Yu Lu Fa's physique and appearance were just like Yu Duobao's, as if carved from the same mold.
His gaze at Xu Xiao'e shifted from astonishment to delight, making Xu Xiao'e feel uncomfortable, yet she dared not react.
Shen Cheng and Yu Duobao discussed it, and the wedding date was set for half a month later.
Yu Duobao left in the afternoon, stating that someone would come the next day to measure Xu Xiao'e for her wedding dress.
Shen Cheng and Li Shi were very pleased with this arrangement. Not only would they save a large dowry, but they would also make money. What could be better than this?
Xu Xiao'e seemed to have resigned herself to fate and waited obediently to be married.
However, to her surprise, on her wedding day, Zheng Wei returned, and his carriage stopped right in front of her bridal sedan.
Xu Xiao'e believed that heaven had been moved by her, and that was why Zheng Wei had returned.
She never imagined that, in the end, it was merely her own fantasy.
"Although Xu Xiao'e is married, looking at her, I suspect she won't give up easily," Madam Pan said, sighing in the end.
Shen Xiaoyan raised an eyebrow upon hearing Madam Pan's words and said, "What's there to fear? It wasn't I who married her off to an old widower."
Upon hearing Shen Xiaoyan's words, Yue Qingxin chuckled and then nodded, saying, "Sister, what you say is right. If she wants to blame someone, it's herself and her good parents."
"While that makes sense, I don't think Xu Xiao'e will see it that way. She'll probably just shift the blame to you," Madam Pan said, looking at Shen Xiaoyan worriedly.
Shen Xiaoyan also felt the same way. From what she knew of Xu Xiao'e, Xu Xiao'e would definitely resent her.
But, why should she be afraid?
"It's alright, Auntie. Am I afraid of her?" Shen Xiaoyan was not trying to comfort Madam Pan.
Let alone marrying an old widower who ran a jewelry shop, even if Xu Xiao'e became a concubine to the county magistrate, Shen Xiaoyan wouldn't bat an eye.
Seeing this, Madam Pan didn't say anything further and changed the subject.
After chatting for a while longer, Madam Pan took her leave. Shen Xiaoyan didn't try to persuade her to stay, as Madam Pan still had lunch to prepare.
When Zheng Wei and Sima Han returned, Shen Xiaoyan told them about the matter. Zheng Wei simply smiled, while Sima Han remained silent, clearly dismissing Xu Xiao'e with disdain.
"We just went to see the village chief and told him about our intention to buy the mountainside. The village chief agreed," Zheng Wei said.
"Really? How much will it cost?" Shen Xiaoyan's eyes lit up. She really wanted to buy the mountainside.
"We don't know yet. We have to wait for the surveyor to come this afternoon."
"And the money?"
"Go back to the house and you'll know," Zheng Wei said with a mysterious smile.
Shen Xiaoyan cast a suspicious glance at Zheng Wei, then stood up and walked towards the main house. Zheng Wei followed closely behind.
Yue Qingxin watched the two enter the house before turning to Sima Han beside her, "A'Han, shall we..."
Sima Han took Yue Qingxin's hand and said softly, "We don't need to buy land and build a house, do we? Do you think A'Wei and the others will drive us out?"
Yue Qingxin smiled helplessly and shook her head, "That's not what I meant."
Sima Han said with a chuckle, "I know you don't mean that, Xin Xin. It's just that we really don't need to build a house. Who knows when we'll leave here? Besides, it's better if we keep a low profile, after all..."
"I know," Yue Qingxin quickly interrupted Sima Han with a smile. A hint of sadness and loneliness flashed in her eyes, and she forced a smile, saying, "It's good to live with Sister and the others. When my Sister and I both have children, we can keep each other company."
Sima Han could naturally see the subtle change in Yue Qingxin's expression just now, but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he nodded and said, "It's best that you can think this way, Xin Xin."
After saying that, he held Yue Qingxin in his arms.
For a moment, they didn't speak, just nestled together, each lost in their own thoughts.
Inside the house, Shen Xiaoyan took out the wooden box that Zheng Wei had brought back yesterday. Upon opening it, she found a stack of papers inside.
