Chapter 251 Are you really a cultivator?
Soon, the village head led more than twenty households to the Lu family's house.
Lu Qingqing didn't beat around the bush and said directly:
"If you want to borrow money, you have to accept some collateral, such as a house or land. If you have nothing, you can use a person as collateral."
I will not charge any interest. The term is one year. Once the money is repaid, the mortgage will be void.
If I can't repay it, the collateral will be mine.
If you agree, let's draw up a contract.
If you really encounter difficulties, you will naturally be willing.
Those who intend to default on their debts will naturally not lend money once they realize there is no possibility of defaulting.
After considering it, everyone thought, "What are we waiting for? Let's sign the contract!"
"The neighboring village borrowed two taels of silver from their village magistrate, but only received one and a half taels. They have to pay back two and a half taels a year later!"
"If the Lu family is sincerely helping us, what are they planning if we don't sign? Are they thinking of borrowing from us and not getting it back?"
Fifth Uncle took the lead in signing the contract.
Of course, there are two companies that haven't signed yet.
He's petty and afraid that if he mortgages his land, he won't be able to get it back.
Liu, the village head, looked down on those two families.
"You're unwilling to part with your own land, so you expect others to bear the risk? Why should we lend you money without any collateral? What will you do if you can't pay it back?"
"Isn't there an IOU?"
"If you really want to renege on your debt, it'll take time to sue you in court! If you don't want to lend it, then forget it. Hurry up and raise the money; you have to pay me back by tomorrow!"
The grain tax could be fully converted into cash. The villagers signed the agreement, received the money, and handed it directly to the village head.
The village headman immediately felt relieved.
Now there are only a few households left whose produce hasn't been collected.
Including these two households.
"Hurry up and save the money. If you miss the deadline, you won't need to mortgage your land anymore. The government will just confiscate it."
This is the truth.
The two also complained that Lu Qingqing's demand for collateral meant they couldn't actually pay taxes, and the government would confiscate their houses and land, or directly force them to work in the quarry.
The fact that these two are unwilling to mortgage their property clearly means they can raise enough money to pay taxes.
Lu Qingqing still had something to say to the village head.
After sending everyone away, she asked the village head about the families who were still unable to pay their taxes.
The village head said, "Besides those two households, there are five more..."
Three of the five households rented land to farm, but they didn't even earn any rent this year. They were already heavily in debt and couldn't pay it back, so they just planned to let the government take their houses, since they were all dilapidated huts and worthless anyway.
Then they would be beaten by the government; if they survived, they would live, if not, so be it.
They've given up entirely!
There are also two households where there are hardly any people left at home, just elderly couples. They can't farm the land anymore, as it was originally rented out to others, but this year those people can't afford to rent it out anymore.
I plan to sell the land, pay the taxes, and keep the rest for future living expenses.
But they couldn't sell their land quickly enough to get a good price, while those in neighboring villages who were selling land were being pressured by the wealthy landowner to lower their asking prices.
So the two companies are asking the Lu family if they want to buy it.
If you want to buy, I can offer a discount; I'll sell it for nine taels per mu.
“I’ll buy it. No haggling, just the current market price of ten taels,” Lu Qingqing said.
Liu Lizheng beamed with joy and praised her lavishly once again.
Now there are only five households left.
“Those three households…” Lu Qingqing said, “I paid for them.”
"Huh? Really? This is no small amount; it's equivalent to one and a half taels of silver per household."
“I’ll pay, but there are conditions,” Lu Qingqing said.
“There’s a rebellion in Tanzhou right now, and things aren’t peaceful in the north either. Although it hasn’t reached our area yet, the increased taxes alone have already caused a lot of deaths. Our village has workshops, which inevitably makes people from other villages envious.”
We must be on guard.
Have one person from each of those three households take turns standing guard at the village entrance at night.
The tax can be offset within six months.
"Okay, I'll go tell them right away."
The village head sighed at Lu Qingqing's kind heart and thoughtful consideration.
And Lu Qingqing also reminded her of that.
Even if all the taxes are collected, they cannot be handed over immediately. They must wait until the deadline to avoid being discovered by other villages that might try to take advantage of Liuyun Village.
The following day.
Lu Qingqing put the big gift she was going to give to Ji Ruyan into her basket and went up the mountain.
She had wanted to find some rare medicinal herbs for a long time, but she had been too busy to have the opportunity.
When she reached the edge of the forest, she circled around twice but couldn't find the way into the mountains; a rocky mountain blocked her way.
Until someone hiding in the shadows appeared and led her into the tunnel.
"Miss Lu, the young master is waiting for you inside."
Ji Ruyan arrived even earlier than her.
The tunnel wasn't long, and there were lights inside, so Lu Qingqing quickly came out.
The melodious sound of a flute drifted over.
Like fog, like rain, and like wind...
Ugh, ugh, ugh.
In reality, Lu Qingqing couldn't understand it; she only felt that the flute music was very gentle, as if it were drifting everywhere, caressing the flowers, trees, and all living things.
Then Lu Qingqing witnessed a scene she would never forget in her life.
She thought she had entered the world of the story.
A world that does not belong to humans.
The flocks of birds I've seen before are nothing compared to what I've seen before.
What is it now?
A hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix?
That phoenix is Ji Ruyan.
Thousands upon thousands of birds filled the ground, branches, and sky in front of them.
Pure black, multicolored, snow white, long tail, crested, palm-sized, two meters long including the tail.
She doesn't know them, and she doesn't know many of them.
Lu Qingqing was like a tiny human who had stumbled into another world.
Flax was stunned!
Is Ji Ruyan really not a deity?
The flute's melody was faint and seemed to be changing.
The person sat cross-legged, with an exquisite face that was like a fairy in a dream. Their slender peach blossom eyes looked over, like the surface of a lake in spring, rippling with gentle light.
A colorful little bird flew over, carrying a purple flower in its beak, and placed it in Lu Qingqing's hair.
Then another one, carrying a yellow flower in its mouth, stuck it in her hair.
Then another one, carrying a wild fruit in its mouth, tossed it into her basket...
Lu Qingqing's hair was adorned with flowers, and her basket was filled with all sorts of wild fruits.
This was the ultimate romance he bestowed upon us.
Even Lu Qingqing, who is naturally lacking in romantic sensibilities, couldn't bear to break the spell.
She thought that she would probably only see this scene once in her life.
We shouldn't spoil the mood.
But then, Lu Qingqing's eyes widened suddenly; she saw the wolf again!
"You've brought the wolves here again! Stop! Run!"
But Ji Ruyan's eyes lit up with a smile. She stopped playing the flute, stood up, and walked towards her.
The wolf, however, lay down lazily.
"I can control the sound now, and there won't be any accidents like last time."
"Qingqing, would you like to go up to that peak and take a look?"
He pointed to the mountain peaks not far away.
Although that peak cannot compare to the collapsed 1,000-meter-high mountain, it is estimated to be about 200 meters high.
And it's vertical, making it impossible to climb. How can one get up there?
"You, you really cultivate immortality, and you can fly?"
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