Chapter 61

Due to Song Jiaoxing's incident, the whole family had the idea of moving away. To be honest, they were a bit reluctant to leave this place before, but now they were really disgusted by Third Old Song San's family.

"I just can't bear to leave my land..." Song Xingyi sat on a stool at the door, smoking his pipe, and then said to his granddaughter, "I never thought about moving before. We survived the drought, but now we have to move. I don't feel good about it."

Song Dingxiang sat on a small stool, using an awl to mend the soles of her shoes. She heard this and said, "Actually, no one wants to move, but a big tree attracts the wind... There are not many people left in the village now. I'm thinking of buying some wasteland near the county seat to build a workshop, which will save us from having to deal with so many favors."

Song Xingyi smiled and said, "Yes, your grandma wanted to tear down the house and build a brick and tile house at first, and I also said that a big tree attracts the wind. None of my brothers could afford to build a brick and tile house. If we built one, would others feel comfortable?"

Song Dingxiang said, "But there are some things that cannot be avoided just by not doing them. We have not provoked the Third Granduncle's family, but look at all these incidents. And the other people in the village, we set up a workshop for them to earn money, but they may not all appreciate our kindness. Especially Eight Uncle's wife, she might have said a lot of bad things about our family recently. Now there are people saying that I stole Song Taohong's marriage, it's probably Eight Auntie spreading rumors. As time goes by, it's not good to bring up past events, can we afford not to provoke them?"

"Ah, why can't things just calm down..." Song Xingyi also understood very clearly, if it weren't for Song Dingxiang offering a prescription to seek protection from the Wang family, their family would have been torn apart long ago.

That's how people in the village are, either everyone is poor together, or everyone is rich together. But when you are the only one with money, others feel very uncomfortable.

This discomfort, if suppressed for a long time, will lead to troubles.

But one cannot always be afraid of causing trouble and stay poor forever, water flows downwards and people move upwards, who doesn't want to live a good life with money in their pockets?

Moreover, their money was hard-earned through hard work.

Take clearing the land as an example, he bought so much fallow land, many people laughed at him in the past, but now aren't they all envious? After planting buckwheat for three years, the land was well maintained, this year they could plant winter wheat seeds, and next year they could harvest bags of grains.

But who else could do what his family did, working hard with the whole family, weeding, catching insects, turning the soil, picking stones, spending so much effort to clean up those dozens of acres of fallow land.

People are not afraid of being poor, but of getting used to it and losing their ambitions.

"In fact, the other people in the village are okay, it's just my Eldest, Second, and Third Granduncle's families... Grandpa, I am also afraid." Song Dingxiang pulled the hemp thread and looked over at Song Xingren, "Sixth Uncle said they came up with those schemes just to cheat people out of money, but who knows if they might cheat their own family for money? People's five fingers are not the same length, let alone those who have their own families, our family should consider more for our younger uncle, and our families have so many children, we can't be caught up just because we don't want to let go."

"Grandpa understand what you said, I just can't figure it out, can't we just earn money by farming well? Why do we have to think of all these crooked ways? Forget it, let's move out, we need to think carefully about hiring people for the housework, if we don't set up a workshop here, we don't need to hire many people, one or two to take care of our house here is enough. This house was built penny by penny after I married your grandmother, it's worth cherishing."

That house embodies the efforts of Song Xingyi, every piece of wood and every brick is the result of his hard work over the years, gradually accumulated to provide a place for himself and his family to shelter from the wind and rain.

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "I have thought about this matter a long time ago. Last time, when Mr. Wang came, I talked to him about it. He mentioned that he had bought a few people during the disaster year, so I plan to go there tomorrow and see if there are any suitable ones. Once this matter is settled, we can all move out soon."

She had never thought of becoming wealthy; it was only after coming here and seeing how good her parents and other relatives were that she had the idea of ensuring a good life for them, rather than cutting off ties after getting married.

The saying "once a daughter is married, she is like spilled water" seemed to sever all ties between a daughter and her own family. However, she was fortunate to have good parents, brothers, and grandparents who loved every child in their family, regardless of gender.

This made Song Dingxiang very content, and it was because of this that she tried her best to ensure a good life for her family and to provide them with a stable life.

