Chapter 219: Are You Sure the Foreigner Didn’t Deceive You?

Chapter 219: Are You Sure the Foreigner Didn't Deceive You?

The head of the Zhou clan was well-versed in everything here.

"These are indeed barren lands. Our clansmen only cultivated up to this point back then."

Mo Jiuye continued, "To purchase these barren lands, all we need to do is go through the official procedures at the government office, right?"

"Yes, over the years, the government has been selling barren lands for one tael per mu. Once you've decided on the location, apply at the government office. An official will come to measure the land, and after paying the silver, you can proceed with the land deed."

With this understanding of the barren lands' market conditions, the two planned to visit the city another day and apply at the government office.

With Meng Huaining around, everything would presumably go smoothly.

After inspecting the land, the group proceeded to the abandoned houses.

These houses were once owned by three families, much like the land, and the Zhao and Zhou families' purchases weren't concentrated.

The extent of the houses' damage wasn't mentioned; they all needed to be demolished and rebuilt. Therefore, they only had to survey the area's size and make some plans.

Since the Cui family's courtyard hadn't been purchased yet, there was no rush for planning.

Having been in Xiling Village for several days, He Zhiran was walking around more carefully for the first time.

As she observed the houses, she noticed that the distance from the back of the houses to the foot of the mountain was at least a hundred meters.

This stretch of land wasn't as flat as the northern barren land; it had a slight slope.

Moreover, from the soil quality, it seemed slightly darker than that of the barren lands.

If her guess was correct, the soil here should be similar to that on the mountain.

Behind these barren lands lay the West Mountain.

It was now deep winter, and the tall trees clustered together, albeit appearing bare.

In contrast, the lower areas were different. Perhaps due to the villagers' habit of cutting wood for firewood, there were hardly any thick trees left.

Even if there were, they were in very small numbers.

He Zhiran couldn't help but ask.

"Clan Heads, have all the trees in the lower part of West Mountain been cut down by us for firewood?"

Clan Head Zhao replied, "Indeed, our village of Xiling experiences cold winters, and we need a lot of firewood for warmth. The nearby trees have basically been cleared out."

Just as she thought.

At this moment, He Zhiran considered that without trees in this mountainous area, it would be convenient for her to plant some fruit trees.

Not only could they prevent wind erosion, but they could also generate a certain profit.

"Clan Head Zhao, can this mountain be bought?"

Upon hearing about buying the mountain, Clan Head Zhao frowned slightly.

"Ninth Brother's Wife, if you buy this mountain, you'll cut off the livelihood of the villagers."

He Zhiran was puzzled. "Why would Clan Head Zhao say that?"

Clan Head Zhao explained, "Our villagers in Xiling Village rely entirely on West Mountain for firewood. During the spring, summer, and autumn seasons, everyone also goes hunting on the mountain or gathers wild vegetables to eat.

If you buy this mountain, wouldn't you be leaving us with no way to live?"

He Zhiran hadn't considered what Clan Head Zhao said.

Even if she had, she had better solutions.

However, to buy this mountain, she had to be more selfless.

"Clan Head Zhao, how about I only buy a portion of the mountain and leave the rest for you?

Also, I obtained a special grain seed from the foreigner. This grain not only yields high production, but after the harvest, the remaining parts can all be used as firewood."

She remembered that in her previous life, when she followed the troops to experience rural life, the locals burned corn cobs and stalks during winter.

The farmers there said that as long as they grew enough corn, they wouldn't have to worry about firewood for the entire winter.

In other words, if these villagers trusted her, she could sell them the corn seeds from her space and have the whole village grow this high-yield grain.

She believed that once they planted it, they would appreciate the benefits of this crop.

In He Zhiran's heart, although cornmeal wasn't as palatable as white flour, it excelled in high yield and was far superior to the coarse flour of this era, which scratched the throat.

Along the way, she had realized that the wealth gap in the Da Shun Dynasty was enormous.

A small number of people could be said to be swimming in wealth, while most of the common folk struggled to fill their bellies.

For instance, the Cui family, before this, could be said to have lived without worrying about food and clothing, stepping on the other two families.

Looking at the Zhao and Zhou families, most wore clothes patched upon patches, and judging from their physique and complexion, they didn't compare to the Cuis.

One could imagine how tight the lives of the Zhao and Zhou families were.

Upon hearing He Zhiran's words, the two clan heads exchanged glances. Both knew that the Mo family had profound resources, but they had never heard of high-yield grain seeds, having spent their entire lives farming.

Clan Head Zhao asked doubtfully, "Ninth Brother's Wife, are you sure the foreigner didn't deceive you?"

Given that he was someone who had farmed his entire life, such skepticism wasn't surprising.

At her age, barely into her twenties and with no experience in agriculture, no explanation from her would carry much weight.

Therefore, such matters had to be proven by actions.

"Esteemed Clan Leaders, I will plant this high-yield crop here come spring next year. You can decide if you're satisfied after seeing the results of the harvest."

The two clan leaders didn't give much thought to He Ziran's mention of some high-yield crop.

"Very well, we'll see how your planting efforts fare first."

It was clear that Clan Leader Zhao's tone carried an air of perfunctory acquiescence.

As the saying goes, one who is too eager won't make a good deal. She, He Ziran, didn't owe anyone anything. If she hadn't wanted to buy this mountain herself, she wouldn't have offered such valuable seeds to others so readily.

Regardless, she was determined to purchase this mountain. Even if it meant buying only a portion for the sake of the villagers, she would still go through with the purchase.

Glancing at the sky, she noticed it was nearing noon.

Having finished inspecting the properties she intended to buy, they began making their way back.

Upon entering the village, they heard commotion coming from the Cui family's residence.

Instead of dispersing, everyone followed the source of the noise.

He Ziran guessed that there must have been progress on the Cui family's case.

To her surprise, Meng Huaining had arrived in person today.

Spotting Mo Jiuye and He Ziran approaching from within the village, he took the initiative to greet them.

"Ninth Brother Mo, Sister-in-Law."

Mo Jiuye stepped forward. "Brother Meng, why did you come in person today? Is it about the Cui family?"

Meng Huaining nodded. "I've been working on the Cui family's case day and night these past few days, and now everything has been thoroughly investigated.

Due to the numerous compensation issues involved, the magistrate's office's scribe was useless, unable to assist in any way. So, I had to come here myself."

With that, Meng Huaining turned to instruct the officers to gather all the members of the Cui family.

The officers' efficiency was impressive; within five minutes, all the members of the Cui family were assembled before Meng Huaining.