Transmigrated into a slave? I raised a frontier war god while pioneering new lands.

When Xu Qinghe heard that he was there to look at the house, she didn't stop him and stepped aside to make way for him.

After Xu Qinghe made way, Old Man Shen walked into the courtyard with a heavy expression.

Upon entering the courtyard, a scene of utter chaos immediately came into view.

Seeing the house he had lived in for most of his life collapse like this, Old Man Shen was actually the most heartbroken.

Because this house was built specifically for him by his parents when he got married, he actually has a deeper affection for this house than for anyone else.

But he also knew that the house was too old, otherwise he wouldn't have moved his family away from here.

As Old Man Shen's hands trembled as he stroked the roof beams on the ground, he asked Xu Qinghe, "This house has collapsed. What are your plans with your second son?"

Looking at Old Man Shen's aged appearance, Xu Qinghe didn't hide anything from him, "We want to build another one."

Old Shen's hand paused slightly, but he quickly realized, "Build another one? Sure!"

"This house was half-collapsed before, and it was dangerous enough for you to live in it."

"Now that it's all collapsed, it's convenient to rebuild it."

"What? Did you oversee the construction of this house, or did the second son?"

Xu Qinghe considered Shen Zhi's job nature and replied without hesitation, "Me."

Old Man Shen had guessed it too. After all, everyone knew about Shen Zhi's work. The northern border was provoking them every day, so it was unrealistic to expect him to come back and oversee the construction of the house.

"Oh! It's tough on you, a woman all alone."

"It's not too busy in the fields right now, so if you need anything, just let me know. I can't help with big things, but I can still run errands for you."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qinghe immediately understood what Old Man Shen meant. He was worried that it would be inconvenient for her, a woman, to show her face in public, and was acting as her support.

"Thank you, Father. I happen to have something I'd like to ask you for a favor."

Old Man Shen immediately perked up upon hearing this, "What is it?"

Xu Qinghe didn't stand on ceremony, "I want to make the yard bigger, maybe double the size of this, and even take up the open space next to it."

"I'd like you to ask the village chief if it's possible and if any procedures are required."

In ancient times, building a house required the approval of the village chief and the government.

In villages like theirs, most people only need to go through the village head to build a house, without having to go through the government.

But her house was large, occupied a lot of land, and was a brick and tile house. All these things together required the approval of the village chief and the government, and a red deed was needed. Otherwise, she would have to argue with people about anything in the future.

Old Man Shen was stunned. "Double it out? Do you have that much money?"

Xu Qinghe: "We can find a way to get the money."

Seeing that Xu Qinghe spoke with such certainty, Old Man Shen did not stop her.

"No one in our village has ever built a house this big before. I need to ask the village chief first."

"Do you want to build a thatched house, or one of those large courtyards with multiple entrances like those old men in town?"

"It's not a thatched house, nor a large courtyard with multiple entrances; it's just a brick and tile house with a few more rooms."

"We need more open space. You can see our situation: chickens, ducks, dogs, children, vegetable garden—we really don't have enough room."

Old Man Shen glanced at the vegetable garden that Xu Qinghe had planted and instantly understood what she meant.

"Okay, I'll go ask for you right away."

"When the second son comes back, discuss with him how to build it. Take advantage of the fact that it's not too busy now and get the house built quickly."

Xu Qinghe nodded, "Okay."

After saying that, Old Man Shen left in a hurry. After all, so many houses in the village had collapsed, and if he didn't leave soon, there would be no one to help.

After seeing Old Man Shen off, Xu Qinghe wanted to check on her peanuts.

The peanuts she bought were unshelled, and she never shelled them for easy storage.

However, this stuff has rather high storage requirements; it can't be covered up, kept damp, or exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise it will affect the germination rate.

To ensure normal sowing next year, Xu Qinghe can only provide them with a comfortable and well-ventilated environment as much as possible.

Fortunately, she moved the peanuts out immediately yesterday and placed them in a higher place so they didn't get wet. She reached into the peanut bag and felt that it wasn't damp, so Xu Qinghe was relieved.

Just as she finished checking the peanuts and was about to check on the chicken coop, there was another knock at the door.

Her voice was urgent and agitated, "Xu Qinghe, open the door for me!"

Xu Qinghe looked at the door, which was teetering on the verge of collapse, and walked over with a helpless expression.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Shen's mother with a gloomy face. Before she could speak, Shen's mother pushed her aside and hurriedly ran into the yard.

He froze on the spot as soon as he entered the courtyard, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at the mess before him.

He slapped his thigh and sat down on the ground, ignoring how muddy it was. "What have I done to deserve this?!"

"I've ended up with such a daughter-in-law. I've lived in this perfectly good house for most of my life, and it hasn't collapsed or broken down!"

"What, you're all devastated now that she's here? Do you look down on her too, thinking she's a jinx?"

Although Xu Qinghe could understand Shen's mother's sadness, she could not understand why she called herself a jinx.

Just as she was about to retort, she heard footsteps coming from the doorway. Turning around, she saw Old Man Shen leading the village chief and the village secretary towards her.

Xu Qinghe stopped talking abruptly and stood obediently to the side, letting Shen's mother scold her.

While cursing, Shen's mother secretly glanced at Xu Qinghe. Seeing Xu Qinghe's submissive appearance, she became even more imposing.

"Good heavens! You have eyes! This kind of jinx who disrespects her mother-in-law should be smashed to death, so she won't be left to cause trouble for others."

Just as Mrs. Shen was crying her heart out, Mr. Shen suddenly walked in and scolded her, "Enough! What are you doing here!"

When Shen's mother saw the emotions that Shen's father had been suppressing, she exploded, "I'm making a scene! What am I making a scene about?"

"So that's why you disappeared so early in the morning. Turns out you came to help this little bitch."

"She destroyed my house and then told me not to say anything."

Old Man Shen's face darkened. "What do you mean she collapsed?"

Shen's mother was furious. "If it wasn't her, then it could be me?! I've lived here for most of my life and nothing's happened. What? My house will collapse the moment she gets married?"

"What else could she be but a jinx?"

Xu Qinghe: "It's because your house has been in disrepair for many years. Moreover, it's not that it's completely undamaged; the eastern half of it collapsed long ago."

Upon hearing this, Shen's mother's imposing manner immediately diminished by half.

"It collapsed because we left, not because we lived there."

Xu Qinghe...

It seems they're trying to pin the blame on her.

"But wasn't it exactly as you described?"

"If you are really dissatisfied with me, and think that I caused this house to collapse."

"Then you can give me some money so I can build a house like my older brother and the others. If it collapses, I'll accept whatever you say to me."