C15 One Tael of Silver

Xiaoqiu made a move to help Xiaoyu up from the ground, but Xiaoxia stopped her with a shake of her head. Even though her sister couldn't hear, years of being together had taught her to understand what others were saying just by reading their lips.

Xiaoyu struggled to her feet, glaring at her three sisters. She looked like she wanted to strike again, but Xiaoxia spoke up, "If you're here to cause trouble, we won't just let you bully us. We've already split from the family. If you dare to make a move, it's three against one. You can try if you want!"

"You just wait!" Xiaoyu shouted angrily, cradling her injured hand as she limped out of the old temple.

"Sis, the pot's broken, and we have nothing to eat!" Xiaodong said, looking at the mess on the ground with a dark expression.

She was hungry too, but it was nearly dark, and going out to find food was out of the question. "Let's wash the fish on the ground and roast it. We'll make do with that."

The two sisters nodded and got to work.

Once everything was cleaned up and the other two had fallen asleep, Xiaoxia sighed. She wasn't the least bit sleepy. Now that they were out of the family, she needed to think carefully about their next steps. It would be easy if it were just her, but she had two sisters to consider.

Suddenly, she remembered she had a couple of dollars. It might be just enough to buy a small, rundown house. There were plenty of those in the village. Maybe she could give it a shot.

The three sisters quickly freshened up by the river before heading towards the village. Based on her memories, Xiaoxia recalled there were a few rundown houses nearby. Being close to the village, safety wasn't a concern.

When they reached the house, it was in worse shape than expected.

"Sis, are we really going to buy this place? It's falling apart!"

"Yeah, but having a roof over our heads is better than none. The village has its share of drifters. If we have our own place, we won't be pushed around," Xiaoxia said with determination.

With a little fixing up, it could be livable. Plus, the house had yards in the front and back where they could grow some vegetables, enough for their meals. There was even a small pond in the backyard where they could keep fish they caught.

"Isn't this the three sisters from the Shi family?"

Xiaoxia turned to see Mr. Zhang, the owner of the house. It was perfect timing since she was about to look for him. "Mr. Zhang, we'd like to buy this house!"

Mr. Zhang eyed the sisters with a hint of disdain. Although the house was in disrepair and uninhabitable, it gained value now that someone wanted to buy it. He questioned, "Do you have the money? Buying a house isn't cheap!"

"Mr. Zhang, how much are you asking for this place?" Xiaoxia could easily see the greed in his eyes.

However, she had her eyes on this yard, and once it was hers, it would truly belong to her!

Mr. Zhang squinted, thought for a moment, and held up three fingers. "Three taels of silver!"

"Three taels?" Xiaodong's voice rose. The most she'd ever seen was the one tael her sister earned a few days ago. She had never seen three taels, let alone had that kind of money to give him!

Besides, it was too expensive. She tugged on Xiaoxia's sleeve. "Sister, we don't have any money!"

"If you don't have money, why are you buying a house? Didn't the Shi family give you anything when you split?" Mr. Zhang inquired.

"Mr. Zhang, you know the situation with the Shi family. If we had money, we wouldn't be here. Three taels for this house is really too much. How about lowering the price a bit?" Xiaoxia replied calmly.

It was practically taking advantage of their misfortune. He knew they had nothing, yet he still asked for such a high price! Three taels could buy a nice house!

"Even if I lower the price, you still couldn't afford it. I can't just give it away for free!"

"We have one tael..."

"Xiaodong!" Xiaoxia interrupted, but it was too late. She had hoped to negotiate, thinking that since the house was just sitting there unused, Mr. Zhang might be willing to sell for whatever he could get.

Now that Xiaodong had revealed their hand, the house was worth at least one tael, even if it wasn't before!

Mr. Zhang's eyes gleamed. The house was something no one else wanted for free. Smiling, he said, "Alright, one tael it is!"

"Deal's done, but since the house originally belonged to Mr. Zhang, let's have him provide a written statement to avoid any disputes."

"Money and goods exchanged, everything's clear!"

"Alright, wait here. I'll go grab some paper and a pen, and bring it back to you!" The house had been empty for a long time, and now that it was sold, how could they not be happy?

After Mr. Zhang left, Xiaodong hesitantly asked, "Sister, did I do something wrong?"

It was the first time she'd heard her sister speak to her in that tone!

"No, you just don't understand the nuances. In situations like this, you can't show your hand. If you do, the other party will latch on. Do you get it?"

She was a businesswoman and knew these things well!

Xiaodong nodded, somewhat understanding.

Soon, Mr. Zhang returned, but he wasn't alone!