Mistakenly Connected to the Jade Flower Branch

Chapter 181 Sand

Xue Yunting, sitting in the corner, chuckled upon hearing this, "Those without wives can come with me. As long as we conquer Xiling, I'll give each of you a wife."

Nianyao immediately recalled what Luo An had said: Yun Ting said that the girls from Kunzhou were prettier than those from Longli. He also said that after defeating Xiling, he would find wives for the unmarried and concubines for the married…

Nianyao glared at him: "Those who already have wives can go with you, and you can find them a mistress."

Xue Yunting said, "I have no problem with that, but I'm afraid I can't support a mistress by just farming."

Nianyao snorted and ignored him: "Ninth Brother, what's your opinion?"

Qin Jiu said, "I have no objection. Let's do as everyone says."

Nianyao summarized: "Then let's plan the irrigation ditches first, draw water from the Jingjiang River, and build four interconnected irrigation canals in the east, west, south, and north, starting with the southern canal. The paddy fields and land will be distributed according to the number of people, regardless of age or gender. After marriage and separation, the remaining paddy fields and land can be further divided."

"As for the houses, we'll build a row along the South Canal first. Ninth Brother will be in charge of the design; once the design is finalized, construction will begin. Jingsong, you're in charge of selecting a group of craftsmen to prepare for building the houses. Xuesong, you're in charge of selecting people to repair the South Canal. Erhu, you're in charge of all the income and expenses of the Great River Gang."

Erhu looked at Qin Jiu: "...Brother Jiu?"

Qin Jiu said, "I will do whatever the gang leader says."

With the matter settled, everyone went about their business, with Nianyao and the others walking at the back. Just as they stepped out of the council hall, they heard a sharp cracking sound coming from the tea room, as if something had fallen from a height.

Inside the tea room, Duan Mingzhu was leisurely brewing tea, while Liang Qingcheng stood by the shelf, holding Buzhi, looking somewhat at a loss.

Sand and broken porcelain shards were scattered all over the ground, and a note lay on the floor. Qin Jiu quickly picked up the note and held it in his palm, instinctively glancing at Nian Yao.

Nianyao stepped forward and took down another box of sunflower seeds; it was quite heavy. Nianyao tore off the seal and opened the lid; inside was indeed a box of sand.

Liang Qingcheng quickly explained, "Chief Xue, I'm sorry. I was just curious about what these things were, so I held him to look at them, trying to teach him to read. I didn't hold him properly and he fell..."

It looked like ordinary sand, but it was marked as a sacred object of the River Gang, and anyone who opened it without permission would be executed. Liang Qingcheng was terrified to have made such a grave mistake upon her arrival.

Nianyao looked at Qin Jiu: "Ninth Brother, aren't you going to explain?"

Qin Jiu took the box from her hand, reached into the sand and pulled out a silver ingot: "Fifty taels, given by Hu Zi. Chief, I didn't pocket a single penny."

Nianyao took the silver ingot and said to Liang Qingcheng, "You'd better be careful when you're with him, otherwise you might get sold out one day and end up counting the money for him."

Qin Jiu quickly interjected, "It won't be that bad. We'll still give her the money after we sell it."

Thinking that Qin Jiu was going to sell them, they quickly said, "Father, I know I was wrong. Please don't sell us. I will definitely be obedient from now on."

Qin Jiu pinched the unsuspecting face and smiled reassuringly, "Dad won't sell you. Aunt Xue was just joking with you."

Nianyao looked at their fearless appearance and said, "That's right, even if your father sold himself, he wouldn't sell you."

She didn't know: "Dad, don't sell yourself. I'll give all the money I've saved to you."

Qin Jiu asked with interest, "How much have you saved?"

"I don't know," she said, "I have a lot of money, all of it is in a box. Mom, can I give the money to Dad?"

Liang Qingcheng said, "Okay."

Unbeknownst to her, the hand slipped from Liang Qingcheng's grasp, and she tugged at Qin Jiu's sleeve, saying, "Dad, come on, I'll get it for you."

