Jiang Yuwei slept all morning before getting up and going to the backyard. Aunt Zhang, seeing Jiang Yuwei arrive, happily pulled a root carving from her bosom and handed it to her.
"Yuwei, this is what your Uncle Zhang worked on all night last night. Do you think it's alright?"
Jiang Yuwei took the root carving and examined it carefully. She was surprised to find that Uncle Zhang's craftsmanship was so good, and the carving was so lifelike. Jiang Yuwei sighed that Ningjia Village was truly a place where hidden talents resided.
Seeing that Jiang Yuwei was looking at the root carving without speaking for a long time, Aunt Zhang nervously said:
“Yuwei, if your Uncle Zhang’s carving is not good, don’t be embarrassed to say so. I will tell him later.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei immediately waved her hand and said:
"No, no, Uncle Zhang's carving is very good, exceptionally good. This is exactly what I want. I have eleven more blueprints here. Please help me carve them all as soon as possible, Uncle Zhang. Carve two copies of each blueprint first. Aunt Zhang, how about I give Uncle Zhang twenty coins for each root carving?"
Aunt Zhang was immediately delighted upon hearing this and said:
“Sure, why not? Yuwei, as long as you don’t mind, I’ll go back and give the blueprints to my old man so he can get them engraved as soon as possible and not delay your business.”
Jiang Yuwei nodded and smiled:
“Alright, if the shop sells well, I’ll give Uncle Zhang some more blueprints to carve. But I must keep these blueprints safe and not let them out. I hope Aunt Zhang can remind Uncle Zhang about this.”
Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhang quickly replied:
"I understand, I understand. It's the same reason why we can't tell others about the work we do in your paper mill. You are a great benefactor to our family, Yuwei. Don't worry, we will never hold you back!"
Hearing this, Jiang Yuwei smiled and patted Aunt Zhang's hand.
"Alright, Aunt Zhang, hurry up and give the blueprints to Uncle Zhang to take a look at."
Aunt Zhang didn't linger, grabbing the blueprints and running out. Seeing this, Jiang Yuwei called Tiezhu into the inner room, handed him the recipe for the sticky notes, explained some important details, and then gave him instructions:
"From now on, you can assign Zhang Guang and Tianhe to make the floral paper and gold powder paper. You and Ning Wu will be mainly responsible for making sticky notes. Just like I told you before, all new products must be made by you and Ning Wu before they can be imitated."
Upon hearing this, Tie Zhu knew that Jiang Yuwei trusted him and Ning Wu, so he nodded in agreement and went out to work on making sticky notes.
Seeing that all the chores were arranged, Jiang Yuwei went to the front yard to prepare the meal. But just as she started the fire, an unfamiliar old woman knocked on the door.
"Is this the Ning family's eldest daughter?"
Jiang Yuwei stood up and looked at the person who came down. It was an old woman with a full head of white hair, who looked to be in her seventies or eighties.
Who are you?
Seeing this, the old woman quickly stepped forward and said with a smile:
“I recognize you. It’s you, eldest daughter-in-law, Jiang Yuwei! You probably don’t remember me. I’m Liu’s neighbor. I don’t go out much. I’ve only seen you visit Liu’s house a few times. By seniority, you should call me Aunt Ning!”
Just then, Madam Liu came out from the backyard and saw Aunt Ning standing in the yard. She quickly stepped forward and said with a smile:
"Third Aunt, what brings you here today?"
Jiang Yuwei felt relieved when she saw that Liu Shi knew her, and her gaze towards Ning Sangu softened.
Then, Aunt Ning walked up to Jiang Yuwei and smiled:
"I've come to talk to Yuwei about something today. You can go ahead and do your work, Ms. Liu."
Seeing this, Liu tactfully left.
Jiang Yuwei looked at Aunt Ning curiously and said:
"I wonder what brings Aunt Ning here to see me today?"
Seeing that no one was around, Aunt Ning whispered in Jiang Yuwei's ear.
“Yuwei, my son works in Ping'an Town and can’t come back to do the work in the fields. I’m getting older and older, and my son doesn’t feel comfortable leaving me alone in Ningjia Village. So he’s thinking of having me come to town to live with them. I can’t bear to leave the land at home like this.”
Aunt Ning hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said:
“I heard that the Liu family’s land has also been sold to you, so I came to ask if you would like to buy my family’s land. Originally, these were all ancestral properties, and I shouldn’t have made the decision to sell them without my consent. However, my family is small and I really can’t take care of them, so I came to trouble you today.”
Jiang Yuwei pondered for a moment before asking:
"Aunt Ning, where is this land you're talking about? How many acres is it in total? Are there any crops planted on it now?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Ning quickly waved her hand and said:
“I really can’t grow any crops by myself this year. That land is still empty. My land is right next to the Liu family’s land, they are connected. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered you. I thought it would be more convenient to buy the land in one place. Besides, your little courtyard is at the foot of the back mountain, so it’s more convenient to go to the fields on weekdays.”
Aunt Ning pointed towards the back mountain and continued:
“Look, it’s right there. My land is four mu in total, which isn’t much. Your family can manage it, since you’re all young. I heard that Ning Daya is also living in your house as a farmhand. With so many of you, you can have as much land as you need.”
Jiang Yuwei looked in the direction Ning Sangu was pointing, pondered for a moment, then turned back to Ning Sangu and slowly spoke:
“We don’t have any plans to buy land right now, but since Aunt Ning has come to our door, I’d like to ask how much silver she’s planning to sell the land for.”
Upon hearing Jiang Yuwei's words, Aunt Ning frowned, looking troubled.
“I’ve actually discussed this with my son. He said that the land is in high demand right now, and we agreed that if we could take all four acres at once, we would sell it to you for ten taels of silver.”
Jiang Yuwei frowned.
"I didn't pay this much when I bought land from the Liu family before, but their land had been abandoned for many years, so the price was slightly lower. It's just that your land is selling for too high a price, I really..."
Seeing this, Aunt Ning hurriedly said:
"So, how much do you want to pay for it?"
Jiang Yuwei responded while washing the pot:
"I can't make up my mind about this on my own. Right now, we don't have much time to farm. Why don't you ask around and see if anyone else is suitable?"
Seeing this, Aunt Ning also became anxious and quickly followed Jiang Yuwei to stand by the pot.
"Well, I've heard that you make all the decisions in your family. To be honest, Ning Laoda is a cripple and useless. Anyone with eyes can see that your family lives a life entirely on your own terms. Who are you going to consult with when you want to buy four acres of land? Can't you even make a decision on such a small matter?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei glared at Ning Sangu, splashing the dishwater she was washing the pot all over her.
"Third Aunt Ning, if you can speak, then say something; if you can't, then shut up!"
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