New ink fragrance in old times

Lin Siyuan interjected, "You're finally here. I've been guarding here all by myself, feeling incredibly anxious, fearing someone might steal our food."

Hearing this, Lin Sixuan shook his head and said confidently, "In broad daylight, in the open, who would be so bold? Don't overthink it."

After hearing this, Lin Mo joked in his heart: If I hadn't seen with my own eyes the scissors you hid, I would have really believed what you said.

Lin Wenhong interrupted them and said, "Thank you for your hard work, hold on a little longer and deliver these 20 dan of rice first!"

Upon hearing this, everyone drove a few simple ox carts and borrowed mules and slowly moved towards the house in front.

Lin Mo looked at the gate of the courtyard in front of him and muttered to himself: Why is this gate different from the ancient courtyard gate I imagined? There are no carved beams and painted rafters, no prominent plaques, and even the lintel seems a bit low, which is obviously incompatible with this house.

Lin Wenhong stepped forward and knocked gently on the door.

Soon, half of the door slowly opened, and a young man about twenty years old stuck his head out, looking at the people outside the door curiously.

Lin Wenhong had a brief conversation with him and explained his purpose. The servant nodded and quickly closed the door, probably to report.

A moment later, the door opened again, and this time a man in his forties came out. He was neatly dressed and had a kind face. He was the steward of the host's house, Steward Zhu.

As soon as he saw Lin Wenhong, he greeted him warmly.

"Uncle Lin, you are here!"

"Oh, Manager Zhu, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Lin Wenhong responded quickly with a simple smile on his face.

He pointed to the oxcart behind him and said, "Look! The harvest is good this year, so I came here to pay the rent. Here are 20 dan of rice."

Seeing this, Manager Zhu quickly waved his hand, "Uncle Lin, you're too polite. The master has been away for a while, and he specifically told us to wait until after the autumn harvest to collect the rent from each household. Why did you come here in person?"

Lin Wenhong gave a wry smile and explained, "I happened to be in the county paying taxes today, and I thought my oxcart at home could hold some more, so I brought some rice along. I just haven't had time to load any corn and beans yet, so the oxcart isn't big enough, so I even borrowed two mules."

At this point, he paused and continued, "I'll send it to you in two days."

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhu quickly shook his head. "Uncle Lin, what are you talking about? This is what we should do. How can we trouble you further? If the master knew you were doing this, he would definitely blame us for not knowing the rules. How about this? I'll send someone over tomorrow to help you get the remaining food. How about that?"

After hearing this, Lin Wenhong pondered for a moment and said, "Manager Zhu, my brother's family also has to pay taxes tomorrow, and I have to go help. I really can't spare any help at home."

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhu frowned slightly, as if he was thinking about something.

After a moment, he nodded and said, "This..., tomorrow is not possible. The day after tomorrow is Frost's Descent. How about we go the day after tomorrow? We will definitely arrive at your house on time to get the food."

Lin Wenhong thought for a while and said, "Okay, I'll trouble Manager Zhu then."

Manager Zhu smiled and waved his hands: "No, no."

Lin Wenhong smiled gratefully, then changed the subject, "Manager Zhu, I'd like you to take a look at these twenty dan of rice."

Manager Zhu said to Lin Wenhong with full confidence, "Uncle Lin, I have always trusted you in your work. Over the years, everyone in the village knows you. These twenty dan of rice, whatever you say is the amount, it's what you'll get. I trust you."

As he spoke, he waved his hand, signaling the servants behind him to carry the rice directly into the yard.

Lin Wenhong heard this, but insisted on his own opinion, with a warm smile on his face:

"Manager Zhu, I'm naturally grateful for your trust. But when we do things, we adhere to the rules and also have responsibilities. Checking and weighing is not only a respect for the master, but also a responsibility to ourselves. If something goes wrong and we can't explain it later, wouldn't it cause a lot of unnecessary trouble?"

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter and said:

"Uncle Lin is right. I was negligent. We really need to be clear and open in what we do. Okay, then, let's do as you say."

After saying this, Manager Zhu turned around and instructed the servants behind him:

"Did you all hear that? Uncle Lin's rice must be carefully inspected and weighed. No carelessness is allowed."

The servants responded and began to carry out the order in an orderly manner.

Manager Zhu stepped forward, grabbed a handful of rice, and examined it carefully, nodding with satisfaction.

"Uncle Lin, your rice is indeed as good as its reputation says. The grains are plump and golden in color. It seems that the soil is indeed fertile this year. It seems that the soil is indeed fertile this year, and the harvest is particularly gratifying."

Lin Wenhong smiled modestly and said, "No, no, it's all thanks to the master's blessing. The soil is fertile, so the harvest is naturally very good."

The two exchanged greetings and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

After all the food was moved into the courtyard, Lin Wenhong said goodbye to Steward Zhu. "Steward Zhu, you've worked hard. I'd like to trouble you to give my regards to the master family."

Manager Zhu quickly agreed, "Don't worry, Uncle Lin, I will definitely pass on your message. You should go back and get some rest."

Having solved a major problem, the Lin family left with a satisfied mood.

The sun poured down, illuminating the fatigue and satisfaction on everyone's faces.

After finding a place with dense shade, the Lin family decided to take a rest.

Lin Wenhong, Lin Wenru, Lin Xueqin and Lin Xuejin tied up the cows and mules, while Lin Xuebao, Lin Xuerui and Lin Xuezhi took out the prepared fodder from the bags they carried and carefully fed the hard-working animals.

Lin Mo sat on the ox cart, looking at his busy family around him, his heart filled with warmth.

However, physical fatigue and hunger quietly came over him, making him feel a little annoyed.

He set out in a hurry before daybreak, and hurried along the way. Now it was noon, but he still had no chance to eat a hot meal.

At this moment, Lin Mo's stomach made a "gurgling" sound, which attracted kind glances from people around him.

Lin Mo's cheeks flushed instantly. He lowered his head in embarrassment, secretly blaming himself for not living up to his expectations.

Seeing this, Lin Siyuan, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but laugh out loud. He gently patted Lin Mo's shoulder and teased him, "Sanlang, are you playing the empty city trick? Don't worry, we're here, you won't starve."

Hearing the noise, Old Lady Lin also hurriedly rummaged through her backpack, blaming herself as she searched: "Oh, it's all my fault. I was so busy on my way that I forgot to give you something to eat. You kids, really are such idiots! Why didn't you tell me you were hungry?"

Chapter 78 Their surname is Du