The next day, after finishing breakfast, Zhang Shuisheng headed out alone. Zhang Family Village had plenty of spots that matched Wu Wei’s requirements, but they were all some distance from his home, and he wasn’t too familiar with them. He needed to check with the village head first. Ownership of mountain land like this had to be made crystal clear—was it under the Imperial Court, the county, the village, or some private individual?
If it belonged to one of the Imperial Manors, no one could encroach on it, no matter how desperate they were.
Land under the county required buying it at market price from the County Yamen. Village public land could be purchased from the village head. Private land was the simplest—you could haggle over the price, press handprints at the village office, and send the deed to the yamen to make it official.
Deep down, Zhang Shuisheng wanted to secure as much land as possible for Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden. Life was tough for two young women without a man in the house. Only if they owned enough acres would tenant farmers be willing to work the fields. With tenants, it was like having sturdy laborers they could count on. After taxes, with the three-seven split between tenant and owner, Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden would have their grain secure for the year.
Zhang Shuisheng kept Wu Wei’s criteria in mind as he carefully inspected every suitable spot, noting the terrain, water access, views, and more.
Wu Wei had done so much for his family. Her new home had to suit her perfectly—no matter what. And then there was the Embroider Maiden, that poor girl…
At the thought, Zhang Shuisheng let out an involuntary sigh. He had a vague feeling that Wu Wei might have an even harder time finding a husband than the Embroider Maiden. And the longer the Embroider Maiden spent living with Wu Wei, the higher her standards would rise, making it tough to find a suitable match for her too.
Zhang Shuisheng hustled for three straight days, leaving before dawn and returning only at dusk. Meanwhile, Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden hadn’t been idle. They made two trips to the market to settle on varnish colors for the furniture. Then they visited the ceramics stalls to order a batch of bowls, plates, cups, teapots, and the like. They even negotiated prices for chicks, so once the house was built, everything else would fall into place naturally.
On the fourth day, around noon, the Zhang family and Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden had just finished lunch when Zhang Shuisheng burst back in, grinning from ear to ear. “Found it! A perfect spot for building. Just like you wanted, Weiwei—high up but not too steep, right on the gentle slope halfway up the hill. There’s already a little path trampled out for going up and down the mountain, easy to walk. A river’s nearby for water, super convenient. And they’ve got a few acres of hillside fields just two li away. The land’s been planted for years, reliable yields. Can’t grow rice or wheat, but sorghum, millet, and other coarse grains work fine. No worries there—once you start harvesting grain each year, you can trade with my family. The real gem is this: these fields were Imperial wasteland granted to commoners for reclamation. Taxes are thirty percent lower than regular fields for thirty years, and it’s only been fifteen!”
The Embroider Maiden’s eyes lit up with delight. She couldn’t help grabbing Wu Wei’s hand, her voice trembling with excitement. “Really? That’s wonderful. Thank you, Second Brother-in-law.”
Wu Wei was thrilled too. “How could the original owners bear to part with such a great place?”
Zhang Shuisheng chuckled as he explained. “The family head is surnamed Li. About twenty years ago, they fled famine to Zhang Family Village. They have one son and four daughters—the three eldest married before the famine, and the youngest wed a local Zhang family boy after arriving. The Lis were dirt poor, no land until fifteen years ago when they got these reclaimed fields. Their son is an itinerant peddler, hawking goods door-to-door with his shoulder pole, buying and selling alike. Before the fields, that’s what kept them afloat. Now the old couple is getting on in years. Tending those hillside acres means trudging up and down the mountain every day—too much hassle. They’ve long wanted to sell cheap and buy a few flat acres instead. I just happened to ask at the right time.”
Wu Wei relaxed at that. “Then let’s go take a look tomorrow. If it’s good, we’ll settle it.”
Zhang Shuisheng shook his head. “It’s barely noon, and it’s only about ten li away. Let’s go check it out now. If it works, tomorrow I’ll bring them to the village to transfer the household registry. Send the deed to the yamen, and we can start rounding up workers to dig the foundation!”
Wu Wei glanced at the Embroider Maiden, who nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”
Second Lady Liu felt bad for Zhang Shuisheng after his long trek. “The food’s still hot in the pot. Eat something first—it won’t take long!”
The Embroider Maiden chimed in. “Yeah, Second Brother-in-law. You’ve worked so hard these past few days. Eat before we head out.”
“Fine, fine.”
Zhang Shuisheng wolfed down a small basin of rice, two sweet potatoes, a plate of stir-fried cabbage, and a plate of wild greens with cured pork. He downed three bowls of water and let out a satisfied belch. “Now, let’s go.”
…
With the Embroider Maiden along, Zhang Shuisheng and Wu Wei tactfully slowed their pace. After his warning last time, Wu Wei paid special attention and noted they were traversing only gentle slopes the whole way. Her resolve to buy this land and build strengthened.
