Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 223 Leaving_1

Chapter 223: Chapter 223 Leaving_1

Zhou Wang’s wife clapped her hands, "Look at my memory, I had just forgotten because of the distraction. These past few years have been blessed with favorable weather and good harvests. Every family has earned some Silver Coin, and your uncle asked several villages, but there were only a few sellers, all selling just a few acres at a time—no large estate sales."

Zhulan frowned, "It’s not easy to manage if it’s not in one piece."

Zhou Wang’s wife sighed, "That’s exactly it. If you want to purchase a large tract, you’d have to buy from the squire, but there’s little hope of that."

With these rare good years, everyone wants to farm the land and earn more Silver Coin.

Madame Zheng pinched her handkerchief, still having not spoken up because the Clan Leader’s wife was present, and sipped her honey water with her head lowered.

Soon, the Clan Leader was ready to leave, and Zhou Wang’s wife took her leave as well; there was still corn at the Clan Leader’s house that needed to be shucked, and she had to get back to work.

Zhulan walked Zhou Wang’s wife out and, seeing Madame Zheng showed no signs of leaving, asked, "Sister-in-law, do you have something to say to me?"

Madame Zheng appreciated clever people. It wasn’t tiring to talk to them, "Yes, I heard your family wants to buy land. It just so happens that my family wants to sell. There’s an extra ten acres, making a total of sixty acres—thirty acres of paddy fields and thirty acres of dry fields. The paddy fields are mediocre, but the dry fields are top-notch."

Zhulan did the math, the Silver amounting to nearly four hundred taels, "Sister-in-law, your family hasn’t publicly announced they’re selling land, have they?"

Otherwise, the Clan Leader would not be unaware.

Madame Zheng nodded, "It’s quite a coincidence. Just yesterday my sister-in-law mentioned it, hoping I would ask around and see if anyone could take all sixty acres."

Zhulan wondered if it could be that Zhou Shuren had pried into the Zheng family’s affairs and they had decided to sell in reaction, but judging from Madame Zheng’s demeanor, that didn’t seem to be the case. She asked casually, "After selling the land, does your family have plans to stop farming?"

Madame Zheng’s heart rejoiced, and she nodded with a smile, "After selling, we won’t farm anymore. Years ago during the snow disaster, our family fled and became separated. Recently, my elder uncle found us, and they’re doing well in the Northwest, and now they are bringing my father and my third uncle’s entire family to the Northwest for a reunion. We will stay in the Northwest from then on."

Here, they were merely peasants, and they couldn’t even dare to use their real names. Only in the Northwest could they live openly and aboveboard. It was just a pity that her constitution couldn’t withstand the long journey; she couldn’t go to the Northwest to visit.

Zhulan, seeing that Madame Zheng did not elaborate, could guess a bit—Madame Zheng’s elder uncle must be doing well in the Northwest. The new dynasty had only been established for twelve years, and the frontier was still in chaos, especially with winter being even less peaceful. For Madame Zheng’s uncle to dare to bring people over now, his status must be quite high.

Zhulan smiled, "I will speak with the head of the household and give you an answer this afternoon."

Madame Zheng thought for a moment and then added, "We’re also looking to sell the family home, which is right next to the land. The whole tract, along with the house, could be considered a small estate."

Ever since she learned that Zhou Shuren’s family was moving to Pingzhou, she realized he was a man of great vision and highly confident about passing the imperial examinations. She was more than happy to earn some good karma by helping out.

Zhulan’s eyes brightened. Although she couldn’t buy a small estate in Pingzhou, it was just the same to buy one in her hometown. She hid her excitement, smiling as she said, "I will discuss it with the head of the household."

Madame Zheng had stayed for a while and then stood up, "Then I should head back now."

"I’ll walk you out," Zhulan offered.

"No need, I come here often enough, why bother? Stay here," Madame Zheng declined.

Zhou Shuren waited until Madame Zheng had left before returning to the room, "What did Madame Zheng stay to talk about?"

Zhulan told him about Madame Zheng’s family selling land, "What do you think about buying it?"

"Don’t you already know what’s on my mind?" he replied.

Zhulan laughed, "It’s such a rare opportunity; it would be a pity to miss it. But I never expected that as soon as we finished our inquiries, the Zheng family would already be on the move."

Zhou Shuren became even more interested in Madame Zheng, "You respond to Madame Zheng this afternoon that our family will buy the land. It’s a good opportunity for me to meet the Zheng family as well."

"Alright, it looks like I’ll have to sell the gold jewelry the male protagonist gave me, otherwise we won’t have enough Silver for the land."

Zhou Shuren sounded his agreement, "Hmm."

Lately, he had been spending a lot, especially his trip to Pingzhou which, including the purchase of the Jade Bracelet, had cost eighty taels, leaving not much cash on hand.

In the afternoon, Zhulan went to reply to Madame Zheng, and Zhou Shuren, accompanied by Zhou Er, went to sell the gold jewelry, not only the pieces gifted by Yao Zheyu but also some old-fashioned gold jewelry that had been saved up.

After receiving Zhulan’s reply, Madame Zheng sent her second son to Li Village to respond. Zhulan stayed at the Zheng’s for a while before returning home, and shortly after, Madame Zheng’s second son arrived with a message that they could look at the land tomorrow.

After Zhou Shuren returned, Zhulan mentioned that they could see the land the next day and said, "It seems like the Zheng family is in a hurry to leave."

Zhou Shuren gestured to Er to set down the chest, "Hmm, then I’ll visit the Zheng family tomorrow."

Zhulan looked at the chest, "Did you convert it all to Silver? How much did you sell for?"

To buy the land and the house together would be a significant amount of Silver. The Zheng family’s house was fairly large and newly built; the house alone was worth quite a bit of Silver!