Chapter 72: Planning Ahead

Wu Wei strode purposefully ahead, while Zhang Shuisheng hurried to catch up. After they had walked quite a distance, he lowered his voice and called out, “Sis?”

Wu Wei knew exactly what he wanted to ask, but she chose to change the subject. “Second Brother-in-law, regarding the site for the new house’s foundation, I have only one requirement.”

“…All right, what is it?”

“I want a spot on high ground—the higher, the better. Ideally, not on a mountain. But if it has to be near one, then only on the gentle slope side, never the steep one.”

Zhang Shuisheng frowned in thought for a moment before replying, “That can be arranged, but… wouldn’t it make things inconvenient for getting around? Living halfway up a mountain… what’s the point?”

Wu Wei offered no answer, but Zhang Shuisheng figured it out on his own and burst into laughter. “Sis! You’re worried about flooding, aren’t you?!”

Seeing her nod, he grew even more delighted and walked alongside her. “Sis, is it that legend that’s got you spooked? Nobody knows if it’s even true. And even if it was… that was a hundred years ago. Qinglu County has always enjoyed fine weather year-round. Choosing a house site is a big deal—you can’t let some dubious old tale make you build halfway up a mountain. All those inconveniences would be yours to deal with. Why not think it over some more?”

Wu Wei’s gaze drifted into the distance as she murmured, “Second Brother-in-law, who can stand against the relentless march of time? Aren’t you building a new house too? Why not move over here with us?”

“My father’s not so spry anymore, so we’ll pick somewhere closer to our fields. Still, building high up isn’t all bad—mountain land’s cheap, so you can buy more of it. Plus, with your hunting skills, living by the mountain has its perks: rely on the hills to feed you. Anyway, Zhang Family Village is small. Our families are close no matter where we live—we’ll be in and out of each other’s homes constantly.” Seeing that Wu Wei’s mind was made up, Zhang Shuisheng simply went along with her for a few remarks.

For her part, Wu Wei fell into deeper silence. Ever since hearing that Little Locust Village had once been a lake, a heavy weight had settled on her heart.

Transmigration was a profoundly mysterious thing, yet it had happened to her.

Was her own crossing a freak accident of some wormhole, or an inevitable twist of history? Was she merely an insignificant screw in the grand edifice of time?

Was transmigration a one-way, irreversible mishap, or a two-way opportunity?

Why couldn’t she go back? Had the time not yet come, or was she missing some “essential condition” to open the Transmigration Gate?

Seeing Wu Wei lost in silence, Zhang Shuisheng offered earnest reassurance. “Sis, I think you’re a good, upright person. So do whatever you set your mind to—no need to overthink it. I’ve got Second Lady Liu’s side covered; nothing major will go wrong.”

His words pulled Wu Wei back from her reverie. She nodded. In truth, she had never intended to hide this from him from the start. Now that he had guessed it, there was even less need to gloss over or conceal it.

She hadn’t spelled it out only because she feared that when the day came, he might struggle to face Second Lady Liu.

Her brief talk with Dongfang Rui had given Wu Wei plenty of insights. The moment she stepped out of the estate, she had resolved to sue the Liu Family. But how to initiate the case, what demands to make, and how to bring it to a close would depend on Embroider Maiden’s actual circumstances—not a blind copy of Dongfang Rui’s suggestions.

Dongfang Rui was a great lady; these petty troubles in the dirt couldn’t even touch the hem of her robes. But Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden? They were the ones living in the dirt.

Wu Wei hadn’t come today expecting the Village Head’s approval.

Her goal from the outset was to force a neutral stance from him. She had already squared things with Little Locust Village’s headman. Strip away the Village Head’s protective umbrella too, and she could grandly, boisterously buy land for Embroider Maiden, build the house, throw a housewarming banquet—and sit back waiting for that Liu couple to come knocking, their greed bolder than a snake swallowing an elephant.

Let the villagers of Zhang Family Village see their true character and reputation firsthand—ideally, stir up public outrage against them.

Only then… would winning the lawsuit truly be a victory.

It would pull Embroider Maiden fully from the fire pit while preserving her good name. The Liu Family would have no face left to make trouble, and without even needing the authorities, the people of Zhang Family Village wouldn’t tolerate them!

As Dongfang Rui had said: The more precious and hard to relinquish something is, the more you must protect it with the surest methods. Don’t get bogged down in the chaos before you. Look to the long term. Don’t chase fleeting pleasures; fight for lifelong security.

Wu Wei felt herself already missing Embroider Maiden after just this half-day out. She urged Zhang Shuisheng to pick up the pace. The two pressed on without stopping until they reached the market. There, Wu Wei only settled on materials for the furniture—durable kinds resistant to bugs and dampness.

On Zhang Shuisheng’s recommendation, she hired a carpenter master. As for the finish color, she got thumb-sized wood samples from the timber shop’s owner to take home; Embroider Maiden would have to choose before deciding.

Wu Wei then visited the fabric shop and placed orders for cloth with the proprietor. Moving called for all sorts of new things. Apart from the “fine” bedding Gao Ningxue had left, she had no intention of bringing any valuables. At the new home, from bedding to clothes, from coverings to hangings—everything would be brand new.

