Chapter 121 The Most Familiar Stranger
"Step back!"
Seeing that something was wrong, Officer Shi immediately drew his sword and blocked the two men's path.
Shuang'er was terrified; she truly had absolutely no recollection of this person.
When did she ever seduce his son and have his legs broken?
The local farmers working in the fields all gathered around.
"Shiwa, why are you carrying a knife! This is your Uncle Fu!"
"Shiwa, what are you doing? You're from our Shanwo Village, and these are all your uncles and elders who watched you grow up!"
Some people see it very clearly.
"Uncle Fu, have you made things difficult for Shiwa again? Your family is the most troublesome in the whole village!"
"Exactly! Last year, the county government specially found a merchant to take over our grain. You either had too little money or too much grain. Why weren't you this powerful in front of that skinflint Cao back then!"
Uncle Fu spat several times, "Get out of here, what's it to you!"
Seeing the scene getting chaotic, Officer Shi quickly led the two away.
It wasn't until she was in the carriage that Shuang'er remembered who the person from earlier was.
“It was his house. It delayed us for two days before we got back! That family is so shameless. Ah Xun said he would take care of it, so I didn’t ask any more questions.”
Last year, the Cao family bought all the grain in the village, but they didn't receive any money.
They took over the granary and also collected all the grain, then gave the money directly to the farmers who hadn't received it.
Wherever she and Ah Xun went, they were greeted with cheers.
There were almost no unpleasant experiences.
Only Uncle Fu's family kept saying that the accounts were wrong, and then that he had undercounted the grain he delivered by three bushels.
The second time she went there, she was calculating accounts for the farmers she met at the door, while Wei Xun went to Uncle Fu's house first and they started arguing for some reason.
Wei Xun looked unwell and simply said he would handle it.
The next day, Wei Xun came back and said everything was fine, so she forgot about it.
If someone hadn't mentioned that it was his family who were cheating and saying they hadn't paid enough for the grain, she wouldn't have remembered this matter.
Yao Shisan patted her hand, "Tomorrow, take Wei Xun and the yamen runners, and we'll go again."
Shuang'er was a little unhappy. "These people are so ungrateful! They treat us like saints when we bring them money, but they turn their backs on us as soon as they take our place!"
She comforted them, saying, "That's human nature. If a piece of land is empty and one family occupies it, others will want to occupy it too."
“Last year, one family occupied the land, and the eldest brother relented because he was soft-hearted. This year, there will be three or four families occupying it, and next year it will be completely occupied. After that, this land will never be able to be taken back.”
The best way to deal with someone who is completely unyielding is to have a capable person.
Therefore, they dared not say a word in front of Cao the Skinflint.
Take Uncle and Aunt Shi, for example. Their land had been mortgaged for several years, and they had survived without land all these years. But when their eldest brother took office, their family could no longer make a living.
Wei Xun had already made an appearance at Uncle Fu's house last year.
It has already achieved a certain level of deterrence.
The next day, Shuang'er went to find Wei Xun.
“Ah Xun, do you still remember that scoundrel from last year when we were harvesting grain?”
Wei Xun's face darkened. "He still dares to come looking for you."
"No, my sister rented the hundred acres of fertile land that the county government had confiscated, and that scoundrel wanted to seize it."
Shuang'er tugged at his sleeve, trying to pull him outside.
They bumped right into each other, Zhou Congxian and Jiang Xingyao.
Although the two were not exactly ragged, their clothes were wrinkled, their hair was messy, and stubble had appeared on their faces.
They look like they've just escaped from a disaster!
"Where...where have you all gone?"
They haven't been at home these past few days.
Jiang Xingyao shook his head. "It's a long story."
Shuang'er smiled and stopped Zhou Congxian, "Your Highness, this image suits you perfectly!"
Zhou Congxian, “?”
When he got into the car, Yao Shisan was startled and didn't recognize him at all.
Shuang'er climbed onto the carriage. "Sister, look at the young master, doesn't he look like a bandit? How can he not keep those unruly people in check?"
Yao Shisan cast an inquiring glance at Shuang'er, wondering why Zhou Congxian had been summoned.
Since Uncle Sun took over Zhou Congxian's treatment, she has rarely seen him again.
It seems that the two have gradually returned to the stage of being the most familiar strangers.
Shuang'er didn't understand. "Don't worry, sister, we'll definitely be able to solve this."
Zhou Congxian glanced at her and knew that she was now resistant to him.
He then feigned anger and looked at Shuang'er, "You take a good look at me, and tell me whether I look more like a bandit or Wei Xun's deadpan face!"
Shuang'er shrank closer to her sister, then said decisively, "Young Master!"
Zhou Congxian, “…”
Wei Xun, who was rushing to catch his train, smiled.
When the carriage stopped at the edge of the field, the old farmers working in the field all looked up.
I saw the same two girls from yesterday.
Today, he not only brought people with him, but also several yamen runners.
So they quickly sent word to the authorities.
Some families who had been bullied by Uncle Fu's family were not gloating, but rather thinking, "Let's see how arrogant they are this time. They've kicked a hornet's nest!"
Some who had originally planned to seize the fertile land have now given up on the idea.
It wasn't that Youcai's mother didn't have the money to redeem the land; things had only gotten a little easier since that gambling addict in the family died.
The magistrate was soft-hearted; since she could farm without redeeming the land, she naturally wouldn't spend money to redeem it.
When Cai Niang saw the group, she quickly approached Uncle Fu.
"Third Brother, this land was originally exploited by the rich man, and it should be returned to us common people. What's the difference between these people and those rich man!"
