Traveling through ancient times, I led my family to prosperity

"Why do we need to rent this land to others? The third brother's family is rich, so why not just rent it to him?" Cui glared at Sheng Xuan and said, "Anyway, your family is now a big landlord, and we are not short of money. Your eldest brother will take us, the old and the young, to take up our posts, and we need money everywhere. You might as well not pay us rent in grain, but convert it into silver and give it to me, which will be just enough for us to spend on the road. Let's not calculate it year by year, just pay the rent for the next three years in one lump sum. I won't ask for more from you, just give me three hundred taels of silver."

Xiao Lan secretly rolled her eyes. This was a very high price. She didn't know how Cui's account was calculated. Xiao Lan glanced at the faces of the Sheng family from the corner of her eye. She saw that Sheng Xuan and Sheng Nuo's faces were dark, while Sheng Nuo and Sheng Kai's faces were rosy, as if they supported Cui's distribution.

"Third brother, give me these three hundred taels of silver in the next two days so that we can follow your eldest brother and his friends and leave. For such a large piece of land, I only charge you three hundred taels of silver in three years. It's really a bargain for you."

When Cui saw Sheng Xuan was silent, she immediately got angry, "Why don't you speak? Are you mute? I, as your mother, want to ask you to do something. Do you agree?"

Sheng Xuan was also speechless, "Mom, you should ask someone else to take advantage of this. I have too much land to farm."

Xiao Lan sneered in her heart. This Cui family is really a bad person. She wants her family to pay the money, and she even calls it not taking advantage of her family. Whose family can earn 100 taels of silver from the output of 18 plots of land in a year? Cui family is clearly playing rogue, but she said it nicely, saying that her family got a great advantage.

"Grandma, my family is small and only my dad is a strong laborer. Our six mu of land is enough for us to farm. We won't take advantage of this." Xiaoye also quickly stated his position, "Besides, we just separated from the family and didn't get even one tael of silver. My family can't afford to give out three hundred taels of silver."

After being rejected by Sheng Xuan and Sheng Er one after another, Cui was embarrassed. "You are all heartless and evil-hearted. I raised you with all my hard work. Is it easy? Why do you take so much trouble to do such a small thing for me?"

Sheng Xuan and Sheng Hao were scolded by Cui, and their ears were red. Sheng Hao really couldn't take out three hundred taels of silver, and Sheng Xuan had money but couldn't pay. He knew Cui too well, and she was a person who would push for more. If he gave in this time, what awaited him would be even more unreasonable requests. Therefore, both of them stood up straight and endured Cui's scolding.

Cui's scolding became louder and louder, while the people of the old Sheng family just watched coldly, indifferent to Cui's accusations. They had no shame in order to get the silver.

Cui's scolding was loud, and the family had been noisy for the past few days. Soon, a circle of people gathered at the door of Old Sheng's house. Farmers usually had little entertainment, so when they heard loud noises from someone's house, they would go over and eavesdrop.

"Grandpa and grandma, you are taking my second uncle to live with my eldest uncle in Hejian County. Although our family has separated and lived separately, you can't just ask me for 300 taels of silver. How can we earn 100 taels of silver from 18 mu of land in a year? You should rent the land to others. My family really can't afford it, so we won't take advantage of it."

The people who were gathered in front of the old Sheng family's house were already talking about the separation of Sheng Hao's family. After all, Sheng Nuo was going to be an official, and it was inevitable that people would think too much about the separation of Sheng Hao's family at this stage. But now they heard that the old Sheng family was going to rent 18 acres of land to the third family for three years, and the rent was 300 taels of silver, which really shocked everyone.

It was not easy for farmers to earn money from digging for food in the fields. Even in good years, many people never got even 30 taels, let alone 300 taels. Not to mention those who had just returned from the prefecture, every household that could get a copper coin was living a pretty good life.

"The eldest brother was about to enjoy his life, but before he left, he kicked the fourth brother out first and then plundered the third brother's house. He wanted to plunder the second and fourth brothers completely. This is unacceptable."

