Chapter 167: Land Reclamation

Er Tie brought back many small birds with Si Tie and Wu Tie.

After being identified by Yan Lao’er, they turned out to be quails.

Happily, they took the children to pluck the feathers and remove the innards, washed them clean, and roasted them to eat.

As soon as the Yan family’s seasonings were brought out, the children stood by, swallowing their saliva repeatedly.

The tiny quails had pitifully little meat, and each person only got a small morsel. But the children were overjoyed, smacking their lips continuously, even chewing and swallowing the fine bones.

Si Tie and Wu Tie wanted more, but being sensible, they didn’t pester Er Tie further.

Now that the land had been allocated, their family received a total of fifty-five acres.

Even with the many men in the Luo family, such a large amount of land was a heavy burden.

What’s more, this was not ordinary farmland—it was wasteland.

If the Luo family felt the pressure, the Yan family’s burden was even greater.

At that moment, the Yan family was gathered to discuss how to reclaim the land.

“We should clear the land first and plow it deeply,” Yan Lao’er had already made up his mind. “Once that’s done, I’ll go dig up some river mud to fertilize the soil.”

Yan Huaiwen said, “Just sprinkle some plant ash for now. Don’t touch the riverbanks too much yet.”

Seeing that his younger brother didn’t quite understand, he explained, “We’re unfamiliar with this section of the river. Right now, the water level has dropped due to the heat, but when the weather cools, we don’t know how much it will rise. Let’s observe for a winter before making any decisions.”

Yan Lao’er readily agreed. “In that case, we should gather all the weeds from the fields and burn them directly as fertilizer.

“Oh, by the way, big brother, we’re short on farm tools. Should we make a trip to Crouching Tiger City to check? Especially the plow—Sanbao is waiting to use it.”

Yan Lao’er felt bad for Sanbao. As a hardworking ox, it was unacceptable that he didn’t even have proper equipment.

Yan Huaiwen had long become immune to the name “Sanbao.”

“Tomorrow, Manshan and I will be at the yamen for work. I’ll inquire about it. If we can’t get it in time, we’ll ask Qi Wu if he can make us a wooden plow for now.”

“Alright, I’ll go ask later,” Yan Lao’er said.

“How did things go at the quarry and brick factory today?” Yan Huaiwen asked.

Yan Lao’er reported the prices of blue and red bricks, as well as waste stone materials. He also mentioned wanting to hire professionals to build their house.

Yan Huaiwen had no objections and nodded. “Good, let’s hire someone so we can focus on reclaiming the land.”

After thinking for a moment, he took out a twenty-tael silver note and said, “Tianyou, if money runs short, use this.”

“Big brother, we still have enough. If it’s not enough, I’ll ask you again,” Yan Lao’er declined.

Yan Huaiwen shook his head. “I’ll be working at the yamen, so you’ll have to manage everything at home. Don’t just think about saving money—find ways to increase income instead of just cutting expenses.

“If the fieldwork is too much, don’t push yourself. Hiring help is also an option.”

Yan Lao’er quickly replied, “There’s not much work—just clearing stones, weeding, and plowing, which Sanbao can handle. Once the seeds are planted, it’ll be easier. Then I’ll just supervise the house construction.”

Seeing that his younger brother had a plan, Yan Huaiwen felt more reassured.

“Make sure to tell the workers in advance that we won’t be providing meals. They should bring their own food, but we’ll compensate with higher wages.” He was concerned that his sister-in-law, being pregnant, wouldn’t be able to manage cooking for them.

Yan Lao’er immediately objected. “Big brother, building a house is hard work. Usually, the employer provides meals. Even if we pay more, they might still skimp on their own food, and if they’re not well-fed, their work will be sluggish.

“I think we should find an efficient auntie to handle the cooking. What do you think?”

“Alright, then let your wife ask around in the village and see if anyone is willing to help for a few days,” Yan Huaiwen said, turning to Li Xuemei.

Li Xuemei nodded, “I’ll start asking tomorrow.”

With the household matters settled, Yan Huaiwen turned his attention to his children and niece.

He made them turn in their previous assignments and then conducted a surprise test on their past memorization work.

Yan Xiangheng, having endured long-term “torment,” answered fluently.

Yan Yu had a good memory and recited everything flawlessly.

Only Da Ya had been slacking in her studies and had forgotten most of what she had learned. Her father punished her by making her copy the texts multiple times.

Da Ya blushed with embarrassment.

Yan Yu sympathized with her cousin and quietly slipped her small hand into Da Ya’s, offering silent support.

Meanwhile, Yan Lao’er felt doomed.

Practicing calligraphy… even during the busy farming season, he couldn’t escape it.

He didn’t even dare imagine how things would be once Lao Yan had more free time.

“Brother, why don’t you rent a place in Crouching Tiger City? Going back and forth is too exhausting for you.”

Yan Lao’er praised himself for his quick thinking—brilliant!

“No need. The household registration office will only get busy around the autumn harvest. There’s not much to do right now.”

Hearing Tianyou mention his travels to Crouching Tiger City, Yan Huaiwen remembered something.

“Talk to the village chief and elders about dividing up the village’s livestock. Keeping them in a mixed herd isn’t very convenient.”

Yan Lao’er hadn’t thought about that at all—probably because no one in the village had ever argued over using the animals.

The mules and donkeys were currently being treated very well. Every day, someone brought them food—fresh green grass from the riverbanks, mountains, and forests. The villagers would bring them treats whenever they found something good.

“It might take a while. Everyone is busy reclaiming land. This isn’t a small matter, and it won’t be settled in just a day or two.” Yan Lao’er said.

“Just keep it in mind,” Yan Huaiwen instructed.

In the end, he still handed over the silver note, leaving Yan Lao’er no choice but to accept it.

After calculating, he realized that he didn’t have much money left.

Earning money was now an urgent matter.

—

At dawn, Yan Huaiwen and Liang Manshan set off in a donkey cart.

Yan Lao’er, along with his family, decided to start work on the land near the river.

The soil near the river had fewer stones but more weeds.

Being cunning, he brought both Sanbao and Mao Mao with him.

Sanbao could graze as he worked, naturally clearing a lot of weeds.

Mao Mao… well, it could roam around and “greet” the wild ducks in the reeds.

Their ten acres by the river bordered Aunt Rong’s five acres.

Yan Xiangheng and Da Ya were working hard, and when they looked up, they suddenly noticed that the neighbor auntie had hoed past the boundary.

“Auntie, this is our land.” Da Ya’s face was flushed, sweat beading on her forehead.

Aunt Rong smiled, nodded, and pointed at Li Xuemei, then at herself.

Da Ya looked confused.

Li Xuemei quickly explained, “Da Ya, this is your Auntie Rong. She has some difficulty speaking.”

Hearing this, Da Ya felt embarrassed and quickly called out, “Auntie Rong.”

Aunt Rong smiled kindly and continued hoeing.

Yan Lao’er pulled his nephew, niece, and daughter aside.

“This Auntie Rong got separated from her family. She’s all alone and can’t speak. Since we need someone to cook, your aunt thought we could ask her.

“She agreed and isn’t asking for much money. So we decided that when Sanbao plows, we’ll also help plow her land a bit.

“But who would’ve thought—she insists on helping us weed. No matter how we refuse, she won’t listen!”

Yan Yu was unimpressed. Her father was a master at “persuading” her big brother and big sister.