I Got Rich in Period Fiction
Chapter 497: Revisiting Old Ground?

Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Revisiting Old Ground?

Those who couldn’t afford gloves, their hands were all blistered from toil.

After the grain was gathered in the barn, did you think it was over? Far from it. The agricultural tax was considerable. After paying the public grain, some households, if not careful, wouldn’t even have enough left over for next year’s seed money.

So, for some families, it really was bustling about all year for nothing.

The life of farmers improved only after the agricultural tax was repealed; but it wasn’t repealed yet, so apart from the exceptional Qiao Family Team and Hejia Village, other rural areas were merely subsisting.

Don’t be fooled by the now negotiable grain prices; without money in hand, you still couldn’t afford to buy.

This was the basic state of farmers at present.

Zhang Xuanzi had conducted thorough investigations before his arrival and believed that the place he wanted shouldn’t pose much of a problem. If the conversion array was in the fields, he could contract the land, and if it was in someone’s home, he could effortlessly purchase it.

Fortunately, with the reform and opening up, things were easier. Had it been seven or eight years ago when everything was collectively owned, it would have been much harder to do anything.

But unexpectedly, after wandering around the village for half a day, they found no trace of the conversion array, though they had clearly sensed it in Spring City.

Could there have been a mistake?

But their senses were not wrong when they were in the county seat.

At that time, Qiao Zhiyuan hurried over after hearing the news. Now, he was no longer the team leader; he had become the village chief, in charge of both the Qiao Family Team and Hejia Village. The Qiao Family Team had even considered changing its name, but then they thought of the brand value it held and left it unchanged as a benchmark.

There was a team leader here who had called Qiao Zhiyuan, informing him that some leaders from a cement factory and a few people from out of town had come over the New Year just for a casual visit.

Nobody knew exactly what this casual visit entailed.

Qiao Zhiyuan introduced himself with a friendly smile, and Zhang Xuanzi and his group also grinned at Qiao Zhiyuan. As a figure akin to a local big shot and someone with significant ties to Qiao Qingyu, he certainly couldn’t be taken lightly, especially with Wu Hong by their side.

Wu Hong was a gentle and meticulous man, and Qiao Zhiyuan remembered him well.

He asked, "It’s a bit chilly outside; would you like to come in and warm up?"

Wu Hong smiled and replied, "Thank you, Village Chief Qiao. It’s just that the elder at home had once thrived in this area when he was young. Now reminiscing about his youth, he wants to return and take a look, and can’t even wait for the spring flowers to bloom."

Qiao Zhiyuan seemed to suddenly understand, "Oh, so that’s the reason."

At that moment, Zhang Xuanzi subtly signaled Wu Hong with his eyes, and Wu Hong immediately caught on, indicating a new discovery. Wu Hong then continued, "Village Chief Qiao, we won’t disturb you any further, we’re going to take a look around elsewhere. When we have the chance to visit the Qiao Family Team, I will definitely come by."

He certainly had a way with words.

Zhang Xuanzi couldn’t remain silent. He spoke, "Decades have passed, and looking back now, everything is completely different. Yet, I still vaguely remember some places."

He paused a moment, then continued, "Village Chief Qiao, our Zhang Family also traveled far and wide. This place was desolate decades ago, but that doesn’t mean nobody used to come here." He pointed in a direction, "Back then, there was a road here. Following it through the vast Xing’an Ridge, one could reach the northernmost gold mines."

Of course, Qiao Zhiyuan was aware of this history and responded, "The old gentleman is revisiting his old haunts, I see."

Zhang Xuanzi waved his hand, "You go about your busy way; we should be leaving too. I’ll have a look around elsewhere."

Since he wasn’t needed to accompany them, Qiao Zhiyuan could hardly insist on it. Watching the group walk away, Qiao Zhiyuan inquired about their movements and then returned to the Qiao Family Team. Although the New Year festivities were ongoing and the Lantern Festival had not yet arrived, spring plowing preparations were already necessary.

After the spring plowing, it would be time to prepare for building houses for each family.

Meanwhile, Qiao Zhihai and Wang Mei were causing a ruckus during the precious holiday season, which was a real headache.

Zhang Xuanzi and Wu Hong had finally located the approximate position of the conversion array, and to their surprise, it was in Lianjiang Village.

The place felt familiar; it seemed to be the old home of Old Lady Han who currently lived in Spring City.

After all the twists and turns, they had circled back to where they started.

If Zhang Xuanzi had not known Old Lady Han’s background, he would have certainly suspected that Han Lishi had deliberately hidden this from him, but he had to admit that the old woman had some skills and knew this was a good location.

To construct such a large array, the area had to be geographically special and possess excellent feng shui.

Once the site was confirmed, the issue was easily resolved. Unlike the Qiao Family Team and Hejia Village, neither purchasing their houses nor contracting their land posed any difficulties.

So, one could say the trip had been successful.

After returning to the county, Zhang Xuanzi got a call from Spring City. They informed him that Han Lishi had left Spring City with her granddaughter and was likely heading back to Xichuan.

Zhang Xuanzi frowned slightly and said indifferently, "Let them go."

Their target was someone destined for great fortune, and while one could bask in the reflected glory by staying by her side, usurping Qiao Qingyu’s fortune was no easy feat.

He saw potential in Han Feng; the girl had good abilities and could take a step further forward.

Yet she stubbornly fixated on a single goal, and she wouldn’t rest until she fell hard and bled.

So, Zhang Xuanzi lost interest in interfering with her affairs.

He would rather guide Liu Ge than bother with them.

Moreover, the current situation was not too favorable for him. If he conducted business properly and lived well on this land, there wouldn’t be a problem, but if he really stirred up trouble, the consequences were not something he wanted to see.

And he had a vague feeling that things hadn’t gone smoothly for them this time; something seemed to have happened.

Zhang Xuanzi told Wu Hong, "From now on, there’s no need to pay them any mind; our ties are severed, and we need to be more careful from here on."

If this matter were exposed, it could cause a huge uproar and social unrest; they might even end up facing execution.

Wu Hong certainly understood this.

After confirming their bearings, Zhang Xuanzi left North City with the elder.

Wu Hong, on the other hand, discussed with local government officials whether it was time to consider expanding investments. To those officials, those four words were as melodious as the music of the heavens.

So, he was invited into a conference room to begin negotiations.

...

Yuan Hengzhi, who was at the Tenghai Research Base, glanced at the time. If all went smoothly, Lan Jianqing should have almost reached the station by now.

As for how he’d make it here, Yuan Hengzhi couldn’t be bothered.

After all, he wasn’t a child.

He approached He Juanjuan, "Little girl, big brother will take you to chip ice and catch fish, okay?"

He Juanjuan’s eyes lit up. Beside her, He Xuerong’s eyes sparkled even brighter.

The mere mention of chipping ice and catching fish, ah, it surely promised to be great fun.

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