Mar 17, 2026
Chapter 71 — Signing the Contract • Paying the Money
“Yes, greetings, Master Xuan!”
Finally snapping back to their senses, Song Gengniu led his family in bowing respectfully, cold sweat still clinging to their backs. Compared with the thunderous titles of Master or Young Master, Master Xuan sounded far better. Ling Jingxuan simply nodded symbolically, then turned back and tossed Yan Shengrui a faint smile before saying to Broker Liu,
“Let’s go take a look at the carriage and the dairy cow.”
With all the back-and-forth delays, more than half an hour had already passed. Jingpeng should be back soon. I wonder how the land measuring went…
“Hm? Oh—right, Brother Ling, this way please.”
Broker Liu, who was clearly still a little distracted, hurriedly gestured for them to follow. His gaze drifted again and again toward Yan Shengrui.
At first, after hearing him speak earlier, Broker Liu had assumed he was simply Ling Jingxuan’s friend or perhaps a brother. Later, when Ling Jingxuan said he was merely a farmer, Broker Liu had naturally lumped the man together with him.
But… what kind of farmer carried such an aura of killing intent and overwhelming presence?
His instincts told him that this man’s identity was far from simple.
Thinking this through only strengthened Liu’s determination to build a connection with Ling Jingxuan. One was a farmer whose medical skills were extraordinary enough to cure the plague—yet who hardly resembled a farmer at all. The other was a powerful, domineering man who looked ordinary but could not possibly be ordinary.
On the surface they seemed completely different, their temperaments worlds apart. But in truth, they were the same type of people—individuals who embodied the strange contradiction of both the ordinary and the extraordinary at once.
“Brother Ling, what do you think of this horse?”
Liu led them straight to the most striking and robust black horse in the stable.
“This is the offspring of a famous ‘hàn xuè mǎ’(sweat-blood) horse from the Western Regions and one of our Qing Dynasty’s finest breeds. Look here—the rump and haunches are broad and well-muscled, the form perfectly balanced. The body lines are elegant, the muscles tight and powerful. Not only can it travel a thousand li in a day, it can run at full speed even while carrying a heavy load.”
Ling Jingxuan’s eyes immediately lit up. He ran his hand along the horse again and again, carefully examining it.
The animal was tall and strong, its back and hips forming a clean line, its limbs sturdy and powerful. Most importantly, its temperament was gentle.
Perfect for pulling a carriage.
“What do you think?”
When it comes to horses, who could possibly have more authority to judge than Yan Shengrui? Even though he had lost his memory, Ling Jingxuan still instinctively turned to ask his opinion.
Yan Shengrui circled the horse once before nodding.
“Not bad. If this horse were used in the army, it would be too gentle and not quite suitable. But since we’re buying it for the children, it’s perfect.”
The words slipped from his mouth almost reflexively, and even he didn’t notice anything strange about them. The way he spoke of the army sounded so natural—like something that had always been a part of his life.
Ling Jingxuan’s eyes flickered slightly.
He sighed inwardly.
So my guess really was right.
He must be the current Prince Sheng.
If possible, he truly wanted nothing to do with the Imperial Family. Unfortunately… it seemed that was no longer possible.
“What are you thinking about?”
Seeing him stand there without responding for so long, Yan Shengrui walked over in confusion. Ignoring the many people present, he lifted a hand and gently touched Ling Jingxuan’s cheek, naked concern filling both his face and eyes.
“Nothing,” Ling Jingxuan replied, returning to himself. “Just suddenly remembered something.”
He brushed the man’s hand away and turned to Broker Liu.
“How much for this horse?”
“I bought it for twenty taels, so I’ll sell it to you for twenty as well—consider it helping you bring it home,” Broker Liu replied readily. “The carriage is calculated separately, though. Depends on what type you want. I’ve got a simple wooden flatbed cart, an enclosed carriage, and a luxury carriage with soft cushions and bedding.”
“The wooden cart is two taels, the enclosed carriage five taels, and the luxury carriage ten taels. Once you decide, Brother Ling, I’ll have someone prepare it for you right away.”
Since he had already decided to build a relationship with Ling Jingxuan, Broker Liu had no intention of quoting inflated prices anymore. Every figure he offered now was a straightforward break-even cost.
“Then we’ll take the luxury carriage,” Ling Jingxuan said without hesitation.
Price wasn’t the issue—comfort was. In the future, the children would have to ride it back and forth between the town and the village every day. How could it be uncomfortable? For the sake of his little buns, no amount of silver was too much.
