Chapter 86 Jiang Ji Returns to the County School; Let's Buy Land First.
In fact, Jiang Dahe was not very willing to point fingers at Ye Li.
Previously, Ye Li wanted to build a house, and without consulting anyone, she just started building it.
But now that Jiang Ji is here, and the matter concerns the land, he couldn't help but want to say a few words.
Besides, it's his birthday today. He might say some random things, but Ye Li probably won't confront him to his face.
So he said again, "Li Ge'er, if you buy the yard back, you can take Ya Ge'er to live there. You'll have to pay for even a handful of vegetables."
"Besides, with just the two of you, one big and one small, you don't even have anyone to talk to."
"You still have to cook for Xiao Ji and Xiao Mai every day. It's much easier to live at home, isn't it?"
Ye Li smiled and said, "You can buy it to eat."
"How much would that cost? A small meat bun the size of a fist costs three coins. With Xiao Ji's appetite, he could eat ten in one sitting, right?"
"And wheat too! This half-grown boy is going to eat his father out of house and home!"
As Jiang Dahe spoke, he pointed to the Jiang brothers, Jiang Ji and Jiang Mai.
Each of the brothers had a large ceramic bowl in front of them.
The bowl is full of braised pork with vermicelli.
This is their second bowl.
Given Jiang Ji's appetite, he would definitely need another bowl.
Seeing the large bowls in front of the two brothers, Liang Erxiang couldn't help but speak up and advise, "Li Ge'er, your second uncle is right. If we buy these to eat, it will cost a lot of money every day."
"If we buy land, we can grow everything ourselves, which will save us a lot of money."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jiang Dahe immediately chimed in: "That's exactly right. As long as we old farmers have land, we'll have food and drink."
"Which landlord would lose money?"
"Being a landlord is the least losing out!"
Apart from that disaster twenty years ago!
But such misfortunes don't happen every day.
"Moreover, the main problem is that we have many mountains and little land here, and the government doesn't sell land. You can't just buy land whenever you want."
There isn't much arable land in Beiyang County. Over the years, the land that was allocated to farmers when the Great Xia Dynasty was established has gradually been concentrated in the hands of landlords of all sizes.
There's no other way; farmers have poor resilience to risks. If they encounter natural disasters or man-made calamities, the only way to survive is to sell their land or their lives.
More than 20 years ago, in Beiyang County and the villages around Baxian Town, most families were tenants of landlords!
They either didn't own any land at all, or they didn't have enough land to cultivate and had to rent from landlords.
Twenty years ago, bandits slaughtered all the local landowners, big and small.
The land returned to the government's control.
The government then conducted a population survey and redistributed the land.
However, during times of peace and prosperity, the population grows rapidly, and the land held by the government is only allocated to newborns and is not sold.
If you want to buy land, you can only wait for someone else to sell it.
But in this year, the weather has been perfect, with favorable conditions for crops in recent years.
The county magistrate was also enlightened, and there was no tragedy of officials forcing the people to rebel.
Therefore, to buy land, one must encounter, wait, and rely on luck.
It's not like you can buy it today and get it tomorrow.
Jiang Dahe went on and on because he wanted Ye Li to prepare the money in advance, so that if someone sold land, he could always come up with the money to buy it.
Ye Li didn't know much about these things before.
The original owner didn't care.
He didn't care; he made his fortune through business anyway.
After hearing Jiang Dahe's words, he couldn't help but look at Jiang Ji.
Jiang Ji has always understood the ins and outs of this matter.
However, he does own some land.
Moreover, heaven knows how much he wanted to see Ye Li every day!
He was happy just to see Ye Li, even without having sex with her.
If he could kiss and hug again, he would be overjoyed.
Therefore, when Ye Li suggested buying the courtyard, he agreed without hesitation.
How wonderful!
He went straight home after school, and Ye Li could be seen as soon as he opened the door.
They will never again be separated like this, leaving them sleepless and lonely.
But now Jiang Dahe has laid this issue out in detail, leaving him no way to avoid it, so he...
He smiled and said, "Second Uncle, I think it's better to buy the courtyard first."
Why?
Jiang Dahe's eyes widened.
He's made it so clear!
Liang Erxiang was also puzzled.
It seems that buying land is more important.
Ye Li, equally unsure of what he was going to say, also looked at him.
Apart from Jiang Ya, who was engrossed in her meal, everyone at the table looked at Jiang Ji.
Jiang Ji straightened his expression and explained, "A cunning rabbit has three burrows, right? If we settle down in the county town, we can take refuge there in time if trouble comes up in the future, isn't that right?"
"...How could the calamity of twenty years ago possibly repeat itself?"
Jiang Dahe wanted to slam his fist on the table.
On such a good day, why are you saying such unlucky things!
Ye Li almost burst out laughing.
What a high-sounding reason.
It's really impressive that Jiang Ji was able to pull this out.
Well, Jiang Dahe's words make some sense. Anyway, he can't afford a courtyard right now, and after spring, he can drive an oxcart to pick up Jiang Ji every day if he wants.
