When Lin Zhongsi returned, it was nearly the end of the year. He announced that he had purchased two thousand acres of wasteland along both sides of the river, including a small hill, for an extremely cheap price—just over a thousand taels of silver. Since it was land reclamation, by law, it would be exempt from taxes for three years. As Dalang held an official rank, an additional three years were granted. He had already smoothed things over with the local authorities, ensuring no one would cause trouble or take advantage of outsiders. He had also bought a grain shop, no smaller than the one in Liangping Town, complete with a sizable courtyard.
Two thousand acres of wasteland, plus a hill—how vast was that? Lin Fang couldn’t even imagine it. Back when her eldest brother and sister-in-law had contracted thirty acres of land, scattered in different locations, she had thought that was already a lot. Now, their family owned two thousand acres. Lin Fang didn’t know how to react.
Dalang, who had been weak due to his heart ailment, had long since recovered and was now walking briskly. Hearing that the land he had set his heart on had been purchased, he excitedly dragged his uncle to see the land deed.
When the government issued land deeds, they included a simple map roughly outlining the terrain. Because he had long yearned for this land, Dalang remembered it vividly. Unable to contain his excitement, he called for Erlang, Liulang, and Guicheng to join him in planning how to use the land and the hill based on the map.
Dalang first asked Li Cuimei for her opinion. She simply requested that, aside from the land for their residence, she be allotted plots for a clothing workshop and a knitting workshop—she wanted to return to her original trade.
Guicheng, having managed the fishery for the past few years, had developed a keen interest in fish farming and eagerly planned out a section of land for a fishery.
Lin Wu proposed reserving a plot for a training ground and building a workshop for himself.
Lin Fang asked for a large sheep pen to raise more sheep. She had no concrete idea of how big it should be and couldn’t describe it, but Lin Cuiping, with her experience, explained it clearly.
As long as she could stay with her sister-in-law, Lin Cuie had no opinion on how the land should be used. Li Cuimei, exasperated, told the excited men to remember to set aside a hundred acres for each of the two sisters as dowry.
The sisters reacted differently. Lin Cuie pouted and protested, while Lin Cuiping was stunned before bursting into tears.
When Lin Cuiping had married, her eldest brother had given her a hundred taels of silver, and her sixth brother had given her fifty. Both had carefully instructed her to keep it safe. But in the Zhong household, she had no personal freedom, and there was nowhere to hide the money. In the end, Zhong Meizhen took it all. Her dowry from her father had consisted only of clothes she had saved up over the years, cheap jewelry, and ten taels of “hidden money”—all of which had been confiscated by Zhong Meizhen.
Sigh. During her time in the Zhong household, she was often punished by the old lady by being denied meals. Sometimes, when she was starving, she would trade her jewelry to the maids for leftovers. Much of her clothing had also been taken by the servants. By the time of her divorce, apart from the clothes the maids had deemed worthless, she had almost nothing left. After the divorce, everything she used was provided by her sister-in-law. Now, her sister-in-law casually mentioned a dowry of a hundred acres. Compared to her own stinginess before the family split, how could she not be overwhelmed with regret and remorse?
Seeing everyone talking excitedly, Lin Zhongsi, feeling mischievous, loudly reminded them, “Don’t get too carried away. Take a closer look at the deed—it was purchased as farmland. That’s why it was so cheap. If you change its use without permission, you know the government won’t just take the land back; there’ll be penalties too.”
Farmland? At Lin Zhongsi’s words, the room fell silent. None of those present were skilled in farming. If they had to farm, it would be a real headache. Dalang looked questioningly at Guicheng, who shook his head. The dealings with the government had been handled solely by his adoptive father, and he didn’t know the details. He had asked, but his adoptive father had just laughed and said it was a secret.
“Hahaha, hahaha! Wu’er, you’d better make that training ground big enough. When your second grandfather comes to visit, if there’s not enough space to practice, I’ll knock you flat!”
Whoosh—the old prankster had given himself away. With a glance, Dalang and Guicheng pounced on Lin Zhongsi, subduing him. Dalang fished out a small booklet from his chest, and only then did the two let him go.
Lin Zhongsi was playful and had never stood on ceremony with his descendants. Sometimes, when the mood struck him, he was even more mischievous than a child. Dalang and Guicheng were used to this—as children, they rarely succeeded, but now they were in their prime, while Lin Zhongsi was old. Since it was all in fun, Lin Zhongsi went along with it.
The booklet detailed the characteristics of every part of the land, including the features of the hill. Dalang already knew most of it, but he was looking for any special notes. On the last page, he found it: if the land was repurposed, the government would survey the actual area and require the owner to pay double the price for the reclassified land.
That wasn’t too difficult. With Dalang’s current financial resources, he could cover the difference.
With the false alarm over, everyone resumed planning their chosen plots. Lin Zhongsi, bored, asked, “Dalang, everyone else has their own ideas. But you, the actual landowner—what are your plans?”
Oh. Dalang was momentarily stumped. He had been thinking of his wife and children but had forgotten about himself. Apart from business, he didn’t know how to do anything else. Though the land was vast, it was in the wilderness. What business could he possibly do there?
Li Cuimei knew her husband’s dilemma and said, “What’s so hard about that? I have the clothing and knitting workshops, Guicheng has the fishery, Wu’er has his workshop, Fang’er has her sheep, and Cuiping and Cuie have farmland. It might seem like Dalang has nothing to do, but in truth, the management of everything will fall to him. We’ll just do the labor—the key lies with him. Otherwise, what we produce would just sit there useless.”
“Heh, my Cuimei is so thoughtful, unlike that old prankster who just waits to see others make fools of themselves.”
With his wife’s talent, managing things would be no trouble. Now that she had left all the management to him, it showed her consideration. This way, each could focus on their own tasks without being overburdened.
The others stifled laughs, but Li Cuimei blushed. She hadn’t expected her husband to praise her so openly in front of everyone. Though it warmed her heart, it was also embarrassing.
Lin Zhongsi grumbled, “Cuimei, couldn’t you have waited a moment before speaking? If everyone’s as quick as you, where’s the fun in that?”
Caught up in their excitement, no one paid him any attention. After a while, Lin Zhongsi muttered, “Cuimei, do you have any leftover wool yarn? That woolen set you gave your aunt looked excellent. She said it was very warm, lightweight, and comfortable to wear underneath. I’d like a set too.”
The wool from thirty sheep was more than enough for one set of woolen clothing—it could make several. Li Cuimei took out a set from the wardrobe and asked Lin Zhongsi to try it on for size.
“Haha!” Lin Zhongsi held up the clothes, checking the length and fit. “Now I have woolen clothes too! I might not be the first, but others don’t have them. I’m going back to show your aunt—let’s see her flaunt hers now!”
With that, Lin Zhongsi vanished. The others watched as Li Cuimei took out two more sets of woolen clothes, lost in thought.
Though Li Cuimei had said her parents were too mischievous to deserve woolen clothes, she hadn’t meant it. With the move after the New Year approaching, she was filled with reluctance to leave them. She had poured all her love and concern into these warm woolen clothes. As long as her parents were healthy, nothing else mattered.
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