Farmland

Thirty mu of farmland generally produced enough grain to feed more than ten people.

The remaining money could be saved to buy an Inner Strength Manual.

Inner Strength Manuals also came in varying grades.

The prices of superior martial arts texts and inferior ones differed by quite a lot.

Of course, Xu Chuan guessed these were prices meant for ordinary common folk, designed to ensure that ordinary people could not afford them—much like poor scholars in ancient times from his previous life could not afford to study.

Families controlled martial arts in order to drive people toward Martial Arts Halls.

Achieving anything through martial arts took at least a decade, and during that time, medicinal meals and other things that replenished qi and blood could not be cut off. That, too, was a slow trickle of expense, a dull knife carving away flesh.

Xu Chuan did not want to be constrained by others. Now that his family had the means to buy one, he naturally wanted to acquire a good Inner Strength Manual and lay a solid Martial Dao foundation for his family in the future.

As for the even more precious Innate Manuals, those could only be considered after someone from the Xu Family became an Innate Martial Artist.

"A chief clerk personally coming down here to handle affairs is truly rare. Was it an official struggle?"

After making up his mind, Xu Chuan picked the right time and headed straight to the village entrance to wait.

At this time, Dongxi Village.

The ordinary common folk were all busy with the various tasks that followed the rice harvest.

The wealthy households with solid family fortunes, seeing how scorching the weather was, did not want to go out unless necessary.

At the entrance to Dongxi Village.

Xu Chuan saw two yamen runners in black uniforms and a green-robed scholar approaching from not far away.

He hurried forward. After asking who they were, he stated that he wanted to purchase Uncle Yu's paddy fields.

"You want to buy fifty mu of paddy fields?" Qingjiang Chief Clerk Yang Zhao asked in surprise.

He looked Xu Chuan over. Seeing his coarse linen clothes and sleeveless undershirt, he assumed the man before him was an ordinary commoner from Dongxi Village.

Fifty mu of paddy fields was no small sum for ordinary common folk.

"Are you sure you can afford it? Do not toy with This Official, or the consequences will not be something you can bear."

His mood was far from pleasant at the moment, and his tone carried a stern edge.

"How would this lowly one dare!"

Yang Zhao pondered for a moment before offering a fair price.

Xu Chuan immediately paid the full price for the paddy fields.

Had it been one of the greedy chief clerks from before, it would have been perfectly normal for the price to be raised to more than twenty taels per mu.

But if that had happened, Xu Chuan certainly would not have bought them. His money had not blown in on the wind; at present, every last shred had to be spent where the blade met.

The August weather was so hot that it truly made people suffer.

Yang Zhao cast a faint glance around and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had completed half the task the County Assistant assigned him as soon as he entered the village, and his mood improved considerably.

Though he knew the County Assistant was deliberately making things difficult for him, the newly arrived chief clerk, an official one rank higher could crush a man to death.

If he failed to complete the task today, he would surely be targeted upon his return.

"What is your name?"

"Xu Chuan."

"Check."

"Yes, Yang Registrar."

The tall yamen runner took out the Land Registry and searched for the assets registered under Xu Chuan's name, while the other, round-faced yamen runner likewise took out the Household Register and looked for Xu Chuan's name.

"Found it. Xu Chuan, a resident of Dongxi Village, twenty-six this year, with one wife and two sons."

The round-faced yamen runner looked at Yang Zhao and pointed out Xu Chuan's entry in the Household Register.

"My lord, I found it as well. Xu Chuan currently has ten mu of paddy fields and ten mu of mountain forest under his name."

The tall yamen runner likewise pointed out the information he had found to Yang Zhao.

"Mm, he is indeed a resident of Dongxi Village and has priority purchasing rights."

Yang Zhao accepted the banknotes, then registered the transaction for Xu Chuan and had him sign his name and press his fingerprint.

"This is your proof of purchase for the paddy fields. From this moment onward, Yu Hou's Home's fifty mu of paddy fields belong to you."

"Thank you, Yang Registrar."

Xu Chuan tucked the deed for the paddy fields close to his body. Just as he was about to leave, Yang Zhao unexpectedly called out to him.

"Xu Chuan, was it? For you and This Official to meet at the village entrance is fate. Since you are from Dongxi Village, you know where Yu Hou's Home's lands are located, correct?"

He wants me to lead the way?

Fine. Officials cannot be offended.

Xu Chuan nodded and took the initiative to offer to lead Yang Zhao and the others to inspect the fields.