Song Dingxiang went to the Wang family empty-handed for the first time. Madam Wang welcomed her, and Song Dingxiang apologized, saying, "I haven't been able to save much silver in these two years. All the money in the house has been used to buy the house, so we are not very well off. I really don't know what to bring this time, please understand, Madam."

"What are you saying? Am I still thinking about the things you brought?" Madam Wang laughed and said, "It's just that when you move to the county town in the future, it will be inconvenient for our families to visit each other. Thinking about this makes me feel uncomfortable."

Song Dingxiang said, "I originally planned to buy in the town, but after looking around, I didn't find anything suitable. I happened to buy that courtyard and I really like it."

Madam Wang sat her down and said, "You did well to buy that courtyard. The previous owner of that courtyard was known to my husband, but his reputation was not good, and your uncle didn't want to associate with him. After he said he wanted to sell the courtyard, I did consider it, but the fact that his mistress lived in the courtyard... and gave birth there, made me feel superstitious, so I abandoned the idea."

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "My family doesn't have so many taboos. The main thing is that the courtyard is big, so it's perfect for our whole family to live together. It's spacious and comfortable."

Madam Wang stared at her for a long time and said, "Dingxiang, you are a woman after all, and you are married off. Why do you put so much effort into thinking of ways to make money for your maiden family? Have you ever thought about one day..."

Song Dingxiang said, "To be honest, madam, I have thought about these things. If that day really comes, I can only say that I don't have much family's fate. But I can't just ignore the present because of a possible future, right?"

"Now, whether it's my uncle's family or my brother and sister-in-law, they are all sincerely trying to live a good life. It's impossible to say that they don't have any calculations, but as long as they know my kindness when they have something in their own hands, I will be satisfied."

Madam Wang sighed and said, "You really are open-minded. I'm a little envious of you. By the way, I've arranged everything for you about buying people. Liu Cui, go and bring those two families over."

"What does 'two families' mean?" Song Dingxiang asked, somewhat surprised.

Madam Wang smiled and said, "Don't you understand? Buying people also requires attention. If you're buying individuals, you need to buy young girls or boys. However, if they are too young and inexperienced, they can't do much work, only suitable for entertaining the young masters and misses of wealthy families."

"You're not buying people for entertainment, but to manage all the affairs in your house, right? In that case, you need to buy a whole family. The women manage the housework, the men take care of outdoor tasks, and the children can run errands. Because they are all together as a family, there are no messy thoughts, so it's the most suitable."

"I never thought about it that way. Madam has a far-sighted vision." Song Dingxiang had never purchased people before – she was just a regular factory worker in the past, and there was no such practice after liberation.

Even now, the idea of buying people made her uneasy, as they were living human beings, not commodities to be bought and sold – who could feel comfortable with that?

Nevertheless, in this era, there were many people who preferred to be sold to wealthy households as servants rather than suffer from hunger and cold with their own families. And if they did well, and became a profitable servant in front of the master, life would be more comfortable than many ordinary families.

Wang Quan was such a person – a child fleeing from disaster who had now become a steward, overseeing the maids and servants of the Wang family. When he went out, everyone greeted him respectfully, bowing and using formal titles.

Song Dingxiang had considered for a long time before suggesting to buy a few servants to help take care of their old house and fields. Fortunately, Song Xingyi was open-minded and Li shi was reasonable, so they did not refuse the idea.

Only Fang shi and Zhang shi felt a bit conflicted but ultimately felt it would bring blessings.

Their family was at most a middle-class household with some land and money – how could they possibly buy servants?

But now, with Song Zhixuan excelling in the imperial examination, things were different. With the high ranking, there was no fear of not having an official position.

In the households of officials, it was justified to have a few servants to help with chores.

Liu Cui brought a group of people who automatically divided into two groups in front of Song Dingxiang.

Song Dingxiang looked at each of them. It was clear that these two families were different.

One family appeared spirited, with a hint of cleverness in their eyes. The other family seemed honest and kind, with very sincere smiles.

Madam Wang said, "Both of your families, please share your situations, starting with this side." She gestured casually.

The family that seemed clever had a man in his early thirties and a woman in her late twenties. They had three children – an older thin boy, around twelve or thirteen, a girl who was about seven, and a very cute youngest girl of four or five.

