The Only Favourite Ugly Husband

Chapter 103.2 – Buying land to build a house

On the other side of the river, most of the land belonged to the Zhao family, but some of it belonged to no one. This land could be bought from the yamen, but the yamen needed to measure it first.

Jiang Zhen informed Zhao Fugui and Zhao Liu and then took He Chunsheng and He Xiasheng to work, leaving Jiang Ming, Wang Haisheng, and several others to protect the Zhao family.

Jiang Zhen first went to see Yang Jing and then followed him to the yamen office, as well as to the Hecheng country magistrate. In fact, he didn’t intend to see the county magistrate. After all, with his status, he would need to kneel to give his respects. But as soon as he went to the yamen and stated his name, they not only came out immediately to help him but they also didn’t give him a chance to kneel down before he was complimented instead.

There was no doubt that this magistrate was from the Zheng family.

Seeing this, Jiang Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. Then as he expected, things went smoothly. Not only did the county magistrate say that land would be his in a few days, but even the price was cheaper. Of course, with the magistrate being so kind, Jiang Zhen also needed to be respectful. So immediately after, he gave the magistrate some medicinal materials brought from the capital to show his respect. Both sides talked to each other very happily.

“Boss, it’s only been less than a year, you’re surprisingly powerful.”

Yang Jing couldn’t help but feel some emotion as he looked at Jiang Zhen. Jiang Zhen had been poor and penniless, so he didn’t expect that, after half a year, he had become a person who even the county magistrate had to treat him with courtesy. He was suddenly a little glad that he was beaten by Jiang Zhen and did not try to make trouble for Jiang Zhen after that incident. If he hadn’t had the sense to not go against Jiang Zhen, he had no idea of what would have become of him by now.

“I am quite surprised too.” Jiang Zhen laughed. “By the way, invite all familiar people in the yamen. I will invite you all to drink.” Since Jiang Zhen intended to live in Hecheng County, having a good relationship with those yamen officers was necessary.

“Don’t worry, boss. I’ll be sure to invite all the people who should be invited.” Yang Jing laughed and invited someone to go.

Jiang Zhen seeing this, asked He Chunsheng to go to the butcher in the county town to ask if he had enough pork so he could buy some to give away.

That evening, the restaurant in the county town was very lively. All the yamen officers and those small officials who worked in the yamen came to gather in the restaurant to drink and eat meat.

Jiang Zhen spent only 20 silver to buy a meal in the restaurant that could satisfy all these people. In addition, he asked He Chunsheng to prepare a basket for each of them. In each basket, there was a large piece of pork, ten eggs, ten duck eggs, plus a packet of snacks. It was not much, but in those times, it was still a very good gift. These people could enjoy themselves at this banquet and still bring back quality food for their families when they went home.

The yamen officers were all eating and drinking downstairs, and several of Jiang Zhen’s men were also talking to them downstairs to establish a good rapport with them, while Jiang Zhen took Zhao Jinge, Zhao Fugui and his wife to eat on the second floor.

Zhao Jinge was here for the second time, and he had learned a lot when he was in the capital, so he didn’t think anything about eating here. But Zhao Fugui and Zhao Liu were very uneasy. They are actually going to eat above a group of officials, which . . . this . . .

Zhao Fugui did not even dare to move a lot, for fear of making a noise and making these officials below unhappy.

“Father, Mother, you do not need to be like this . . . There will be more days like this in future,” Jiang Zhen comforted.

“Oh . . . I just can’t get over it,” Zhao Liu said.

Zhao Fugui and Zhao Liu were very uncomfortable, but it didn’t stop them from eating the food at the table and even clearing the plates. It would be such a waste to not finish all of such expensive food!

When Jiang Zhen bid good-bye to the yamen officers, the people under him had already become brothers with these officers while those yamen officers even called Jiang Zhen, boss.

While the Jiang family was enjoying their dinner, the old Jiang family had already officially split up, but because the food in the kitchen had not been divided yet, the meal was eaten together.

In the past, when the family ate together, although there was no meat, there were still eggs on the table. But at the moment, only boiled vegetables could be eaten, and old lady Jiang was reluctant to even put salt in it.

Both Jiang Chengxiang and Jiang Chengwen were picky eaters, so although both of them were hungry, they put down their chopsticks without eating much.

Jiang Chengxiang had long since borne a particular dislike for Jiang Chengwen. Jiang Chengwen, on the other hand, also hated his cold-blooded brother, so neither of them was willing to talk with each other. Seeing this scene, Butcher Jiang could not help sighing.

Old lady Jiang was also unhappy . . . especially since Jiang Zhen made a lot of money

“Chengxiang, didn’t you say before that we can sue Jiang Zhen for being unfilial? He intimidated us at the beginning, so we didn’t sue him, but how about now?” old lady Jiang suddenly asked. “I gave birth to him, so all the money he earned should be given to me! How could he ignore his own mother!”

As soon as old lady Jiang’s words came out, all the Jiang family members were stunned, especially Jiang Chengxiang who had some knowledge.

Nowadays, if a son wanted to sue his father, no matter why he wanted to sue he would be punished first. However, when a father or mother wanted to sue their son it was easy.

After all, Daqi country was ruled by filial piety!

Now that Jiang Zhen had become rich but he did not care about his parents, this was definitely being unfilial!

They didn’t dare to sue Jiang Zhen before because he threatened them, saying that if they dare to sue him, he would take a knife and go to the yamen to slice people up, but this time . . . that Jiang Zhen admitted it. Didn’t it give them immunity to sue?

In the eyes of the Jiang family, hope lit up again.

Even if they wouldn’t be able to make Jiang Zhen spit out all the money he had earned, they could still get a little so that they will have no worries about food and clothing and buying back the land they have just sold! Maybe they could even buy more land!

