143 Arrival
The couple came to the town and visited the Zhang Village with the landowner to check out the field.
Zhang Village was located in the east outskirts of the county, almost 10 miles away from the town, closer to the county compared to the Shaoding Village.
It was a really good area of more than 240 mu gold fields.
Since they needed cash urgently, and the seller did not want to split them, very few families were able to pay in cash at one go, so Shao Yunduan and Qiao Xuan bought the whole thing at a low price.
Qiao Xuan was very satisfied, so she made the deal right there and then.
The field was sold at 7 liang one mu, which should be 1,680 liang for the 240 mu in total.
Qiao Xuan bought another 5 mu of drought field at 20 liang, where she intended to build a small yard for future residence.
Therefore, 1,700 liang was spent in one go.
They had around 200 liang left from selling gastrodia elata after this.
When the fields were bought, the tenants were available. But Qiao Xuan did not want to reveal her identity, so she did not meet the tenants, but entrusted Zhang Chunlai and Zhang Xiaofeng with this matter.
They were the chiefs, and Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan believed that they were down-to-earth farmers. So the task was delegated to them.
Tenants were very afraid that when the landlords changed, the rent would be raised, but when they realized that everything was the same, they were assured in heart.
The Zhang Village was located on a relatively flat field, where a large patch of land was spread across the distance.
There were also some beautiful dikes and creeks.
Qiao Xuan decided to have a look around since they were here.
Shao Yunduan kept her company.
They climbed the mountain, and saw the river flowing across the beautiful landscape.
It was May, the trees were shady and the vines were entwined. It was not as beautiful as the blooming flowers in spring, but there were still many wildflowers swaying on the banks of the river and the forest road, embellishing it in a deep and shallow shade of green.
The mountain scenery was so outstanding that as they were walking in the middle, they felt relaxed and happy.
Qiao Xuan had been to many mountains, but it was all for work. This was the first time when they were having fun in the mountains, thus, both of them were overjoyed.
Seeing her happy smile, Shao Yunduan could not help but feel happy too. They intended to climb up to the top of the mountain.
Shao Yunduan and his fellows had been to this spot, so they knew that there was one pavilion on the top as well as a hole. Qiao Xuan became interested in visiting the spot when she heard about this.
However, as they reached half of the mountain, the couple ran into Xie Jingrong and Yuezheng Xiao as well as their four followers.
Both sides were startled.
Yuezheng Xiao smiled. “Young Master Shao, Second Miss, what a coincidence!”
Qiao Xuan let out a small cough. “What a coincidence… you are having a good time, aren’t you?”
They were almost considered to be friends, so they greeted each other politely. All of them were heading towards the top of the mountain, so they had no choice but to walk together.
Yuezheng Xiao could not help but ask. “Are you here seeking Chinese fleeceflower root? But the village is just next to the mountain, where a Chinese fleeceflower root over 500 years old might not be found, right?”
Qiao Xuan and Shao Yunduan exchanged an embarrassed look between themselves, as he said the words.
They were not here for Chinese fleeceflower root…
They were here for fun!
Yuezheng Xiao might not have noticed it, but Xie Jingrong had understood the point. Of course the couple was not here for herbs! They were not equipped with the right tools. They must be here for fun!
They had just expressed their willingness to help them to find Chinese fleeceflower root, but here they were strolling around, which made Xie Jingrong feel displeased. He believed that the couple was not sticking to the promise, nor were they reliable.