Chapter 162: Measuring and Dividing the Land

Yan Lao’er didn’t dare go inside.

He was afraid that if he went in to buy paper, the shopkeeper wouldn’t accept his money.

“I’ll buy it later. Let’s check out other shops first.”

Yan Lao’er glanced at the woodworking shop next door and stepped in.

The three children followed.

The border region’s style was fully reflected in the furniture.

There weren’t overly intricate carvings, just simple patterns—rustic yet grand.

Most pieces prioritized practicality.

The furniture in the shop was mostly coated with red lacquer, giving off a festive feel.

A shop assistant was about to come forward to greet them, but the shopkeeper stopped him.

“You look unfamiliar, sir. Might you be surnamed Yan?”

Yan Lao’er: That obvious? They recognized me just like that? How am I supposed to do anything in secret from now on…

No one knew what he was silently complaining about.

“Yes, my surname is Yan.”

“Haha, Brother Yan, are you looking for furniture? May I ask where your new house is located?” the shopkeeper asked with a cheerful smile.

Honestly, before dealing with the yamen officers, Yan Lao’er wouldn’t have thought much of this question. But now… it felt like the shopkeeper was fishing for his home address.

“I haven’t decided yet, just looking around,” Yan Lao’er replied cautiously.

“Father, come look at this cabinet,” Yan Yu and the others called out, standing in front of a low cabinet.

The shopkeeper took the opportunity to introduce it: “This is a kang cabinet. Brother Yan, you probably haven’t seen one before?”

Yan Lao’er: Excuse me? You’re the one who hasn’t seen one before! I’ve seen plenty!

“In Guanzhou, we use heated kang beds. Bedding and sleeping supplies are stored in low cabinets like these, also called kang chests or kang cabinets.”

Since the shopkeeper brought it up, Yan Lao’er asked, “Do you know anyone skilled at building kang beds?”

The shopkeeper chuckled. “I do, actually. You can’t judge the quality just by looking—only after burning through a winter will you know. I’ll give you a few names, and you can ask around. They do excellent work.”

The shopkeeper listed several names and their addresses.

After thanking him, Yan Lao’er was about to leave, but the shopkeeper grabbed his arm and, with a grin, stuffed two banknotes into his hand.

Then he rattled off the names of several other shops.

“We’ll be counting on you and Household Registrar Liang in the future,” he added, even escorting Yan Lao’er to the door and pointing out the businesses along the street—all of which were participating.

Yan Lao’er hadn’t expected them to be so well-coordinated.

Even if he didn’t go in, the shopkeepers would invite him in themselves.

After this happened three more times, he hadn’t moved far, yet he had practically made the rounds of all the shops in Crouching Tiger City.

The yamen officers had been too reserved in their warnings—every merchant knew exactly how to play the game.

To make carrying money easier, they all gave banknotes—each time, two notes of five taels each—along with a list of business names.

At first, Yan Lao’er tried to remember them, but he soon realized there was no need. Not a single shop had been left out.

Eventually, they returned to the bookstore from earlier.

The bookstore owner greeted them warmly.

When they inquired about paper, he quoted prices and explained that these were the types commonly used by yamen clerks.

Yan Lao’er bought two stacks, relieved that this shopkeeper at least did business normally—charging him properly without trying to offer him a discount.

As they walked back, it seemed like there were fewer people on the streets.

…

When Yan Lao’er and the others left the city, the yamen officers didn’t follow.

After all, they had just received “gifts”—it wouldn’t look good to approach them now.

Yan Huaiwen and Liang Manshan took the banknotes—twenty taels per household.

It was the perfect amount: not too excessive, but still respectable.

With dozens of businesses in the city contributing, how they divided the money among themselves was no concern of the Yan and Liang families.

Yan Huaiwen received the paper, checked the price, and nodded.

Liang Manshan, listening beside him, commented, “The businesses in Crouching Tiger City are interesting. They offer gifts, but they won’t lower their prices.”

“That’s actually better,” Yan Huaiwen said, putting down his pen.

…

After days of hard work, the land register was finally complete.

Official Tian sent people to help measure and divide the land.

When distributing grain and seeds, the Lord had promised that if they cultivated the land for three years and paid taxes for another three, they would receive land deeds.

With deeds in hand, the land would truly belong to them.

Everyone was thrilled.

They felt full of energy, walking with a spring in their step.

But when they reached the land, they all stopped in their tracks.

“This land… is really for us?” Uncle An asked in disbelief.

His words echoed the thoughts of many.

This place was just as good as Yan Lao’er had described—no, even better.

The crowd stood dumbfounded, staring at the mountains, rivers, and fields.

Yan Lao’er was getting impatient. These useless people!

“Come on, help measure the land!” he urged.

Measuring land was a major task.

The yamen officers were experienced and worked quickly.

Their job was to gather stones and wooden stakes to mark the boundaries.

A large group followed the officers as they measured.

Yan Lao’er, meanwhile, led the children in running around.

They were searching for a good spot to build their homes.

“Uncle Yan, how about here?” Liang Fengnian stopped at a spot with a large boulder.

Yan Yu eyed the area—it covered everything and was right in the center.

Yan Lao’er stomped the ground, checked around, and found the soil firm.

“Alright, this is the place. The boulder makes it easy to find.”

Liang Fengnian grinned.

Using the boulder as the center, Yan Lao’er started muttering to himself.

“We need a large threshing ground here for drying grain…

The house plots can’t be too small—families will grow over time…

A mill in the center would be convenient…

We need wide roads for ox carts, at least wide enough for two to pass side by side…”

Yan Lao’er was generous—he planned everything on a large scale.

When Village Chief Luo arrived, he almost lost his temper.

“If you divide the land like this, will there be enough to go around?”

Yan Lao’er argued, “Chief, won’t each family grow over time? And they’ll raise chickens and pigs too. Front yards, backyards—plus houses—it all adds up!”

Village Chief Luo picked up a stick and sternly said, “Watch closely.”

He marked out a section of land, and Yan Yu quickly placed a stone there.

The chief gave an approving nod.

He swiftly outlined a reasonable land division.

“This is the right size. Follow this plan,” he said, then turned to the boulder.

“So, this boulder marks our village center?”

Yan Lao’er nodded eagerly.

The chief scanned the surroundings.

“We can’t have houses packed too close together. People living too close always end up arguing. Space them out—your layout was too cramped.”

Using the stick, he drew a circle representing the boulder, then added lines radiating outward.

“The boulder stays in the center. The area around it remains open. These lines are roads…”

—End of Chapter—