Druid Fairy

Chapter 66 Expansion
For the Li family, Li Fang's family affairs were just an interlude in their lives, and life went on.

Every ten days, Li Ping'an would return from Yunshui Academy in Yunshui County to Peach Blossom Village to have a short reunion with his family.

"Father, Mother, Brother, I'm back."

Li Ping'an was dressed in a dark blue robe, with a smiling face, handsome and bright. The tassels at his waist swayed slightly as he walked, and he exuded the scholarly air of a literati.

Success in his studies, the appreciation of his teachers, and the friendliness of his classmates all contributed to the boy's confidence, vigor, and vitality.

"Ping An, you've lost weight again," Qin Shi nag. "You're studying hard, but you can't neglect your health. Drink some chicken soup later to nourish yourself."

"Mom, I haven't lost weight at all. Look closely, where have I lost weight?"

Li Ping'an was both amused and exasperated. He turned around to show Qin Shi that he was thin and tall, but no longer "frail and weak." He had been working out with his father and elder brother, and over time, he had built a solid foundation.

Li Rongzhou waved his hand and laughed, "Don't you know your mother? Even if you're as strong as an ox, you're still too thin."

Li Pingcan wholeheartedly agreed. There's a kind of thinness that only your mom thinks you're thin; he experienced that himself a few days ago.

"Where is my older brother?" Li Pingan asked.

“Your brother went to the village chief’s house,” Li Rongzhou explained. “He said he had something important to discuss.”

Not long after, Li Pingfu returned home and was very happy to see his second brother. He was used to not showing his emotions on his face, and his way of expressing his happiness was to pat his second brother on the shoulder and say, "Come on, let's have a go."

"No way." Li Ping'an looked distressed, suspecting that his older brother was getting revenge for his past "sharp tongue."

How could he possibly defeat the eldest brother, who has the most powerful martial arts skills?

He was still forced to stay still, and what was called "sparring" was actually "getting beaten up." He grimaced, which made Li Pingcan and Xie Yuan laugh uncontrollably.

After testing his younger brother's skills, Li Pingfu nodded, "You have plenty of energy. You must not let your health be ruined by studying like last time."

Before the previous exam, Li Ping'an had been so obsessed with studying that he was almost unconscious and looked ashen-faced. Therefore, he paid special attention to his second brother's health.

Li Ping'an tried to save face, saying, "Although my martial arts are not as good as yours, I have made good progress in my studies. The teachers at Yunshui Academy all say that I can take the stage next year."

"So fast?" The whole family was surprised.

Li Ping'an is currently a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), exempt from all taxes, corvée labor, and military service. Once he passes the Jinshi (another successful candidate in the imperial examination), he will be granted a position and become the immortal's right-hand man. His family and relatives, whether they cultivate martial arts or immortality, can obtain better treatment through this relationship.

Then the Li family has truly changed its social standing!
…………

Today's meal is quite sumptuous; the food gets better every year.

The Li family does not have a rule against talking while eating or sleeping.

After Li Pingfu placed a piece of braised pork with three parts lean and three parts fat on Li Pingcan's plate, he said, "Dad, should we expand our peach tree planting?"

After the death of the wealthy Li family, Li Fang got into a fight with his relatives over profit. Driven by greed, he took advantage of the dark night to kill several of his relatives, leaving a trail of blood.

After his crime was exposed, he was arrested and the case was reported to the old village chief.

It's actually harder to bring a case to court against such malicious acts committed by fellow villagers—if Peach Blossom Village's reputation is ruined, it will affect the sale of peaches.

Li Fang left a letter of repentance and committed suicide. The assets of the wealthy Li family that caused the dispute were partly given to the victim's family and partly confiscated to expand the Li family ancestral hall and clean up the sacrificial cemetery.

"The village chief asked us if we wanted to buy a few acres of peach orchards."

These disputed fields are all sold at a price.

Li Pingcan immediately perked up. He had planted five thousand trees to upgrade from LV3 to LV4, nearing the peak. The hard work and perseverance he had endured were unknown to outsiders.

If we expand the peach orchard, with my father around, it will be an extra source of experience points.

He did the math and said, "Father, with my second brother's status as a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), he can enjoy partial land tax exemption. Once he passes the Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination), he can be exempted from all land taxes. Without land tax, expanding peach tree planting is a sure-fire way to make money."