"That's right. The third and fourth sons' families have done a lot to support his education. How can they be so calculating? If you don't want to repay them, why are you still scratching it?"

"He is a scholar, his brain works faster than us who dig for food in the fields. We are about to go to Hejian County, and I guess we can't go back to Shengjia Village. If we don't plunder now, when will we wait?"

The Sheng family's series of operations, even if the family members were tight-lipped, the villagers knew more or less. In particular, how the Sheng Xuan family was separated had long been known to everyone after being publicized by Zhao Ermaizi.

Sheng Nuo was a scholar before, and now he is an official. People give him face and don't mention it in front of him. But the villagers are like mirrors in their hearts. They just don't say it, but they know it in their hearts.

Xiao Lan looked around the house and said, "My dear uncles, aunts, grandpas, and aunties, who among you would like to rent my grandma's 18 acres of land? It has been cultivated for three consecutive years, and the total is 300 taels. My grandma said that this price is cheap. I am young and can't count. If any of you want to rent the land, you can come to my grandpa's house to discuss the matter. My family has a lot of land, so I won't take advantage of it."

"Oh my, the soil in the Sheng family's land must be worth silver, why is it so expensive? They are really asking for a lot."

"That's right. We can't let the third family suffer in silence just because they are honest. Besides, they have already divided the land and moved on to other places. And they are still taking advantage of it, saying that we rented it out at a low price to them."

"Old man, my family has more than 20 acres of land. Would you like to rent it? I will only charge half of the rent, 50 taels of silver a year will be enough."

"Old man, my family only charges twenty taels a year..."

The old man's face was red, but he still managed to force a smile, "Children are ignorant and talking nonsense, don't take it seriously, just go and do your work."

"Grandpa, is what Xiao Lan said true? It sounds so real to me."

"Yes, I heard it too. Just now your wife said she wanted three hundred taels of silver to rent your land..."

"Master, you are right here, you didn't hear it, did you?"

For a while, doubts from the neighbors rose one after another. Not only did the people not leave, but more and more people gathered.

"Grandpa, your whole family is going to Hejian County to enjoy life. The two children left at home are your own sons. Although you are biased towards your own children, you can't be too stingy with their money. After all, this year is not easy for everyone."

When asked, Mr. Sheng's face turned pale. He regretted very much that when Cui asked the third son to pay 300 taels of silver, he did not speak out to stop him. As the saying goes, family disgrace should not be made public. Today, he was completely embarrassed. Not only was the family disgrace made public, but it was also heard by the villagers. He was anxious and angry, and almost fainted.

He turned around and looked at the people in the house. He saw that Sheng Kai and Sheng Nuo had taken their family to hide when the villagers questioned them, and now there was no trace of them. Now only Cui, Chunhua, Sheng Xuan's family and Sheng Hao's family were left in the house.

Mr. Sheng thought that he had to save face now, otherwise, even if they didn't leave Shengjia Village, everyone would poke his spine these days. "My ignorant old wife is now a confused person. She only knows how to talk nonsense on weekdays. She can't read a single word. She just sits on the kang on weekdays and walks around the house at most. How can she know how much one tael of silver is? Don't listen to her nonsense," Mr. Sheng sighed, expressing his helplessness towards his old wife.

Xiao Lan turned Mr. Sheng's words over in her mind and thought that the old man is still the wisest. After this call, Mr. Sheng pushed all the faults onto the ignorant woman, which in a disguised way saved the reputation of the Sheng family.

"I am about to follow my eldest son to take up a new post, and I am worried that I will have nothing to spend, so I came up with the idea of ​​renting the land to the third son's family. But how can I know how much a copper coin or a tael of silver is? Isn't this just making a fool of myself?"

Sheng Xuan, Zhang, Xiao Lan and Xiao Ting just listened quietly, without much expression on their faces. They really couldn't respond to what the old man said.