The Blessed (Book 1)

184. Buying People (3)-Unsettled Ling Wen (1)

 “Hehe…Then Lady Zhang can stay to help sister-in-law Song. Will you agree?”

Sensing his scruples, Ling Jingxuan turned to the mother and son with a smile.

“Mom, is that all right?”

Long Dashan did not answer immediately, but held his mom’s arm and asked in whispers. Really a filial son at such a young age!

“May I ask if this Master Han’s home is far from here?”

Lady Zhang winced at them and asked hesitantly. She knew it was already the best result, but still could not help asking. Who would like to part with her own son as a mother?

“I am not what master, don’t call me that. My house is about hundred meters away on the other side. If you are willing to stay here, you can meet your son every day.”

Han Fei was a father, more or less he could understand what Lady Zhang was thinking, so he didn’t think she asked something crossing the line, so his attitude was also mild.

“Thank you then, masters. We will try our best to look after the little master and work hard to repay you.”

Having never met such a kind master, Lady Zhang pulled his son and kowtowed to them gratefully. Till now, the people-buying thing was all decided. Ling Jingxuan then walked over and nodded at Guarantor Liu. Then with a wave of Guarantor Liu’s hand, those heelers waiting outside brought them out, leaving those who were chosen to stand in one row before them.

“Jingxuan, there are five adult men, five women, two kids, still eight taels of silver for a grown man, xis for a woman, the kids are for free, so it’s seventy in total, What do you think?”

Apparently knowing the two kids were the most important, Guarantor Liu deliberately offered them to him for free, first, to sell him some face, second, to stuff his face for bargaining. Ling Jingxuan grinned and looked at him meaningfully, which made him kind of creepy, with his hair standing up. After quite a while, Yan Shengrui took out a bank note for one hundred taels of silver and handed it to him, “Don’t calculate with us. As long as your people are good enough, we don’t mind paying some more.”

“Yes, yes, yes…”

As he said it so openly, Guarantor Liu only felt so ashamed. After taking the bank not, he took out thirty taels of silver and handed it to him with two hands. Before leaving, Guarantor Liu suddenly turned to ask, “Brother Ling, are you interested in buying land?”

“Buy land?”

Ling Jingxuan picked his eyebrows. Sensing that he might have a chance, Guarantor Liu hurriedly leaned over with passion, “To be honest, a few years ago, Landlord Zhang’s son from the next door town got listed as a jinshi (進士, lit. “advanced scholar”), a graduate who passed the triennial court exam) and was appointed as a magistrate in southeast. Now having been settled down there, his son means to take his father to live with him. Except his big house, he also entrusted me to sell all those shops and land under his name. Others may not be a problem. It’s just that that over eighty mu of paddy field, no one wants it. Those landlords and rich families think it’s too little, some things it’s too far away. If you are interested, I can sell you at the price of eight taels of silver for one mu. What do you say?”

Top class paddy field would cost at least ten taels of silver for one mu. If it hadn’t been the owner was in a hurry and Guarantor Liu tried to kiss Ling Jingxuan’s ass, he really wouldn’t sell it at such a low price.

“Do you mean the inner most one on the east side of our village?”

Ling Chenglong who knew about land the most suddenly cut in and asked, those usually honest eyes were shining with excitement, with undisguised desire of wanting it. Ling Jingxuan found it so funny. Could his dad be more honest?

“Yes, it is. So, are you interested, old lord?”

Guarantor Liu nodded excitedly. He already couldn’t wait to unload it.

“Hmm. Jingxuan, if you have enough money, we should buy it. You know, everything in this house is bought using money, and you like eating rice, which will increase the cost. When we don’t make jam, I’ll go take care of those lands. I can grow rice, which will be enough to sustain our whole family.”

Farmers are farmers. When it came to things about land, he looked extra excited. Ling Chenglong’s honest face was reddened with excitement. Not only Ling Jingxuan, others all found it so funny. Lady Wang even dragged him embarrassedly, “Look what you! Aren’t those things enough for you? Only farming can make you happy?”

“Hehe…isn’t that something I am familiar with?”

Being lessoned by his wife, Ling Chenglong was not angry or what, only smiling like a fool scratching his head. Lady Wang stared at him, “That’s eighty mu! Even if it’s eight taels of silver for one mu, it’s still eight hundred and forty! Do you really think we are that rich?”

“Ah?”

As Ling Chenglong heard her, that silly smile froze in the face, with undisguised disappointment flashing across his eyes. Seeing that, Ling Jingxuan hurriedly said, “Mom, it’s OK, dad rarely wants something. Just take it as private property I purchase for you.”

Then Ling Jingxuan turned to Gurantor Liu, “Since my dad knows that land, I don’t need to see it in person. Still the the official deeds, write my parents’ names. A lump sum.”

“OK. I promise I’ll finish it in three days. Thanks for taking care of my business. It’s getting late, so I’ll leave first.”

Finally selling that piece of land, Guarantor Liu left joyfully. Ling Chenglong and his wife were both stunned there for quite a while. So in a blink of an eye, they got eighty mu of classy paddy fields? Are they not dreaming?

“Want to take a nap?”

Due to the land-buying thing, it was already past the napping time. Yan Shengrui pulled his hand and asked concernedly. Ling Jingxuan shook his head with a smile, “No, I can sleep early in the evening. Let’s make arrangements for those people first.”