Ch. 96..100: The Princess of Northern Land Chapter 96-100

Chapter 96: Chapter 96: Discovering a Surprise (2)_1 Guo Huiniang’s eyes almost fell out as well.

Good Lord, one hundred silvers for such a handful of seeds?

“Once they’ve grown, it’ll far exceed a hundred silvers.” Lin Ziyin awkwardly uttered, aware that everyone in the family would be stunned over the price. “And this one here is onion, the one in your hand is cauliflower.”

As Lin Ziyin observed the seeds in her hand, she was far from casual, instead she examined them cautiously, treating them like treasures and carefully placing them into a winnowing basket.

“Ziyin, where do you plan to plant these?” the old man asked.

Lin Ziyin calculated the time. It was already late spring, it might be a bit late for planting chili, but it was not impossible. As for corn, as long as the temperature is suitable, it can be entirely planted. After considering, she found that apart from the onion, all the seeds she purchased could be planted.

“There’s quite a lot of land left over from building the house. I plan to cultivate chili in the space behind the house, and some corn could also be grown in the open spaces.”

“The land around the house is wasteland, not suitable for growing.” the old man voiced out.

Lin Changshu also cast a sigh-like glance at Ziyin.

“Grandpa, it’s okay, I have a way.” Lin Ziyin stated, smiling.

Seeing her obstinacy, and their own ignorance of planting such seeds, they could only proceed as advised by her.

After finishing their meal, Lin Ziyin set out a small patch of land situated in a sun-facing corner of the walls, spread some ashes over the dung-water mixture on the ground, before finally planting the chili seeds.

“Did you plant that many?” Lin Zige questioned uneasily, “Just water it and it’s done? It’s that simple?”

“Yes, it’s that simple.” Lin Ziyin nodded, “Water it again in five days, but don’t overdo it.”

Finished speaking, she covered the seeds with a layer of ash before calling it quits.

“Grandpa, is it possible to buy and sell that wetland?” Lin Ziyin asked, upon returning to the house.

“Wetland? What wetland?” The old man was busy with his plaiting while he asked confusedly.

“The reed marsh two miles away.” Lin Ziyin explained.

“That place is off-limits.” The old man frowned, “The water is shallow, but there’s much silt, and it’s quite a large area. If you wander too far, even finding your way back could be difficult.”

“Sister, there are monsters in there.” Changting interjected after hearing their conversation.

“It eats people.” Yanzhi added.

Lin Ziyin laughed and patted their heads, “Smart. I was just asking for fun. You should go play with Dunzi.”

Hearing about play, Changting and Yanzhi immediately ran off laughing.

“Grandpa, can I buy it if I want to?” Lin Ziyin persisted. She had run off unintentionally and discovered that place.

While it was called a marsh, most of the area was covered with grass, with a shallow flow of water on the ground making it a reasonably nice wetland. But the soil there was black, and particularly fertile at that, Lin Ziyin was reluctant to let it go to waste.

“If you want eggs, I’ll find them for you later.” Wu Dayou said, chuckling. Every spring, many waterbirds would come to Ludang, with plentiful eggs inside. However, rumours of monsters in the marsh spread, eventually dissuading villagers to go there.

Lin Ziyin shook her head, “I’m not in it for the food, Grandpa, you’ve yet to answer my question.”

“That place isn’t under the village’s jurisdiction. If you want to buy it, you’d have to deal with officialdom.” The old man answered.

Hearing this, Lin Ziyin furrowed her eyebrows. She would have to deal with government officials, which was troublesome. Since ancient times, civilians have not liked dealing with officialdom. If there’s no one in the government offices, it would be even more of a hassle.

Never mind. For now, she didn’t have much silver, she should put it off.

With that thought, Lin Ziyin’s enthusiasm to purchase the wasteland diminished a bit.

Seeing that she was no longer insisting, Lin Changshu finally sighed with relief. He always found it hard to keep up with his younger sister’s pace. The feeling of his heart constantly rising and falling was unsettling.

