"Aunt Zhang, is Uncle Zhang here?" Da Bao asked politely.

When Zhang Xiangliang saw Da Bao coming over, he felt uneasy and quickly pricked up his ears to listen.

Aunt Zhang called out to Zhang Tiezhu, "Husband, Dabao is here. He wants to see you."

Zhang Tiezhu wrapped his thin cotton coat tighter around himself and said with a smile, "Dabao, come inside and let's talk."

“Uncle Zhang, our fields here will be used for other purposes next year. My husband said that the twenty acres of land you rented will no longer be rented out.”

"What?" Zhang Tiezhu was struck dumb. "Dabao, everything was fine, why aren't you renting it out anymore?"

“Uncle Zhang, Master Wang has other uses for these fields,” Da Bao said apologetically. “Master Wang originally wanted to tell you in person, but he just had a headache and can’t be exposed to the wind.”

"Can we rent land elsewhere? We'd be happy to exchange it for another piece of land."

“I’m sorry, Uncle Zhang, other fields are being cultivated by others,” Da Bao said. “My master said that to compensate you, he will harvest 10% less of the winter wheat you planted. After the wheat is harvested, you can return the land to him.”

They would rather charge 10% less rent than rent the land to them again.

Zhang Tiezhu and Aunt Zhang almost fainted. They had been renting land from the landlord Wang for decades, and everything had been fine. Why did they suddenly stop renting to them?

The townspeople of Longmen have no other resources and rely on farming the surrounding fields to make a living.

Landlord Wang rented 20 mu of land to Zhang Tiezhu, and only charged him 50% of the rent each year, which was 10% or 20% less than other landlords. Some unscrupulous landlords charged 80% of the rent.

Because Magistrate Wang was an official appointed by the imperial court, the Wang family's land was exempt from taxes, so the landlord Wang would subsidize his tenants by 10% or 20%.

He thus earned a reputation for good deeds.

Now, Landlord Wang would rather only accept 40% of the rent than break the tenancy agreement with the Zhang family.

Zhang Tiezhu and Aunt Zhang felt like the sky had fallen.

Originally, with these twenty acres of land, not only was there enough grain to eat, but the vegetables they grew could also be sold for a few dollars on the street.

With no land left, what can they do?

Where else can you find such favorable terms when renting land from other landlords?

Aunt Zhang couldn't help but burst into tears.

Zhang Xiangliang naturally knew what was going on, and felt bitter, but dared not admit it.

Aunt Zhang kept crying. At dinner, Zhang Xiangxiu suddenly asked, "Sister-in-law, where is your silver hairpin?"

Aunt Zhang finally realized something was wrong.

"Ye Ting, where's your hairpin? And your silver bracelet?"

"Mom, she's in the room," Ye Ting said softly. "I put her away; it's inconvenient to wear her while working."

But Aunt Zhang felt something was wrong; she had no silver hairpin in her hair when she returned from her parents' home.

The second son, Zhang Xiangshan, was always doing business outside and was the most shrewd. Today, when the landlord Wang suddenly terminated the tenant relationship with his family, and his mother was crying, he couldn't help but go out to inquire.

Landlord Wang naturally wouldn't say anything, but he slipped Da Bao a gilded hairpin he'd found out of town. Only then did Da Bao remind him, "Your new sister-in-law isn't exactly a clean freak. Master Wang doesn't want anything to do with your family."

Zhang Xiangshan asked around for a while before he learned that his sister-in-law had stolen the charity clothes while helping out.

He stole nine items at once.

Zhang Xiangshan, a businessman, had a much worse temper than Zhang Xiangliang, and he was furious when he thought of the fortune teller Jiutian had told him.

When Zhang Xiangshan returned from outside, he overheard his younger sister asking about the hairpin and bracelet.

When Ye Ting explained that the hairpins and bracelets had been put away to avoid affecting her work, he said bluntly, "Those were the money your mother saved up for half her life to have made into jewelry specifically for her daughter-in-law. Don't give it to your family."

Ye Ting immediately burst into tears, sobbing as she said, "I know you look down on me. I've never had a mother since I was little, my family was poor, nobody likes me, and I've always worn Xiao Wei's hand-me-downs..."

Zhang Xiangshan was annoyed and said, "Why are you crying? When have I ever looked down on you? I was just reminding you not to give everything to your family. You're a member of the Zhang family now."

Seeing Ye Ting cry, Aunt Zhang grabbed a rolling pin and was about to hit Zhang Xiangshan: "How dare you talk to your sister-in-law like that?"

Zhang Xiangshan said sarcastically, "Mother, don't blame me for being nosy, but the hairpin and bracelet you gave her might not even be surnamed Zhang anymore!"

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll tear your mouth apart."

Watching Aunt Zhang scold Zhang Xiangshan, Ye Ting huddled up in a ball, tears streaming down her face.

Zhang Xiangshan was being chased around by Aunt Zhang. Seeing Ye Ting crying, he didn't plead for him, clearly using tears to cover up his guilty conscience.

In his anxiety, he blurted out, "Sister-in-law, don't cry. Our mother keeps beating me. Go and get the hairpin and bracelet for her to see. I'm not being beaten unjustly."

Ye Ting remained silent and continued to cry.

Zhang Xiangliang was irritated and shouted, "Ye Ting, take it out."

Ye Ting looked at Zhang Xiangliang, timidly clutching the hem of her clothes, and said, "My mother gave it to me, so it's mine. Can't I just put it away? Why do I have to take it out?"

Not to mention Zhang Xiangliang, even Aunt Zhang felt a chill in her heart at this moment.

Holding the rolling pin, he said to Ye Ting, "Tingting, show this to this bastard so he won't spout nonsense anymore. Don't worry, if you take it out, I'll beat him to a pulp."