diskusbooks Chapter 7: Preferring to use the money to buy land
Chapter 7: Preferring to use the money to buy land
The roadside stalls were cheaper, but Xia's father was always worried that Xia Mo's appearance would attract thugs, so he specially chose a restaurant, sat in a corner, and ordered a steamer of large meat buns that cost several coins more.
Xia's mother gave Xia Mo the first one.
Xia Mo smiled sweetly at Xia's mother, reached out, and gave one to Xia's father, then to Xia's mother, Xia's eldest brother, Xia's second brother, and Xia's third brother.
Xia's father and mother were equally pleased to see that their youngest daughter thought of them first.
Brother Xia, Second Brother Xia, and Third Brother Xia, who were also being thought of, were overjoyed. They happily picked up the big meat buns and took a big bite, the aroma of meat filling the air.
The whole family sat around the table, a warm and loving scene.
While enjoying the warmth of late summer, I secretly spared a moment to gather information from the streets.
Since there was no news she wanted to hear on this street, she extended her divine sense outwards.
Her divine sense, like a sharp arrow, swiftly swept across the street. Through it, she saw the bustling activity on the street, the street vendors, the flow of people, carriages, and so on.
Finally, she heard the news she wanted to hear.
Three streets away from the restaurant, two men dressed as servants were whispering and exchanging messages.
"Have you found out why the Wei family from the capital has come here?"
"Two years ago, the Third Young Master Wei was traveling here and almost met with disaster. He was saved by the people of this place. The Wei family has come here to find their savior."
"Have you found it yet?"
"We've found our savior. She's a peasant girl from Anjia Village. She came to our door with a small jade pendant. We've confirmed that she's the right person. The Wei family has already taken her to their mansion in the county town. We're just waiting for the Third Young Master Wei to come and acknowledge her in a month."
"..."
Keywords: farm girl from Anjia Village, two years ago, small jade pendant, enough to evoke memories of late summer.
Xia Mo lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes like feather fans completely obscuring them, and memories from two years ago flashed through her mind.
Two years ago, in the autumn, she and her childhood friend Ma Yiyi went to collect wild duck eggs in the reeds upstream of the village river.
She found a boy unconscious in the cold water and bravely dragged him ashore to prevent him from drowning.
The boy had knife wounds that were white and raw from being soaked in water. Her intention was to take the boy home to treat him.
As for the medical expenses, she took a small, ring-shaped jade pendant from the boy's body to pay for the medicine, intending to settle the debt once the boy recovered.
But Ma Yiyi was afraid of trouble and left with Xia Mo.
When they returned at the end of summer, the boy was no longer among the reeds.
The memory abruptly ended.
She remembered the betrayal of her childhood friend!
A mocking smile played on Xia Mo's lips.
It turns out that the small jade pendant she thought she had lost... had ended up in Ma Yiyi's hands.
Ha ha……
"Momo?"
Xia's mother sat beside Xia Mo and could clearly feel the chill emanating from her. Her heart tightened, and fearing she might startle Xia Mo, she called out to her cautiously.
The mockery on Xia Mo's face and the coldness in her eyes receded quickly, like the tide going out.
Xia Mo blinked and transformed back into that bright-eyed little girl, Xia's parents' beloved daughter, and Xia's older brother's obedient little sister.
"Is there anything that's bothering you?" Xia's father asked softly.
Xia Mo smiled brightly, shook her head deftly, and replied, "I'm not feeling unwell, I was just thinking about how long it's been since our family has had meat."
Xia Mo thought: It will take another month for Young Master Wei to arrive in Anping County, there's no rush.
“If Momo wants to eat it, we’ll buy it often in the future, every few days,” Xia’s father said generously, touching the silver he had stored in his chest.
Xia's mother, eldest brother, second brother, and third brother laughed happily, and Xia Mo also smiled foolishly.
The news that the Xia family had dug up ginseng and made a lot of money also reached Anping Village.
But few believed, until...
* * *
Early the next morning—
Yesterday, Xia's father and mother discussed at their bedside how to make up for the lost marriage. So, they got up early this morning and, instead of rushing to work, went to find Xia's eldest and second eldest brothers to ask for their thoughts.
Xia Sange watched out of curiosity, stubbornly refusing to leave.
Xia Mo had exceptional hearing and, since she slept in the room next to her parents, she overheard their late-night conversation. With a charming smile, she stood to the side and listened along.
In her previous life, the Liu and He families remarried about three months after breaking off their engagement. That was fine. The problem was that not long after their marriage, the two families deliberately spread rumors targeting the Xia family, kicking them when they were down, making her and her family live under the scrutiny of gossip, and causing them to suffer more pain, both physically and mentally.
Her idea was simple: if her older brothers didn't object, she would make the suggestion.
Xia's mother said, "The Liu and He families broke off the engagement earlier because of the dowry issue. Now that we have money, your parents want to renew both engagements. What do you think?"
When Xia's mother said this, the couple had already made a decision.
"The Liu and He families are not a good match," Brother Xia replied solemnly with a serious expression.
Xia's father and mother were surprised that their eldest son, Xia, would refuse.
Xia Mo was slightly surprised and looked curiously at her two older brothers, asking, "Big brother, second brother, why do you think they're not a good match?"
“When Aunt Liu and Aunt He came over, I said that when we got married, we hoped that two more people would join us in spoiling my younger sister’s family. Their reaction was mockery. My thought was, if we can’t get along well with my younger sister, how can we live in this family if we keep arguing every day?” Brother Xia said.
Mr. and Mrs. Xia had mixed feelings, but they felt that what Brother Xia said made sense, and they nodded heavily.
A heavy silence fell over the main room.
Xia's father and mother were somewhat saddened.
I couldn't bear to see my parents and family members suffer at the end of summer.
Xia Mo changed the subject, saying, "Father and Mother, people in the village are already spreading the news that we sold ginseng for a lot of money. If we keep the money in our hands, we're afraid thieves will target us."
Xia's father and mother looked serious and nodded.
"Why don't we use this money to buy land?" Xia Mo suggested.
Xia's parents were still unwilling to accept the marriage arrangement between their eldest and second sons.
"With land, it will be easier to find a spouse, right, Father and Mother?" Xia Mo comforted them gently.
Xia's father and mother nodded.
Xia's father and the others looked at Xia Mo with heartache.
This near-drowning incident made their daughter/younger sister much more sensible.
The news that the Xia family had bought land—three mu of top-quality fertile land and five mu of medium-quality land—spread like thunder throughout Anjia Village.
In Anjia Village, some villagers went out to peek outside the Xia family's courtyard to see if the person had returned, so they could ask if the news was true.
The Liu and He families, who had also heard the news, were furious when they learned that the Xia family would rather use the money to buy land than ask them if they could renew their marriage.