Two days later, An Rongzhou left as scheduled. Steward Gu and Steward Wu took five or six people from the grange to see the good fields of the government's mansion. Zhou Boyan sent someone to greet Lord Yu, so Master Zhang personally led people and pointed out the good fields belonging to the government to the ancient housekeeper and others one by one.

After three or four days of discussion, Qingshu made up her mind to rent two large tracts of fertile land that were relatively closest to her wasteland. Combined, these two fertile fields are about 49 hectares, less than 50 hectares.

Before handling the relevant documents, Master Zhang asked the ancient mansion how to pay taxes. According to the laws of the dynasty, there were three ways to rent the land of the government and pay taxes.

First, 50 percent of the grain and other crops produced in the field should be handed over. Regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad, the ratio remains the same. Because the government can only collect this tax in the autumn, it has to pay some guarantee silver at the beginning of renting the land. In addition to this, the tenant had to bear some other miscellaneous taxes and forced labor. Those who grow government land will basically choose this method to pay taxes.

Second, at the beginning of the leased land, the government used the grain output of the previous year as the standard, estimated the grain output of the year of the lease, and then calculated 40% of the harvest, and calculated the corresponding amount of taxes to be paid based on the current grain price. At the beginning of the lease, the tenant paid the tax in the form of silver taels. If the tenant chooses this option, other miscellaneous taxes or forced labor may be exempted. In this way, it seems that it is cost-effective to choose this option, but the tenant generally does not choose it. Because until the autumn harvest, you can't predict the year, and you can't be sure whether it's a good year or a bad year. It's a good year, but if it's a disaster year, even if you don't get anything you don't collect, you won't get back a single piece of the tax you paid.

Third, sixty and a half percent of the crops produced in the fields are handed over in autumn, regardless of whether the harvest is good or bad. In this way, the tenant was exempted from all other miscellaneous taxes and forced labor. Again, most people don't choose this one. In the era of low grain yield, people have the strength of a handful, but what they lack is food for survival. Miscellaneous taxes and forced labor can be done with a handful of effort, but the half of the grain can never be exchanged even if you are willing to put in a handful of effort.

Steward Gu and Steward Wu naturally had to choose the first way to pay taxes. But Qingshu vetoed it and chose the second way. Because she thought about it, she would plant at least forty-five hectares of buds in these fertile fields. Last year, the yield per mu of her bud valley was half a stone higher than that of others, and this year, it is not impossible to be one stone higher than others. If she pays taxes in the autumn, she will definitely pay more than others. chose the second option, paid the tax early according to the standard of other people's low yield, and in the autumn, no matter how much grain she laid, it was all her own. Comparatively, how much food she had to save on paying taxes!

Moreover, because she rented the good land of the government first, even if Zhou Boyan helped her get back the land deed when the winter wheat was harvested, she could not escape the tax paid this year, and she had to pay it. Therefore, she boldly chose the second option and did not take the underharvest into account.

Steward Gu and Steward Wu had the intention to dissuade Qing Shu. But Zhou Boyan put down his words, and listened to Qing Shu about this matter. Zhou Boyan said that if there is a failure in the autumn or something that is stricter than the failure to harvest, he will bear all the losses. He said this, which is to show that he wants to support Qingshu to the end. Steward Gu and Steward Wu didn't say much, and replied to Master Zhang, and the ancient mansion paid taxes in the second way.

When the taxes are paid, the deed is ready. The ancient housekeeper took the deed of renting the land to Qingshu, and then ran to the firewood room, robbed the family's work, and chopped firewood alone.

Zhou Boyan walked over with one hand behind his back, and saw that the ancient housekeeper only cared about chopping wood with his head bored, and didn't pay attention to people at all, and he was not angry, "What's wrong?" ”

When the ancient housekeeper heard this, he stopped chopping firewood, and put the axe that chopped firewood against the wall, "Who can say for sure what if the year is not good and the grain is not harvested?" ”

He said with a calm face, "If there is a loss, I will bear it." "He still has that attitude.

Steward Gu had his own thoughts, "It's not a question of who bears the loss. If the year is not good, Miss will blame herself for her actions today, Miss will be very discouraged, Miss will be unhappy, this is the point. Childe didn't help persuade him, but he stood up and said that, Childe is not helping Miss, he is harming Miss. ”

When Zhou Boyan heard this, he didn't interrupt the ancient housekeeper, but put on an expression that he was willing to hear about it.

