"Xiaoming, we're completely out of that home now. From now on, they can't control our affairs anymore," Shen Xiaoyan said with a smile to Shen Xiaoming.
Shen Xiaoming was also very happy. Although he was young, he had understood what happened and knew he wouldn't have to live in fear anymore. He also showed a joyous smile.
After seeing Shen Xiaoming back to his room to read, Shen Xiaoyan noticed Zheng Wei, who had been silent all along, standing nearby.
Looking at Zheng Wei with confusion, Shen Xiaoyan asked, "Why are you so quiet today?"
"If I don't speak, haven't you handled everything well?" Zheng Wei raised an eyebrow. Was his help needed?
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan gave an embarrassed smile. It seemed there really wasn't a place for him to speak.
"That..."
"No matter what you do, I will be behind you, so you just need to be brave and assured, I will handle everything."
Before Shen Xiaoyan could finish speaking, she was stunned by Zheng Wei's words.
Looking at Zheng Wei's serious expression and his slightly doting gaze, Shen Xiaoyan felt her heart race and her face flush.
They looked at each other for a long time before Shen Xiaoyan finally said a word, "Okay."
"Good girl," Zheng Wei gently ruffled Shen Xiaoyan's hair with his large hand, his voice as soft as a spring breeze, brushing past Shen Xiaoyan's ear.
Shen Xiaoyan stood up flustered, looking at Zheng Wei in surprise, "Are you alright?"
Zheng Wei was surprised. What was wrong? "I'm fine."
As Zheng Wei spoke, he also stood up and reached out, as if to ruffle Shen Xiaoyan's hair again.
Shen Xiaoyan quickly took a few steps back, saying, "I'll go check on Xiaoming. You, you..."
With that, Shen Xiaoyan ran directly into the house, leaving Zheng Wei standing alone, his hand still suspended in the air.
"Looks like this approach doesn't work..."
Zheng Wei murmured softly, as if lamenting, or perhaps amused.
Meanwhile, Shen Xiaoyan hurried into the main room. Shen Xiaoming was diligently practicing calligraphy. Seeing her rush in, Shen Xiaoming asked confusedly, "Sister, what's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing, I just came to see you," Shen Xiaoyan waved her hand.
"Hmm, why is your face so red?" Shen Xiaoyan looked up, her flushed face reflected in Shen Xiaoming's eyes.
Hearing this, Shen Xiaoyan covered her cheeks with both hands, feeling the burning sensation on her skin, and said, "It's hot, it's hot."
Shen Xiaoming looked outside and said, "But it's not hot today..."
Shen Xiaoming's voice was not loud, but the room was quiet with just the two of them, so Shen Xiaoyan naturally heard Shen Xiaoming's words clearly.
She looked up at Shen Xiaoming and said, "Practice your calligraphy properly."
Seeing this, Shen Xiaoming wasn't afraid. He playfully stuck out his tongue and then earnestly resumed practicing his calligraphy.
Shen Xiaoyan stood watching for a while, knowing that Shen Xiaoming had always been very serious about his studies and calligraphy. After a short while, she returned to her own room.
Closing the door, Shen Xiaoyan could still see Zheng Wei's figure in the courtyard through the window. He was sitting on a bamboo chair, seemingly lost in thought.
Thinking about Zheng Wei's unusual behavior earlier, Shen Xiaoyan felt even more bewildered. Had Zheng Wei taken the wrong medicine?
"What are you thinking about?" Luoluo, returning from who knows where, suddenly leaped onto the windowsill.
Luoluo's sudden voice startled Shen Xiaoyan. Seeing Baibai following Luoluo, Shen Xiaoyan chuckled, "You're quite free these days, always disappearing. Where did you take Baibai this time?"
It wasn't that Shen Xiaoyan complained without reason. Luoluo had been living a rather leisurely life recently, often taking Baibai out to play, sometimes not returning for seven or eight days.
Shen Xiaoming was now entirely focused on his studies and didn't have time to pay attention to the two cats. Otherwise, seeing them absent from home all day, he would probably be quite upset.
Luoluo jumped from the window into the room and elegantly walked to Shen Xiaoyan's front. With a leap, she jumped onto the bed, followed by Baibai, who mimicked her perfectly.
When Baibai was first found, it wasn't as big as Zheng Wei's hand. But after two months, it had grown considerably, now half the size of Luoluo.
Luoluo found a comfortable position on the bed and then said to Shen Xiaoyan, "You haven't answered yet. What were you thinking about just now? Why was your face so red?"
Shen Xiaoyan didn't want to discuss this with Luoluo and changed the subject, "Although selling striped watermelons is quite profitable, it's only for one season. By next year, when everyone in the village plants striped watermelons, the price will surely drop significantly."
Although she wanted to change the subject, Shen Xiaoyan's words were true.
Planting fruit trees, on the other hand, was a long-term endeavor. After all, no matter what kind of fruit tree it was, it would take more than a year or two to bear fruit, and tending to them was also quite troublesome.
Luoluo licked its paw. "Then what do you want to plant?"
Shen Xiaoyan propped her chin with her hand and said, "I don't know."
She really hadn't made up her mind. Furthermore, no matter what she wanted to plant, the origin of the seeds was an issue that needed to be resolved.
"Then take your time to think. You have food and clothes now, it's just the living conditions that are a bit poor," Luoluo said, looking around with disdain. The place was indeed too simple.
Shen Xiaoyan agreed with Luoluo's words. From the two sales of striped watermelons, they had earned a total of 300 taels of silver, plus another 80 taels from selling raspberries. They didn't have any major expenses, so naturally, all the money was saved. With this in mind, Shen Xiaoyan decided to build a house quickly.
Just then, Zheng Wei walked in. Seeing Shen Xiaoyan sitting there, her face full of contemplation, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you thinking about?"
"Nothing, just thinking about building a house," Shen Xiaoyan instinctively answered when someone asked.
After speaking, she realized it was Zheng Wei who had spoken and felt a little embarrassed.
"I've also thought about building a house. When do you want to start? What kind of house do you want to build?" Zheng Wei said, walking over and sitting down beside Shen Xiaoyan.
Upon seeing Zheng Wei enter, Luoluo and Baibai quickly scurried out.
"I want to build it as soon as possible, but there are things planted in our yard, and I don't know..."
"Let's just buy a few more mu of land. The surrounding area is all wasteland anyway, and it's not expensive. We can buy it and build a house. You just need to decide what kind of house you want to build. You don't need to worry about anything else."
"You say it so easily," Shen Xiaoyan giggled.
Building a house, such a big undertaking, seemed like a trivial matter in Zheng Wei's words.
Zheng Wei chuckled, "It's not a big deal at all."
Seeing him like this, Shen Xiaoyan didn't say anything more. However, the next day, Zheng Wei went to find Bai Yonggui to discuss buying land.
The two people who measured the land this time were the same ones from before. By noon, everything was settled. Zheng Wei gave them four taels of silver as a tip, and they left happily, saying they were rushing to the county to get the deed finalized.