Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 927 - 474: Breaking the Shell
The first update, asking for pink stickers.
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After learning that Lian Manman’s family was excavating a fish pond and needed labor, quite a few people from Thirty Mile Camp came forward to offer their help.
When tenant farming families encountered major events, such as building houses, usually people would come to help. For instance, during weddings, people would assist of their own accord. These traditions emphasized mutual aid, where hosts only needed to provide meals—food and drink—but did not involve monetary payments. In such scenarios, the hosts often didn’t need to actively seek help, as relatives, friends, or villagers would voluntarily show up to lend a hand.
This was a customary practice. Generally, the more people who helped with building a house or celebrating an event, the stronger the family’s social ties were perceived to be. The hosts would also feel more satisfied, even if they didn’t require that many helpers. They’d happily prepare more food just to keep up with the spirit of generosity.
But excavating a fish pond wasn’t the same as building a house.
Building a house addressed the fundamental need for shelter—every household needed a home to live in. On the other hand, excavating a fish pond for breeding fish was primarily about earning money, a distinctive need of a specific household.
Therefore, even though some people were willing to help voluntarily, Lian Manman still posted an announcement outside Lian’s Shop. It stated that laborers for the fish pond excavation must be strong workers who would be provided with one midday meal daily—two vegetarian dishes, one meat dish, and one soup—and eat to their fill. Additionally, wages would be calculated daily based on the amount of work completed, paid at the end of each day. The pay rate per unit of excavation matched the rate for excavating soil in the mountains. Moreover, the riverside soil, being sandy, was evidently much easier to dig compared to mountain terrain.
Once the announcement was posted and word spread, even more people came to sign up.
As for selecting workers and supervising the excavation, the responsibility was handed over to Lian Shouxin, along with the two long-term fish farm workers. Lian Manman did not personally get involved in the details, focusing solely on checking Shouxin’s daily list at the end of each workday, calculating wages, and distributing payments.
Of the four water ponds, one encompassed six acres with relatively shallow depth. This pond was planned for planting lotus roots, water caltrops, and gorgon fruit, essentially becoming a lotus pond. The other three ponds averaged four acres with greater depth, specifically earmarked for fish farming.
Both the lotus ponds and fish ponds were excavated along the riverbank and were connected to the nearby river through constructed water channels to allow water flow. Additionally, drainage outlets were built on the other side of the lotus pond, allowing water to be discharged into lower terrain when needed, and subsequently redirected downstream into the river. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Dikes were also constructed between each of the ponds. These dikes included open spaces for planting trees and were built wide enough to allow a large horse carriage to pass through.
While the fish pond excavation was in full swing, Wu Lang had already packed his belongings for his trip to Jinyang County Town to take the county-level examination.
Wu Lang planned to go alone, without any accompaniment. This made the entire family somewhat uneasy, as they gathered around to persuade him otherwise.
"Brother, we’re all worried about you going by yourself. How about I go with you? Or maybe Mother can accompany you instead?" Lian Manman said to Wu Lang. "After all, you’ll be away for several days. Meals, lodging, and various other things will be much better managed if either I or Mother go along to take care of everything rather than relying on someone else."
"True," Lady Zhang nodded in agreement. "Wu Lang, it’s better that I go along with you."
"No need." Wu Lang shook his head. He understood that this was a particularly busy time at home, with the shop and the fish pond both requiring attention. If Lian Manman or Lady Zhang accompanied him, the workload on those left behind would only increase, and things might quickly become overwhelming.
Moreover, he felt he was old enough to handle the trip on his own and confidently take care of himself during the examination period.
"It’s just in the county; it’s not far. I’ve already been there before—I know the people and the layout of the place," Wu Lang continued. "Besides, Brother Youheng will help with the arrangements. Everything will be ready and taken care of. You don’t need to worry about a thing."
Although Lian Manman still felt worried, Wu Lang’s reasoning was sound.
This trip to Jinyang County Town for the examination would likely take about ten days. The Song Family had already sent word, and Lian Lanlan had also sent a message, both offering for Wu Lang to stay with them in town. Additionally, Wang Youheng had assured that Wu Lang could stay at his place, urging them not to worry about anything other than focusing on the examination itself.
Wang Youheng had returned from the county town to the local market town after the New Year and now visited Thirty Mile Camp once every other day to seek literary advice from Mr. Loo. He had also compiled numerous county exam preparation materials, which he shared with Wu Lang.
The county-level examination was overseen by the Magistrate, with the Magistrate also being the question-setter. On the hierarchy of imperial examinations, this initial step—the county-level exam—was notably open-ended, as it was completely under the Magistrate’s jurisdiction. Understanding the preferences and dislikes of the Lord Magistrate thus became a crucial factor for passing the county-level examination.
