Especially now, there's no time to build the imperial palace, so naturally, there's no time to worry about Fu Niu's small princess residence.
If one doesn't actively demand the money back, and the matter is eventually dropped, that's fine.
I'm afraid that someone will pocket the money and let those parasites benefit!
"Alright, thank you for your advice, Lord Zhou. I'll discuss this with the Marquis tonight," Old Lady Li agreed.
“You’re too kind, Madam. I was just saying a few more words.” Lord Zhou hesitated for a moment, then said, “A few days ago, my wife came home and mentioned it. She felt very guilty for causing you trouble. Please forgive her, Madam.”
Old Lady Li calmly replied, "Lord Zhou, you've known the people of our village for a long time. You know we're just ordinary farmers who don't understand any grand principles. We just know that if someone is good to us, we'll repay them tenfold."
"But if anyone tries to scheme against us or bully us, we certainly won't be so shameless as to cling to them! So, Lord Zhou, don't overthink it. From now on, we'll each keep our own business."
The old lady pointed to the fruit trees on the distant mountain and said, "Friendship is like planting trees. You give a ladle of water, I give a handful of fertilizer, and we help each other so that the trees can bear good fruit."
"But if someone does something wrong, cutting it in half will give the tree time to recover, allow it to heal, and it can survive in the spring. The problem is when someone cuts it from the left and right, severing it by the roots, and then it's completely beyond saving, isn't that right?"
Lord Zhou knew perfectly well that Old Madam Li was warning his wife not to try anything funny with the Li family again, or the relationship between the Zhou and Li families would be severed.
He nodded quickly, "The old lady is right."
Old Mrs. Li waved her hand and laughed, "I'm just an old peasant woman, I don't know anything. I'm just glad that you don't mind my nonsense, Lord Zhou."
After everyone had eaten the fruit, Lord Zhou and the craftsmen politely took their leave, agreeing to draw up the blueprints the next day and start construction the day after.
Grandma Li, missing her granddaughter, went back first, leaving the village chief and others excitedly wandering around the spot.
Just then, the village chiefs from Dahuaishu Village, Dawangzhuang Village, and Xiaowangzhuang Village arrived with their villagers. From a distance, they greeted the village chief.
"Brother, we heard that a memorial archway is going to be built in Suijintan, so we've all come to help! This is the honor of our three villages, you can't send us away!"
The village chief greeted them with a smile and sat down with them on a rock. "Don't worry, it's a family celebration, you can't escape it even if you want to."
The words "our own people" completely put the village heads at ease.
The village chief continued, “Today, officials from the Ministry of Works are here to survey the area, and construction will begin the day after tomorrow. Our village can provide five or six people, and if the three villages can each contribute the same number, that will bring together more than twenty people, which should be enough to assist the foremen.”
“Alright,” the three village heads readily agreed, laughing, “The villagers, young and old, are all clamoring to come and work, to share in the joy. We’ll select the strongest and most capable, and we guarantee they’ll get the job done.”
The village chief quickly added, "Everyone just needs to bring a pickaxe and a shovel. We'll have lunch here; there will be vegetables and meat, and you can eat your fill!"
"Haha, that's great! Everyone says the food in our village is the best. We're in for a treat!"
The three village heads kept praising the village chief and everyone else, which made them very happy.
Then the village head of the Big Locust Tree asked, "Brother, when you have some free time, could you ask us when this year's tax grain will be delivered so we can all prepare?"
The Li family had discussed this matter, so Li Laosi quickly replied, "The Emperor's grace is boundless. When our village first settled here, we were granted a three-year tax exemption. This is only the second year, so everyone should still pay this year's and next year's grain tax to the government office."
The three village heads didn't react at first, but they were quite surprised when they finally understood.
The Li family is clearly not taking advantage of the imperial court!
In fact, the entire Suijintan area is now the fiefdom of the Li family. It is only natural for the Li family to accept the tax grain from their three villages, and no one can say that they are wrong.
However, the Li family insisted on adhering to the original rule of exempting them from taxes for three years after land reclamation, and refused to collect additional taxes from them for the next two years.
The village chief was aware of the Li family's decision. "Although the tax grain from the three villages isn't much, the capital has just been moved, and too many people have come to the new capital. I'm afraid the emperor and the court are worried about food. It's good to collect a few more bags."
"We have received many rewards from the Emperor, and we already feel guilty for not being able to share his burdens. Now that we can help in a little, everyone is happy!"
“Yes, yes!” the other villagers chimed in. “The grain we harvest from the valley is enough to fill our stomachs.”
"Giving tax grain to the imperial court can at least support an additional hundred or so people!"
"Yes, even a small mosquito is still meat."
The three village heads and the villagers they brought listened and watched, and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
No wonder the Marquis was willing to live in Broken Gold Beach, so many nobles were willing to come and go, and the Emperor bestowed gifts upon him time and time again.
The people of Suijintan are different from others.
A sincere heart always makes people want to believe and get closer...
With such a leader, as long as the three villages don't betray their own people and keep up with the pace, their lives are sure to be good!
“Brother Village Chief, if you need any work in the future, just call us. We’re all family now, so don’t treat us like strangers.”
"Yes, our three villages are also the princess's fiefdom. We must be given a chance to do our best for the princess."
The village chief smiled broadly, reassuring them, "Don't worry, everyone. We're just repairing an archway for now, but we'll need to build bridges and pave roads after spring. We'll definitely need your help then, so just don't complain about being tired."
"No, no! How could I be tired from working for my own family!"
The three village heads and the villagers all happily agreed. To an outsider, judging from their expressions, they would have thought they had gotten a great deal.
After exchanging a few more casual words, the group dispersed.
The village heads of the three villages mobilized their men the next day to load up the tax grain and quickly send it to the city.
They thought that once they paid their grain tax, they would settle down and build the memorial archway!
The city was so crowded that a row of thatched sheds were set up outside the city for people to register and weigh their taxes.
As soon as the people from Dahuaishu and Dawangzhuang arrived, acquaintances would come over to greet them.
"Why are you here? Weren't your three villages designated as fiefdoms?"
"Yes, if you're going to pay your taxes, shouldn't you pay them at Broken Gold Beach?"
"What, you're not satisfied with Suijintan and want to hand over the tax grain to the imperial court?"
The three village heads quickly waved their hands, wishing they had eight mouths to explain to everyone.
"It's not that we don't want to pay, it's that Broken Gold Beach doesn't want it!"
"Yes, the Li family doesn't want them!"
Those around them didn't understand and asked, "What are you saying? Why doesn't the Li family want it? They're offering grain right to their doorstep, and they're even pushing it away?"
"You're absolutely right!" said the village head of the Big Locust Tree Village. "The Li family said that since the Broken Gold Beach was newly reclaimed, the imperial court has already exempted us from taxes for three years, and only one year has passed. Therefore, the Li family wants us to pay this year's and next year's taxes to the imperial court!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com