New ink fragrance in old times

Hearing this, Lin Wenhong looked up at the shopkeeper, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes:

"Then it's settled, boss. However, when you come to collect the grain tomorrow, please bring more people with you. I have a lot of grain at home, and it will probably take some effort to carry it."

The shopkeeper quickly nodded and agreed: "Don't worry, Uncle Lin, that's natural. We will definitely make sufficient preparations to ensure that the grain collection process goes smoothly."

At this time, Lin Wenru called out "Brother" softly, as if he had something to say, but Lin Wenhong just patted him on the shoulder gently, signaling him to be patient.

Seeing this, the shopkeeper added, "Uncle Lin, there's one more thing I need to remind you of. I hope you won't spread this news. This grain is precious. If the news gets out, it could cause trouble."

Upon hearing this, Lin Wenhong nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, boss. Although I am a farmer, I also understand the principle of not showing off my wealth. I will keep this matter a secret."

After saying that, Lin Wenhong said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, I'll be leaving first. I have many things to deal with at home."

The shopkeeper quickly and politely said, "Uncle Lin, I'll give you a ride."

Lin Wenhong wanted to refuse, but seeing the shopkeeper's firm attitude, he no longer insisted.

So the shopkeeper personally escorted Lin Wenhong, Lin Wenru and their companion Lin Mo out of the house.

As soon as I walked out of the door, I saw customers buying rice in the store.

A woman, holding a cute baby in her arms, was anxiously asking the shop assistant about the shopkeeper's whereabouts. Seeing this, Lin Wenhong quickly said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, you still have customers in your shop, so there's no need to send him off."

The shopkeeper smiled slightly and said, "No problem, Uncle Lin, take care. We'll talk again another day."

After saying this, he turned and walked towards the guests.

Lin Wenhong and the other two walked slowly along the street.

Lin Mo suddenly said to Lin Wenhong: "Grandpa, I understand."

Lin Wenhong smiled and asked Lin Mo: "Oh? Sanlang, what do you understand?"

Lin Mo replied, "I understand why you told Butler Zhu that you would come to pay taxes tomorrow."

Lin Wenru, who was standing by, asked Lin Mo with a smile, "Douzi, then tell me, why did your grandfather do this?"

Lin Mo nodded, looked up at Lin Wenhong, and whispered, "Grandpa, I guess you are doing this because you plan to sell grain tomorrow."

After listening to Lin Mo's words, Lin Wenru nodded and said, "Our Douzi is really smart."

Lin Wenhong smiled slightly and looked at Lin Mo approvingly. He stopped, turned to face Lin Mo and Lin Wenru, and said earnestly:

"Sanlang, it's great that you can think of this. Do you know the purpose of Grandpa doing this?"

Lin Mo shook his head and said, "I don't know. I feel like whether it's paying rent or selling grain, it doesn't matter which comes first, there's no difference."

Lin Wenhong paced slowly, as if recalling something, and then continued:

"Firstly, as you expected, we are here today to pay taxes and transport so much grain. Others will only think that we have a large family and many livestock, so we pay a lot of taxes. This way, no one will be jealous of our large land and our harvest."

Lin Wenhong said earnestly, "In the village, sometimes being too conspicuous isn't a good thing; it can easily cause unnecessary trouble."

Lin Wenru was listening at the side and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

He looked at Lin Mo and encouraged him, "Douzi, your grandfather is right. When dealing with people and things, we must keep a low profile. Only in this way can we live in harmony with the people in the village."

Lin Mo nodded seriously, as if he had taken these words to heart.

He continued to ask, "What about the second reason? Grandpa, you haven't told me the second reason yet."

Lin Wenhong smiled slightly and continued, "Secondly, keeping so much food at home is indeed a hidden danger. Food is a treasure, and everyone loves it, but the world is full of dangers and evil spirits. If the news accidentally leaks out and attracts thieves, it will be troublesome. Therefore, getting rid of it early can not only make room for the remaining food at home, but also avoid unnecessary trouble."

At this point, Lin Wenhong's tone became a little heavy. He looked up into the distance, as if thinking about something.

After a moment, he continued, "Well, the day after tomorrow the Du family will come to collect rent, and we'll have to pay dozens of dan of grain. If we pay it all today quietly without letting the villagers know, the gossips will start gossiping, saying we're on good terms with the Du family and don't have to pay rent. Over time, people will just follow suit, and that's bad for our reputation."

Lin Wenru took over the conversation: "So, we didn't deliver all of them here today, and we also wanted to let the villagers see that our family also follows the rules."

Lin Mo listened attentively. He didn't expect that behind this simple payment of taxes, there were so many considerations and strategies hidden.

He couldn't help but ask again: "Grandpa, are there any other reasons?"

Lin Wenhong smiled slightly, his eyes gleaming with wisdom. "Of course there is more. We came to the Du family to hand over the rice first because it is valuable, and this is also to prevent any mistakes along the way that would make it difficult to report."

Lin Mo nodded and continued to listen to Lin Wenhong:

"We will go and pay part of the tax ourselves today, both to remind the Du family to come and collect the grain and to leave a good impression on them. After all, as landlords, the Du family still has a certain influence on the tenants."

Lin Wenhong paused and continued, "So, when the Du family comes the day after tomorrow and see that we have less than half of our harvest left after paying taxes and rent, they'll be reassured and think we haven't hidden any grain. This can be considered a way for our family to protect itself."

Lin Mo asked in confusion: "But we didn't hide anything from them. They would have calculated how much rent to collect in advance."

Lin Wenru sighed softly, a complex expression flashed in his eyes, and he slowly explained:

"Bean, things in this world are often not as simple as they seem. People's hearts are hidden, and they always have all kinds of doubts, worrying that we may be secretly withholding part of the harvest."

Lin Wenhong agreed, "Your second grandfather is right. They do estimate the rent in advance, but that's based on previous years' harvests and their understanding of us. Furthermore, every year's harvest varies. Even if we report it truthfully and don't hide any crops, they might still suspect we're not doing our best to farm or are secretly diverting the grain."

Lin Wenhong continued, "Therefore, we deliberately left only about half of the grain surplus after paying taxes. On the surface, it looks like a poor harvest, but in reality, it is a small strategy we use to protect ourselves. This way, when the Du family sees our plight with their own eyes, their doubts will be greatly alleviated."

Hearing this, Lin Mo nodded thoughtfully. He had never thought that behind these simple things, there were such deep calculations and strategies hidden.

Chapter 81 It’s all because of poverty