Qiu Zu: From an apprentice in a medicine shop to an immortal ancestor.

Chapter 39: Approaching Home, Stirrings of Emotion [Seeking Votes and Continued Reading]

Qingmu Town, as a major trading hub, teems with merchants and boasts a thriving commerce, so much so that the surrounding residential land has also risen in value, with prices comparable to many bustling large counties.

The most crucial point is that ordinary families wouldn't sell their land or houses unless something happened, lest they be seen as unfilial descendants.

Only when encountering famine years, with food stores running low and survival becoming difficult, would the common people be forced to sell their fields and properties to sustain their lives.

On ordinary days, wanting to buy fields or houses relies entirely on luck.

Even with Steward Kang acting as a local strongman in Qingmu Town, with extensive connections and well-informed, the matter of "acquiring a residence" yielded no news for a month.

Fortunately, good news finally arrived.

As everyone knows, Steward Kang occasionally visits the gambling den, but he is quite restrained, not deeply involved, believing in a bit of gambling for amusement.

Within his circle, there are many gambling buddies with similar interests.

One of these gambling buddies is named Master Li, a man of considerable wealth, owning numerous fields, and a well-known magnate around Qingmu.

Qiu Zhen also knows this Master Li, whose name is Li Huan, a relative of Uncle Li, and also the "richest man" of Xiangyang Village.

This Master Li, like Steward Kang, is mentally mature and exercises restraint when gambling.

It's a pity that when the upper beam is not straight, the lower ones are crooked; his eldest son didn't learn the good aspects but mastered all of his father's indulgences in eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling.

He even surpassed his father in these pursuits.

Recently, Master Li's son engaged in heavy gambling, losing his mind, and overnight, he accumulated a huge gambling debt of three thousand taels, with his person detained in the gambling den.

No money, no release.

Even with the Li family's vast wealth, suddenly producing three thousand taels of silver is not an easy task.

After some fundraising, there was still a significant shortfall.

Left with no other choice, Master Li had to sell his family property to save his son.

Upon hearing the news, Steward Kang immediately approached Master Li, acting as a matchmaker to facilitate the deal.

Qingmu Pharmacy, a secluded room in the backyard.

Steward Kang gestured for him to sit down:

"Brother Qiu, Master Li wishes to sell thirty mu of fertile land and a courtyard house with two courtyards for a price of four hundred taels, what do you think?"

Qiu Zhen nodded slightly.

He had inquired before and learned that the price of fields around the suburbs of Qingmu Town is quite high, ranging from ten to twenty taels per mu, depending on the specific fertility and barrenness, and a courtyard house with two courtyards is worth at least several dozen taels of silver.

Roughly right.

Qiu Zhen had a good idea in his mind, but he did not answer, instead smiling and asking:

"Steward Kang, I am young and don't understand anything. Do you think this price is appropriate?"

"I personally went to see it. Several mu are of excellent paddy fields. This price is quite fair."

Kang Zhuangyuan took a sip of tea, claiming credit:

"Originally, he asked for four hundred and fifty taels. I helped you bargain and reduced it by fifty taels. It's just that he urgently needs money; otherwise, he would definitely be reluctant to sell."

"Absolute sale or redeemable sale?"

"Naturally, it's an absolute sale!"

Qiu Zhen nodded repeatedly.

Local land transactions are divided into "absolute sale" and "redeemable sale."

"Absolute sale" means selling the ownership of the field, while "redeemable sale" belongs to "mortgage sale," selling only the "right of use" and "right of lease," with the land title still in hand, and the option to redeem it at the original price after the agreed-upon period.

Generally speaking, "mortgage sale" is much cheaper.

"With Steward Kang's help in checking, I have no worries. I'll trouble you, old man."

Qiu Zhen was not worried about being cheated at all.

Steward Kang intended to repair his relationship with him. He was even prepared to give away one thousand taels of silver. He certainly wouldn't collude with others to set up a scheme to cheat him. Instead, he would wholeheartedly stand on his side, taking care of him to ensure no mistakes and no losses for him.