Since he's so bored, he might as well run errands.
With the income from the workshop, fifty taels a month, one could save up enough to build a courtyard in half a year.
I'll just buy the yard next winter.
So he said, "Jiang Ji, what Second Uncle said makes sense. Let's listen to Second Uncle and set aside the money for buying the land first."
He stood on Jiang Dahe's side. Jiang Ji was taken aback, but seeing his smiling face, he quickly suppressed his doubts and said, "Okay, let's do as Second Uncle says."
"That's more like it."
Jiang Dahe's complexion improved.
Liang Erxiang smiled and said, "Then I'll talk to the clan leader tomorrow and ask him to keep an eye out for it."
“The most fertile, top-quality land costs thirty-five taels per mu, but the workshop only needs to operate for two months for you to buy three mu.”
Such a good thing actually fell into the Jiang family's hands.
God has truly opened his eyes.
But Ye Li just felt it was too expensive: "...Thirty-five taels?"
Jiang Dahe said, "It's because we have so little farmland here. If there's competition, the price could go even higher."
There are many wealthy people in Beiyang County.
As the price of the land increased, so did its value.
"I'll save it up slowly."
Ye Li sighed inwardly.
Banxianju's business is doing well. Shouldn't Yu Cai increase the daily order volume in a few days?
During his two visits to Banxianju, he secretly observed that the tofu puffs were selling well, and many tables had ordered them.
This stuff is meant to be eaten with hot pot!
The meal lasted until the afternoon. By the time it ended, the snow had stopped, and Ye Lijiangji led Jiang Mai and Jiang Ya home.
On the way back, Ye Li told him his plan: to buy a courtyard house when winter comes tomorrow.
Jiang Ji listened and agreed.
Yeah, anyway, it's not going to happen this winter, as long as we can use it next winter, that's fine.
Liang Erxiang couldn't stay idle, so she decided to go and help out at the workshop.
Otherwise, it would take a lot of time just to cut the tofu.
Ye Adie, Ye Liang, and Liu Yi thought the same thing. It snowed today, and the roads were difficult to travel. Ye Adie and Liu Yi wanted Ye Liang to go home early, so after lunch they went to help out at the workshop.
Ye Li did not go over to help.
Jiang Ji was running out of walnut powder at home, and he didn't have much left either. He planned to send some to Bao Beiyuan and Jiang Shun as well, so that the two of them could at least have something hot to drink while they ate their fried dough sticks.
After arriving home, he told Jiang Mai to go back to her room to study, while he, Jiang Ji, and Jiang Ya made walnut and sesame powder.
The three of them worked until Ye Adie and Liu Yi returned, and they had made a total of fifteen catties.
These fifteen jin were divided into three portions, with five jin at home.
Jiang Ji, Bao Beiyuan, and Jiang Shun each weigh five jin.
However, time has passed too quickly.
In the blink of an eye, Jiang Ji was going back to the county school again.
The thought of parting tomorrow filled them both with a sense of melancholy. So, after getting into bed, they lay on their sides, looked at each other for a moment, and then sighed at the same time.
This unspoken understanding brought a smile to Ye Li's face.
He reached out and hugged Jiang Ji.
Jiang Ji then pulled him into his arms.
The two hugged quietly for a while, and then Ye Li said, "After I buy the oxcart, I'll come to see you more often, and we'll go out for lunch together."
That's a good idea.
Winter days are short and dark, so Jiang Ji would definitely be worried if Ye Li went over in the evening.
Just as she was about to agree, Ye Li suddenly said, "If I go there too often, won't it distract you and affect your studies?"
Early romantic relationships can negatively impact academic performance!
Jiang Ji's clinginess towards him made him worry.
"...I will only strive harder."
Jiang Ji was both amused and exasperated.
"Really?" Ye Li asked, still somewhat skeptical.
Jiang Ji was able to assess Jiang Mai's situation every month.
But who can find out about his good husband?
We can't let the biennial exams be the test of Jiang Ji's academic progress, can we?
His eyes flickered slightly as he stepped out of Jiang Ji's embrace: "When you come back next time, shall we go and visit Master Han?"
"How about I visit him at his home and let him find out what's going on with you?"
"……OK."
Jiang Ji did not object.
Next year, Jiang Mai will be sent to a private school. It will be beneficial for him to maintain a closer relationship with Master Han.
"I'll make him a Sichuan peppercorn chicken and send it over, or we can invite him to Banxianju for dinner."
"good."
Jiang Ji smiled and agreed.
Although Ye Li's actions might be suspected of showing a lack of trust in him, he was happy as long as Ye Li was willing to put in the effort for him.
So, he couldn't help but cup Ye Li's face and kiss her.
What a beautiful night.
Getting close is important.
This enthusiasm inexplicably reminded Ye Li of the lunchtime scene.
She seemed quite intelligent on a normal day, but in order to stay with him, she came up with such a ridiculous reason.
His husband was so "foolish" that he found it both amusing and incredibly sweet.
The two had been fully clothed just moments before, but now that the atmosphere was getting heated, they quickly removed all their clothes and enjoyed the wonderful sensation of their hot skin pressed together.