"The young lady is extremely intelligent, but now she is only young, and she lacks experience, and it is understandable that she is occasionally impulsive. When the young lady is impulsive, we should dissuade her. As long as it can be delayed for a few days, with the intelligence of the young lady, she will figure it out, and choose the safest way after communicating. Childe is good, instead of dissuading, he stood up and supported. Yes, if you do, the young lady will prefer Childe, but so what? When the young lady calms down, she will definitely figure it out. At that time, how will Childe make Miss happy? Steward Gu did not hide his grievances against Zhou Boyan, and poured out the dissatisfaction in his heart.

Zhou Boyan smiled lightly when he heard this, "What the housekeeper said is not unreasonable. However, the housekeeper did not believe her, but I believed her. Did the housekeeper notice? The sparkle in her eyes when I said I believed her. ”

Steward Gu was stunned.

Zhou Boyan looked at the sky in the distance, "Today's ancient mansion is no longer the overstretched ancient mansion of two or three years ago, nor is it the ancient mansion that cannot afford to lose." What she wants to try, you can just support her. Besides, she is a person who has a plan in her heart, and she will think about Qingyang first in everything she does, and every qiē is for Qingyang. She worked so hard, in order not to let the brilliance in her eyes disappear, what did it matter if she was asked to do what she wanted to do once in a while! ”

The ancient butler didn't speak, was silent for a moment, took the axe next to him, and chopped up the wood again. However, at this moment, unlike the depressing feeling of chopping wood just now, every time he chopped down with an axe, he was steady, accurate, and his movements exuded a light energy.

Zhou Boyan stood for a moment, turned around and walked away, but left a sentence, "When she is discouraged, I will comfort her, let her regain her strength, and let her start all over again." ”

When he was far away, Guard Luo appeared, standing where he had just stood, "Will he be the destination of Miss?" ”

The ancient butler chopped wood, "Who knows?" ”

Guard Luo suddenly sighed, and said as if it were true or false, "I thought that in a few years, I would take the young lady away and fly away." In that tone, there was infinite regret.

Steward Gu glanced up at him, "Why don't you want to think about it now?" ”

"yes, why don't you want to do it now? That's a good question, I'll have to go back and think about it. Guard Luo touched his chin as if it were real and prepared to leave.

Butler Gu shook his head and said from behind him, "Don't try to provoke him, his temperament is different from his father's. ”

Guard Lowe paused and looked back, "I know. His father is a gentle person, and he always leaves three points of leeway for people to do things, but he suffers himself. Well, on the contrary, he has a cold temperament, although he doesn't go his own way, but he is certainly not a good person. ”

"It's good to know. Anger him, and he will surely lift your old bottom in front of the young lady. Steward Gu admonished.

"Luo is innocent, what are you afraid of him doing?"

"Well, it's innocent enough. In broad daylight, he carried a big knife and robbed the bride's sedan chair, but left the bride on the side of the road and ran away. ”

The smile lines on the corners of Luo Guard's mouth froze, and he entered the firewood room in a few arrow steps, grabbed the butler's axe for chopping wood, and said with a straight face, "Butler, this old person has a bad memory, and his body will deteriorate." Come, come, sit next to you and rest, give me this bit of firewood. He raised the axe, but when he felt that it was not right, he threw it aside and drew the sword from his back.

When the ancient housekeeper saw it, he shook his head and drove people away, "Okay, okay, don't mention it in the future." Go, go, what to do, take a famous sword and chop wood, you can't think of it! ”

Guard Luo immediately put away his sword and patted Steward Gu on the shoulder with a smile on his face, "Steward is wise. ”

"Stinky boy, get out of here, who is not big or small?" Steward Gu waved away Guard Luo's hand on his shoulder, glaring.

Guard Luo was about to say something, but he heard a slight noise on the roof of the firewood house. His eyes narrowed, "The surname is Du, what are you doing on the roof in broad daylight?" ”

Seeing that he was discovered, Du Huwei gently flipped off from the roof of the firewood house, landed on his feet, and sent four words with a wooden face, "Collect intelligence." ”

Guard Luo smiled, "What have you gathered?" ”

Du Huwei said expressionlessly, "Someone carried a big knife and robbed the bride's sedan chair in broad daylight, but left the bride on the side of the road and ran away. ”

Guard Luo twitched the corners of his mouth, "You can get out." ”

Du Huwei said, "Although I am passing by, I must find out the identity of the unlucky bride." ”

Guard Luo glanced at the ancient butler who looked like he didn't care about himself with a look of resentment, walked out, and grabbed Guard Du's shoulder, "Take a step to speak." That was the only humiliating thing he committed when he was young, and he couldn't publicize it and affect his tall image in front of people.