"Inform the master, my surname is Liu, full name Liu Dagui, and this is my family. My wife's name is Zhao Ronghua. These three children are ours. I used to manage the store and estate for our previous master, so I am somewhat of a steward. Our whole family used to live in Pang County, but due to severe drought, our previous master sold most of the people, and my family followed to this area, just to have food to eat."

The other family's man was surnamed Li, named Li Sheng. He didn't have the same steward experience as Liu Dagui, as their family used to do manual labor.

He was nearing forty, and his wife was around thirty-five or six. They had a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, who had just turned eleven this year.

These two families had been sold and moved around, likely experiencing much hardship. Even though they were now wearing clean clothes, their faces still held traces of worry, and they all looked very thin.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been bought so cheaply.

Madam Wang said to Song Dingxiang, "Actually, both of these families are quite suitable for your household. One can help you manage the workshop with their experience, and the other can assist with all the household affairs. Their children are still young, perfect to serve as maids or servants for your siblings. Initially, I thought your family might have a need for them, so I had Wang Quan keep an eye out, and it turned out they are a good match."

Song Dingxiang was excited – just as Madam Wang had said, both families were indeed very suitable. But...

"Must have cost quite a bit of silver, right?" She hesitated a bit. "I hope you won't mind me saying this, but the silver I brought this time was actually the one Master Wang brought to my house last time."

Madam Wang chuckled and said, "It won't cost much, as it was bought during a disaster year, so naturally, it was quite cheap. I won't beat around the bush – we bought those two families for sixty taels initially, and after raising them for some time, I'm asking for seventy taels from you. How about it?"

Song Dingxiang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Indeed, it's a good deal."

Buying people is not something you can do for just a few taels of silver. Ordinary maids or servants cost around ten taels, and if they have some looks, the price goes higher, not to mention skilled workers like them.

It's because of the disaster year that many people are willing to engage in profiteering during such times.

Song Dingxiang was also one of those profiteers, so she had no qualms about it.

Seeing her interest, Madam Wang smiled and asked, "Are you taking them away today, or will it be some time later?"

Song Dingxiang replied, "Let's take them away today. One family can go to the county to prepare the house, and the other can accompany me to the village to get acquainted. My family is planning to move in a few days... mainly because my relatives are not reliable, and I'm afraid they might cause trouble."

Lady Wang said, "I've heard about the issues with your relatives. It's indeed wise to move. My mother-in-law left her hometown and came here for the same reason – the relatives were just... sigh, none of them were trustworthy."

Her father-in-law passed away early, and the concubines he brought in before also had children, causing a lot of drama. Besides, the other concubines were always causing trouble, especially the one with sons.

The old lady had to leave that chaotic household for the sake of her only son, which was truly admirable.

Song Dingxiang and Madam Wang completed the transaction, exchanging silver and a contract. She gave the key to the city house to the clever family and then took the honest family back to the village.

When they arrived in the village, they couldn't openly say they had purchased the family, or they would be criticized. Coincidentally, Li Sheng shared the surname Li, so Li shi simply claimed they were distant relatives who had come to seek refuge after facing hardships.

The villagers saw that the family seemed honest and didn't pay much attention to it.

After lunch, Song Dingxiang gathered the family together and said to Li Sheng and his family, "It is fate that has brought you here after we purchased you. We will be moving to the county in a few days, and you will need to take care of everything in the yard and the fields here. We are not a family that puts on airs, but we do have our rules. Do you understand?"

Li Sheng quickly knelt down and said, "Second Young Lady, you are right. We are not unruly servants."

Song Dingxiang let them kneel for a while before continuing, saying, "We do not practice excessive kneeling in our home, but I know you were serving in a wealthy household before, so you must have had a better life there. In our home, we only ensure you have enough to eat and warm clothes. We may not be able to provide gourmet food and lavish clothing. The monthly wages may not be high, but in our village, as long as it's not a disaster year, there is no shortage of food and drink, and you won't need to spend much money."

Li Sheng's wife replied, "Second Young Lady, rest assured. Our family is used to doing manual labor and chores rather than serving directly. My husband is skilled in carpentry, and I can do some sewing. We are familiar with farming as well and can take good care of things."

Satisfied, Song Dingxiang nodded and added, "From now on, your family will receive one tael of silver each month. I know it's not much, but that's all we can afford for now. If things improve in the future, we will increase the wages. Don't think it's too little – earning one tael of silver a month in the village is already quite good."

