Spring comes to the desperate place

Chapter 352 Selling the Land

At the end of the year, Song Dazhuang planned to sell some land. The harvest had been good in the past two years, and the surrounding villages had all planted their family's high-yield grain varieties. The output of these lands around the capital alone had doubled. This number was unthinkable in the past, so Song Dazhuang came up with the idea of selling a few pieces of wasteland that were far away. Those lands had been cultivated by his family for several years and had long been transformed into ordinary fields. However, because the distance was too far, Song Dazhuang really couldn't take care of them.

In addition to these wastelands, there is also a small piece of mountain land that was previously used to grow cassava. The climate here in the capital is not very suitable for cassava, and the yield is not high, just enough for the family's consumption. Song Dazhuang doesn't want it anymore and plans to sell it all.

The Song family had just released the news of selling the land in the morning. Just after the family had cleared the table at noon, someone came over to ask about the sale.

Several groups of people were sent away one after another. Some felt that the house was too far from the village and they could not take care of it on a regular basis. Others wanted to lower the price, but Song Dazhuang did not give in. There were a few who really wanted to buy it, but they felt that the price was too high and were still hesitating.

Song Dazhuang didn't intend to sell the land all at once. After sending away another person who asked for the price, Song Dazhuang looked at the sky and wanted to close the door. However, someone called him not far away. Song Dazhuang looked over there and saw that the person was Wang Qin's younger brother, Wang Mian.

"Hey, it's Brother Xiao Mian, what's up? Do you need help from me, your uncle?"

Wang Mian quickened his pace and ran to Song Dazhuang, asking him breathlessly, "Uncle Dazhuang, I heard you want to sell the land, right?"

Song Dazhuang nodded, and then repeated what he had said to the other people before.

"Uncle reminds you, these two plots of land are quite far from our village. The distance between the two plots is relatively close. If you want them, go back and discuss with your brother and sister-in-law. As for the price, uncle will give you a cheaper price. Don't tell outsiders."

After listening to this, Wang Mian did not rush back. He just pondered for a moment before speaking with some bitterness.

"Uncle Dazhuang, this land is what I want, but my brother doesn't know."

"What do you mean your brother doesn't know? Buying land is such a big thing, why don't you discuss it with your brother?"

Wang Mian smiled awkwardly: "We need to discuss it. I just heard that you want to sell the land. I came to see you right after I came back from town. As for the price, I will go back and talk to my brother. Uncle, I want that piece of mountain land. Can you help me keep it?"

Song Dazhuang looked Wang Mian up and down and said, "I can't believe you made a fortune without making a sound. The money for buying the land, isn't it your private money?"

Speaking of this, Wang Mian chuckled and said, "How could that be possible? This is what my brother and I saved over the past two years. In the final analysis, it is all thanks to Uncle Dazhuang and your family. If it weren't for your help, my brother and I would have starved to death long ago. How could we have the good life we have now?"

Song Dazhuang didn't dare to take credit for it: "It's all because of your two brothers' hard work. You can live a good life without us. Go back quickly. It's time for dinner at your house, right?"

Wang Mian looked around the village and saw that some families were indeed cooking at this time, with smoke rising above the village. So he quickly said goodbye to Song Dazhuang and prepared to go back for dinner.

Because the output of the fields in Yongle Village has doubled in recent years, many families who are not short of food have also learned to live three meals a day like the Song family. The Wang brothers often helped the Song family with work in their early years and formed the habit of eating three meals a day. Wang Qin's wife Wei Yan's family was relatively poor. She had two meals of thin rice porridge a day and only had breakfast after she married Wang Qin. During her time at the Wang family, Wei Yan also began to get used to cooking a meal at noon.

When Wang Mian returned home, he saw Wei Yan bringing the finished pancakes to the table. There was also a big pot of egg drop soup and two plates of pickles on the side. This was the Wang family's simple lunch, which was large in quantity and filling.

"Sister-in-law, where's my brother?"

"You're back. Your brother is in the backyard. Go call him out so you can have lunch."

Wang Mian came to the backyard where Wang Qin was chopping wood. He had already heard the noise outside.

"You're back? Wait a minute, I'll just finish chopping this one. Winter is almost here, and we still have enough firewood stored. I'll go to the mountain with you later and get some more wood."

Wang Mian stood not far away waiting for his brother to finish chopping wood. The two brothers washed their hands and faces and went to the front yard.