Watching the two walk away, Steward Gu put down the axe and walked away with his hands behind his back. He couldn't help but smile when he remembered some old things, especially when he recalled the jokes made by the young and frivolous Ruluo Guards and others.

At ten o'clock in the evening, not long after dinner, Xiaojuan came back from outside with an excited face, "Miss, Miss, the slave has something to tell Miss Sù." ”

Qingshu had nothing to do, he was sitting with Qingyang and Hao, listening to Qingyang and Hao reciting poems there. When she saw Xiaojuan's expression that I wanted to gossip, she knew that it was not an important matter, so she was ready to ignore it.

Xiao Juan was very excited, and she didn't need Qing Shu to ask, so she opened up, "Yan Gongzi and Luo Guard have fought." ”

"What?" Qingshu and Qingyang spoke at the same time. Qing Shu's face clearly wrote how it was possible. Qingyang was surprised, and there was a little excitement in the surprise.

Xiao Juan's eyebrows fluttered and said, "Miss, don't believe it, it's true. When I first heard it, the slave didn't believe it, so the slave went to the practice ground to take a look, and it was true, it was true. Miss, Miss, the boy with the sword is very handsome, and the Luo guard is not bad. Oh, if you are on the street, I don't know how many famous ladies will be fascinated! ”

Qingyang didn't say a word, got out of the chair and ran out. Hao hesitated for a moment and ran out after Qingyang.

Only Qingshu stayed in place, stunned.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, Xiao Juan leaned into Qing Shu's ear and whispered, "Miss, the slave maid asked from Gu Shishi." Yan Gongzi and Luo Guard competed for the sake of Miss. ”

Qing Shu felt inexplicable, "What? ”

"Guard Luo said that he was going to take the young lady away and fly away, but somehow let the young lady know. After that, Yan Gongzi made an appointment with Luo to guard the martial arts, saying that it was a competition of riding and archery, and a competition of swordsmanship. When the slave and maid went, they were jogging with swords, and both of them were very powerful. ”

Qing Shu listened and wanted to see what was going on, but stopped when he stepped out of the threshold, turned around and sat back in his seat.

Xiaojuan was puzzled, "Miss, aren't you going to take a look?" ”

Qing Shu didn't hesitate at all, "Don't go." Men love to wield knives and guns, and it's not surprising that they want to fight each other. It's you, you believe everything Gu Shishi says, and you have to go out of your way to see it, are you stupid? ”

Xiaojuan was puzzled, "Miss, why did Gu Shishi deceive the slave maid?" ”

"How do I know? The two of you, when you meet, you either quarrel or fight. What's going on today? Didn't make a noise or fight? ”

Xiao Juan was stunned, and then clenched her fists, "Miss, the slave knows." Gu Shishi must have been afraid of being beaten by the slave maid, so he took advantage of the work of Yan Gongzi and Luo Guard, and made up this nonsense to deceive the slave and maid, so as to avoid being beaten. She turned around to leave, and said that she would find Gu Shishi and give her a fist.

Qing Shu was helpless, "Okay, it's getting dark, don't go around." ”

Xiaojuan sighed, but obediently didn't go out.

In a blink of an eye, the next day, Qing Shu asked people to call Luo Escort to the study. Seeing people, Qing Shu was surprised, "What's wrong with your face?" ”

Guard Luo pointed to the abrasions on his face, "Miss means it?" ”

Qingshu nodded. Didn't you say that you should compare swords and horsemen to shoot? The wound on his face was not like a sword or a horseman's shot.

Guard Luo smiled gently, "I was distracted during the exercises, and I accidentally fell and fell on the wooden stake next to me. ”

Qing Shu didn't continue the topic, "Hao's life experience, how do you explain Hao?" She had never asked about this before, and when Yihao mentioned the two fathers on the first day of the new year, she didn't rush to ask Du and Luo's second guards to ask clearly. She oscillated between asking and not asking for days, but she knew very well that it was better to ask clearly than to pretend to be confused.

Guard Luo replied very smoothly, "I never explained." ”

"What? I thought ......" she was surprised.

"Miss, Hao who has experienced those things is not an ordinary child. He vaguely knows something about his background. If we lie, he will no longer trust us. So we choose not to lie, and if we can't answer, we remain silent. Sometimes, he would ask something about his parents or relatives, and we would tell him what we thought he could know. And those who can't say, or we don't know the truth, we don't answer. This was decided by him and Du after careful discussion, and they have always dealt with Hao's problems in this way.

Qing Shu was silent for a moment, and finally asked, "You told him that he has two fathers?" ”