In the early morning, Su Yi was nudged awake by Da Huang bumping against her repeatedly. “My dear big baby, you’re absolutely running your mother ragged!” Looking outside, she saw that the sky had already brightened. She gave the little tiger’s head a good scratch, got out of bed, and opened the door in one smooth motion.
Standing at the doorway, Su Yi let out a massive yawn and stretched lazily. “Ah—so comfortable! The air is so fresh!” With that, she took a deep, clear breath.
After a quick, simple wash-up, Su Yi set up a small table outside the thatched hut, sitting on a tiny stool to enjoy her breakfast at leisure. Today she was having steamed buns and soy milk. She had brought out a generous portion, occasionally breaking off a piece to share with Mimi and Da Huang.
“I need to go find the village chief now. I should bring a little gift along to smooth things over; after all, no one slaps a smiling face that bears gifts!” Su Yi muttered as she chewed on her bun.
Before long, Su Yi finished her breakfast and packed up her things. She stored Da Huang and Mimi back into her dimension, as she couldn’t afford to let anyone see them right now. Once everything was perfectly tidied up, Su Yi made her way toward Kaoshan Village.
Just like last time, she arrived at the village and walked straight to Big Sister Sun’s house. “Big Sister Sun, are you home?” Su Yi called out from outside the courtyard.
“Aye! I’m here,” Big Sister Sun called back, walking out of the house as she answered.
“Young sister! Quick, come inside. I haven’t seen you in a while, where have you been lately?” As she spoke, she guided Su Yi into the house, and Su Yi promptly followed her lead.
“I’ve been wandering around the outer periphery of the mountain lately. I gathered some wild mushrooms and took them to town to sell!” Su Yi said, mixing truth with a bit of fiction.
Stepping inside, Su Yi saw only a simple table, a few stools, and a cupboard against the wall, though everything was exceptionally neat and clean.
“Sit, sit! Would you like some water? I’ll pour you a cup. We don’t have much fancy stuff at home.”
Hearing this, Su Yi quickly waved her hands in refusal. “No need, Big Sister! I actually came to ask you about something. Where is the village chief’s house? I have some business I need his help with!”
“For the village chief’s house, just walk straight deeper into the village. The largest and grandest blue-brick tiled house belongs to him. It’s very close by.”
“Mm-hmm, great! Thank you, Big Sister. My name is Su Yi, let’s visit each other often from now on!” As she spoke, she reached into her basket and pulled out a few eggs.
“Take these eggs to nourish the children’s bodies!”
“No way! It’s not easy for a single girl like you, take them back,” Big Sister Sun immediately protested.
“Please take them! I’ll have to trouble you to look after me more in the future!” Hearing this, Big Sister Sun could only give in and accept them.
“Then I’ll head over to the village chief’s first! I’ll come back to chat with you next time!”
Leaving Big Sister Sun’s house, Su Yi walked in the direction she had pointed out. Sure enough, after a short while, she spotted a courtyard featuring a grand blue-brick house with a tiled roof.
“Is anyone home? Is this the village chief’s house?” Su Yi called out at the entrance.
A moment later, a slightly plump woman in her fifties with a kind, gentle face stepped out of the house. “Young lady, is there something you need?” The woman looked at the unfamiliar Su Yi with confusion, not recognizing the girl at all.
“Auntie! My name is Su Yi. I’ve just arrived here, and I’d like to see the village chief about purchasing a piece of land in the village!” Su Yi replied straightforwardly.
“Alright, wait just a moment,” the woman said before turning back inside.
Shortly after, a friendly-looking man stepped out from the inner room. He also appeared to be in his fifties. The village chief, Zhou Dewang, offered Su Yi a welcoming smile: “Young lady, what business brings you to me?”
“Village Chief, I’d like to discuss something with you. I am an outsider. My family’s fortune declined, and then we crossed paths with bandits. I was originally on my way to seek refuge with relatives, but I ended up drifting all the way here. Recently, I’ve been staying in that thatched hut on the outer edge of the mountain. Seeing how beautiful the landscape is here, I’ve been thinking about settling down permanently.” Su Yi poured out her carefully rehearsed backstory in a single breath.
The village chief nodded understandingly after listening, then told her, “Come inside, let’s talk.”
