Xu Feng took in the beautiful scenery by the irrigated mountain lake. The entire residence was enclosed on three sides by lush and fertile mountains just beyond the residence's 8-foot-tall stone walls. The elevated space was large enough to hold a small village but was the location of a single household.
The household included three courtyards, the mountain lake in the back and a small pond in the front, green spaces, servant's quarters, and animal sheds. Even after all of that, there was enough space on the slope for another three residences of the same magnitude.
In this era, this estate, with all the courtyards made of blue brick and tiles, was a symbol of wealth. Even the servants' quarters were made of solid reinforced clay.
In Xu Feng's world, one would have to be a billionaire to own this entire property and afford to maintain it. This wasn't a home Xu Feng would have ever thought to own or even live in, in his wildest dreams.
This was just one of the leisure properties of the Xuan family. And, it was a property they were willing to give to Xu Feng to bear a legitimate child for the young master of the Xuan family.
Xu Feng thought back to his first meeting with the main wife of the Xuan family a few days after he spoke to Old Lin.
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[Flashback]
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"You're awake," came a refined voice as Xu Feng's head spun in the well-lit room.
At this time, it had only been a few days after he spoke to the older refined woman, which he later found out was Old Lin. Since then, he'd been fading in and out of consciousness, the after-effects of the drugs given to the original owner.
The woman continued as Xu Feng fought to get up from the bed, "Don't move too much. The drugs were too strong and of poor quality. The doctor I brought says you're very lucky to have survived without any damage to your body."
Xu Feng was finally able to locate the source of the voice beyond the gauzy bed curtains. It was a beautiful woman, who looked to be in her 30s at most, at the peak of beauty.
She was adorned in an intricate traditional dress from ancient Dongmen history, more lavish than the one worn by Old Lin or the Sun Villagers' regular clothing. Her hair was long, beautiful, and silky, placed in a skillful updo. The makeup on her face was very intentional, highlighting her large eyes. Without a doubt, at any time this woman was a beauty.
"The doctor says you are healing well, and need more sleep. You are more fertile than any ger he has ever examined," she whispered in awe, not adding that the doctor she was referring to was one from the royal palace with extensive medical knowledge and experience.
"Thank…you…" Xu Feng pushed past the gravel in his throat to show gratitude to the woman. He was beginning to become too familiar with this soreness after passing out for long periods of time.
"No thanks are needed; this is a mutually beneficial relationship. My Xuan family does not do charity work." The woman said without authority.
Xu Feng quickly regained his composure after that comment. This was the mistress Old Lin had mentioned, coming to proposition him. No matter if he would be a concubine or a servant for her family, he would still have a place to live while he made plans for himself in this new world.
The fact that he would have a "husband," didn't bother him too much, as Xu Feng was bisexual and had no problem with women or men. He just hoped the young master wasn't too repulsive or excessively bad-mannered.
"Under the new emperor, the people of Donghua can no longer be sold into slavery without their consent. Your stepmother as a village woman, was ignorant of this new law and attempted to sell you to a brothel." The woman paused as she sipped from the ornate teacup one of her servant girls had just filled.
"My nursemaid was looking for acceptable gers at the time, and was able to make a deal with your seller and secure your hokku."
Xu Feng grew even more interested in the conversation. He was in an ancient parallel world. Even the name of the country was the original name of Donghua from hundreds of years in the past. Not the modern name of Dongmen.
"My Xuan family will not do anything against the laws of the land, so we are returning your hokku to you. You are not a slave."
Another servant girl came forward and handed over the weathered tablet and rolled-up paper document to Xu Feng. He accepted the treasures and symbols of his freedom.
Before he could give another round of thanks, the woman raised her delicate hand to stop his words.
"My Xuan family has a proposition for you. While you are free, you can no longer go back to your home village without money for travel, and it will be hard for a young ger with no money or family backing to make a living." The woman smiled slyly.
"While your ger-dad taught you to read and trained you in many of the rules and standards of a noble family, you have lived your entire life on a farm in a backward village. My Xuan family will give you this property, as well as half of the farmland of Nanshan village, so you can be a landlord to the tenant farmers. You can live a comfortable life as a village landlord."
"In exchange for what? You said your Xuan family doesn't do charity work." Xu Feng was a bit impatient at this point, could the woman just get to the meat of things? Dealing with small talk wasn't Xu Feng's strong point.
The madam of the Xuan family's smile wavered. Wasn't this a well-mannered country bumpkin? He should be filled with joy at striking it rich overnight. She pushed away the discomfort and hurried to strike while the iron was hot.
"All you have to do is birth the son of the eldest young master of the Xuan family. As soon as a son is born, you will be given a clean divorce from the family, and the Nanshan village estate will be your compensation. You don't need to serve the family or be burdened by any of the rituals of a large family."
This may be a deal breaker for a ger of this era, becoming a divorcee, but for Xu Feng, this was a good deal. He wouldn't be forced into mandatory marriage in two years if he was a divorcee, he would have property, wealth, and a life away from the political spheres of Donghua.
For a transmigrator from the 21st century, a peaceful farming life alone in a mountain village was better than living life in the apocalypse.
As the woman tried to explain why being a divorcee wasn't such a big deal, which was a complete lie in this era—being a divorcee for a woman or a ger was almost worse than death to most— Xu Feng once again cut her off.
"I want it in writing. I want a contract, and your son has to sign too."
The room went silent, with even the servant girls gawking at Xu Feng in shock.