Li Da naturally didn't dare to report the false number to Lord Qincha's goddaughter: "Because the rich man is in urgent need of money turnover, the price is not high." If you buy them separately, one acre of high-grade land costs twelve taels of silver, ten taels of medium-class land, and seven taels of low-grade land. If you buy them together, it will cost you fifteen hundred taels of silver. ”

The price was quite reasonable, and Yu Xiaocao bought it on the spot. The next day, the housekeeper of the house went to the yamen to go through the formalities with Li Yayu.

At this time, it was the time of spring ploughing, and because the farm was in a hurry, the Ma family did not rent it to the tenants. The tenants on the Zhuangzi were very worried.

Tenants generally have no land and make a living by renting other people's land. At the beginning of autumn, at least half of the grain produced in the fields is to be handed over to the Lord's family. If you meet a more demanding master, you will collect 60% or more of the rent, and when you meet the average annual income, the tenants will not even be able to fill their stomachs. However, these tenants, who had no other skills than farming, had no other way but to rent land. If you don't farm, is the family waiting to drink the northwest wind?

In this village of the Ma family, the tenants are waiting for the arrival of the new master with apprehension. The Ma family is considered to be more benevolent in the main family, and only receives 50% of the rent. I don't know what kind of person the new owner's family is, will the rent be raised? Will it not be rented to them? More than a dozen households in a Zhuangzi point to these fields to eat!

Yu Hai wore a dark blue muslin robe with delicate embroidery on the waist, neckline, and cuffs. He had never worn such formal clothes, and he felt that something was wrong. In order to facilitate his work, Yu Hai has always worn short clothes, which are light and comfortable. Wrapped in a robe, I always feel like I can't take a step.

Yu Xiaocao looked at his father's uncomfortable expression and said with a smile: "Dad, you are very handsome in this outfit!" It's more like a grand man than those who are thin and short and don't have a middle of winter! This is the first time we have gone to our own Zhuangzi to inspect, of course, we must show the momentum of the master's family, so as not to be bullied by Diao slaves! ”

Yu Hai was praised by his youngest daughter and straightened his chest. He was tall enough, with good facial features, and wheat-colored healthy skin, and he really had the spirit of the master of the family.

The one who drove the carriage for them was the housekeeper of the house. Since he wanted to show the momentum of the main family, how could there be no errand runners around, and the housekeeper was sent by Mrs. Fang to help.

The carriage soon came to the Zhuangzi, and the tenant farmers, who had already received the news, were waiting in front of the Zhuangzi early. In the past, when the people of the Ma family came, most of them were already in their third days. The tenant farmers could not understand the habits of the new master's house, so they came early to make a good impression on the master's family. I thought I would wait for a long time, but when I didn't expect it, the carriage had already turned into Zhuangzi. The tenant farmers looked at each other, glad they had come early!

The housekeeper stopped the carriage, Yu Hai jumped off the carriage vigorously, and turned around to pick up his little daughter. Yu Xiaocao saw the tenant farmers waiting respectfully, and she was quite satisfied.

Can the tenants be disrespectful? Since last autumn, there have been batches of refugees coming to Tanggu, and although a group has been resettled at the port, there are still many refugees looking for work everywhere. In the slightly larger Zhuangzi, there will be refugees who have come to nominate themselves as tenants. The position of Zhuangzi's original tenant was threatened. If you don't do it well, are you waiting for the Lord to replace you? This is not a thing, the sacrificial field of the Zhou family next door has not replaced several tenants?

Yu Hai stood still in front of the tenant farmers, he had never spoken under the expectant gaze of so many people, and the hand behind his back trembled slightly. When Xiaocao saw it, she hurriedly reached over, held her father's hand, and gave him spiritual support.

