Chapter 13 Underpayment

Chen has always been in the inner house, but in charge of the family's trivial matters, never before a rent collector, although renting land to collect rent, a matter of course, but Chen is still polite as if he is discussing with others to borrow money.

Before her words fell, Zhao Dalang slapped the table and shouted. A "ouch" startled the unsuspecting Chen Shi for a moment, and he said eagerly: "I was thinking about when I would go to your house in the city and tell you about it!" Mrs. Chen, you and Mr. Lin are both kind-hearted people, and you also know that our family has many children, many people who open their mouths to eat, and the expenses are very large, so these days are getting poorer and poorer - if it weren't for my little land that can't feed a large family, I wouldn't have tenanted your land to plant, right?! ”

Chen blinked, still unable to figure out what Zhao Dalang meant. Lin Zhenniang had already secretly wondered in her heart if this Zhao Da wanted to do something.

Sure enough, Zhao Dalang cried for a long time, so he begged: "Lady, you know, this summer's heavy rain has harmed the crops, so this year's harvest is not good." I really didn't plan to come out of your rent—no, I didn't even raise food for my family! This thief is God, he bullies us poor men who rely on the sky to eat, either drought or flooding, but how can people live! ”

After scolding God, he scolded the land again, only saying that the father-in-law of the land and the grandmother of the land received the incense in vain, but did not protect one party. After saying a lot, Chen was dizzy, and Zhao Dalang finally got to the point, "Mrs. Chen, you are the most merciful, just take pity on our family and collect less rent!" ”

Chen was stunned and speechless for a while. It's raining a lot this summer, but it's not much more than usual! Why is it waterlogged? Isn't the weather in the county town the same as in this Zhaojia Village?

Chen was puzzled, but Lin Zhenniang immediately woke up. What waterlogging, what rain has harmed the crops, these words are clearly excuses, this Zhao Dalang complained, and said so much is nothing more than one thing - to beat Lai!

"Uncle Zhao," Lin Zhenniang said with a smile before Chen spoke, "Is it raining a lot this year?" We live in the city all year round, but we didn't know that this Zhaojia Village was actually waterlogged! It is said that if there is such a big disaster, the magistrate of the county should also come forward to provide disaster relief! Why is there not even the slightest movement in the city, it is really a natural disaster and a lover is unrighteous - but, it doesn't seem right, I heard that the parents of this county are good officials who love the people like children, I think it is the disaster in Zhaojia Village, and the parents don't know about it! I don't think it's as good as this, Uncle Zhao, go to the yamen to find the magistrate! I think as long as you explain the disaster situation, the county magistrate will definitely come forward to provide disaster relief and relieve the villagers of Zhaojia Village from danger. At that time, Uncle Zhao will be the great benefactor of the villagers! ”

Stunned by Lin Zhenniang's words, Zhao Dalang laughed dryly, glanced at the corner of his eye, and suddenly shouted loudly: "Four eggs, what are you running around?" There's a noble person in the house, why don't you come in and see you! Happy, kowtow to Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Chen is a good person, she can let you eat, so that our family will not be hungry...... Girl, you're also numb, kowtow, kowtow! ”

It looked like a boy of about ten years old, and he was kneeling on the ground with a girl doll who was only four or five years old and still had a runny nose. Seeing that the boy turned his big black eyes and really kowtowed, Chen hurriedly dodged and shouted: "How can this be done?" Brother Zhao, tell the two children to get up! How can I afford it? ”

"It's not the New Year's Day yet!" Seeing that Chen's was being grinded to the ground, Lin Zhenniang snorted from her nose, stepped forward and pressed Chen's arm, "Mother, just sit down!" Since Uncle Zhao wants the children to kowtow to you, you will suffer it! You're an elder anyway—don't be afraid, I've got the money here! There are no more, there are always five and ten literary meeting gifts! ”

As she spoke, Lin Zhenniang took out a few pennies from her purse, smiled and handed it to the child named Sidan, "Oh, take it to buy candy to eat." ”

The boy rolled his eyes, jumped to his feet, took the money, and ran outside. The snotty female doll hesitated, turned her head to look outside, listened to the boy's laughter outside, and got up with a "snort" and ran out.

"This kid ......" Zhao Dalang was very angry, but he didn't have a good seizure, so he just spread his hands and said, "How can you be embarrassed?" The little lady also took the money to buy them candy to eat - heh, hehe......"

laughed dryly, and he didn't mention the matter of rent, but said: "As soon as I look at the spirit of the little lady, I know that the lady is well educated." To say, we countrymen, who are naturally rough and rude, are my mother, too, who raised me to be rude. ”

Lin Zhenniang felt that Zhao Dalang was clearly ironizing her for not having a tutor, but the Chen family would not think badly of people. Seeing Zhao Dalang mention his mother, he also said gently: "All mothers in the world are ordinary!" Lingtang must also be a good mother. ”

"But no, if you want to talk about my mother, that's really a bitterness! When my father was alive, she didn't enjoy the happiness with her, and when she was old, I didn't have the ability to support her to spend her old age in peace—my mother, that's really a bitter ......."

