Chapter 132 Purchasing a Manor
"That's right! In the past, Master Zuo was a martial arts master who used energy, and none of his disciples could stand on their own. They wanted to bully us, and we had to endure it . Now Master Zuo is a martial arts master who used energy, and I am also a martial arts master who used energy. They can no longer bully us. We can leave, but we must get every penny we deserve." Zheng Xinghan said, with his back straight and an edge and domineering aura that he had never had before.
"Of course, but it may take some time to find a suitable manor," said Zuo Le.
Seeing Zuo Le mention the matter of looking for Zhuangzi again, Qin Ziling's heart couldn't help but move slightly. He remembered that his mother mentioned at dinner yesterday that the local rich family Cao at the east end of the village once relied on their daughter to marry Xu Yuanwu as a concubine and gave birth to a big fat son for him. They behaved arrogantly and domineeringly in the village and even occupied some villagers' fields. As a result, Xujiabao was suddenly destroyed last month, and the Cao family was greatly implicated.
Not only did the Xiao family find excuses to beat up the Cao family from time to time, but the villagers also took the opportunity to unite and file a complaint against him. The Cao family was now living a rather miserable life in the village, and without the protection of Xujiabao, they didn't feel safe living outside the city in this world, so they wanted to sell their family business and move to the city to settle down.
"Speaking of manors, there is a wealthy man in Anhe Village where I live who is selling a manor. The scale is decent, with two to three hundred acres of fertile land. It faces a river in front and is backed by a small hill. It only has a wall that is relatively higher than that of ordinary people for defense, and no sentry towers. If you buy it, you will definitely have to spend money to build some defensive fortifications." Qin Ziling said.
"Anhe Village is about ten miles away from the county town, which is just the right distance. Moreover, Anhe Village is located in the west of the city. Now the Xiao family occupies Xujiabao. The Xiao family represents official power. Moreover, our martial arts hall is also located in the west city. We have always had a good relationship with them, so our safety should be more guaranteed.
Also, your family lives in Anhe Village. If we buy this manor, your family can move into the manor nearby without having to leave the environment where they have lived for many years. I think this manor is the best choice!" After analyzing everything, Zuo Le made the decision on the spot.
"Since Master Zuo has made the decision, let's go and take a look today." Qin Ziling said with a hint of joy when he saw Zuo Le agreed.
He suddenly found that after he took out the Nine-Transformation Blood Essence Bone Strengthening Secret Pill, he felt like the whole chess game was coming alive.
Now he has manpower and a manor for raising exotic beasts. His family's safety will be more guaranteed without having to move into the city. There are also many other benefits... The most important thing is that he can still hide in the dark and still be a martial artist apprentice of the Hantie Temple. No one will know that he is the real boss of this area outside the west city.
"That's exactly what I was thinking. It would save us from getting entangled with those people." Zuo Le also said with a happy expression.
…
Caojiazhuang is located at the eastern end of Anhe Village, with the Anhe River flowing in front and a small hill behind.
Where the An River flows, there are fertile fields. Now it is April, the crops have grown, and it is all green and lush, and a good harvest is just around the corner.
There are more than 20 houses in the village, most of which are built with thick blue bricks, as well as gardens and ponds, and winding water corridors. It is the season of spring when flowers bloom, and the flowers in the courtyards and gardens decorate the entire village with clusters of flowers and vitality.
The village is surrounded by a thick brick wall with caltrops on it to prevent people from climbing.
The vermilion gate of the manor was inlaid with shining copper nails and rings, and there were tall stone-carved Qilins on the left and right.
"Zi Ling, this manor is near the river and the official road, with convenient transportation. It has 400 acres of land, 230 acres of good farmland, and a small hill behind the manor. In previous years when silver was valuable, it would have cost you less than 7,000 or 8,000 taels.
Nowadays, prices are soaring, but we only got it for 4,000 taels, which is really a bargain! "Zuo Le walked on the bluestone paved road of the manor, pointing with satisfaction and joy.
"The security outside the city is bad now, and many gentry and wealthy people are selling their manors. There are more sellers than buyers, and the Cao family and the Xu family are relatives. Many people are afraid of being associated with them, so no one is interested. It's right for us to get this advantage." Qin Ziling smiled, looking around, and was very satisfied.
The Cao family was eager to get rid of the property. Yesterday, Qin Ziling accompanied Zuo Le to negotiate with the Cao family. They agreed on the price in a short while. Then, they completed the formalities that day, and the Cao family hurriedly moved to Fangqiao City overnight.
"The layout of the courtyard of this house is very exquisite and ingenious, and the environment is quiet. It is far away from noisy and messy places such as martial arts training grounds, mills, oil presses, and poultry farms. I think it should be left for your family to live in." Zuo Le pointed to a courtyard house on the left and said.
This courtyard house faces south and the main courtyard scenery is dominated by mountains, supplemented by ponds. The seven-meter-high main peak rises abruptly, surrounded by ponds and shaded by green trees. It is exquisite and secluded. The backyard is a flat area with a large area. There are some trees and flowers planted around it, which is perfect for practicing martial arts.
"My mother has been reluctant to leave the old house in recent years, and it would be hard for me not to attract too much attention if I were to live in such a nice house with a courtyard.