Shen Xiaoyan took out the papers and as she flipped through them, her expression grew more astonished.
"This is 3,000 taels?" Shen Xiaoyan asked Zheng Wei in surprise.
"Yes. Sima Han received the same amount," Zheng Wei nodded.
Shen Xiaoyan placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart due to excitement.
"Perhaps we shouldn't use this money," Shen Xiaoyan hesitated for a long time before putting the banknotes back into the wooden box.
"Why?" Zheng Wei raised an eyebrow.
"That Yizixie... I mean, the Grand Tutor, sending so much money inexplicably makes me feel like there's some ulterior motive. It's best not to use it. When he comes looking for us, we can return it to him," Shen Xiaoyan said.
"Mimi, how much do you think this ring is worth?"
"Naturally, it's priceless."
A spatial ring, whether in this era or in her previous life, was a rare treasure that could not be measured by money.
"If we can accept such a priceless treasure, why should we be concerned about a few thousand taels of silver?"
"Even if he truly has an ulterior motive, what do we have on us that's worth his scheming?"
Zheng Wei finished speaking and quietly watched Shen Xiaoyan, waiting for her to figure it out herself.
Shen Xiaoyan knew Zheng Wei's words made sense, but did Zheng Wei truly have nothing that others would covet?
Although Zheng Wei had told her that he was a reborn individual, he hadn't mentioned anything about his identity, his background, his family, or why he, being reborn, hadn't left this small place.
Wouldn't a normal reborn person have a grand plan in mind and everything under control?
For a moment, Shen Xiaoyan's mind raced with thoughts, but she said nothing, nodding in agreement with Zheng Wei's previous words.
After lunch, the village chief Bai Yonggui arrived with the land surveyors.
Zheng Wei and Sima Han accompanied them, measured the land, placed boundary stones, and paid the money.
The mountainside didn't look particularly large, but that was when compared to the distant Baiyun Peak. Based solely on the measurements, this mountainside was indeed quite substantial, about a hundred mu.
The price of mountain land was the same as barren land, 2 taels per mu, totaling two hundred taels.
The barren land surrounding the mountainside was also measured, a total of one hundred mu, at 2 taels of silver per mu, also totaling two hundred taels.
These 400 taels of silver were indeed not a small sum. If Shen Xiaoyan had to rely on growing watermelons and cantaloupes, it would probably take until next year to buy it, and the subsequent renovations would be even more costly.
Fortunately, they had this 3,000 taels of silver, which allowed them to complete these matters smoothly and even a year ahead of schedule.
Village Chief Bai Yonggui saw how readily Zheng Wei paid the money and the lack of any sign of reluctance on his face. He thought to himself that Zheng Wei must have made money; otherwise, he wouldn't be able to produce hundreds of taels at once without any reaction.
Regardless of what Bai Yonggui thought, since he had helped them with this matter, Zheng Wei naturally gave him a reward, a full five taels of silver, compared to the two taels last time.
As the saying goes, "One takes money to avert disaster." With Bai Yonggui taking this money, both parties would feel at ease. This was not about greed, but merely a routine matter.
Zheng Wei also discussed with Bai Yonggui the matter of hiring people to build the courtyard wall, asking him to see if he could find some people. There was no fear of too many people, as long as the courtyard wall could be built as quickly as possible.
It was already September, and by October at the latest, snow was expected. Therefore, the sooner it could be completed, the better, to avoid running out of time.
Naturally, Bai Yonggui, who was happy to help the villagers earn money, readily agreed, saying he would inform the villagers when he returned and they could start work the next day.
The next morning, Bai Yonggui arrived with dozens of strong laborers, including his two sons.
The autumn harvest had ended, and the busy farming season was over. Most people were idle at home with nothing to do, except for those with skilled trades who could find work.
Bai Yonggui's two sons, one named Bai Yima and the other Bai Dangxian, were both in their early twenties, tall and sturdy, at their prime for labor.
Bai Yonggui brought his two sons here for two reasons: they were idle at home and could earn some money, and also to keep an eye on the workers.
