The Farm Girl’s Charismatic Fortune
Chapter 152 - 148 She Wants to Buy Too

Chapter 152: Chapter 148 She Wants to Buy Too

Ruo Xuan and Zhang Jie were eating candied popped rice as they walked hand in hand.

Xuanyuan Que, Zhang Qian, and Zhang Lian, the three boys, followed behind the two of them.

The shopkeeper from Bogu Pavilion lagged one step behind Xuanyuan Que, following behind the several children, protecting them.

Ruo Xuan thought about the wasteland she had purchased outside the East City Gate and how it had caused trouble for the Lord County Magistrate, and said, "Sister Jie, the wasteland outside the East City Gate was bought by me, did I cause trouble for the Lord County Magistrate?"

Zhang Jie was taken aback, "What trouble? Didn’t you buying the wasteland help solve a problem for my dad?"

Zhang Jie, just a five- or six-year-old girl, what did she know of the affairs of her father in the government?

However, it seemed like her dad was somehow trying to encourage people to buy more wasteland for reclamation!

She had earlier heard her father and mother mention that many pieces of wasteland in Shaxi County were wasted because for various reasons they were not cultivated.

If those could be put to use, Shaxi County would definitely yield hundreds of thousands more dan of grain each year.

Wasn’t Xuanbao buying wasteland solving a problem for her dad?

Zhang Qian, being older, knew a bit more and reassured her, "Little Sister Xuanbao, you needn’t worry. Those people were just making a scene at the Governor’s Office, it will be fine once things are explained. You bought the land more than a month ago, but the decision to dig the moat was made only half a month ago after many officials discussed it together, it wasn’t my dad’s decision alone. Moreover, my dad only found out yesterday that you had bought that land. Many bailiffs and officials can testify to this, and today nobody went to the Governor’s Office to make trouble anymore. My dad also said it’s not a big deal, so you needn’t worry."

This moat was the result of collecting a wide range of ideas. Lord Zhang, along with several aides, surveyed all of the wasteland outside the city. After discussing with several officials and aides for a long time without satisfaction, it was finally passed unanimously a mere half a month ago when a master of water conservancy came up with the proposal for constructing the moat, a plan that served multiple benefits and maximized the wellbeing of the people.

Lord Zhang even changed the government’s previously standing policy of buy one get one free for wasteland. After all, constructing the moat required silver, and the silver the Governor’s Office could use depended on allocations from the Imperial Court, which were indeed quite limited. Funding the moat construction through the sale of land was also seen as taking from the people and using it for the people.

Originally, Lord Zhang’s intention was to bring more wasteland into cultivation, turning it into fertile land for the benefit of the people. Therefore, nearby villagers had priority to buy the land. Only after the villagers had their chance could others purchase it. He had not anticipated that Ruo Xuan would buy up all the land outside the East City Gate ahead of him.

But since it had been sold to someone else, he couldn’t just take it back.

Zhang Qian, still a youth, thought the matter had blown over on the surface, but he didn’t know that Lord Zhang also had political adversaries. Yesterday, those adversaries had taken the opportunity to incite the populace, exaggerating the situation to provoke public outrage.

Now, there were already people drafting memorials to accuse Lord Zhang, claiming he had colluded with businessmen, was corrupt and took bribes, and used his powers for personal gain to provoke public indignation. They accused him of using the guise of constructing the moat to line his own pockets rather than actually benefiting the people.

Although the position of County Magistrate was merely a minor seventh-rank official, he was still the Parent Official of a region, governing the land and the people there, a position of real power.

"Three years as Prefecture Governor, a hundred thousand snowflake silver."

So, three years as a County Magistrate, one could also rake in ten or twenty thousand snowflake silver, right?

Especially in the large and prosperous counties, many powerful families in the Capital City would eagerly send their descendants to serve as magistrates there.

Serving as a County Magistrate in the provinces for three years allowed one not only to earn silver but also to accumulate merit for one’s service record.

With such a record, upon returning to the Capital City, being assigned to work in one of the Six Ministries was a natural progression.

