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墨書 Inktalez
The woman, upon hearing this, finally stopped trembling and slowly began to drink water.
After she finished drinking, Xia Jihua fed her two bowls of lean meat porridge. Once she was full, he gently coaxed her to sleep.
However, her sleep was far from peaceful. She furrowed her brows tightly, murmuring in her dreams, and even moved her hands and feet in distress. In the end, it was Shen Muhan who administered a needle to her. Only after she settled down did everyone leave the room.
Before long, Xia Tieshu and Ming Peng returned. Not only did they bring back a good amount of peanuts and soybeans, but they also had good news: they had found a shop right in the center of town, next to the Fortune and Longevity Restaurant and not far from Mei Tower.
This time, Xia Muxin's motivation was completely ignited.
She immediately sought out the village chief, Yang Dadong, to look at the land. Ultimately, they decided on a plot directly across from the Brick Factory, above the Lotus Root Pond. The land was quite large—over seven acres. Originally, it was just regular farmland, but irrigation was difficult there; during summer, droughts would occur frequently. The villagers had grown tired of it and left it abandoned for a long time. Xia Muxin got a great deal and bought it for fifty-five taels.
"Hey, Uncle, how come everything went so smoothly today? The Wang family didn't come out to stir things up?"
Because the purchase had gone too smoothly, Xia Muxin felt a bit suspicious and couldn't help but ask Yang Dadong on their way back.
"Muxin, you don't know yet? Wang Shoucai has been arrested. It’s said he offended some powerful figures and was taken to the capital over half a month ago. There hasn't been a word from him since; we don’t even know if he’s alive or dead. The Wang family has become much more restrained now. Even if they wanted to stir trouble, they wouldn’t dare bully the villagers anymore. I’ve heard that several landlords in other villages have also been investigated. Now all those local bullies are feeling anxious and terrified."
I see now; it seems my suggestions were quite effective. This Little Emperor is indeed impatient but at least cares about the common people.
"Oh my goodness, this is truly wonderful! So Uncle... have the Wang family's lands been returned to the villagers?"
Xia Muxin pretended not to know and clapped her hands in delight as she asked again.
"They have been returned! This year, the villagers can finally eat their fill and wear warm clothes," Yang Dadong replied excitedly upon hearing this.
At that moment, his smile was gentle and clean, devoid of the past melancholy and helplessness, making him appear significantly younger.
Two days later, Xia Muxin hired oxen to begin plowing the fields. The land had not been cultivated for a long time, and the soil was particularly compact. It needed to be plowed once before being leveled with a hoe, after which planting could commence.
During those two days, the family was busy shelling peanuts. After shelling, they carefully selected the best ones—those that were plump and had clearly visible sprouts—while the selection process for soybeans was similar.
The unqualified peanuts that were filtered out were fried by Xia Muxin into a large plate of peanut kernels. Since Shen Muhan and others had come over, there were more people at home for meals, all young men who required a lot of food. Preparing each meal took quite some time, but this was managed by Xia Jihua and Ermiao, with Aunt Xia occasionally lending a hand. After all, Xue Er was still small; aside from sleeping, she was always held in someone's arms. At her age, she could recognize people, and besides Aunt Xia and Xia Jihua, she hardly acknowledged Summer Forest.
As for the soybeans, Xia Muxin fried them in oil and mixed them with chili powder, dried fish, and fermented black beans before packing them into jars. She then added cooled oil that had been heated until red, sealed the jars with lids, and poured a layer of water on top to ensure they were airtight.
*
"Brother, just fence off this area I marked," she said. "I’ll head to town shortly. By the time I return, we should be able to use it. You all need to hurry up."
That day, Ming Yi and the others had left. As for where they went, Shen Muhan did not elaborate, and Xia Muxin did not inquire further. After all, he was still the Regent of the nation and not someone who idled away his time. Early in the morning, Xia Muxin went outside the courtyard and marked out a square plot of about five or six square meters with wooden sticks about ten meters from the fish pond. She instructed Xia Tieshu to fence it off before afternoon, ensuring that the fence was tight enough to leave only finger-width gaps.
After confirming everything, she quickly finished breakfast and rushed off to town in a horse-drawn carriage. Songzi was quite impatient; a few days ago he had been pestering Ming Yi to teach him how to ride horses and drive carriages. Now he was putting his newfound skills into practice as he drove with considerable flair.
