Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 227: Future Prospects_1

Chapter 227: Chapter 227: Future Prospects_1

Zhou Shuren shifted his position as he lay down, his buttocks sore from the bumpy ride today, "Tomorrow, let’s head over to the Yang family. In seven days, when the Zheng family leaves, that Yang lad who has trained in martial arts from a young age will have the Northwest looking after him. As long as he’s willing to fight, the Yang family can carve out a future for themselves."

Zhulan understood Zhou Shuren was planning an opportunity for the Yang family to make their mark, "Dad may not say it, but deep down he’s also eager for his nephews to stand out. I’ll tell him tomorrow, and he’ll definitely be pleased."

Early the next day, the second eldest Zhou drove the ox cart as Zhulan and Zhou Shuren went back to the Yang family.

The elderly Mr. Yang and Lady Sun were shelling corn kernels in the courtyard when Zhou Shuren followed his father-in-law inside to talk, and Lady Sun pulled her daughter aside, "You just visited during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and before that Cheng Yi brought over some medicinal wine. Why have you come again today? Has something big happened?"

Zhulan picked up a corn cob and began to shell it, "Mother, it’s great news."

"What good news?"

As she shelled the corn, Zhulan explained, "It all starts with our family wanting to buy some land...."

Zhulan did not mention the Zheng family’s estate and the promise but only said that there were relations between the Zhou and Zheng families, including some roundabout kinship, which meant the Zheng family could look after them when they had previously served in the military.

After listening, Lady Sun grinned, "Indeed, it’s good news. Having someone to look after them means much more safety. Your father may not say it, but he’s thirsty for his descendants to bring glory to the ancestors. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made the Yang family’s boys practice martial arts from a young age."

That year, the old man had had bad luck and war had broken out – a matter of both timing and fate. He had hoped his offspring could make something of themselves, but there had been no opportunity before, and now the chance had come.

Lady Sun brushed the corn kernels off herself, "I’ll go and call your big brother to buy some good vegetables. At noon, Shuren and your father should have a few good drinks."

Zhulan quickly stopped her, "Mother, we have to head back home in a bit. The Zheng family is going to the county office for the transfer today, and they’ll be sending over the deed at noon."

Lady Sun expressed her regret, "Is that so? Well, I won’t keep you then."

Lady Sun was also concerned about how her daughter, having bought so much land, would protect it once the family moved to Pingzhou.

Zhulan shared Zhou Shuren’s plan, including why they weren’t using the Yang family to watch over the land. Firstly, the Sun family village was too far from the Li family village to be convenient, and secondly, the Yang family wasn’t short of silver. The Yang family had only refrained from buying more land to avoid attracting attention.

So, after considering all aspects, Lady Li’s maternal home was the most suitable.

Lady Sun laughed, "Your husband’s idea is indeed good. It not only helps our relative but also doesn’t harm the kinship. In the future, with the Li family keeping an eye on things in Pingzhou, you can rest easy about the land and house."

Zhulan nodded with a smile as Zhou Shuren and her father came out. She put down the corn cob and stood up, "Mother, Shuren and I should head back now."

Lady Sun said, "Alright, you two go on ahead with your busy day."

After the ox cart left the Sun family village, Zhulan asked, "What did father say?"

Zhou Shuren replied, "Dad’s going to discuss with big brother and second brother today and get back to us tomorrow at our place. Let’s get prepared when we return, Dad and mom and both brothers are coming, so we’ll need to prepare extra food for tomorrow."

Zhulan acknowledged, "Okay."

Zhou Shuren had set up the ladder; the rest was up to the Yang family’s own efforts.

When they got home, Zhulan called over Lady Li and the eldest son to list the meats and vegetables needed for cooking the next day, asking Lady Li and the eldest to buy them from the county. Lady Li seemed unaware of the previous day’s events, while the eldest planned to inform her after the transfer.

At noon, the eldest brother of the Zheng family came personally, "All the deeds are here."

Zhou Shuren took them, "Sorry for the trouble of you making the trip."

