Shen Linchuan had originally thought he’d have to wait a year or two to hear anything, but the realtor he’d hired came back with news quickly. As luck would have it, there really was a farmstead for sale on the outskirts of Kaiping County.

The owner was a once-prosperous family now in decline; short on silver, they were desperate to sell their ancestral estate.

The realtor praised the property to the skies, but Shen Linchuan simply listened in silence. As the realtor talked himself hoarse, Shen Linchuan merely looked up at him and said, “This isn’t the first time the two of us have done business.”

This real estate agent was the same one who had helped them find their courtyard before; later, both the Shen and Zhang families had also used him to find their courtyards. The two had dealt with each other before, but buying a country estate was different from renting a courtyard—once purchased, it would become their own asset—so they were being especially cautious.

The real estate agent gave a nervous smile. “The owner is in a hurry to sell, which is why the price is a bit lower.” 

“Why are they in such a hurry to sell?”

Seeing he couldn’t hide it any longer, the realtor explained, “The family’s surname is Fang. Their ancestors used to be wealthy, but they’ve fallen on hard times now. Their son has racked up gambling debts, and the creditors are pressuring them to use the estate as collateral. Old Master Fang refuses, which is why they’re in such a hurry to sell the estate.”

Shen Linchuan understood. “That’s a bit of a hassle.”

The Fang family’s estate was indeed priced slightly below market value, but Shen Linchuan didn’t want to get entangled with any troublesome people. The reason the Fang family was in such a hurry to sell the estate was to pay off the gambling debts and set aside some money for their retirement; if the estate were used directly to settle the debt, the entire family would end up homeless.

The realtor, eager to collect his commission, kept urging him, “Mr. Shen, this estate is in a prime location, and the fields have irrigation ditches, making watering very convenient. Why don’t you go take a look?”

“Are there other families interested in buying it? Who exactly has the Fang family offended?”

The realtor wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Mr. Shen was truly not one to be fooled. If it had been anyone else, upon hearing that such a fine estate was being sold at such a steep discount, they would have been swept up by the hype, mistaking it for a juicy opportunity, and would have jumped at it headlong.

“No one’s come forward to take it over yet. Well, this, this…” Seeing he couldn’t keep it hidden any longer, the realtor blurted out, “The man who they owe the silver to is called ‘Laosan.’ He’s got some clout in Kaiping County. He’s a real scoundrel, mixed up with all sorts of unsavory characters—like a dog-skin plaster—and most people don’t want to get involved with him.”

Shen Linchuan tapped the table lightly. The estate was a bargain, but it came with its share of trouble. If he bought the Fang family’s estate, he’d be inviting trouble upon himself. He was still just a Xiucai—though the autumn examinations had passed, the results hadn’t been announced yet. Shen Linchuan wasn’t too keen on taking it on.

If he passed the provincial examination and became a “Juren,” that would be fine; but if he failed, wouldn’t that cause major trouble for his family? Dealing with it would be a real headache. “Mr. Shen, why not go take a look first? If you like it, we can still negotiate the price.”

The realtor was a smooth talker, painting the estate as the best in the world. Only when he thought he couldn’t persuade Shen Linchuan any further did he finally back down. Shen Linchuan turned to Zhou Ning, who was sitting nearby, and asked, “Shall we go take a look?”

Zhou Ning had been lost in thought and was startled by Shen Linchuan’s question. Before she even heard what he was asking, she agreed, “Sure.”

“Since my Fulang seems interested, let’s go take a look first.” Shen Linchuan figured that no one in the suburbs would be selling a farmstead anytime soon, so going to check it out wouldn’t take much time.

“Sure, sure, I’ll show you the way.”

Shen Linchuan called for Xiao Shitou to harness the horse-drawn cart, and the two of them followed the realtor to view the estate.

The Fang family’s estate wasn’t far from the county seat. It took less than half an hour to reach it by horse-drawn cart after passing through the city gate. It was already autumn, and the fields were planted with rice and corn, while fruit trees hung with clusters of fruit, a delightful sight.

