Shaking his somewhat muddled head, Feng Jinshan finally managed to get his thoughts back on track.
"Grandma, don't try to scare me with those seven or eight hundred, nearly a thousand children. I'm not easily frightened."
Besides, these days people can't even feed themselves, so why would anyone be so foolish as to take money to raise someone else's child?
Don't think that just because you're old you can spout nonsense and people will believe you. I'm not someone who's easily fooled.
Besides, how many people you support is none of my business.
"Tell me, what do you want?"
Feng Jinshan practically roared the last sentence; it was fortunate he was sitting, otherwise he certainly wouldn't have been able to stand up.
My legs were shaking violently.
Why? The knife in my hand is out of my control.
No matter how much force he used, the old woman opposite him held the blade firmly on one corner.
He used his voice to prove his strength, and having done that, he let go of the knife.
I thought the old lady across from me would trip or fall backward, but nothing happened.
This was outrageous, and Feng Jinshan was very disappointed.
Mrs. Huang remained smiling.
"Young man, don't get so angry. Getting angry is bad for your health."
My wife recently received a reward from the Emperor.
Although it's not much, it's enough for this old woman to do some good deeds.
In our prefecture, this is the only vacant lot, and there are many empty houses around here, so I, your wife, will buy them all.
Build a big courtyard so that the children can play there.
So, I'd like to discuss this with you. How much is this house for? I'd like to buy it.
You see, only your family still lives around here; everyone else has moved away. It's alright during the day, but it gets really creepy at night.
It doesn't matter that you're a man, but living in this deserted place, I see some women's clothes in your yard, so there must be women in your family.
We should always think about their needs, shouldn't we?
Hearing Huang's words, Feng Jinshan nodded his head naturally.
Then, realizing how stupid he had been, he looked up and glared fiercely at Huang.
"My house is not for sale, so don't even think about it."
Huang nodded.
"Young man, can you tell this old woman why you won't sell it?"
Or perhaps you have some unavoidable hardship; tell me, maybe this old woman can lend you a hand.
Feng Jinshan turned his face away, while Huang smiled.
"Fine, if you don't want to tell me, then don't. But I still want to buy this land."
For example, if your next-door neighbor's wife is willing to buy it, their family will definitely agree.
If the young man agrees, it's acceptable if he doesn't cause trouble for his wife's family or buys your house.
My wife likes to be upfront about things, and considering the children's safety, we built our wall a bit high.
It needs to be at least two and a half meters tall. It might block the light from your house, young man. Don't blame your wife then.
If you come looking for us again then, there will be too many children at home, and the children are easily frightened. If you startle any of them, your wife will be heartbroken.
Don't you agree with this logic?
Feng Jinshan's mind raced, weighing all the pros and cons.
Regardless of whether this old woman's words were true or false, she was definitely not someone to be trifled with; she was always accompanied by constables when she went out.
She also received a reward from the emperor, and given the old woman's fighting prowess, it would be impossible for her to scare people away with brute force as before.
Since we can't scare them away, we might as well try to take advantage of them. My dear mother has suffered a lot over the years to raise me.
I've finally grown up and can drive away all those heartless, jerk neighbors, allowing my mother to have some peace and quiet.
But I really can't stay at home every day and rely on my mother to go out and do laundry for others to make a living.
Once I leave home, my mother will definitely be scared, and those beasts, if they know I'm not home, might come knocking on the door again at any time.
After thinking carefully for a while, I asked, "Why did you take in those orphans?"
Huang didn't expect Feng Jinshan to bring up this issue again. Huang smiled and said...
"Many people are asking this question. Raising children is not an easy thing. It costs money and effort, not to mention that you might end up raising an ungrateful child."
Isn't it better to leave money to your descendants? Why bother with children who are not related to your family?
The old woman has also thought about this question; perhaps she really just wants to do good deeds and accumulate merit.
Seeing her child with no clothes to wear and no food to eat, the old woman felt terrible.
Thinking of my little grandchildren, I feel so sorry for them if they were living that kind of life.
The parents of those children must not be at peace even in the afterlife.
So, whenever the old woman had a little spare money, she would build a yard and take in these homeless children.
Even if the old woman runs out of money one day, these children will at least have enjoyed a few good days, and their bodies will be stronger than before.
If we teach them some skills, they will be able to support themselves even without their wives' protection.
Whether you work as an accountant, a carpenter, a bricklayer, or an embroiderer, you can always earn a living.
Madam Huang's words brought tears to the eyes of the yamen runner standing nearby. "Madam, your kindness is truly admirable."
Huang shook her head.
"Hey, what's with all this talk about lofty ideals? What's that old man always says again? Something like... Second daughter..."
"When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven," Zhao Qinglin replied.
Huang slapped his thigh,
"Yes, that's the idea. It's about having some spare money and doing something worthwhile. That's my thought."
"Young man, what's your decision? Should you sell the house to your wife?"
Feng Jinshan pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"Madam, I still can't sell the house to you first..."
Huang was taken aback. All her grand pronouncements hadn't moved her at all. Still unwilling to give up, she asked...
"Why? Are you afraid of not being paid enough?"
Feng Jinshan shook his head.
"If I sell the house to you first, then when the owners of these empty houses around here come back and hear that I have moved, they will definitely raise the price on the spot."
"Those heartless, rotten bastards, how could they possibly deserve such a large sum of money?"
Upon hearing this, the three exchanged glances, realizing there was more to the story.
"Young man, I think you're a good kid, but I've heard your reputation isn't very good. Could you tell me why?"
The little flame of Huang's Bagua (Eight Trigrams) has been rekindled.
Feng Jinshan nodded.
"Grandma, if you're going to buy a house around here, don't pay any extra money. They're all bad people."
My mother was a widow…
Feng Jinshan felt that Huang was a good person, different from the surrounding neighbors, so he began to explain in detail the reasons for his evil deeds.
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