Mar 13, 2026
Chapter 68 — The House-building Plan
Early the next morning, Xinyuan Restaurant made a grand spectacle of sending eight horse-drawn carriages to Ling Family Village to haul away the fruit jam. The scene was nothing short of astonishing.
In the countryside, a family that owned an ox cart was already considered well-off. Horse carriages were something most villagers wouldn’t even dare to dream of—let alone eight of them arriving at once.
When the long line of carriages rolled into Lingjia Village, the entire village stirred. Many people dropped their work and followed behind the convoy out of curiosity. When they saw the carriages squeeze through the narrow country path—barely wide enough to pass—and stop right in front of Ling Jingxuan’s house, everyone was both shocked and puzzled, unable to figure out what was going on.
“Haha—Brother Ling, your speed is truly impressive!” Shopkeeper Zhang laughed heartily. He had personally come to collect the goods and took the chance to chat with Ling Jingxuan while the servants loaded the jam. “It’s only been a few days and you’ve already made 2,500 jin. Now we won’t have to worry about running out.”
“You have no idea—those last hundred jars nearly caused a fight. I planned to keep them all in Datong Town to sell, but the shopkeepers from our other branches were already waiting at the restaurant early in the morning and snatched half of them away. I tried my best to stretch the remaining fifty jars, but they’re practically gone now. Your 2,500 jin came just in time.”
In truth, if those fifty jars had been sold only in Datong Town, they could have lasted around ten days. Each serving of shaved ice used only a small amount of jam, and Datong Town itself wasn’t very large.
But the real reason it sold out so quickly was the county magistrate of Qingyang County, Magistrate Hu.
Magistrate Hu and his entire family were northerners. Even after living in Datong Town for five years, they still couldn’t handle the scorching summer heat. Every year they suffered terribly through the summer.
But after tasting the ancient version of a milkshake made with the jam, Magistrate Hu became addicted. He ate several servings almost every day.
And people always followed the trends.
If even the county magistrate couldn’t get enough of something, everyone else naturally wanted to try it too. Soon enough, the chilled dessert became wildly popular—and the key ingredient, fruit jam, quickly fell into short supply.
“To rush this batch, I had to hire quite a few extra workers,” Ling Jingxuan said casually. “But this time it’s all in large jars. As for the smaller, finely packaged jars, I’m thinking of using a custom order system. Customers tell me how many they want, and I’ll produce that amount—orders placed three days in advance. What do you think, Shopkeeper Zhang?”
Ling Jingxuan didn’t know much about what was happening in town, nor did he particularly care. As long as the jam he produced could be sold, the rest wasn’t his concern.
“That sounds perfect,” Shopkeeper Zhang replied immediately. “But you should still produce a few hundred jars first. Let me distribute them to our other branches for trial sales. If they sell well, the demand will only grow.”
Shopkeeper Zhang was a shrewd businessman—he understood the idea instantly. Buying jam by the jin was far more profitable for them. Stockpiling too many small jars would only create problems. A preorder system would eliminate the issue entirely.
“Of course,” Ling Jingxuan nodded. “I’ve actually already ordered two hundred small jars. When we deliver the next batch, they’ll be ready to go with it.”
“You really think of everything,” Shopleeper Zhang laughed. “Doing business with you is comfortable, Brother Ling. Here—this is 2,500 taels in banknotes. As for the fish, we’ll settle that every ten days like we agreed before. Count it and make sure.”
As he spoke, Shopleeper Zhang took out the notes and handed them over.
Ling Jingxuan accepted them with a smile, glancing down briefly. There wasn’t much to count—two notes of one thousand taels and one note of five hundred.
After carefully putting them away, Ling Jingxuan poured tea for both of them and spoke again.
“Brother Zhang, do you happen to know if there are any good private schools in town? As you can see, the two children are getting older. It’s about time they began their studies. Now that we’ve earned a bit of money, I’d like to send them to town to study. Could you recommend one or two?”
Building a house was urgent—but so was the children’s education.
In ancient times, children usually began their schooling around the age of five. He didn’t expect them to get ahead of others, but he certainly wouldn’t allow the two little buns to fall behind at the starting line.
“A private school, hmm… there are a few decent ones,” Shopkeeper Zhang said, stroking his chin as he glanced at the two little buns sitting obediently beside Ling Jinghan. “But Brother Ling, I’ve seen your children. They’re exceptionally clever and adorable. Sending them to an ordinary private school might hold them back.”
“Why not hire a reputable tutor instead? It only costs a few dozen taels a year. Compared with the children’s future, that’s not expensive at all.”
He only made such a suggestion because he had grown familiar with Ling Jingxuan. With an ordinary customer, he wouldn’t have bothered offering such advice.
“Daddy…?”
The moment he heard that it would cost dozens of taels every year, Ling Wen immediately grew anxious. But with outsiders present, he didn’t dare show it openly. He could only widen his eyes and stare at his daddy, holding his breath.
Just buying a carriage for school would already pain his heart—how could they spend dozens of taels just to hire a teacher to come teach him at home?
He was studying books, not eating silver!
