They've all separated, so what does it matter to me if they get poorer and poorer?

Chapter 263 The deal is concluded
Granny Qin Qing went out in high spirits, and Zeng Xiaoyan praised her highly: "Sister-in-law Zhichun has a good eye. Granny Qin Qing is really capable."

Liang Mingxuan agreed, nodding repeatedly: "Sister-in-law has always had excellent taste!"

Xu Zhichun laughed and said, "Right? I'm quite satisfied too."

Qin Qing returned shortly afterward. As expected, the estate had not yet been sold. Qin Qing suggested that Xu Zhichun and Liang Mingxuan send their visiting cards today and pay a visit tomorrow morning.

While it's still early, go buy some gifts for your visit.

"Since this is your first visit, the formalities should not be too elaborate. Madam, you have brought a basket of sweet potatoes and potatoes from home, and you can also bring two boxes of the finest pastries. That will be enough."

A basket of sweet potatoes and potatoes, weighing about seven or eight pounds, was placed in a covered basket. Two boxes of pastries were tied together with a ribbon, which counted as one portion. This was considered two offerings, which was appropriate.

Xu Zhichun also thought this was a good idea, so everyone decided to go together to buy some snacks from the time-honored brands and take a stroll around their county town.

Qingyang County is a bit more prosperous than Qingshan County, perhaps because they are closer to the provincial capital and their docks have a deeper and wider draft.

The food sold on the streets of both places was largely the same, but there was a kind of rice cake here that was steamed with rice milk, peanut and sesame crumbs and sugar. It was very sweet and delicious, and several people tried it.

As evening approached, we decided to find a restaurant for dinner and tried the local steamed pork with rice flour and crispy duck. The dishes were delicious, and everyone enjoyed them.

Not to mention Liang Mingliang and Liang Mingxuan, who found dining at a restaurant in another city particularly novel, Xu Zhichun was somewhat dazed as she gazed at the bright candlelight radiating a halo. It had been a long time since she had eaten out with friends like this, as if it were a gathering of friends.

After everyone left the restaurant and returned to the inn, the waiter greeted them warmly, brought hot tea into their room, and asked if they needed hot water.

The waiters are attentive because they've paid money, and they feel no guilt about receiving the service they deserve.

None of them had ever stayed in an inn before, so they were all a bit reserved, and Xu Zhichun handled everything.

In an instant, everyone's eyes showed admiration, and their hearts were filled with even more admiration: No wonder she is Sister Zhichun!

Xu Zhichun was completely unaware of anything—after all, he used to stay in hotels frequently in his previous life.

"Your sister-in-law and Granny Qin Qing live next door. If you need anything, just knock on the door. Don't go out alone at night, even if the innkeeper calls you. Always ask your sister-in-law first."

Before returning to her room, Xu Zhichun kept talking, and Liang Mingxuan stood in front of her listening attentively, nodding and saying "hmm" from time to time. His obedient, sensible, and serious appearance melted Qin Qing's heart.

Back in the room, Granny Qin Qing said with a smile, "Madam is so lucky. Second Master respects you very much and is so smart and good at studying. In the future, he will surely bring you an imperial title. That would be truly prestigious and glorious!"

Xu Zhichun liked hearing this, and a smile involuntarily appeared on her face. "I don't really care about whether he has an official title or not. It's true that this child is doing well in his studies now. As for what the future holds, it all depends on his fate. I support his studies, and I will support him if he wants to do something else. Anyway, my brother-in-law and I are not worried about anything now. But what the old woman said is very true. He respects me, his sister-in-law, very much."

Who wouldn't want an imperial title? Xu Zhichun wanted one too.

Anyone who says they don't want to is just being pretentious.

But the longer she stayed in this world, the more she understood how difficult it was to achieve upward social mobility. Although this was true in modern times as well, it was clearly much more difficult in this era.

Countless examples throughout history illustrate the rags-to-riches stories of poor scholars who achieved the highest rank in the imperial examinations and married the daughter of a prime minister, bringing them both honor and wealth. Can the resources and connections of a poor family truly compare to those of a prominent and wealthy one?

She wanted an imperial title, but didn't want to put too much pressure on her child.

She knows that her child has already tried very hard.

But there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. How big is Qingshan County anyway?

She needed to know how to cherish him. Upon hearing Xu Zhichun's words, Granny Qin Qing couldn't help but feel a deep respect. "Madam is truly the most virtuous and kind sister-in-law imaginable. It's truly Second Master's blessing to have a sister-in-law like her!"

Xu Zhichun was a bit of a shock; she was virtuous and kind.
She felt this compliment was even more devastating than "you're a good person."

I don't really want it.

Granny Qin Qing smiled and sighed, "This old servant previously said that Madam was very fortunate, but now I think the one who is truly fortunate is Second Master."

"That's the right way to compliment someone!" Xu Zhichun covered her mouth and giggled. "Granny really knows how to talk, haha!"

Granny Qin Qing smiled as well, her smile and expression particularly sincere: "Every word this old servant speaks is from the bottom of my heart."

The next morning, Liang Mingliang, Zeng Xiaoyan, and Granny Qin Qing escorted the uncle and sister-in-law to the vicinity of the Zhen family's residence, where they knocked on the door. They were quickly and politely invited inside.

Xu Zhichun was not being modest. Her being the owner of the sweet potatoes and her brother-in-law, a student studying at the county school, was a rare combination, if not a winning one.

Besides, they are customers who came to buy the estate. Unless Master Zhen has lost his mind, he wouldn't offend them for no reason.

After they met and exchanged pleasantries, both sides had a good first impression of each other.

With this groundwork laid, the rest of the conversation went very smoothly.

Master Zhen gave a detailed account of his estate, listing each item for Xu Zhichun and Liang Mingxuan. After rounding down the total, the amount came to 7,100 taels of silver.

No credit, cash only.

The thirty tenant households could be transferred to Xu Zhichun and his group, but the estate has already been emptied out. All the good furniture has been moved away, and there are no servants left. The gate is now locked.

In other words, if Xu Zhichun wanted to revitalize the estate, he needed his own servants.

This would be an easy task for other wealthy families; they could simply fill the ranks with people. But for Xu Zhichun, it was somewhat difficult.

Where would she find any servants she could use? She'd have to buy them.

Who knows, she'll probably be coming here every few days for quite some time to come.

Fortunately, it was close by, so although it took a little effort, it wasn't too much trouble.

I figured I'd need to buy a mule and a mule cart.
Fortunately, we had enough money to spare, so we weren't afraid to spend it.

After listening to Master Zhen's explanation, Xu Zhichun was quite satisfied with the estate. He asked if the Zhen family could send someone to take them there that afternoon so they could see it for themselves. If there were no problems, they could exchange money for goods the next day.

Master Zhen was overjoyed and immediately said that it was no problem at all! If the deal could be reached tomorrow, he would only ask for seven thousand taels of silver, and he would even round down the hundred taels.

Xu Zhichun was overjoyed. This meant he had gotten the mules and mule carts for free, with plenty to spare.

Both parties were very satisfied, and the process was completed very quickly. The next day, Xu Zhichun received the house deed, land deed, and tenant's certificate, and the seven thousand taels of silver were readily handed over to Master Zhen.

Master Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Xu Zhichun profusely, showering him with compliments that made Xu Zhichun feel guilty.

She felt that Master Zhen had ulterior motives.

Sure enough, Master Zhen wanted some more sweet potatoes and potatoes.