Chapter 31: Increasing the Rent【VIP】
Before noon, Zhao Liangshun returned home from the county town, took off his melon-shaped hat, and asked his son to beat gongs and drums to notify the villagers to gather at the drying yard.
"Xiaofu, why did your father call us here?"
"I still have to chop wood and carry it to town to sell. Please don't waste our time, you two."
"that is."
Three or five villagers squatted together with their sleeves tucked into their hands, arguing and talking about all sorts of things.
Seeing that the group of tenant farmers in front of him didn't know the seriousness of the situation, Zhao Xiaofu snatched the gong from his father's hand and struck it several times to suppress the noisy sound.
"Dad, please tell them quickly." There was a hint of impatience in Zhao Xiaofu's voice.
Seeing that Zhao Liangshun couldn't even make a fart after three kicks, everyone became very anxious.
Just tell me what's the matter!
"It's about the rent after next year's autumn harvest."
As soon as Zhao Liangshun said this, everyone in the drying yard looked at him.
What does that mean? This year isn't even over yet, why are you talking about next year?
Someone who was quick to react immediately stood up and shouted to Zhao Liangshun, "Village head, could it be that the officials are going to increase our rent?"
Increase rent?
This year, the yield of grain per mu of fertile land in Xiahe Village was only two dan. The harvest was poor, and the rent of two dan per mu was already making it difficult for the tenant farmers to make ends meet. They could only pay the rent with labor service.
If they charge more, how can they survive?
"Are the rents really going to be raised?" Everyone didn't believe it. They didn't believe the officials were so cruel.
Zhao Liangshun looked at everyone and nodded slightly.
"Head of the village, no, you can't increase the rent. My eldest son has already gone to the quarry. If you increase the rent next year, it will force my whole family to die!" A woman stood up and clapped her hands and cried.
At first, it was just one person who resisted, and then the whole village protested collectively against rent increase.
Zhao Liangshun raised his hand to suppress the resisting crowd. He shouted until his voice was hoarse but still failed to suppress them. He was about to be pushed to the edge of the well by the noisy crowd.
Zhao Xiaofu quickly grabbed his father's arm and pushed away the two farmers who were deliberately surrounding his father.
"What do you want to do?"
"What are you doing? We need to ask your father if he wants us to live or not?" The two farmers spat at the father and son. "You two dogs and slaves!"
Usually, the villagers would curse them behind their backs, but his father always asked him to endure it.
But today, when he was called a dog slave to his face, Zhao Xiaofu's emotions that had been pent up for many years suddenly erupted, and he was filled with a surge of evil fire.
"This matter is a done deal. It's useless for you to resist my father." Zhao Xiaofu pulled his father behind him and glared at everyone. "You are renting the fertile land of the Zheng family in Xingyang. If you really have the guts, go to their house and make a scene. See if they want to collect three stone of grain."
Three stones.
Is this even human language? This is really going to kill them.
"I won't rent it anymore. I won't farm this land anymore. I won't farm it anymore." Many people's eyes turned red, and they squatted on the spot with their heads in their hands after yelling.
But how could they not farm? If they didn’t farm, their family would have nothing to eat or drink.
But even if they farmed the land, it was not enough to pay the rent. The high-ranking officials were forcing them to death.
An elderly man had already fainted, and the drying yard was in chaos.
Yang Wenying was squeezed in such a crowd. She thought of Wanhe Township. Was Wanhe Township like they are now before it became dilapidated?
Huang Xing saw that something was wrong with Yang Wenying, so she and Miao took her back home.
Shen Qingshan leaned against the head of the bed, feeling extremely anxious. It had been a long time since he left, but why hadn't anyone come back yet?
So he couldn't help but move his legs, feeling as if he could use some strength, and tried to slowly get down from the bed by supporting himself.
"Dad, what are you doing? Sit down quickly and don't move." Huang Xing returned home. Before she even entered the yard, she saw her husband standing at the head of the bed, his legs trembling like butterfly wings.
She was surprised and delighted, and ran back to the house in two steps to help him sit down.
"Brother-in-law, is your leg okay?" Miao followed into the room and asked.
Shen Qingshan touched his legs and smiled, "I feel like I can use some strength to stand up."
Shen Qingshan learned from his wife that the rent for next year's autumn harvest would be increased by one dan. He sighed heavily and said, "We'll discuss this matter together when A Yao comes back."
"Our lives have finally started to get better, how could the people above us do this? Alas!" Miao lowered her head and wiped her tears with her sleeves.
Huang Xing also sat in front of the bed and cried.
The atmosphere in the room was depressing, and Shen Qingshan felt bitter in his mouth and couldn't say a word of comfort.
Chen Yao and her cousin returned home in the dark, and before they could put down their burden, they were pulled into the main house by Yang Wenying.
"Dad, what happened at home?" As soon as Chen Yao entered the house and took out the dried red dates she bought for the family, she saw that the elders looked like they were in a trial, with very heavy expressions.
Yang Wenying went to the stove and brought warm food to the two of them, and told them the big things that happened in the village during the day.
"Ahem... What the hell are they doing? They're raising our rent. Do those officials even know how much grain we can harvest from one acre of land?" Huang Dongsheng choked on his food.
Ever since he entered the government office, he had been a little scared. He knew that there were many corrupt officials in this world, but he did not expect that this corrupt official would lie on them and suck enough blood and still not let them go.
This is to squeeze them dry!
"What are you yelling about? What are you yelling about? It will be terrible if outsiders hear it!" Miao raised her hand and hit her son on the back. She had told him so many times that trouble comes from the mouth, so why didn't he learn his lesson?