In good years, even if Li Ping'an didn't pass the imperial examination, he would only earn less.

"We can also hire tenant farmers to maintain the fruit trees."

"Zhou Yu's herb field can be expanded to several acres now." It has to be said that Zhou Yu is indeed a talent for cultivating medicinal herbs. The herbs he grows are exceptionally vigorous, have excellent medicinal effects, and he is extremely dedicated to cultivating them.

Even Li Pingcan, who was initially the most critical of Zhou Yu, became increasingly reassured.

The whole family had a heated discussion and felt that taking advantage of the opportunity to seize Li Da Hu's "inheritance" was a rare chance.

Li Pingfu added, "The old village chief also said that he would organize people to clear the barren mountains and expand the peach tree area of ​​Peach Blossom Village."

"There's no rush for this," Li Rongzhou shook his head and said, "Reclaiming wasteland is not easy. It's difficult to deal with wild beasts alone, and there might even be ferocious treasure beasts."

In recent years, the weather has been favorable, and it's not just the Li family that wants to grow and prosper, but the entire Peach Blossom Village as well.

…………

The peach orchard originally cost forty taels per mu, but it was sold at a price of only six hundred taels of silver for thirty mu of peach orchard.

The old village chief's care was certainly a factor, but the fact that the peach trees were old and yielded no fruit, requiring them to be cut down and replanted, was also a significant reason.

Today, the Li family owns a total of 42 mu of peach orchards, making them one of the wealthiest households in the village.

"We need to hire someone to maintain and plant the orchard."

Li Rongzhou hired many villagers as short-term laborers, intending to secretly observe which ones were honest and which were cunning, gradually selecting them before finally signing long-term contracts.

The medicinal herb field was expanded by ten acres, and Zhou Yu's wages were increased significantly.

Zhou Yu was moved to tears. In the past, he not only had to pay expensive rent and land taxes to grow medicinal herbs, but he also had to sell them. Because he was honest and kind, and the medicinal herbs were valuable, he suffered a lot of bullying and harassment from local thugs.

Now, all he has to do is grow medicinal herbs with peace of mind. He has no worries about food and drink, earns a decent wage, and is respected and admired by the villagers. He lives a comfortable and free life and can't help but think about staying and working for the Li family for the rest of his life.

This is like living in paradise compared to before.

…………

"Mrs. Qin, why did you make so many cornbread buns?"

Seeing Qin carrying a basket of cornbread, a village woman asked.

"Hey, these are for the helpers."

The Qin family treated people well; the cornbread was made with whole grains, without any husks, and they also served it with pickled vegetables and minced meat as a side dish.

"Wow, making such a big pot must be tiring, why didn't you buy two maids?"

"I'm not tired, Yuanyuan is helping me."

Qin smiled and moved nimbly; she truly didn't feel tired. Her Tree Breathing technique appeared outwardly no different from that of an ordinary person, but her breath was long and deep, her body healthy, and her energy abundant. She had now reached the second level of cultivation.

"You're really hardworking then."

The village woman smiled outwardly, but inwardly she couldn't help but feel envious and sneered. So she's the mother of a scholar? She has to work in the kitchen like them and can't even afford a maid!
Qin Shi naturally saw through the village woman's mockery, but she didn't care at all. The children were independent and didn't have the habit of using maids. The family had come from a poor background, so it was better to be simple. They shouldn't learn the extravagant habits of wealthy young masters.

Arriving at the bustling peach orchard, Qin distributed steamed buns, and the helpers were surprised to find minced meat in the dish.

Even though it's a small amount, it's still meat!

They were all incredibly surprised and expressed their gratitude.

Qin busied herself with chores, generously responding to the helpers' thanks. Finally, she secretly took a steamed bun with lots of shredded meat and fed it to her husband, asking expectantly, "Is it delicious?"

How did you know I wanted to eat pickled vegetables?

Li Rongzhou took a big bite and smiled with satisfaction: "It's sour and refreshing, my wife's cooking is really good. I've been craving this flavor for so long."

"I knew you loved to eat. Planting trees must have been tiring, right? I'll give you a foot bath and a shoulder massage when we get home."

Qin smiled gently, the mountain breeze caressing her hair, making her charming and captivating.

(End of this chapter)