Chapter 235 - 235 A Large Plot of Land

235 A Large Plot of Land

Old Master Su and his wife said the grilled chicken and roast duck were delicious. They had eaten many ducks and chicken dishes, but none were quite like these.

Zhizhi sat at the table and did not touch her chopsticks, so Su Fengchen carefully picked up a piece of chicken and duck and placed them in her bowl. Then he softly said, “Have some, Zhizhi.”

Zhizhi looked at Su Fengchen and smiled bashfully. Then she picked up her chopsticks and started eating. Her movements were elegant as she ate.

A single look and one could tell she came from a wealthy family. Even her sitting posture seemed refined, as every move she made had a purpose.

Old Madam Su and her husband could tell that this woman’s background was not simple. Therefore, they revealed worried expressions.

Su Binglan quietly observed and made a judgment inwardly. Still, she thought the grilled chicken and roast duck were delicious.

She told her uncle that he could make these dishes according to her instructions, and she would sell them alongside the mooncakes in her dessert shop.

Of course, she suggested that Su Fengchen set up a stall at the village entrance to sell these dishes since many villagers often passed through.

If the villagers visited their relatives during the Mooncake Festival, they could buy the two dishes before leaving. Even if it were not the Mooncake Festival, anyone visiting the village could buy the grilled chicken and roast duck.

Although everyone lived in the same village, each household had varying living conditions. Some families were more well-off and willing to buy such dishes.

Su Fengchen listened to everything his niece said.

Shortly after, Su Binglan returned home to look for her husband.

Shen Qiuhua said, “Jin’an accompanied your father to the field.”

Su Binglan said in surprise, “Didn’t you say the soil is too soft because of the rain and that they couldn’t walk on it?”

“Your father knows our rice is growing well, so he wanted to check on it from a distance, not go into the fields.”

Su Binglan thought of something and asked, “Mother, is there still land available in our village?”

“Binglan, are you interested in buying more land?” Shen Qiuhua remembered her daughter buying a large plot of land last time. However, Su Binglan used that land to build a house.

Su Binglan nodded and said, “Yes, Mother. I do want to buy more land.”

Shen Qiuhua said without hesitation, “Binglan, I’ll give you the money if you want to buy land.”

Su Binglan had given a thousand yuan to her mother previously. At that time, she was going to the capital to look for Su Wenxiu, and Shen Qiuhua gave 200 to her daughter.

In addition, the family had spent some to build a house and had earned some back in small amounts.

At this moment, Shen Qiuhua still had over seven hundred silver taels, so Su Binglan could use it to buy more land. She also knew her daughter would make good use of the land she would buy.

Su Binglan explained, “You hold on to the money, for now, Mother. I’ll do some planning and tell you when I need the money later. I want to buy more land to plant and grow more things in our village.”

Shen Qiuhua was puzzled and said, “The ten acres of land you bought before is already expansive. Didn’t you say you can’t use all of it to build the house? Maybe you can grow grain there.”

Su Binglan patiently explained, “I thought we could grow medicinal herbs on that land. Doesn’t Wenxiu want to study medicine? Buying more land is always helpful because we can grow more crops.

“Crops will be useful at a critical time.” She had her own plans in mind. “I also want to buy that large plot of vacant land on the east side of our village, closer to town.”

That large plot of land was an abandoned sight, and Su Binglan wanted to buy it for other uses.

Shen Qiuhua was stunned. “That part of the village, huh?”

‘That’s not a tiny plot of land since it’s thousands of acres wide.’ She dared not think further and said, “Binglan, that large piece of land will cost a lot of money.”

She was both excited and shocked when she heard her daughter’s words. She knew it was good to have land, but that much land was beyond her understanding. Even if it were for growing crops, the family would not need that much land.

Besides, they would not be able to handle it, even if they hired the entire village. Shen Qiuhua could not help but start calculating the costs in her mind.

Su Binglan looked at her mother’s expression and knew she was in disbelief. “I was just speaking my mind. You don’t have to worry about the rest, Mother.”

Shen Qiuhua knew her daughter had plans for what she said. She felt relieved and said, “I know you have your opinions whenever you do things. Still, if we were to buy that land closer to town, it would cost a lot. We don’t have enough money right now.

“However, we have enough to buy a large plot of wasteland in the village. It’s just that no one has cultivated it yet. We must cultivate it well if we want to grow grain.”

Su Binglan said, “We can hire people to do that.”

Shen Qiuhua said, nodding, “What you say goes, Binglan. I’ll follow your lead.”

“It’s always good to have more land. Speaking of which, it’s also a matter of pride.” Su Binglan had her plans for this area and had plenty of things to do. So, she needed to earn more money first.

Even so, it was not enough to rely on small businesses anymore. Su Binglan also needed to do other things to earn money, such as giving medical services in town.

Even if she did, she could not ask for exorbitant prices since most people came from ordinary families. Su Binglan might not even earn much daily for her services.

Still, the real money was on medicinal herbs, and opening a shop to sell them would greatly benefit the Su family.

With these things in mind, Su Binglan said, “We might get busier from now on, so I plan to hire someone to help.”

“You want to hire someone?” Shen Qiuhia had grown accustomed to the self-sufficient lifestyle, so she did not feel comfortable hiring others.

At first, she felt uneasy when her daughter said she would hire long-term workers to work the fields. However, the family would know if their future workers were serious whenever they worked in the fields.

Moreover, the villagers would also work in the fields, and if something were wrong, they would report it to Su Binglan. Nonetheless, the family could not feel comfortable if they opened a medicine shop and hired people to work there.

“Won’t the people we hire know what we’re doing? How can we be at ease and trust them not to steal?” Shen Qiuhua asked.

“Mother, we have to do more significant business in the future. No matter how diligent we are, we can’t do everything ourselves. We must hire people and pay attention to how we use our workers.

“We’ll hire hardworking people with good characteristics. They will work hard if we offer them good benefits.” Su Binglan had her way of doing things when it came to hiring people, but she could not explain it to her mother in such a short time.

Still, she would always explain herself patiently whenever her mother questioned her.

While she and her mother talked, Luo Jin’an and Su Fengmao returned. Su Binglan looked at her husband and thought of what he had previously said about repaying her. She started to look a little uncomfortable.