If things were that extravagant, how could he possibly study in peace?
“Hehe…”
Seeing his reaction, Ling Jingxuan couldn’t help laughing. He gave Ling Wen a reassuring look before continuing.
“Hiring a tutor is unnecessary. We’re just a rural family—such extravagance would be inappropriate. I don’t expect the children to achieve great fame in the future. As long as they’re not subservient to anyone, and not be deceived or bullied by others, that will be enough. An ordinary private school will do just fine.”
Not subservient to anyone?
He said it so easily that both Shopkeeper Zhang and Ling Jinghan raised their brows in surprise, seriously wondering if he had misspoken. Even if someone rose to become a Marquis or a Prime Minister, they would still stand beneath the Son of Heaven, the Emperor.
Did he mean he wanted his son to become the emperor?
Meanwhile, in the next room, Yan Shengrui—still resting while recovering from his injury—heard those words and the corner of his lips curled upward.
Not subservient to anyone else…
Just the kind of thing his Jingxuan would say.
“Daddy, you’re wrong,” Ling Wen suddenly declared, apparently having forgotten all about the cost of studying. “When I grow up, I’m going to become an official—a big official!”
His daddy was spending so much money to send him to study. No matter what, he would earn a great official’s position for his daddy.
“Haha—well said! That’s the spirit!”
Shopkeeper Zhang laughed heartily and patted the boy’s head.
Ling Jingxuan smiled helplessly. “Brother Zhang must be amused. This child has known poverty for too long—he’s always thinking about becoming a high official.”
Despite the tone of helplessness, Ling Jingxuan was secretly pleased. It was good for a child to have ambition—he only worried that the boy might place too much pressure on himself.
“No harm in that, no harm at all,” Shopkeeper Zhang waved his hand. Then his expression grew thoughtful. “Brother Ling, if your goal is for the children to truly learn something without placing too much pressure on them, then I actually know someone I could recommend.”
“His learning could be called the best in Datong Town—no, perhaps in all of Qingyang County there’s no one who could rival him. But whether he actually holds any scholarly title, I’m not sure. He’s a low-key man who doesn’t like associating with others. If he hadn’t accidentally offended Scholar Wang when he first arrived in town and been forced into a literary duel with him, I might never have known he possessed such extraordinary talent.”
That literary duel had been kept extremely secret. Ordinary people would never have heard of it. Shopkeeper Zhang only knew because the event had been held at Xinyuan Restaurant.
“Oh? Someone like that exists?” Ling Jingxuan raised his brow in interest, while Ling Jinghan beside him also looked surprised.
“Yes. His name is Chu Ci. He’s around twenty-something. He runs a bookstore in town and has a nine-year-old son. He came to Datong Town about two years ago. His personality is a bit cold—he rarely smiles—but his talent is beyond question.”
“I have a bit of acquaintance with him,” Shopkeeper Zhang continued. “Oh, and he also likes that chilled dessert you make very much. If you’re interested, I can introduce you.”
“Then I’ll trouble you, Brother Zhang.”
Ling Jingxuan wasn’t a rigid person. Although this Chu Ci seemed somewhat young, the fact that he could defeat a Juren in a literary contest meant he was more than capable of teaching two small children their basics. Besides, a man who was truly corrupt at heart rarely lived quietly and kept a low profile. And since Shopkeeper Zhang recommended him, the combination of those factors was enough.
Almost instantly, Ling Jingxuan decided—this would likely be the little buns’ future teacher.
“No problem,” Shopkeeper Zhang replied readily. “Whenever you have time, just bring the children to the restaurant and find me.”
“Good. There’s one more thing,” Ling Jingxuan added. “I heard there’s a guarantor in town named Liu. Do you happen to know him, Brother Zhang?”
“There is someone like that,” Shopkeeper Zhang nodded. “Why do you need a guarantor? Buying land?”
For farmers, once they earned money, the first thing they usually did was buy land.
“Heh… something like that.” Ling Jingxuan smiled. “Since the children will be studying in town, I’m thinking of buying a carriage for them. And perhaps a dairy cow. Also—as you can see—this house of mine is so shabby that a strong wind might knock it down. I want to buy a few dozens of mu of homestead land around here and build several bright brick houses with tiled roofs.”
Previously, he hadn’t dared to plan too much because his funds were limited. Now that money was flowing more freely, if he was going to build a house, he might as well plan everything at once.
Although he spoke of building a few brick houses, what he actually had in mind was a three-courtyard compound, complete with side wings and rear buildings—something more like a small estate. He even intended to plan space for fish ponds and orchards.
Of course, since they needed somewhere to live first, the main residence would be built first. The rest could be completed gradually in the future. The key now was to secure the land and build the surrounding walls.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Shopkeeper Zhang nodded approvingly. “Homestead land isn’t expensive. Old Liu has a good reputation and handles things reliably. Once you’ve bought the land, I’ll introduce you to a few construction teams that build houses for the wealthy families in town. Their work is solid and their prices are fair.”
“Hehe… that would be perfect,” Ling Jingxuan laughed. “I was just worrying about not finding people to build the house. To be honest, Brother Zhang, in Lingjia Village I probably couldn’t hire workers even if I had money.”
