Chapter 74.3

Translated by Aviana

After wandering around the town for a long while, Yang Tiezhu finally returned home with a black mule and an almost new carriage at its back.

This black mule seemed to be over two years old and had not completely reached adulthood. His shiny and smooth fur was proof of its previous owner’s care and meticulousness towards it.

As soon as Lin Qingwan saw the carriage, she realized that this carriage came along with the mule and asked Yang Tiezhu how it happened. With a smile, he narrated his chance encounter with a family who wanted to sell their mule cart for silver. Along with a carriage at the back, they were willing to sell at 18 silver taels.

After calculating the pros and cons, Yang Tiezhu decided to buy it.

A mule was bought, and even a carriage was bought. But now a question arose: Where would they shelter it, ah? Yang jia’s yard need not be mentioned; Lin Qingwan didn’t invite trouble to herself. Thus, they could only keep it in Yang-shi’s home and build a separate shed over there for the black mule there.

But then, Yang-shi’s place became even smaller. The backyard was already filled with the drying racks for laweixian. Now, with the addition of this, the space in the front yard was also occupied. Yang-shi didn’t utter a single word of objection and had them keep it in her place. Even the third branch’s couple assured that they would be in charge of feeding the mule and wouldn’t trouble eldest gumu. Nonetheless, Lin Qingwan still felt apologetic for them in her heart.

However, they had no other way. All they had was a single room, with the yard being a public place shared by all the residents of Yang jia. They truly didn’t have any other place.

Inevitably, the thought of building a house for them and moving into it arose in Lin Qingwan’s mind.

This wasn’t a spontaneous idea that she pondered for a day or two. Since the beginning, Lin Qingwan had always wanted to move away from here.

Although she would usually, once in a while, assume the stance of watching a drama and have fun watching the mayhem in the main room, which also increased her appetite. However, if it becomes a regular affair, it would be a disturbance. While sitting outside, she could hear the sound from inside the main room till there. Not to mention, sharing the yard with the people in the main room is inconvenient. And if they wish to do something, they have to be secretive and watchful of the main room’s people.

Lin Qingwan was an activist. No sooner than such thought arose in her mind, she wished to put her plan into action at that very moment. But her huge belly posed an inconvenience and lacked understanding about how to have a house built. Thus, she approached Yang-shi and inquired her.

Upon listening to her plans, Yang-shi also seconded her opinion.

In the past, they were short of silver. But now when they have ample, for what reason should they cram with that family and bring inconvenience to themselves should they want to do something. Yang-shi was aware that Yang Tiezhu and his wife possessed plenty of savings. They had been making laweixian for quite a lot of time now. She and third branch’s husband and wife get twenty percent of dividends each. Then Yang Tiezhu and she should earn even more and should have sufficient to build a house.

Yang-shi advised her to not get impatient and discuss it with everyone. And reassured her that she would surely help her to find a place to have their house built.

Lin Qingwan, too, after thinking it over, felt this matter couldn’t be rushed. Currently, she was five months into her pregnancy. She was still left with a few months before her gestation period ended. So long as the house could be built before this time period, it would be fine. She wished to give birth her and Yang Tiezhu’s new child in the new house.

Back at home, she put her idea in front of Yang Tiezhu, who, after listening to her, joked with a smile—saying, after becoming wealthy, she became cocky. It hasn’t been long since she bought a mule cart and was already planning to build a new house.

Nevertheless, after giving it a thought, Yang Tiezhu also felt this idea was pretty good. Lin Qingwan wasn’t the only one feeling annoyed by the noises from the main room. He, too, felt the same. On normal occasions, whenever they run into one another in the yard, the two parties maintain silence, making the atmosphere awkward and uncomfortable. Moreover, he also didn’t plan to have anything to do with those people. Apart from providing elderly support every year, the rest of the matters are least of his concern.

Yang Tiezhu was also aware in his heart that quite a lot of matters were happening in the main room. Just because nothing has happened as of yet, it doesn’t mean it would continue to be so. Eldest sao’s every now and then actions of approaching his wife and trying to start a conversation didn’t slip from his notice. He was distinctly aware of what sort of people the eldest branch’s couple were. People like them would be itching to get benefits once they saw anyone profitable. Later in the future, as their business flourishes, a day would inevitably come when others will get to know about it. If they continued to live under one roof even then, they would certainly be annoyed to death.

Yang Tiezhu, too, was comprehensive in his thoughts and asked Lin Qingwan to wait for him to return back from his trip to nearby towns and see if the business could be settled with them. If they could expand the business, they would have even more silver when building the house.

He knew that his wife still had about two hundred silver taels of savings. Of which, a hundred came from selling her embroidery, and the other half came from laweixian business. However, they were about to have a baby; having more silver is always better.

Lin Qingwan also felt the same, and thus the two unanimously came to an agreement.

Thereafter, Yang Tiezhu, who was occupied with other thoughts, couldn’t sit still anymore and began to prepare for his trip the next day. Before going away, he had to make arrangements for his wife. Even after requesting the third branch’s husband and wife to look after his wife, he went and brought Dahei as well to keep guard.

One might say he was making a din out of nothing, but Yang Tiezhu was aware of the personalities of Yang jia’s people too well. Who knows when they will drop by and make a fuss? His wife was alone, and the third branch’s husband and wife still had to go to Yang-shi’s place for work. Inevitably, there would be times when she would be left alone. If Dahei was there to accompany her during those times, he would feel reassured.

After handling all these matters, he informed Lin Qingwan that he might be away for several days this time. After all, it was his first time, and everything might not go smoothly. The neighboring town wasn’t far from them, just two shichen away from them. But this time, he wished to make a trip to several other towns collectively.

Lin Qingwan sent him off with some silver and a silver banknote that was hidden in a secret pocket of the clothes she had made for him.

That’s right; currently, Lin Qingwan also had a silver banknote.

The former denomination of small copper coins had gradually expanded to silver. Later on, with the increasing of silver taels, storing them posed quite a problem and were then turned into silver banknotes by her—a quantitative leap indeed! The value of silver banknotes in their possession wasn’t much. The largest denomination was fifty taels and was given to her by Jinxiufang’s shopkeeper Su in exchange for her embroidery article, which hasn’t been used till now. The rest of the amount was twenty taels, but it was fortunately easy to carry for Yang Tiezhu.

Mounting on the mule cart, Yang Tiezhu bid farewell to his family members. Although he was reluctant to part with his wife and the child in his wife’s womb, he resolutely bid said his goodbye and set off.

Nevertheless, as his entire thoughts were consumed by his unwillingness to go, he seemed to have forgotten that this parting was just about a couple of days.

Yang Tiezhu soon suppressed his reluctance to part with the surging enthusiasm to accomplish the matter. After all, his trip outside this time was to earn money to build a nice house for his wife and to raise the kids.

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