Chapter 17: My Territory, My Rules
After reaching an agreement, Yang Lan'er returned to her room and locked the door. She climbed into bed and entered her space. Once inside, she took out the seeds she had bought today. She only had wheat, rice, sorghum, and some vegetable seeds like Chinese cabbage, radish, eggplant, and green beans. Although it was only a few simple varieties, she still decided to plant them. It was better than doing nothing. Yang Lan'er resigned herself to her fate and picked up a hoe to start the agricultural task of digging and planting.
After planting the wheat, Yang Lan'er was exhausted and ran to the well to rest. She used a ladle to scoop some water and drank it down in one go. Oh my goodness! Farming was tiring! After resting for a while, she continued to work until all the seeds were planted. Yang Lan'er was utterly worn out.
She soaked in the bath for almost half an hour before finally recovering her strength. She was surprised to discover that the water in the bath had a rejuvenating effect, and it might even have a skin whitening effect. Yang Lan'er noticed that her skin was becoming whiter and smoother than it was just a few days ago. She wondered if she could become a stunning beauty by taking baths like this regularly in the future.
In the dimness of her thoughts, she mused to herself: "Fair as a pear blossom, slender as a willow waist. Graceful as a delicate flower reflected in water, and moves as gently as a willow swayed by the wind." Suddenly, Yang Laner shuddered and came to her senses. She felt a chill just by imagining herself as such a weak and delicate woman. She patted her face and looked at her hands. Her hands could be as soft as grass and her skin as smooth as cream, but that was all. She was not suited to be a weak and delicate flower; she was more like a queenly rose.
When Yang Laner emerged from the spatial realm, she had no idea what time it was. She had rushed to the county town today, shopped, and tended to the crops in the spatial realm. Her body was currently too weak and frail, and she needed to exercise regularly in the future. Exhausted, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
The next day, after having breakfast, Yang Laner and her younger brother went downstairs together. They informed the innkeeper that they would check out later. Then they left the inn and headed to the county government office. They followed the guidance of the constables and found the clerk who handled land deeds. They explained that they wanted to buy a valley inside the Da Chong Mountain. The clerk immediately brought out the map of Chong County, and Yang Laner pointed out the location of the valley.
Deep in the mountains of Dachong, officials dared not venture into the site to evaluate the feng shui, so they could only rely on Yang Lan'er to estimate the approximate size of the valley. While the official was marking the map, Yang Lan'er discreetly handed her brother a small amount of broken silver, about three to five taels, for him to pass it to the official, as she needed to be cautious as a woman.
Yang Cunzhi discreetly passed the broken silver to the official, who understood the implication and received the bribe without a word. This kind of exchange was not uncommon, and everyone understood the unspoken rules.
"The best farmland in our county costs ten taels of silver per mu, the average costs six taels of silver per mu, sand land costs three taels per mu, and barren land costs one tael of silver per mu. Barren land is also exempt from taxes for three years." After speaking, the official glanced at them and asked, "Are you sure you want to buy? If you plan to build on the valley, you should allocate land for a residential site."
Indeed, money talks. Residential land is exempt from taxes. The official reminded them, and Yang Lan'er nodded quickly, "Yes, please allocate five mu for the residential site."
"Alright then, one hundred and twenty mu plus five mu of homestead, that'll be one hundred and twenty taels of silver for you."
Yang Lan'er took out one hundred taels of silver and handed it to the official, saying "Thank you, you've been a great help." The official accepted the silver with a smile and nodded at the siblings.
After both parties signed and stamped the official seal, they received two land deeds. Yang Lan'er carefully examined them. This was her first time seeing an ancient version of a land deed. The deed detailed the land's size and other relevant information, written from right to left. What surprised her the most was the line that read, "This land, three zhang (approx. 9.9 meters) high in the sky and three zhang deep in the ground, belongs solely to Yang Lan'er."
She looked at the deed for the house on the property and saw the same thing. Ha ha... this is my territory, and I am the boss. Whether it flies in the sky or is buried underground, it all belongs to me, Yang Lan'er! Ha ha...