Chapter 75: Qin Xiaoyao’s Troubles

Chapter 75: Qin Xiaoyao's Troubles

"Oh, then building a house shouldn't cost a hundred taels of silver for our family." Qin Xiaoyao heaved a sigh of relief and replied.

Song Que furrowed his brows.

"Seventy to eighty taels is still too much," he continued.

Qin Xiaoyao was taken aback once again.

"If we use blue bricks and large tiles, seventy to eighty taels should be necessary, right?" she said in response.

Perhaps she should inquire about the market prices first?

Song Que frowned again.

"Why not buy a courtyard in town?" he suggested.

Qin Xiaoyao was stunned yet again.

Living in town was something she certainly wanted.

But how could courtyards in town be cheap?

Moreover, expenses would increase if they moved to town.

Buying vegetables and grains goes without saying, even firewood would have to be purchased.

Well, if she were more diligent, she could go out of the city to collect firewood. But every time she entered the city, she would have to pay an entry fee.

Most importantly, her current business relied on the environment of Xiashui Village.

Going to town and then returning to the village to gather mountain goods or fish in the river?

That... wouldn't be convenient.

The key point was that Xiashui Village wasn't far from town; if one walked quickly, it would take less than half an hour to get there.

In the future, when their living conditions improved, they could buy an ox cart, which would make trips into the city even faster.

"How much do courtyards in town cost?" Despite her reservations, Qin Xiaoyao didn't immediately refuse but asked Song Que instead.

Life in town was undoubtedly more convenient than in Xiashui Village, and the value of a courtyard in town would definitely be higher than building a house in the village.

For a considerable period before the apocalypse, people pursued properties in cities, and there were even those who specialized in real estate speculation, making a fortune.

So, her husband's idea actually had some merit.

Now it was Song Que's turn to be surprised.

"The price varies greatly depending on the location," he explained.

Qin Xiaoyao: ——

Wasn't that obvious?

"What's the general price range then?" she asked again.

Song Que furrowed his brows once more.

"About two hundred taels," he estimated after a moment's thought.

Qin Xiaoyao's heart skipped a beat.

She didn't respond.

Goodness, you don't know the price of firewood until you manage the household yourself?

Earning a hundred taels was already quite strenuous for her.

And her handsome husband wanted to spend two hundred taels to buy a courtyard in town?

Seeing that Qin Xiaoyao hadn't responded for a while, Song Que added, "Actually, there's no rush to buy a courtyard. We can rent one when the time comes."

Qin Xiaoyao was startled again.

What? Renting a courtyard by paying money?

What was going on in her husband's mind? Was he so fixated on courtyards in town?

At this moment, Qin Xiaoyao felt somewhat irritable.

She could somewhat understand the feelings of those men in the pre-apocalyptic era who couldn't find good houses to marry wives because of financial constraints.

When your fiancée/girlfriend asks you to buy a house in the city, and you temporarily can't afford it, what do you think?

Do you feel that the other party is too materialistic and pretentious?

Well, she was having a bit of that feeling now.

However—

Forget it.

Who made him her husband, and she liked him so much.

"Alright, I... will try my best." Suppressing the pressure in her heart, Qin Xiaoyao closed her eyes and replied.

Sigh, who made her the breadwinner of the family.

Her husband's request was something she should strive to fulfill.

(Author: Don't be surprised by our heroine's thoughts. After the apocalypse, strength dictates the dynamics between men and women, rendering the traditional concept of marriage obsolete. As the squad leader of a mercenary team, our heroine is an elite figure in this post-apocalyptic world, placing herself in the position of the head of the household.)

Song Que was taken aback.

He had already braced himself for rejection, for he knew his previous words lacked persuasiveness.

Others might even think he was being unreasonable and making a fuss over nothing.

Yet, this woman—she agreed.

For a moment, his heartbeat faltered before Song Que quickly regained his composure.

"Continue with the story," he said.

"Alright..." Qin Xiaoyao drew out her response, her tone tinged with both resignation and indulgence.

She sounded like a patient boyfriend, enduring his girlfriend's irrational tantrum and still trying to placate her.

Song Que glanced at Qin Xiaoyao in the darkness, unable to suppress a smile.

He settled into the comfort of her bedtime story service.

The next day.

After rising, Qin Xiaoyao skipped breakfast and, carrying a large wooden bucket, headed to the Huanshui River with Li Danni.

A flurry of activity in the water yielded nearly forty pounds of fish this time.

Li Danni wore a delighted expression, chattering incessantly.

Qin Xiaoyao, however, seemed preoccupied, only occasionally responding to her, her focus on organizing the fishing net.

"Sis San Ya—what's wrong? You seem troubled," Li Danni finally noticed Qin Xiaoyao's unease and asked.

"It's nothing," Qin Xiaoyao dismissed it with a direct reply.

"Just throw it down onto the cloth," she continued.

"Oh." Li Danni complied, her gaze filled with confusion as she turned away.

Together, they set the net back into the river.

In no time, the net was repositioned, and the two returned to shore.

They walked quite a distance, but Qin Xiaoyao remained silent.

"Sis San Ya—you're really alright?" Li Danni asked worriedly.

Qin Xiaoyao glanced at Li Danni, noticing the concern on her face, and finally sighed.

"It's nothing. It's just that your Brother Song told me last night that he wants to buy a courtyard in town," Qin Xiaoyao revealed the matter that had been weighing on her mind.

"Huh?" Li Danni was startled.

"Weren't we supposed to build a house in the village? Why go to town?" Seeing her Sis San Ya looking at her, Li Danni asked.

She was aware of her Sis San Ya's plan to construct a house, and she fully supported it.

After all, the thatched hut where the Song family currently resided was indeed shabby.

Now, during spring, the situation was manageable.

But come summer, when rain increased, a heavy downpour could easily overwhelm the fragile thatched hut.

And in winter, forget about the thatched hut's ability to withstand heavy snow.

Just the biting cold of winter would pose a significant challenge to those inside the hut.

"How would I know what he's up to? All he said was that he insisted on going to town, even suggesting that renting a courtyard would suffice!" Qin Xiaoyao complained.

Li Danni immediately shot a sympathetic look at Qin Xiaoyao.

Then, she stepped forward to pat Qin Xiaoyao's shoulder.

When Qin Xiaoyao frowned at her, Li Danni hastily withdrew her hand and flashed her a flattering smile.

"Oh, don't worry, Sis San Ya!"

"Building a house or buying a courtyard are major decisions. Perhaps this is just a fleeting thought of Brother Song's!"

"Anyway, there's still plenty of time before you need to build a house or buy a courtyard. Maybe by then, he'll have changed his mind."

Sigh, her Sis San Ya truly has it tough!

Though she married the most handsome man in Lingquan Town, still...

Fortunately, fortunately, she hadn't been hopelessly devoted to Brother Song. Otherwise, if she were in her Sis San Ya's shoes, she wouldn't have been able to handle it.

Huh, why did she suddenly miss her Big Ox so much?

Qin Xiaoyao frowned at Li Danni beside her, finding her current expression irritating.

Just as she was about to say something, Li Danni sensed the dangerous aura emanating from Qin Xiaoyao and once again looked at her with a fawning expression.