As long as it matched his description with no title issues, they’d buy it on the spot!
These past few days, Wu Wei had occasionally drifted off—not out of needless worry, but because… she really had crossed over through water. What if she couldn’t go back because there “wasn’t enough water”?
They soon reached the spot Zhang Shuisheng described. Everything checked out. The uphill path was well-trodden, wide enough for two abreast. The mountainside was lush with vegetation, the air fresh. Halfway up sat a clearing, faint traces of an old foundation and fence walls still visible.
Zhang Shuisheng explained. “When that family first fled here, they settled right on this half-slope. It was all trees back then. Took years to clear it into this open space. Later, the peddler son earned some silver, so they tore down the old place and built down in the valley. See? Plenty of room here for a two-room tiled house!”
“What about the land deed?” Wu Wei asked.
“This plot, plus the fields two li away, is all Imperial reclamation land for commoners. Don’t worry, sis—I’ve asked around plenty. Just handle the paperwork with the village head.”
“Embroider Maiden, what do you think?” Wu Wei asked.
“Second Brother-in-law, where’s the water source?” the Embroider Maiden inquired.
“Come with me, both of you!” Zhang Shuisheng led them west about two or three hundred steps to a trickling mountain spring. He pointed upslope. “See there? The Lis built a little pool. The spring fills it first before flowing down. Just fetch water from there with a bucket.”
“Does it freeze in winter?” Wu Wei asked.
Zhang Shuisheng grinned patiently. “I’ve got it covered—I asked. Winter flow is slower, sometimes a bit of snow up top. Just brush it off. But in autumn, clear the leaves now and then, or the pool water turns murky.”
Wu Wei eyed the pool, then the future house site. There was a height difference—the pool higher, the house a bit lower. More remote than the Charity Mortuary, no neighbors… Perfect for burying pipes underground, using gravity to pipe water straight to the yard!
“Another ten li down the mountain, and you’re at our Zhang Family Village market. Not as stocked as the town, but plenty for daily needs!”
Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden exchanged a glance, both pleased. Wu Wei nodded. “Second Brother-in-law, this is it!”
“You got it. I’ll go negotiate!”
On the way down, Zhang Shuisheng tracked down the family and set a meeting for tomorrow at the hour of the Snake under the Old Locust Tree at the village entrance. They’d handle the transfer paperwork together, with the village head as witness, money and goods exchanged on the spot.
…
Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden were overjoyed. On the walk back, their clasped hands swung playfully. At the happy sight, Wu Wei even recited a poem or two.
With the big matter settled, Zhang Shuisheng felt lighter. He lagged behind, watching their hands—still linked since descending. “You two little sisters get along so well.”
Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden turned in unison, beaming.
…
The next morning, the Li father and son waited under the locust tree at Zhang Family Village’s entrance. Zhang Shuisheng arrived with hard silver and Old Man Zhang. They handled the paperwork at the village office. Under the village head’s witness, money and goods exchanged hands.
Zhang Shuisheng handed the land deed and field contracts to Old Man Zhang to take home, then went around the village rounding up workers.
He had good ties with plenty of able-bodied men in Zhang Family Village. He’d mentioned the house-building early; they just needed his say-so to pitch in.
The foundation site plus ten acres of hillside fields cost just thirteen taels total. By original math, Wu Wei and the Embroider Maiden might’ve gotten three or four acres tops. This far exceeded expectations, thanks to her picky site criteria.
Zhang Shuisheng led the group with several ox carts straight to the market, hauling back all the materials needed for building the house in one go. They had been ordered early that morning, and the whole spectacle drew the attention of half of Zhang Family Village.
Although most fields had finished sowing their seeds by now, there was still plenty of farm work left—oxen might be needed at any moment. In the entire Zhang Family Village, only a handful of households could borrow so many ox carts at once, namely the village chief and the Village Head.
It was a testament to how much goodwill Zhang Shuisheng and his son had built up over the years by helping others without thought of personal gain and always treating people kindly.
Even more villagers showed up to lend a hand back at the village. The families who needed to slaughter pigs and sheep for the New Year were usually the large, prosperous ones. Even if each sent just one strong laborer, they still added up to a sizable group.
Zhang Shuisheng felt boundless gratitude in his heart, but he selected only seven people. This had been arranged well in advance. As for those who had heard the news and come to help of their own accord, he committed every single one to memory, vowing to treat their families the same way in the future.
Though they weren’t needed for the actual construction, everyone could still pitch in with the heavy lifting. Seeing Zhang Shuisheng haul back so many materials at once, the crowd followed the ox carts all the way to the foot of the mountain. In groups of several, they shouldered all the building supplies and carried them up to the midpoint of the slope.
Inevitably, some asked why the Zhang family was moving to such a remote spot. Zhang Shuisheng gave them the explanation he had prepared ahead of time, all at once. While he was at it, he asked everyone to keep an eye out for Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei.
