During famine years, I had a divination slip in hand, and my whole family ate chicken, duck, fish, a

"Qingqing, Uncle, I'm going to hitch up the car."

Ye Dazhuang glanced at Ye Qingqing indifferently, then turned and left the house.

The elder brother and sister-in-law used a horse-drawn carriage to travel to and from town, so when Ye Qingqing returned from town, she simply bought another one for the family's convenience.

She configured this car to the luxury version of BMW, with a thicker cabin!

We rode back in a luxurious carriage. The carriage was lined with thick bedding, hung with thick cotton curtains, and had a small charcoal stove on it, making it incredibly warm and comfortable.

They arrived after traveling ten miles, before Ye Qingqing could even warm up in the carriage.

After inquiring in Shilipo Village, I found out that there was indeed a family selling their land.

Ye Qingqing slipped about ten copper coins to the peasant woman, who then happily led her to the family who were selling their land.

"Auntie, why is that family selling their land?"

On the way, Ye Qingqing subtly inquired, "You're selling hundreds of acres at once, don't you plan to stay in your village anymore?"

"Oh, don't even mention it! That's just their luck turning around; their whole family is moving to the provincial capital to live a better life!"

The peasant woman waved her hand with envy and said casually, "Let me tell you, his eldest daughter was originally betrothed to a man she met when she was young. Her future in-laws went to the provincial capital to do business a few years ago, and who knew they would make a fortune!"

Seeing that the girl was over 15, they received a letter from the other side asking her to marry into their family. So the Chen family went to the provincial capital for a visit and, for some unknown reason, made a good deal with their future in-laws. They decided to sell their house and land and move there with the whole family to do business...

"Once they go there, they'll be city dwellers; everyone in our village is so envious!"

Ye Qingqing frowned.

Why does this sound like something's not right with the Chen family?

I wonder if he downloaded an anti-fraud app. Could it be some kind of "pig butchering scam"?

She couldn't help but look at Ye Dazhuang, wondering what his reaction would be.

Ye Dazhuang was helping his father walk slowly, his deep eyes calm and undisturbed, though his brows furrowed imperceptibly.

He seemed to sense that something was wrong as well.

"Auntie, is that place far away?"

Ye Qingqing thought it best to check out the land first, so she could have a better understanding of the situation and negotiate a better price with the Chen family.

"It's not far, it's right at the foot of the mountain..."

The peasant woman enthusiastically pointed to the foot of the mountain outside the village, "Girl, look, that whole area belongs to them! Old Chen's family are the landlords in our village, they've accumulated a lot of land over two or three generations."

As Ye Qingqing walked to a gentle slope at the edge of the field, she couldn't help but frown.

Spiritual divination slip, you're being too modest. This isn't barren land; it's utter wasteland!

The ground was covered with weeds and shrubs, and the soil looked black and felt very soft when you stepped on it.

Down the slope was a half-dead stream, frozen solid with ice lumps, thinner than pig intestines.

Ye Qingqing squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, rubbed it between her fingers, and brought it close to her nose to smell it.

Of the vast expanse of sloping land, including the flat area adjacent to the mountain, it is estimated that less than half of it is suitable for growing crops.

"Second Girl, you, you come here..."

Ye Youliang looked around, his heart sinking. He quickly beckoned to her, "Dad wants to discuss this with you..."

He pulled Ye Qingqing aside, pointed to the slope, and frowned so deeply it could trap a fly.

"Second Girl, look at this land! It's full of stones, and the grass is growing better than the crops!"

This isn't fertile land! It's just a wasteland! Why are we spending money on this stuff? Isn't this just throwing money down the drain?

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself, "I know, I'm not blind!"

"Second daughter, although your father is a hunter, he is also a skilled farmer. Can't I tell if this land is suitable for cultivation?"

Seeing his daughter pursing her lips and remaining silent, Ye Youliang suddenly became a little anxious.

