Chapter 7 I bought it!

In the evening, Cheng Tianyuan returned home.

“The village just opened a cooperative society, right next to the village committee office. They need two apprentice workers, and they provide lunch. There’s no salary for now. I’ve enrolled Xiaofang,” Cheng Tianyuan explained.

At first, Cheng Tianfang refused, saying she wanted to work in the city to earn more money and wouldn’t settle for a job with no pay.

Cheng Tianyuan explained that the cooperative society was a legitimate place, with a clean environment and easy work. As long as she completed one or two years of apprenticeship, she would be promoted, and then she would receive a salary. There would also be bonuses for holidays and festivals.

“The village chief said that if she performs well, she could even transfer to the county’s cooperative society. While being an apprentice may seem like a disadvantage at first, it will definitely lead to a promising future,” Cheng Tianyuan explained.

Once Cheng Tianfang heard about the potential for a bright future, she reluctantly agreed.

Next, Cheng Tianyuan went to the adobe house next to his parents to visit. He didn’t return to the new house until it was quite late in the night.

Xue Ling was busy organizing her dowry and looked up. “There’s still some hot water in the back restroom; you can use it.”

Cheng Tianyuan was slightly surprised but nodded and walked towards the back.

“We’re a bit far from the capital, and I discussed it with Uncle Xue. We won’t be able to return home for three days. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the village committee to make a call and let them know we’re safe.”

“Alright,” Xue Ling agreed readily.

Cheng Tianyuan hesitated and then asked, “I’ll be returning to work in the county tomorrow afternoon. What are your plans?”

Xue Ling blinked innocently. “You want me to accompany you? Sure!”

Cheng Tianyuan gave her a skeptical look. “Weren’t you eager to get rid of me? Why would you come with me?”

For more than a decade, the economic disparity between the two families had been quite significant.

If it weren’t for Xue Ling’s father owing Cheng Tianyuan’s father a favor, he probably wouldn’t have agreed to marry his daughter off to this remote and poor village.

Xue Ling knew that he wouldn’t change his view of her immediately, so she didn’t rush it.

“I just graduated last month and was thinking of finding a job. Unexpectedly, your family came to propose marriage. There might not be suitable job opportunities for me here, so I’ll go with you to the county.”

After all, she was tied to him for the rest of her life now. Wherever he went, she would follow.

Cheng Tianyuan furrowed his brow. “Where did you graduate from? I’m somewhat familiar with the area near the county. I can help you inquire. The supply and marketing cooperative has a collective dormitory, but you might not be able to stay there, which could be inconvenient.”

Xue Ling replied, “I graduated from the Foreign Language College, majoring in Chinese and English secretarial studies. I could work in foreign trade companies, Sino-foreign joint ventures, or even as an editorial assistant in places like magazine publishers.”

With this revelation, Cheng Tianyuan was secretly astonished.

When they had come to propose in the capital, Uncle Xue had mentioned that Xue Ling was somewhat spoiled and had a fiery temper, but one redeeming quality was her good academic performance and love for learning.

At the time, he had thought it was just self-praise, but it seemed there was more to her than met the eye!

Cheng Tianyuan nodded and said, “I’ll help you prepare, and tomorrow I’ll take you there.”

“Great!” Xue Ling smiled brightly in response.

Cheng Tianyuan wanted to ask about when they should go to the civil affairs bureau to process their divorce but, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to ask the question.

He hesitated and then changed the topic. “Our family is in dire financial straits. Just now, my dad suggested… selling the barren land at the village entrance back to the village committee. I haven’t given him an answer yet.”

Xue Ling was surprised; was he discussing this with her?

She became anxious. “No, land is a fixed asset and can’t be sold casually!”

Cheng Tianyuan’s brows furrowed as he explained, “We have a lot of land at home, and the front portion of it has been unused for years. It’s far from our house, and my parents can’t take care of it. My dad thinks it’s a waste to leave it barren, so he suggested selling it to the village committee to ease our financial situation.”