"Hahaha ~"

Seeing Qiu Zhen acknowledge his favor, Steward Kang finally put down the anxiety in his heart, and his mood became even more pleasant:

"Brother Qiu, do you have enough spare money on hand? If not, take it from me."

"It's enough."

After a month of hunting and treasure hunting, although the harvest in the past few days was far less than today, he had accumulated several hundred taels of silver. Adding today's harvest, he had more than one thousand taels of silver in hand.

This does not include spiritual herbs and precious medicines.

With Kang Zhuangyuan as an intermediary, the transaction between the two parties went very smoothly.

Choosing a day is not as good as happening to meet one.

The group went to the government office to draw up a contract, and found an acquaintance to handle it specially.

The next day.

Early in the morning, Qiu Zhen borrowed two carriages from Qingmu Pharmacy and, along with Zhao Dou and Shen Liang, headed towards his hometown of Haitang Township along the official road.

"Brother Zhen, you are really calm. You became a martial master and didn't say a word, insisting on waiting until you bought fields and a house before returning home. If it were me, I would have been unable to hold back."

"Hehe ~ Big Head, Brother Zhen is someone who does great things. Among ordinary martial masters, who can earn several hundred taels of silver at once to buy a house and land? Our Brother Zhen is confident and composed."

Zhao Dou and Shen Liang chimed in, each more excited than Qiu Zhen.

Making a name for oneself and buying a house and land in the city is the dream of countless apprentices.

"Hehe ~"

Qiu Zhen listened to the flattery of his two brothers, smiling without responding.

He had not returned for more than a month since becoming a martial master.

Based on his understanding of his parents, if they knew that he had become a martial master and planned to go to the mountains to hunt for money to buy land and a house, they would definitely stop him and lecture him, not allowing him to enter the mountains to hunt.

After all, after becoming a martial master, one can live a good life steadily, and taking risks in the mountains is absolutely forbidden.

In this way, there would be conflict, adding unpleasantness.

Therefore, Qiu Zhen simply said nothing, doing it secretly, buying the house and fields, and directly bringing his parents and elder brother over.

The family is not too poor, not to the point of being unable to make ends meet. His parents still have a lot of savings on hand, so he did not go back to show filial piety to them in the past few days.

Even if he took money or ferocious beast meat to show filial piety, they would probably be reluctant to eat it or use it.

Only by buying a house and fields in the suburbs, with abundant family property, can the two elders change their "thrifty" style and learn to enjoy themselves a little, "comfortably" accepting their children's filial piety.

This is a "reassurance pill."

If the family is so poor that they are penniless, unable to give their parents a sense of security, saying that parents will not enjoy their filial piety and do not understand their filial piety, then they are falling into a cognitive misunderstanding.

It's easy to go from simple to luxurious. Everyone wants good things. No one truly wants to demean themselves.

It's just that circumstances force them to.

With a "reassurance pill," with a sense of security, everyone will enjoy it.

The carriage traveled very quickly all the way, and before noon, it had already arrived at the tall archway at the entrance of Qiu Family Village.

Rural villages each build earthen walls, set traps, and have strong young villagers patrol regularly.

Upon seeing the carriage stopping at the entrance of the village, someone immediately rushed over.

During this time, there were also the sounds of dogs barking one after another.

The peaceful village seemed to suddenly become lively.

"Little Zhen! Old Brother!"

The two villagers at the entrance of the village saw Qiu Zhen, Zhao Dou, and Shen Liang jumping out of the carriage, and their eyes widened in surprise.

There's no other reason.

Qiu Zhen was wearing a cloth merchant's outfit, a blue robe with blue edges, an outer garment of blue woven cloud patterns, and cloud-soled shoes, with a dignified appearance, very different from his former rural peasant attire.

After practicing martial arts, Qiu Zhen's figure became tall and burly, and his slightly dark skin also became fair, which made him, who already had excellent looks, even more extraordinary. At first glance, he looked like a young master from a wealthy family, with a graceful demeanor.

"Big Brother, Uncle He."

Qiu Zhen looked at his elder brother Qiu Qing, who was patrolling with a spear in hand, with a face full of smiles.

"I'm back."