At the dinner table, Wang Mian mentioned the Song family's sale of land to his brother and sister-in-law.

"Brother, I want to buy that piece of mountain land. Uncle Dazhuang said he would give me a lower price."

When Wang Qin heard his brother say this, his face immediately darkened: "I won't allow it, Wang Mian. Do you really think I don't know the twists and turns in your heart? I've said that we will never separate. Don't learn this kind of bullshit rules outside. We don't have such rules in our family."

When Wang Mian was being scolded, he couldn't help but secretly glance at Wei Yan. Wei Yan put down the bowl almost instantly and spoke with a choked voice.

"Uncle, is there anything I, as your sister-in-law, have done wrong that makes you want to move out of this house so much? If you think that my marriage has disturbed the lives of you two brothers, then I will leave immediately and not bother you anymore."

Wang Mian and Wang Qin were so scared that they kept comforting Wei Yan.

"Don't listen to that bastard's nonsense. He just has nothing to do and is always dwelling on trivial matters. Don't bother with him. Our family welcomes you. Only by marrying you can our family have a sense of living."

Wang Mian also followed and advised his sister-in-law: "Sister-in-law, don't think too much. I was just confused for a moment. You know, the brothers in the village all separated their families as soon as they got married. Although we don't have elders to take charge of these, I think we can't miss the necessary steps..."

Wang Qin wanted to punch this stupid brother. No matter how anxious he was to divide the family, he should look at the situation. It has only been a short time since he married his wife, and he brought this up. Isn't he stupid?

Under his brother's angry glare, Wang Mian's voice became smaller and smaller, and finally he couldn't help but wanted to struggle.

"Uncle Song's land is very good, and I asked him the price, it's very fair. I think even if we don't build a house on the mountain land, we can use it to grow something. Didn't we help Uncle Song grow watermelons on that land a few years ago? Watermelons are very popular in summer. How about we grow some watermelons?"

After all the talk, the topic still had to be bought, but Wang Qin at least listened to some of it. After asking about the price of another piece of land, Wang Qin couldn't help but become interested.

But buying land is not a trivial matter. No matter how fair the price offered by Song Dazhuang is, it will almost use up all of their family savings. The New Year is approaching, and all the money has been spent in one go. They may not even be able to buy a few pounds of meat for the New Year.

Wei Yan seemed to have seen through her husband's thoughts. She recalled what Wang Qin had told her about the family's financial problems on the second day after their wedding. She estimated in her mind that the money would be enough to buy only the mountain land, but Wang Qin's hesitation was obviously because he wanted to buy both plots of land.

"Is the Song family's land really that good? Otherwise, let's buy that piece of mountain land. Didn't my second uncle say that we can grow watermelons to sell next year? I've only heard of watermelons in my mother's family but never seen them before. I'm afraid they can be sold for a lot of money. If we take good care of them, we can grow watermelons in two years and then we can make back the money we spent on the land."

After listening to his wife's words, Wang Qin felt that it made sense, but he was still not reconciled.

"How about I go to Uncle Dazhuang's house tonight and ask him if he's willing to let us wait a few months before paying. We just built the house before the New Year and held a wedding. We don't have much money at home, but if we only buy half... Well, I'm thinking about planting some cotton on the wasteland. Cotton can also be sold at a good price."

Wei Yan didn't say anything this time. She had never heard of cotton in her mother's family, but she had seen cotton cloth in the fabric store. There were only three colors of cotton cloth in their small town, and the price was very expensive, five times that of linen. She touched it secretly in the store and found that it was indeed much softer and thicker than linen. When she went back, she dreamed of owning a piece of cotton clothing.

Fortunately, when Wang Mian proposed this time, he specially bought a piece of cotton cloth from the Song family as a betrothal gift. Wei Yan's family also loved their daughter very much. After making a set of clothes for everyone in the family, they gave the rest to her as a dowry, but Wei Yan was reluctant to use it.

Now when she heard Wang Mian say that his family could also grow cotton, her mind became active. After lunch, she thought about it over and over again, and finally, without even washing the dishes, she turned around and went into the house to find her dowry box and took out the silver ingot at the bottom of the box.

"What are you going to do with the money?" Wang Mian had a premonition when he saw his wife taking out her dowry money.

"Here, here you go, use it to buy some land."

Wang Mian looked at the money in his wife's hand and did not take it.

