A Token of Appreciation
If this land is to be cultivated, all the dense weeds and pebbles must be cleared away, which is obviously a difficult task.
If weeds are not cleared away, then even if crops are planted in the soil, the nutrients in the ground will only be used to nourish the weeds.
However, the gravel on the ground can easily damage farm tools.
Therefore, given that the existing farmland is sufficient, the villagers of Xiushui Village do not have the manpower and resources to reclaim wasteland here.
But now, a road has been built in this very place, the ground is very flat and compacted, and there is not a single stone or weed on the surface.
It's clear that the repairs were done very carefully and with great care.
The road is about 300 meters long, but because it is surrounded by bushes and thorns about one meter high, it is almost impossible to see that there is a road in this direction from the village.
The three of them soon reached the end of the road.
What appeared before Lin Xiao and Liu Yunan was a completely new small village.
In the very center is a large courtyard. Although it cannot compare with the buildings in the city, it is much more impressive than the ancestral halls of various ethnic groups in Xiushui Village not far away.
It should be noted that, apart from the restaurants and inns funded by the Lingxian Sect, the ancestral halls of the various clans in the village are the most magnificent buildings in the entire village.
However, upon closer inspection, it can be found that the bricks used in this courtyard are the same as those used in the construction of the town in Xiushui Village.
It is clear that Xiushui Village built this large courtyard along with the town when it was established.
Surrounding this compound are vast expanses of neatly cultivated fields, covering approximately a hundred acres.
Although the field was completely empty and nothing was planted in it, the plow marks were very clear.
It's obvious that someone has been taking care of this field.
The field was very well maintained; not a single stone or weed root could be seen in the turned-up soil. The soil looked quite fine, with a suitable color and moisture level, making it appear very fertile.
If they didn't know what this place was originally like, Lin Xiao and the others would probably have thought it was a prime piece of farmland.
The difficulty of transforming this place from its initial challenging state to its current condition is unimaginable.
"Grandpa Village Chief, has some wealthy family come to settle in our village again?" Liu Yunan asked.
Upon hearing this, Village Chief Du laughed heartily and said:
"They're definitely a wealthy family. This is the biggest family in our village, hahaha."
Hearing what Village Chief Du said, Lin Xiao had some guesses in his mind.
Liu Yunan was still puzzled:
"Huh? Is the gift we received at this house?"
Village Chief Du walked to the gate of the large courtyard and waved to the two of them.
"Come quick, come quick!"
The two obediently stepped forward and walked to Village Chief Du's side.
Village Chief Du then took a key from his pocket and handed it to Lin Xiao:
"Brother Xiao, this hundred-acre estate is the gift from the villagers to the Lingxian Sect."
Before Lin Xiao could react, Liu Yunan widened his eyes and pointed at the vast fields around them in surprise:
"What?! This Dayi land?! The whole village gave it to us?!"
Seeing his surprised expression, Village Chief Du smiled smugly:
"Brother Nan, you didn't expect this, did you? Haha, actually, everyone has been clearing this land for a long time. It's just a lot of hard work. Every day when the villagers come back from the fields, or whenever they have free time, they carry their tools over and do a little bit. That's how, one family here with a hoe and another family there with a shovel, cleared out this hundred acres of land."
"But this big courtyard needs good bricks and tiles. Several major families in the village chipped in some money and bought the bricks and tiles along with the town's construction. They're really sturdy!" As he spoke, Village Chief Du patted the courtyard wall beside him.
The villagers of Xiushui Village have lived here for a long time. The easily cultivated land around them has long been cleared, and other places are either rocky beaches or forests. Only this area is a large, contiguous area.
He looked at Lin Xiao with a smile in his eyes.
"Our village has toiled in the land our whole lives, and we've received so much help from you over the past three years. We can't offer you anything else of value; the best thing we farmers can think of is our land. I heard from your grandfather that you also farm on the mountain, so we all decided to give you some land."
"This place is close to your sect, but a bit far from the village. You can't see this side from the village. The people in our village tell outsiders that this place is desolate and don't want them to come this way, so we won't bother you."
After saying that, seeing Lin Xiao staring blankly at the surrounding fields, he handed the key forward again:
"We're all grateful to you, but we don't have much ability, so we're just clearing some wasteland to show our appreciation. You must accept it."
Lin Xiao looked down at the key in Village Chief Du's hand and silently took it.
He felt like he had some sand in his eyes.
Otherwise, why would he feel so bloated, so bloated that his eyes became wet?
Liu Yunan glanced at the copper key in Lin Xiao's hand, then turned to look at the empty fields around him.
"This is amazing..." he murmured.
The villagers are all ordinary people with absolutely no cultivation!
They also have to busy themselves with their own small plot of land and prepare their own three meals a day.
Moreover, very few households in the village own more than fifty mu of land, yet they readily granted Lingxian Sect this hundred mu of land without batting an eye.
It's still good farmland that needs to be well cared for!
That's a really thoughtful gesture.
Lin Xiao subtly rubbed his eyes before looking up and smiling at Village Chief Du:
"Grandpa Village Chief, we appreciate your kind gesture. Please thank everyone for us. We really love this farm."
Seeing that he agreed to accept it, Village Chief Du smiled and nodded repeatedly:
"Okay, okay, I'm glad you like it! I'll tell everyone the good news later, hahaha!"
Then he pointed to the courtyard gate and explained to Lin Xiao:
"Since we don't know what kind of house layout you need, this yard is empty. You can plan it yourselves, and we won't bother building it for you."
"Time to go back~" Village Chief Du waved his hand, put his hands behind his back, and turned to leave.
Liu Yunan snapped out of his reverie and glanced at Lin Xiao. Seeing him holding the keys and looking thoughtful, he tugged at Lin Xiao's sleeve and asked, "..."
"Brother Xiao, what are you thinking about?"
Lin Xiao twirled the key in his hand and said softly:
"I'm thinking that the Mortal Realm is probably in need of a Trade Center by now."
"Huh?" Liu Yunan was full of doubt.
He didn't quite understand why Brother Xiao, faced with such a vast expanse of land, was thinking about some kind of Trade Center.
Lin Xiao looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and said:
"I'll tell you later. Come on, let's take Grandpa Village Chief home!"
As he spoke, he grabbed Liu Yunan's arm and started walking, calling out to Village Chief Du had already walked a short distance:
"Grandpa Village Chief—we'll see you off! Please walk carefully—"