“Is the land at the village entrance, near the provincial road?” Xue Ling asked.

“Yes,” Cheng Tianyuan replied, “It’s around twenty mu.”

“How much can you sell it for?” Xue Ling inquired.

“At most four or five hundred yuan; it won’t fetch much,” Cheng Tianyuan replied.

Xue Ling thought for a moment and said, “I read in a newspaper article a few days ago that land prices in remote rural areas on the outskirts of northern cities have been skyrocketing due to recent developments, with some areas seeing land prices double or even increase a hundredfold within a year.”

Cheng Tianyuan shook his head and explained, “This area is remote and the land is infertile. It can’t compare to the outskirts of a big city.”

Nevertheless, Xue Ling had grown up in a major city and had broad knowledge. Her words held some truth.

Xue Ling tried to persuade him further, but Cheng Tianyuan remained hesitant due to their tight financial situation.

“Our family has a lot of land, and if we sell this twenty mu, we’ll still have another twenty mu in front. My dad and mom can’t manage the land near the village entrance, so let’s just sell it,” Cheng Tianyuan finally relented.

Seeing that he was still reluctant, Xue Ling smiled and raised her eyebrows.

“I can buy it. Why sell it to someone else when I’m your wife?” She handed him five brand-new one hundred yuan bills.

Cheng Tianyuan was stunned!

…

The next morning, Cheng Tianyuan took Xue Ling to the village committee to make a call.

The Xue family had installed a telephone last year, so they quickly connected.

It was Xue’s father who answered the call, and he reminded his daughter to take good care of Cheng Tianyuan and his parents.

Xue Ling reassured him and promised to visit them in the capital once she and Tianyuan had settled down.

Cheng Tianyuan stood by, chatting with the village chief. After Xue Ling finished the call, he took her to the barren land at the village entrance.

“If you turn out here, you’ll reach the newly built provincial road. This area is quite barren, and nothing can be grown here. Are you sure you want to buy it?” Cheng Tianyuan asked.

Xue Ling nodded firmly.

Cheng Tianyuan furrowed his thick eyebrows and asked, “Why would an outsider like you want to buy such a large

 piece of land? You can’t cultivate or farm it.”

Xue Ling smiled mysteriously and stared at him. “I’ve already married into your family, haven’t I? How can you still consider me an outsider?”

Cheng Tianyuan maintained his stern expression but blinked multiple times in quick succession.

“I…I asked the village chief earlier, and he said that the village land has always been freely tradable. If we sell it to an outsider, we can go to the village committee to get a certificate.”

“No need,” Xue Ling said with narrowed eyes as she looked at the overgrown wasteland. “I trust you.”

Cheng Tianyuan hadn’t expected her to insist on buying the land even after seeing it. He felt a hint of irritation.

However, Xue Ling simply smiled and raised her eyebrows.

“You can sell the land to someone else, so why can’t you sell it to your own wife? Here, take the money! By the way, don’t tell your parents or your sister about this. It’s our little secret.”

Cheng Tianyuan stared at her for a while before finally nodding.

…

That day, after having lunch, Cheng Tianyuan and Xue Ling set off.

Cheng Muhai and Liu Ying saw them off at the village entrance, reluctant to part with their son and new daughter-in-law. They were filled with love and concern.

“Linlin, you just got married, why are you going to work?” Liu Ying asked with concern.

Xue Ling hurriedly shook her head and said nonchalantly, “Dad, Mom, we’re one family now. Our current financial situation isn’t great, so I should help Tianyuan earn money to support the family.”

Cheng’s father and mother were moved to tears and gave their blessings, reminding their son to take good care of his wife.

Cheng Tianyuan responded with a firm assurance, took Xue Ling’s suitcase, and strode ahead.

Xue Ling waved cheerfully to her parents-in-law and followed him.

Cheng’s village wasn’t large, and word of this matter quickly spread. Everyone admired the fact that Ah Yuan had married a wealthy and hardworking wife, and they praised her warmly.