Shen Muhan and Xia Muxin sat in the carriage. Xia Muxin occasionally lifted the curtain to peek outside, worried that Songzi might not be skilled enough yet and could bump into something or fall off. Meanwhile, Shen Muhan continued working on a pile of notes or bamboo slips without interruption; Xia Muxin wisely refrained from disturbing him.
Upon arriving in town, their first stop was at the shop mentioned by Xia Tieshu.
"Excuse me... is this Mr. Du's shop?"
As Xia Muxin and her companions entered, they noticed that the place was nearly empty. They approached the counter politely to inquire.
This used to be a chess club; however, due to the owner's gambling addiction leading him to lose everything and incur significant debts, he eventually had no choice but to sell it after facing various threats from creditors who came knocking at his door.
Of course, this was all relayed to Xia Muxin by Xia Tieshu.
She had expected the owner to be warm and welcoming, but instead, he merely cast a sidelong glance at Xia Muxin, his eyes flickering slightly before he returned to fiddling with his abacus.
“Mr. Du, here is the deposit receipt my brother paid the other day. I am his sister, and I have come today to check on the shop and pay the remaining balance.”
Seeing the man's strange demeanor, Xia Muxin's sympathy evaporated in an instant. She pulled out the Agreement they had signed and handed it over.
“Here, this is your deposit and the penalty for breach of contract.”
The man didn’t even look at the receipt in Xia Muxin's hand. Instead, he tossed a bag of silver onto the counter with a thud, speaking without any emotion.
Xia Muxin frowned, retrieving the receipt. “Who are you?”
“Just go, go. This shop has already been bought by my family at three times your price. That Mr. Du has long since taken the money and run.”
Seeing that Xia Muxin was still unwilling to give up, the man grew impatient and urged her to leave.
Upon hearing this, Shen Muhan smirked. “May I ask when you purchased this shop?”
“Three days ago…”
“Uncle, why are you dragging me out? I haven't even met the wealthy owner yet! How dare they snatch away my shop as if money grows on trees!”
In a moment, Xia Muxin was pulled out by Shen Muhan. The clerk at the counter watched them leave with a sneer, his lips curling in disdain as he coldly laughed.
Xia Muxin, pulled out by Shen Muhan, was filled with anger that had nowhere to go, and she voiced her dissatisfaction.
"Come on, make way, make way! Wine-Pickled Fish, Orchid Bean, Moldy Tofu... they’re all here."
At that moment, a dozen workers were moving wooden crates in and out of a cart, shouting as they worked. Xia Muxin paused, frozen in place.
What had they just said?
Wine-Pickled Fish, Orchid Bean, Moldy Tofu...
How ridiculous...
As the founder, she hadn’t even brought these items to the forefront yet, and someone was already brazenly opening a shop to profit from them.
"There’s a traitor in Daimiao Village."
Shen Muhan pulled the somewhat dazed Xia Muxin aside and whispered in her ear.
He had already made some preliminary exclusions in his mind, but even so, he couldn’t guess who it was.
Moreover, these items were created by Muxin and her family; no outsiders were involved. If it wasn’t someone who had witnessed it firsthand, then that person must be as talented as Muxin.
Or perhaps this person had the innate ability to replicate flavors with just one taste.
"Ha! Uncle, this is going to be interesting. It seems this person is targeting me," Xia Muxin exclaimed excitedly after a moment of contemplation.
She had never encountered such a competitive opponent before; it was time to have a good talk.
Shen Muhan looked at her with suspicion, and after a moment, the corners of his mouth curled into an attractive arc.
"Shop for lease! Shop for lease! Interested parties come take a look, check it out! Great location, good business, plenty of customers..."
At that moment, as the two shared a smile, a shout came from across the street. Xia Muxin and Shen Muhan turned their heads simultaneously, one raising an eyebrow while the other frowned.
Li's Coffin Shop...
Damn, heavens, are you trying to make a joke out of this?
Just when one shop had been snatched away, another opportunity fell from the sky—but this opportunity was empty.
"Sis, there are nothing but coffins in there; it's kind of creepy."
Looking at the red-painted coffins, Songzi couldn't help but shiver and said in a trembling voice.
"Ah, Li Dalang is at it again. He has been shouting like this for thirty-one days this month. Even if he offers the lowest price, no one would dare to take over that shop."
