how important land was. He had always dreamed of owning tens of mu of good farmland, so his family would never have to worry about starving again.

Now his childhood dream had come true!

Although it was barren hills, he was confident in making them fertile—growing wheat, or vegetables to raise geese. Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than tens of mu of good farmland?

Xiaoya tightly grasped Da Zhuang's sleeve, on the verge of tears.

She had suffered too much hardship marrying Da Zhuang, and endured too many contemptuous looks. Even now, her parents looked down on Da Zhuang, not even letting him sit at the table when they ate at her parents' home...

But now things were good.

Not only could they earn money from the business, but they also had so much mountain land. Life would get better from now on.

At this coming Spring Festival back home, Da Zhuang could finally stand tall and not have to stay silent before her parents. Yôur favorite stories at novelhall.com

The mortar used to build the Great Wall followed this recipe. Although not as good as reinforced concrete, it would certainly last decades.

...

In the study, after hearing Wang Jiafu's words, the Song County Magistrate took a long time to recover from the shock.

"You're saying... Li Yao from your River Bend Village spent 480 taels of silver to buy 4,800 mu of barren hills?"

"Yes sir," said Wang Jiafu. "If she hadn't already given me the silver bills, I wouldn't have believed it either."

"Do you know what she plans to do with so much barren hills?"

"I didn't ask for details," Wang Jiafu replied.

She was probably crazy, or had her own ideas, but Wang Jiafu didn't dare say this in front of the county magistrate.

"This Li Yao is increasingly puzzling," said the Song County Magistrate. "Since she's paid the silver, go find the clerk to register it and handle the title deed."

"Yes sir."

"Right," the magistrate asked again, "How are things in River Bend Village now? Do you still have surplus grain?"

"Who has any grain left, sir? Most families are just getting by on wild vegetables. Winter is almost here, and there won't be many wild veggies left. Everyone is still hoping the court could open the granaries for relief."

Opening the granaries was impossible. With drought across the land and border conflicts, the court's belt was cinched even tighter than the commoners'. Where would they find grain for disaster relief?

"You should figure something out first," said the Song County Magistrate. "Didn't you just sell several thousand mu of hills for silver? Aside from remitting taxes, 96 taels could be left. Use that to purchase grain. If you get through this winter, things might improve in the spring."

"That's all we can do now."

After Wang Jiafu left, the Song County Magistrate heaved a long sigh.

The most difficult time had arrived.

River Bend Village was slightly better off, but he heard other villages in Bai County were already preparing to flee the famine.

Yet faced with this, he still hadn't come up with any solutions.

If a massive exodus occurred, with refugees scattering everywhere, he would be guilty of dereliction as the new county magistrate.

What should he do?