Chapter 337 - Chapter 337: Chapter 330: Buying a Mountain_1 (2/2)

“`

Qin Niu was now a first-class noble, which meant he was exempt from taxes when buying land and houses. This was a significant benefit.

The transaction and deed taxes on land typically accounted for nearly one-tenth of the cost.

In other words, the purchase price for an acre of ordinary good farmland was thirteen Silver Money, with the additional tax to the government amounting to one Silver Money and thirty coins.

By purchasing the back mountain of Shuangfeng Village, on this item alone, Qin Niu saved more than sixty Silver Money in taxes.

During the transfer of ownership, he discovered that Yan Ruohai had wide connections in the city.

The government clerks were quite familiar with Yan Ruohai, and even the wealthy merchants and landlords who came to handle procedures would exchange a few words with Yan Ruohai.

“Brother Yan, have you heard about the recent occurrence? There’s been an outbreak of aphids and mole crickets along the Black Water River. The plants that have just sprouted after being gnawed by locusts are now being ruined by aphids. Many crops in the fields have had their roots bitten off by mole crickets and are dying in patches.”

A portly old man with a square face and big ears whispered to Yan Ruohai.

“It hasn’t spread, has it?”

Yan Ruohai asked, somewhat anxiously.

“There’s a tendency for it to spread, but it’s still uncertain for now. Many are just watching and waiting. I’d only share this with you because we have a good relationship, so that you can prepare early.”

“Thank you so much! I’ll have the farmers in my family make some arrangements as soon as I get back. Alas, if only Insect Masters weren’t so hard to find. My Yan Family has Beast Tamers and farmers, but not a single Insect Master.”

Yan Ruohai shook his head and sighed.

Insect Masters were regarded as a profession with very limited development potential.

And because of their bad reputation, which made them intimidating, not many people chose this career.

Essentially, it was the children from impoverished families who had no other options that would reluctantly choose to pursue this profession.

It must be made clear that wanting to be an Insect Master is one thing, but actually becoming one is another matter altogether.

Despite Qin Niu having a bunch of Grade Three insects, and every expert in the Nine Insect Gang possessing numerous insects of Grade Three and above, these individuals were actually elites among elites.

For ordinary people, without the guidance and help of a skilled Insect Master, becoming one is extremely difficult.

The difficulty is far greater than passing examinations to obtain official titles.

The Yan Family didn’t have an Insect Master, which hadn’t been a problem in the past.

But now, with frequent pest infestations, their situation had become very passive.

“Brother Yan, you need not worry too much, a tall man will deal with the falling sky. We’ve just had a locust disaster; it shouldn’t happen again so soon. I need to go over there to handle the transfer procedures, goodbye for now.”

The portly old man greeted and went to handle the transfer procedures.

Qin Niu noticed that there were quite a few people buying land.

There were also many selling.

He heard several people’s buying price was Twelve Silver Money per acre, which indicated that land prices were starting to fall.

As these large landlords continued to offload, land prices would further decrease.

…

Back in Shuangfeng Village, he had now become the new owner of the back mountain.

All the hill lands combined covered a total area of 426 acres, which the Yan Family sold to him for one Silver Money and five coins per acre.

It was a very low price.

Normally, hills close to a village would typically sell for Two Silver Money per acre.

Because with hard work and proper cultivation, they could be turned into fertile land. Although it’s difficult to grow rice or wheat,

planting sweet potatoes, oil tea, tea leaves, bamboo, or cedar trees are all excellent choices.

After surveying the entire mountain area, Qin Niu already had some plans in mind.

Previously, entering the mountain had required taking the mountain path by Xie Laizi’s house entrance, but now that the back mountain of Shuangfeng Village belonged to him, he could simply open a new path directly from the back of his house into the mountains.