"I remember you made a bet with the young master of the Cao family, and he even lost five acres of land to you!"
"If that Cao guy had been arrested a few days later, wouldn't that land have been yours?"
Uncle Fu was filled with rage when he remembered the note still lying at home.
Zhou Congxian immediately noticed those eyes filled with rage.
He pursed his lips slightly; how could she not be deceived when dealing with these rural people?
This time, I have been ordered by His Majesty to establish a navy.
It's just right to transfer Ji Xiaoman here. Although she only has some rudimentary skills, they're enough to deal with these difficult people.
Yao Shisan glanced at the farmers who had gathered to watch the commotion and asked, "Officer Shi, what land is on the lease agreement?"
Officer Shi stepped forward two steps, saying, "These are all uncultivated lands."
He paused for a moment, then added, "And these two acres too."
He pointed to the spot where the wealthy woman was standing.
She took out the rental deed from her sleeve and said, "Brothers, please help me get rid of all the irrelevant people."
Zhou Congxian glanced at them, his tone suddenly turning cold, "I am a rough man and don't know what's important. The constables are all big, burly men."
"If anyone gets hurt, don't blame us for being ruthless."
His words were full of threats.
He was tall, with a full beard, and especially sharp, piercing eyes.
He looks like a reckless desperado.
Yao Shisan glanced at him, his lips twitching slightly. In this situation, the constables who looked grown up were powerless, while people like Zhou Congxian, who didn't seem like good people, were more reliable.
The farmers who rented land next to each other immediately dispersed.
Watching the excitement is fine, but life is the most important thing!
In an instant, only Uncle Fu and Youcai's wife remained in the rented field.
Uncle Fu looked around. The people around him had all retreated far away, and it seemed that his confidence had also vanished.
The person who spoke was a ruthless character.
He recognized the guy behind him; he was the one who broke his son's leg!
Zhou Congxian's gaze fell on the two men, and his eyes narrowed slightly. "It seems these two don't understand what I'm saying. Then please, brother, make your move."
Just as the constables were about to take action, Uncle Fu shouted.
"etc!"
He swallowed hard. "My lords, you've misunderstood. This is my own land."
"These five acres of land were given to me last year by the young master of the Cao family, who honored his bet! My family still has the written agreement!"
"A note?" Zhou Congxian glanced at him, then turned to the head constable. "Where is this Young Master Cao now?"
Officer Shi chuckled awkwardly, "They were escorted back to the capital last year, and their heads have already rolled..."
Zhou Congxian snorted coldly, "A note from a dead man, do you think I'm easy to fool, or Lord Jiang?"
Uncle Fu gritted his teeth. He was just one day short of getting the note on the first day and being arrested on the second!
He shouldn't have asked for the note; he should have just asked for the land deed.
Who would have thought that the wealthy Cao family would just disappear like that?
Zhou Congxian then saw Cai Niang and asked, "You have a note too?"
The wealthy woman trembled in fright, "N-nothing..."
"But, but it was the magistrate who allowed me to farm here and make a living."
Zhou Congxian nodded.
As soon as the wealthy woman was pleased, a bucket of cold water was poured over her.
"Since it's the magistrate's permission, is there a warrant?"
The wealthy woman was stunned. "Hand...hand token..."
Yao Shisan stepped forward and said, “Yesterday I asked the county clerk, and all the fertile land confiscated by the Cao family belongs to the government.”
"It can be rented or sold, and there is absolutely no possibility of it being unsuitable for cultivation."
The wealthy woman became anxious, "It really was promised by the county magistrate himself."
Although the promise was for last year's second crop of rice.
Yao Shisan: "I've also asked about this matter. The clerk said that last year, while you were still waiting for the government's inspection, you rushed to plant the second rice crop."
"The magistrate couldn't bear to waste the grain, so he agreed to let you continue farming. He even told you that these fields were available for sale."
"You weren't satisfied with just taking advantage once; you want to keep taking advantage."
The woman with the wealth was flushed, her hands gripping the hoe and turning it nervously.
She took advantage of the situation for her son's sake.
She clearly has so much land, why does she insist on having these two plots of land?
They're already so rich, yet they still want to cut off her livelihood!
"mother!"
A thin young man ran over from the edge of the field.
He fell into the field several times.
The wealthy woman was heartbroken.
"Why are you here! You're not well, you should go back home!"
Ignoring the filth on his clothes, Youcai stood in front of his mother, shouting, "If you have any problems, come at me!"
“My mother is the kindest person imaginable. If it weren’t for me being a burden, how could she have done such a thing?”
His clothes had several patches, and the collar was faded from washing, showing that his mother was a clean and tidy woman.
Shuang'er felt a little sorry for her and quietly tugged at her sister's sleeve.
"elder sister……"
Yao Shisan patted her hand, signaling her to calm down.
We want to help, but this isn't the right approach.
With so much land rented, someone has to farm it, whether by hiring someone or contracting it out.
But we can't just give away the land for nothing.
Zhou Congxian glanced at the two of them; now was not the time to play the good guy.
Since he's already played the villain today, let him continue being the villain.
"If anyone wants to seize my rented land, they'll have to ask if I'll allow it."
He suddenly lifted his foot and stepped on a stone beside the edge of the field.
It shattered into pieces in an instant.
The farmers who were watching were all shocked; it would probably take two or three strong men to lift that stone!
"Something terrible has happened!"
A thunderclap sounded out of nowhere, and everyone looked towards the sound.
"No, this is terrible!"
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