Chapter 97: Chapter 97 Different Thoughts (1)_1 The following day, Lin Ziyin was in the courtyard again, preparing a small patch of ground to plant the potted plants that had already sprouted fruits, complete with their soil and vine shoots. He even built a frame for the plants out of branches.

“They’re already bearing fruit, can they still survive this?” Zige asked worriedly, fearing that in his excitement, Lin Ziyin might have doomed the things they had bought for fifty taels of silver.

“No worries.” Lin Ziyin replied.

Over the next few days, all of Lin Ziyin’s energy seemed to be poured into the seeds. The villagers saw Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou borrowing Lou Zheng’s ox to plough the empty space behind the new house. None of them found it too strange; after all, land is the lifeblood of a farmer. Even a barren land, once bought, nobody would want to waste it.

In their busyness, the Lin family’s house was completed at a steady pace, and every seed Lin Ziyin planted grew robustly.

“Changshu, you’ve done amazing.” Lou Zheng said, a hint of envy in his voice as he looked at the three courtyards that the Lin’s had built. With these buildings made from green bricks, they were considered top-tier in the village. Moreover, the Lin’s had even built a two-story house, which was truly unique.

“Dayou, you’ve got a real stroke of luck.” There were even some who teased Wu Dayou.

Wu Dayou just chuckled, not the least bit annoyed. He knew all to well of the villagers’ envy. Besides, he had been in high spirits for the past few days, his grandfather had spoken. After the house was done, a good date would be chosen for him to marry Zige.

With a house and a wife, what more could he ask for?

“Oh dear, why are you still here?” Aunt Gossiper, the matchmaker, hurried over when she saw the Ma family all huddled up at home, “The feast is about to begin.”

“You go ahead, we’re not interested.” Mrs. Yan retorted with a sour face.

“I’m just saying, your refusing the Lin’s marriage proposal was a bad deal for you. Didn’t you see? The Lin family built a house for Wu Dayou too. If you hadn’t called off the marriage proposal, that house would have belonged to your Zhicai.” As she said this, a regretful expression crossed the matchmaker’s face, “Just look, your Zhicai failed the scholar exam and lost the marriage prospect, how unfortunate.”

“Get lost.” Mrs. Yan immediately picked up a broom to chase her out upon hearing her insult her son.

“Can’t you have a decent conversation? Why are you angry?” Aunt Gossiper, who had been hit by the broom, was not pleased either, “Afraid to face the truth, are you? Your family really messed up. If not for the called-off marriage, you would have a nice house to live in, and someone to support Zhicai’s studies. Now you have nothing. But considering your family’s behavior, it serves you right.”

Aunt Gossiper, who goes from house to house, has a rather sharp tongue.

“Get lost.” Unable to catch up to her, Mrs. Yan, who had to listen to her nonsensical talk, angrily picked up a clump of mud from the ground and threw it at her.

“Pah.” Aunt Gossiped spat in her direction from afar, “I bet your family won’t ever produce a scholar.”

“You old witch, black-hearted…” Mrs. Yan began swearing at her.

“Mother, please calm down.” Ma Zhicai, who had failed his exam, came out with a dark face. He had seen the spring exam list a few days ago and he did not pass it. He was not in a good mood. The matchmaker came to humiliate him, and even worse, his mother was arguing with her. If his peers saw this scene, how could he face them?

“I was just taking it out on her for you.” Mrs. Yan glared at Ma Zhicai with annoyance and a sense of injustice, “The matchmaker’s words hit a nerve. If only we hadn’t called off our marriage proposal with Zige, things would be so much better right now.”

When Mrs. Yan thought of the Lin family’s loft and courtyard, her eyes turned red with envy. “How wonderful it would be if we hadn’t called off the marriage.”

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 Different Thoughts(2)_1 It came straight out of his mouth as soon as he thought of it.

“Mother.” Ma Zhicai was in a hurry, don’t tell him he wasn’t regretting now? This mother would just provoke him.

“So what if we broke up the engagement? That doesn’t mean we can’t pick it back up.” Ma Dalang said as he came out of the house, “Can that Wu Dayou compare to our son?”