With Xu Chuan's help, Yang Zhao completed the task assigned by the County Assistant in half a day.

Yu Hou's Home's remaining thirty mu of prime paddy fields and thirty mu of mountain forest all found new owners.

"All right, this matter is concluded. You need not accompany us any longer."

Xu Chuan nodded and said yes.

After returning home, Xu Chuan told Bai Jing about what had happened today.

"Fifty mu? Husband, hadn't you planned to buy only twenty or thirty mu before?"

"Fate and destiny."

Xu Chuan said something mysterious, then took out the deed for the paddy fields.

Bai Jing accepted it and looked it over, delight appearing on her face as well.

"That's wonderful. For a long time to come, we won't have to worry about food. We can even sell the surplus for silver."

"Put it away. Hide it in the old place. In a couple of days, we'll need to find people to help. Handling fifty mu of land will keep us busy for quite some time."

That afternoon.

Xu Chuan went to the threshing ground to inspect the harvested rice.

He checked how well it had dried, which would make threshing easier later.

Without modern industry, they could only use primitive methods. After all, every household did the same.

He then went to inspect his family's mountain forest.

The Green Jade Pears there were the highest priority. They would be ready for picking in a little over a month.

To prevent anyone from spying on or entering the place, he had planted large amounts of Thorn Vine around the fields from the very beginning.

This vine grew easily, and its sharp thorns could cut the skin and numb the human body.

The Thorn Vines wound around bamboo poles. Over several years, they had formed a thorn wall four or five meters high and more than a foot thick, with only a single gate left open.

Xu Chuan had set up a few crude traps.

Every evening, after his final inspection, Xu Chuan would lock the gate and activate the traps.

At night, the mountain forest was pitch-black, and visibility was poor.

If someone truly developed a thief's heart and forced their way in, there was a high chance they would be caught by a trap.

Several days later.

The many steps of processing the rice were complete, and it had been stored at home.

Xu Chuan began hiring people to tend to the fifty mu of paddy fields he had acquired.

Of the rice planted in the fields, the portion that had to be paid in taxes would be removed, while the rest belonged to his family.

At dusk.

Chen Ergou suddenly rushed to the paddy fields in a great hurry, panting as he shouted, "B-Brother Chuan, Sister-in-law is going into labor!"

Delight flashed across Xu Chuan's face. Without another word, he turned and ran home.

"Wait, let me catch my breath first!"

Chen Ergou was gasping for air, but seeing Xu Chuan run off into the distance, he could only grit his teeth and follow, his arms flailing as he crawled along like a dog.

Before he even reached the door, he heard Bai Jing's pained cries coming from inside the house.

Chen Ergou's wife, Xu Yan, was helping inside. When she came out and saw Xu Chuan trying to enter, she hurriedly stopped him.

"Cousin, the midwife is already here. Don't go in."

"It is inauspicious for a man to be present when a woman gives birth."

"Go boil a few pots of hot water instead. The more, the better."

Xu Chuan had only wanted to take a look at Bai Jing's condition, but this was not the time to dwell on it.

He immediately ran to the kitchen, lit the firewood, and began boiling water.

This was not Bai Jing's first time giving birth, yet Xu Chuan still felt nervous.

After Chen Ergou arrived, he poured himself a bowl of water and gulped it down in one breath.

Seeing the worry on Xu Chuan's face, he immediately said, "Brother Chuan, don't worry. Sister-in-law has always been healthy. She will definitely give birth safely."

"Besides, I brought a Qi and Blood Pill from home, just in case."

Chen Ergou handed Xu Chuan the small porcelain bottle containing the Qi and Blood Pill.

"You've been thoughtful."

Xu Chuan did not refuse and accepted it directly.

Having experienced Bai Jing giving birth several times, Xu Chuan had also prepared some medicinal herbs to replenish qi and blood.

But compared to a Qi and Blood Pill, they were still far inferior.

He felt somewhat reassured, then remembered something and asked, "Where are Shitou and A Yuan?"

"I took them to my home. They're probably having the time of their lives playing with my boy."

Xu Chuan nodded, then looked up at Chen Ergou. "Er Gou, I'll remember this Human Favor. If there is ever anything I can help you with, just say the word."

"Actually, there is indeed something I want Brother Chuan to help me with."

"But Sister-in-law giving birth is more important right now."

"Good."

Xu Chuan answered, but his mind was elsewhere.

Heaven and earth were vast, but nothing was greater than his wife giving birth!