Chapter 302: Chapter 301: Let Me Treat You to Some Melon

The village chief could tell from her tone that she had made quite a bit of money selling grain in the past, and he was a bit surprised yet somewhat relieved.

Knowing that Qin Yao was not interested in ordinary land, he decided not to introduce the lands by the roadside.

As they reached the territory of Jinshi Town, the village chief immediately pointed to a vast area at the foot of the eastern hill and said, “Yao Niang, take a look over there, right next to Ding Family Manor, there’s over a hundred acres, and it comes with two small houses. You can use them to store farm tools and have someone to watch over the place.”

Qin Yao glanced up briefly and saw that the land was a greyish-black, obviously fertile. She quickly asked Ah Wang to drive over for a closer look.

The area was also convenient for transportation, with a small path wide enough for a carriage leading directly to the front door of the small house.

The two small houses weren’t big, but they were enough to store farming tools and house one or two people.

Behind the houses were the hundred acres the village chief mentioned.

Twenty acres of gentle slopes and seventy acres of rice paddies covered the land, planted with sorghum and rice, visibly rich and fertile.

Beside the small path, there was also a half-meter-wide water channel, making water access very convenient.

Knowing the village chief wouldn’t tell her about this small farm for no reason, Qin Yao tentatively asked, “Is the owner of this land looking to sell?”

The village chief smiled knowingly and explained, “This land belongs to a scholar from the Ding Family. I heard he failed the provincial examination this year and, after some deep reflection, plans to move his family to the Prefecture to continue his studies.”

Not many people know about this, but since he’s a member of the Ding family, the best choice would be to sell it directly to his clansmen. It might have already been sold.

The village chief noticed Qin Yao’s interest and suggested she inquire about it herself.

Qin Yao was a bit worried whether her purse was full enough to purchase this small farm, and tentatively asked for the price. When she heard the village chief say, “It might cost six to seven hundred taels of silver,”

If Old Liu heard this amount, he’d exclaim to the heavens! It’s not something an average person dares to consider.

Qin Yao also gasped, as she currently had three hundred and seventy taels of silver, about half of what’s needed.

However, if she waited for the final payment from Fulong Trading Company, she’d have enough money in hand.

But it wasn’t even July yet; the earliest she could receive the final payment was September, so it was out of the question.

Qin Yao lingered a few more wistful glances at the farm that had captured her heart and turned around, “Let’s go, village chief, the time isn’t right yet.”

The village chief laughed heartily, “You’re quite an amusing girl with your talk of whether the time is right… But I can see you’re aiming higher now, no longer content with the ordinary. I’ll keep an eye out for you, and when something good comes up, I’ll let you know immediately.”

Qin Yao’s smile bloomed instantly on her face, “Thank you so much!”

“Don’t just say it.” The village chief deliberately pointed towards the town street, “Remember to treat me to a good drink next time!”

“That’s easy, no need to wait, let’s drink today!” Qin Yao immediately had Ah Wang drive to the town, which startled the village chief into quickly stopping Ah Wang, “Just joking, stop, I see the carter from Lower River Village!”

He didn’t stay with them to wait for the kids, lest he loses half of his life from the chatter on the way back.

Qin Yao amusingly helped the village chief onto the carter’s ox cart, instructed the carter to drive steadily, and watched the cart roll away before letting Ah Wang continue toward the town.

The village chief didn’t want it, but Qin Yao bought the wine anyway. She picked up the kids from school, plugged her ears with cotton, and returned to the village. Seeing Liu Qi on his way home from work, she handed him two pounds of wine to take home.

Liu Qi was bewildered but didn’t have a chance to ask before the carriage chattered its way into the village.

Once Liu Jinbao got off, Second Lang’s mouth stopped.

When Second Lang stopped talking, Sanlang and Si Niang also stopped, and Qin Yao’s ears finally had some peace.

In the blink of an eye, July arrived, and the temperatures soared to new heights.

The laborers repairing the roads at the village entrance were shirtless, their backs sun-blackened.

The women had set up canopies by the roadside and built a makeshift stove to prepare meals for the workers using ingredients bought from the village.

The road construction stretched from the village entrance towards Lower River Village, and the canopies followed along, aiming to save time on meals and get more work done.

Liu Dafu was impressed with the diligence of these people from Huangque Town. They worked solidly without cutting corners, starting from early morning until sunset, exhausting even to just watch, yet these people returned from work still cheerful.

Seeing them work so hard, the villagers of Liu Family Village felt embarrassed. After gaining their consensus, Liu Dafu approached Qin Yao to discuss compensating the people from Huangque Town.

Qin Yao was squatting in her melon field wearing a straw hat, staring at her melons, while Liu Dafu had been talking behind her for so long without a response, forcing him to raise his voice:

“I’m asking about the wages, what do you think?”

Only then did Qin Yao react, turning her head slightly towards him. The wide brim of her straw hat obscured most of her face, revealing only a sunburned chin.

“You want me to pay?”

Her directness left Liu Dafu momentarily at a loss for words, pausing for three seconds before replying, “You did say before that any shortfall in silver for subsequent expenses would be covered by the stationery factory.”

Qin Yao: “Am I the only one paying?”

Liu Dafu was again at a loss.

The air seemed to pause for half a minute.

Liu Dafu clenched his teeth, “The village will also contribute, everyone will, but the autumn harvest hasn’t started yet, and we don’t have money at hand.”

Qin Yao: “I can chip in first, and after the autumn harvest, pay me back with grain.”

Liu Dafu gritted his teeth, “Alright!” He turned to leave.

The mouth beneath the straw hat grinned widely, “Don’t rush off.”

Liu Dafu turned back suspiciously, “What now?”

Qin Yao waved him over and patted a large, green melon by her side, “Have some melon.”

Liu Dafu’s heart skipped, wondering if she was making him test for poison?

“Is this melon really edible?” he asked, dubious.

Seeing Qin Yao treasure it, his curiosity was piqued.

But he had never seen a melon like this. It didn’t look appetizing like others; its color was neither green nor white, with patterns as wiggly as those on a mudfish, resembling the stripes on a venomous snake.

Just then, Qin Yao resolutely snapped the melon off its vine, and with a sharp “crack,” she split the large melon, revealing its crimson flesh.

Liu Dafu was shocked, stumbling back onto the field ridge, stepping on two of Qin Yao’s melons, causing her to wince with heartache.

Luckily, the melons were tough enough not to burst, but Liu Dafu slipped, landing on the ridge, quite embarrassed.

Qin Yao couldn’t hold back her laughter, “Hahaha.”

“Why is this melon so red?” Liu Dafu forced himself to stay calm, pointing at the watermelon in Qin Yao’s hand and questioning.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep