Forty taels is no small sum. Add to that the cost of buying land, hiring help, and later buying furniture, and she'll probably spend all the money she has on hand.
If it weren't for the two hundred taels of silver he had earned in the dense forest, Wan Shu might have compromised and decided to build an adobe house in order to save money.
Fortunately, she did.
With two hundred taels of silver in hand, she wasn't worried about running out of money, so she only felt a slight pang of regret and remained determined to return the brick house.
After all, once a house is built, it will be used for at least ten years, or even several decades. There's no need to make things difficult for yourself for the next few decades just to save a little money.
However, even though it's a cover, the price still needs to be negotiated.
Wan Shu feigned reluctance: "Forty taels? That's too expensive. I'll go ask a few more places..."
As he spoke, he grabbed Dazhu and made a move to walk outside.
"Hey, don't rush!"
The shopkeeper was reluctant to let such a big customer go, so he quickly went up to persuade him to stay.
"Young lady, if you think it's too expensive, the price is negotiable!"
Wan Shu's eyes lit up, but her face still showed a troubled expression: "How can we discuss this?"
The shopkeeper gritted his teeth: "How about reducing the price by one tael of silver, and also including all the leftover materials and items needed for building the house?"
Although not much scrap material is used, it still adds up to about two or three ounces of money.
The terms offered by the shopkeeper were quite generous.
Wan Shu stopped hesitating and readily agreed, settling the thirty taels of silver payment in one lump sum.
The shopkeeper was overjoyed to see that Wan Shu paid so readily, and immediately took Wan Shu to the factory that made blue bricks.
"Young lady, look at our blue bricks! They're the best in Sishui County. Even if you took them to the prefectural city, they wouldn't be inferior to anyone else's!"
While instructing his subordinates to haul goods for Wan Shu, the shopkeeper boasted to Wan Shu about the quality of their factory's products.
Wan Shu responded earnestly on the surface, but in her heart she was thinking about when she could open a big factory.
Selling braised food can indeed be profitable, but these small family workshops can only earn small amounts of money. If you want to make big money, you still need to open a factory.
If I were to open a factory, what would be the best product to sell?
As Wan Shu pondered, he led the delivery workers back to Qingshui Village.
The villagers looked at the truckloads of blue bricks behind Wan Shu and their eyes turned red with envy.
"Look at all these truckloads of blue bricks, it's so impressive!"
"What's so impressive about this? When the brick houses with tiled roofs are finally built, that'll be truly impressive!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, I wonder how much it will cost. The rich wife has really made money. As for us, we're destined to live in mud houses for the rest of our lives."
"There's nothing we can do. Those rich wives have the skills to make braised food, unlike us, all we know how to do is farm."
The villagers felt increasingly heartbroken and simply scattered to tend to their crops in the fields.
After all, no matter how envious you are, a big brick house can never become your own. Only the things on your own land are truly yours and can be taken for granted.
This is the thought of most of the simple villagers.
Meanwhile, the unconventional villagers were thinking: since braised food is so profitable, he must get the recipe for braised food as soon as possible!
This unconventional villager is Liang Yaozu.
In the past, the second branch of the family always outshone the first branch, and all the good things went to the second branch.
Now the tables have turned, and unexpectedly, this family of peasants from the eldest son's side has managed to outdo him, a scholar.
Who is Liang Yaozu?
He is the only hope for the Liang and Li families! He is the only scholar in the surrounding villages! He must surpass the eldest son's family! No matter what means he uses!
Liang Yaozu stared at Wan Shu's retreating figure with a sinister look, then turned around with a grim face and walked towards the Li family.
As if sensing something, Wan Shu, sitting on the oxcart, turned her head and glanced in the direction where Liang Yaozu was.
Ah, it's them again, as expected.
Dazhu noticed a sudden hint of amusement in Wan Shu's expression and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Mother, what's wrong?"
With so many outsiders present, Wan Shu naturally wouldn't say it in front of them. She smiled and said, "It's nothing."
It wasn't until she got home that she told San Shun about Liang Yaozu's strange behavior and instructed San Shun to go to the Li family to eavesdrop and gather information.
Upon hearing that Liang Yaozu was up to no good again, San Shun immediately ran away.
Almost immediately, near the corner of the Li family's wall, he heard Sun's wailing again, as well as Li Daniu's angry questioning.
"Ah!!! It hurts!! I know I was wrong. It's my fault for not being able to give birth to a son, and it's also my fault for not being able to keep him. Please, please stop hitting me..."
"I clearly followed your instructions and seized every opportunity to bump into and meet Liang Dazhu, so why did you still beat my mother!"
Liang Yaozu sneered: "You did meet Liang Dazhu by chance, just as we asked, but after all this time, you still haven't seduced Liang Dazhu, nor have you gotten the braised food recipe!"
Even during the autumn harvest, Li Danu never let up, spending almost every day hanging around Dazhu and talking to him.
But Dazhu, this straight-laced man, was only busy with housework. Every time, before Da Niu could even get a chance to do anything, he would just leave and run away faster than a rabbit.
Li Daniu was also helpless: "I have done as you asked, but Brother Dazhu just doesn't like me, and there's nothing I can do about it!"
Liang Yaozu scrutinized Li Daniu's face carefully: "I don't believe anyone would let such a beautiful young woman, who has come to us for free, go to waste. Where did things go wrong..."
After a moment of thought, Liang Yaozu seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He then lowered his head and began to instruct Li Daniu.
"I'll tell you a way, and I guarantee Liang Dazhu will take the bait..."
As Liang Yaozu spoke, San Shun's eyes widened, and Li Daniu's eyes widened as well.
A look of hesitation crossed her face: "Wouldn't this be too much for Brother Dazhu...? It might even cause Brother Dazhu..."
Liang Yaozu glared at her fiercely: "Do you want your mother to be beaten to death! Is Liang Yaozu more important, or your mother!"
Da Niu glanced at Sun Shi, who was on the verge of death and growing weaker, tears welling in her eyes, and finally agreed.
Ten minutes later, Sam-soon told Man-shu the information she had gathered.
He was furious: "Liang Yaozu is truly despicable, actually trying to use such underhanded methods!"
Wan Shu wasn't surprised at all, and sneered, "His methods have always been underhanded from the beginning. A person like him can't come up with any upright or honorable methods."
Sam-soon: "Mother, what should we do?! We can't just stand by and watch our eldest brother..."
Wan Shu: "Don't worry, your older brother will definitely be fine."
Although it was just a simple sentence, the fact that it came from Wan Shu's mouth made San Shun feel inexplicably at ease.
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