"Yeah, yeah. It’s said that since that shop opened, it has never made a single coin. By now, he must be the sixteenth owner. That place has lost money so badly that one owner with the surname Fang reportedly sold his own daughter just to pay off the debts incurred from inventory. His daughter was quite stubborn; unable to endure such humiliation, she took her own life."
"Indeed. I heard that shop is often haunted. After Li Tairang took it over, since it was haunted, he decided to go into the coffin business. But it's been three years now, and he has only sold three coffins. The next day after selling one, the buyer came knocking on his door saying their grave had been dug up..."
At this moment, several aunties beside Xia Muxin were picking fresh vegetables. Perhaps they had heard the shouting from across the street; they forgot about choosing vegetables and started chatting excitedly instead, sighing and shaking their heads with every sentence.
"Muxin..."
"Uncle, that's the one."
Looking into Xia Muxin's excited eyes, Shen Muhan tentatively called out. However, before he could finish his sentence, Xia Muxin decisively declared, and then she took one hand of each of them and headed towards the coffin shop.
"Boss, how much silver do I need to buy this shop?"
Li Dalang, who seemed to be struggling with business, looked haggard and pale, as if suffering from long-term malnutrition. When Xia Muxin approached him, she got straight to the point.
After observing the surroundings, it was clear that this area was bustling with activity. Moreover, it was directly across from the chess club they had just visited. It was hard to believe there were no customers here; besides, shops nearby had people coming in and out. While not everyone made a purchase, there were still plenty of potential customers.
Upon hearing someone inquire about the shop, Li Dalang's eyes brightened immediately, and he quickly responded with a flattering smile.
"It's not expensive at all, miss. Just ten taels of silver."
As he spoke, he made a gesture resembling a cross with his hands, trying to appear both flattering and helpless.
Xia Muxin shot him a glance and then exchanged looks with Shen Muhan before slowly stepping into the shop.
The shop covered no less than sixty square meters and had two floors. Perhaps due to its nature as a coffin shop, there were no windows for ventilation. The interior felt significantly cooler than outside. Songzi entered and shivered involuntarily, looking up in confusion at her sister and Big Brother.
"Boss Li, is this shop yours?"
After taking a look around, Xia Muxin asked.
Hearing her question, Li Dalang lowered his head dejectedly and replied helplessly,
"No, I took over this place from the previous owner three years ago. I asked about it too, but that owner said he didn't know either. We just transfer the rent to a money house every quarter under the name of Vulture. Since we signed a three-year contract, even if you wanted to back out now, it's impossible. To be honest with you, miss, this shop is haunted at night—it's terrifying. My family doesn't dare to live here."
With a clear conscience, he spoke the truth.
"Then why don't you renovate this shop, maybe open a window or something?"
"Miss, you may not know this, but we have indeed tried that. However, on the very first day, the window was closed again, and there wasn't a trace left behind. Over time, we became too afraid to touch this place. Once the three-year term is up, even if we don't lease it out, we can just close the doors and walk away."
"Oh? There seems to be something suspicious going on. What if I take over this shop and tear it down to rebuild?"
Xia Muxin, though unaware of the conspiracy lurking behind this situation or what might be hidden, was determined to acquire the shop. With excitement bubbling within her, she glanced at Shen Muhan and spoke.
Li Tairang was taken aback. Rebuilding would cost a fortune; investing so much money before even opening was akin to having too much time on one's hands.
Or perhaps this girl had more money than she knew what to do with? But looking at her plain attire, she didn't seem like someone wealthy.
It was the strikingly beautiful man behind her who exuded an air of nobility. Just his presence alone created an overwhelming sense of pressure; Li Tairang didn't dare meet those sharp eyes directly.
After a pause, he rubbed the back of his head and hesitated before saying, "Miss, I really don't know because no one has ever done that before."
In truth, the only reason for leasing this shop was its low price; who would have thought that being cheap would lead to such trouble?
"I see. Could you show me your contract then?"
Not wanting to make things difficult for Li Tairang, Xia Muxin asked politely.
Upon hearing this, Li Tairang immediately nodded and turned to retrieve the contract from the counter.
Xia Muxin took the contract and glanced at it a few more times. Moments later, Shen Muhan reached over, took the contract from Xia Muxin's hands, and examined it. Finding nothing suspicious, they exchanged glances, and Xia Muxin began to pull out some silver coins.
"Alright, Boss Li, you can move these things right away. This five taels is a deposit. I'll come back in three days to check the results, and then I'll pay you another five taels."
