Chapter 223 Dispute over Ancestral Worship
When Sheng An and his group arrived, they could see the crowd gathered at the village entrance from afar.
Xu Cuilian murmured, "This is the pomp and circumstance of a successful candidate in the imperial examinations!"
Xu Chenglin said proudly, "When Jinnian passes the imperial examination next year, the ceremony will be even more grand."
After hearing this, Xu Cuilian understood her daughter-in-law Wang Xiaofang's thoughts even more.
If she had a grandson as successful as Jin Nian in the future, she would laugh even more wildly than her second brother.
However, Xu Cuilian is now beaming with pride, and her gaze towards Xu Jinnian is even more tender and loving than when she looks at her own son.
Before Sheng An and his group could get close, the crowd, led by the clan chief, came to greet them.
Looking at Xu Jinnian, who was dressed in fine clothes and had an outstanding demeanor, the villagers suddenly felt a strong sense of awe and realized for the first time the difference in status between the two of them.
The expressions of Xu Laoda and the others who were at the back were much more complex, including jealousy, resentment, and... annoyance.
Especially Ma Dahua, who stared blankly at the person on horseback, a twisted scream rising in her heart:
This is my son, this is my son, the son I carried for ten months and gave birth to!
When they saw the wealthy-looking Xu Chenglin step down from the carriage, Xu Laoda and the others could no longer hide their jealousy. They wished they could rush up and strip him naked and put the clothes on themselves!
Xu Chenglin saw it all clearly, raised his chin high, and rolled his eyes at Boss Xu and the others.
Envious? Jealous? Even if you glare with your eyes popping out, you won't get a single glance from him.
The other villagers were equally envious, jealous, and resentful of Xu Chenglin; some even gritted their teeth in whispers.
"Look how smug he is! He just got lucky and adopted a promising son. It's not like he did anything on his own!"
Others, equally disapproving of Xu Chenglin's arrogance, chimed in: "That's right, he's only benefiting from his own younger brother; otherwise, he'd be begging in some corner right now."
The clan chief's attitude towards Xu Jinnian remained the same as before. Supported by his grandson, he greeted him with a smile: "Jinnian is back. Come on, let's go to the old man's house to rest and have some tea."
Xu Jinnian stepped forward and greeted the clan chief with a smile, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, clan chief."
The patriarch's smile deepened, and he stroked his beard, saying, "It's no trouble at all. Seeing the Xu family's disciples so promising, this old man is overjoyed!"
These were the clan chief's true feelings. Ever since he took over the responsibilities of the Xu family, he had been hoping that the Xu family would prosper and flourish under his leadership, so that he could give an account to his ancestors in the afterlife.
Ever since Xu Jinnian showed his talent for studying, the clan leader has paid close attention to him, as has Xu Huaining.
Xu Laosi's family was poor. Over the years, the only way he was able to support Xu Huaining's education was by exploiting Xu Laosan's family. The clan chief also helped him a bit, often giving Xu Huaining eggs from his own family to nourish his body.
The clan chief was no less excited and joyful than anyone else when two people from Xujiaba suddenly became successful candidates in the imperial examinations.
The reason I specifically brought Boss Xu and the others over to wait together today is that I don't want to escalate the conflict between Xu Jinnian and his son and them.
He did not seek harmonious coexistence between the two sides, but only hoped to maintain a superficial harmony in front of the whole village and prevent the Xu family from splitting apart.
At the clan chief's warm invitation, Sheng An and his group arrived at the clan chief's home.
The villagers didn't disperse; they surrounded Xu Jinnian, bombarding him with all sorts of questions.
If one becomes a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination), how many acres of land can be exempted from taxation, how many people can be exempted from corvée labor, and will the imperial court really give Juren a large sum of money every year?
These are the issues they can think of and are their biggest concern.
Upon learning that a successful candidate in the imperial examinations could be exempted from taxes on 200 mu of land and corvée labor for 20 people, the villagers' eyes lit up as they looked at Xu Jinnian with great eagerness.
The clan chief immediately knew what they were up to and reprimanded them, "Jin Nian passed the imperial examination and became a scholar. People from all around dare not provoke our village anymore. Don't push your luck!"
Jin Nian has lived in the city for many years and doesn't have a deep affection for the village. If he wanted to, he could easily separate his branch and start a new family tree.
He couldn't let the villagers run wild and squander what little affection Jin Nian had for the village.
The villagers, their secret thoughts exposed by the clan chief, looked embarrassed, but one villager named Gou Dan still had the audacity to speak up:
“Jin Nian, you know what kind of life our village is living. Now that you’ve become a scholar, why not link these two hundred acres of tax-exempt land to the village’s fertile land? Everyone will be grateful to you.”
The clan chief's face darkened, and he roared, "You have no right to speak here, shut up!"
Dog Egg shouted, "I also have the surname Xu, so why don't I have a say? Clan chief, I'm doing this for the sake of the whole village."
The other villagers remained silent, their eyes filled with endless anticipation as they looked at Xu Jinnian.
The land in Xujiaba is barren, and its annual output is at least 50 jin less than that of other places.
Keep in mind that the total grain yield per mu is only around 300 jin, so 50 jin is not bad.
If the land tax could be waived, the villagers would be able to fill their stomachs, and the saved grain could be exchanged for silver.
Xu Chenglin couldn't stand seeing others make things difficult for his son, so he immediately stood up and started arguing with Gou Dan:
"Did my son owe you money or a favor that you're scheming against him like this? With such a thick skin, why don't you go to the government and beg the officials to exempt your family from land taxes?"
Xu Cuilian chimed in, "Even beggars in the city have to kowtow several times to get food. You think you can just stand there and beg for food? You'd be dreaming!"
Dog Egg's face turned purple from the rebuke. He looked around for support from others, but found that everyone he saw had their heads down and no one stood up.
Dog Egg felt a chill run through him, and glared angrily at everyone.
Everyone: "..."
It wasn't that they didn't want to provide support, but Xu Chenglin had a notorious reputation, and they were afraid of being beaten.
The clan chief intervened promptly, interrupting Gou Dan's incessant chatter:
"Jin Nian passed the imperial examination on his own merits. The village did not help him in any way. The matter of the tax-exempt land ends here. No one is allowed to mention it again!"
The clan chief certainly hoped that Xu Jinnian could help the clan, but this had to be based on his own willingness. Otherwise, if he was forced to agree, he would definitely harbor resentment towards the clan.
This is not what the clan leader wanted to see.
At this moment, Xu Jinnian, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "The two hundred mu of tax-free quota can be registered in the village, but I have one condition."
Upon hearing this, everyone, including the clan leader, widened their eyes.
The clan chief eagerly demanded, "What are your conditions?"
Xu Jinnian's gaze swept across the villagers' faces, and amidst their anticipation, he spoke slowly:
"There are too few scholars in the clan. The exempted land tax will be used to establish a clan school for children of school age, so that all children of school age will have the opportunity to study, and those with talent will be selected to go to schools in the city."
He had little affection for the Xu family; he simply needed a good reputation to go further in the imperial examinations.
Using the tax-free allowance of 200 mu to establish a basic school for the clan would be a great thing. As long as he lives, the men, women, and children of the clan will remember his kindness.
This was something he and An'an had discussed last night.
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