Chapter 1940 Relatives
Manbao collected the rent of two carts and a large bag of copper coins. There was no other way. Food was expensive now, so Chief Xia went a little astray. The rent he paid was last year's, but in previous years it was exchanged for copper coins equal to the price of food in that year.
The key point is, how could Manbao know what the price of grain was back then?
Naturally, whatever Chief Xia says is the correct amount.
It's not that Manbao wouldn't bother to argue about it. She could go to the county government office and check the income of the grain warehouse that year to get a rough idea of the price. But she really didn't want to argue with him about it. She glanced at the copper coins collected by the guards and generously said that the matter was over.
All Old Zhou could see was the sack of copper coins. He reached out and pulled out a string of them, examined them, and said in amazement, "How did he hide so many copper coins at home?"
Bai Shan casually said, "Although silver is easy to transport and store, copper coins are actually the best for buying and selling things. They are the most liquid and stable."
Gold and silver are actually not common. They are only used in large-scale transactions and valuable items. The most commonly used currency among the people is actually copper coins.
Many middle-class families store a certain amount of gold, silver and copper at home in case of emergency, but copper actually accounts for the largest proportion.
Because gold and silver are rare, and sometimes ordinary people do not recognize them, and because they are difficult to identify, they trust copper more.
Old Zhou held the money and asked Manbao, "Should we hide some copper coins when we go back?"
"As long as you are happy, Dad." Anyway, gold and silver are hidden, copper coins are also hidden, they are all money, why bother about what they look like?
Anyway, they have enough rooms and space in their house, so they can hide anywhere!
Old Zhou then revealed his true intentions. He held the large sack of copper coins on the ground and said, "Dad will keep this money for you. It will be your dowry in the future."
Manbao: "... Dad, if you're happy, just keep it."
Even though this bag of copper coins looks like a lot, it may not be as much as the small box of silver at your feet.
Manbao was afraid that her father would ask for the silver, so she bent down, picked up the silver herself and went back to her room.
At this moment, Old Zhou only had the bag of copper coins in his mind, so he didn't care at all.
The next day, Chief Xia brought the rent from Village Chief Xu. It was said that Village Chief Xu was afraid that she would have to go back and forth to make trouble, so he asked someone to roughly estimate this year's harvest and advance payment to Manbao. They would settle the account after the autumn harvest. If there was too much, she would not have to return it, and if there was less, he would make up for it.
The son of the Xia clan leader, who had come to pay the rent, smiled and said, "Village Chief Xu said that he had been letting his farmhands cultivate the land for years, and they hadn't been paying much attention to it. Furthermore, there have been constant natural and man-made disasters in recent years, so there hasn't been much income. If the rent is higher this year, it will be considered as an apology to the owner."
Manbao couldn't help but sneer, "That apology from Village Chief Xu is really expensive. It's twelve years' rent."
The son of Patriarch Xia smiled awkwardly.
Manbao snorted coldly and said, "I've accepted the rent. Please ask my cousin to tell Village Chief Xu that I've carefully inspected the land in Dongling and am already looking for a buyer. I won't rent it out after the autumn harvest. I also ask him to have the farmhands at home pay attention during the harvest to avoid any more natural or man-made disasters."
The son of Patriarch Xia was stunned, but his attention was elsewhere. "Are you going to sell that piece of land?"
Manbao nodded, "Yes, is your cousin interested? If you offer a high price, I'm willing to sell it."
The son of the Xia clan leader, who wanted to speak, held back his words and changed the subject with a smile, "That's good. By the time the lady returns, the clan school should be open."
Manbao nodded and said, "It may not be me who comes back, it may be my fourth brother and my second niece. I hope my cousin can take care of them when the time comes."
The son of Patriarch Xia nodded. He knew that Zhou Man had a good relationship with the Zhou family over there, and many things were done by the Zhou family.
Manbao collected the rent and went to see Xia Xia with everyone in the afternoon. He met Xia Rui's family, and then they decided to return to Beijing the next day.
Xia Xia was awake less and less. He didn't know that Zhou Man had given the shop to their family, nor did he know that she didn't have the 40% rent. He thought that Xia Rui had signed a new lease agreement with Zhou Man and was still renting her shop.
So he was very happy to see the two families having fun together. He felt that if he met Xia Yan in the underworld, he would have something to tell him.
Perhaps because the end is approaching, Xia Xia's memories of the past have become clearer and clearer, and many things that he could not remember before can now be remembered.
During the meal, he couldn't help but pull Zhou Man and his two grandsons aside to talk, "Your grandfather gave me this name."
Manbao was enjoying the Shangzhou stew for the second time when he heard this and said in surprise, "But aren't you older than my grandfather?"
"Yes, he's two years older, but my name doesn't sound nice," Xia Xia said with a smile after taking a breath, "I used to be called Big Dog."
Xia Tao, who was sitting beside him: ...
His younger brother Xia Bin, who was sitting next to him, burst into laughter. "Grandpa, why did you give your elder brother the same nickname as you?"
Xia Tao picked up a handful of vegetables and stuffed them into his bowl, saying, "Eat your meal, Ergou."
Xia Bin: ...
Now it was Manbao Baishan and Bai Erlang's turn who couldn't help laughing. They lowered their heads and laughed, their shoulders shaking.
Xia Bin felt offended and couldn't help but turned around and called out "Mom". Xia's mother then said, "Talk to your brother and sister properly and stop making trouble."
Xia Tao is older than Zhou Man, but Xia Bin is two months younger than Zhou Man, so in his eyes, Manbao is once again promoted to an older sister.
Xia Xia looked at them with a smile and continued his recollection, "People out there look for apprentices, and they pay a lot of attention to names. I thought my name was ugly, so your grandfather gave me the character Xia. Sure enough, eight children stood in front of the master, and after asking for our names, the master picked me..."
Manbao didn't believe it. Talent is the key to selecting apprentices in all walks of life, including studying. Of course, she became a disciple because of her extreme intelligence and strong study ability. Who would just look at the name?
She asked, "What did you do before asking for my name?"
"I didn't do anything. I just carved some things with wood and asked about my family background. Thanks to your great-grandfather, he sent my master two jars of wine, two strips of bacon, a basket of rice and eggs..."
Xia Xia remembers it very clearly.
It was the first time for Xia Tao and Xia Bin to hear such a thing, but Xia Rui had been hearing it since he was a child and could almost recite it by heart. He held the pot and poured wine for Old Zhoutou, Zhou Dalang and Zhou Wulang, then picked up a piece of meat for Manbao with chopsticks and sat quietly to listen again.
When they came out of Xia's house, it was already dark. Old Zhou had drunk quite a bit and his face was red. He said to Manbao again, "You will only have this one relative in Shangzhou. Wait for that. You should ask for leave and come back."
Manbao said: "I will try my best to ask for leave."
See you at 11pm
(End of this chapter)
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