Li Tairang accepted the five taels of silver, feeling as if he were in a dream. Someone was actually willing to take over this shop; his family was finally free—free at last...
With the shop matter temporarily settled, Xia Muxin wandered around Town again.
Not far away, a faint sound caught her attention. A smile crept onto her lips; this was her true purpose for the day.
She quickly made her way toward the source of the sound.
Chirp chirp chirp...
Quack quack quack...
An old man stood behind two cages, which contained Chicklings and Ducklings that looked like they had just hatched. Due to the chilly weather, they huddled together, trembling and emitting sharp, piercing cries.
The old man appeared to be over sixty years old, dressed very plainly with several patches on his clothes. He crossed his arms and gazed sadly at the other two cages. Perhaps due to standing for too long in the cold, his lips had turned a shade of blue.
"Uncle, how much are these Chicklings and Ducklings?"
Xia Muxin squatted in front of the cages and reached inside to poke at them, causing the Chicklings and Ducklings to squawk even louder as they scrambled deeper into their nest. Xia Muxin couldn't help but laugh.
"Miss, they hatched early this year; I doubt they'll survive well. One coin each. Do you want any?"
The old man lowered his gaze, somewhat disheartened as he spoke to Xia Muxin.
"I want them all."
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin was delighted and immediately took out some silver coins, saying, "Um, Uncle, I'll buy both of these cages. How much is it in total?"
"Ah, young lady, there are a hundred Chicklings and a hundred Ducklings, totaling two hundred coins. As for the cages... they're homemade, so just give me whatever you think is fair."
The old man was quite straightforward. He had been standing there for over an hour without anyone asking about his goods. He was surprised that this girl wanted everything right away, and he felt relieved to have a customer.
Xia Muxin weighed the two cages and pulled out a handful of small silver coins from her pocket, estimating around three hundred coins. She pressed them into the old man's palm with a smile and said, "Uncle, I'll take them now!"
The old man stared at the handful of silver coins in his palm, momentarily stunned. By the time he realized what had happened, Xia Muxin had already walked quite a distance away. He wanted to call after her, but it was too late...
From afar, Shen Muhan noticed Xia Muxin struggling to carry the two cages and frowned slightly. He stepped forward to take them from her. Upon seeing the little creatures inside the cages, his face twitched.
Without saying a word, he picked up the cages and quickened his pace.
Xia Muxin followed him in confusion, noticing his furrowed brow and focused gaze as he headed straight for the carriage. She asked curiously, "Uncle... are you afraid of these Chicklings and Ducklings?"
Hearing this, Shen Muhan paused for a moment and turned to glance at Xia Muxin before continuing on his way.
Now it was Xia Muxin's turn to be puzzled. She muttered to herself that he was quite strange and difficult to figure out.
After settling the Chicklings and Ducklings, Xia Muxin bought some commonly used items and instructed Songzi to hurry back with the cart.
"Uncle? Are you alright?"
Along the way, Shen Muhan's face appeared somewhat pale. Once inside the carriage, he closed his eyes to rest, not uttering a word. Xia Muxin, curious, asked him.
"I'm fine."
After a long while, Shen Muhan finally replied with two indifferent words. Xia Muxin raised an eyebrow and crawled over the Tea Table to check his forehead with the back of her hand. Finding his temperature normal, she pursed her lips and chose not to say anything further.
About half an hour later, the cart successfully stopped outside their yard. Xia Muxin called for Xia Tieshu and others to come and carry the baskets. Just as the cart came to a halt, Shen Muhan eagerly jumped down and quickly disappeared from sight.
At that moment, Xia Muxin realized that his shirt was completely soaked through. Watching his rapidly departing figure with some concern, she turned to her brother who had just arrived and exchanged a few words before chasing after Shen Muhan.
Upon reaching the Main Hall, however, she found no sign of Shen Muhan. Xia Muxin hesitated, unsure whether to go upstairs or look elsewhere.
"Are you looking for that Tall Man?"
Suddenly, a clear voice rang out. Xia Muxin looked up to see the woman they had rescued standing by the doorframe, dressed only in a thin undergarment, shivering slightly as she spoke.
Xia Muxin studied her for a moment; her features were delicate and pleasing to the eye, with a pair of innocent eyes reflecting a timid light. When she caught Xia Muxin's gaze, she immediately lowered her head, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her clothing, appearing somewhat at a loss.
- End of Chapter -
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