Zhang Shuisheng caught Wu Wei’s enthusiasm and cheer, helping haggle prices along the way. The Zhang Family happened to want a new house too, especially once the baby arrived. Combining their needs gave them better leverage in negotiations.

Finally, Wu Wei checked out prices on bowls, chopsticks, and porcelain. Of course… she merely noted them down. Such things would wait until they could both come select them in person.

Seeing the scale of Wu Wei’s preparations—and hearing she and Embroider Maiden planned to raise chickens and ducks in the yard—Zhang Shuisheng did some mental arithmetic. Their savings might barely cover it. But he and Second Lady Liu had already agreed: they’d quietly add ten taels when buying fields and land for Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei, then gift another ten at the housewarming feast. With those twenty taels, settling down should be no problem.

Before leaving the market, Wu Wei pointed to two rows of shops along a street. “Brother-in-law, look—small roadside shops like these. No need to start big. If one’s up for resale, snag it and rent it out for steady income. More shops mean more assets. Little ones are easier to sell off in a pinch. And the front makes a fine stall too. Anything from home we need to sell at market, we can just set up right outside our own shop with a sign.”

Zhang Shuisheng nodded vigorously. Wu Wei promptly ran the numbers for him. “A big shop runs dozens or even a hundred taels—not worth it. Those little ones I pointed out earlier? Probably twenty or thirty taels to take over. Rent at one in ten, adjust as needed— that’s at least five taels a year coming in. Add what the fields produce, and you’ve got another tael or so? Smooth sailing, and in three or four years, you can snag another shop. No rush sending the kid to town school—too young, and they’d just suffer. Wait till twelve or thirteen, when they can stand on their own and know right from wrong. By then, you’ll have five or six shops, pulling in ten or twenty taels a year. Should be enough if you tighten your belt.”

Zhang Shuisheng grinned wide, suddenly envisioning their future.

He was still young, strong as an ox. In the slack farming seasons, he could take odd jobs and bring home silver. If his child with Second Lady Liu showed real promise for study, he’d support it with everything he had.

“Sis, thank you!”

“Second Brother-in-law, we’ve seen enough. My heart’s a lot steadier now. Let’s head back.”

…

When they returned to the Zhang Family home, Embroider Maiden and Old Lady Zhang came out to greet them. Second Lady Liu, weary from the afternoon, was napping inside.

Zhang Shuisheng wolfed down a quick bite, grabbed his farming tools, and headed to the fields. Wu Wei truly admired his stamina; after this whole “race” around, she was starting to feel worn out.

After the meal, Wu Wei took Embroider Maiden’s hand and led her out to sit on a rock beneath the Old Locust Tree. She reported everything she’d learned about market prices that day.

Wu Wei pulled a cloth pouch from her bosom and handed it over. “Take a look—these are furniture finish samples. I brought them back for you. Which do you like?”

Embroider Maiden examined each wood block carefully. She picked up the reddish-brown one, then set it down and asked, “Which does Weiwei like?”

“I thought that last reddish-brown one you held was nice—dignified yet lively. A classic for wood furniture.”

“Then that’s the one. I like it too.”

Wu Wei continued, “Another day, the two of us can head over together to pick out the paint color. You can decide how many pieces of furniture to make in total, and then the carpenter can get started early. Once the paint dries, we’ll have it all delivered straight to our new home. I’ve already got it all figured out… aside from that quilt Second Boss used, we won’t take any of the finer things from the old house. For the new place, we’ll outfit everything fresh—from the bedding to the everyday sundries, all brand new. Second Brother-in-law and I went together and haggled out a great deal on the price! As for the embroidery patterns, we’ll count on those clever hands of yours, Embroider Maiden!”

Embroider Maiden smiled. “Sounds good~ That’s right up my alley.”

“Today I checked out the east wing and courtyard at Little Locust Village’s Village Head’s place, and it gave me a ton of ideas. Embroider Maiden, what if we set up the house somewhere higher up? Ideally halfway up a gentle slope on the hillside. That way, we could put the chicken coop right on the mountain—the meat from free-range chickens is so flavorful! Chopping firewood, foraging for wild greens~, or setting traps down the slope for game would all be a breeze.”

“Halfway up the mountain? You’d end up walking a lot farther every time you went out…” Embroider Maiden didn’t mind for herself; she just hated the thought of Wu Wei trudging extra miles.

“No worries—more exercise is good for the body anyway. Don’t fret; I’ll take care of the snakes, bugs, rats, and ants. There aren’t any neighbors nearby, so we can build up the courtyard foundation a bit higher and scatter some repellents around the edges.”

“Mm, sounds good~.” Seeing how eagerly Wu Wei anticipated it, Embroider Maiden naturally wouldn’t refuse. Besides, she had no intention of making Wu Wei haul water, and living halfway up the mountain sounded rather nice—peaceful and secluded.

Wu Wei took Embroider Maiden’s hand and toyed with her fingers. “For the housewarming banquet, let’s invite your whole family over from your parents’ place. It’s a big occasion— we can all get together and enjoy a happy meal.”