Li Sheng hurriedly said, "We don't consider it too little; it's already a lot. All we want is to have enough to eat, warm clothes, and a place to call home."

"Grandpa, Grandma, is there anything else you'd like to add?" Song Dingxiang asked.

Song Xingyi said, "There's nothing else to say. Just work diligently, and if you fail to do so, you can be sold off."

This statement was still taught by Song Dingxiang, and after practicing many times, he was able to say it without stumbling over his words, and his face didn't even turn red.

The Li family quickly bowed their heads and promised to work diligently so that the master's family wouldn't have to worry.

They were arranged to stay in the courtyard where the pigs were kept. When Song Dingxiang came back after arranging everything, Fang shi asked in confusion, "Can you explain why those two both have skills but still had to be sold as servants?"

Song Dingxiang chuckled and replied, "They do have skills, but they are bound by contracts in the hands of others, so they had no choice. Besides, selling themselves at least guarantees them food to eat and a more stable life than going out to fend for themselves."

Fang shi shook her head and said, "I'd rather go out and fend for myself than sell myself."

Song Zhiyuan couldn't help but laugh and cry, "Where do you think you'd go? Who would even buy you?"

Fang shi laughed too and said, "I was just saying. For her, living in the village her whole life, having a piece of land, growing food, and having food to eat was already satisfying. If she had some skills, she wouldn't give up her freedom, even if she had to work hard for others."

In the afternoon, Song Xingyi took Li Sheng to familiarize himself with their own land, leaseholders, lotus pond, and orchard. They also went to visit the home of the Sixth Brother, Song Xingzhi, to meet the people there.

Li Sheng mentioned that he also knew how to manage fruit trees, which excited Song Xingzhi. He engaged in a lively conversation with Li Sheng and by the time they left, they were almost like brothers.

Song Xingyi said to him, "Our family will be moving to the county town in a few days. In the future, if you need anything, just find Li Sheng, and don't hesitate. If that family really causes trouble and can't be controlled, you can come to the county town to find me. If they stir up trouble that you can't handle, you can always hide away."

Song Xingzhi laughed and said, "Fourth Brother, you worry too much. If things really get out of hand, I will definitely take my family to seek refuge with you."

In fact, he was also envious but didn't have much money in hand and didn't dare to act rashly. However, he knew that his Fourth Brother was virtuous and kind-hearted.

If there was a real problem and they needed help, he would definitely not ignore it.

Song Dingxiang and their family were packing up at home. Despite their poverty, they had accumulated many valuable items over time. Now, as they prepared to move, they found it difficult to decide what to bring and what to leave behind.

Song Dingxiang was conflicted. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Just bring the essentials for now," she said.

"There are already household items there, so you don't need to bring those. We'll make new clothes later, so feel free to bring all the fabrics. As for clothes, wear the old ones you have. If you're attached to any of them, you can keep them for Li Sheng's family."

They ended up with a large pile of things to bring with them, delaying their move by two days.

When Liu Dagui and his family arrived at the county town, they greeted Song Yulan and Song Hutou, then began to organize the large courtyard they were given. By the time Song Dingxiang and their family had completely moved in, Liu Dagui's family had cleaned up the two gardens, preparing them for planting vegetables and flowers.

Their eldest son, Liu Jinying, helped Song Yulan with errands, while their second son, Liu Yuying, assisted with taking care of her child, Song Dabao, and even helped mend clothes for Song Hutou and Tudan.

Only a small maid was left, who was still very young but very responsible. When Song Dingxiang and their family arrived, she volunteered to help take care of the children.

This amused Fang shi and Zhang shi, who laughed and said, "You are still a child, how can you help us take care of the children?"

The little girl didn't have a formal name yet, so she was simply called "Ya Ya." She lifted her little head and said in all seriousness, "My parents said that the master doesn't keep servants who are incapable. Although I'm small and can't do heavy work, I promise I can take good care of the young master and young miss."

Song Dingxiang smiled and said, "They're close in age and can play together. Anyway, our courtyard is big, so just let them play by themselves."

This big courtyard opened the Song family's eyes. They saw that everything was good, and they couldn't imagine that one day they would be able to live in such a good place.

