The galloping horse, unable to stop, vanished into the air in a flash, leaving behind a mournful neigh echoing through the valley.
The two helped each other up from the ground. Gu Qianluo slowly walked to the edge of the cliff, her eyes cold, and she said with pity, "What a pity for that fine horse."
"It doesn't obey orders; that's its fate," Chen Jinheng said coolly.
Gu Qianlu remained in a daze, staring at the bottom of the cliff for a long while before turning away.
"Now that we've lost our horses, how are we going to get to the tenant farmers' place?"
Chen Jinheng's eyes were slightly cold as he looked Gu Qianluo up and down, then asked with concern,
"Luo'er, are you alright?"
"He only suffered minor injuries."
"That's good. Let's go! Let's set off before the sun completely sets."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Jinheng suddenly picked her up horizontally, lightly touched the ground with his toes, and flew into the air, stepping on towering trees, heading towards the tenant farmer's dwelling.
In a short while, a vast grassland came into view.
A spring breeze caressed my cheeks, and the fragrance of rice blossoms filled my nostrils. The setting sun left only its afterglow, and dusk gradually descended.
Following his old memories, Chen Jinheng took Gu Qianluo's hand and strolled along the country lane in the afterglow of the setting sun.
Suddenly, a dilapidated thatched hut came into view.
"Luo'er, I've inquired with Manager Liu, and this is the family you're looking for."
"Jinheng, how did you know it was this place?"
"The eldest son of this family used to work as a servant in the Marquis's mansion. He even saved the Marquis's life when he went hunting. Later, he returned home to take care of his old man and stopped working in the Marquis's mansion."
This general was also somewhat puzzled; this family clearly only had six members before, so when did so many more appear?
Shh! Look! Lie down, someone's coming out of the house.
Not far away, a middle-aged farmer emerged from a dilapidated thatched house, carrying two baskets of things on his back.
Immediately afterwards, two men of significantly different heights walked over from a short distance away.
Seeing that the two figures were familiar, Gu Qianlu was startled and whispered to Chen Jinheng.
"Is that the accountant we met today? What are those two doing here?"
Chen Jinheng's gaze was deep, and he said calmly, "Let's see what's going on down there."
Suddenly, a middle-aged man's voice came from the direction of the thatched house.
"My two young masters, this is the extra grain I told you about. If this is not enough, we have no more."
This year, four more people joined our family, and we're so broke we can barely afford to cook.
"Please, please be lenient with us again. We promise to pay the rent on time."
"Hmph! I'll make an exception. Consider this grain as interest for your late payment of land rent."
If the rent isn't paid in two weeks, the interest will double! Understand?
"Yes! Yes! Gentlemen! Please be kind and let us go!"
"I'll let you off the hook for today! But if you still can't raise the rent next month, all ten of you will starve!"
We won't rent this land to you anymore!
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged farmer's eyes widened in despair. He knelt on the ground, tugging at Lingxi's trouser leg and pleading for mercy.
"My lords! Please grant us more time! We cannot live without land!"
Lingxi and Lingfan looked at the two full baskets of potatoes, exchanged a smile, then kicked the farmer hard and said coldly,
"Grace period? Sure! Don't you have two daughters who aren't married yet?"
The middle-aged farmer understood their meaning and anxiously and tactfully declined.
"They...they are vulgar and rude, how could they possibly be worthy of your attention, young master?"
"Since you're unwilling, then pack up and the whole family should flee the famine!"
Before the middle-aged farmer could reply, Lingxi and Lingfan picked up the potatoes, hurriedly boarded a horse-drawn carriage, and headed towards the county town.
"It's all over! It's all over! God! Please open your eyes! There are ten of us in our family! How will we survive without land!"
The middle-aged farmer knelt on the ground, his hands covering his head, and wept bitterly. A woman came out of the thatched hut and stepped forward to comfort him.
"My lord, stop crying! Let's solve the problem of food first!"
I just delivered two more baskets of potatoes to them. We only have two days' worth of rice left at home.
"You say the Marquis of Zhongyong's family is a family of meritorious officials? How can they harm the common people and exploit the elderly like this?"
Gu Qianluo, who was eavesdropping from hiding in the haystack, had her palms scratched and bloodied from gripping the straw so tightly.
If Chen Jinheng hadn't covered her mouth and held her hands and feet with his own, she would have been fine.
At this moment, Gu Qianluo might just go out and give Ling Xi and Ling Fan a good beating.
"Luo'er, don't be impulsive!"
"That's outrageous! Chen Jinheng! Why are you stopping me? This kind of scoundrel should be taught a lesson!"
"If you had made a move just now, you would have alerted the enemy."
"Then what do you suggest we do? Just let the farmers be bullied? Just let them ruin the reputation of your Marquis of Zhongyong?"
"Mind your own business? Chen Jinheng! I never imagined you were such a coward!"
"Luo'er! I didn't!" Chen Jinheng quickly explained.
"Let's go! Let's talk to the farmers and find out what's going on."
"Is there any need to understand? The facts are right before our eyes! Ling Xi and Ling Fan are secretly collecting interest, and who knows how much grain they have embezzled in the past?"
"You need to find out for yourself. I'm going to the county town to investigate the buyers of Lingxi and Lingfan."
After saying that, Gu Qianlu shook off Chen Jinheng's hand and strode away in the opposite direction.
"Luo'er! Come back! I've already sent men to ambush you in the county town!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo's eyes lit up with surprise and delight. "What? You knew about this all along?"
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