The political world was shadowy, and facing issues could temper a person. Lord Zhang intended to cultivate his eldest son, and he wouldn’t clarify many things because it was only through experience that one would truly learn.

Upon hearing that Ruo Xuan had bought the wasteland near the East City Gate, Zhang Jie curiously asked, "Xuanbao, you bought wasteland again? Are you planning to plant medicinal herbs and fruit trees there?"

Ruo Xuan, "Mhm, I’ll plant medicinal herbs, fruit trees, and crops. But for the most part, I plan to grow flowers."

At the mention of flowers, Zhang Jie couldn’t help envisioning a sea of flowers at the East City Gate and said eagerly, "Planting flowers is great. Once they bloom, the entrance to the city will be like a sea of flowers. It will be so beautiful. I will definitely go there every day to enjoy it once they bloom!"

Listening to this, Ruo Xuan said, "Then I’ll plant them even prettier, to make sure you never tire of looking at them."

...

Zhang Xiaoli was astounded when he heard that the Ruo Family had bought the wasteland outside the East City Gate!

Had they bought all of it, or only a portion?

That wasteland will be worth a lot more in a few years.

Yesterday, when her husband returned from school, he also told her to buy a couple of hundred acres, but unfortunately, it was all sold out. She never expected that the Ruo Family had bought it!

These Ruo Family people are really unscrupulous. They know the County Magistrate and are also acquainted with the people of Bogu Pavilion. They must have known in advance about the excavation of the Moat, which is why they bought the land!

Despite being relatives, they didn’t even inform them to buy some wasteland.

You know how many people in the city want to own a piece of land near the city gates?

Ruo Xuan and Zhang Jie chatted and laughed as they walked forward, not realizing they had arrived at the grain shop.

Since the grain shop had been sealed, everything inside had been cleared out.

The front door was sealed with a notice which hadn’t been taken down yet. Shopkeeper Gu led them in through the back door.

"Young master, Lady Xuanbao, Miss Zhang, the two young masters Zhang welcome you."

Zhang Jie took Ruo Xuan’s hand and walked in, "Xuanbao, is this the shop you plan to buy and turn into a bookstore?"

"Yes," Ruo Xuan replied and she walked in with Zhang Jie.

After the children entered, Shopkeeper Gu was the last to go inside.

Before he entered, he glanced in the direction of the street and emotionlessly closed the door.

Zhang Xiaoli waited until everyone had gone in before she dared to show her face.

She walked forward, took a look at the tightly closed courtyard door, then walked around the shop and found out it was one of the sealed shops.

Was this one of the shops confiscated from the General Residence?

The Government often seizes lots of land, villas, shops, and workshops when they raid the homes of some high officials, then put them up for sale.

But these kinds of shops are usually sold before they even go public, bought up by officials’ relatives and friends!

How could ordinary people like them have a chance?

Zhang Xiaoli didn’t expect the Ruo Family and the shopkeeper of Bogu Pavilion to have such close relations that they could even acquire these shops!

They say these shops are usually much cheaper than what’s offered at the Tooth Market—getting one is a real bargain!

The more she thought about it, the more excited Zhang Xiaoli became. She had no idea when Ruo Xuan would come out from looking at the shop and didn’t follow her. Instead, she hurried back to find her elder sister-in-law.

She had long wanted to buy a shop in the city but had never found the right one. The good ones were too expensive, and she didn’t want the others!

Luckily, she had stumbled upon this one!

~

Inside the building

Ruo Xuan glanced over the backyard. Since the shop was a grain shop and needed to store some grains, including a mill, the backyard was quite large, with many rooms.

However, because the rooms were used for storing grain, there were fewer windows, making the interior rather dark.

But it didn’t matter. A bit of remodeling, adding a few more windows, and these rooms would be perfect for printing.

Then just nail up some bookcases and set up a few rows of bookshelves in the shop area—perfect!

The children excitedly discussed how to transform the grain shop into a bookstore.

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