Travel to the mountains and make a fortune in silence

With great difficulty, Cheng Er carried Wang the Cripple on his back and walked step by step toward the middle of the river.

Because of a torrential downpour a few days ago, the once crystal-clear river has become murky and the water level has risen sharply, even submerging the large rocks piled up in the river.

The night was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Cheng Er could only rely on his vague memories and weak sense of touch to grope his way forward.

However, just as he was carefully moving his feet, he suddenly lost his footing and slipped, losing his balance instantly. He and the unconscious, limp Wang the Cripple on his back fell into the icy river.

After falling into the water, Cheng Er immediately grabbed Wang the Cripple and tried to drag him to the shore.

But the river was unusually turbulent, and the powerful current was like an invisible giant hand, gripping them tightly, making it extremely difficult for Cheng Er to move forward even an inch.

For some reason, no matter how hard Cheng Er tried to drag the drunk and unconscious Wang the Crippled, he couldn't budge him an inch.

As time went on, Cheng Er gradually felt overwhelmed.

If this stalemate continues, not only will we be unable to save Wang the Cripple, but we ourselves will likely perish in this raging torrent.

Thinking of this, Cheng Er gritted his teeth. Although he was filled with guilt and helplessness, he finally let go of Wang the Cripple's hands.

With his last ounce of strength, Cheng Er struggled desperately to swim back to shore.

After getting ashore, Cheng Er was soaking wet and looked utterly disheveled.

He was panting heavily, his body trembling uncontrollably. Gazing at the pitch-black river, he was filled with fear and regret.

After catching his breath, Cheng Er didn't dare to delay and hurriedly returned home.

Entering the shabby rented room, Cheng Er didn't bother to change his wet clothes. He just hastily packed a small bundle and fled without looking back.

As for Wang the Cripple's body, it was temporarily placed in the yamen (government office).

He only had a few children at home, and the responsibility for Wang the Cripple's funeral fell on the village chief.

Tomorrow, the government will send someone to transport him back to the village, and the village chief will then arrange for a proper burial.

Wang the Cripple died a violent death outside the village. According to the village's long-standing rules, someone who died such a violent death must never be brought into the village, otherwise it would bring bad luck and misfortune to the entire village.

They had no choice but to set up a temporary mourning hall on the open flat ground at the entrance of the village to place Wang the Cripple in his final resting place.

Another issue is that if someone dies a violent death and harbors too much resentment, it is necessary to invite someone to perform a proper ritual to appease the spirit and prevent it from lingering.

After all, this river runs through five villages.

What if Wang the Cripple turns into a terrifying water ghost?

This river is used daily not only to irrigate the surrounding farmland and crops, but also for villagers who do not have wells to wash their clothes.

Especially during the hot summer months, many mischievous children like to run to the riverbank to play and frolic.

Wang Qing'er has now bought the land and property of Daya and her sisters.

Therefore, she took the initiative to bear all the expenses required for Wang the Cripple's funeral without hesitation.

She gave the village chief five taels of silver, and in addition to performing a ritual for Wang the Cripple, she also specifically asked the village chief to hold a ritual for Zhang Xianglan.

We hope to help the souls of the deceased find peace and a better future.

After Wang Qing'er and the others found out the cause of Wang the Cripple's death, they went to process the relevant sales contract.

This trip was quite fruitful; in addition to successfully acquiring the Wang family's land,

Wang Qing'er even bought as much as 80 mu of land from the brokerage firm, all of which were located in Shan'ao Village.

The village chief said that these fields are all connected and distributed along the river.

The newly purchased land had all been leased to hardworking tenants who cultivated it carefully.

That is why the fields were never abandoned.

After the crops in the fields have matured and been harvested for the season, she will take them all back and cultivate them herself.

The distribution of the harvested grain this season is also clearly stipulated.

Apart from the portion that the tenants were entitled to according to the contract, the remaining grain was divided equally between Wang Qing'er and the brokerage firm.

All these terms were documented in a separate, detailed contract, clearly written in black and white.

In addition, she also got a good deal: Zhang Xianglan had reclaimed two whole acres of wasteland this year.

It had already been registered with the village chief, but the land deed had not yet been processed for her, so Wang the Cripple was completely unaware of the matter.

After careful consideration, the village chief decided to transfer these two acres of wasteland, along with other farmland, to Wang Qing'er's name.

It just so happens that we can get the land title deed done all at once today.

After all, those girls have already been sold to the Mu family, and Wang Qing'er even paid for Wang the Cripple's funeral.

The village chief thought it best to go with the flow and do a favor, hoping that the Mu family would treat these poor girls well in the future.

After the three of them had finished processing all the necessary contracts at the yamen, it was already noon.

Mu Nan then led Wang Qing'er and the village chief to Fuxianglou Restaurant in town for lunch.

"Mu Nan, let's just find somewhere outside and grab a bite. Let's skip Fu Xiang Lou!"

The village chief walked to the front of Fuxianglou, looked up at the luxuriously decorated restaurant, and after glancing inside briefly, he decided to back out.

A hint of hesitation appeared on his weathered face.

Although he was the village head, he didn't earn much money each month, and sometimes he even had to help out the villagers out of his own pocket. So his family wasn't wealthy; they were just a little better off than some other families.

Although his family wasn't starving, they didn't have much spare money either. They would only eat something at a street stall when they were really hungry while running errands in town.

He had never been to Fuxianglou before. It was said that a meal there cost one or two taels of silver.

"Village elder, you've really helped me a lot today, so it's only right that I invite you here for a meal. Let's go inside!"

Wang Qing'er, who was standing to the side, saw what the village chief was thinking and quickly spoke up.

Just as Wang Qing'er was earnestly trying to persuade the village chief, a warm greeting rang out:

"Oh my, Brother Mu, what brings you here? Are you out shopping with your wife? Come on, come with me to the private room upstairs."

It turned out that Manager Li had come out to greet them with a big smile on his face.

Mu Nan smiled and nodded to Manager Li, then stepped up and followed him upstairs.

Wang Qing'er then called out to the village chief and followed closely behind.

Before long, the group arrived at a private room on the second floor.