Chapter 57: Chapter 57 - 57 First Family Meeting

57 First Family Meeting

Hearing Zhang Lan’s words, Zhou Yu was extremely surprised. “Ah, she indeed picked up money from the street?”

As they spoke, Zhang Lan had already pulled Zhou Yu into the main room.

“Father!”

Seeing that Zhou Yu had returned, the two little ones who were practicing calligraphy with Zhou Xiaoli immediately stood up from their stools.

After all, Zhou Junjun was older and a boy. He was much more mature than before so he merely stood and greeted him.

On the other hand, Zhou Xiaoyu rushed over like a small cannonball.

Zhou Yu hurriedly bent down and picked the little one up. He smiled and said, “Why are you racing around like a little crazy girl?”

Although he said that she was a little crazy girl, his face and eyes were filled with smiles.

Ever since they left the Zhou family, the two children had become much more cheerful and lively.

As a father, he felt joy and heartbroken at the same time.

“I’m not a little crazy girl. Sis said I’m cute~” Zhou Xiaoyu expressed her dissatisfaction with the way her father had addressed her.

Zhou Yu couldn’t help but laugh. “Yes, yes. Your sister is right. You’re a cutie.”

Only then did Zhou Xiaoyu smile again. She hugged Zhou Yu’s neck and said in a childish voice, “Sis taught me how to read. I know how to write 1, 2, 3, and 4…”

Zhou Xiaoyu counted with her tiny fingers.

Zhou Yu was very happy with her achievement. “Third Sister is awesome.”

Being pricked by Zhou Yu’s beard, Zhou Xiaoyu immediately giggled.

Zhang Lan took Zhou Xiaoyu from Zhou Yu’s arms and placed her on the ground. “Alright, stop clinging to your father. Go out and play with your brother.”

The two little fellows agreed and ran hand in hand to the courtyard to play.

After the two little fellows left, Zhang Lan excitedly said to Zhou Xiaoli, “Li’er, quickly show your father what you picked up today!”

Zhou Xiaoli could not help but laugh when she saw Zhang Lan flaunting to others like a child.

She put down her pen and carried the box to him.

She opened the box and took out four pearls.

Three small ones and one big one.

“Pearl? They are pearls?” Zhou Yu was so shocked that he was tongue-tied.

Seeing that she was not the only one with such a dramatic reaction after seeing the pearls, Zhang Lan immediately felt much better.

She said excitedly, “Isn’t this great news! I knew it. My daughter isn’t a jinx. She’s a lucky star, the lucky star of our entire family!”

Zhou Yu nodded. It took him a long time to find his tongue and speak. “How is this just a great piece of news? It’s a windfall!”

After all, he was the head of a family, so Zhou Yu would always think one step ahead. After his excitement had passed, his expression became serious. He instructed, “As the saying goes, don’t reveal your wealth. Don’t spread this matter around.”

“The human heart is unpredictable. Today, someone had purposely flipped Brother Liu’s boat over to stop him from fishing. It was because we returned with a full load of fish in our previous trips that got others jealous.”

“If others find out that our family found pearls, I don’t know what kind of disaster would befall us.”

Zhang Lan looked at her husband with admiration in her eyes and nodded. “Yes, yes, listen to your father. Your father is right.”

When she first married into the Zhou family, she knew that although her husband looked like a boor, he was actually smart and meticulous.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“If someone dared to make trouble for us, I won’t be afraid of them.” Zhou Xiaoli thought to herself.

However, it was best not to cause trouble. She nodded in agreement.

“Yes, Father is right. We can’t keep the pearl forever. Let’s go to the county city to sell it in two days’ time.”

Then, she looked down at the small ledger book that she was writing and said, “Father, Mother, sit down first. I have something to discuss with you.”

Zhou Xiaoli bought pen and paper when she went to the county city to sell the wolves hunted. She had not thought of a way to explain to her parents that she could write.