After eating the meal, he wiped his greasy mouth and said with a stiff neck: "Mom, what are you afraid of? The officials obviously want us to starve to death. We might as well join forces with everyone to resist. Maybe there will be some good news."
Brother Bai had told him that our current emperor overthrew the previous emperor and became emperor himself.
It can be seen that there is strength in numbers.
"Will this work?" Ever since her son started doing business and broadened his horizons, Miao felt that her children were the ones in charge of the family.
Whether it will work or not depends on my cousin Huang Dong.
After Chen Yao finished her meal, she drank a cup of hot water and finally recovered. "No, let's catch him."
"So, what should we do, cousin?"
What to do? It is too late to ask the villagers to follow her in planting winter wheat. She can only apply manure to fertilize the fields and hope that next year will not be a disaster year and that there will be a good harvest.
But even so, the wheat seeds planted by the villagers in the fields will not produce more than three stone of grain next year unless they use high-quality wheat seeds and prevent diseases and insect pests.
As for breeding improved varieties, Chen Yao looked at everyone in the family and decided to first use the "one ear of wheat" breeding method to distribute the improved varieties to relatives, at least to ensure that the wheat seeds sown in the fields of her aunt and uncle's house after the spring can achieve mass production.
"Ayao, do you have enough seeds to share?" Miao asked embarrassedly, rubbing her hands.
Chen Yao couldn't guarantee that either, as it would depend on the ear emergence rate in her field in March next year. But what she could guarantee was that the ears that emerged first would definitely be kept as good seeds.
"Okay, then I'll apply manure to fertilize the fields first. But there's still some time before next autumn harvest." Miao had thought it through. If it really didn't work, she would let the child's father persist.
Chen Yao took out the contract and money chain that she had signed with the three shopkeepers today and placed them on the table, encouraging everyone not to be discouraged: "Our business has stabilized. Tomorrow I will ask Village Chief Zhao to see if I can pay the rent."
"Pay money to offset the rent? It's not easy for us to earn this money. You'd better pay the grain." Huang Xing felt that her daughter was not good at accounting.
Miao also nodded in agreement. It was really not worthwhile to pay money. It went without saying that those officials would definitely ask them to pay the market price.
Shen Qingshan actually agreed with his daughter's approach. The world was in chaos now, and it was safer for the family to store some food. As for money, he could earn it in the future.
"Ayao, we have to store the grain in our fields. Go ask Village Chief Zhao tomorrow." The matter was settled as the daughter said.
"I understand, Dad. We should still do what we need to do later. Tell my cousin that we can buy soybeans at 1.5 cents per pound, starting with those from our two villages." Chen Yao knew her father was sensible. As she cleared the dishes, she glanced at Yang Wenying and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
After talking for a long time, she didn't say a word. This is not like Yang Wenying's character.
Yang Wenying pursed her lips, not knowing whether she should tell everyone what was in her mind. She was afraid that it would cause panic.
Zheng Fu of the Zheng clan in Xingyang was the Minister of Grain, who was in charge of the imperial granaries, mulberry crops, and farmers' affairs.
Today, the people are being forced to stockpile grain. Could this be a sign of another war? Could these be food supplies?
If only my brother were here at this time, he would definitely be able to analyze everything and weigh the pros and cons.
"Wenying, are you feeling unwell?" Chen Yao saw that her face was getting paler and paler, so she quickly put the dishes back on the table and raised her hand to cover her forehead.
No fever?
Yang Wenying met Chen Yao's caring eyes, pulled off her wrist and said, "I'm fine. The children will come to class soon. Let's go get ready first."
"Are you really okay?"
"It's really okay." Yang Wenying said as she was about to pick up the dishes from both of them to wash.
Chen Yao didn't let her get involved, so she and her cousin squatted in the corridor and grabbed a handful of wood ash to wash out the oil and water in the bowl.
Yang Wenying went back to the house to prepare for the class, while the adults stayed in the main room to talk.
"Cousin, she must be hiding something from us." Huang Dongsheng put the dishes back into the kitchen, came out and grabbed Chen Yao's arm and whispered in her ear.
Hot air sprayed on her face, carrying with it the smell of food. Chen Yao pushed her cousin away with some disgust, and handed him a piece of white reed root, asking him to get rid of the taste in his mouth before speaking.
But she didn't deny what he said. She had a way to get it out anyway.
A terrible event happened in the village today, and many elderly people in each household fell ill. So, out of the original ten students, only five came tonight, and all of them had red and swollen eyes.
After Tian Baolai brought his sister over, he asked why everyone was crying.
When the children heard his question, they immediately pouted and looked like they were about to cry.
Seeing that her cousin was about to make the children cry, Chen Yao quickly stood up from the small bench and dragged him to the yard. After talking to him in detail, she found out that Shanghe Village had not raised the rent.
"Cousin, when you go back, ask your aunt to find out which aristocratic family owns the fertile land in Shanghe Village."
"Okay, that's no problem. I've also kept the soybean issue in mind. Don't worry, cousin. If the rent is not enough next year, my family will make up the difference for you." Tian Baolai patted Chen Yao's head, telling her not to worry.
Chen Yao brushed away her cousin's generous palm and said jokingly: "This is a big deal, can my cousin make the decision at home?"
Of course I can't.
Tian Baolai touched the back of his head. He couldn't tell Shen Yao the truth, but he had saved money these days and would use it to buy food for Shen Yao when the time came.
Besides, how could his mother not care about sister A Yao? Once he goes back and tells her what happened, his parents will definitely come with food.
Chen Yao felt warm in her heart at his words.
When Tian Baozhu came out to call Chen Yao to go back to study, she saw her brother acting silly and teasing his cousin again. While urging him to go back, she pulled Chen Yao into the classroom.
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