Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 532 - 530

Chapter 532: 530

Xiao’er nodded, Du Yijin indeed appeared to have an excellent business sense.

"I will have the village chief plant some walnut trees right away. He mentioned recently that many peach trees have grown old and are not yielding as much, so those trees were cut down. We might as well replace them with walnut trees."

"You can buy barren mountains and wastelands to plant the trees, the first three years would be the most profitable. As more people follow suit, the price will drop." Xiao’er put forward her suggestion.

"I don’t have silver." Du Yijin sighed regretfully. This was indeed a great opportunity.

It felt like discovering a gold mine but being unable to mine it.

"I can prepay two years of rent for the hot spring in advance." Lending to her? She probably wouldn’t accept.

Two years would amount to 240 taels, which would be enough to buy a few dozen acres of barren land or wasteland.

"But..." This didn’t seem quite right.

"There’s no but. I would have to pay this money sooner or later, anyways. If it can help you, it’s a good thing. You can owe me a favor and help me when I need it in the future."

How could the Princess of Rui’an County ever need her help? This was an attempt to help her, Du Yijin realized.

After the groundbreaking ceremony, they ate lunch at Du Yijin’s villa. Xiao’er also paid the 240 taels of silver so that they could buy the land as soon as possible, clear it, and plant walnut trees.

Seeing the hopeful smile finally appearing on his sister’s face, Du Chun’an breathed a sigh of relief.

He felt a deep sense of gratitude toward Xiao’er.

After the meal, they returned to the Marquis mansion.

Chun’an went straight to the broker’s office to buy wasteland, intending to keep this a secret from his stepmother.

Xiao’er escorted Du Yijin back to the Du mansion.

The carriage had just stopped outside the mansion, and Du Yijin got down to bid goodbye to Xiao’er.

Mrs. Gu and Gu Hongxia, who were heading out, spotted them.

"Mother, Du Yijin is back," Gu Hongxia announced excitedly.

Mrs. Gu also noticed, The Princess of Rui’an drove her back? It’s the perfect timing!

She approached Xiao’er and Du Yijin: "Princess Rui’an, did Yijin rent the hot spring in the villa in the suburb to you?"

Xiao’er, who originally wanted to let down the carriage curtain and leave, nodded after hearing this: "Yes."

"Let me tell you, we’re not renting it anymore! The Chu family has offered us 20 taels a month. If you want to rent, you can’t offer less than that." Mrs. Gu tried hard to contain her excitement.

How could she not be happy, knowing that the family’s monthly income would increase by 20 taels?

Otherwise, they were only just getting by on her husband’s salary.

In these past few years, she hadn’t added a piece of jewelry to her collection and had to wear the same two sets over and over to banquets. She was almost laughed at by everyone.

Xiao’er just laughed after hearing this, what a total wild goose chase.

However, Du Yijin’s face turned pale, "This matter has already been settled with the Princess of Rui’an, at a monthly rent of 10 taels. The Princess of Rui’an can rest assured that the rent won’t change."

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gu quickly pulled Du Yijin towards her, "You foolish girl, who would ever turn down money! Don’t meddle in this matter, I’ll handle it."

"I thought this villa was left to Miss Du by her birth mother. How is it that Mrs. Du has a say in this, which was brought in as part of the dowry by Mr. Du’s original wife?"

"Her sister has passed away, and everything she left behind naturally belongs to the Du family. I have every right to manage it!"

Xiao’er chuckled at this.

Upon hearing Mrs. Gu’s voice, Du Yijin grew irritated: "This villa is the dowry my mother left me. When did it become your business, stepmother? My mother’s dowry, because of you stepmother, has been used to pay off the family debts and support the large Du family. Only this villa remains. What, are you trying to get your hands on this as well?"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Gu looked embarrassed, "I’m doing this for your own good. The more money we earn, the richer your dowry will be! Besides, you’re still young and naïve. Some people are trying to rent a hot spring for ten taels a month, where in the world do you get such a good deal!"

"Thanks to you, I will probably never get married! I’m happy with ten tales of rent. As long as it’s enough for my brother’s tuition and medicine for Chun’kang, I don’t need much."

Hearing these words, Mrs. Gu was so angry that she almost vomited blood. Enough for tuition and medicine? Don’t they need to eat? And what’s this about her "not getting married because of me"? She did this for her to have a better match. Wouldn’t her sister-in-law accept her without dowry?

"Princess Rui’an, Yijin is naïve and was just joking. I’ll deal with this matter, and you’re not to offer less than twenty taels a month, and not one copper plate less."

"Mrs. Du, your hands are truly long." Xiao’er scoffed.

"I am her mother, it’s only right for me to manage her affairs. I will not allow the Princess of Rui’an to take advantage of my daughter," Mrs. Gu, sensing the sarcasm in Xiao’er’s words, countered with an equally dark expression.

"The one who is taking advantage of Miss Du is Mrs. Du, any sensible person can see that," pointing to her own head, Xiao’er asserted.

"Princess Rui’an, please return, this matter is settled. Thank you for your help," wanting to help Xiao’er avoid her stepmother’s fury, Du Yijin quickly spoke up.

Xiao’er nodded and left.

Mrs. Gu seized Du Yijin’s arm, "How can you be so foolish? Clearly you can earn ten more taels a month."

"I have already signed a contract with the Princess of Rui’an, there is a penalty for breaching the contract!"

"How much is the penalty?"

"1,000 Tales."

"But Aunt, Princess Ling’er and Miss Chu said they will pay the penalty," Gu Hongxia quickly added.

Upon hearing this, Du Yijin glared at Gu Hongxia, her eyes filled with rage, "You’re the one who took my drawings and contract!"

She had returned from Marquis Shengping’s mansion with the contract and drawings that day. Then the incident happened, and they slipped her mind for the next few days. It wasn’t until she woke up this morning that she remembered and couldn’t find them.

"I... I just found it by accident," Gu Hongxia unconsciously took a step back due to shock.

"Just because you found it by accident doesn’t mean you can hide it! Hand it over!" Du Yijin stretched out her hand to her.

"Who says? It was thanks to Hongxia that I found out about this. You wanted to deal with such an important matter without involving your mother, was your intention to pocket the money?"

Gu Hongxia handed over a piece of paper to her.

"What a joke! That villa was given to me by my mother, and the money earned is used as my dowry! Where is the mention of embezzlement?" Du Yijin snatched the paper and saw that it was only a written contract.

"Where’s the map?"