As he spoke, the others had already walked to the door, and shouted outside the door: "Eldest daughter-in-law, help your grandmother out!" Mrs. Chen finally came back once, but she could meet ......"

The menstruating woman, who was feeding the chickens in the yard, answered, wiped her body and went to the room on the left side of the main house.

Although Chen was still smiling, his smile was a little stiff.

What is this? The small ones have been troubled, and then they will be replaced by the old ones?

Lin Zhenniang frowned, and knew that the Chen family would never have any scruples and directly contradict the old man. But if this Zhao Dalang is really allowed to continue to be soft and hard like this, their family's rent will really be difficult to collect.

On the way here, she had heard Chen say that the annual rent of these 50 acres of land is 150 stone wheat. This wheat, if converted at market price, is 45 taels of silver. But the land rent collected is not calculated according to the price of other people's retail sales, so strictly speaking, these rents are probably less than 40 taels of silver.

The price of goods in Dingtao County is a little more expensive than in the countryside, if the house is their own, not counting this major item, an ordinary family of five will spend a year, not to mention 20 taels of silver - this is still frugality, less meat, do not buy large items, and can not change the cost of new clothes a year. If it is one of those big families, a family of old and young plus servants or something, a few thousand taels of silver a year is not enough.

Now their Lin family is renting money like this, and they are all counting on this to live! But such a scoundrel can't be allowed to wipe out a penny.

Looking at Zhao Dalang coldly, and then looking at the old lady who was helped in and seemed to be trembling slightly when she walked, Lin Zhenniang's gaze was even colder.

This Zhao Dalang, why didn't you say anything about arrears and rent exemption in previous years? To say these things all of a sudden now is nothing more than to bully their orphans and widows, and there is no man to rely on.

Seeing that the Chen family was busy getting up to greet the old lady when she entered the house, Lin Zhenniang snorted coldly in her heart, did not get closer, but took advantage of the cold noise between the two sides and went straight out of the house.

The eldest daughter-in-law and mother-in-law of the Zhao family, who had just been called, helped the old lady into the house and then retreated. At this time, he was standing in front of the pigsty and "purring" and calling the pigs to eat.

The noon sun was very full, falling all over the courtyard, reflecting on the woman's body, and the silver light on her sideburns made Lin Zhenniang turn her head unconsciously.

Poor harvest, can't eat, but the woman of this family can wear gold and silver, not to mention the young woman who feeds the pigs, Zhao Zhu's daughter-in-law who helped the old lady into the house just now, wears a pair of gold cloves on her ears, although it is not too big, but the condition is very new, it is clear that it is a new person who bought it.

The old lady, though she did not wear gold or silver, had beads on the small comb of the hairpin on her head, and although it was no more than the size of her thumb, perhaps only half of it, it was obviously new.

On the other hand, my mother, who is plain, even has a cyan velvet flower on her hair. There is no gold, no silver, no pearl and jade, and he has actually become a person who can give food to others.

Her chest was tight, and Lin Zhenniang stood at the door to ease her mind, and then strode towards the barn not far away.

Isn't it a lack of revenue? Isn't it plagued? She wanted to see how much grain their Zhao family had produced this year. She didn't believe it, and there were still ears of wheat in the yard that had not yet been swept up, and the barn was still empty.

There were also bundles of wheat stalks piled up at the door of the barn, presumably for the winter to feed the cattle or to light the fire. But the door is locked, but this lock is not a sophisticated lock, that is, the most ordinary latch lock.

Lin Zhenniang stood at the door of the barn, and when she swept the corner of her eye, she saw an iron drill thrown on the edge of the straw pile.

Without saying a word, she walked over and scooped up the iron chisel, inserted it between the lock and the bar above, and then pry it down.

The eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhao family, who was feeding the pigs, originally didn't pay attention to Lin Zhenniang, but when she saw Lin Zhenniang picking the lock with an iron drill, she woke up.

"Hey, you, you little lady, what are you doing?!"

Drinking and asking, she put down the pig food bowl in her hand and hurried this way.

Although Lin Zhenniang heard her scream, she didn't pay attention to it. Pressing all her strength on the iron chisel, she pressed down hard. With the soft sound of the "horn", she only felt that her strength was empty, and she almost fell.

Staggered, and as soon as she stood firm, she immediately pounced, regardless of thirty-seven twenty-one, and ripped off the lock. Then he pushed away the woman who had come to pull her from behind, and at once opened the door of the barn.

As soon as the barn door opened, a layer of fine ash was thrown out, and in the ash there was a husk of wheat that had been lifted by the wind that had rushed through the door.

Lin Zhenniang squinted, turned her face away, and coughed twice before turning her head to look again.

I saw that in this spacious barn, there were three grain hoards surrounded by mats, and the husked wheat in the hoards was piled to the brim, and even some of them had leaked out of the hoards and spilled on the ground.

The corners of her eyes twitched, Lin Zhenniang turned her head, looked at the woman who rushed into the warehouse after her, and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law's family has a good harvest this year!" ”