Huang shi intended for Lin Erniu to quit his job at Master Xia’s and instead use adobe bricks to build a pigsty in their backyard. Then, when the market day arrived, he could bring back a piglet to raise. She also wanted him to weave a chicken coop from bamboo strips and buy an old hen along with a clutch of chicks, so the family could have their own eggs by next year. Lin He thought this was a good idea; those ancient, free-range eggs were highly nutritious, and raising chickens and pigs wouldn't require their own grain, as the mountains were full of wild vegetables they could chop up for feed.

Lin He had also considered that selling cloth dolls was merely a stopgap measure, intended only to earn enough silver to slightly improve their living conditions. Earning serious wealth from them seemed unlikely because as soon as such an item was introduced, imitations would inevitably follow. Once more and more appeared, these novelties would lose their allure, leading to increased competition and a steady drop in prices.

If people with quick minds were able to extrapolate and develop variations on these toys, perhaps these items would cease to be novelties altogether. In the long run, the silver given by Shopkeeper Wen would likely decrease, so they should capitalize on the current opportunity while others haven't yet caught on.

The children in the family were still young, but their expenses were only going to increase. The money from these toys could only ensure a somewhat stable life for the family. Achieving true prosperity was still a long road ahead; no matter what, they should focus on managing the present situation first.

The very next day, Lin Erniu, along with Da Bao and Old Man Qin, began constructing the pigsty in the backyard. Adobe bricks at this time were quite cheap. These bricks were made by digging up mud from the mountain, vigorously shaping it into a mold, framing it with a wooden structure, and then letting it dry in the sun. They could have made them themselves, but lacking the time, they purchased the necessary quantity from a local brick maker—enough to build the pigsty for less than fifty wen.

Since Lin Erniu knew how to build houses, constructing a pigsty was an easy task. Old Man Qin and Da Bao assisted, and the pigsty was finished in a single day. Afterward, they nailed together a small door from some scrap wood; the door only needed to be about half a person’s height, convenient for feeding.

That evening, Lin He nagged Huang shi until she agreed to make dumplings. Huang shi couldn't resist Lin He’s persistence, and since they had bought some pork belly the day before and had plenty of cabbage and radishes on hand, it was a rare treat. The whole family enjoyed a hearty dumpling meal that night. Although the taste was slightly inferior to the dumplings of her previous life, having company made the experience carry a different kind of savor.

A few days later, Lin Erniu returned from the market with a plump piglet, a litter of chicks, and an old hen. He had initially planned to keep them in the front yard, but Lin He objected, saying the chicken droppings would smell, and insisted they be kept in the back. Huang shi was puzzled why her eldest daughter had become so delicate; in the countryside, everyone kept chickens in the front yard. However, unable to counter Lin He’s objections—that the back yard also had space, and that children were always running around the front yard and might step on the chicks—she agreed to keep them in the rear.

In the following days, Zhou shi often brought her children over to play in the yard. Zhou shi was quite astonished by the changes in Erniu’s home; the house had transformed in just a few days. Huang shi merely explained, “Our Er Ya made a few toys that a shopkeeper on the street found fascinating, and she earned some silver from it,” without elaborating further, knowing that one’s heart is best kept to oneself.

If she were to suddenly reveal that her seven-year-old daughter had earned so much money, no one could predict the stir it would cause among ill-intentioned people in the village. Furthermore, there was no need to expose their family affairs too much to outsiders. Zhou shi was intelligent and didn't press for details. Since Lin He brought back the money, Huang shi had generously aided their family, gifting the two children new winter clothes and a new cotton quilt stuffed entirely with medium-grade cotton, not to mention frequently bringing them food. If Erniu’s family did well, so did hers. When Erniu’s family was poor, they had often helped the widow and orphans. Now, that was even more so the case. Zhou shi was grateful, but because she was a widow, she couldn't visit Lin He’s house too often when Erniu was around. The two children, however, came often, usually eating their lunch there.

Several more days passed before the broker came calling. He announced he had found land—eight mu of fertile soil but ten mu of sandy fields—and he had come specifically to ask if Erniu’s family was interested, fearing they might refuse the sandy plots. Erniu asked the broker to take him to see the land.

The original owners of this land were relocating to the city to open a shop and were eager to sell the fields they couldn't manage back home. The asking price was quite favorable: six liang per mu for the fertile land, and if they took the sandy fields too, the total price for all of it was fifteen liang of silver, averaging out to one liang and five qian per mu. The usual rate for sandy fields was two liang per mu. Erniu wasn't keen on taking the sandy land; aside from growing crops like sweet potatoes, it wasn't very useful. A few mu would be acceptable, but ten mu was too much. He said he needed to discuss it with his family first. The broker urged him to decide quickly, as a next buyer was already waiting if they declined.

Returning home, Lin Erniu and Huang shi began conferring, while Lin He stood nearby listening. When Lin Erniu mentioned the large amount of sandy fields, she asked him what sandy fields were. Lin Erniu explained, “Sandy fields can’t grow staple crops; they can usually be used for things like sweet potatoes or cabbage.”

Lin He recalled that in her previous life, sandy soil could cultivate many things—watermelons, muskmelons, and even greenhouse vegetables in the winter.

She then asked Lin Erniu, “Father, do they sell watermelons here in the summer?”

Lin Erniu didn’t know what a watermelon was, so Lin He described its shape. Lin Erniu said he had heard people mention it but they called it Xia Gua (Summer Melon). The characteristics he described matched a watermelon, but he had never tasted one. Watermelons seemed to be a rare item in ancient times, but if they could be grown, they could plant them themselves.

Lin He pleaded with Lin Erniu to buy all the land, saying the sandy soil was excellent for growing watermelons in the summer. Besides watermelons, they could plant other things. Either way, buying the sandy fields wouldn't be a loss. Hearing Lin He put it this way, Huang shi thought it was feasible. Seeing both his wife and daughter agreed, Lin Erniu naturally consented.

After Lin Erniu finalized the deal with the broker, they completed the title deed at the government office. Additionally, he paid the broker three hundred large coins for his trouble. The broker grinned so widely his teeth were showing and cheerfully departed, promising that they should come to him for any future needs. Lin Erniu agreed. Erniu returned holding the land deeds for the several mu of fields, his eyes shining with joy, clutching the deeds tightly to his chest.

From now on, he wouldn't have to give away the bulk of his hard-earned grain to others every year. Most importantly, with this land, his family could finally look forward to a better life. Even facing natural disasters or misfortune, they wouldn't fear starvation or children scavenging for food come winter. He wouldn't have to rely on his wife’s family for support to get through winter anymore. A man never wants to live by relying on others’ charity. In the past, their family was truly poor; adults could endure, but the children couldn't, so he had no choice. Now that they owned this land, their good days had finally arrived.