The realtor rode his donkey alongside them. “Mr. Shen, Mr. Fulang, just look—this land is excellent. The fruit trees are well-established; you’ll make a profit as soon as you take it over. There, up ahead is the Fang family’s courtyard—an old estate built with cypress wood shipped all the way from the south.”

When they reached the Fang family’s fields, Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning got off the cart and walked around the fields with Fang Yazi. Fang Yazi pointed to the rice in the fields and said to them, “Look, what excellent paddy fields! This rice will be ready for harvest very soon.”

The Fang family’s fields were indeed good, but they came with some trouble that wouldn’t be easy to resolve. Shen Linchuan wasn’t in a hurry to buy them, thinking it wouldn’t be too late to purchase a suitable plot in the future.

As Shen Linchuan spoke quietly with Zhou Ning, the realtor, unsure of Shen Linchuan’s intentions, kept going on and on about how wonderful the Fang family’s farmstead was.

Just as Shen Linchuan was about to head back, he stopped in his tracks. He spotted a familiar vine crawling across a patch of wasteland, its leaves yellowed and tangled among the weeds.

The realtor, thinking Shen Linchuan was interested in the wasteland, hurriedly said, “This wasteland is even cheaper—there are about ten mu of it. It’s only five hundred wen per mu; it’s practically a giveaway.”

Shen Linchuan whispered a few words to Zhou Ning. Zhou Ning nodded, and only then did Shen Linchuan say, “My Fulang likes that orchard. Let’s go see the Fang family’s old master to discuss it.”

The realtor thought the deal was falling through. Seeing that Shen Linchuan had been so unenthusiastic—he’d clearly thought it wasn’t worth it just a moment ago—he never expected him to suddenly change his tune.

The realtor was overjoyed. “Great, great, great! Old Master Fang is right at home.”

The realtor led the two men to the Fang residence. Before they even reached the gate, they saw several young men dressed in shabby, disheveled clothes under a tree by the roadside, rolling dice and making a racket as they held the dice cup high in the air.

When they saw Shen Linchuan and his group approaching, they all stood up. The leader was a tall, thin man with a mole on his face; he had a blade of grass clenched between his teeth as he eyed Shen Linchuan and his companion from head to toe.

“Hey, where’d you guys come from? Thinking of buying the Fang family’s estate? Let me tell you, we—the Third Master of the Hún Gang—have our eyes on that Fang family estate. It’s meant to pay off our gambling debts. How dare you even think of getting your hands on it?”

Shen Linchuan ignored these petty thugs, merely stepping sideways to shield Zhou Ning, then followed the realtor toward the Fang residence. In broad daylight, the Fang family’s black gate stood tightly shut. After knocking and waiting for quite a while, a hoarse voice finally came from inside: “Who’s there?” 

“We’re here to look at the estate.”

Only then was the gate opened by an elderly man with graying hair. The realtor bowed slightly. “Mr. Fang, this is Mr. Shen. He’d like to discuss a few matters with you.”

Upon hearing that they had come to view the estate, Old Master Fang finally let them in. His estate was on the market at a low price, so many people had come to look at it, but in the end, matters had always been derailed by Hun Laosan’s men.

Seeing that this time it was a young married couple, and with the deadline for settling the debt with “Hun Laosan” fast approaching—if no one bought the estate, it would have to be handed over to him, and the entire family would end up on the streets.

Old Master Fang didn’t harbor much hope this time either. With the family’s fortunes in decline—they didn’t even have a single servant left—and the household in utter chaos, he didn’t even have the energy to pour the guests a cup of tea.

“Without further ado: 125 mu of first-class farmland at three taels per mu; 158 mu of second-class farmland at two and a half taels per mu; ten mu of orchard at ten taels per mu; and a residence at 120 taels.”

