434, Plan (1 more)
Wiser to the ways of the world.
Magistrate Liu had known early on that Xie Zhinuan wished to buy a mountain to cultivate crops, and he’d thought that he must accommodate her in this regard.
“How much mountain land does Miss Xie plan to buy?”
“Thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of acres, would that be feasible, Sir?” Xie Zhinuan asked.
“…”
Magistrate Liu looked at Xie Zhinuan, “Miss Xie, if you truly intend to clear thousands of acres of forest to plant crops, the silver needed to purchase the land is a trifling matter, but the real expense will come from hiring people to clear it. Even if you are exempt from taxes for three years, you might not earn back your initial investment within that time!”
Upon hearing this, Xie Zhinuan chuckled softly and shook her head, “I’m not concerned about whether I can earn back the initial investment. What I can see is that owning land, no matter what I grow, there will always be a harvest!”
Of course, that was only one reason.
She left the second and third reasons unspoken.
The second reason was that having land allowed her to train her own people. Whether she grew hot peppers or radishes, there would be no need to ask others for chili sauce or dried radishes, and radish leaves could be dried for cooking, while the older leaves could feed chickens, ducks, and geese. The fowl would lay eggs. In short, as long as she budgeted carefully, she couldn’t lose out on this deal.
The third reason was that by raising her own chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs, no matter what the future held, her shops would always have a supply, making it harder for others to oppose her. When she had everything she needed, her costs would be lower, right?
Her strategy was to spend the least to earn the most. She wasn’t facing the impossibility of not returning her investment in three years; she might recoup her investment along with profits within a year, or perhaps even more.
However, these were thoughts that were inappropriate to share with Magistrate Liu.
Xie Zhinuan always considered herself not entirely benevolent in her musings.
Magistrate Liu didn’t pursue the matter further. After all, if Xie Zhinuan wanted to buy the mountain land to cultivate it, the Governor’s Office would receive tax revenue, and his political achievements would stand out. Why not be pleased?
By giving Xie Zhinuan face, he also gained favor with Prince Kan.
Prince Kan’s intentions towards Xie Zhinuan were too obvious, and Xie Zhinuan… well…
Magistrate Liu gave Xie Zhinuan another look. The girl was indeed quite admirable, kind-hearted and intelligent, but when it came to feelings, she seemed rather oblivious.
Her gaze towards men was still too innocent, not quite understanding a man’s affection for her.
Xie Zhinuan discussed with Magistrate Liu her desire to buy specific mountain peaks and hoped the Governor’s Office could select a date to accompany her to measure the land.
Having bought the mountain land, Xie Zhinuan planned to use the trees for constructing houses, the rocks to build terraced fields, and also for laying the foundations of the buildings. Therefore, she needed a good number of laborers.
“How about Chujiu?” asked Magistrate Liu.
For such a significant matter, it was appropriate for him, as the Magistrate, to personally accompany Xie Zhinuan, ensuring everything was done by the book.
Just as Xie Zhinuan thought it should be, so did Magistrate Liu think it should be, leaving no room for reproach.
The price of the land sold to the average villager or wealthy family must be the same as that sold to Xie Zhinuan. In the future, anyone speaking of this matter would know he handled it officially and impartially.
It was understood that there would be a little extra land measured out, but this was an unspoken rule already established, granting a surplus to anyone, whether they were villagers opening wastelands or wealthy families buying mountain peaks.
“Good!”
Xie Zhinuan quickly agreed.
After the date was set, Xie Zhinuan returned home.
On Chujiu, when the land was to be measured, Xie Zhinuan took the opportunity to count the silver she could use, including the tens of thousands from Li Hengyi, amounting to a total of 137,000 taels on hand.
This silver could buy a lot of mountain peaks, but she would also need silver to clear the mountains, purchase servants, build houses, and acquire household items.
Therefore, Xie Zhinuan thought of using 37,000 taels to buy the mountain peaks, keeping the rest in reserve. If the opportunity allowed, she also wished to explore other counties because the Xieji marinated meat shops and Xieji Noodle Houses needed to continue expanding.
Chapter 436