However, Zhang Lan reasoned it all as a benefit from having the alternate space, which saved her the trouble of explaining.

Hearing Zhou Xiaoli’s words, Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan walked to the table and sat down.

Zhou Xiaoli flipped through the ledger book and said, “Father earned 5,314 copper coins from fishing these few days, which is also 5 strings and 314 copper coins.”

“We have 35 taels and 550 copper coins after deducting the medicine we bought and the goods we bought the other time. We have a grand total of 40 taels and 864 copper coins. These three pearls can be sold for a lot of money, that’s for sure.”

“The taxes we have to pay this year are 6 taels and 120 copper coins in total. There’s still a lot left.”

“The week’s notice that we have given the Lu family is up as well. Tomorrow, we can prepare to build the house. There are many things that we would need Father to do. As such, Father, perhaps you should stop fishing from tomorrow onwards.”

Building a house was a big deal. Zhou Yu immediately nodded. “You’re right. I’ll tell your Uncle Liu tomorrow.”

Zhou Xiaoli continued, “Although we have farmland in our space, it’s not in the outside world after all. To prevent others from having suspicions about us, we have to buy some farmland.”

Both of them nodded repeatedly.

For people who were born to farm for food, land would give them peace of mind and security.

Zhang Lan agreed with this idea totally. “Li’er is right. We have to buy some farmland.”

Zhou Yu also nodded in agreement. “Let’s do it tomorrow. I’ll bring something to the Mayor’s home tomorrow.”

Both Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan wanted to buy fertile land, but Zhou Xiaoli had other ideas.

She pursed his lips and said, “Father, Mother, what I mean is that we don’t want to buy fertile land. I’ve asked the village chief. Nowadays, an acre of good dry field costs 18 to 20 taels of silver, and paddy fields are even more expensive. It would cost 50 to 80 taels of silver. We can’t buy a few acres of land with the money we got.”

Zhang Lan hurriedly said, “It’s fine. Let’s buy dry fields. We can plant wheat, millet, peanuts, and sweet potatoes in it. I heard that the price of pearls is very high. It should sell for dozens of taels of silver. Let’s not buy too much. Just two acres for now?”

Zhou Yu nodded. It was obvious that he agreed with Zhang Lan’s opinion but he said, “Don’t be anxious, wife. Let’s hear what our girl has to say.”

After saying that, the two of them looked at Zhou Xiaoli and waited for her to speak.

...

Zhou Xiaoli put down the brush in her hand and said in an unhurried manner, “When I went to look at the grave site for the mayor, I heard from the mayor that there was a large piece of land on the southern slope of Qingyuan Mountain that had been cleared by the villagers. It was about 10 to 20 acres and had been abandoned. No one wanted it. It only cost four taels per acre and I thought our family could take it.”

“No, no.” As soon as Zhou Xiaoli finished speaking, Zhang Lan spoke first.

“You’re young, so you don’t know. That slope is an inferior field. That’s why it’s so cheap. Even if we plant it, the harvest would be small and it won’t be sufficient for us to even pay the tax for it. When the time comes, we’ll have to put in more money. We can’t buy it since it is such a bad deal!”

Zhou Yu stroked the beard on his chin and nodded. “Your mother is right this time. We can’t take that slope! Think about it. If it’s a good piece of land, why would it be desolate for such a long time? Wouldn’t anyone want it?”

Zhou Xiaoli shook her head. “Father, Mother, listen to me. We would not be growing crops on that piece of land.”

Zhang Lan looked puzzled. “Ah, what are we growing then?”

Knowing their worries, Zhou Xiaoli pursed her lips and began to analyze the situation for them. “There are lots of things which we can plant. We can plant tea leaves, herbs, and even fruit trees.”

Zhang Lan could not help but laugh. “Li’er, if you had wanted to eat fruits and drink tea. You just have to tell me and I’ll buy it for you. How can you think of growing it yourself? Tea leaves and fruits are not food.”