Zuo Shaoyang asked: "Are their thirty acres of fertile land?" ”

"All of them." Zhao Sanniang replied.

"Are they willing to change?"

"Definitely! For the past few days, I have been following them on the street to buy food. Besides, I only exchange the land for the property, and now I can't find anyone to cultivate the fields, and I pay taxes and money in vain every year, so I can't wait to throw away this burden, how can I not want to. ”

"That's good, I'm not afraid of carrying this burden, I can exchange with him." Zuo Shaoyang pinched his fingers and frowned: "However, you have already bought nine buckets of rice here, and they can only buy eleven buckets at most, this price, since it is your father-in-law's house, I will sell your face, let him take these thirty acres, plus ten yuan, and exchange eleven buckets of rice with me!" ”

Thirty acres of land is worth sixty guan, plus ten guan money, a total of seventy guan, and the current market price of 11 buckets of rice is 165 guan, which is a little more than six guan per bucket, which is less than half of the current market price.

Zhao Sanniang was pleasantly surprised, thanked her, and said: "Da Lang, sell a little more to them, it's really not enough, the seventeen people in the in-laws' family only have eleven buckets of rice, which is only enough to eat for half a month!" ――Are you worried that they will sell for a high price? You can rest assured that you will only buy enough food for three months, and you will never sell it. ”

Zuo Shaoyang smiled bitterly: "It's still not good, I can only sell so much!" ”

Once the general's grain requisition order is issued, a person can only have a bucket of rice, and the excess can only be sold to the army at a low price within a limited time, otherwise it will be found out and beheaded on the spot. You can't pour this disaster out on others, but you can't talk about it. She'll understand in the future.

Zhao Sanniang couldn't, so she had to agree.

Zuo Shaoyang told again: "When you go to get the land deed later, you can't tell your in-laws' family that I sold grain to you, you must remember this!" If the news leaks out, you're sorry for me! ”

"Don't worry, I swear!" Zhao Sanniang nodded solemnly, thought about it, and said, "However, I want to write the deed of land transfer." As soon as you write your name, don't you know it all? ”

"You're stupid, just call his parents and tell him that his parents can't spread the word."

"Got it! I'll go and call my father-in-law. ”

"Okay, I'll trade with you. I'm going to bring the rice, be sure to keep it secret! ”

"Don't worry!"

Zuo Shaoyang hurriedly returned to Guizhi Hall. briefly told Zuo Gui and the grain what happened. Of course, Zhao Sanniang was tempted by lust and wanted to buy grain at a low price, but she didn't say anything about it.

Zuo Gui and Liang were very happy to hear that Zuo Shaoyang had replaced this Guizhitang and the grocery store next door with grain, they had been operating here for many years, and their feelings were very deep, and now they have become their own industry, so they are naturally very happy.

How to transport grain is relatively simple, the last time with the silk shop Fu shopkeeper with five buckets of rice for silk, Fu shopkeeper left the cart to transport silk at that time, dismantled and put it in the kitchen. Zuo Shaoyang asked Miao Peilan to reassemble the cart in the back alley.

During this period, Zuo Shaoyang put his father Zuo Gui into the concoction room, closed the door, and the two took out a few bags of rice from the cellar, a total of twenty buckets. After Miao Peilan assembled the cart, she carried the rice onto the cart and covered it with straw.

Zuo Shaoyang and Daddy Zuo Gui helped Miao Peilan push a cart of rice and went straight to Zhao San's house.

Zhao Sanniang and a shriveled old man stood at the door, looking at them with their heads cocked. When they saw them coming, they were all overjoyed and hurried over to greet them.

Zuo Gui recognized this shriveled old man as Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law. I've been to the pharmacy before, and I've talked. The old man stammered and thanked him, and even his eyes turned red.

Miao Peilan carried a few bags of rice into the yard and put them in the kitchen. Zhao Sanniang had already borrowed a rod scale, closed the courtyard door and weighed, no more, no less, exactly twenty buckets. I took it apart and picked it up, although it was brown rice and black noodles, the quality was still good.

Zhao Sanniang and her father-in-law were very satisfied. When I came to the lobby, Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law wrote the transfer deed, and both parties signed and pledged the said land and real estate to Zuo Gui and them. Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law gave another thirty pieces of silver. Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law handed over the land deed and house deed to Zuo Gui. He also talked about the general location of the field, Zuo Shaoyang didn't have time to walk around, but Zuo Gui was very familiar with the surroundings, so he knew which one it was.

After finishing the work, Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law said to Zuo Gui and Zuo Shaoyang with a smile: "I want to discuss something with the two of you, there are more than a dozen people in the old man's family, and there are some servants and slaves, there are a total of twenty-six people." Can you sell dozens of buckets of grain to the old man? - Don't worry about this matter, only the old man and I know about it, and I won't even tell my wife. No one knows that I bought food from you. Absolutely. ”

Zuo Shaoyang thought that if what he said was true, there were really so many slaves in the family, then it could be regarded as occupying the quota and buying more food, and asked, "These twenty-six people are really your slaves?" ”

"Really, there are people who sell their bodies!"

Zhao Sanniang listened to her father-in-law's words, frowned, and was about to speak, but was glared at by her father-in-law, and then shut up again.

