The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 330: Defend the Eight Front Teeth (4)_1

Chapter 330: Chapter 330: Defend the Eight Front Teeth (4)_1

Pei Qian looked at her, not understanding. Such a big bundle, only ten copper coins for a hundred plants, where could they sell them without losing money!?

Pei Qin posted the price list, ten copper coins per bundle, one hundred plants per bundle, and anyone who wanted to plant them could come to the workshop to buy them.

Many people were eager to try, wanting to first plant a few in their vegetable gardens to see how it went. Some families pooled together to buy a bundle, divided them up at home, learned how to plant them, and got them into the ground.

Currently, the fields were all planted with wheat. Nobody had spare land to plant Chun Hong sweet potatoes, except for Pei Qin who had kept some land after planting spring soybeans. Most were just experimental plantings: a few plants were put into vegetable gardens to see how they would fare and whether they could be cultivated on a large scale in the fields.

Pei Qin also planted sweet potatoes on the slopes beneath Taiping Mountain, with sunflowers on top. This way, when it was time to harvest the sweet potatoes, they could get more by clipping shoots and dividing the plants, enough to sell as summer sweet potatoes.

Shen Songming, clutching Pei Qin’s clock and musical box, spent three days in the county town and collected more than a thousand taels of silver. Almost every wealthy aristocratic family in the county ordered a clock. Those who wanted to order a musical box had to wait their turn, unable to get one within the next three to five months.

When he returned, he handed a thousand taels of silver to Pei Qin, "Here is some silver for you to have on hand for now. When I sell more and make some money, I’ll come back next time and bring the rest of the silver to you."

"This is enough for now; you spend the rest!" Pei Qin flicked the silver note and handed it to Pei Qian, "Here’s the silver note for you, so stop crying poverty!"

Pei Qian grabbed the silver note and counted it—a thousand taels—she immediately beamed with joy, "Now I have enough money to buy Tian Zhuang! And enough to buy another Tianping Mountain!"

Pei Qin had no desire to buy wasteland. Although reclaiming wasteland didn’t require taxes, the grass there was burdensome! After a rain, Taiping Mountain was lush and green with all sorts of grasses sprouting up.

Old Scholar Fang had counted the days and knowing that sweet potato slips were on sale, he came over. He had Fang Li take some sweet potato slips back home to plant on a newly cleared acre of wasteland and stayed to talk business.

Fang Li wanted to stay for a meal, but instead, he was sent straight back home to work, reluctantly carrying the sweet potato slips with him.

Old Scholar Fang took the opportunity to speak with Shen Songming. He wanted to ask how far the imperial reward would go, if there were any other benefits, and what title Pei Qin might receive. Mainly, since the only male in the house, Pei Wendong, was too young, Pei Qin certainly needed to hold the title firmly. He needed to determine this before he could consider arranging Pei Qin’s marriage. He had taken the imperial examinations in his youth and had a discerning eye. The Jade Hairpin Pei Qin wore when she came of age—given her nature, she wouldn’t have spent a lot of money on it. It was very likely a gift from Shen Songming, a man who appeared to be very familiar with Pei Qin. Weren’t those two Protector siblings also sent by him!?

Shen Songming, being probed step by step, finally realized what was happening. Old Scholar Fang was worried he had designs on Pei Qin, who was of too low status to match him and would be disgraced. Shen Songming scrutinized Old Scholar Fang from head to toe. Did this old man think he was tired of living?

There was a guy who’d tried to woo Pei Qin through endless purchases and gifts, but when it got him nowhere, he thought to use force, believing that conquering her physically would mean conquering her completely. The result? Pei Qin knocked out eight of his front teeth! Shen Songming had barely escaped death once, and how eager to leave the world behind must he be to dare entertain impure thoughts towards the formidable woman of Rongdu!?

Old Scholar Fang’s eyes were sharp as he looked at him. These rich young noblemen were the best at toying with women. If Qinqin were truly insulted, it would likely cause an uproar. Better to clarify things early: to what extent the imperial reward would reach, so he could find a suitable match for Qinqin.

Seeing his gaze, Shen Songming felt it necessary to clarify, "I see Pei Qin as my own sister!" Bullshit! He wished he could treat her like an ancestor to be worshipped! "As for the sweet potatoes, it was my idea to have her plant them," though whether he had been there or not, Pei Qin would surely have planted them upon seeing the sweet potatoes, but at least he was the one to deliver them to her hand first and deserved some credit. "About the imperial reward, I have already discussed it with my elders, and it has been reported to the Imperial Court! As for what it might result in... I’ll go back and ask my family to push for more." Pei Laoda was part of his family, and he would surely take care of it. It was still safer to ascend through the sweet potatoes than to see her enraged, using bombs or chemical weapons or whatnot.