“Father, you’re not thinking…” Ma Zhicai thought of an uncomfortable possibility, his eyes instantly widening in shock. “She does have a dubious relationship with Wu Dayou.”

“What dubious relationship.” Ma Dalang frowned, correcting him. “Setting an engagement is not the same as getting married. Have you not seen the Lin family rising in status? In the future, you will need a lot of silver for your studies to become a scholar. Can our family afford that?”

“This?” Ma Zhicai was somewhat embarrassed, he was always proud, to go back to Lin Zige, he really couldn’t swallow his pride.

“Pack up, we’re going to the Lin family to join their wedding banquet.” Ma Dalang glared at him, sternly instructing.

Mrs Yan’s eyes lit up, “Son, when you become a government official in the future, you can have as many concubines as you want. For now, don’t be foolish, you can’t give up the riches within your grasp.”

Ma Zhicai agreed with his parents’ idea in his heart, but he couldn’t swallow his pride.

Ma Dalang and Mrs Yan didn’t care whether he was willing or not. They grabbed several eggs from the henhouse, brought some change, and took Ma Zhicai to the Lin Family home.

The Lin family’s home was bustling at the moment. The house was at full capacity, the weather was warm, and the outside was filled with villagers.

Lin Ziyin, Lin Zige, Guo Huiniang, and the daughter-in-law from the Bai family and Luo Zheng family who were helping with the cooking, were bustling around in the small house.

“Is this tofu? It’s delicious.”

“Why didn’t we think of this?”

…

The dishes at the Lin’s were mainly tofu, tofu skin, and stewed meat, as well as fish, chicken, and meat. They were served in generous portions.

“Amitabha.” Amid the revelry, several martial monks appeared at the doorway.

“Master.” Seeing the arrivals, Lin Changshu immediately greeted them with great joy.

“Amitabha. Today is the benefactor’s housewarming celebration. The abbot has specially instructed me to bring a peace charm to the benefactor. If the benefactor places it under the beam, it can ensure the peace and safety of the house.” The leading martial monk said, holding his palms together. Another monk handed a box to Lin Changshu.

“Thank you, master.” Overjoyed, Lin Changshu knew those peace charms from Ding’an Temple were hard to come by. The abbot must have sent someone over because of their recent cooperation.

“Please come in, Master.” Lin Changshu invited enthusiastically.

“Amitabha.” The martial monk politely declined, “The benefactor’s family is busy, we will not disturb you today.”

“Please wait.” Hearing the commotion, Lin Ziyin quickly came out, “Please take these back for everyone to try.”

She was holding a basket, “Everything is vegetarian, there is no animal oil at all. I also cleaned the pan.”

After exchanging glances, the monks thanked her, then took the basket and left.

The villagers looked on enviously, they never thought that the Lin family would establish a relationship with Ding’an Temple through their tofu business. The Lin family was sure to become prosperous in the future.

“Congratulations.” Just as Lin Ziyin was about to enter the kitchen, she saw the Ma family, a large group of people, arrive uninvited.

There were at least eight of them, big and small.

Seeing the delicious food on the table, Ma Youcai immediately dashed over to find a place to sit.

The faces of Lin Changshu and the old master instantly turned cold.

The villagers were also puzzled, the Ma family had already fallen out with the Lin family, how could they have the nerve to come over?

“Congratulations on your new home.” Despite the surprised looks from everyone, Ma Dalang handed over the basket he was holding, along with five coins.

“What are you doing here?” Lin Zige came out from the kitchen and flew into a rage, ready to charge over with a spatula in her hand.

“Zige.” The old master stopped her.

Lin Zige was standing to one side, looking indignantly at the Ma family.

Under the villagers’ gossipy gaze, Ma Zhicai wished he could turn around and leave. However, his eyes lit up when he saw Lin Zige’s plain and simple attire.

Because of the poverty back home, the previous Lin Zige’s clothing was patched on top of patches, and her complexion was wax-yellow. But today, Lin Zige is dressed in a light yellow blouse, wearing a pale purple outer garment, paired with a skirt of the same color—she was beautiful from any angle. Coupled with the Lin family’s recent good diet, her face had also become very fair. She was no worse than a young lady from the city.

