An Jing and Xiao Changyi wished to purchase farmland because although they had managed to convert eight of their ten acres into paddy fields, considering the poor fertility of the land from the previous year, even if they planted rice, the yield might not be significant.
Thus, they planned to casually plant some crops on those eight acres, and if the crops failed to harvest, they would simply let them rot in the field, which would serve as fertilizer, waiting until the second half of the year or the following year to seriously cultivate the land.
By this reasoning, their family still only had one acre of land to plant rice, which was hardly enough for the two of them to eat.
Since they had chosen this simple and ordinary farmer’s life, the crops they grew would have to suffice to sustain them, wouldn’t they?
Then, they thought about buying another three acres of land.
And the land was close to their home, contiguous, which would make it convenient for them to manage.
"Done," Wang Youbao agreed readily. "I took back all the fields that I had rented out to Jiuping Village, some of which have not been rented out yet. Near your home, by the river, there happen to be three contiguous acres."
"Thank you very much," An Jing said with a smile. "So, what do you think is a fair price per acre?"
Wang Youbao’s original intention was not to take An Jing and Xiao Changyi’s money, as he had plenty of land, and giving three acres to his friends would not matter, but he knew that they would definitely not accept the land for free.
Therefore, he did not mention giving it for free, but said instead, "Good land is twelve taels per acre, and that’s the government price."
"Okay," An Jing nodded, and Xiao Changyi immediately took out thirty-six taels to give to Wang Youbao.
Whilst receiving the Silver Taels, Wang Youbao said, "The land deeds are at home. When I go back, I’ll have Erming deliver the deeds for those three acres to you."
When Yu Erming delivered the three-acre land deeds, four hours had passed.
An Jing looked at the land deeds in her hands and couldn’t help reflecting, "My dear, this is much quicker than opening up new land."
Thinking of the time when they had cleared land themselves, both working together, it took about half a month to clear just one acre.
Xiao Changyi snorted, "How can that be compared."
Understanding the deeper meaning in his words, An Jing smiled, "Yes, you’re right, it can’t compare. The land we cleared is the fruit of our own labor; even if someone offered us a thousand acres of good land in exchange for one acre of ours, we wouldn’t trade."
Xiao Changyi’s face remained expressionless, but he pulled her contently into his arms, and then, leaning down, he tenderly nuzzled her forehead.
An Jing’s face, mouth, and eyes were all full of smiles; she simply tilted her neck back, and her lips met his.
Xiao Changyi’s mouth immediately curved into a smile.
An Jing and Xiao Changyi’s rice shop had already opened, named An’s Rice Shop.
They had also prepared the seedling fields and sowed early rice seeds, just waiting for the seeds to sprout and grow into seedlings suitable for transplantation before ploughing the fields and transplanting them.
And the day they finished sowing the seedbeds coincidentally was the sixth of February, Xiao Changyi’s birthday.
"My dear, what birthday gift would you like?" An Jing asked, wrapping her arms around Xiao Changyi’s waist, tilting her face upward, and smiling at him.
Xiao Changyi also wrapped his arms around her, pulling her even closer, lowering his head to touch his forehead to hers, his thin lips parted to utter just one word, "You."
An Jing instantly felt as sweet as honey, her face lighting up with a big smile, but she playfully protested, "I am not a gift! Choose something else!"
Yet Xiao Changyi insisted, "I want you."
"My dear, why are you so disobedient..." An Jing’s voice drew out with feigned exasperation, but she wasn’t angry in the least, nor did she have any dissatisfaction; instead, she felt overjoyed.