Wei Yan looked at him puzzledly and put the money into his hand: "Are you stupid? Take it quickly. Didn't you say you were going to the Song family to discuss the purchase of land?"

Wang Mian stuffed the money back into his wife's hand and said, "This money is your dowry. How can I, a grown man, touch your dowry? Put the money away quickly. I have my own way."

Wei Yan looked at her husband and saw that he had a determined look on his face. He really had no intention of using her dowry. She couldn't help but feel warm in her heart, and finally she firmly stuffed the money into her husband's hands.

"Take it. I know this money is not enough to buy land, but at least it will allow us to have a good New Year. When spring comes and we plant the land, won't the money come back?"

Seeing that Wang Mian was about to say something, Wei Yan blocked his mouth first.

"We are family, so don't talk behind each other's backs. Besides, I asked you to buy the land for selfish reasons. Didn't you say before that the wasteland can be used to grow cotton? Well, can I wait until the cotton harvest and save some to weave cotton cloth? If I have children in the future, I can make cotton clothes for them. This material is softer than linen and comfortable for children to wear."

After hearing his wife's sincere words, Wang Qin couldn't help but feel that he had found the right person, so he accepted the money with great care.

"Don't worry, I will definitely grow cotton for you. In the future, our children will not only have cotton clothes, but also cotton quilts and cotton mattresses."

Wang Mian, who was waiting outside, heard that his brother and sister-in-law had reached an agreement. When Wang Qin came out, he rushed over happily.

"Brother, sister-in-law agreed, right? Then can we go to Uncle Song's house to buy land?"

Wang Qin looked at his excited brother and thought of his expectant wife. He felt that he had to buy the land, so he put his arm around his brother's neck and dragged him to the Song family.

It was a rare occasion that Song Chunlin returned home early today. As soon as he got home, he ran into the Wang brothers. When he heard them say they were here to buy land, he nodded in understanding and took the two of them into the house.

"Dad, Brother Wang Qin and his friends are here to buy land."

"The bad boy finally decided to come back? Wang Qin and Wang Mian, come in and sit down." When Song Dazhuang heard his son's voice, he first complained about his son, and then called the Wang brothers in.

Song Dazhuang and Song Chunlin were a little surprised to hear Wang Qin say he wanted to buy both plots of land. Song Dazhuang knew a little about the financial situation of the Wang brothers, but not much. He also understood that if they bought both plots of land at the same time, the Wang family would definitely bear greater pressure. Moreover, it was the end of the year, so Song Dazhuang wanted to persuade the two to buy less.

But Wang Qin just told Song Dazhuang not to worry.

"Uncle Dazhuang, since I dare to ask for this, it means I have the ability. To be honest, the price of your two plots of land is exactly the same as our family's entire savings. It is indeed a bit risky to use all of it to buy land, but your land is so good. There must be many people in this village who have come to inquire about it today."

This was true. Song Dazhuang nodded, and then asked the two people: "Your family's savings have been spent. What are you going to do during the New Year? I remember that you just married a new wife. You can't let her spend a shabby New Year with you right after she got married, right?"

Wang Qin smiled awkwardly and said, "We have all been in this together. Fortunately, we have been following you for the past two years and have earned a lot of money. Next year, my wife said she wants to grow some cotton on the wasteland. She has never worn clothes made of cotton. Am I not afraid that this land will be taken away by others next year?"

Few people sell land these days, especially the closer to the capital, the fewer people are willing to sell land. It is no wonder that Wang Qin and Wang Mian are so anxious and want to acquire the two pieces of land as soon as possible.

Song Dazhuang didn't lack the money from the two pieces of land. After thinking it over for a while, he decided to give the two brothers a small amount so that they could make it an even number.

Although it is just a small amount, it is worth three taels of silver!

The brothers Wang Qin and Wang Mian were overjoyed and asked Song Dazhuang in trembling voices whether it was true.

Song Dazhuang laughed and scolded, "How could what your uncle Dazhuang said not be true? You two both know where the land is. Are you free tomorrow? If you are, accompany me to the government office and we can get the land deed and other things done."

"Yes, yes, yes, I am free. It is settled, Uncle Dazhuang. I will come with you to the government office tomorrow."

After agreeing on a time, Wang Qin and Wang Mian paid a deposit of five taels of silver, signed a written agreement, and went home happily with the agreement.