Chapter 99 Trouble in the Village (1)_1 Mrs. Yan saw that not only was Lin Zige dressed in new clothes, but she even sported a gilded hairpin in her hair. Mrs. Yan was instantly filled with envy.

“We were wrong about the past, and we have apologized. Uncle, as villagers, we see each other every day. Today we only came to celebrate your happy occasion, not for any other reasons. You can’t drive us away.” Ma Dalang brazenly made a joke.

The old master frowned, eager to send them away, but given Ma Dalang’s words, he feared the villagers would see the Lin Family as unreasonable if he expelled them now. This might mean the villagers wouldn’t support the Lin Family in the future.

“Go ahead, Zhicai. Call our host.” Ma Dalang said warmly.

“Master Lin, I was wrong about the past, please don’t take it to heart.” Ma Zhicai bowed in apology, appearing refined and cultivated.

Lin Zige clenched her teeth, wanting desperately to slap him. Ma Zhicai was nothing more than a cultured failure. Previously, he won the Lin Family’s favor for a marriage proposal using these pleasantries. Once the Lin Family fell into hardship, he showed his true self. Now he was putting his mask back on, and even if Lin Zige were a fool, she would know his motives.

“A visitor is always considered a guest. Please sit down,” said the old master indifferently.

Lin Changshu looked bitter, but since the old master agreed to it, he had to hold back his anger.

Upon hearing the old master’s words, Ma Dalang and Ms. Yan were secretly thrilled. It seemed they might have a chance.

“Father, mother, sit here.” Ma Youcai was eating with oil dripping from his mouth, filled with joy as he welcomed his family.

The two children from Ma Xincai’s family had commandeered the best spots at the table and were starting to eat. Seeing the feast before her, Mrs. Yan’s eyes lit up, and she quickly grabbed seats for Ma Zhicai and Ma Dalang.

Ma Erlang’s family had also sat down early. As they saw Ma Dalang’s family arriving, they understood what was happening. The two families from the Ma household occupied one and a half tables, inviting scorn from the villagers.

“Disgraceful creature,” Zige muttered, still holding a grudge in the kitchen.

“Just ignore the Ma family. After today, they won’t have an excuse to bother us.” Mrs. Zhang, as Lou Zheng’s wife, naturally had the ability to judge people.

She had a clear understanding of what the Ma family hoped to achieve today. But she wasn’t worried. Her own nephew was Wu Dayou. If the Ma Family dared to cause trouble, they’d see how she would deal with them.

Fortunately, it appeared the Ma family had truly come to celebrate. When the banquet ended, they left with the other villagers without any further trouble.

Lin Changshu and Zige let out a sigh of relief when the troublemakers were finally gone.

“My lady, madam, take some of these.” Lin Ziyin put some tofu into the baskets of the Bai and Wu families.

“We can’t accept this.” Mrs. Zhang refused.

“The weather is getting warmer, and if it stays here, it will spoil. Furthermore, we are not going to conduct business tomorrow, and our family alone can’t finish all this tofu.” Lin Ziyin explained.

Seeing there was indeed a lot of tofu left in the basket, Mrs. Bai and the others reluctantly accepted.

Guo Huiniang then distributed the leftovers to everyone.

After expressing their thanks, Mrs. Bai and the others returned with their goods, joyous and contented.

“Finally, that’s over.” Lin Ziyin said, rubbing his back.

“Are we going to move into our new house tomorrow?” Changting asked excitedly.

“Yes, we will move in tomorrow.” Lin Ziyin responded, nodding.

The children cheered at the news.

The old master looked at the new house nearby, then at his laughing children, feeling a weight lifting off him. Life for the Lin family was genuinely turning around for the better.

In the following days, the Lin family moved into the new house, and all the furniture inside was newly purchased using their silver money.

 

Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Trouble in the Village (2)_1 “It’s so comfy.” Changting is rolling around on the heated brick bed with Yanzhi following.