Seeing his choice, Broker Liu waved over a shop assistant. After the man led the black horse away from the stable, Broker Liu brought them next door to the cattle shed.
A row of sturdy plow oxen stood tethered there. Only in the corner was a single large dairy cow tied up—black and white mottled. Judging from the look of it, the cow had recently calved; its udder was swollen and full.
“To be honest with you, Brother Ling,” Liu said, “this is the only dairy cow I have. There aren’t any others. If you want it, I’ll sell it to you cheaply—eight taels.”
Cattle were extremely valuable in the Qing Dynasty, especially plow oxen. The Imperial Court had even established specific laws to protect them. If an ordinary person slaughtered one without cause, the punishment was death. Only when an ox was old or dying of illness could it be killed—and even then, only after obtaining official permission from the authorities.
Of course, those laws applied mainly to commoners. In any dynasty, regulations meant little to members of the imperial family or powerful nobles. There was an old saying: “When a prince breaks the law, he should be punished the same as a commoner.” But throughout history, how many princes had truly been executed for breaking the law?
“Brother Zhao, I’ll trouble you with this.”
Although there was no other choice, Ling Jingxuan still didn’t act carelessly. If he accidentally bought a sick cow and brought disease home to the family, it would be disastrous.
As always, Zhao Dalong remained silent. He stepped forward and carefully examined the cow several times before nodding.
“It’s in good condition.”
“Alright, then we’ll take it,” Ling Jingxuan said before turning back to Broker Liu. “If you come across more good dairy cows in the future, please go to Xinyuan Restaurant and find Shopkeeper Zhang. Tell him Ling Jingxuan reserved them and ask him to pass the message along. I’ll take them all.”
Their household had suddenly grown by five more people. One cow probably wouldn’t produce enough milk. Since Song Gengniu’s family now belonged to him, he had no intention of treating them poorly—at the very least they needed proper nourishment to regain their health.
Besides, he was also considering giving one cow to Zhao Dalong and Han Fei. After all, they had helped him greatly throughout this entire process.
“Of course, no problem at all. Brother Ling, this way please.”
Broker Liu agreed cheerfully and gestured for them to return to the front shop. Just as they stepped back inside, Ling Jingpeng—who had gone to measure the land—returned as well.
“Big brother,” Ling Jingpeng said quietly, leaning close to him. “Just as you instructed: the eastern boundary reaches Yuehua Ditch, the western side extends to the foot of Xiaogong Mountain, and the front stretches to about a hundred meters from Brother Zhao’s house. The entire area has been purchased. In total, it’s two hundred and thirty mu.”
The number far exceeded what they had expected.
Ling Jingxuan raised his eyebrows slightly. He had assumed it would be around a hundred mu at most—yet it had more than doubled.
Still, it wasn’t a bad thing.
If the eastern boundary reached Yuehua Ditch, then once he dug fish ponds in the future, he could channel water directly from the stream. On the western side, at the foot of Xiaogong Mountain, there was also a small creek, and the land there was slightly lower—perfect for draining ponds when catching fish.
Most importantly, that creek connected to a stretch of slightly saline land, which meant irrigation wouldn’t be a problem either.
Two hundred mu, then two hundred mu it was. In the long run, it would only make things more convenient.
“Brother Ling,” Broker Liu said after listening to his assistant’s report, “the homestead land totals two hundred and thirty mu. Since you want official deeds registered with the authorities, the price is one and a half taels per mu. Does that work for you?”
Homestead land was considered relatively cheap. With an official deed, it cost only one and a half taels per mu. Ordinary dry farmland could cost five taels per mu; slightly better sandy or hillside land ran seven or eight taels. Good farmland was the most expensive—at least ten taels per mu—and even then it might not be available.
Around Datong Town, there wasn’t exactly an abundance of land waiting for buyers.
“Alright. One and a half taels it is,” Ling Jingxuan replied without hesitation. “Calculate the total.”
Broker Liu had someone bring over writing brushes, ink, paper, an inkstone, and an abacus. After a flurry of clicking beads, he finally looked up.
“Brother Ling, the carriage and horse together are thirty taels. The dairy cow is eight taels. The servants are thirty taels. The two hundred and thirty mu of land come to three hundred and forty-five taels. Altogether that makes four hundred and thirteen taels. Let’s forget the small change and round it to four hundred and ten taels. Does that look correct to you?”
“Mm, no problem.” Ling Jingxuan nodded and took out a banknote. “Here’s a five-hundred-tael silver note. Broker Liu, please verify it.”
