Lester Liew's short day of rest ended quickly. After receiving his living allowance, he couldn't wait to rush back to the academy.
As before, Clara escorted him to Goldstone Town, and from there, he made his own way to Willowridge County Town.
On her return trip, Clara stocked up on various daily necessities and took the opportunity to ask around town about any land for sale.
For common folk, land was the most valuable asset. No one would sell it unless absolutely desperate.
Because she often bought meat—never less than a kilogram at a time—the town butcher had come to recognize Clara. When he overheard her inquiring about land sales, he told her to try asking at the pawnshop in the county town.
"But be careful," the butcher warned. "The clerks at those pawnshops are clever foxes. Don't let them cheat you."
Clara hadn't even thought of pawnshops as an avenue. Curious, she asked, "Don't pawnshops only take pledges? They sell land too?"
"You're not wrong," the butcher chuckled, "but think about it—what's the most valuable thing regular folk own?"
Gold, silver, and jewelry are luxuries for the wealthy. For ordinary families, there's not much to pawn besides land.
That made Clara realize—of course! There must be plenty of land deeds sitting in pawnshop vaults.
The butcher added, "Still, if someone from your village wants to sell land, it's better to buy from a fellow villager."
The two places commoners avoid most are the government office and pawnshops. If you can stay away from them, you should.
"Thanks, Brother Butcher." Clara paid for the meat—1.5 kg this time—nodding gratefully before heading off.
Back in Liew Clan Village, Clara asked around but found no one looking to sell land. She decided to shelve the idea for now.
She planned to ask again before next spring—around January or February. That's when stored grain would be depleted and the wheat harvest not yet in, a time some might consider selling.
But Clara didn't want just any land—she only wanted quality farmland. If she was going to buy, she wanted land at least as fertile as what she currently rented. Whether farming it herself or reselling it later, it needed to hold value.
Of course, good land came with a steep price. She'd asked Old Walter Liew—he said that the ten acres she rented from Frank Liew could sell for around eight to ten taels per acre.
That meant her current hundred taels of silver would only buy about ten acres.
All things considered, Clara decided it was wiser to wait. She could watch for a better opportunity and save up more silver in the meantime—hopefully to make a larger purchase in one go.
Buy more, negotiate a bulk price!
With that decision made, Clara put her hundred taels aside and focused on running the watermill factory.
Half a month passed in a blink.
By now, the workers at the mill had fully grasped the production process, and the assembly line was beginning to show results.
At this pace, they'd be able to deliver all thirty sets of small watermills on time by mid-October.
Carpenter Liew had it easier too. He joined Clara and Sonny in sales, often making trips to town and neighboring villages.
They nurtured old clients and attracted new ones—bringing in new orders every two to three days.
Though it couldn't match Clara's record-breaking seventeen-set sale, their steady pace was reliable.
Meanwhile, the village grew lively—Grain Tax Day had arrived, and the local bailiff came to oversee collection.
This year was a bumper harvest, and with the new dynasty's tax rate lower than the previous one's, villagers had little reason to complain.
Still, for families with many mouths to feed and little land, a grain tax of one-fifteenth remained a heavy burden.
Clara's household had very little land. They owed just over 90 kg in taxes—two shoulder poles' worth, and they were done.
Old Walter Liew's household, on the other hand, had planted 110 acres this year, yielding a total of 12,100 kg of grain (husks included). Their tax payment was 800 kg, leaving a surplus of 11,300 kg.
This year's county-wide bumper harvest had driven grain prices down. Frank Liew's family could only sell their grain at six copper coins per kilogram—half of last year's rate.
After setting aside a year's supply for their nine-person household—and with a tenth on the way once Kate delivered—Old Walter Liew's family sold the rest and earned about 48 taels of silver.
If no other taxes came due, they'd have a decent year.
As long as no disasters struck, and they saved diligently for a few years, they might reach modest prosperity.
But only elders like Old Walter and Martha truly understood what a good year like this meant. Their joy was tempered with caution.
Because they knew—the heavens always had a temper.
This year, they dared not sell all their surplus. Half was kept in reserve.
Even the 24 taels of silver they earned—they only dared spend a small portion.
With Logan Liew at marriageable age, they'd need to build an additional room to serve as a bridal suite.
Once the grain tax was paid, Clara suddenly remembered—it was Lester's academy break again.
She expected him to return by nightfall, like last time. But the entire night passed with no sign of him.
Clara woke twice in the middle of the night—once startled by Granny Wang's new puppy barking at the village gate, and again by Old Yeller braying in the stable.
Both times, she thought someone had arrived. But morning came, and still no Lester.
At breakfast, Adam asked, "Auntie, isn't Dad coming back?"
"Maybe something came up last night," Clara replied, unsure.
Adam looked worried—afraid something might have happened to his father in the county.
Clara also found it strange. She waited through breakfast, and still, no sign of him. She considered saddling Old Yeller and heading to the county town herself.
Just as she was about to move, her ears picked up a sound. She quickly stepped onto the front path and looked toward the riverbank.
There, she saw an ox cart slowly making its way toward the house.
But Lester wasn't on it.
Clara recognized the driver. He often traveled between Riverbend Village and Willowridge County Town. Both she and Lester had ridden with him before.
The cart stopped at the foot of the hill. The driver climbed up and, seeing Clara waiting at the gate, called out while walking over:
"Sorry, sorry—kept you waiting, Madam Clara! I was supposed to come last night, but something came up at home. It's dangerous to drive at night, so I waited until this morning."
Clara raised an eyebrow. "Did Lester send you?"
"Yes, yes!" the driver nodded vigorously. "Your husband asked me to come!"
He still remembered how, the last time he drove Clara back from Goldstone Town, her husband had run all the way down the mountain to meet her. Such a handsome couple—they really looked like a perfect match.
He'd thought then that Lester didn't seem like an ordinary man. And indeed—he turned out to be a student at the academy, even acquainted with County Scholars like Fan. That was no small thing.
So when Lester asked him to fetch his living expenses from home this time, the driver agreed eagerly—eager enough to flatter a bit.
Clara invited the driver into the house. Adam and his siblings stood just outside the main hall, pressed against the wall, ears perked, listening intently.
(End of Chapter)
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