Chapter 26: Jiang Yi Purchases Land

Shen Rong stood at the entrance of the main hall, waiting for Jiang Yi to return. She had been waiting for quite some time. When she saw him returning with a roe deer slung over his shoulder, he appeared to be uninjured.

"My husband has returned safely. Are you hurt?" Shen Rong greeted him excitedly, reaching out to help him with his burden.

"I am not hurt. Cui Peng and Yang Liu were severely mauled by a black bear and a wild boar and have perished. I caught this roe deer on my way back; we shall have venison for dinner tonight."

"My husband, go inside and rest for a while. I will take care of the roe deer." Processing the animal was no difficult task for her; she wanted to prepare a delicious meal for her husband.

"I will handle it myself. While I was away, did anything else happen in the village?"

"The village chief brought me news: Niu Er has died in prison. In a few days, the village will be under a full lockdown, and everyone has been advised to stock up on grain and vegetables."

Jiang Yi had already anticipated that Niu Er would be silenced. As for the lockdown, it was likely related to the unrest caused by the Fire Lotus Sect. In recent years, the sect had swept through the provinces and counties of the Great Liang, its numbers swelling rapidly.

"It is likely connected to the Fire Lotus Sect. They are an anti-imperial organization. Since the chief has advised everyone to stockpile, we should prepare more in these next few days."

The borders of Hanzhou were also unsettled, facing the powerful Liao Empire to the north. Jiang Yi pondered that if he could leverage the strength of the Fire Lotus Sect to kill Ma Xu, it would actually be a favorable outcome. He also needed to buy more coal for heating and daily use, as well as tools for smelting and woodworking to craft his own flintlock muskets. He could not build overly complex firearms yet, but the manufacturing process for a flintlock was not overly difficult.

"After I finish with the roe deer, I will go to the village chief's house and ask if he is willing to sell me a few acres of land." Building a house required land, and while Hanyang was relatively peaceful, land was not easy to purchase.

"Husband, perhaps you should go to Uncle Chang’s place instead. Bring a few pounds of venison with you. Ask if his family is willing to sell. If you ask the village chief, he likely won't sell." Land was incredibly precious to most, not something easily parted with. Shen Rong knew well that people only sold their land if they were desperately short of money and unable to survive.

"I will ask the chief first. If he refuses, I will go to Uncle Chang’s." Zhao Shengkui owned plenty of land, and Jiang Yi preferred to buy from him.

"In Funiu Village, only the chief and Uncle Chang own their own land. The majority of the territory belongs to the Wang family, and most villagers rent land from them to farm." This was why, despite settling in Funiu Village, Jiang Yi had not been able to acquire a single acre of arable land. It was even possible that someone had been working behind the scenes to steer him toward this impoverished village.

The couple divided the work and cleaned the roe deer. Jiang Yi took a hind leg and headed toward Zhao Shengkui’s house. If the chief refused to sell, he would no longer seek his help or bring him gifts in the future.

Zhao Shengkui was lounging in his home, sipping tea, when he saw Jiang Yi approaching from the doorway with the venison.

"You went hunting in the mountains again? The harvest was decent, I take it?"

"I was lucky and caught a roe deer. I brought you a hind leg to enjoy some fresh meat." Jiang Yi handed the meat to Zhao Shengkui; it weighed several pounds.

"This hind leg is quite heavy. You could have sold this for a good price." Zhao Shengkui knew well that Jiang Yi only brought him meat when he needed a favor.

"I rely on your support and care for Xiao Rong and me, so please, accept it. I do have a request this time."

"Tell me. If it is within my power, I will do my best to help."

"I received my reward from the Hanyang prefectural office yesterday, and I intend to buy land to build a house. Your family holds a fair amount of land; could you sell a few acres to me?"

Upon hearing that Jiang Yi wanted to buy his land, Zhao Shengkui hesitated. Other matters might have been easy to discuss, but most people were unwilling to sell their land. However, the gift of the venison showed that Jiang Yi respected him as a chief.

