“话说”没有特别的意思，就是在告诉你一些信息之前起开头的作用，It is used to start something,“陕西同州府朝邑县”是一个地方的名字，it a name of place“城南三四十地方”就是说前面的“朝邑县”县城南边三四十（里）的地方，“城南”means south of the city of country，“原有一个村庄”意思就是以前有一个村庄，整句话就是there was a village 30 to 40 （li3）south to Chaoyi country, Tongzhou city, Shanxi Province.

话说=it is said, 陕西同州府朝邑县is an ancient country name located in Shanxi Province , 城南三十四（里，I think maybe here omitting a length unit li)地方=the place that is 34 li south of country . It is said that there was a village,34li south of "陕西同州府朝邑县"

This is ancient Chinese. 意思是：在距离陝西同州府朝邑縣（地名）南边大概三十或四十米（sorry我不太确定这个长度单位）远的的地方有一个村庄