"I agree. While I was gathering information, I also asked about the amount of land here," Yina Yin said. "Every household has quite a bit of land. Even if families here operate as large units, the average per person is over two mu. People here are especially keen on reclaiming land, since there's no land tax and any land they clear becomes their own. Originally, the cultivated area was just at the base of the mountain, but it gradually expanded, covering the whole valley and slopes. The land here is flat and fertile—top-grade farmland. Further out, on the mountain slopes, are terraced fields, which are medium grade. The farthest areas are newly cleared from forests and still need to be nurtured—those are the low-grade fields. The vegetation is dense and there are lots of trees, so for now, clearing the forest hasn't caused any geological disasters."
Cherry Miller frowned. "That's just for now. If they keep clearing land like this, sooner or later they'll pay the price. The soil here is good and crops do yield well, but because it's loose, it's very prone to mudslides. Without enough vegetation to hold it together, the consequences could be disastrous."
Julian King nodded. "Exactly."
"There's something I don't get," Cherry Miller said. "Since the Zhang Family controls the passage to the outside and they need money, why did the person in charge of the GF-112 Project get rejected when they offered relocation? The compensation for moving isn't a small sum. As rulers, the Zhang Family could've just sat on that fortune."
Julian King and Yina Yin thought for a moment. Then Yina Yin spoke: "Do you think this could be the reason? By trapping everyone here, the Zhang Family guarantees a steady stream of income. The crops keep coming as long as there are people to work the land. Sure, the project offers a lot of money, but eventually, that money runs out. If you have a hen that lays eggs continuously versus one you sell for a lump sum, any smart person would pick the former."
Cherry Miller's eyes lit up. "Makes sense! If each mu of land brings in a profit of a thousand yuan, then ten thousand mu would be..."
"Ten million!" Yina Yin and Julian King exclaimed in unison. "Even if the project gives a billion, a steady ten million every year is way better than a one-time payout of a billion!"
Cherry Miller nodded. "If our guess is right, that's why the Zhang Family doesn't want to relocate."
"Yeah, and that's just the profit from the land. It doesn't even count the money from reselling goods," Julian King added. "Buy cheap, sell high—those margins are huge!"
"The forests around here are lush, so there are plenty of resources. Besides grain, there’s game, timber, and other materials. Ship those out, and it’s all cash!" Yina Yin analyzed. "That’s why the Zhang Family keeps such tight control over the residents of Six Saints Town, brainwashing them with myths and creating a source of income that never dries up, generation after generation. Ruthless!"
"Forget it, let's not worry about that for now," Cherry Miller said, clapping her hands. "Since we're prepared for a long fight, let's take it slow! We'll blend into this world first, then bit by bit find ways to get close to the Zhang Family, and figure out how to make their secrets public."
"No wonder Ethan wanted me to learn farming—he probably thought of this possibility too," Julian King said helplessly. "Next, we should start reclaiming the land and get ready to plant!"
Cherry Miller smiled, "It's probably too late to reclaim land now. Luckily I brought some cash when I came. Considering the prices here, it's more cost-effective for us to buy existing farmland."
As she spoke, Cherry Miller pulled out a handful of cash.
Julian King pressed the cash down quickly, glancing around to make sure no one saw, then whispered, "My dear sister! Never flash your wealth!"
Cherry Miller snapped back to reality, "I almost forgot—everyone here is pretty poor."
Yina Yin said, "Good thing you brought money! Forget everything else, let's fix up that broken house first. If it rains, we'll all be mud monkeys!"
"Right, right, right! Let's fix up where we're living first, then buy land and food," Julian King urged. "Let's get settled before we think about anything else."
So the three of them stopped worrying about myths and legends for the moment, and focused on getting their daily life in order.
They split up the money and went off separately to buy furniture and land.
Julian King went to Li Family Village to find the village chief and buy land. Based on his own resources and abilities, he bought three mu of land, all prime fields close to the village.
The price wasn't cheap—it cost him three thousand yuan.
Yina Yin bought essentials like tables, chairs, bedding, and basins.
Cherry Miller went out and bought rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and seeds for grain and vegetables.
By evening, all three returned loaded down with their purchases.
When they got back to Li Family Village, lots of people were whispering.
"Hey, isn't that Li Zhuzi's house? Who are these three? They must've spent a fortune with all those bags!"
"I heard they're relatives of Li Zhuzi's wife, here to settle down! They look pretty well-off!"
"That young wife is really pretty! I wonder if she's married?"
"Give it up, Three Dogs! That short guy is her man!"
"That tall young guy's not bad either! If anyone's got a daughter, they should snatch him up as a son-in-law! Hehe..."
Cherry Miller and her crew didn't care at all about the villagers' gossip.
They were just completely wiped out!
As soon as they got home, all three collapsed onto the bed and didn't want to move.
Back in the day, they'd have had servants for this sort of thing.
Now, they had to do everything themselves.
It's exhausting!
Cherry Miller dragged herself up to wash all the pots and pans they bought, then directed Julian King to start the fire and cook. Yina Yin climbed up and down, fixing the roof and patching the windows.
It was pretty chilly that night.
If they didn't patch up the windows, they'd definitely catch a cold.
They kept at it until the moon was high, and finally got to eat.
After dinner, none of them had the energy for a bath—they just crashed and fell asleep.
It wasn't until the next day that they had enough strength to drag out the new wooden tub, wash up, and set it out to dry for the evening.
Cherry Miller carried a basket and went door to door with gifts: "Auntie, we're new here, just wanted to say hi. We'll be neighbors from now on—please look after us."
"Uncle, here's a little something. Thanks for lending us grain yesterday."
"Granny, I made these pastries myself. Please try some, and thank you for helping me tidy up the yard yesterday."
...
Cherry Miller was all smiles, going door to door with gifts again.
They say you don't hit someone with a smiling face, and you can't be hard on someone who's given you a gift.
After all that mingling, everyone in the neighborhood knew their faces.
Some folks were shy at first about taking gifts, but when they saw Cherry Miller was sincere, they accepted.
Except for two families who were sour and standoffish even after taking the gifts, the rest were pretty welcoming.
Around noon, the village chief came by, bringing the land deed for three mu: "Julian, here's your deed. Keep it safe."
Julian King quickly took the papers and inspected them. The deed was printed, stamped with red ink.
The writing was all in traditional Chinese.
Clearly, they hadn't switched over to modern characters here yet.
But then, hardly anyone here reads, so it doesn't really matter.
"Hey, thanks for coming, Chief! Come in and have a seat!" Julian King greeted him warmly.
The chief waved his hand, "No need, I still have things to do. Now that you've settled in Li Family Village, you're one of us. If you need anything, just ask."
"Of course!" Julian King grinned and handed him a box of rock candy. "For your kids—something sweet for them."
The chief saw it was a bag of candy, and his stern face broke into a smile. He pretended to refuse a couple times, "You really don't have to be so polite."
"Chief, what are you talking about? I just think your kids are adorable. I love giving them treats," Julian King said righteously. "My parents only had my sister and me, and they passed away years ago. I always wanted a little brother or sister, but never got the chance! So when I see your kids, I feel a special bond. It's nothing expensive—if you keep refusing, I'll get nervous! I won't even dare ask you for help!"
"Alright then, I'll accept it." The chief happily took the candy and left with a big smile.
Julian King clapped his hands and walked back, thinking, the prices here are seriously weird!
That bag of rock candy would cost maybe twenty yuan outside.
But here, it's at least two hundred.
You could buy two plots of land for that!
Tsk, tsk.
Looks like they don't produce sugar here.
And just like that, the three of them spent three days and finally got fully settled in Li Family Village.