"Does this put you in a difficult position?"

"Selling land is no small matter. Let me consider it; you should take the venison back." Although Zhao Shengkui wanted the meat, in his heart, the land was far more valuable. He also understood that if he refused to sell to Jiang Yi now, he would not be able to turn to him for help in the future.

"How about this? I will give you an answer tomorrow after I discuss it with my family." Zhao Shengkui did not want to leave a bad impression; such a major decision required consultation. Based on Jiang Yi’s recent performance, he had a limitless future.

"Xiao Rong must have told you about Niu Er and the need to stock up on food and vegetables. Try not to leave the village; the Hanyang office has ordered strict control over all villages." The officials had not specified the reason, likely to avoid causing excessive panic among the populace.

"Xiao Rong told me, but I wanted to ask why the villages are being so strictly controlled?" Jiang Yi had already guessed the reason but wanted confirmation.

"Although the prefectural office hasn't said it outright, I know that the Fire Lotus Sect is causing trouble within Hanzhou." In a few days, a curfew would be imposed on all villages in the region, a measure not seen for many years.

"Some villagers told me today they heard strange noises last night. Did you hear them?" Zhao Shengkui lived at the east end of the village, some distance from Jiang Yi, and had not heard anything.

"I heard them last night as well, but I didn't dare go out to look. I have no idea what happened." Even if one heard the sounds, no one dared to step outside. People outside the city walls envied those living within, as it was considered safe.

"Don't go out at night for the next few days to avoid danger." As they were talking, a carriage pulled up outside the courtyard.

Li Feng stepped out of the carriage and saw Jiang Yi standing with Zhao Shengkui.

"Village Chief Zhao, I have come to disturb you again." Zhao Shengkui saw Li Feng and immediately understood his purpose.

"I will be direct: my master wants all of your land." Had it not been for Chang Yushan serving in the military, Wang Rengui would have long since sent men to buy the land by force. He aimed to seize control of all the land in Funiu Village and become the largest landowner in Shuangma Township.

Jiang Yi understood that land annexation was becoming increasingly severe in the Great Liang, with wealthy landlords using various means to acquire vast tracts of land, forcing the landless to rent and squeezing every ounce of value from their labor.

"You have come to buy land as well?" Li Feng was confident that he could prevent Jiang Yi from buying a single inch, believing Zhao Shengkui would eventually sell to the Wang family.

"My master says he will offer you a very satisfactory price. If your family wishes to farm in the future, the Wang family will give you priority for renting."

Zhao Shengkui was so angry he wanted to strike Li Feng, well aware of the character of the Wang family. Once they controlled all the land in Funiu Village, they would hold the lives of everyone there in their hands.

"Jiang Yi, you want to buy my land—how much were you planning to buy?"

"How much are you willing to sell? It depends on whether I have enough money." Jiang Yi knew Zhao Shengkui owned thirty acres. If the price per acre did not exceed ten guan, he had enough capital to buy it all.

"Village Chief Zhao, you must think carefully. It will not end well for your family if you do not sell to the Wang family."

Zhao Shengkui ignored Li Feng and kept his eyes on Jiang Yi. If he had to choose, he would rather sell all his land to Jiang Yi.

"If you are willing to sell all of it to me, I will find a way to come up with the money." If he truly bought thirty acres, it would be quite beneficial. He could build his house and workshops, and later expand the production of soap and perfume. Jiang Yi intended to grow strong and powerful, eventually going head-to-head with other factions.

"If you can scrape the money together, I will sell it to you. But are you not afraid of offending the Wang family?" Zhao Shengkui was indeed a cunning old fox, wanting to pit Jiang Yi against the Wangs.

"I am buying land from you; what does that have to do with the Wang family?" If the Wang family insisted on opposing him, he would simply crush them beneath his feet.