The real estate agent immediately announced the figures. “That comes to a total of 970 taels, Mr. Shen. Master Fang’s asking price is already significantly lower than the market rate—this estate is worth 1,200 to 1,300 liang, so this is a very low price indeed.”

Before Shen Linchuan could say a word, the door to the adjacent room opened, and a frail man dressed in a silk robe stepped out. Leaning against the doorway, he picked his teeth. “Buying a farm, are you? When are you going to bring the silver over? My little Peach Fairy is waiting for me.”

Old Master Fang was so furious he pounded his walking stick on the floor. “Good-for-nothing! Good-for-nothing!”

The sounds of a woman and a child crying could be heard from inside the house, but the son of the Fang family paid no attention to them, focusing only on collecting the silver.

“I won’t haggle. Two plus one makes five—exactly one thousand taels of silver. I’ll pay the deposit first. If the deal falls through, so be it; the deposit is simply lost.”

The family spoke up, “Not a single tael less than the needed two hundred tael deposit.”

Old Master Fang’s cloudy eyes brightened slightly. “All right, bring some paper. I’ll write it up for you right away.”

Old Master Fang quickly wrote out the receipt and pressed his thumbprint onto it. Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning went back to fetch the silver. The street thug at the gate, seeing Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning leave, ran to the Fang family’s doorstep and started shouting, “Old man, have you sold your estate this time?”

Old Master Fang was so furious his hands were shaking. “I’ll be sure to give Laosan his silver!”

The ringleader gave his underlings a nod. “Go find out who those guys were.”

Master Fang’s son perked up. “Old Freckles, this young master’s about to get some silver again. Get the gambling house ready—I’ll be over soon.” 

Old Master Fang brought a stick down on him. “You still dare to gamble!”                           

“Father, what are you doing? Having some silver just means we can have a good time.”

Once the outsiders had left the carriage, Zhou Ning finally asked, “Have you set your sights on something at this estate?” 

Shen Linchuan laughed. “My Fulang really does understand me.”

Zhou Ning nodded slightly. Although the estate was two or three hundred taels cheaper than market price, it came with quite a bit of trouble. As the saying goes, “It’s better to provoke a gentleman than a villain.” That man known as “Laosan” had been entrenched in the county seat for years—he was a local tyrant. Who among ordinary folk would dare to cross him?

Shen Linchuan hadn’t expected to find such a pleasant surprise at this estate. Well, now that he’d stumbled upon it, he simply had to buy it.

“Is there any way to deal with Hun Laosan?”

“That real estate broker said Hun Laosan runs a gambling den and has no end of shady dealings. He’s been running rampant at the county government for years—who would believe he could do that without a powerful backer?”

“Doesn’t that make things even more complicated?”

“Don’t worry. The imperial inspection, held once every three years, is coming up soon. Even the powerful figure protecting him won’t dare to act rashly. Maybe we can even use ‘Laosan’ to earn a reputation for integrity.”

Don’t underestimate that lowly Hun Laosan. The reason so many people are afraid to buy the Fang family’s estate isn’t just because Hun Laosan is a tough nut to crack—he’s the kind of person who’ll stop at nothing—but also because of the person standing behind him.

Shen Linchuan had no idea who that person was; when the time came, whoever was in a bind would have to deal with it.

Shen Linchuan didn’t dare to be overconfident. Although he’d paid the deposit today, if he offended the magistrate of Kaiping County—and he was currently just a poor Xiucai—he wouldn’t be willing to take over this estate without an equally powerful ally. In that case, those two hundred taels of silver would have gone down the drain right then and there.

He had just paid the Fang family the deposit, and the very next day, chaos broke out at their shop. A few petty thugs came to cause trouble, pestering Zhou Da to sell them meat—one moment demanding lean minced meat, the next asking for fatty minced meat—clearly making a mockery of him.

Zhou Da had been in business for so many years—how could he not see through this? He slammed his butcher’s knife down on the counter. “Who dares to come forward and cause trouble!”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning were at the pickle shop. Those thugs were also causing a commotion, preventing anyone from approaching. Shen Linchuan folded his arms. “Doesn’t this look familiar? Isn’t it just like that year in Qinghe Town?”

