Chapter 706: Officially Settling Down

ame from her, we also arranged for experienced operatives to keep an eye on things. We didn't tell Wu Lianyi about the specific timing or personnel involved, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility yo...Because he had used Feng Xiaqi's tiger skin, going to Qianshui Village to look at houses and land was very smooth. Lao Zhangtou and his four sons looked back after seeing it, and they immediately held a family meeting.

"We went to look at the situation in Qianshui Village. The land is not bad, and of the fifty acres, only ten acres of medium-quality land are separate. The other forty acres are all together. Big Chuan liked those ten acres of medium-quality fields and has decided to buy them. I have no objection!"

Old Zhang was the first to speak.

“Da Chuan is our son-in-law, but he also needs to establish his own household. Ten mu of land is enough for a family of four to manage. When it's harvest time, we can help each other and get things done.”

"I listen to my father."

Song Dachuan timely voiced his stance.

When these lands were sold, they came with the crops growing in them. I looked at the wheat and it looked good. If we buy this land, we'll be busy harvesting in the fall, so next year our family will have a full year's worth of food.

The house was already ready. That Liu Yuanwai left in a hurry and sold all the furniture inside along with the house to us. We just need to move in with people and things.

After the autumn harvest is over, let's hold a housewarming party and invite the village head of Qianshui Village and some respected elders to be our guests. This will make it easier for our family to move around in the village afterwards.

After hearing this, the Zhang family was very happy. The sisters-in-law whispered to each other in low voices. The courtyard had plenty of space for them, and their husband and wife could even have a separate room. This was something they wouldn't have dared to dream about before.

If everyone agrees, we'll go to the bank tomorrow to handle the paperwork.

Naturally, everyone agreed.

Song Dachuan then added:

"Father, Hui and I have discussed it. Before the autumn harvest, we'll temporarily stay in your courtyard. After the harvest is over, we will start building our own house."

"Have you made all the arrangements Are you ready with the money"

"Everything's planned out, we have enough money. We saved some before and added to it with what we found along the way, it's enough."

"Alright, you're the one in charge, just do what you think is best."

The day after the family meeting, the Zhangs all went to Qianshui Village and, in front of Liu Yuanwai (the chubby fellow who resembled Maitreya Buddha), they handed over the silver. Then, riding on a carriage provided by the Liu family, they returned to Huangfeng City, where the deed and land titles were officially registered under Zhang Lao’s name. They also formally settled their household registration in Qianshui Village.

Old Zhang also got the deed and house deed redacted, paid the tax silver, took the household registration with his name on it, and returned to Qianshui Village.

The family had already been assigned their house and moved all their belongings from the road into it. The Zhang family's move-in also attracted the attention of the villagers in Qianshui Village.

This village is not made up of people with the same surname and clan. It's a village of diverse surnames, which is also the reason why Lao Zhangtou was ultimately willing to pay more silver to settle here.

As newcomers to the village, they wouldn't be ostracized. Although everyone might be unfamiliar with them at first, given their family's character, they would definitely gain the recognition of the indigenous people of Qianshui Village.

Ten days later, the Zhang family joined the autumn harvest team. Before that, Liu Yuanwai always hired temporary workers for the harvest. Now that the Zhang family had bought this land, relying on their few strong laborers, they couldn't finish harvesting in a short time. Therefore, when temporary workers came knocking, Old Zhang decided to hire them to help with the harvest as well.

Harvest comes quickly; if we wait for the rain, the food in the fields will be ruined. Though we haven't gone hungry on our journey, the food we have been eating has lacked any fat or flavor, and my body hasn't fully recovered yet.

If you work too hard, you are bound to get sick. Young people may not feel it now, but when their children reach my age, they will understand deeply.

So this year we hired people for the autumn harvest. We paid them a copper coin per day. If you work well and diligently, you can come back tomorrow. But if you cheat, deceive us, or take advantage of our newcomers, don't come back. We won't hire you again in the future.

We don't provoke trouble, but we can't be afraid of it either. If we falter this time, everyone in Shenshui Village will come and trample on us afterward. Then life would be unbearable.

Ripple heard this and silently gave Old Zhang's head a thumbs up in her heart. Otherwise, how could she say that old people are shrewd

Once the overall tone was set, the Zhang family focused their minds on the autumn harvest. With four strong laborers and half-grown children able to lend a hand, plus hired workers, no one dared to cause any trouble.

On the other hand, at Song Dachuan's place, things were different. With only Song Dachuan as the strong laborer, Hui Niang and Lian Yi being women, and Tiger Cub still very young, some unscrupulous individuals took advantage of the situation. They came to work on short-term contracts, helping with the harvesting to earn some copper coins.

After the ripples had cut a whole swathe of wheat, she saw that the few men who came to work had only managed to cut less than half. Even she, a woman, was better than them. Without saying a word, she walked over and broke the bones of the four men, then casually threw them onto the ground for everyone in Aoshuizhen village to see. She wanted them all to know that there were some scoundrels who dared to lie on their land and earn copper coins.

These four big men lay on the ground like they were paralyzed, not even able to twitch a finger, and started wailing. Unfortunately, no one paid them any attention. After all, everyone in the village knew their petty thoughts and despised them for it. They cursed them for bringing shame upon themselves and kicked them while they were down.

"Stop whining here, think we're an easy target because our family is smaller You don't even go ask Feng Xiaoqi for information, he deserves half the credit for killing those bandits too!"

Then Ripples simply ignored these people, leaving them to be gawked at over and over by the villagers. They were even pelted with straw and stones by mischievous children playing around. After a day of baking under the sun, when the sun began to set, Ripples finally gave these people back their bones. He tossed a copper coin for each person and kicked them out.

After these four people were able to move again, they didn't even dare to take a copper coin. They crawled back home and stayed in bed for three days before they felt any better. But afterward, their bones became very fragile and easily dislocated, like paper.

After the incident with the ripples, no one dared to come to their land to scavenge for copper coins anymore. Those who came afterwards to do short-term work were all from struggling families but capable workers. These people could get paid every day and knew that Song Dachuan's family was reasonable, so they worked even harder, harvesting the crops from ten acres of land early on.

After the harvest was over, the Zhang family held a housewarming party, inviting the village head and respected elders of Shanshui Village, as well as several articulate, kind, and high-ranking women. They made a big fuss out of it, essentially informing the people of Shanshui Village that they had officially moved in.

Next comes the winter solstice and the Lunar New Year. Today, because Song Dachuan has just arrived in Qianshui Village, his family's house building plans have been postponed until next spring after the farming season ends. At that time, everyone will have finished their farm work, with plenty of manpower available to complete the house before the autumn harvest, so the whole family can move into the new house by winter.

This was something that Song Dachuan's family had been looking forward to for a long time. Lianyi personally drew the house plan, not seeking novelty and uniqueness, but focusing on practicality.

Then throughout the whole winter, she didn't go out much. She just wanted to let the scars on her face heal.nd asked.Because Eileen went missing."I killed him."To Lin's so straightforward and generous admission, Wei Yi was somewhat surprised. He then frowned and asked:What's her problem"Things are serious,...