Qin Jiu followed, and Liang Qingcheng went out with him.

Duan Mingzhu kept watching until the family disappeared from sight before turning her gaze away.

Seeing this, Xue Yunting felt a little heavy-hearted. Nianyao, holding the silver ingot, suddenly remembered the cellar Xue Yunting had mentioned, and dragged him outside.

Xue Yunting stopped after leaving the tea room and whispered, "Sister, what's wrong?"

Nianyao pulled out a longevity lock to indicate, and Xue Yunting understood: "Let's invite Ninth Brother together tonight."

Nianyao looked at Xue Yunting's bare neck: "Why did you give her the longevity lock?"

Xue Yunting's reply was brief: "Bride price."

"Bride price?" Nianyao raised her voice slightly, glanced at the tea room, and pulled Xue Yunting a little further away: "Is it her asking for it, or are you offering it voluntarily?"

Xue Yunting gently pulled away from Nianyao: "What's the difference?"

Nianyao said, "She's not going to live long anyway. If you offer yourself to me, I have nothing to say; consider it stupid of you. But the fact that she asks for it proves that she doesn't care about you at all."

Xue Yunting was quite indifferent: "Sister, you know she won't live long, why bother with these things?"

Nianyao was very confused: "Why would I care? She won't live long, but you still have to live!"

Xue Yunting raised her head slightly, her expression calm and indifferent: "Sister, life and death are predestined, and it's not something that a longevity lock can decide."

What kind of talk is this? Seemingly understanding life and death at such a young age? Nianyao said, "I'm not well-educated, I can't argue with you or persuade you. You know what kind of person she is, that's enough."

After Nianyao left, Duan Mingzhu came out of the tea room: "Yunting, I've heard that Chongming Island has beautiful scenery. Will you come with me for a stroll?"

Xue Yunting: "It's quite cold, aren't you going to rest?"

"I'm not cold." Duan Mingzhu held Xue Yunting's hand. "Isn't it warm? Pregnant women need to move around often. Resting all the time isn't good for the baby."

Xue Yunting didn't understand these things and didn't argue. He helped Duan Mingzhu walk slowly, stopping frequently, from the vegetable garden all the way to the fields.

Duan Mingzhu looked at the markings on the ground: "Yunting, I heard these are all going to be distributed. Tell your sister to give us a piece too."

Xue Yunting asked in confusion, "I don't know how to farm, and neither do you."

Duan Mingzhu said, "Our child will. He won't go to court or become an official; he'll just be a farmer on Chongming Island."

Without a second thought, Xue Yunting readily agreed, "Alright. I'll have my sister divide the land into three parts for us. When we get old, we can have our children cultivate more land to support us."

Do they still have a chance to grow old together? Duan Mingzhu looked at him, suddenly tiptoed and kissed him on the cheek, smiling brightly: "Okay, then three yuan it is."

The two walked all the way to Xianyue Lake, where swans swam around freely, willows by the lake sprouted new buds, and reeds were incredibly tender; everything looked vibrant and full of life.

Duan Mingzhu picked a handful of reeds, removed the leaves and tips, and held them in her hand: "Carry me back, I'm tired."

Xue Yunting bent down and carried Duan Mingzhu on his back. Duan Mingzhu's warm breath brushed against Xue Yunting's neck, mingling with the fragrance of reeds, and Xue Yunting felt his whole body warm up as he walked.

Duan Mingzhu noticed that Xue Yunting's breathing was a little rough, which couldn't be because she was heavy. Even if she weighed three times as much, Xue Yunting shouldn't have a problem with it.

Duan Mingzhu pondered for a moment: "Yunting, I've asked around among the brothers on the island. The girls at Fengchun Tower in Wudong County are quite good. Nanfei used to go there every month and was very close to the courtesan, Miss Zhu Jun..."

You found out so quickly, you even know the courtesan's name?

“I’m not him.” Xue Yunting thought for a moment, then added, “You’re so considerate.”