You can't find anyone taking a 30% cut anywhere anymore, even 40% is rare.

Because everyone was scrambling for it, and there had been disasters in recent years, many families sold their ancestral lands to survive, resulting in many farmers having no land to cultivate. Every village had its own landlords, without exception.

Great philanthropists like Landlord Deng and Landlord Yan were few and far between. Moreover, those landlords not only took high commissions, but the tenants who rented the land also had to send two strong laborers to work for the landlords every year, usually for about 30 days, which was equivalent to working for free for a month.

Yan Xia was completely unaware of this. The original owner had never been a landlord, and her family had never rented land. How would she know that the rent was generally 50% here? She only thought that it was 30% everywhere. But even if she knew, the rent probably wouldn't have increased.

These people are suffering so much. She can be frugal with herself, but seeing others suffer makes her heart ache. It's like in modern times, she can't even bear to drink a milk tea that costs ten or twenty yuan, but when she sees elderly people in their seventies or eighties still picking up scraps on her way home from get off work, she feels very sad. She will avoid those places and not compete with them for cardboard and plastic bottles.

Seeing that he wanted to renew the lease, Yan Xia took out an inkpad.

"Okay, let's put our fingerprints on it."

After Yan Xia finished speaking, she started having the next person weigh the grain.

"You guys are just like them, putting the rice into wooden vats to weigh it. Sun Duomiao, right? You rented five mu of land, what's the yield per mu?"

Yan Xia held the notebook in her left hand and a portable calligraphy brush in her right hand and began to write.

"Landlord Yan, my family is in dire straits. We fled to Shoucheng Village a few years ago, and we didn't have a single piece of land. We could only rent land to farm. I have five sons, two of whom have died, and their fathers have also passed away. Only three sons are left, and each of them has children. I have seven granddaughters and five grandsons. With so many people to feed, it's tough. My sons and daughters-in-law have to do odd jobs in town after finishing their work in the fields. I..."

Aunt Sun immediately started talking, explaining her family situation in great detail, just like Yan Xia was investigating her household registration.

"Stop, stop, hold on, I'm asking you about the yield per acre."

Yan Xia was getting impatient. Her stomach was growling with hunger, and she had no interest in listening to gossip. She just wanted to finish harvesting the grain and go back to make herself a bowl of plain noodles.

"Um... our family doesn't eat well. We usually eat wild vegetable porridge, and we can't even afford brown rice porridge, so our manure isn't fertile. This year's yield per mu is only..."

"Only 300 jin..."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xia's expression turned somewhat cold.

300 jin?

Does this old woman really think she's stupid?

Yan Xia turned to ask Li Changtao.

"Your name is Li Changtao, right? Do you know how her family's harvest was this year?"

The villagers who had come to watch the commotion all went home, leaving only Li Changtao's family behind.

Yan Xia thought he looked good and would probably tell the truth. Even if he didn't, she had ways to deal with this old woman.

"this...."

Li Changtao was indeed an honest and upright person, but Aunt Sun was, after all, from their village. Even if she was a refugee who had fled there a few years ago, they had become acquainted over the years. However, lying to people was wrong, especially since Landlord Yan was so kind. Li Changtao hesitated for a few seconds.

I told the truth.

"Aunt Sun's harvest is about the same as ours, so maybe the measurements were wrong."

Li Changtao's family yielded 500 jin per mu.

So Sun Duomiao concealed 200 jin per mu?

That's absolutely amazing!

Just then, Jinlu returned in his oxcart.

"Jinlu, change direction and report to the authorities—"

She completely ignored Sun Duomiao's words.

Go directly to the authorities. The laws of the current dynasty are extremely strict. This land belongs to her. Sun Duomiao rented her land, and according to the contract, she should naturally receive 30% of the grain produced. But Sun Duomiao tried to steal it, which is no different from theft. If he goes to the government office, he will definitely have his hands cut off.

"Oh no, I measured it wrong. Why report such a small matter to the authorities? Landlord Yan, please forgive us. It's all our fault. Our family is suffering. Please, have mercy on us. I'm kneeling down."

Sun Duomiao was startled. She thought that Landlord Yan looked kind and was unaware of the risks of collecting rent for the first time. She had intended to trick him, but she was met with a setback.

She was more than a decade older than Yan Xia, dressed in tattered clothes, kneeling on the ground kowtowing, a few tears welling up in her eyes, her forehead covered in mud, a heartbreaking sight.

"Grandma, Mom sent me to call you and your uncles home for dinner. Why are you kneeling on the ground?"

Just as she was crying and begging for mercy, her eldest granddaughter arrived.

"Eat, eat, eat! I'll eat you to death! If our family ends up in the county government office, you won't have an easy time either. Tomorrow I'll sell you to a brothel. You're a cursed, worthless girl. Our family's life is so miserable because of you girls."

Not daring to lash out at Yan Xia, Sun Duomiao quickly got up from the ground in front of everyone and slapped her eldest granddaughter twice.

It seemed like he was venting his anger.

The poor little girl's cheeks flushed instantly, her eyes filled with tears, but she dared not let them fall. She stood trembling to the side, looking timid and frightened.

Yan Xia's gaze grew increasingly cold.

"Jinlu, why aren't you leaving? What are you waiting for? Go report to the authorities. According to the current laws, thieves will have their hands chopped off. You lot, hehe, you'd better say goodbye to your hands properly."

I only meant to scare her a little, but that old woman is just too awful.

Just as Jinlu was about to set off, Sun Duomiao's two sons rushed up and stopped the oxcart.

"You're not allowed to go! I'd like to see who dares to make a move!"

The two men looked like they had hyperthyroidism; their eyes bulged out when they spoke, it was terrifying.

"Oh, so this is the village bully? So arrogant? Li Changtao, call your village head Zhang here. I want to see who's protecting you so that you dare to steal from an ordinary villager and even threaten me?"

Li Changtao was quick to understand. Upon hearing Yan Xia's instructions, he immediately ran towards the center of the village.

He returned shortly afterward.

There was just one more person on his back.

"Zhang Lizheng, please come down."

It turned out to be Zhang Changliu, the village head of Shoucheng Village. He looked to be over sixty years old. He hadn't taken good care of his teeth and had lost most of them. His legs were also not flexible, and he walked with a limp, just like when he had just recovered from a stroke. However, judging from the respectful way he treated Li Changtao, he must be very well loved by the villagers.

Yan Xia met him briefly when she first came to Shoucheng Village, but they weren't familiar with each other.

"What's going on, Landlord Yan? Are you here to collect grain today? Have you eaten yet? If not, come to my house and let my youngest daughter-in-law cook you a couple of dishes."

Zhang Lizheng had a full head of white hair, and although his clothes were patched, they were clean. He was also very energetic. He greeted Yan Xia kindly, indicating that Li Changtao had not yet told him about this matter.

No wonder he came back so quickly; he probably ran to the village head's house and carried him back without saying a word...