The Jiang family looked at each other and became more and more excited. The next day, old lady Jiang changed into rags before going to the yamen building to make a complaint.

“Who are you suing?” the yamen officer asked.

“Sir, I want to sue my eldest son for disobedience . . . Disobedience and for being unfilial!” old lady Jiang cried.

The country magistrate of Hecheng County was determined to rise in the ranks. Although he was not necessarily clean, he was still good to his people. If people come to sue, he would see it through.

Hearing this, the yamen officer asked, “Who is your eldest son? Do you have any documents?”

“My eldest son is the villain of Hexi Village, Jiang Zhenwei. But now he changed his name to Jiang Zhen.” Old lady Jiang then took out the paper that Jiang Chengxiang had already written.

“Jiang Zhen?” The yamen officer looked at old lady Jiang in surprise and went in with the paper.

The other day, Jiang Zhen invited them to dinner and drink, but this day, someone came to sue him. What a coincidence . . .

The yamen officer went to Yang Jing, who had known Jiang Zhen the longest.

Seeing that the yamen officer had gone in, old lady Jiang waited outside excitedly. As a result, she waited for a long time but did not see the officer come out again.

It was cold. She had been standing outside for a long time in the wind, making her eyes tear up and snot come out. She deliberately wore rags, so she did not feel warm . . . In desperation, she could only stop another officer and asked, “Officer, I’m here to complain. . .”

“Don’t get in the way.” The yamen officer frowned and looked at old lady Jiang, saying, “Besides, before you file a complaint, you should weigh your own weight first. Don’t accuse others and lose your own life.”

“What?” Old lady Jiang was surprised.

In the end, this was an old lady, so yamen officer reminded her, “Jiang Zhen—no, Boss Jiang has come to the yamen yesterday to have tea with the county magistrate, and you still want to sue him?”

“What?” Old lady Jiang was so frightened at the idea that Jiang Zhen had the ability to drink tea with the county magistrate. This . . . This . . .

“Besides, who doesn’t know that you mistreated him and kicked him out?” The yamen officer said, “How long are you going to stay here? Boss Jiang’s men will come soon.”

Coincidentally, as soon as old lady Jiang heard the yamen officer speak, old lady Jiang saw Jiang Ming and He Chunsheng coming together from afar.

When old lady Jiang came, she dressed in rags to look like a person who was very poor and who did not have enough to eat. After being in the cold for a long time, it seemed that she would fall down when the wind blew, but now . . . She sprang to her feet and ran away as fast as she could and at such speed, even a young and strong person would not be able to catch up with her.

Jiang Zhen didn’t know about old lady Jiang’s affairs at that time. Having nothing to do today, he stayed at home and started prenatal education to Zhao Jinge’s belly. He read poems to the child in Zhao Jinge’s belly while touching Zhao Jinge’s stomach. He didn’t know whether the child in the belly was happy to hear it or wanted to protest. But when he read, the child moved a lot.

“My child’s legs are so strong!” Jiang Zhen was kicked a few times by the child in the belly and then could not help boasting and asking Zhao Jinge, “Does it hurt when it kicks you?”

“It doesn’t hurt.” Zhao Jinge was a little speechless. Even though the child moved gently, he didn’t know why Jiang Zhen insisted that it was kicking.

Maybe the child was just turning over.

“As long as it doesn’t hurt,” Jiang Zhen said with a smile. “I’ll read another book.”

Jiang Zhen soon began to read again, but this time, he only read a few words when Zhao Liu’s voice came from outside, “Jiang Zhen, what are you talking about? Why are you speaking so strangely?”

When Jiang Zhen was reading, he naturally used Mandarin, but obviously, Zhao Liu could not understand . . .

“Mother, Jiang Zhen speaks in the capital’s official language, Mandarin. All people in the capital speak like this,” Zhao Jinge said to Zhao Liu.

“Mandarin? People in the capital speak like this?” Zhao Liu was surprised.

“It can be said that people who are officials all talk like that.” Zhao Jinge nodded earnestly.

“Jiang Zhen is really very good . . .” Zhao Liu sighed with emotion. As soon as she turned around, she could not help sharing it with other people.

“Do you know? Jiang Zhen can speak Mandarin, but only those who are officials can speak it!” She could not talk about money at home, but she could still talk about this, so Zhao Liu added, “He can read and write in Mandarin.”

“Really?” the people who talked with Zhao Liu’s were stunned.

“Of course, it’s true.” Zhao Liu was very sure, “He also reads to Zhao Jinge’s stomach even though it’s only so big now. He wants to start teaching the child in the belly, so he was reading to Jinge’s stomach all day long . . . This Mandarin, how powerful it was that even can teach child in the belly—”

“Zhao Liu, Jiang Zhen has never studied. Why do you think he can read and speak Mandarin?” a man interrupted Zhao Liu and asked suspiciously.

“Maybe he was enlightened by some immortal,” Zhao Liu said casually and carried on, “Jiang Zhen said that when the child is in the belly, it can still hear the voice from outside, so he reads to teach the child in Zhao Jinge’s belly every day. Maybe in the future, there will be a master scholar in our family!”

Zhao Liu had little education, so she thought that becoming a scholar was already very good! As for the people who spoke to her, they did not listen to what she said later, only thinking about the sentence she spoke in front of them—“Enlightened by immortals.”

Without Jiang Zhen’s knowledge, the Hexi villagers spontaneously found a reason for his change. Eldest Jiang suddenly became so powerful because he had met an immortal and became enlightened! He was really blessed!

After all, this was just what everyone said in private, so a few days later when the yamen officers came from Hecheng, they were truly shocked.

Jiang Zhen bought such a large piece of land . . . He soon had more land than Zhao Dahu’s family! It’s just . . . That piece of land was not good for growing things.