He said it jokingly, poking fun at himself. Of course he could find workers if he wanted—he simply didn’t want to hire anyone from Lingjia Village. He had no intention of paying people only to hear them gossip endlessly behind his back.
“Hmph. Ignore those people,” Shopkeeper Zhang snorted disdainfully. “One day they’ll regret it.”
Seeing that the workers were already waiting outside in the courtyard, he stood up.
“It’s getting late. I should head back—soon the restaurant will get busy and I need to be there. When you’re ready to build the house, just come find me at the restaurant.”
“Alright,” Ling Jingxuan nodded with a smile. “I’ll be heading to town later today anyway. And the matter of the children—I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Zhang.”
Ling Jingxuan rose to his feet as he spoke and started walking. Ling Jinghan and Ling Jingpeng—who had just finished moving the goods—followed behind with faint smiles on their faces. The two little buns leaned close to Ling Chenglong’s side.
By now, the entrance outside the Ling family home was already packed with villagers who had come to watch the commotion. When they saw Ling Jingxuan and his two brothers escorting Shopkeeper Zhang out together, everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Even though rumors about Ling Jingxuan had been spreading one after another over the past half month, many people still refused to believe it—that the dull, foolish man they once pushed around had completely transformed.
“Being poor and backward isn’t the scary part,” Shopkeeper Zhang said before getting into the carriage. “It’s ignorance that ruins people. Brother Ling, those folks are nothing but snobs. When the day comes that you rise high and prosper, who knows how desperately they’ll try to curry favor with you.”
These days, Shopkeeper Zhang had learned quite a bit about Ling Jingxuan and genuinely felt indignant on his behalf. As far as he was concerned, men bearing children wasn’t unheard of in history. Not only was it not strange—it was actually a blessing. Otherwise, why couldn’t everyone do it?
Ling Jingxuan chuckled. “Thank you, Brother Zhang. After all these years, I’m used to it.”
Did he really look like someone who cared about gossip like that?
“Alright then, I’ll be off.”
“Take care, Brother Zhang!”
After seeing him off, the three brothers exchanged smiles. Without even sparing the surrounding villagers a glance, they turned and walked back into the courtyard.
What others thought or said had nothing to do with them—as long as no one came looking for trouble.
Naturally, the news also reached the ears of the Ling family. Some scoffed, some sighed, and some began calculating their schemes. But no matter what their reactions were, none of their plans would ever succeed. If they still believed that Ling Jinghan and the others—now separated from the Ling household—were easy targets to manipulate, they were gravely mistaken.
“Daddy, are you and Little Uncle going to town?”
After being busy all morning, they finally had time to eat. One of the little buns blinked his bright eyes at him with longing, the look on his face practically shouting: I want to go too!
“Mhm.” Ling Jingxuan accepted the bowl of porridge Yan Shengrui handed him and affectionately ruffled the child’s hair. “Daddy’s going to buy a carriage and a dairy cow, and I’ll also bring someone back to measure the land. Our family is going to build a house. You two stay home today—once everything’s arranged, I’ll take you to town. You heard Uncle Zhang earlier, didn’t you? He introduced a pretty good teacher for you.”
“Oh…”
Realizing he wouldn’t be able to go today, Xiao Baozi gloomily poked at the porridge in his bowl. Ling Wen lifted his head and asked, “Daddy, are we building a blue-brick house with tiled roofs?”
“Well… a house is meant to last a lifetime. Of course we should build something a bit better.”
Ling Jingxuan’s eyes flickered as he answered as tactfully as possible, worried that his notoriously thrifty son might object. But it seemed he had underestimated him.
Ling Wen nodded seriously. “Mm. If Daddy wants to build it, then build it. But we should still save where we can. It’s not easy for our family to earn money, and having some savings is always good.”
Perhaps because they had just earned more than two thousand taels of silver today, Ling Wen didn’t oppose the idea—though he still added that little disclaimer.
Ling Jingxuan laughed. “Of course. I still need to save plenty of money so I can help you two marry wives in the future.”
“Daddy—?!”
The two little buns immediately blushed bright red at the same time. Kids in ancient times really did mature early—just little brats still, yet they were already embarrassed when the topic of marriage came up.
“I’ll go with you later,” Yan Shengrui said, glancing fondly at the boys before turning to Ling Jingxuan. The wound on his head had mostly scabbed over now. As long as he didn’t overexert himself, a trip into town should be fine.
“Alright, that works.” Ling Jingxuan thought for a moment and agreed, then turned to Ling Jinghan. “Jinghan, tell Jingpeng the names of the books you want. We’ll bring them back for you.”
“Okay. Big Brother, you be careful too. With Father and me at home, you don’t need to worry.”
The words sounded ordinary, but they carried several layers of meaning beneath the surface. Ling Jingxuan understood immediately and nodded at him with a smile in his eyes.
By the time breakfast ended, the family had already discussed their plans. Soon afterward, Ling Jingxuan, Yan Shengrui, and Ling Jingpeng headed out.
They had a long list of things to do today.
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
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