Chapter 720 - 371: Purchasing Property (Part 2)

Chapter 720: Chapter 371: Purchasing Property (Part 2)

First, there was Old Master Fang from the Fang family. His family had business interests in the area, which made things much more convenient. A few months prior, Manager Song had met Qin Feng and, under Fang Jingyu’s instructions, began making arrangements. He had an elegant estate built in Xiatang Market, and Old Master Fang moved in that September to respectfully invite Qin Feng to help him recuperate.

Others only got the idea to build homes in the area after Qin Feng opened Jishi Hall. Once their residences were finished and they moved in, they were incredibly pleased. They told their friends and relatives, and soon, more and more people began arriving, driving up the price of farmland near Xiatang Market. Yun Ying added with a laugh that just the other day, someone had even offered a high price for Juhua’s shop.

This was why Juhua didn’t hold back when buying wasteland this time. After purchasing fifty mu, she took Yun Ying’s advice and immediately bought another hundred. She also encouraged Qingmu and Huai Zi to pool their money and buy some. Even though the wasteland was sloped and cost only three taels of silver per mu, the purchase nearly wiped out her personal savings.

She had made such a huge investment because she had a hunch. While Xiatang Market was a good location, it wasn’t adjacent to Little Qing Mountain. Qingnan Village, on the other hand, was backed by Little Qing Mountain and bordered the Little Qing River. It was only a few li from Xiatang Market, so it wasn’t far. With land prices rising over there, she suspected it wouldn’t be long before people started getting ideas about the land here.

As the couple was discussing their plans, Juhua suddenly frowned. Huai Zi immediately asked, "What is it? Did the little rascal bite you again?"

Juhua looked down and pulled her nipple from Banli’s little mouth. With a wry smile, she said, "He’s not getting enough, so of course he’s getting frantic. He’s really using all his strength to nurse. It’s a good thing he hasn’t grown any teeth yet, otherwise he’d surely have injured me."

She sighed, covered herself, and held the baby upright. She glared at him. "If you can’t get any more, then just stop. Mommy will take you to Aunt Liu. Why are you biting me?"

Banli, of course, couldn’t understand her words, but he still tried his best to snuggle back into her arms. ’To him, nothing in the world was more important than eating, and he wasn’t about to give up when his belly wasn’t full.’

Huai Zi felt a mix of pity for his wife and anger at his son. He wanted to scold the boy, but one look at the tiny infant told him it was useless. "Let’s take him to Aunt Liu," he said. "Honestly, you should just let her do all the feeding. You’re just making yourself suffer this way. If he grows up and isn’t close to you because of it, I’ll give him a good thrashing."

Juhua held back a laugh. "It’s fine. It’ll only be like this for a few more months." Then, the two of them went out to have their meal.

Because the butcher was there, the women gathered in the kitchen to eat.

Although He had been busy all afternoon, she was still full of energy, holding and cooing at little Cong. She beamed at Juhua. "You go ahead and eat. I’ll eat after you’re finished and can take her."

Mrs. Yang chimed in, "I eat quickly. I’ll take her as soon as I’m finished. Juhua, there’s no need to rush. Take your time."

Juhua was mashing two steamed carrots with a spoon, turning them into a paste to mix into some fine rice porridge. Hearing their comments, she disagreed. "Mother, don’t spoil her. Just put her in her little bed. She won’t cry. We can hold her after we’re done eating."

He chided her gently. "We’re not spoiling Cong. She’s just being a good girl, and Grandma wants to hold her for a bit. Is that a crime? Her other grandma was just fighting me for her a moment ago. She’s the only girl between our two families—of course she’s precious."

Liu Yunlan and Mrs. Wang both laughed. Mrs. Yang then turned to Liu Yunlan and said, "It’s true that everyone loves having a son, and no one ever complains about having too many boys. But Yunlan, if you were to have a daughter, I would be just as delighted. I’ve been hoping for a granddaughter! The more grandsons and granddaughters, the better."

Liu Yunlan blushed and gave Juhua a tight-lipped smile. ’She knew the older woman adored her daughter Juhua, and had been hoping for a granddaughter ever since Juhua married.’ Of course, whether she had a boy or a girl was out of her hands.

She touched her stomach. ’Why aren’t I pregnant yet? That Meizi has a baby every year; I can’t fall behind. People say it’s better to wait until Hulu is walking before having another, since it’s easier on the mother, but the Zheng family has had only a single heir for several generations. It can’t continue like that. I should ask Yun Ying to check on me.’

Juhua poured some of the carrot porridge into a bowl carved from a bamboo root, added a small wooden spoon, and said to Hulu, "Hulu, Auntie has some red porridge for you. Look, isn’t it pretty? If you eat this, you’ll grow up big and strong, as tall as your father!"

Sure enough, Hulu hurried over excitedly. He had just eaten a bowl of rice with pork liver soup, but the porridge’s vibrant color intrigued him. Eager to try something new, he leaned over the table, grabbed the bowl, and gobbled it down in a few quick mouthfuls.

He spilled some on the tabletop, but no one cared. It would just be wiped up and fed to the chickens later, so nothing was wasted. More importantly, after a few days of practice like this, his spoon-holding hand would grow steady. If an adult were to feed him, it would take much longer for him to learn to eat on his own.

When Liu Yunlan saw her son finish his bowl and continue to stare at his aunt, she asked, "Juhua, are there any more carrots? I can fix some more; Hulu seems to want another serving."

Juhua finished her own porridge and shook her head. "He shouldn’t have too much of it at one time, or his skin will turn yellow. You can steam some more for him tomorrow."

Upon hearing that, Liu Yunlan pulled Hulu to her side and explained it to him softly.

As Mrs. Yang ate, she asked He, "Has Yangzi mentioned when he’ll be back?"

He replied cheerfully, "He should be back any day now. The last message he sent said he would be home on the fifteenth of the twelfth lunar month. Today’s already the twelfth, so it won’t be long! He’s so impatient—said he’s already picked out names for his niece and nephew and insists we use them."

Juhua laughed softly at that. ’At most, I’ll let him name one of them,’ she thought. ’I decided on my daughter’s name long ago. There’s no way I’m letting him meddle with that.’

Zhang Yang arrived home on the evening of the sixteenth of the twelfth month.

When he walked through the door, covered in wind and snow, He rushed over and grabbed his arm, her eyes instantly welling with tears. She began to chide him, "Why did you walk all this way? Your brother specifically borrowed your father’s carriage and left it at Doctor Qin’s clinic. He even had Laixi watching the road, so if he saw you, he could send you to the clinic to ride it home."(To be continued. If you enjoy this novel, please consider supporting it with recommendation votes and monthly passes on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)