Song Tan’s Chronicle - Chapter 109.1

Zhang Wang’s earlier proposal about leasing his mountain land had been vague about the payment. It was clear he was offering it below market price or perhaps just for a symbolic fee. Song Tan appreciated his gesture.

He had been referring to the slope below his house, which connected to the back mountain’s wasteland.

This area was about twenty acres, roughly a sixth of the bowl-shaped mountain terrain. Although mountain land wasn’t as valuable as farmland, Zhang Wang was resourceful. He had planted kudzu on this piece of land, which could still make money.

Originally, the kudzu wasn’t planted intentionally.

The mountain was naturally full of kudzu vines, and Aunt Zhang, being clever, dug up a hundred pounds of kudzu one winter, dried them into more than ten pounds of kudzu powder, and sold the excess after giving some to her children, earning around a thousand yuan.

The following year, the couple purposely cleared the land, fertilized it, and encouraged the wild kudzu roots to grow and spread rapidly.

Now, every winter, the couple could earn around ten thousand yuan from this.

Ten thousand yuan didn’t sound like a lot, but it had no cost! It only required labor.

Making money in the mountains required a lot of upfront investment, which wasn’t feasible for the villagers.

So, the couple also intercropped some beans, watermelons, and peanuts, which yielded modestly, but they still brought in two or three thousand yuan more.

Because of this, the couple decided not to leave home for work and instead focused on managing their fields.

Now, in early April, the kudzu leaves were sprouting, but it wasn’t the right season for digging roots—it was best to wait until winter.

Moreover, digging kudzu roots or clearing the forest now would mean missing the prime farming season. So, neither of them had mentioned leasing the land at this time.

However, given these circumstances, Song Tan made a sincere suggestion:

“Uncle Zhang, just taking your money with you isn’t a solution. I think you should hold on to it tightly and not give anything to your children, no matter what they say.”

“When the time feels right, just donate it. Donations can’t be taken back; it’s doing good deeds and accumulating virtue for the next life.”

As for whether there was a next life or not, Song Tan, as someone cultivating immortality and not the path of the netherworld, had no way of knowing. The spiritual energy in this world was so thin that she couldn’t say for sure.

But for Zhang Wang, finding spiritual solace was better than anything else!

As expected, he responded immediately, “Yes, yes! I’ll donate everything in your aunt’s name, to accumulate blessings for her! So that in her next life, she can live a good life!”

His expression showed visible relief and appreciation: “Young people like you are more educated and knowledgeable.”

Then he thought of another worry: “But what if something happens to me?”

Who could predict that?

If it turned out to be an illness, and there was time to plan for the end, that would be fine. But if something like an accident happened, like falling flat on the ground…

Given how meticulously he was thinking, it seemed Zhang Wang had seriously considered all his options.

He had even gone to the town to ask about the policies for severing family ties…

Song Tan responded earnestly, “Well, I’ll take you to the city sometime, and we can meet with a lawyer to write a will. After that, we can spend a few hundred yuan to notarize it.”

“That way, when the time comes, everything will be arranged according to your wishes. Even your children won’t be able to contest it in court.”

Zhang Wang had never heard such a detailed plan before. He felt completely at ease, “Alright, let’s do it that way!”

After a moment, he added, “Don’t worry, I’ll also ask the lawyer to write something that says if anything happens to me while I’m working for you, no one can come after you for money!”

Seeing him stand straighter and more energetic, he left with renewed vigor.

Song Tan sighed, looking at the nearly cleared wasteland on the hillside, and felt a sense of relief—there was so much work at home, but having someone to help out seemed to lift a great burden off her shoulders.