Chapter 476: Chapter 247: Choosing Land to Purchase_2
Two plots of land, one belonging to Thirty Mile Camp, totaling twenty-five acres, and the other to Zhao Family Village, totaling twenty acres.
"Both are of medium quality, priced at four Silver Taels per acre," Wu Yugui said, "These two families are in urgent need of money. If they don’t sell their land, they will have to take out high-interest loans. They want cash... In my opinion, if you can pay in full at once, there’s room for negotiation on the price."
Selling land before the spring plowing clearly indicated a family emergency that required money.
"Let’s go see the land first," Lian Shouxin said.
Since it wasn’t far, Lian Shouxin didn’t take a carriage, and a group of people walked to view the land.
The twenty acres of land in Zhao Family Village were right next to the land Lian Manman’s family had purchased, with about a dozen acres of spare land in between. The twenty-five acres from Thirty Mile Camp were not far from Old Master Lian’s land.
Lian Shouxin was very familiar with this large expanse of land. Both plots had good soil quality and location— not only close to their home but also conveniently near his own thirty acres, which would make farming and management much easier.
Both pieces of land, priced at four Silver Taels per acre, were very attractive; it would be nice to purchase both. However, the amount of silver she could utilize was still less than Eighty Taels.
"Once this chance passes, there won’t be another," Wu Yugui also told Lian Shouxin.
"Third Wu, are you taking people to see the land? Oh, isn’t this Lian Si, my brother, are you looking to buy land?" A few people were standing at the edge of the twenty-five acres in Thirty Mile Camp, discussing, when a man came over from the fields of Zhao Family Village, laughing heartily from a distance.
Both Wu Yugui and Lian Shouxin stopped their conversation and smiled to greet the newcomer.
At this time, Lian Manman also recognized the man; it was Old Jin.
"Both families are in urgent need of money, and they asked my dad to help sell the land. They’ve also approached Old Jin. If they can’t sell the land in time, they’ll have to mortgage their land to Old Jin and take out high-interest loans," Wu Jiaxing whispered to Lian Manman.
Lian Manman suddenly understood why Old Jin had also come; it turned out he was interested in the land as well.
Old Jin still had a ruddy complexion and seemed even more energetic than before the new year, still wearing his signature leather coat and hat.
"Younger brother, if you buy this land, I’ll back off. Whatever you don’t buy, I’ll take," Old Jin said warmly, patting Lian Shouxin’s shoulder, "How about it, you want to buy both plots? Good eye, both are nice pieces of land."
Old Jin was addressing Lian Shouxin as if they were peers, and Lian Manman thought to herself, she remembered Old Jin seemed to call Old Master Lian ’big brother’.
Lian Shouxin just smiled and shook his head; he knew that the family didn’t have enough silver to buy both plots at once.
"... I can only buy one plot."
"This one?" Wu Yugui asked.
Lian Shouxin showed a troubled expression and didn’t speak for a moment.
"Younger brother, are you short of money?" Old Jin immediately said, "Leave it to your big brother. Tell me how much you need... Let’s agree upfront, I offer this because I like you, so I won’t charge any interest on the money."
A usurer offering to lend money without interest.
"I have enough money to buy one plot, thank you, Brother Jin," Lian Shouxin replied.
"... If it’s not enough, I still have some savings at home, enough to buy this plot," Wu Yugui whispered to Lian Shouxin, pulling him aside.
At that moment, Lian Manman was also calculating in her heart. To buy the twenty-five acres at Thirty Mile Camp, it would cost one hundred taels of silver. For the Zhao Family Village plot, it would cost Eighty Taels of Silver. She had seventy-eight taels of silver at her disposal, and with a few more taels from the emergency funds, that would suffice.
To buy the land at Thirty Mile Camp would definitely require borrowing money, but purchasing the Zhao Family Village plot could be done without loans.
"I’ll discuss it with my daughter," Lian Shouxin said instead of giving an immediate response.
Lian Shouxin and Lian Manman walked aside to talk.
"Manman, how much money can we still pull together?" Lian Shouxin asked in a low voice.
Lian Manman then told Lian Shouxin about her financial calculations.
"Dad, it seems to me that the Zhao Family Village plot is more appropriate. We’re short a bit too much for this one. If we force ourselves to come up with it, life will be tough for us afterward," Lian Manman said.
Lian Shouxin seemed hesitant, which from Lian Manman’s perspective, was without reason.
"Dad, are you thinking of buying this twenty-five-acre plot?" Lian Manman had a sudden realization, as it seemed Wu Yugui and Old Jin also thought Lian Shouxin should buy this particular plot. "Why is that?"
"... This land, it used to belong to your grandfather. It was sold later on," Lian Shouxin explained.
"Oh." Lian Manman subconsciously clutched her purse tighter, "Dad, we don’t have that much money. If we buy this land, we won’t have money for planting, and we won’t be able to build the shop. Dad, are you thinking of borrowing money?"
Lian Manman looked at Lian Shouxin.
"Is the money enough to buy the Zhao Family Village plot?" Lian Shouxin thought for a while before asking Lian Manman.
"We can scrape it together, but after buying it, we’ll be left without any spare cash," Lian Manman nodded and said.
"Then we’ll buy that one," Lian Shouxin decided. "As for this plot, we’ll see if there’s a chance in the future."
Lian Manman breathed a sigh of relief; Lian Shouxin was being pragmatic, which spared them a lot of trouble.
Having decided to buy the Zhao Family Village land, the next steps—meeting the other party, drafting the deed, handing over the silver, and leaving Wu Yugui to handle the Red Deed paperwork—went very smoothly.
The following day, during the busiest Chinese hour at the breakfast shop, while Lian Manman was helping in the kitchen, she suddenly heard a commotion outside.
"What’s going on?" Lian Manman asked.
"Something seems to have happened outside," Shi Wazi replied.
Lian Manman hurried out of the shop and saw a carriage surrounded by a crowd running past on the main road, heading into the entrance of the village. A person was being dragged by the carriage, staggering along with it.
"Isn’t that He Laoliu?"
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