Watching this, Lin Changshu felt gratified. It felt as though all the fatigue accumulated throughout these days was worthwhile.

“Miss Lin, the tools you requested are bought today,” Si Si said, stopping by in his cart early in the morning.

“Alright.” Lin Ziyin nodded.

“Deliver it to the oil mill on the outskirts,” she instructed Si Si, “Thank you for your hard work.”

“Move.” Si Si commanded the young servant who was with him. During that time when Si Jinhan injured Lin Ziyin, Si Si had been his accomplice, and had henceforth always carried guilt towards Lin Ziyin. Therefore, he was always eager to help out with anything that Lin Ziyin directed.

“This is the spot, thank you very much,” Lin Ziyin said to the young servant upon arriving at the oil mill.

The young servant then placed everything down.

“What do we do with all these things?” Wu Dayou, looking into a pile of iron tools for a good while, could not figure out what to do with them.

With a light smile, Lin Ziyin said to him, “You and my brother can lend a hand, and I will assemble.”

Because she didn’t want Si Jinhan to know her business strategies, the design blueprint she had previously given him was of the machine parts only.

“Let us do the heavy lifting,” said Lin Changshu.

Thus, the three of them got to work: Lin Ziyin fetched the wooden stand she built, and by the end of the morning, she had assembled a simple oil press.

“When do we start pressing oil?” Lin Changshu asked.

“We can start tomorrow. But we need more workers here at the oil mill, and we will be short-handed at the tofu store,” Lin Ziyin said.

“What do we do, then?” Wu Dayou and Lin Changshu began to worry.

“Why not hire some people?” Ziyin suggested, “Brother, please ask Brother Bai and Brother Bai Er to come. And bring Wu Dali and Wu Erli from Lou Zheng’s house.”

“How much should we pay in wages?” Lin Changshu asked.

“Wages will be twenty-five Wen a day.” Lin Ziyin replied, “Their tasks must be restricted to grinding soymilk and steaming soybeans. However, we must make them sign an agreement that they won’t disclose the Lin family’s recipes, otherwise they will be required to compensate. Furthermore, they will need to avoid interfering with the Lin family’s most important procedures.”

Lin Changshu felt torn. It felt as though he was not trusting his fellow villagers by getting them to sign an agreement.

“The agreement must be signed.” Lin Ziyin firmly held her ground.

“Alright then,” Lin Changshu agreed, planning to discuss this matter with everyone in the evening.

However, by evening, a serious incident occurred in the village.

“Dear, how could you just leave like this?” The chilling cries pierced through the black night, sending shivers down spines.

“What happened?” Ziyin asked.

“I don’t know,” Zige shook his head.

“I’m going out to check,” Lin Changshu said.

“I’m coming with you,” Wu Dayou quickly stood up.

After the two men hurriedly left, Guo Huiniang quickly bolted the door.

Although living in a large house was nice, many of the rooms were unoccupied, making the house seem empty and a bit anxiety-inducing at night.

Lin Changshu and Wu Dayou were gone for a long time and didn’t return, making Lin Ziyin anxious.

“I’m going out to check.” The cries outside multiplied, intensifying the fear; children crying for their fathers, wives crying for their husbands, people arguing—the signs of a disaster were clear. Everyone in the house was becoming uneasy.

“I’m going, too,” Guo Huiniang said, “I’ll bring the kids.”

All the members of the Lin family then went out, following the light of a fire to the open space at the entrance of the village.

The area was filled with most of the villagers. Because there were so many people, Ziyin couldn’t see the people who were crying inside the crowd, nor could she figure out what was going on.

“Shuanzhu’s wife, hang in there. You still have a child in your belly,” someone yelled from the middle of the crowd.

Then there was a flurry of commotion again.

Shuanzhu’s wife? A shy young woman flashed across Ziyin’s mind.

“What’s the matter?” Guo Huiniang finally spotted Lin Changshu in the crowd while holding two children.

“Fang Shuanzhu and the Wei brothers went to the city for work and ran into a spy from Tatar who got in, they’ve been killed,” Lin Changshu answered sorrowfully.