Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Volume 4 Chapter 11

Ge Shiyan only took the land deeds from the silver and contracts her younger sister gave her. As for the twenty taels of silver, she had her sister exchange it for small-change coins.

She did not take the rest of the large sum. Instead, she entrusted her sister with exchanging all of it for land deeds.

Ge Feiyan then gave her a suggestion: there was no need to convert all that silver into farmland. They could use part of it to purchase one or two shops or small courtyards in the county town.

Farmland income might fluctuate depending on the year’s rainfall, but shops and houses were tangible assets. Not only did they provide steady rent, but their value also rose yearly, especially if the location was good.

Ge Feiyan figured that since that jade material had earned Madam Lu’s favor, they could use that timing to obtain some good shop lots and courtyards through her. Madam Lu’s father was the county clerk—no one would dare try manipulating prices in front of him.

Ge Shiyan agreed that her sister’s idea was excellent. Whether shops or farmland, as long as the price was fair, she wanted to convert all the silver into real property.

Besides that, she also asked her sister to help her find tenant farmers and renters. In the future, her Baobao only needed to wait each year to collect rent.

Ge Feiyan naturally agreed without hesitation.

The Wang family had a large residence in the countryside. Aside from occasional visits, the family lived mostly in that old estate.

Though called “countryside,” it was actually close to the town. So before returning home, Ge Shiyan made a special detour to town to buy snacks Baobao had always loved but the family couldn’t usually afford.

For example, candied roselle. Once, her sister had sent her a box of assorted candied fruits, and roselle had been among them. Sweet, soft, and slightly tart, Baobao loved it. When she asked at a shop, one tael of candied roselle cost thirty copper coins. How could an ordinary farm household afford such rare treats?

Ge Shiyan never thickened her face to ask her sister for more, but after that day, whenever her sister sent over food, she never refused again.

Now that she was flush with money, she became bold and bought a full jin of candied roselle, plus other snacks like candied plums and persimmon cakes—altogether costing just over one tael.

After buying the candied fruits, she went to an old pastry shop and bought peach crisps and soybean crisps—things she couldn’t make herself and couldn’t replicate at home—spending nearly half a tael.

All the snacks were wrapped in moisture-proof butter paper and tied with hemp string. By the time she finished, her bamboo basket was packed full. Even if Baobao ate to her heart’s content, these snacks would last her a month or two.

And they only cost a tael and a half. Baobao still had nearly a thousand taels in assets. Once converted into farmland and shops, the rental income alone would bring in a hundred or two hundred taels a year—more than enough for her to live richly.

After buying the snacks, Ge Shiyan visited a cloth shop. Although the town’s stock was not as diverse as the county’s, there were still some good fabrics available.

She boldly touched a few bolts of brightly colored, smooth satin. Baobao could now easily afford clothes made of such fine fabric. But with too many watching eyes—and the First House constantly scheming—she knew Baobao couldn’t wear such flashy material yet. Otherwise, they would say she had siphoned money from the public household.

At that moment, Ge Shiyan suddenly felt tired of living under the same roof with that group.

Living with them meant she could insult them whenever she pleased, but as long as the household was not divided, she couldn’t openly use Baobao’s wealth.

With reluctance, she moved her gaze away from those satin bolts. Her Baobao was so beautiful—if she could wear satin clothes, she would be more elegant than noble ladies.

But in the end, she only bought a bolt of fine white cotton. She already had fabric for outerwear; this cotton could be used for undergarments.

As for leftover fabric from making Baobao’s new clothes, that would go to Lin Yu. She figured she could cut a short jacket from the scraps. Just enough so the little girl would know how well she treated her—and in turn be even more loyal to them.

From beginning to end, Ge Shiyan only thought about Baobao. She never once considered using that fortune on herself or her son.

Carrying a bulging basket full of snacks in her left hand and clutching a bolt of soft cotton in her right, Ge Shiyan drew attention before she even stepped into the courtyard.

Especially from Ma Meifang. She had just come back from the fields, exhausted, kneeling in the courtyard to scrub their laundry. 

When she saw Ge Shiyan returning fully loaded, her eyes nearly burned holes through the basket.

“Mother!”

“Aunt!”

Baobao and the others ran toward her, cheering. The two children took positions closest to her. Lin Yu, thoughtful as always, stepped half a beat slower, standing beside Baobao, smiling brightly.

“Your aunt remembered you all. She insisted on preparing a bunch of snacks for you—especially you, Baobao. She said she couldn’t sleep for several nights after you fell into the water. She didn’t know which heartless beast caused you such suffering. She said she would pray hard in front of the Bodhisattva and hope those evil, inhumane things go straight to the eighteenth level of hell.” Ge Shiyan raised her voice intentionally, clearly speaking for the First House to hear.

Riiip—

Ma Meifang, as expected, became so furious she tore an old garment clean in half. With such a long rip, she would need hours to mend it at night.

“These things are mostly for you. Your aunt hopes you recover quickly so you can visit her soon.”

Since Baobao’s wealth could never be revealed, Ge Shiyan simply attributed everything to her sister.

Everyone in the village knew her younger sister was the favored concubine of a wealthy family and mother of the family’s only son. Giving her poor sister some food and cloth wasn’t strange at all.

“Auntie is so good.” Baobao sighed softly. In the original body’s memory, this aunt had always been kind—bringing rare treats for her and her brother.

“There’s some for A-Yu too.” Ge Shiyan smiled warmly at Lin Yu.

Even if the snacks were bought with Baobao’s money, she couldn’t give everything to Baobao alone. Children would grow jealous. And Baobao was too generous; she would never be comfortable eating alone.

“Your aunt was happy to hear the family gained another little guest. She told me to bring you next time to meet your relatives.”

