Chapter 29: Supplies Galore!

"What's the matter?"

Seeing him retreat into his room, Cheng Yuan didn't feel it was appropriate to follow and ask further, so she turned and headed into her own bedchamber instead.

"Check-in."

"Congratulations to the host! You have received 100g of seeds, including radish, carrot, turnip, cucumber, winter melon, pumpkin, tomato, eggplant, spinach, celery, and more."

The system's announcement lasted for nearly a minute, and Cheng Yuan's heart grew warmer with each name listed. She was overjoyed, yet felt a trace of confusion. She had previously assumed that the larger the map, the greater the rewards from checking in, but that rule didn't seem to hold; earlier, when she checked in at the county seat, she had only received a thousand assorted steamed buns. Compared to such a detailed assortment of seeds, those meat buns seemed rather lackluster.

She opened her storage space and gazed at the items inside, a glimmer of light passing through her eyes.

—

"You want to buy land?"

In the bright main room, the village chief sat at the table, his weathered face etched with confusion.

"Yes," Cheng Yuan nodded.

The village chief pondered for a moment, thinking of the recent events involving the Cheng and Jiang families, and noticing the dark circles under the young girl's eyes, he sighed inwardly.

"Yuan'er, I've watched you grow up since you were a child, so let me speak from the heart: in these times, buying land is not a wise move."

"You want to buy it to grow vegetables, right? Don't be fooled by the sun that peeks out now and then; it's mostly just light snow. But the ground is frozen solid. Even if you manage to grow something, we can't afford the gamble. What if another blizzard like the last one hits? Wouldn't all your efforts be wasted?"

"Listen to your uncle. If you want to make a living, follow your aunt and learn to embroider handkerchiefs. I can introduce you to a path for that later..."

Cheng Yuan listened to the village chief's rambling with a smile. She poured him some tea, and as he blew on the steam, she said slowly, "Uncle, I know everything you've said, and I know you mean well. However, I have my own plans for this land. Just tell me, how much money do you need?"

The village chief paused in his tea-drinking, looked up, and hesitated. "You really want to buy it?"

Cheng Yuan nodded.

"Fine. It just so happens I have a few acres of wasteland near the mountain, quite close to your place. Land isn't worth much these days; four hundred wen per acre. Just pay whatever you can."

"No need, Uncle. I have the money. I'll take it. Please, take some time later to show it to me."

Outside the main room, Lu Bai, who was just about to enter, stopped in his tracks, leaning against the doorway to listen. His brows knitted together.

Buying land?

His expression immediately turned cold, and a nameless fire rose within him. Truly a village woman; who else but a fool would buy land to farm in this season? That silver must have been scraped right out of his own pockets! It was such a waste!

"Oh, isn't this Scholar Lu?"

A crisp, pleasant voice rang out beside him. Lu Bai snapped back to reality. Cheng Yuan was standing in front of the village chief, looking at him with a beaming smile.

"Aunt," Lu Bai said, cupping his hands in a salute.

The village chief nodded casually. "Hmm. Don't go out so much on these snowy days. If you need anything, tell your aunt. Focus more on preparing for next year's spring imperial examinations."

Lu Bai bowed respectfully and agreed.

The two walked past him. Cheng Yuan, trailing two steps behind, suddenly turned her head. She spoke a few words silently.

"Remember to pay back the money."

"..." Lu Bai clenched his fists.

He stared at Cheng Yuan with eyes that seemed to burn with fury. Only when the two crossed the threshold and vanished from his sight did his agitated emotions gradually settle. It was fine; it was just a small sum of silver, not worth mentioning compared to his bright future. The most important thing for him now was to prepare for the exams. Once he attained a high rank, wouldn't it be easy to manipulate a mere village woman?

A dark look flashed across Lu Bai's eyes.

—

Cheng Yuan followed the village chief, listening to him ramble about his past friendship with her father, and frowned slightly. The village chief seemed to know a great deal of things.

Taking advantage of the fact that he wasn't looking back, Cheng Yuan reached into her bodice and pulled out a pale yellow handkerchief. This was something she had swiped from Lu Bai as she walked past him earlier. She raised an eyebrow. Why did the magistrate's daughter love gifting handkerchiefs so much? Suddenly, she noticed a line of small text on the fabric.

*A chance encounter, fulfilling my heart's desire — Yun.*

Cheng Yuan felt even more delighted. Wasn't this just handing her leverage on a silver platter?

"Yuan'er."

Cheng Yuan quickly tucked the handkerchief away and looked at the village chief.

The village chief gestured with his hand. "It's right here. See, from here to there, past those rocks—all of it."

Cheng Yuan took a look. The land was overgrown with withered weeds, and quite a few rocks were exposed, which was within her expectations. However, it was indeed very close to her home; looking down from here, she could see every person and object in her courtyard.

Suddenly, she squinted. Xie Changzhi was standing with his back to her, piles of wood of various shapes and sizes beside him. She felt a sudden surge of curiosity and wanted to take a closer look, but there was another important matter at hand.

She turned back and handed a well-counted bag of copper coins to the village chief.

"Thank you, Uncle. I am very satisfied, but I have one more request."

The money bag had significant weight, and a smile appeared on the village chief's face. "Speak, speak. We're family; no need to be formal."

"This plot of land is not small, and I'm afraid the two at my home can't manage to clear it in time. Could you help me find two reliable men to plow this land for me? I will pay the standard wages; just tell me the amount, Uncle."

The village chief waved his hand quickly. "Is that all? Just wait, I'll bring them to you by noon. Don't worry about the wages; we're family, just provide them a meal."

However, Cheng Yuan shook her head firmly. "As the saying goes, 'clear accounts make for good friends.' There will be many times in the future when I will need help from you and the brothers. How could I take advantage of you every time? As long as the brothers put in their best effort, I won't be stingy."

The village chief was stunned and looked at Cheng Yuan deeply. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but her delicate face looked remarkably calm and steady. In just a few days, she had become a completely different person from the spoiled girl she once was. He felt a mix of relief and regret. Perhaps, in the end, it was his nephew who wasn't worthy of her!

—

Xie Changzhi held a small knife and made a forceful cut. A tiny wood shaving fell, and the brow he already had furrowed became even tighter.

He threw the waste wood to the ground and reached for a new piece. Suddenly, there was a knock at his door.

"Changzhi, are you free?"

The long-awaited, crisp voice rang out. Xie Changzhi's heart skipped a beat, and his knife slipped, cutting in the wrong place. He immediately stood up, swept the pieces of wood together with a broom to hide them, and then went to open the door.

"Cheng Yuan, is there something you need?"

Xie Changzhi opened the door only a crack and reverted to his formal way of addressing her, though Cheng Yuan didn't seem to care.

She held up a basket of eggs she had exchanged for a few bags of meat buns with Aunt Wang—genuine, free-range eggs. Her eyes curved with a smile, and a lock of dark hair blew across her temple in the breeze. "I'm going to make something to eat, but I lack a helper. Would you be willing to help me?"

Xie Changzhi's heart skipped a beat again.

"I..."

"I'm willing, I'm willing! Miss Cheng Yuan, let me do it! That brute Xie Changzhi, what would he know about these things!"

Xie Yanzhi darted over from nowhere, his eyes fixed tightly on the basket of eggs as if he were looking at gold.