It wasn't that he feared the workers would be bullied, but rather that they might develop ill intentions upon seeing Shen Xiaoyan and her group become wealthy, or spread any unpleasant rumors.
Having already experienced two house-building projects, Zheng Wei was adept at giving instructions for building just the courtyard wall this time.
Shen Xiaoyan didn't even step out of the courtyard. Firstly, she trusted Zheng Wei to handle it. Secondly, Zheng Wei didn't want her to go out, stating that with workers coming and going, there was a risk of her accidentally getting bumped into.
Being able to stay comfortably in the house, Shen Xiaoyan was happy to do so, saving herself trouble and effort.
Zheng Wei assigned specific responsibilities to each person: those who transported bricks, those who laid the foundation, those who mixed mortar, those who built the walls, and those who laid tiles.
This way, any mistakes or slacking off could be clearly identified, greatly improving efficiency.
These were, of course, things Zheng Wei had learned from reading 21st-century books in his spatial dimension.
The courtyard wall this time would be built starting from the west side of the old courtyard and extending to the new east side, encompassing both courtyards and then directly enclosing the barren land and slope at the back.
The courtyard wall would be the same height as the previous one, a full 3 meters high.
Located on the side of the main road, with no other houses nearby, it was only natural to build the courtyard wall as sturdily and securely as possible.
Since it wasn't a highly technical project, even though it was a large undertaking, with many people working diligently, it was completed in just half a month.
The new courtyard wall did not have a gate, as it was unnecessary and there was no one willing to guard it.
The wages this time were also paid generously, in appreciation of everyone's hard work.
As before, meals were not provided at noon, but each person received 50 li per day, paid in cash at the end of the afternoon's work.
While this was somewhat inconvenient, it effectively motivated the workers.
The materials for the courtyard wall, plus the labor costs, ultimately amounted to over 100 taels of silver, a figure that left Shen Xiaoyan speechless.
However, since it was already done, she was too lazy to dwell on it.
After the courtyard wall was built, this became their exclusive farm. Apart from them, there was no one else.
Quiet and peaceful, this was the feeling Shen Xiaoyan had after walking around with Zheng Wei.
Closing the gate, this was her own domain, where she didn't have to worry about anything.
The most delighted after the courtyard wall was built should have been the two hunting dogs, Old Black and Blacky.
They were already almost the size of adult dogs. The original courtyard was too small to allow them to run around freely.
Whenever they wanted to play, they had to go to Baiyun Peak to play with Hua Diandian, but then they couldn't guard the house, which made them very frustrated.
Now, they had such a large courtyard at home, and a slope as well. Although it was still meager compared to Baiyun Peak, it was already large enough for them.
Shen Xiaoyan smiled faintly as she watched the two hunting dogs run around like they were crazed.
"The back door of the old courtyard doesn't need to be closed from now on," Shen Xiaoyan instructed Huo Si, who was standing behind her.
"Yes," Huo Si bowed slightly and respectfully agreed.
Without needing to be asked, Huo Si knew that this was a door specifically for the two dogs, allowing them to run freely.
There was also no need to worry about anyone climbing over the courtyard wall.
Firstly, the courtyard wall was 3 meters high. Without a ladder, it was impossible to climb. Furthermore, sharp iron shards were installed on the top of the wall, and the corners were sharpened to an extreme degree. Anyone who was foolish enough to try and climb the wall would only end up with crippled hands.
Secondly, these two hunting dogs were not to be trifled with.
When their family had first arrived, these two hunting dogs were not yet so big and strong, but the way they bared their teeth and looked at their family was like hungry wolves spotting tender meat, as if they would pounce and take a fierce bite at any moment.
Huo Si watched the two running hunting dogs, his mind racing with various thoughts.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiaoyan and the other three, who had walked to the front, were planning how to develop the land.
"Alright, we have the winter to think about it slowly. There's no need to rush. You should also rest and eat something," Zheng Wei interrupted Shen Xiaoyan's thoughts and said forcefully.
Shen Xiaoyan pouted, wanting to say that she wasn't tired at all, but seeing Zheng Wei's stern face, she could only obediently close her mouth and let Zheng Wei take her hand and walk forward.