Chapter 873: Cutting the flesh of the father-in-law, the heirloom artifact
Jiang Qingzhi is at home now.
Fucheng went to the Ministry of Revenue today, and the people in the village were a little panicked. The village head Han Shan found an excuse to come to the Bo's house to ask for instructions.
"If I pay the tax, how do I pay the subsequent land rent?" Han Shan squatted at the kitchen door, holding a large bowl of mutton noodles. The hand-rolled noodles had a strong wheat aroma, the mutton slices were fragrant, the mutton soup was white, and a handful of chopped green onions were sprinkled on top, which made people's appetites whet.
But at this moment, Han Shan had no appetite. He waited with a worried look on his face for Fu Cheng to ask Jiang Qingzhi for instructions.
The cook was fine, squatting on the other side, and said, "Don't worry."
Han Shan sighed, "I go for a walk around the area when I have nothing to do. After paying taxes every year, the farmers who work on their own have only enough food left to fill their stomachs. If they encounter natural disasters or insect pests, the harvest will be less, and they may run out of food."
He drank a mouthful of the cold mutton soup, but found it a little bitter. "People can't starve to death, right? Those farmers can only borrow money. Borrowing is easy, but it's hard to pay it back. That's usury! Once you borrow, the interest will compound and kill you. In the end, your land and houses will all belong to those powerful gentry, and you can either beg with your wife and children, or... you can only kneel down and beg them for a way out."
The cook’s family had been cooking for generations, so he didn’t know much about these things, so he asked curiously, “What’s the job?”
"Take him as a slave."
"servant?"
"Do you think it's wrong?"
"My descendants will all be slaves, tsk..."
The cook shook his head.
"I'm just afraid they won't accept me." Han Shan said, "I have no choice but to starve to death or to be a slave."
"It's all difficult." The cook moved a little. "Take being a cook for example. When the year is good, many people eat out, and many restaurants and taverns need cooks, so it's easy for us to find work. But when the year is bad, we can only sit and eat our savings."
Han Shan said enviously: "At least you have a skill. Now you can be guaranteed a stable income in the Bo's Mansion. By the way, your son..."
"I have to thank you, uncle." The cook's gratitude was genuine. "Uncle taught me a lot of cooking skills and said there are no taboos. I can teach it to anyone I want. But we can't be ungrateful."
"That's right. The food in the Bo Mansion is famous. I've heard of it in the village." Han Shan took a look at the noodles, but still had no appetite.
"On the first day I taught my two sons cooking, I made them kneel down in front of the ancestral tablets and swear that this cooking skill would be passed down to sons only, not daughters, and certainly not to outsiders."
The cook said proudly, "Even if I starve to death, I cannot tell anyone. Otherwise, I will be sorry for the kindness of my uncle."
"That's right." Han Shan was envious, and then sighed, "I don't know what Uncle is thinking. I'm now worried that Uncle will give me a subsidy."
"Isn't it good to receive subsidies?" The cook was puzzled. "My uncle is kind, and so is my wife. If things go wrong, he may not collect the money and food from you, and he will give some money to the farm every year as a subsidy."
"But this is not a long-term solution." Han Shan smiled bitterly. "It's okay if it's like this for a year or two, but after a long time, this is no longer our own farm, it's clearly a poorhouse."
"Help in times of emergency, not in poverty." The cook nodded, "It's a hassle."
"The housekeeper is here." Han Shan saw Fucheng and quickly stood up with the noodles in his hand, bowing his waist and smiling apologetically, "Housekeeper."
Fu Cheng coughed dryly, "Master said that from now on, we must pay taxes according to the law."
Han Shan's face turned pale, "Butler, this..."
"My Lord knows what you are worried about." Fu Cheng was very satisfied with Han Shan's reaction. "From now on, you don't need to pay money to the Lord's Mansion. As for taxes... follow the law!"
Han Shan was stunned.
The cook stood up and patted his butt. "Don't you understand? The farm belongs to the Lord, so you have to pay taxes. Why are those self-employed farmers so miserable? Aren't they being exploited? With the Lord's House here, who dares to exploit you? Pay taxes according to the law and have enough food to eat."
Han Shan suddenly realized and said with tears of gratitude: "Master, you are so kind. But...Butler, can we..."
"Are you worried that the Bo family will just give up?"
"Yes." Han Shan said with a smile: "After all, the manor belongs to the uncle. If the uncle's mansion gets nothing all year round, then what's the use of this manor?"
Fu Cheng's eyes were somewhat depressed, and he said, "I have also asked the uncle about this matter, and the uncle said that people are born free."
What does this mean?
Han Shan didn’t understand, the chef didn’t understand, even Fu Cheng didn’t understand.
"Don't worry!" Fu Cheng didn't understand, but he knew he needed to comfort Han Shan. "I just saw the young master. He is fair and clean. You can tell at a glance that he is blessed. From now on, you should work hard and follow the master's family to be rich and prosperous for generations..."
"Yes." After learning that he would not be abandoned by the Bo family, Han Shan was overjoyed and squatted down to start eating.
"Hey! It's cold. Let me heat it up for you." The cook said enthusiastically.
"It's okay, my heart is warm!" Han Shan ate with big mouthfuls. The solidified mutton fat seemed to be steaming, warming his whole body.
In the backyard, Jiang Qingzhi held his son in his arms. Li Tian said, "My husband said that people are free, but without the land, I am always worried. Even if I don't collect the money and grain from the farm, at least I have a way out."