Su Yi followed the village chief into the house, found a stool to sit on, and continued, “I have a bit of money left on me. I want to buy that thatched hut and the small plot of land around it so I can fence off a proper courtyard, repair the hut, build another room, and officially register my household in your village. Do you think that’s feasible?”
Hearing this, the village chief stroked his beard, pondering Su Yi’s request. This girl spoke humbly, politely, and carried herself with graceful confidence. Since she was all alone, it should be perfectly fine to accept her into the community.
Seeing that she had laid out all her requests in one go, Su Yi reached into her basket and pulled out over a dozen wild pheasant eggs.
“Please take these wild eggs to nourish the children at home. I found them in the mountains, they aren’t worth much,” Su Yi said, placing the eggs onto the table.
“You silly girl, take these eggs right back!” the village chief said strictly.
“I agree to your request. However, buying land and registering your household requires some paperwork. That small plot of land isn’t of much use, and if you want to farm, you’ll have to clear the wasteland yourself. It’s not worth much, so five liang of silver will be plenty. The land deed should take about three to five days to process, and your household registration can be handled alongside it. It just so happens I’m heading into town tomorrow anyway, so I can take care of it for you.”
Hearing this, Su Yi beamed with joy and quickly said, “Thank you so much, Uncle! You absolutely must keep the eggs, you’re doing me a massive favor!”
“No, take them back, it’s just something I can do in passing!”
“I actually want to ask for your help with something else as well. As a single girl, I can’t handle repairs, building a house, or laying down walls on my own. I’ll have to trouble you to help me find some villagers to do the work, and I will provide full wages!”
“Just accept them! You can just help this child out more in the days to come,” the village chief’s wife, Cao Guihua, chimed in to support Su Yi.
“Mm-hmm!” Su Yi nodded eagerly.
“Alright then! But you absolutely cannot bring gifts next time, it’s not easy for a young girl like you.”
Su Yi nodded rapidly, while thinking to herself: I’m definitely bringing gifts next time! The village chief and his wife are such wonderful people, they deserve my good things!
With an actual age of twenty-five, Su Yi didn’t blush in the slightest at being called a “young girl.” She considered herself a young girl anyway! Furthermore, under the regular nourishment of the spiritual spring water, being called a young girl was completely justified, since she easily looked eighteen or nineteen years old. Besides, she wouldn’t dare reveal her real age; in this ancient world, a twenty-five-year-old woman would already be considered an old maid!
“Auntie, then I’ll trouble you to help me find the workers so we can begin tomorrow. The sooner it’s completed, the safer and more at peace I’ll feel, especially since it’s right by the mountains.”
“Child, are you absolutely sure you want to buy that specific spot? Living out there all by yourself still isn’t very safe,” Cao Guihua said with a worried expression.
“Auntie, I’ve set my mind on that spot. I feel it’s quite nice. It’s close to the river, which makes things very convenient. I’ve already lived there for a few days and it feels great. Once the courtyard walls are built high enough, I won’t have to fear thieves or wild beasts!” Su Yi said breezily.
“Alright! Rest assured, the workers will show up tomorrow! It can all be finished in three to five days.”
“Wonderful, thank you so much, Auntie! I won’t be providing meals, but I will give excellent wages—how does thirty copper coins a day sound?”
“That’s more than enough! With wages like that, they will definitely finish within three days! I’ll find you some workers who are strong, fast, and won’t slack off or cheat you.”
“Mm-hmm, perfect! Thank you so much, Village Chief Uncle and Auntie. I’ll take my leave now!” Su Yi said to the couple.
With her sweet words and polite demeanor, Su Yi left a fantastic impression on the two elders. This girl handled matters effectively and spoke reliably; she was a truly wonderful girl. It was a pity the stinky boys in their own family were already married.
Zhou Dewang and Cao Guihua both chorused, “Alright, if anything comes up, just come find us. Don’t be shy!” Since this girl was all alone, they wanted to help her out as much as they could—unaware that it remained to be seen who would truly be helping whom.
“Alright, if I run into any trouble, I will certainly come bother you!” After bidding them farewell, Su Yi stepped out of the village chief’s house, humming a song in a delightful mood all the way back to her little home.