Sold immediately after wearing it? I took my family and fled the famine.

Chen Sumei stood alone and helpless in the courtyard, feeling both ashamed and angry. She gripped the hem of her clothes so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.

Just then, a frivolous whistle suddenly sounded outside the earthen wall.

A disheveled man squeezed out from the back of the crowd. His clothes were stained with grease and looked like they hadn't been washed in ages. His hair was tied up haphazardly behind his head, and he had a nonchalant smile on his face. He first waved his hand at the mean old woman: "Old woman Liu, why are you being so fierce? This village isn't your place to call the shots. Be careful not to scare the girl."

After hearing what he said, Granny Liu snorted and didn't continue cursing.

The man turned his head, his gaze falling on Chen Sumei. He looked her up and down, his cloudy eyes revealing an undisguised and extremely uncomfortable expression.

He chuckled and moved closer, resting his arm on the earthen wall, and said in a flippant tone, "Girl, don't be afraid. It's easy if you don't want to leave the village. Just marry me! Once you're with me, you're mine, and no one can drive you away."

"Tsk tsk, so pretty. Stay in the village and be my wife, and I'll guarantee you a life of luxury."

As he spoke, his eyes were practically glued to Chen Sumei. His gaze was as cold and slippery as a snake, making Chen Sumei's hair stand on end and a chill run down her spine. She subconsciously took two steps back.

Hu, quick as a flash, pulled Chen Sumei behind her and spat at the man, "Pah! A toad lusting after a swan! Don't you even look at yourself in the mirror! If you dare glance at me again, I'll chop your eyes out with a cleaver!"

The man wasn't annoyed at being spat on; he wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve, chuckled twice, whistled, and then sauntered away.

Hu pulled Chen Sumei back into the house. Chen Sumei's face was deathly pale, and her fingers were trembling slightly.

Although she was fiery-tempered, she was still an unmarried girl, and how could she withstand being so humiliated in public? Madam Hu patted her back and whispered a few words of comfort. Chen Sumei bit her lip and nodded, but her eyes were a little red.

Zhang sighed and called all the girls and children in the house over. With a serious expression, she instructed them, "You've all seen it. Not everyone in this village is good. We're new here and don't know anyone. From now on, the young ladies should try to stay home as much as possible. Even if you have to go out, you must be accompanied by an adult. Never go out alone, lest some fools take notice of you."

The children didn't understand, but Chen Sumei and Chen Xiaoxiao were both grown women, so they naturally understood what Zhang meant. Both girls turned pale, and Chen Sumei, with her head bowed, weakly replied, "I understand."

The villagers who had been watching outside, seeing that there was no more excitement to see, also lost interest and dispersed in twos and threes. Before leaving, Granny Liu spat in the direction of the courtyard and muttered something, but no one could hear her clearly.

The small disturbance dissipated just like that, but everyone felt a heavy weight on their hearts.

***

Meanwhile, Jiang Xing and his group had already followed Tian Dasheng to the village chief's house.

The village chief's house was one of the few brick and tile houses in the village. Although it wasn't particularly grand, it was considered one of the most respectable residences in a place like Maocao Village. The courtyard was tidy, and a charcoal brazier burned in the main room, so a warm feeling greeted you as soon as you entered.

In the center of the main room were three armchairs. Village Chief Tian sat in the middle, with an old man on each of his left and right sides. Judging from their demeanor, they were not of low status.

The old man on the left was wearing a faded blue cloth robe, with white hair and beard, a thin face, and a faint smile on his lips. He had a refined and scholarly air about him, like a learned man.

The old man on the right was completely different. He was wearing a brand-new thick cotton-padded coat. The material wasn't particularly good, but it was still something that ordinary people couldn't afford. He rested his hands on a dragon-headed cane, his eyes were half-closed, his gaze was deep, and his face was expressionless. It was clear at a glance that he was not someone to be trifled with.

When the village chief saw them arrive, he stood up and introduced them to everyone with a smile.

The man on the left, surnamed Wu, is the only scholar in the village and the head of the Wu clan. Everyone in the village respects him. The man on the right, surnamed Yang, is the head of the Yang clan. The Yang family is a large clan in Maocao Village with many members, and their words carry the most weight.

Grandpa Wu, with a kind expression, nodded slightly to the group as a greeting. Grandpa Yang, however, remained seated calmly, not even lifting his eyelids.

