The Wealthy Eldest Sister Rules Supreme

Being able to pay this rent on time has indeed rid her of many troubles.

But thinking about this rent payment, the initial rate of a hundred and fifty coins he demanded wasn’t exorbitant, but it was not insignificant. It was certainly not a petty amount and it would normally take some time to save up in most households.

How long has Zhuang Qingning actually established her household as a woman, a little more than a month? And she managed to pay this amount so effortlessly?

After all, being able to come up with the entire annual rent implies that she is quite well-off.

Just how much money has Zhuang Qingning made from grinding tofu?

As these thoughts swirled in Zhuang Jingye’s mind, Zhuang Qingning smiled and said, “Since we have already agreed on the terms, I must naturally fulfill my part. However, I do need to let Village Chief Uncle know ahead of time: this money should be regarded as a prepaid amount on my part. If I end up living here for less than a year, I must trouble you to refund the money for the remaining months.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

Zhuang Jingye agreed on this quite promptly.

If the rent has been paid for a year, if she doesn’t live there for the full term, a refund would naturally be due. Zhuang Jingye saw no issues with this.

However…

“Living here less than a year? What do you mean by that?” Zhuang Jingye was rather taken aback by this.

Is Zhuang Qingning planning to move out, to leave this place?

“I’ve made some money from selling tofu in the past while, plus some loans I’ve taken out, and I’ve been thinking about building a couple of rooms and setting up a small courtyard. Having our own house does bring peace of mind.”

Zhuang Qingning smiled and said, “Living in Butcher Hua’s house now is alright for the time being, but it’s not a viable long-term solution. What if they need the house back? Then Qingsui and I would be homeless. So after much thought, I believe the best course of action is to save some money, build a couple of rooms, and settle down.”

“This is the second matter I wanted to discuss with the Village Chief. I hope you could help us look for a suitable plot of land where we could build our house. This will allow us to start preparations as soon as possible with the hope to be able to move in before autumn.”

Building the house sooner rather than later would mean the house could bask in the summer sun, eliminating the dampness before winter so it won’t be chilly and damp.

As for the finances for the house, Zhuang Qingning didn’t elaborate on where those dozen taels of silver came from, only saying that it was borrowed. This would prevent others from getting any ideas if they thought the money was obtained too easily.

“Hmm, your plans do seem quite sound.” Zhuang Jingye nodded, feeling that Zhuang Qingning had quite a long-term view and was not someone who lived life day-to-day. Her considerations were deep and her foresight far-reaching.

What a pity, though; she was a woman after all.

However, since Zhuang Qingning planned to build a house and said she had borrowed money, Zhuang Jingye understood the way of things. This borrowed money wasn’t freely given; it would have to be paid back. If she wouldn’t be able to repay the money, others would be hesitant to lend to her. So, building a house necessitates having a bit of savings as well.

All said and done, Zhuang Qingning’s tofu business must be thriving.

It hasn’t been long, but if things go on like this in the future…

Could it be, as Mrs. Ye suggested, that Zhuang Qingning might really make it in life?

Zhuang Jingye looked Zhuang Qingning up and down a few times.

“Village Chief Uncle, would this request be too much trouble?” Zhuang Qingning, a bit bewildered, questioned Zheng Jingye’s thoughtful gaze.

“Not at all, I’m just considering which location would be suitable.” Zhuang Jingye lowered his eyes slightly, “Gimme a couple of days to think and look around for a suitable place.”

“Meanwhile, I will also take this into consideration and select a suitable plot. If you find a spot you like, come and discuss it with me. As long as it doesn’t encroach on anyone else’s land, it should be fine.”

“Alright, I understand. Thank you, Village Chief Uncle.”

“Mentioning such things is overly formal.” Zhuang Jingye smiled, “We’re all from the same village, and as the village chief, it’s my duty.”

If there’s a chance she could make a success of herself later on, then Zhuang Jingye saw no harm in being amiably towards her now.

Moreover, Zhuang Qingning was not one to be trifled with, she was now conversing pleasantly with him, but if anything offended her, she won’t hesitate to grab her kitchen cleaver and hang a dead rat at your doorstep. This was something he couldn’t afford.

To placate a potentially problematic situation and to pave the way for the future, Zhuang Jingye felt it to be a good strategy.

After the two chatted for a while, Zhuang Qingning bid her farewell. When she left, she invited Zhuang Jingye to have tea at her house when he had a chance.

“Sure, when I have time, I will be sure to come.” Zhuang Jingye smiled and agreed, watching as Zhuang Qingning walked away, before he retired into his courtyard.

“Today was indeed peculiar, my dear.” Mrs. Ye said as she brewed a fresh pot of tea and poured Zhuang Jingye a new cup.

“Peculiar? What was peculiar?” Zhuang Jingye sat down and took a sip of his tea.

“Everything was odd.” Mrs. Ye blinked, “In the past, you looked down upon Ning girl, but to me it seemed like you were quite courteous towards Ning girl today.”

“Are you also considering that Ning girl may become successful like I am?”

“Successful? What could she potentially achieve, she’s but a young girl. What use could she be, regardless of how capable she is?” Zhuang Jingye cast Mrs. Ye a sidelong glance,

“I’m just trying to accommodate her because she can be quite a handful. If I hadn’t been pleasant to her, who knows what she would have done. It’s best to keep on good terms with that kind of person. Let her have her way.”

“I’m doing this for the sake of maintaining harmony in the village, not like you, who is like the grass swaying with the wind, cozying up to those with some capability and skills.”

“Yes, yes, yes. Everything you’ve said is right.”

Mrs. Ye knew Zhuang Jingye very well and understood that he was just being stubborn and would not like to admit to it. She didn’t bring it up again and simply went about her work, gathering clothes into a wooden basin, and getting ready to wash them by the well in the evening.

As for Zhuang Jingye, he yawned and narrowed his eyes, “Right, people say the tofu from Ning girl’s tofu shop is quite tasty. This afternoon, let’s buy a piece for dinner.”

The previous time when Zhuang Jingye had looked down upon Zhuang Qingning, even though Mrs. Ye had been wanting to try the tofu that others had praised, she didn’t dare to take it upon herself to buy it. Now that she heard Zhuang Jingye say he wanted to buy tofu, she was secretly delighted, thinking she could finally taste to see what made the tofu so good.

“That might be a bit difficult.” Mrs. Ye pouted.

“Why?”

“Ning girl’s tofu is made early in the morning and all of it is sold in the town. Only Zhuang Yonghe and his wife can take some from the tofu shop to sell, but they don’t take much and it usually sells out by noon. If we go late, we won’t be able to buy any, let alone in the afternoon..”