Zhou Ning had already rolled up his sleeves. “Anyone who dares to step forward—my fists aren’t for the faint of heart.”

A couple came over to buy meat, and the thugs surrounded them, making lewd jokes. Zhou Da came out wielding a butcher’s knife and chased them off. “Try coming any closer!”

An old woman carrying a basket came to buy meat. Seeing those young hooligans causing trouble, she cried out, “Don’t come any closer—I’m a woman, still in my prime.”

The rowdy youths burst out laughing. “Who’s going to hit on you? You’re not some young ger or girl in her prime—do you think I’m blind?”

The old woman spat, “You little brats! When I was young, I was the belle of the neighborhood!”

The hooligans laughed even more wildly. “You, a flower? I’d say you were more like a weed growing in the fields.”

The old woman recognized one of the hooligans. “Isn’t that Gou Sheng? Your grandfather used to court me back in his youth—I almost became your grandmother! You little rascal, you’ve gotten pretty cocky. Why don’t you go home and ask your grandfather? I bet he’ll skin you alive!”

Even Shen Linchuan couldn’t help but laugh out loud. The old woman had a sharp tongue; her words left the few young thugs completely speechless. Shen Linchuan stepped in to take over. “Auntie, what kind of meat would you like?”

Zhou Da held up two butcher’s knives and rubbed them together, producing a shrill metallic clang. “Auntie Ma, what would you like?” 

“This right here—pork belly. Give me a jin of it. I’ll stew it until it’s nice and tender at home—this old woman can still manage to eat it.”

“Got it.”

Zhou Da cut off a piece of pork belly. Having been in business for so many years, he had a keen eye for portioning—he gave her a little over a jin, piling the scale high, and then tossed in a pork knuckle. “Auntie Ma, here’s this bone for you to make soup.”

“Oh, thanks a lot.”

The old woman, hunched over and carrying her basket, walked away. As she passed a few ruffians, she spat and said, “Go home and ask your grandfathers if they’ve ever heard of Ma Liniang.”

The few young hooligans jostled each other and burst into laughter. “Look, there’s your grandma.” 

“Your grandma, your grandma!”

Shen Linchuan and Zhou Ning returned to the shop to tend to customers. Shen Linchuan stood behind the counter, leisurely running his fingers through the abacus beads; his fingers looked exceptionally fair against the black beads.

If it weren’t for the fact that the estate had something he wanted, he wouldn’t have wanted to go through all this trouble. Zhou Ning leaned over as well. “Do you want me to shoo them away?”

“No need. These people are just like flies—they’re no trouble, but they’re a nuisance. Just ignore them; the more you pay attention to them, the more they’ll get carried away.”

If that were all they had to offer, Shen Linchuan wouldn’t have been afraid. His father’s pork shop supplied meat to the military barracks year-round, so these men knew better than to cause trouble.

A few petty thugs loitered back and forth in front of the shop. Whenever they spotted a young couple, they’d swarm around them and make lewd remarks, causing the couple to scurry away in a panic—let alone buy any meat or pickles.

Business at the shop wasn’t great, so they closed up early. Seeing the shop was shut, the street thugs who’d been hanging around all day finally left. “Come on, let’s go get drunk—big gulps of wine and big bites of meat!”

“Alright! Let’s go eat some meat!”

The troublemaking hooligans walked off with their arms slung around each other’s shoulders. The ringleader dashed off first to break the news at the gambling den. Inside the seedy gambling den, a potbellied, bearded man was acting as the dealer, shaking the dice. The ringleader bowed and scraped his way up to him. “Third Master.”

Laosan shot him a glance. “How’s it going?”                       

“It’s been going on all day, but the Zhou family doesn’t seem to care much.”                 

“Then let’s make a bigger scene. He’s just a butcher—and he thinks he can act like some wealthy gentleman? Pfft.”