After both sides were seated, Village Chief Tian cut to the chase and said, "Gentlemen, although you have changed your household registration and are now considered residents of Maocao Village, this matter is simple in theory but not in practice. Maocao Village has a large population, and the land available for building houses is limited. If we were to give it to you for free, the villagers would certainly not agree. Therefore, according to village rules, if you want to build houses and settle down in Maocao Village, you will have to pay for the land yourself."

The atmosphere immediately somber upon hearing this.

Shen Dehou, being a seasoned veteran, remained calm and did not get angry upon hearing this. Instead, he asked in a composed manner, "What price has the village set?"

Village Chief Tian smiled, held out one hand, and raised his thumb and little finger: "One mu of land, six taels of silver."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Lin Mancang's father, Lin Gensheng, abruptly stood up, his white beard bristling with anger. He demanded in a gruff voice, "Six taels of silver per mu? Is this land made of gold or paved with silver? We've bought land in the north before; the best farmland was at most two taels of silver per mu, and wasteland was only one tael. Why is land in your Maocao Village three times more expensive? This is clearly..."

Before he could finish speaking, the man from the He family frowned and spoke up. Although his tone was more restrained than Lin Gengsheng's, his dissatisfaction was evident: "Village Chief Tian, ​​although we are refugees, we are not easy targets to be slaughtered. This price is simply unreasonable."

Old Master Yang, who had been silent all along, suddenly snorted coldly and slammed his dragon-headed cane heavily on the ground with a dull thud.

"This is Thatched Village, not your old home in the north." Old Master Qian raised his eyelids and coldly swept his gaze over the group. "Thatched Village has its own rules, and this price is the rule. If you think it's too expensive, you can get out of the village. Nobody's stopping you."

These words were extremely impolite, almost like being slapped in the face.

Lin Gengsheng's anger froze instantly at the shout. He could tell at a glance that this old man, Yang, held a very high position in the village; offending him would likely make his future in Maocao Village extremely difficult. He moved his lips, but ultimately sat back down sheepishly, his old face flushed red.

Jiang Xing sat next to Shen Dehou, his face expressionless, but he had already clearly weighed the situation in his mind.

These people were clearly playing good cop and bad cop. Village Chief Tian and Old Master Wu were relatively mild-mannered, but Old Master Yang gave them a rude and intimidating welcome.

This isn't a discussion; it's clearly forcing them to back down.

Shen Dehou and Jiang Xing exchanged a glance, neither of them rushing to speak.

Seeing the atmosphere become tense, Village Chief Tian quickly stepped in to smooth things over, saying with a smile, "Please don't worry, everyone. The village is considering everyone's difficulties. This price is a rule set by the clan, and I can't make the decision myself. However, if you think it's too expensive, or if you can't raise that much money right away, there are other ways."

He paused, then continued, "There are a few vacant old houses in the village. They're a bit dilapidated, but with some repairs, they can be lived in. You can rent them first; the price will naturally be much cheaper than buying land."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Old Master Yang added casually, "If you want to buy land in the village at the normal price, that's not impossible. Each household will hand over 500 catties of grain, or the equivalent in silver, and the village will recognize you as residents of Maocao Village, with the land price calculated at two taels of silver per mu."

Five hundred catties of grain.

Jiang Xing frowned. They had fled all the way here and it was already a great stroke of luck that they had made it this far. The food they had was barely enough to last until the spring. Where did they get 500 catties of food?

As for money, it had been mostly spent on the escape route. The little bit of silver left was the last bit of security for the families. If they handed it all over, what would they do if they needed it urgently in the future?

This group of people clearly wants to take a piece of their flesh.

Shen Dehou pondered for a moment, then stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said in a tone neither humble nor arrogant, "Village Chief Tian, ​​both clan chiefs, buying land and settling down is a major matter, not something we can decide on the spot. Please allow us to go back and discuss it with our families before giving the village an answer, okay?"

Old Master Wu hadn't said much until now. Seeing that Shen Dehou's words made sense, he also felt that Old Master Yang's attitude earlier had indeed gone too far. So he nodded and said gently, "Alright, after all, it's a big matter. You should all go back and discuss it with your families."

"Here's what we'll do. You have three days to think it over, and then give the village a definite answer. The Lunar New Year is just around the corner, and everyone will be busy preparing for it, so no one will have time to deal with these kinds of things."

Jiang Xing stood up, his gaze sweeping over Old Master Yang's face without revealing his thoughts.