A fierce wife enters the house: She helps up a house full of spineless people.

The residents of Houkou Village have had quite an eye-opener these past two days.

Yesterday, the Black Tiger Gang members, who were wielding knives and threatening to devour people, are now looking like wilted eggplants, sweating profusely in the Wang family's dilapidated courtyard.

Some were laying bricks, others were carrying bricks, and even the fiercest scarred bald man personally climbed onto the roof to carefully check which tile needed replacing, his sling arm swaying back and forth, looking both comical and pitiful.

The Wang family members, on the contrary, became the supervisors.

Wang Xiaobao moved a stool, crossed his legs, and sat at the gate of the courtyard, holding a willow twig in his hand. He would occasionally point and gesture, saying, "Hey, over there, the wall's crooked! Trying to fool your grandpa?"

"And you, do you even know how to mix mud? You put in too much water! Even pig feed mixes better than you!"

The Black Tiger Gang thugs dared not speak out against their anger, and could only nod and bow, replying, "Yes, yes, Third Master is right, we'll change it immediately!"

Wang Dali and Wang Jinbao, along with a few others, paced back and forth in the yard with their arms crossed, their eyes like those of a butcher inspecting his own pigsty, making the group of thugs feel uneasy.

This eerie harmony left the eavesdropping neighbors utterly astonished. Just who were these people? How could they possibly have the Black Tiger Gang, these living devils, working like slaves for them?

Wang Jinzhu ignored the farce in the courtyard. She was leading Wang Guilan, Chen Xinghua, and a few others to check the supplies on the vehicle and plan the allocation of the famous houses.

"Mother, there are only eight rooms here now, which is not enough, especially since there are too many of us. This one in the middle is for Tianfang and me, and the two rooms on the sides are for you and Tianfang's parents. We'll add a few more rooms on each side, but even one room isn't enough for Wang Gui and Uncle Wang Shun..."

Just as everyone was busy in the courtyard, the sound of horses' hooves came from the alley entrance, and a richly decorated carriage stopped in front of the Wang family's courtyard. The curtain was lifted, and a young gentleman dressed in brocade, with a handsome face, stepped out.

Behind him followed four guards with long swords at their waists and sharp eyes.

That young master was none other than Liu Mingyuan.

He glanced at Wang Xiaobao, who stood like a gatekeeper at the entrance of the courtyard, then swept his gaze over the group of "construction workers" working hard inside the courtyard. A playful smile appeared on his lips, and then his gaze fell on Wang Jinzhu in the crowd.

"Madam Wang, what a grand entrance." Liu Mingyuan strolled in, fanning himself with a folding fan. The four guards naturally dispersed, guarding the entrance and the gap in the courtyard wall.

When Black Tiger saw Liu Mingyuan, his legs went weak, and he almost tumbled off the roof. They had actually managed to establish a connection with the Liu family, a family that even the prefect treated with great respect!

"Young Master Liu." Wang Jinzhu wiped her hands and went to greet him with a perfectly timed smile. "It was just a small trouble, please forgive me for making you laugh."

"This is no small matter." Liu Mingyuan put away his folding fan, his expression becoming more serious. "Houkou Village is a notorious no-man's-land in the prefectural city, a place where all sorts of people mingle. You've just arrived and you've already gotten involved with the Black Tiger Gang. If I hadn't happened to be in the prefectural city, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

The guards he brought were enough to demonstrate his assessment of the security situation here.

Wang Jinzhu understood and bowed, saying, "Thank you very much for your help, Young Master Liu. I will remember this favor."

Liu Mingyuan waved his hand, "Madam Wang, I came here today to remind you of something. The prefectural city is unstable lately, and you must have heard about what happened to Prince An in the south. Grain prices are soaring, and people are panicking. Your workshop should not be open for the time being."

"However," Liu Mingyuan changed the subject, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "the workshop can't be opened, but small items can be made. Those lip balms and face creams you gave me before are rare items among the noble ladies of the prefectural city. If you can come up with new products, that would be even better. My Fuying Company will buy them all, and the price is negotiable."

Wang Jinzhu instantly understood; this was a way of guiding her towards a high-end image. "I get it."

After exchanging a few more business words, Liu Mingyuan took his leave. He didn't linger, but his visit served as a silent warning, letting the entire Houkou Village know that this new Wang family was not to be trifled with, as they had powerful backers.

The Black Tiger Gang worked even harder. Before dark, the courtyard wall was raised and reinforced, the damaged roof was completely renovated, and even the broken gate was replaced with a sturdy wooden door with three bolts added.

After getting rid of these plague-ridden people, the family was finally able to close the door and live their own lives.

After dinner, Wang Jinzhu gathered everyone in the newly renovated main room.

"Now that the houses are settled, the next thing is land," Wang Jinzhu said bluntly. "With so many of us, we can't just sit around and do nothing. My idea is for each family to contribute their savings and buy some land in the suburbs. Having land in hand will give us peace of mind."

Wang Dali was the first to agree: "My daughter is right! Food is the most reliable thing to eat, and working the land for a living is the most dependable!"

The others nodded in agreement; they had all sold their family land and had some money of their own.

"Alright, then tomorrow morning, Father, Tianfang, and Big Brother, you men should go to the land brokerage to inquire about land prices. Let's take out all the silver we have and buy seeds and grain as soon as possible."

The next day, Wang Dali, Wang Tianfang, and others went to the largest market in the city with great excitement, intending to buy enough food for several months.

However, they returned in less than an hour, and everyone's face was extremely pale.

"What's wrong?" Wang Guilan's heart skipped a beat.

Wang Dali plopped down on a stool, picked up a glass of cold water from the table, and gulped it down before panting, "Rice prices have gone crazy!"

"Have they gone crazy?"

"When we came here a few days ago, a bushel of coarse rice was only thirty coins, but today it's jumped to one hundred coins!" Wang Dali slammed his fist on the table. "I asked the shopkeeper, and he said there's a war in the territory of Prince An in the north, and many refugees are flocking south. The government's granaries have all been sealed off, and the price of grain on the market changes every day! In just this short time, it's gone up by another ten coins!"

One hundred coins per fight!

The price sent a collective gasp through everyone. With so many of them, the amount of food they consumed each day was considerable.

"Damn it, is this any way to live?!" Wang Xiaobao cursed irritably.

"Father, everyone, don't panic," Wang Jinzhu stepped forward. "Tianfang and I will go out and see if there's any other way."

She and Wang Tianfang drove the oxcart out, made an excuse to leave the courtyard, and wandered into a deserted alley.

After confirming that no one was around, Wang Jinzhu had an idea.

The next second, sacks filled to the brim appeared out of thin air on the oxcart. Wang Tianfang watched this scene, already used to it.

Half an hour later, when Wang Jinzhu and Wang Tian returned to the courtyard with a cart full of grain, everyone was stunned.

"Golden pearl! Where...where did this come from?" Wang Guilan asked in a trembling voice.

"Young Master Liu helped us by getting a batch of rice at a discounted price from his granary," Wang Jinzhu said without batting an eye, offering a pre-prepared explanation. "It's more than half the market price. He said there are many of us, so we should use it first."

"Young Master Liu is truly a living bodhisattva!"

"Jinzhu is really capable, knowing such a powerful and influential person!"

"We have to pay Jinzhu for this grain; we can't take advantage of her anymore..."

"Yes, yes, yes, food is so precious now."