There were many houses in the manor, over twenty in total, including side rooms and storage rooms. There was also a large livestock shed in the backyard. Although the house was somewhat old and the layout of the courtyard wasn’t particularly intricate, the vast green land and the big clusters of flowers and fruit trees in the yard made the manor appear like a paradise. Cai Wei immediately took a liking to this place. Even without Nangong Yi’s business, she would have bought it without hesitation.
Shen Juhua took Cai Wei to meet her maternal grandfather and uncle. Both her uncle and maternal grandfather were decent townsfolk, they did not try to hike the price knowing that Cai Wei was a young girl. They agreed upon the previously discussed price of two thousand and five hundred taels of silver, selling the whole manor to her.
Once both parties agreed upon the price, Cai Wei gave a hundred taels of silver as a deposit. They agreed to complete the transaction the following day with Madam Cui as the witness.
After the negotiation was over, Cai Wei and Juhua refused the offer of dinner from her uncle and grandfather, and returned home in their horse-drawn carriage.
Usually, whenever Juhua visited her maternal grandparents’ home, she would stay for a few days. But this time, because she was anxiously thinking about the consequences faced by her second aunt’s family, she didn’t even have a meal and hurriedly returned with Cai Wei.
By the time they returned to the county city, it was already completely dark. Cai Wei got off the carriage in front of the inn, and agreed to meet with Juhua the next day to go and find Madam Cui together at Shen Mansion and complete the transaction procedures at the manor.
After Juhua left, Cai Wei didn’t feel like cooking, so she wandered on the street, looking for a restaurant where she could grab a random meal.
The nights of Qing County were unusually lively.
On both sides of the street, the shops had big red lanterns and bright signboards hanging high. The street was filled with people bustling back and forth. Occasionally, the sound of singing and music from prostitutes in the brothels would blend into the bustling noise of the street, creating a unique ambiance.
It was already May, so the weather wasn’t cold. Many locals had set up street food stalls selling snacks like hand-rolled noodles, spring onion pancakes, dumplings, buns, Hun Dun, peanuts, fired small fish, meat sauce, etc. Each food stall had a fair number of customers sitting around an oil lamp, eating and chatting.
When the customers gathered, a variety of topics would unfold. The most heated discussion was about the Great Jin nation dispatching troops to attack the Meng Slaves. Some people argued that the Meng slaves had already owned Lingbei for a hundred years, abided by the rules, and the Great Jin should not resort to war and cause distress to the common people and soldiers.
However, others believed that Lingbei was originally a part of the Great Jin, and it should be returned sooner or later. Just as money borrowed should always be returned, no matter how long it had been. If the Meng slaves were wise, they could have submitted to the Great Jin, paid tribute yearly, and avoided the war. But if they were overbearing and dismissive of the great Jin, they should be eliminated and sent back to where they originally belonged.
Cai Wei found a lively food stall that was selling stir-fried noodles on an iron plate - a specialty of Qing County. She ordered a portion of stir-fried noodles with shredded meat, a portion of hot and spicy tripe, a plate of peanuts, and a cup of fruit wine. The shop owner was very considerate and while waiting for her food, he offered her melon seeds and tea, to facilitate their chat. Due to business being booming, it took a while for her food to arrive.
Not all customers discussing state affairs, there were also some gossiping. For instance, a table next to Cai Wei discussed a recent disturbing event while they ate their meal.
"Have you heard, there’s a flower-picking thief in Yushu County City these days. He’s skilled in martial arts, elusive and specializes in victimizing young girls. Over twenty girls have been victimized!"