It turns out that Song Zhenping's return to Xiaoshi Village was not solely due to his love for his hometown.
Although he was familiar with Zhao Tingduo, he became somewhat uneasy after the two families got engaged and he learned the truth about Zhao Tingduo's identity.
From the perspective of the Wu Dynasty, the Zhao family was related to the emperor, and the two families were of vastly different statuses.
The better Zhao Tingduo was, the more guilty Song Zhenping felt. He was worried that his sister's marriage was too high a bar for him.
Moreover, Zhao Tingduo is related to the Zhenbei Army's Suijin Guard.
Not only was the house in Baolin Residence given by the garrison, but even the shops in Suijin Town could be taken back by the garrison.
If Song Liyun is not doing well on the grassland, she won't be able to go back to her parents' home in Suijin Town.
Only Xiaoshi Village is a safe and secure home.
This quiet and reserved boy had actually been secretly paving the way for his three siblings' escape route.
Urged by Song Zhenping, Song Liyun used a "lucky bag" to put everything away.
Looking at the now empty room, Song Zhenping breathed a sigh of relief, a contented smile spreading across his face: "Xiaoyun, remember to come back every autumn from now on, and I'll prepare everything for you."
He felt that this was all he could do for his sister!
Song Liyun smiled: "Brother, that's a great idea! I can come back to see you and sister-in-law every year!"
Compared to Song Zhenping, who was purely doing it for her sister's good, she felt that she had some selfish motives.
She wanted Song Zhenping to grow rapeseed and oats on a large scale in Qili County, where they could collect hay to produce feed, and also to purchase charcoal and other necessities.
If her marriage with Zhao Tingduo doesn't go well, she'd rather be strong enough than retreat back to Xiaoshi Village to live a quiet life.
A tribe of Uda can conquer territory through force, and they can also build a kingdom of wealth through their own abilities.
Thinking of something and doing it, Song Liyun soon took Song Zhenping to the village head's house.
When Song Liyun explained that she wanted to buy land to grow oats, Song Lizheng immediately sent someone to town to call back his eldest son, Song Dequan.
Song Dequan was in charge of the taxes of each household in the town and knew the land situation in all the villages and towns of Qingping Town very well.
However, when Song Dequan returned to Xiaoshi Village, he had another person with him.
Old Master Xue, his body hunched over, bowed and scraped to Song Liyun and Song Zhenping with a fawning expression.
He visited Xiaoshi Village the following day.
Just then, Song Liyun was hosting a banquet, and he was thinking of taking the opportunity to come in and build a relationship.
Unfortunately, he was unlucky and bumped into Abu and Xiao An, who were strolling around at the village entrance.
Xiao An already knows that her second sister was almost sold by her second uncle to someone else as a wife, and that person was Master Xue.
Moreover, among the people who came to cause trouble at Baolin Residence last time, there were also some of Master Xue's men.
Upon seeing this, he immediately pulled Abu aside and complained.
Abu also knew about that.
Upon hearing that this was the very person who wanted to buy the young mistress and still dared to come knocking on his door, given his temperament, he was not about to let it go, and the result was naturally chaos.
By the time Song Zhenping went to rescue them, a large number of the men brought by Master Xue had already been beaten down. Fortunately, Master Xue was afraid of dying and had already fled when he saw that things were not going well.
Unexpectedly, they've come back with Song Dequan again.
Seeing the puzzled look on the Song siblings' faces, Song Dequan said, "You want to buy land, and the Xue family wants to sell land. It's a good opportunity to come and talk!"
Master Xue nodded repeatedly: "How much land does Miss Song need, and what kind of land? Is it the best fertile land by the river or the worst barren land at the foot of the mountain?"
Since they were there to discuss serious matters, Song Zhenping and Song Liyun naturally couldn't be petty.
The group explained the proposed planting base to Song Lizheng at his home.
Upon hearing that it was about growing coarse grains like oats, Song Dequan said seriously, "Then use the low-grade dry land on the barren hillsides. It's cheap and easy to buy."
Song, the village head, also agreed that livestock should be fed coarse grains regardless of the location.
Song Liyun didn't know anything about farming, so she looked at Song Zhenping.
Song Zhenping's expression was somewhat unpleasant: "Isn't all the land on the hill supposed to belong to Gujiazhuang?"
Between Xiaoshi Village and Gujiazhuang Village lies a low mountain ridge. At the foot of the ridge on both sides are scattered graves from various villages, while the ridge itself is a barren, dry land.
Gujiazhuang has a large population but little land. This mountainous area was reclaimed by the villagers, who usually grow sorghum and wheat, barely managing to get a harvest.
But that land was the best place to grow oats and beans.
Song Lizheng frowned; the relationship between Gujiazhuang and Xiaoshicun was not good at the moment.
Ever since Song Liyun and her two siblings left Xiaoshi Village under the pretext of corvée labor, and the incident of the "theft" at Song Lao Er's house caused trouble, Gu Pozi and Xiao Gu's family have come to Xiaoshi Village to make trouble several times.
Previously, with the Song brothers, Zhenping and Song Zhenping, held hostage by their mother and daughter-in-law, the Song family in Xiaoshi Village dared not turn against Granny Gu, and the people of Gu Family Village also became arrogant.
But the Song family in Xiaoshi Village didn't care that the three siblings had "disappeared".
So Gu Family Village caused trouble again, forcing Song Village Chief to give an explanation. Song Village Chief then led his men to fight Gu Family Village several times, and the relationship between the two sides instantly plummeted to a freezing point.
After Granny Gu died, only one nephew from the Gu family came to extort money. He was beaten up by Song Zhenping, the upright "grandson," and Granny Gu was not even buried in the Song family ancestral graveyard.
The Gu family of Gujiazhuang broke ties completely with the Song family of Xiaoshi Village, and the two powerful families became sworn enemies.
Is it even possible to grow oats on the mountain ridge of Gujiazhuang now?
Do I have to bow down and apologize?
If the Gu family knew that Song Zhenping was using this land, they would probably not only make things difficult for him, but also cause trouble.
Song Dequan glanced at Master Xue: "Xue Rengui, didn't you say that you could handle any place Daping wanted?"
Although Master Xue had run into trouble in Qili County, he was still a local bigwig in Qingping Town, and in this tiny place, he had connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles.
What's a few plots of wasteland to the Song family now? He'll always find a way to get them.
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