Seeing that the previous amiable expression had vanished from Grandma Sun's face, Jiang Yuwei smiled and said:
“Grandma Sun, we have already separated from the Ning family and live at the foot of the back mountain. I have seen your land, and it has indeed been abandoned for a long time. That’s why I thought of asking the village headman today if you want to sell the land. I just wanted to make sure the land is close to my home. If Grandma Sun doesn’t want to sell the land, we will not force you.”
Seeing Jiang Yuwei's sincere expression, Grandma Sun softened her expression and nodded, saying:
“But my land has been abandoned for many years, and I’m afraid nothing can be grown there.”
Jiang Yuwei waved her hand and said:
"That's none of Grandma Sun's concern. I've come here today to get a straight answer from you: whether you want to sell this land or not."
Grandma Sun was frowning and hesitating when she heard Liu, the daughter-in-law of the Sun family, come out from the inner room. The young woman was hunched over, and she took Grandma Sun's hand, her eyes filled with tears, and said:
“Mother, we can’t cultivate that land anyway, and it’s just going to be wasted if we leave it there. Today, our eldest daughter-in-law is willing to spend money to buy that land, so it’s like it’s destined for our family. Please don’t hesitate any longer.”
Grandma Sun felt heartbroken seeing her daughter-in-law like this, and murmured:
"But if Jiawang comes back, we can't be without land to farm. Jiawang will come back, won't he..."
Upon hearing Grandma Sun's words, Liu burst into tears.
"Mother, please stop talking, please stop talking! You...you don't need to worry about whether Jiawang can come back or not. Look at the present, look at me, look at your own grandson. Our family is about to starve, we're about to go hungry, how can we wait for Jiawang to come back!"
Upon hearing Liu's words, Grandma Sun burst into tears. Her hands trembling, she gently patted Liu's hand a few times, and said through gritted teeth:
"Alright, alright, we won't wait for Jiawang to come back. The person in front of us is more important. I'll listen to you, Mother!"
Upon hearing this, Liu smiled slightly, wiped away Grandma Sun's tears with her sleeve, and then hastily wiped her own face before saying to Jiang Yuwei:
"How much are you willing to pay for this land of mine?"
Jiang Yuwei glanced at the village head, then at Grandma Sun, and said:
"You all know this land has been barren for many years, so it certainly can't be as valuable as fertile fields. Just like Grandma Sun said, it's not even certain that this land can grow crops again. I won't say anything else to you. Since we're here today, I'm determined not to let either of us suffer a loss. I'm thinking of offering one tael of silver per acre. Are you willing to accept this price?"
Grandma Sun and Liu exchanged a glance, and Liu nodded, saying:
"Okay, we're willing to accept the price you've set, but as you know, we urgently need the money at home..."
Jiang Yuwei interrupted Liu with a smile and said:
“I know that I brought money with me to buy the land. I can settle the money today and I will not owe you anything. However, the purchase documents and land deed are both necessary. I don’t want any trouble in the future.”
Upon hearing Jiang Yuwei's words, Liu nodded hurriedly and smiled:
"Of course, you can rest assured about that."
After saying that, she went back into the house to get the land deed. The village head also drafted the document, and after both parties signed and sealed it, Jiang Yuwei handed the prepared silver to Grandma Sun.
Grandma Sun's eyes reddened as she looked at the heavy silver in her hand. Her family hadn't seen so much money in a long time. Since all the able-bodied men in the family left, life had become harder and harder. It was a good thing that someone was willing to buy her wasteland; at least the widow and her orphan left at home could survive.
Seeing that the matter was settled and that it was inconvenient for her to linger any longer, Jiang Yuwei bid farewell to the Sun family with the village head. As she left the Sun family's courtyard, Jiang Yuwei took out thirty copper coins from her bosom and handed them to the village head.
"Village head, I am so grateful for your help in introducing me to this matter today. Otherwise, I would not have been able to accomplish this on my own. Please don't think this is too little money for your hard work."
The village head laughed:
"Yuwei, our two families are such good friends. It would be too much of a formality for me to ask you for money for such a small favor. If I really accepted the money, not only would Ningqiu complain, but your Aunt Ning would also scold me!"
He then stuffed the money into Jiang Yuwei's hand and turned to leave.
Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei had no choice but to put the money away. Since the village head was unwilling to accept the money, she could only wait until another day to send him something else.
Jiang Yuwei was delighted to hold the land deed. Her family's farmland had increased by three acres. Indeed, buying land made people happy. In the future, when a suitable place comes along, she must save more for her two children.
Now that she had the land, Jiang Yuwei thought that the paper mulberry trees in the land should be put to use. As she walked back, she recalled the process of making paper mulberry paper.
As Jiang Yuwei passed by Aunt Zhou's house, she thought that if she wanted to take all the bark from the paper mulberry trees on those three acres of land to make paper, she definitely couldn't do it by herself. She would need to hire a few people she knew well. So she knocked on the door and went into Aunt Zhou's yard.
Aunt Zhou, who was washing vegetables to prepare a meal, saw Jiang Yuwei arrive and quickly put down the vegetables, vigorously shaking the water droplets off her hands and smiling:
"Yuwei, what brings you here today?"
Jiang Yuwei sat smiling on a small stool in the courtyard:
"Aunt Zhou, I've come today because I need your help with something."
Aunt Zhou waved her hand and said:
“We live next door, there’s no need for help, just tell me if you need anything.”
Jiang Yuwei looked at Aunt Zhou and smiled:
"I want to find a few helpers to do my work, but they should be people I know well. They don't need to come every day. They can come when I need them and go home to do their own things when I don't. The pay is forty coins a day, and two meals are included. But I can't tell anyone about this job; I can only do it quietly."
Aunt Zhou pondered for a moment, then smiled and said:
"That's easy. My sons Tiezhu and Xiaowu are both strong and capable. They can work for you. Anyway, your Uncle Ning can manage the land by himself. What do you think?"
Jiang Yuwei's original intention was to have Ning Tiezhu and Ning Wu help in the fields. Having spent so much time with them, she found them to be honest, kind, and hardworking. Plus, they had both saved her life, so she wanted to repay them. She hadn't expected Aunt Zhou to agree so readily, and nodded hurriedly.
“That would be perfect. Have Ning Tiezhu and Ning Wu come to my house first thing tomorrow morning, and I’ll take them up the mountain with me.”
Aunt Zhou nodded hurriedly and said:
"Alright, alright, I'll tell them when they come back from the fields that you can rest assured about their work. If they don't do a good job, just tell me, and I'll be the first to hold them accountable!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com