Translated and given permission by MissQ to post on Puretl.com
Edited by Pure

Chapter 83: Buying Land to Expand the House

“You three joined hands but you couldn’t withstand the enemy? I dare say, the longer you’ve lived, the worse you’ve become,” Lin Si Yao sat by the table not far from the large bed. He poured himself a cup of water, mocking indifferently. He didn’t even care to be polite to Si Luo who was sitting cross-legged on the bed to heal himself. 

 “We were careless...” Si Shan said, his voice a little distressed, “We didn’t expect the Deadly Duet of the West Corridor to be that fierce and bold. No wonder...”

"Feng Qingya seems strange...” Si Tuo, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly gave a cold, unclear comment, but it somehow shook the people present in this room. 

“Ha...” Lin Si Yao sneered coldly, “The enemy is out there and we have internal issues to solve too... I think you guys should follow me and become a hermetic farmer then...”  

 “Si Ling...” Si Tuo was speechless, looking at him. “You are... a dead man. That’s why Feng Qingya doesn’t come to you. But us...” Of course, needless to say, as they wanted to leave the Feng Yao Court, Feng Qingya wouldn’t let them go. No matter where they hid, they wouldn’t stay safe and sound. 

“I think we can consider Si Ling’s suggestion...” Si Shan pondered for a while then continued, “Today, the Feng Yao Court has already abolished the rules our Old Master had established that year. Harrumph, if we still work for Feng Qingya, we ain’t no assassins anymore. We’re the devils.”  

“I agree...” Si Luo opened his eyes as he had finished healing his wounds. He continued Si Ling’s words, his eyes sharp and cold, “Think about it. Among around six hundred fellows of the Feng Yao Court, there are many people who got better kungfu than the three of us. Why did they insist on us to go to the West Corridor? If they didn’t want to bury our dead bodies there, what do you think they want?”  

He had soon found Feng Qingya’s malicious intention toward them, especially after Si Ling’s incident. The number of fellows in their Si Department, which were directed by Si Tuo’s team, wasn’t small. If he weren’t wrong, Feng Qingya wanted to change the blood completely. Didn’t he? It was Si Ling a year ago. And now, it was the three of them... The members of the Si Department who used to follow the former Master would be swept away within the next three years and a half! 

Lin Si Yao felt speechless as the other three had actually considered his joke-like suggestion a possibility. 

“Okay, just make it our decision. After Si Luo’s relatively recovered, we will return to the Court to solve the other matters. Then, we will discuss this...” Si Tuo glugged down the strong liquor in his cup and casually decided. 

“Right. We’ve earned quite a lot. Even if we’re gluttonous, we won’t be starving. Moreover, we still have the money Si Ling’s going to give us. Oh hey Si Ling, would you keep your words?” Si Luo smirked, his face regaining colors which hid the fact that he was wounded severely. “We will become Si Ling’s neighbors at that time. Even though someone will treat us coldly, we don’t know how to cook rice or stir-fry the veggies without him. Haha...” Si Shan fearlessly added.  

 “Okay, Si Ling, we count our housing things on you. If we can finish it fast, we’ll be back after three months. If we take it slow, it’ll be one year. We will be neighbors then...” 

If Si Tuo’s face weren’t as cold and calm as usual, Lin Siyao would doubt that he had already changed. Do those words look like they could come out from the mouth of a merciless assassin? 

"Don’t forget what I’ve asked you to do...” Reluctantly, Lin Si Yao looked at the three who had made up their minds on their future within fifteen minutes. His current self couldn’t come to the Feng Yao Court, which was thousands of miles away from here. Thus, if he wanted to take the properties he had earned during the first half of his life, which he had hidden there, he had to ask these three to do that. Although it would be only one-fourth that would return to him, it was enough for him to do many things in this little Fan Hua Town. 

As he wanted to expand his home and Si Tuo and the other two had asked him to help them with their housing, as soon as he returned to Fan Hua Town, he immediately made a plan to buy more land and build houses. 

----

 “What? You want to buy six acres of the wasteland in the West?” Wang Geng Fa, the village elder of the little town, stared at Lin Si Yao in surprise. 

Although the wasteland in the West of the town was unowned, it would take dozens of silvers to buy six mu’s of it. Why did he have to spend a lot to buy the wasteland? 

Build more houses? There were just two of them. Why would they need a big house? Cultivate the paddy fields? Why would they need so many pieces of land? The two paddy fields and the house were enough for them to survive. 

Wang Geng Fa thought it over and over, but he couldn’t figure out why Lin Si Yao wanted to buy the six mu’s of wasteland. 

“I got some friends who wanted to relocate to the Fan Hua Town. They asked me to help them with the houses. Well, no one in the town wanted to sell their house. Moreover, Shuilian is pregnant now. We need to enlarge our house. So, I want to buy more land and build it myself...” Lin Siyao rarely said sincere words like that. 

Actually, he wanted to buy all the land from his two pieces of paddy field toward the West. It was around ten acres of land. 

However, he was afraid that the other villagers would voice their disapproval, so Lin Si Yao decided to buy six acres first. He would take two for his own home and the other four would be used to build a big house for the other three. And, later if they got their own families and wanted to build more, it would be none of his business. He wasn’t their parents. Why would he have to care about them marrying, right?

