The villagers have recently been seeing Xie Chunlin's son carrying mud from the fields back home. Does Xie Changlin not want to help? Of course he does, but the boy's parents are away for medical treatment, leaving him alone at home.
The little boy, only 5 years old, was quiet and obedient, doing whatever he was asked, so well-behaved that it broke his heart.
Kids these days are just a bit mischievous, and he really can't bear to scold him. So he has to trouble his wife to change his clothes.
Did Xie Ming not know that people were talking about him playing in the mud? Of course he knew.
There was no other way; his family owed the Xie clan too much in their past life. Now that they were repaying their debt, they naturally had to take the clan with them.
Don't be fooled by his current mud-playing; within ten years, this entire land will become "divine soil." That's right, he plans to transform Xiejia Village into a grain breeding center.
Having seen so much of what came after, the old emperor knew that as long as Xie Chunlin handed over the high-yield, high-quality seeds, Xie Family Village would inevitably catch his eye.
Regardless of the future of Xiejia Village, Xie Ming is currently focused on collecting all the soil samples he has gathered nearby.
It must be said that Xiejia Village is somewhat lucky; there are hardly any bad plots of land near the village. Even the soil in the mountains and forests is quite good.
"Ming-ge'er, are you going to move clods of dirt from the field again?" Xie Youlin had just finished inspecting the field when he saw his nephew carrying a basket and about to leave.
"Uncle, I've finished the assignments Master Qin gave me." Xie Ming smiled, revealing his missing gums.
“Sweetie, your uncle is free right now, he’ll go with you.”
Xie Youlin decided to have all the soil he needed moved in one go that morning, so that he wouldn't have to make the trip for the next few days.
This uncle was a doting father, and Xie Ming didn't intend to refuse him. Besides, he needed more support if he didn't want to take the imperial examinations in the future.
Uncle Xie is perfect for the role, but as for Grandpa Xie? Let's not go for him; he's a big fan of scholars.
"Ming-ge'er, what are you planning to do with all that soil you bring home every day?" Xie Youlin was genuinely curious. The soil in the jars placed in the courtyard of the second room didn't look like it was for making clay figures, much less for planting flowers.
"Food is the most important thing for people. I want to create good soil that can grow good grains."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Youlin was stunned. He hadn't expected this child to have such lofty ambitions. You see, his family had always valued education; in their eyes, studying and taking the imperial examinations was the most important thing.
As for the crops on the land, that too will depend on studying.
But his nephew's actions and his saying "Food is the first necessity of the people" made Xie Youlin feel ashamed.
“Good child, your uncle understands your intentions. But you must not forget the fundamental principles of life in this world.”
"Yes, I will pass the imperial examination and become a scholar."
Xie Youlin laughed heartily, realizing that the child wasn't planning to obsessively pursue the imperial examinations. Good! Children in the clan don't all have to follow the same path; having more options is always beneficial.
As the two walked, they ran into Zhou Lingxi, who was heading towards the Xie family mansion.
Seeing that the person had arrived at the village so quickly, Xie Ming was very satisfied that the extra speed he had given him hadn't been wasted.
"Uncle, do you know where Chen Sinian lives?" Zhou Lingxi certainly knew where he lived.
However, she also understood that Chenjia Village hadn't yet conquered Xiejia Village, and her husband's family hadn't taken over the Xie family's old residence. She'd need someone to guide her if she wanted to get into the Xie family compound!
"How do you know Chen Sinian, little one?" Xie Youlin was still a bit wary when he heard her accented dialect.
Zhou Lingxi was stunned; she hadn't thought of that question before. Now that someone had asked her, she felt she had been reckless.
Bad people are always good at making up lies, and even when she was stumped, she quickly came up with a reason.
“I’m a distant relative of his mother’s. I met her in town before. My family suffered a disaster in the first half of the year and we had no other way to survive, so my mother brought me here to find my relatives. Coco…” Zhou Lingxi thought of her relatives who were still on the road to exile, and tears streamed down her face.
Xie Changlin's doubts were mostly dispelled, but when he thought of Chen Sinian's mother colluding with Chen Hehua to sell the silver lock left by his mother, his softened heart hardened again.
"He went back to Chenjia Village. Go to Chenjia Village and find him!"
"Chenjia Village?"
Zhou Lingxi stared at Xie Changlin, wanting him to say more. She knew that the Chenjia Village in her memory was the Chenjia Village that had taken over Xiejia Village, not the Chenjia Village that was now nowhere to be found.
"Cross over that mountain, then over a small hill, and it's about two miles to your destination. If you set off now, little one, you'll arrive before evening." Xie Changlin didn't expect the villagers to see her off, let alone say the child was too young. They could walk all the way from the county; why would they worry about her getting lost?
"Uncle, can I wait for him here? I haven't eaten in a long time."
After saying these words, Zhou Lingxi felt she had lost all face for the rest of her life. If she ever became successful in the future, she would definitely kill everyone who had ever seen her like this.
“No, little one. Aunt Si Nian is sick, and her uncle took her to see a doctor. You should go to Chenjia Village instead.”
After Xie Changlin finished speaking, he left with Xie Ming, completely ignoring her mention of being hungry.
Watching the departing figure, Zhou Lingxi realized that the despicable man had brought a child with him, but she had no recollection of what the child looked like.
Xie Ming: What a joke! I'm even better looking than Chen Sinian. Do you think a lecherous woman like you deserves to see my true face?
Having no other choice, Zhou Lingxi continued walking to see if anyone could give her something to eat.
But her luck didn't seem to be very good. Many people from Xiejia Village had gone to the county, and those who stayed at home were all working in the fields. In fact, not a single family had any food ready for her.
Zhou Lingxi, who wanted to kill, could only suppress her rumbling stomach and head towards Chenjia Village.
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