A Farm Girl: Three Acres of Fertile Land Can Be Exchanged for a Country

Finally, she retreated outside the wall, and Qian Wanjin hurriedly handed her a clean handkerchief.

She took it, wiped the dirt off her hands, and asked him, "When was the first foundation laid?"

Qian Wanjin exclaimed "Ouch!"

“You’re putting me in a difficult position. This pawnshop was passed down from my grandfather’s generation, but the building is older than him. It’s been here since before Lingyun Prefecture was called Lingyun Prefecture in the previous dynasty. It’s been here for at least two or three hundred years.”

Wutong nodded thoughtfully.

Qian Wanjin, his eyes brimming with anticipation, clutched his handkerchief and asked, "How is it? Can we continue covering it?"

After a moment's thought, Wutong asked, "You really like that big terrace, don't you?"

"Yes, when my wife married me, she said she wanted to build one of those things. It's been so many years, I can't go back on my word."

"Then here's what we'll do. I'll draw up some blueprints tonight. You can find some experienced craftsmen who can read and write, and have them build it exactly according to the blueprints. That will definitely make your wish come true."

Qian Wanjin was overjoyed and spat out a mouthful of saliva.

"Is there really a way?"

Wutong took a step back without making a sound, avoiding his mouth which was like a firecracker, and nodded, saying, "Since I said it, I definitely won't lie to you."

Qian Wanjin happily rubbed his left hand against his right hand and spun around in place.

“Great, my God… I must tell Madam right away.”

Wutong grabbed his silk collar.

"and many more."

Qian Wanjin asked respectfully, "Lord Amu, is there anything else?"

"I can give you the blueprints once they're finished, but I can't just give them away for free."

A single sentence pinpointed the foolish man's mistake, and Qian Wanjin slapped his own head.

"Look at my pig brain! Lord Amu was originally the steward of the Prince's mansion. A painting he draws must be worth a thousand gold pieces. Here's what we'll do: you name your price, and as long as I can afford it, I will definitely not refuse."

He spoke generously, seemingly offering his entire fortune to thank her. But Wutong had no intention of letting him go bankrupt, and having already made plans during these three days of waiting, she calmly said:

"I only need four things. If you can provide them, I'll give you the blueprints."

"Just say it."

Wutong lowered her voice and leaned slightly closer to him.

"I need a working car, enough fuel, enough toll money, and two Phoenix passes."

When Qian Wanjin heard the first three points, she was quite confident. But when she said the last one, she stared in disbelief and asked, "You're going to Phoenix City?"

Wutong said, "This is my business. Just tell me whether you can afford it or not."

Qian Wanjin complained bitterly.

“My goodness, is a Phoenix City pass something anyone can just produce? Let alone a mere pawnshop owner like me, even the officials in the yamen wouldn’t have one. Besides…” He winked at Wutong and said, “If you want a pass, just go to the Prince, right? Who in the Southern Frontier is more powerful than him?”

Wutong knew this was too difficult for him, so he just casually asked, "What about the other three?"

Qian Wanjin rubbed his hands together like a mantis.

"To be honest, this car is also a bit difficult to find. As everyone knows, cars have to be bought from the Central Plains; we can't find anywhere to buy them in southern Xinjiang. Someone like me who has never left southern Xinjiang in my entire life, where would I find the route..."

He was speaking at length when Shan interrupted him.

"You can't offer anything, yet you have the nerve to ask for advice on building a house? Just say you want to freeload."

Qian Wanjin blushed immediately after being rebuked by her, and stammered, "How...how can this be considered eating for free..."

Wutong glanced at Shan, signaling her not to make things difficult for him, and then asked Qian Wanjin seriously.

"Are you really not capable of producing these things? The blueprints are in my head, the money is in your pocket. It's a trade-off, you'd better think it through."

As if making a decision, Qian Wanjin clenched his fist and said, "Alright, since you insist, I'll give it to you... To be honest, a few escorts were short of money and pawned their car. I was thinking of taking my wife for a drive once I learned to drive, but it seems I have no choice but to give it up."

With a car, fuel and tolls are no longer a problem. Driving to Phoenix will take at most half a month, and the road expenses are much less than before.

Wutong and Qian Wanjin reached an agreement, with Wutong giving Qian Wanjin a few days to prepare these things, and Wutong also took the opportunity to finish drawing the blueprints.

After everything was settled, Wutong and Shan planned to go home, but before leaving, she couldn't help but ask one more question.

"Manager Qian, are you really helpless about the pass? If you can provide it, the travel expenses and fuel costs can be covered, and I will find another way myself."

She had already made concessions, but Qian Wanjin had no other choice. He vowed, "If I, Qian, can give it but don't, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."

Wutong asked, "Do you have any other ideas?"

“A solution…” Qian Wanjin stroked his chin, lost in thought. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he pulled her aside, saying, “This solution is something I overheard someone talking nonsense about while I was drinking. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but just take it as a story.”

Wutong nodded. "Go on."

"There's a place in Phoenix City called Hibiscus Street, right? Rumor has it that it's the biggest den of iniquity in the world, with countless beautiful girls and fine wines. But not all of these beautiful girls are locals; the vast majority come from outside. Some were sold by their parents because their families were poor, while others were kidnapped by bad people and had no choice but to sell themselves to pay off debts."

Qian Wanjin, true to his manly nature, became animated whenever he talked about this place, a stark contrast to the doting husband who had been praising his wife earlier.

He swallowed hard and continued, "I've heard that some people make their fortunes from this kind of prostitution. They usually stay on Furong Street, but every now and then they go out of the city to search for beautiful women in the surrounding areas. If they see someone they like, they take her back. If she's virtuous, they knock her out and take her back."

Wutong frowned and said, "Isn't the government going to do anything about this?"

Qian Wanjin laughed and said, "You know the situation in the Central Plains. Nowadays, only the people of Phoenix City can be considered human. The others are practically animals. They can't have children or afford to raise them. They're just barely surviving. Who cares about them?"

Wutong felt sorry for those people, but when she thought that they had become like this because of Nanxing, and that Nanxing had received her help back then, she felt a deep sense of guilt.

All changes begin at their source, but there's no going back. She must get to the Central Plains as soon as possible and end this nightmare.

Qian Wanjin said, "In short, if you're determined to go to Phoenix City, you can try this method. Those people just like to kidnap and tie people up, they won't actually abuse them, after all, they still need women to make money. Once you've infiltrated the city, you can find a way to escape, then you'll be free."

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