To be honest, he was doubtful that he wasn’t himself, the one he used to be anymore. At least, not the previous Si Ling. 

Think about it, one year ago, Si Tuo and the other two had still been after him under the order. One year later, he had to care about their houses like an old mum. He felt wronged! However, every time he thought that because of them, he had had the chance to meet up with Shuilian and build his warm, leisurely little family, he calmed down. Every change ends with a solution. Causes and results, it was the way of life. 

----

"So, was he okay with that?” Su Shuilian giggled as she squeezed the water out of a damp cloth for her husband.

It was mid-June, and the sun at noon was so dazzling. 

Lin Si Yao had practiced martial arts and the route to the president’s house didn’t make him sweat. However, Su Shuilian had formed a routine of giving him a damp cloth to wipe and cool down his face after he entered the house. 

“Yes, he didn’t have a reason to not agree. The wasteland will still be a wasteland no matter how long they let it be. It’s better to sell the land to us.” Lin Si Yao wiped his face, then casually placed the cloth on the hanger. Then, he hugged Su Shuilian, bringing her to the living room. 

 “How are you today?” he asked gently. 

 “Pretty good,” Su Shuilian lovingly rubbed her a-little-round belly. 

As Aunt Lao had told her, the belly that carried twins was much bigger than the normal pregnant one. Although she hadn’t reached the fourth month, her belly had already protruded. She wondered how big it would be until her due date. 

And, think about it, the Fan Hua Town and the two adjacent, Qing Tian Town and Luo Shui Town, had never had twins. Thus, even the women that Shuilian didn’t know had tried to find excuses to follow Aunt Lao and Aunt Tian to visit her. Su Shuilian did not know whether to laugh or cry; it was like she was a bird in a cage for people to behold. 

Today, Lin Si Yao had finally received the certificate of ownership for his six acres of wasteland from Sun Yumao. Then, he went to see Tian Dafu to talk about the construction works. 

Of course, he decided to build the house for Si Tuo’s team first. 

Firstly, Su Shuilian was in her time of nurturing their babies. She was due soon. It was really hard to take care of her. If she lived near the noisy construction site, she would be disturbed a lot. 

Secondly, Si Tuo said that after three months, they would finish the stuff in Feng Yao Court and come here to settle down. Thus, he should finish their houses first, which would eliminate the case in which they would come to trouble him at his own house everyday!

Then, Tian Dafu took him to see the most famous contractors of the three towns and some workers and carpenters, including Fang Da Sheng’s team, who used to make his furniture. 

They gathered at Tian Dafu’s, discussing the construction method to build up a massive house over the four acres of land in the West. When they heard that the entire big house would lodge only three people, they were dumbfounded. Immediately, they guessed that some rich people wanted to move in. Otherwise, why would they need the entire four mu’s of land to build the house?

“It’s better to have the bedrooms and the offices separate. They will share the living room and the kitchen. Hmm, about the available extra areas, just plant some bamboo trees,” Lin Si Yao gave them his general requirements. 

After giving the bare minimum of a request, Lin Si Yao got up with the intention of heading home. 

As for the rest of the design, it was handed over to Tian Dafu. "Once the initial design is complete, calculate all the materials needed, and give me an approximate price. I will pay half of that amount before you start. The remaining half will be settled after completion." 

After he finished his words, Lin Si Yao nodded his head at Tian Dafu indicating he will be in charge of the decision making. And with that, Lin Si Yao exited the Tian House and made his way home to prepare lunch.

“Da… Dafu. Was Lin House’s intention to give us all authority on deciding the price and be paying us half before starting the work?” Unable to suppress their inner doubts, the masons all gather and discuss among themselves. 

“Oh yes, Dafu, you and his family are well acquitted, is that what he really meant?” Rubbing their hands together, several individuals gleefully calculate their profits.

“Enough guys. Remember he is my son’s Shifu. His business is also my business. Now hurry and calculate the amount that is needed so I can let him know. Just an estimate is fine and do not try to swindle him. You all know that he is a skilled martial artist, do not bring trouble to yourselves.”

Tian Dafu glanced at the crowd and gave a light warning. 

“Aiyo, we are just talking, do not take this to heart. Yes yes yes, Dafu, let us calculate how much this will cost. We won’t overcharge him, but we can not undercharge either, right?” 

“Dafu, there is one more important matter… you should also ask him if the cost was underestimated, would we be compensated for the loss? ”

Within this crowd of people, Tian Dafu did not need to explain, as for the others, other than Fāng Dasheng, Wang Shuifa, and Feng Lao Liu who had already helped Lin Si Yao with his previous projects, they knew that he would not slight them. 

There were a few masons, who had heard of Lin Si Yao’s generosity, who tried to squeeze out a little more earning. 

Summer and winter had the least amount of requests for this kind of labor. It was lucky for them to land on such a big project, so trying to earn a little bit more by opening up the lion’s mouth was definitely not worth it. 

And so, the estimated price in the end was still fair in Tian Dafu’s eyes. 

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