"Let me tell you, if you sow a handful of seeds in this land, you'll be lucky if half of them grow!"

"Look at that stream, the water level isn't even enough to pee in, how can you expect to grow crops from it?"

"Um."

Ye Qingqing nodded, pondering what reason she could come up with to persuade her father.

She caught a glimpse of black soil beneath the withered grass, and an idea immediately came to her. She quickly squatted down, grabbed a handful, and said…

"Dad, don't just look at the stones! The soil in this field is black, so it must be quite fertile."

There are a lot of stones, making clearing the land difficult... But think about it, our family doesn't lack manpower right now. The Zhao brothers and a few hired laborers can clear the stones and, after a few years, surely turn it into fertile land.

"several years?"

Ye Youliang was so anxious that his eyes widened, and he almost shouted.

"Why would we buy a piece of land when we'll be able to eat food in a few years?"

Is the information your Aunt Zhen found accurate? Maybe they're just in a hurry to sell and are deliberately spreading rumors to find a buyer!

Ye Qingqing scratched her nose.

"Aunt Zhen was just helping me find out some information. Anyway, I think this piece of land sounds pretty good, and I'm planning to buy it."

She said that asking Aunt Zhen for help to inquire was just an excuse, so why was Dad angry with her for coming?

"Second daughter, be a good girl!"

A bead of sweat dripped down Ye Youliang's forehead, and he stomped his foot in anger.

"I'm not saying you can't buy, but if you're going to buy, it has to be fertile land, my dear!"

Just then, a few idle men from the village passed by carrying hoes. Seeing the outsiders looking at the land, they came over to ask them questions.

A thin, dark-skinned old man spat and grinned,

"Oh, another outsider has taken a fancy to Old Chen's land? This land is not easy to cultivate; there are so many stones that they can break the plowshare!"

Two years ago, the Chen family hired people to clear land. Three families came, but they all ran away after two days.

An old woman nearby also curled her lip and chimed in,

"That's for sure! This place is at the foot of the mountain. In the summer, when the mountain floods come, all the water rushes here! And in the autumn and winter, it's so dry it's like the sun is scorching hot."

The Chen family doesn't farm themselves, and no tenant farmers want their crops. They only thought of selling now that they're going to the provincial capital to make their fortune.

This interruption made Ye Youliang's expression even more unpleasant.

"Second Girl, listen to this! Listen to this! You still want to buy this place? That's like throwing good money after bad!"

He tried his best to persuade her, but his precious daughter seemed to be stubborn and wouldn't listen!

"Uncle, this land isn't entirely unsuitable."

Ye Dazhuang stood to the side, his gaze sweeping across the slope, and suddenly spoke calmly, "This stream may be small, but it's not necessarily incapable of irrigating the fields."

Ye Qingqing was taken aback and looked at him curiously.

"Big Zhuang, you mean...?"

"There should be an underground channel beneath the stream, or it may be connected to a mountain spring."

Ye Dazhuang smiled faintly, pointed to the slope and said, "Although the stream is small, if you look closely under the ice shell, there are small currents moving within it."

If it weren't connected to a flowing stream, there wouldn't be any running water... I think if we dig deeper, we should be able to find groundwater and divert it for irrigation.

Ye Qingqing's eyes lit up, and she looked closely. Sure enough, there was a faint flow of water beneath the ice shell.

You really can't tell unless you look closely!

She couldn't help but chuckle to herself; this silent fellow had a sharp eye!

Ye Dazhuang then pointed to several damp spots on the ground, "There's running water here too."

Ye Qingqing couldn't help but laugh, raising an eyebrow at him. Now she finally had a reason to convince her father!

"Dad, even Da Zhuang has seen it, what are you still afraid of? If the stream is connected to the underground spring, there will never be a drought."

As for the stones, we'll hire people to collect them slowly. If we collect enough, we can take them home to build walls and houses. Wouldn't that be killing two birds with one stone?