The Zheng family’s eldest brother smiled, "As long as you can look after my sister’s family in the future, I’m willing to make even more trips."

Zhou Shuren said, "We are family, looking after each other is certain."

Zheng eldest wanted to go back as there were many things to attend to at home, "No need to see me out."

Zhou Shuren stood at the doorway, "Eldest brother, take care."

Zheng eldest got on the ox cart and waved his hand, "I’ll head back."

Zhou Shuren waited until Zheng eldest was far away before he went back inside the house to hand the deed over to Zhulan. Zhulan looked over the red deed; all the names written on it were Zhou Shuren’s. These lands were now theirs. She organized the deed carefully, took out the special box for storing deeds, and placed the deed inside. There was previously only a deed for her own twenty acres of land in the box, but now there was a stack of them. All of these were the family foundation acquired over the year.

Zhulan locked the box and put it back in place, "It’s really the land that gives one peace of mind!"

Zhou Shuren smiled, "In the future, we’ll buy more land."

Zhulan said, "Houses are pretty good too, ancient houses, apart from wars, do not see much fluctuation in price. We could also buy more stores and houses."

Zhou Shuren asked, "In the modern era, you must also have quite a few properties, right?"

Zhulan, "Haven’t I mentioned it to you?"

"No."

Zhulan carefully recollected and indeed hadn’t mentioned it, laughed and said, "Indeed, I have quite a few. When grandpa passed away, I also received some inheritance. I didn’t get cash, but was given two properties, one storefront in the Capital, one three-bedroom in a high-end community. Plus, my coming-of-age gift, my mom and dad each gave me a set, and then the ones I bought myself later, in total five properties."

Zhou Shuren thought of the house he worked himself to death to buy, "Being reborn really is a technical affair."

His rebirth skills were not good; he was born an abandoned infant, left at the orphanage in the middle of the night. He was fortunate not to be abandoned in winter, or he would have died long ago.

Zhulan, with smiling eyes, said, "My rebirth skills are indeed quite good."

Zhou Shuren didn’t want to talk about this heart-wrenching issue, turned around to go out, "I’m going to talk to the eldest and have him accompany Lady Li back to the Li family."

"Mhm."

Two hours later, Elder Zhou’s couple returned with her in-laws.

Zhou Shuren and Li Cong, Lady Li’s father, talked outside while Zhulan and Lady Lixu chatted inside the house, with Lady Li attending and pouring tea.

Since her mother-in-law’s death, Lady Lixu took on the responsibility of the household. Now the pressing matter was that their grandsons had grown up, all young men of marriageable age. They had prepared houses, but the matter of the marriage portion was challenging. In good years, with abundant harvests, they earned more silver and life improved, but as life improved, the marriage portions increased as well. Now the lowest standard to marry a daughter-in-law was five taels of silver. To marry the desired ones, even more silver was needed. The silver divided for the family separation was simply not enough for the grandsons’ marriages.

She thoroughly felt the drain her mother-in-law had experienced; wishing to split every copper coin into several pieces, but with a large family of young men, the food consumption was significant, making it difficult to save any money through the year.

She had it figured out already. Once winter came and their relatives were less busy, she and the head of the household would come to seek advice from their in-laws; after all, they were family. Before they even had the chance to ask, the in-laws had already lent their family a helping hand.

Zhulan drank a cup of tea, and Lady Lixu finally calmed down from her excitement, "Mother-in-law, do try the pastries, the pastries from the Northwest are quite tasty."

The pastries she brought back from the Zheng family were loved by everyone in the household; if not for being told to control their intake, they would have been all gone in one day.

Lady Lixu knew the Zheng family had visitors—men on high horses and carrying swords; Li Family Village was bustling for a long time. The Zheng family though kept a low profile, hardly interacting with the villagers. The Clan Leader of the Li family had warned not to provoke the Zheng family, so no one dared to come forward. The pastries weren’t local, which meant they must have been brought back from the Zheng family. She took one and tasted it, "It’s really good."

In her mouth, everything tasted good. Their family could not compare with the Zhou family; they were not short of treats.