This look did not escape Zuo Shaoyang's eyes, he stared at the old man for a long time, and saw that his eyes were rolling, probably lying, so he said slowly: "I can't sell grain to you." ”

"Why? These are all old servants who have followed us for more than ten years, and we can't care about their life and death! Please! ”

"How much do you want?"

"As many as you want!"

"I don't have that much, you name it."

"Well, thirty buckets."

Zuo Shaoyang sneered: "Thirty buckets? That's four hundred and fifty dollars, do you have that much cash? ”

"I don't have so much money, but I have a house, I can borrow it from others, in short, don't worry, I won't let them know that I buy food from you."

Zuo Shaoyang shook his head and said, "I don't want your residence, I don't want to kick you all out in the cold." ”

"Ah......?" This shriveled old man was originally this idea, but now Zuo Shaoyang said that he didn't want a house, and he was suddenly anxious, and stammered a little: "If you are worried that the old man's family has no place to live, then don't worry, let's just buy a small courtyard to live in, in fact, it is a waste to live in such a large courtyard." There won't be no place to live. Sell it to us! ――Zuo Langzhong, did you say okay? ”

Zuo Gui's father smiled: "This grain is earned by my family Zhong'er, and the old man has already said that he decides how to spend the money he earns." So whether to sell or not, he has the final say. I don't care about old decay. ”

When the shriveled old man heard this, he really said the same as his daughter-in-law, and said to Zuo Shaoyang with a smile: "Zuo Gongzi, you can take pity on my family, okay?" ”

"I've promised to sell you grain. It's just that I don't want houses and shops, just land and cash. ”

The shriveled old man rolled his eyes and said to himself, "...... can the fields be done?" ”

"Yes, it is better to have good farmland, and at worst it is medium. Not too far away. ”

"Of course!" The shriveled old man suddenly had an idea, and said with a smile: "Zuo Gongzi, can you keep thirty buckets of grain for the old man?" At the latest, I will be able to raise the land from tonight, or exchange it here with Sanniang, okay? ””

Zuo Shaoyang shook his head and said, "Still no." ”

"Why?" Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law was in a hurry.

Zuo Shaoyang guessed that this old guy must want to borrow good land everywhere, exchange his own grain and then sell it at a higher price, the grain requisition order will be issued soon, these grains smashed into his hands, spent so much money, this old guy decided to be unwilling, it is likely to take risks, at that time, it hurt him, and he will be affected if he pokes it out, so he casually lied: "Because I don't have so much food!" ”

Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law was disappointed, squatted on the ground, and cried: "Pity my old servant, I'm afraid I'm going to starve to death because of this......"

Zuo Shaoyang thought for a while and said, "If you really have so many slaves......

"There really is!"

"Well, I believe you. Well, I'll sell you another five buckets of rice, and that's my last grain." ”

Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law was overjoyed and hurriedly agreed.

Zuo Shaoyang said: "Before the curfew tonight, I will bring food here to exchange with you." You're ready. ”

After that, Zuo Shaoyang asked his father to collect the house deed, the land deed, and Zhao Sanniang's father-in-law's ten yuan before going home.

Zuo Gui's father said: "Zhong'er, let's exchange grain for money, don't ask for the field, now I can't find so much labor to farm, and the court taxes have to be paid, it's too much of a loss." Not cost-effective. ”

Zuo Shaoyang smiled and said: "Sooner or later, the field will appreciate in value, this war, spring plowing will definitely be delayed, the seedlings can't be planted, there is no harvest, with the benevolence of the emperor today, the tax will definitely be reduced, so although it is a loss to buy land now, it will definitely be earned in the future!" ”

"When will it be, don't make money yet, it's already lost!"

"It's a matter of luck, business is risky, and the greater the risk, the greater the profit. Dare to fight to win! ”

Father Zuogui smiled: "It's a good saying, even if the enemy army is defeated, so many abandoned fields, and there is not enough labor, I think you should do something?" ”

Zuo Shaoyang's smile was a little embarrassed, this adventure is a bit big, in case the imperial court will reduce interest rates after a year or two, and there will be no one to cultivate in these two years, it will be a real loss. It is best to find a permanent tenant and sign a tenant agreement now. The only reliable tenant he knew was from Laohuai Village. Turning his head, he asked Miao Peilan: "Do you know that Li Dazhuang of your Laohuai Village has food now?" ”

Miao Peilan shook her head lightly, sad: "It shouldn't be, after Master Jia sold the land, they also quit the rent and fled to the city for refuge, and there has been no news of them since the last time they put out fires together and saved people." ”

"Do you still know who in your Laohuai Village is unsettled in the city?"

"There are a few more, all on the construction site. Brother Zuo suddenly asked them, is there something wrong? ”

"Yes!" Zuo Shaoyang thought for a while and said, "I want to use the grain to convert the money into a loan to them to help them survive this disaster, on the condition that they have to rent my land to help me farm, and in the future, I will use the proceeds of farming to slowly repay the debt owed to me." Do you think they willing? ”

Miao Peilan stood up suddenly, stared at him with wide eyes, and stammered: "Brother Zuo, what you said ...... is really ......?" ”

(To be continued)