Since Old Man Qin moved out of Lin He’s home, it felt like the place wasn’t as lively as it used to be. Now, the little ones mostly played in Little Jun's courtyard. A few days ago, Uncle Wen sent over two puppies, and their doghouse was built not far from Old Man Qin's former yard. Whenever the youngsters had time, they’d run over to feed the pups. Thinking that children generally love small animals, Lin He let them have their fun.

Uncle Wen sent word with the dogs that they were a breed of large sheepdog, eating a lot and growing fast. Lin He often had Er Niu buy bones, meat, or pig offal from town for the dogs. These two dogs grew remarkably quickly; in less than twenty days, they were visibly larger and quite chubby. The little ones adored them, insisting on taking any good food from home to feed the dogs.

These past few days, Madam Huang had also been staying home to watch Lin He, forbidding her from going into town, allowing her only to wander around the village. The finished goods were collected by people sent by Uncle Wen. Lin He found these days quite stifling.

However, the boredom didn't last long; the wheat needed to be sown. Lin He’s previous discussion with Er Niu about fertilizing during the sowing had not been forgotten. As the wheat planting approached, Er Niu came to ask Lin He what kind of fertilizer to use. Lin He figured that chemical fertilizers were surely unavailable at this time, but natural ones would suffice. Their family didn't have much land, and the manure from their own privy, combined with what the Dasheng family had, would be enough for this initial fertilization.

Lin He hadn't experienced this firsthand and wasn't entirely clear on the details, but she thought the main goal was to enrich the soil, which couldn't be wrong. They could gradually figure things out, and the spring fertilization would be very important. She simply explained to Er Niu how to apply the manure, specifically warning him not to overdo it, as too much could potentially scorch the young wheat seedlings.

Er Niu had some farming experience. Although he wasn't an expert on these matters, hearing Lin He explain the principle gave him some confidence. So, he and Old Man Qin carefully measured the dosage and applied the fertilizer once while sowing the wheat.

Meanwhile, Hong Yun announced she was pregnant but didn't return home, staying here with her child. However, Dasheng also needed to return home to sow his wheat. Seeing her second brother’s family do this, Hong Yun asked Dasheng to bring back some manure to put on the fields.

After the wheat sowing season, the weather quickly turned cold, signaling the imminent arrival of winter. Lin He had been in this era for almost a year now. In that year, the family had undergone significant changes. Lin He recalled how destitute they were when she first arrived; now, they could be considered moderately well-off.

Lin He didn't concern herself with Madam Huang's finances. She had already received her share from the 'Hecai Dolls,' and with the monthly production of ointments and soaps, plus the Zicao Gao (Purple Herb Ointment), Lin He had saved nearly fifteen hundred taels over the year. With winter approaching and nothing much else to work on, having this surplus money finally brought Lin He a sense of relief, planning to enjoy a comfortable winter.

But a few days later, another event occurred, throwing Lin He back into busyness. One day, Aunt Xu came over to chat with her mother. Aunt Xu said, "Er Niu's wife, did you know? I heard that something happened to Landlord Xia's family in our village. Rumor has it that several shops outside have been harmed or something, causing big trouble, and they owe a lot of money externally. Now, it seems they plan to sell off a portion of their land here in Shanglin Village."

Madam Huang chuckled, "Aunt Xu, your news travels fast. I've been home every day, but I haven't heard a thing. Surely a great landlord family like theirs has more money than they can spend in a few lifetimes; how could it come to selling land? Who told you this? Are you sure you didn't mishear?"

Aunt Xu insisted, "It’s true. Since my family earned some extra money making wooden boxes for yours, we were planning to acquire some land ourselves. Yesterday, I went to the broker, and he told me. He even asked me to spread the word. It’s about a hundred and twenty mu of land, and because Landlord Xia's family is desperate for cash, they're selling it cheaply. Good fields that usually go for six or seven taels an mu are now going for less than six taels, totaling around a thousand taels, I think. I didn't ask for the specifics."

"That much? Perhaps no one in our village can afford it," Madam Huang replied, somewhat surprised.

"Exactly! Buying two mu would be manageable for us, but this is over a hundred mu, requiring over a thousand taels. Who could afford that? Anyone with that much money would have bought land long ago. I suspect it will be hard to sell," Aunt Xu agreed.

Afterward, the two women chatted idly about their piglets, chickens, and ducks before Aunt Xu left. Although her words were casual, Lin He, listening nearby, took them to heart. How could Landlord Xia’s family run into such trouble? What had happened to force them to sell land? Landlord Xia's fields were excellent; they were usually rented out to villagers and were well-nourished.

Moreover, selling such a large stretch of land perfectly aligned with her own plans. However, it was said to cost over a thousand taels. Combined with her own savings of over fifteen hundred taels, buying the land would leave very little left over. Owning land would certainly require significant expenditure, but this was undeniably a rare opportunity. It seemed she needed to confer with her father.

Lin He called Lin Chen over and asked her to run to the fields and call her father back, saying there was an urgent matter at home and he needed to return quickly. Madam Huang nearby was curious; nothing seemed urgent at home. Why the rush? Lin He said she would explain once her father returned, adding that she was actually quite happy about it.

Hearing Chen'er’s message, Er Niu rushed back from the fields, worried there was a real emergency. Upon returning to the courtyard and seeing that nothing was amiss at home, he relaxed. Seeing her father back, Lin He called both her parents into the room and told them, "Father, Mother, I just overheard Aunt Xu mention that Landlord Xia’s family is selling land. I don't know if it's true. Father, you must go to the broker immediately. Find out clearly: how much land, what kind of land, where it is, and how much silver they want. You go first; I'll tell you the rest when you get back."

Er Niu and Madam Huang were a bit confused as to why their daughter was asking these things. Madam Huang said, "Aunt Xu's words are likely true; she heard it directly from the broker, so it shouldn't be wrong. But He'er, why are you asking? Do you want to buy land?"

Lin He replied, "Yes, I have that idea, but I don't know the specifics yet. Father, please go ask first, find out everything, and come back quickly before someone else buys it."

Hearing Lin He, Er Niu didn't say another word and hurried off towards the broker's house.

Madam Huang, however, inquired, "He'er, you aren't joking, are you? Aunt Xu mentioned over a hundred mu of land. You want to buy it? Where will the money come from? That will take over a thousand taels."

Lin He smiled at Madam Huang and said, "Mother, don't worry about the money. We just need to know what the land is like. We'll discuss it when Father returns."