Anyway, the Qin family is in Anhe Village, so if anything happens, Shuiyue Villa can take care of it. And if anything unexpected happens in Shuiyue Villa, the Qin family can also serve as a surprise force outside. "Qin Ziling said.
Shuiyue Villa is the name Qin Ziling and Zuo Le gave to the newly purchased villa.
"What you said is indeed a mature view, but you will be away from home often, and there is no strong person to take care of the family. If something unexpected happens, I may not be able to rush to your aid in time. I still think it is safest for your mother to move to Shuiyue Villa.
If you are really worried about arousing suspicion, we can choose another courtyard house, but this will inevitably be unfair to your mother." Zuo Le said.
"Master Zuo, don't worry. In addition to Liu Xiaoqiang, I have another martial artist at home!" Qin Ziling said lightly.
Even though Zuo Le is now a Hua Jin martial artist, he couldn't help but tremble slightly when he heard this. Shock appeared in his eyes. He felt more and more that his disciple was unfathomable and impossible to see through.
After a while, Zuo Le suppressed the shock in his heart and nodded, "That's no problem."
After that, Zuo Le pointed to the hill behind the manor and said, "This hill can be used to raise exotic beasts. I will have people mark out a piece of land in the forest and build some houses and arrow towers. From this high vantage point, if there are any enemies coming, we can not only see them clearly, but also shoot them with double the power."
"Master Zuo, it would be better for you to mark out a few more pieces of mountain land. I have some exotic beasts here that I would like to give to you to collect and raise." Qin Ziling said.
"You still have exotic beasts to raise?" Zuo Le was shocked again.
"Hehe, there are four phantom lizards, one of which is a female breeding beast. There are also eight black-winged water storks, one of which is a pair of male and female black-winged water storks used as breeding birds." Qin Ziling replied.
After hearing this, Zuo Le was completely stunned.
The Nine-turn Blood Essence Bone Strengthening Secret Pill could be said to be something Qin Ziling obtained accidentally by making money from a dead person.
It's impossible that so many exotic animals were obtained by accident, right? Especially the breeding animals need to be carefully selected and domesticated, and one animal is worth thousands or even tens of thousands of taels.
This also means that, at some point in time, this disciple of his had already accumulated more capital than he did. He was so afraid of mistreating this talented disciple that he would occasionally stuff him with a few Xuanhan iron eggs with reluctance.
"I got the Phantom Lizard Dragon from Jiang Yue." Qin Ziling explained casually.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Le suddenly remembered that Jiang Yue died at the hands of Qin Ziling. He nodded to show that he understood. As for where the eight black-winged storks came from, Qin Ziling did not say, so as an old veteran, he naturally would not ask.
Of course, the reason why Qin Ziling didn't mention the Black-Winged Mysterious Water Stork didn't mean that he didn't trust Zuo Le, but the fewer people who knew about Xiao Qing's breakthrough in cultivation, the better.
"Since the manor has been purchased, I plan to go to Sixian Manor tomorrow to negotiate with them, and then lead people to move to Shuiyue Villa." Zuo Le said.
"I'll go with you tomorrow." Qin Ziling said.
"What? Are you worried about me?" Zuo Le asked with a smile.
"Haha, one more person always means more care." Qin Ziling said with a smile.
Zuo Le's eyes flashed with emotion when he heard this. He reached out and patted Qin Ziling on the shoulder and said, "Let's go to your house. Speaking of which, I should also visit your mother."
So the two of them left Shuiyue Villa and went all the way to the Qin family.
In the inner courtyard, Liu Xiaoqiang was shirtless, revealing his iron chest. The muscles in his arms were like steel bars twisted together, and were being hammered by Shao E continuously, like waves hitting the shore.
In the west corner of the yard, Dou Lingwei was practicing her strength.
Du Hongmei was busy doing housework on the side, and from time to time she looked up at her daughter, her eyes full of joy and expectation.
"This is..." Zuo Le, accompanied by Qin Ziling, stepped into the hanging flower gate and saw Shao E hammering Liu Xiaoqiang's arms in the yard. He couldn't help but stop in his tracks, a look of shock on his face.
"Young Master!"
"Master!"
When everyone saw Qin Ziling and Zuo Le coming in, they immediately stopped what they were doing and bowed slightly to greet them.
After Liu Xiaoqiang greeted Qin Ziling, he bowed to Zuo Le with a surprised look on his face and said, "Xiaoqiang greets the owner."
"I never thought that you, Liu Xiaoqiang, have not only recovered, but have also become a very capable martial artist." Zuo Le said with emotion.
"This is all thanks to your great kindness, young master." Liu Xiaoqiang said.
"We are all family, so let's not talk about these things." Qin Ziling smiled and waved his hand, then introduced: "Shao E, this is my master, Zuo Le. Master Zuo, this is the Yun Jin martial artist Shao E who I mentioned who is in charge of my family."
Zuo Le and Shao E were both martial artists. They had only met each other once or twice before and were not very familiar with each other. Now Shao E had changed her appearance, and there were rumors that Yan E of Xujiabao had died, so Zuo Le did not recognize Shao E. However, Shao E recognized Zuo Le.