Since he had planned to buy many things today, Ling Jingxuan had brought one thousand five hundred taels with him—just in case it wasn’t enough. When the little buns at home saw the amount he was carrying, they had nearly glared holes straight through him.
As for the remaining thousand taels… he was certain he wouldn’t be taking that out today.
“Just a moment, Brother Ling,” Liu replied.
Taking the banknote, Broker Liu rose and went over to the counter. Ling Jingxuan stood there with a faint smile on his lips, waiting calmly.
What he didn’t realize was that, aside from Yan Shengrui, everyone standing behind him had already gone completely dumbfounded.
More than four hundred taels—and he had spent it without even blinking.
They couldn’t help but feel the sting on his behalf.
“Apologies for the wait,” Broker Liu said before long as he returned with a stack of documents in his hands. “Here are the ninety taels in change, along with their contracts of sale and the purchase agreements for the livestock and land. Brother Ling, please take a look. If everything is in order, kindly sign and place your fingerprint at the bottom.”
The assistant following behind him set nine ten-tael silver ingots neatly on the table.
Ling Jingxuan took the contracts and examined them carefully. After confirming that everything looked correct, he put away the servants’ sale contracts and reached into his sleeve.
From inside, he pulled out a charcoal stick wrapped in soft bamboo bark.
It was a charcoal pencil he had made himself.
Naturally, it couldn’t compare with a modern ballpoint pen, but at least it was usable. As for a brush… he truly couldn’t control one properly.
He signed swiftly and pressed his fingerprint beside it. Just like that, the contracts were finalized.
After checking them once more, Broker Liu nodded in satisfaction.
“In three days, I’ll personally send someone to deliver the land deeds to your home. Brother Ling, if you ever need anything in the future, just let me know. Your old brother will certainly do his utmost.”
A merchant was still a merchant—even at the end he didn’t forget to curry favor.
Ling Jingxuan smiled faintly.
“Then I’ll trouble Broker Liu with it. By the way, if I wanted to hire a large number of workers to clear land, could you arrange that as well?”
“Of course,” Broker Liu replied immediately. “No matter how many people you need, just tell me the number and I’ll have them sent to you the next day. But Brother Ling, hiring workers is different from buying servants. Wages must be paid daily.”
He continued quickly, afraid Ling Jingxuan might not understand.
“It’s the busy farming season right now. A strong laborer usually earns thirty wen a day, and that’s without meals provided. During the slack season it’s cheaper.”
Broker Liu assumed Ling Jingxuan wanted laborers to reclaim the two hundred mu of land he had just purchased.
“Heh… then please help me hire thirty men tomorrow and send them to Lingjia Village,” Ling Jingxuan said casually as he tossed a ten-tael ingot onto the table. “Tell them to bring their hoes. Consider this ten taels a deposit.”
As he spoke, he was already heading toward the door.
Since the land had been bought, the work should begin immediately.
“Thirty men?” Broker Liu blinked. “Isn’t that a bit too many?”
This time he spoke out of genuine concern.
For just over two hundred mu of land, thirty strong laborers could finish the work in less than a day. The rest would simply be wasted.
“The more people, the easier the work gets done. Just find them for me.”
Ling Jingxuan’s expression hardened slightly, clearly unwilling to explain further.
Broker Liu was a shrewd man; seeing the signal, he immediately nodded.
“Very well. They’ll be there before chen shi tomorrow morning.”
When they stepped outside, the newly purchased carriage was already waiting by the roadside. The dairy cow had also been brought out.
Song Gengniu quickly climbed onto the driver’s seat of the carriage and took the whip from the assistant, clearly preparing to drive for them.
Ling Jingxuan nodded in satisfaction.
Turning back to Zhao Dalong and Han Fei, he said, “Brother Zhao, Brother Han—Shengrui, Jingpeng, and I still need to buy some daily necessities. Could I trouble you to take the cow and the four of them back first?”
“N-no problem.”
Even now, Zhao Dalong and Han Fei were still dazed.
When they saw Ling Jingxuan spend money so freely earlier, they had nearly lost their senses. Even at this moment, everything still felt unreal.
To them, four hundred taels of silver was an astronomical sum—enough to feed a family for an entire lifetime.
Notes
- 汗血馬 (hàn xuè mǎ) – “Heavenly Horses” or “sweat-blood horses,” historically famous Ferghana horses from Central Asia, believed in legend to sweat blood due to parasites that caused reddish foam. They were prized warhorses in ancient China.
- 辰時 (chén shí) – the traditional Chinese time period from 7:00–9:00 a.m.
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Translator: LazyHermitGal
Author: LazyHermitGal
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