Huang shi and Er Niu were just about to leave when Lin He called them back, saying, "Father, Mother, when you go to buy the fields, don't say it's for our own family. Say it’s for a merchant from the town. If they press for details, tell them it’s for the boss at Big Brother’s shop, and that you were asked to handle it on his behalf."

Er Niu didn't understand. Buying land was a good thing; why couldn't they say so directly? Lin He saw her father’s confusion and spoke offhandedly, "Father, our family isn't powerful enough yet. As the saying goes, a tall tree catches the wind. Before we have everything else properly arranged, don't say too much. Just say what I told you."

Hearing Lin He’s words, Er Niu remembered the time Lin He was taken away in the town and began to grasp what Lin He meant by powerful. He nodded and went out with Huang shi.

When Er Niu and Huang shi arrived at the Clan Elder’s house, the Elder’s family was preparing lunch. Seeing the couple arrive, especially with gifts in hand, the Elder was quite surprised and smiled, asking, "Er Niu, why have you and your wife come to your Old Uncle’s place at this hour? Come in, have you eaten yet? Join us."

Er Niu thought the timing was rather inconvenient, catching them right at mealtime. He smiled and said, "Old Uncle, perhaps you should eat first, and we can come back later. We have a matter that needs your help. It’s truly bad timing; we’ve interrupted your meal."

The Elder, hearing that Er Niu needed his assistance, quickly told his wife to arrange seats for them in the main hall. He hastily ate a steamed bun himself and headed to the hall. Sitting down, he chuckled, "Er Niu, tell Old Uncle what troubles you, and I will certainly help."

Er Niu began, "Clan Elder, the landlord Xia in the village is said to be selling land. Have you heard about this matter?"

"There is such a thing. They say there are over a hundred mu of fields needing to be sold urgently. Why, Er Niu, why are you asking about this? Are you looking to buy land?" The Clan Elder asked upon hearing about Landlord Xia’s property.

Er Niu recalled Lin He's instructions and replied, "It's not for myself. It's for a merchant in the town—the very establishment where our Big Treasure works. He intends to acquire some fields for investment, so Treasure asked me to handle this matter for him. I hadn't found anything suitable until now, and now Landlord Xia’s land is available, so I came to ask you, Clan Elder."

"It’s that matter, is it? How much is he planning to take? Landlord Xia’s family said they wouldn't sell piecemeal. If he can't take the whole lot, perhaps I can look elsewhere for you?" the Clan Elder said with a hint of difficulty.

Er Niu responded, "Yes, I’ve heard the villagers mention it too. It's over a hundred mu in total, right? We want to buy all of it, which is why I asked for the Clan Elder's help."

"Buy all of it? That will cost a full thousand liang of silver, and with the fees for official procedures and the broker, it will likely exceed that. Your Big Treasure’s shop in town probably isn't that large—can your family afford to buy all these fields?" the Clan Elder asked, slightly disbelieving.

Few villagers traveled to Tianxin Town, and not many knew which specific shop Big Treasure worked at; they all assumed it was just an ordinary establishment. How much money could the owner of an ordinary shop have? The Elder asked this to be sure.

"Yes, I know about that. The silver has already been prepared. This merchant entrusted me with this long ago; I'm sure there won't be any problems," Er Niu assured him.

The Clan Elder pondered for a moment and then said, "Er Niu, how well do you know this merchant? Do you know why he wants to buy land? If he intends to engage in some shady business, I won't help. He should find someone else. I am a Clan Elder, after all, and these things must be considered. Furthermore, I don't know this merchant. If any trouble arises later, you will also bear responsibility. You need to think this through clearly."

Hearing the Clan Elder’s concerns, Er Niu replied, "Clan Elder, please don't worry about that. Although the merchant is buying the fields himself, since his home is quite far from our village, he has entrusted me to hire people to farm them. He can contact me for any usual matters. He’s buying the land for investment in property, nothing else. I can vouch for him."

The Clan Elder nodded upon hearing this. "In that case, there is no issue. I will accompany you to the broker. The day is still young; let’s go settle this matter now."

Er Niu repeatedly bowed his thanks and walked out with the Clan Elder. Huang shi, who had been chatting with the Elder’s wife outside, stood up when she saw them emerge and followed Er Niu and the Elder. Over the course of the afternoon, Er Niu and the Clan Elder, accompanied by Huang shi, successfully purchased the land and secured the deed. Er Niu finally let out a breath of relief.

On the way back, the joy swelling within Er Niu was indescribable. From now on, he too was a small landowner. In Lin Family Village, besides Landlord Xia’s estate, no other household owned this much land. If the harvest next year was good, they might not even have space to store the grain—the thought alone made him happy.

Back home, Er Niu presented the deed to Lin He. Seeing that the matter was concluded, Lin He was also very pleased. They finally had a small family asset; regardless of what came next, this was the first step, earned through hard work, and it was certainly cause for celebration.

However, once the initial joy subsided, she realized that buying the land was only the beginning. There were many things ahead: they needed to hire long-term laborers, and those laborers would need housing. With more people, management would become crucial. People needed food. All these aspects needed to be thought through before action was taken, otherwise, the whole affair would descend into chaos without a plan.

Lin He reflected that while she could devise the strategies for these matters, the actual execution—building the houses, hiring the workers, and managing the laborers once they arrived—would have to fall to her father for now. Future matters could be addressed later.

Fortunately, it was still winter, allowing them time to proceed slowly. The first step was deciding how many long-term laborers to hire, which would then inform the plans for building the quarters. Typically, long-term laborers during this period lived in communal sleeping quarters, a single large room being sufficient. But Lin He considered if some laborers might have family members visiting; one room might prove inconvenient.

In her past life, Lin He had observed many different types of employers. Some, driven purely by profit, constantly exploited their workers and treated them harshly. Even if the employees worked for a living, they would never be fully dedicated. Yet, other employers were more conscientious, offering better welfare benefits across the board, which in turn encouraged the employees to work harder. They still earned their profit in the end.

Lin He decided she wanted to be a conscientious employer. Especially now, long-term laborers were different from the employees she remembered from her previous life; a laborer’s contract often spanned several years. If she treated them well as an employer, they ought to feel grateful and work even more diligently.

Furthermore, all these fields would eventually be managed by these laborers. It was even more important to make them feel that working for her family was better than working anywhere else, so they would remain loyal and dedicated to staying. (To be continued)