Lin Yu clenched her fists secretly. She never expected an aunt she hadn’t even met would think of her.

But it must be because Aunt had spoken of her first.

As expected of Aunt’s own sister—just as gentle and kind. Lin Yu already felt a great fondness for this unseen aunt.

Ma Meifang strained her ears. 

Even Lin Yu, that worthless girl, got something—yet her own twins got nothing. That was blatant provocation.

She used to believe Ge Shiyan’s act of being a good stepmother, but now the mask had fallen. Of course she wouldn’t truly care about children not born from her own stomach.

She watched as Ge Shiyan unloaded one unfamiliar treat after another—snacks she had never heard of, or heard of but never afforded.

Seeing the two little fatherless and motherless girls stuffing sweets into their mouths and hands, she grew so furious her lips twisted.

And that had been exactly Ge Shiyan’s intention.

Being the villain truly felt good. She was starting to enjoy the role.

The Fu household had been heavy with tension lately—specifically the First House. They wanted to display great dissatisfaction and catch Fu Dayan’s attention.

Unfortunately, they miscalculated.

The very night Ge Shiyan returned home with the snacks, she had already told Fu Dayan everything. Her sister had sent the treats because she heard Baobao fell into the water and wanted her to recover. A portion was also a greeting gift for Lin Yu. The amount was not large enough to be divided.

Gifts from a sister-in-law—how could Fu Dayan shamelessly redistribute them? And he was a man who cared about face. He would never do something so disgraceful.

So the First House’s gloomy atmosphere and their subtle accusations about the unfair stepmother fell on deaf ears.

He merely took a few coins from his private stash and slipped them to his eldest son so his grandchildren could buy some sweets.

But that money barely bought two skewers of candied hawthorn—not comparable at all to the treats Ge Shiyan brought home.

Fu Shichun accepted the money, but resentment only built deeper.

Buying farmland and shops would take time—good properties weren’t wild vegetables one could pick up anywhere. But the matter of finding a good teacher for her son progressed quickly.

The teacher lived in the neighboring village. According to Ge Feiyan, he was perfectly adequate for a child just beginning studies.

Fu Shinian was still young. It was best for him to live at home for now. In two or three years, when he was older, he could be sent to a proper academy, where the teachers were better and the learning environment stronger.

The moment she received the news, Ge Shiyan took her son to the neighboring village. She left Baobao in Lin Yu’s care.

After spending some time together, she already trusted Lin Yu. Though Lin Yu was only seven, she was steadier than many grown girls. Leaving Baobao with her brought no worry.

It was coincidence that soon after Ge Shiyan left, several of the original body’s little childhood companions came by. They wanted to go to the mountain foot to look for wild fruit.

Ge Shiyan had warned Baobao not to go near the deep pool or into the mountains, but had never forbidden going to the mountain foot to pick wild fruit.

Seeing Baobao depressed and endlessly grinding stones these days, Lin Yu felt this outing would be good for her—plus, the village was safe, and she would be there to protect her.

Baobao herself couldn’t wait to expand her “map,” so she agreed immediately. 

The two little sisters happily changed into old clothes and shoes and joined the pack of village children heading for the mountain foot.

On the way, they passed a river that flowed through the village. Several people were fishing along the banks.

That was when Baobao discovered another use for her mouse nose.

When they reached a certain stretch of river, she smelled roasted shrimp.

It smelled exactly like the kind of shady barbeque stall where you paid twenty coins for “prawns,” but the boss handed you a skewer of finger-sized shrimp and claimed they were giant sea prawns.

Dead shrimp. Poor quality. Insufficient quantity. Extremely disappointing.

The people fishing there were bending low, getting nothing at all.

After they walked further downstream, the scent changed.

This time it was like a novice restaurant owner—someone who didn’t yet understand “cost control.” A 29-coin boiled-fish dish loaded with fish slices and barely any bean sprouts or greens.

At that stretch of river, a man cast his net and whooped with joy—several large, lively fish were caught.

Baobao pondered. Her nose was amazing. It could smell stories.

It seemed her nose could not only sniff out treasure but detect differences in resources and give her signals.

However, she soon forgot the thought entirely, because they had reached the mountain foot—and instantly she smelled the fragrance of a full imperial feast.

“Gurgle—”

Baobao stared blankly at the vast mountain. She had eaten breakfast not long ago, yet she was hungry again.

Such a cheat ability… truly a curse. QAQ She would definitely turn into a little fat mouse.

“Wow, Baobao, you’re amazing—so many snakefruit here!”

“Wow, Baobao, these snakefruit you found are so sweet!”

At the mountain foot, the children’s cheers echoed. The “snakefruit,” also known as thornfruit, ripened in summer. The mountains were full of these bright red wild berries.

Since snakes often crawled through the thorny bushes, they were nicknamed snakefruit.

Their sweet-sour taste made them beloved by children. Long before they fully ripened, hungry kids usually picked them clean—half-red, half-green ones included. By late summer, it was rare to find patches of them.

When they first reached the mountain, Baobao’s nose was overwhelmed by the explosion of scents. It took her a while to learn to narrow the range.

At first, Lin Yu had led her around, helping her search. Once she adapted, Baobao became the ruler of the mountain foot—self-proclaimed “fruit detector.” With a simple flare of her nostrils, she could find the richest clusters of wild fruit.

The children—simple and easily impressed—were quickly convinced.

But as the saying went: enemies meet easily.

Just as they were happily picking fruit, they ran into another group from the village.

The Fu family twins and Fu Yuexia’s two children were among them.

Having searched for a long time with little success, they saw the other group’s baskets full of fruit. Instantly, the thought of taking them surfaced—especially the twins, whose old grudges and new hatred piled together. They only wanted to snatch all the fruit Baobao and Lin Yu had gathered.