Song Dingxiang arranged the accommodations for everyone. Liu Daguai and his family lived in the back room at the entrance, the courtyard at the entrance was used to entertain guests, and Song Zhiyuan and his family lived in the courtyard at the back.

Three rooms in the courtyard were given to Song Zhixuan, and there was also a study room.

Song Zhicheng and his whole family, along with the elderly couple, lived in the east courtyard. The last room next to the store was given to Song Yulan and Song Hutou to live in.

As for the west courtyard, Song Dingxiang planned to make pickled vegetables and such. This courtyard was located at the furthest corner and not close to any other families, so they weren't worried about disturbing anyone.

"This courtyard is really nice..." Song Xingyi and Li shi, the elderly couple, weren't in a rush to pack; they were exploring each room one by one.

"It's just that the rooms aren't very spacious," Song Xingyi felt the wooden verandas and touched the carved doors and windows, pointing out flaws.

Li shi gave him a look and said, "The courtyard is spacious, you can sleep in the courtyard."

"Well, I'm just stating the facts. Our house has wide spaces. Dividing a room with half a wall makes two rooms. This room is only half the size of our house," Song Xingyi smiled mischievously while remaining stubborn.

"Half the size isn't enough for you to sleep in? It cost eight hundred taels of silver!" Li shi took a deep breath and continued, "Eight hundred taels, you could build a big brick house in the village with that."

"Who says you're not right..." Song Xingyi also sighed. If it weren't for the troubles caused by his elder brother, second brother, and the rest of the family, they wouldn't have had to move out.

However, living in the county town is comfortable. The courtyard is quiet, and there are night patrols outside, making it much safer than living in the village.

Liu Dagui also noticed that this family was likely headed by Song Dingxiang, who was originally married off. Though surprised, he didn't show it on his face.

Whenever there was an issue, he would always talk to Song Dingxiang first. He was indeed a very shrewd person; within a few days of moving in, he had already figured out all the neighbors nearby.

"Merchants live around our house, so the street to the north is all business. The area to the east is where families with some wealth reside, and the county magistrate lives in the east. Just to the south are regular families; if we need to hire workers or visit a private doctor, we go there. There's a big courtyard to the west separated by an alley where no one lives, it used to belong to a high-ranking official, but it became vacant after some trouble. Next to our courtyard on the east lives a merchant from the south who trades in silk, porcelain, tea, and such. I went to see, the person is friendly, and we can socialize," Liu Dagui explained.

Song Dingxiang chuckled, "You really have everything figured out?"

Liu Dagui replied, "Well, I used to do this. It's important to know the neighbors of the main household to avoid trouble later."

Song Dingxiang said, "Alright, from now on, I'll leave managing everything in and out of the house to you. We can grow our own food and vegetables; let them deliver what's needed from the other side. Handle the rest and make a list if anything needs replenishing. But for the next two years, try not to make too many changes; we don't have that much money."

Liu Dagui agreed, "I understand, we're not a wealthy family, we don't need unnecessary things. I see the house is well-stocked; I'm just worried about the old master and mistress getting bored. Second Young Lady, do you think I should find a dog or a cat to keep the elderly entertained?"

Song Dingxiang thought for a moment and said, "It's not suitable for the old master and mistress. Why don't you go back and check with my father and eldest uncle at the market to see if there are any mules, sheep, or even some young chickens we can buy?"

Liu Dagui slapped his head and said, "That's right, how could I forget that!"

Who in this village cares about raising cats or dogs?

Dogs in the village are for guarding the house, not for entertainment. If we really want something to keep us entertained, we should raise chickens or ducks.

After settling in, Song Dingxiang discussed with Song Xingyi whether they should send a letter to Song Zhixuan and Zhou Yinuo to inform them of their move.

Before they could send the letter, someone came knocking on their door.

——— Author's Note:

Some readers felt that Song Dingxiang, as a married daughter, was running a business with her natal family, which might make it hard to separate her in-laws from her own family in the future.

However, Song Dingxiang is a modern woman after all. For her, the concept of distinguishing between in-laws and natal family is not as strong as it was in ancient times, especially since she doesn't have a mother-in-law. In the future, her natal family will be her support.

Moreover, she has skills and abilities, and she is not afraid of her brothers making a fuss over a little money; this is her confidence.