Their deep reluctance to part made them kiss so passionately that they couldn't bear to change their kiss.
They want to look into each other's faces and kiss each other's lips.
They only regretted that the night was too short, preventing them from fully expressing their longing through their bodies.
Since Jiang Jiming wouldn't return to the county school until the afternoon, the two of them stayed up until late at night, and Ye Li slept until almost 10 a.m. the next day.
This time, Jiang Ji stayed by the kang (a heated brick bed) the whole time.
The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Jiang Jiyou's profile.
With a high and straight nose, a smooth jawline, and great skin without any acne scars, she truly looks like a painting come to life.
He admired it quietly for a while, then said matter-of-factly, "Come here, let me kiss you."
Jiang Ji was reading a book when he heard the sound and looked over. Seeing the man's smiling face, he smiled back, his eyes sparkling, making him quite handsome.
The two cuddled for a while, then he got up and prepared lunch.
After lunch, Jiang Dachuan, Jiang Tong, and Jiang Shun arrived in an oxcart.
Jiang Shun's luggage was still on the oxcart.
Jiang Dachuan was going to get acquainted with the place and meet his employer, Bao Beiyuan.
In his eyes, Jiang Shun was indeed a bit too young.
Ye Lijiang, Ji Jiang, Mai Jiangya, and others boarded the oxcart and slowly left the village.
The snow had melted, and the road was a bit muddy, but fortunately the dirt road was short, and the oxcart quickly entered the city.
However, despite Ye Li's repeated refusals, Jiang Dachuan still went to buy a few packs of pastries first.
By the time they arrived at Bao Beiyuan's place after shopping, Bao Beiyuan had already sold all the drinks and returned.
Although Bao Beiyuan's courtyard was not large, it had everything he needed, including a well, a mill, and a kitchen.
The main house has three rooms. Bao Beiyuan lived in one room, the main room was used to receive guests, and the other room was used to store glutinous rice, red beans and other grains.
However, there was already a kang (heated brick bed) inside, which Bao Beiyuan had already tidied up.
Jiang Shun simply laid the bedding on top.
Jiang Dachuan looked around and was very satisfied with the living environment.
As for his employer, Bao Beiyuan, he was satisfied with him. He spoke gently and seemed to have a good nature.
He was relieved and told Jiang Shun to work hard.
He didn't linger; they still had to take Jiang Ji to the county school.
By the time the oxcart arrived at the county school gate, it was already dark.
In front of Jiang Dachuan and Jiang Tong, Jiang Ji and Ye Li did not linger. They exchanged a few words of advice, and then Jiang Ji carried his basket into the county school.
Ye Li stared at his figure, only one thought in her mind:
Buy an oxcart.
You must buy it as soon as possible!
There are several car dealerships in Beiyang County, so the livestock market is quite prosperous. However, Ye Li doesn't know how to choose livestock, so he leaves it all to Jiang Dahe. He is only responsible for paying the money.
On the third day after Jiang Ji returned to the private school, he bought back the oxcart.
Since there was no room in his house to house this precious ox, he put the oxcart at Jiang Dahe's house.
The day after the oxcart was bought, Old Man Shi arrived.
Old Man Shi is Shi Yi's father. Not long after Jiang Ji returned from the prefectural city, the father and son drove over to buy a thousand preserved eggs.
However, Shijia is far from the county seat, and the town where it is located has a low cost of living.
Therefore, that batch of preserved eggs was not sold out until recently.
Although the payments were slow, Old Man Shi did indeed earn a thousand coins.
So Old Man Shi came over again to buy preserved eggs.
His family owns a lot of land, and this time he brought Ye Li a bag of peanuts that he grew himself.
Ye Li sold him the eggs at a friendly price, giving up a hundred coins of profit. If he bought a thousand eggs from Ye Li, he would definitely make a thousand coins.
As long as Ye Li keeps selling him eggs, earning a thousand coins a month, he can earn enough in just one year to cover Shi Yi's tuition for two years.
If they use it for another year, they can earn most of the travel expenses for their next trip to the prefectural city to take the imperial examination.
How could he not be grateful to Ye Li?
Therefore, he brought a bag of peanuts he grew himself with him this time.
These days, peanuts are as precious as fruit.
Farmers usually don't even have enough grain to eat for their own families, so where would they find spare land to grow this?
This bag of peanuts in their shells may only weigh 60 or 70 pounds, but it's still worth over 300 coins.
Ye Li was embarrassed to accept it, as it was a bit too expensive. But Old Man Shi insisted on giving it to him, so he gave him a discount of fifty coins.
This pleased Old Man Shi greatly, and he thanked him repeatedly.
He repeatedly said that if Shi Yi ever needed anything in the future, he should just ask.
In fact, Ye Li really does need Shi Yi.
Next year, Jiang Mai will enter the private school and become Shi Yi's classmate.
How could Ye Li feel at ease knowing that her eight-year-old child was going to board at school? So Ye Li wanted to ask Shi Yi to take care of Jiang Maiyi.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