"This retreat will harm our children and grandchildren!" said Jiang Qingzhi.
"My husband is talking nonsense again." Li Tian was checking Dapeng's clothes. From the age of one to three, dozens of clothes were packed in several boxes.
Li Tian looked up and said, "Let's talk about my family. When my father got his salary, the first thing he did was to save money to buy land. Over the years, he has saved hundreds of acres of land.
My eldest brother is mediocre in talent. My father said that he can only be a doctor at best. As for the future... he doesn't look promising. The hundreds of acres of land can ensure that the children and grandchildren have no worries about food and clothing, and concentrate on studying. If there are smart children in the future, they can use this land to farm and study..."
The so-called farming and studying in this era is not what later generations understand as working from sunrise to sunset, and really farming. If you are busy from morning to night, how can you find time to study?
Does the teacher have to wait for you to come back from the fields before he starts teaching?
The so-called farming and reading is actually a term used by the landlord class.
The family has fields, farmers, and servants... They rely on the fields for a living, which is what is called farming and reading.
It is just like in later generations, when a family with assets of tens of millions says that they run a small business.
Li Huan was a traditional man. He had been planning for his children and grandchildren since he entered the government. The family was not frugal, but they were thrifty. They saved money to buy land. Jiang Qingzhi covered his forehead and said, "I forgot about my father-in-law. What did he say?"
The flesh was cut at my father-in-law's place. This... is really speechless.
"I didn't ask." Li Tian lowered her head and continued to check her clothes.
"did not ask?"
"Ok!"
Good wife!
Jiang Qingzhi knew that his wife didn't want to add pressure to him.
"Don't worry." Jiang Qingzhi sat over and nudged Li Tian with his shoulder. "The land will become less and less valuable from now on."
"My husband, you don't need to comfort me. I know the principle of marrying a chicken, following the chicken; marrying a dog, following the dog. Since my husband has chosen this path... isn't there a saying that if a prince breaks the law, he is punished the same as a commoner? I didn't ask, and my father didn't say, but we know each other's feelings."
Li Tian leaned on Jiang Qingzhi's shoulder and said, "I believe in my husband."
- Don't be as strong-willed as your sister. A strong-willed woman will not get any consideration from men.
These are Chang's words. Li Tian's eldest sister has been very strong-willed since she was a child, and this was still the case after she got married. Because of this, she had some minor conflicts with her husband's family. After Jiang Qingzhi flew from the sky, it was heard that her husband's family had lowered their attitude a lot.
Li Xuan went back to her parents' home and told them about this, and she was in high spirits. But Chang secretly sighed.
It won’t last long if a woman suppresses her husband!
Chang worriedly told Li Tian in private that something would happen sooner or later.
Sure enough, when Li Xuan returned to her parents' home not long after, she still looked high-spirited, but Chang could see that she was worried. She privately asked the maid who came with her as a dowry, and the maid said that now the son-in-law rarely stayed at Li Xuan's house, but went to the concubine's house.
After Li Tian found out, he was helpless.
That's someone else's family, even if it's her sister. A daughter who's married off is like spilled water, and this is about relationships.
From the moment you marry into your husband's family, you belong to that family and even your surname changes.
My mother's family is my mother's family, but they have become outsiders. If there is something going on at home, there is absolutely no reason for my mother's family to interfere.
Of course, this is a relationship between people of equal social status.
If the girl's family is powerful, the relationship is still uncertain.
However, Li Xuan was very strong-willed. Even when she was wronged or in a difficult situation, she refused to ask for help from her parents' family, let alone ask Li Tian for help.
Thinking of this, Li Tian sighed in his heart.
"The land can be passed down to children and grandchildren, and it seems that it can produce a stable harvest regardless of drought or flood. However, the investment in the land is not small, and once a natural disaster occurs, the loss will not be small. The land is not the real source of income."
The man of the family spoke softly, his tone gentle.
——No matter how powerful a man is, he still needs the recognition of his own woman.
If you recognize him, he will regard you and your home as his harbor.
This is Li Tian’s understanding of his mother’s words, and he put it into practice.
Li Tian wrinkled his nose, a little proud, "What is that?"
"Workshop, business!"
"That's not right!"
"The truly valuable things in our family are right under your nose, but you know nothing about it." Jiang Qingzhi laughed, and when he looked down and saw Dapeng staring at him, he asked, "Dapeng, your mother is stupid, isn't she?"
"Hehehe!" Dapeng laughed without teeth.
Li Tian asked: "What is it?"
“My little yard.”
"You mean the forbidden area?" Li Tian was stunned.
In the Bo Mansion, there is only one place that is recognized by everyone as a forbidden area. Whenever Jiang Qingzhi enters that small courtyard, a roar will be heard.
The maids passing by would occasionally smell a pungent smell. One of the maids particularly liked the smell and squatted outside to inhale it. When she was discovered, Li Tian was furious and thought she was fooling him. Jiang Qingzhi said it was normal after he found out.
In his previous life, Jiang Qingzhi liked to smell car exhaust when he was a child.
"What's there?" Li Tian asked.
"There is a divine weapon."
"What artifact?"
"A divine weapon that will astonish the world."
Those small machine tools with a high degree of automation are no different from magical tools in this era.
Jiang Qingzhi could not make those things public, but he was reluctant to throw them away, so he could only pass them on to his children and grandchildren.
"With those things, Dapeng and his children and grandchildren will be invincible!"
(End of this chapter)