The Yu family will definitely be more than this in the future, as the head of the family, Yu Hai must be able to hold up! Yu Hai secretly took a breath, scanned the dozen or so households with a majestic gaze, and raised his voice: "This year's spring ploughing is imminent, in order not to delay the farming time, everything is as usual!" Who is the head of the Zhuangzi, come out and introduce the situation of the Zhuangzi! ”

Hearing the words of business as usual, the tenants breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone's eyes shone with joy. An old man who was over fifty years old and strong stepped forward and said, "Go back to the master's house, the old decay Wang Maocai is the head of this Zhuangzi!" ”

Yu Hai saw that the old man was about the same age as his father, and his expression showed a bit of kindness, and said, "What is the situation with this Zhuangzi, let's talk about it!" ”

Wang Maocai's respectful attitude did not change because the master was kind to him, and said respectfully: "Back to the master's house, there are a total of sixteen families in Zhuangzi. Among them, 43 are in the prime of life. In previous years, Zhuangzi's fields were distributed according to the number of laborers in the family. ”

Distribution according to the number of adults in the labor force? Yu Xiaocao thought for a while and said, "Old man, does the so-called labor force refer to the male adult labor force?" ”

Wang Maocai did not slack off because of her young age, and hurriedly responded: "Miss Hui, yes!" ”

"That'...... What happens if something happens to this adult male? Yu Xiaocao's worries are not without reason. If something happens to the man in his family, and the orphans and widows of the family can't even share the land, how can people live?

Wang Maocai was silent for a moment, and said: "I was about to tell the master's family, Liu Dazhuang broke his leg on the mountain in Zhuangzi, he is the only laborer in the family, and he was divided into four acres of land last year, and he was about to ask the master's family, how to distribute it this year!" ”

Yu Hai frowned slightly. If, according to the old practice, the only laborer in the family was bedridden, the land should not be allocated. However, the collapse of the family's pillars and the loss of the field are tantamount to adding insult to injury, how can the family make ends meet?

At this time, a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy rushed out of the crowd, with tears in his eyes, clenched his fists, knelt in front of Yu Hai with a puff, and said loudly: "I'm thirteen, I can use it as an adult!" Please don't take my field. ”

"Shanzi, come back quickly!" A haggard-faced woman squeezed out of the crowd, anxiously shouting to the kneeling little boy, for fear that her son would be punished for confronting the lord's house.

Yu Hai looked down at this young man who was about the same age as his eldest son, and his heart was full of mixed feelings. remembered that he was bitten by a blind bear and lay on the bed without knowing whether he was alive or dead, and the situation he faced at that time was so similar to the family in front of him. At the beginning, he hoped that someone could help his family.

Yu Xiaocao thought for a while, made a decision, and said, "My father just said that today's field allocation, before the new decision, is still the same as last year!" ”

The little boy who was kneeling on the ground raised his head with hope and asked, "My family divided four acres of land last year, is there still four acres of land this year?" ”

Yu Xiaocao nodded and said, "Yes, how much land last year, how much land is still this year." In the future, not only the adult labor force will have land, but boys over the age of 10 and women between the ages of 16 and 40 will also be given some land as long as they are able to work. ”

What the? Women also have land? Eligible women in the family and families with more children showed happy expressions on their faces. And those who have more labor in the family have changed their faces slightly. Because there is only so much land in Zhuangzi, after giving it to women and children, they will definitely get less land. Although these people were slightly dissatisfied in their hearts, they did not dare to say anything. The new owner's house has the rules of the new master's house, if you show dissatisfaction, the master's family will not rent you an acre of land, and you can only watch!

Yu Hai said a few more words on the scene, encouraging everyone to work seriously, and finally said: "Farming time does not wait for anyone, take advantage of today's good weather, everyone hurry up and go to farming!" Okay, let's all disperse! ”

After coming out of Zhuangzi, the two men were going to the town to buy some daily necessities. When the carriage reached the city gate, it found that the number of refugees outside the city had increased considerably. Now is the time when the green and yellow are scarce, and many people in the northeast who are unwilling to leave their hometowns have run out of ammunition and food after surviving the harsh winter, and have to embark on the road of fleeing south.

Yu Hai, who was in a good mood because he bought Zhuangzi, sat outside the carriage and talked to the housekeeper. Suddenly, an emaciated figure among the refugees caught his attention. He stared at the man's back, his hands clenched tightly. It can't be her, right? If it was her, why didn't she go back to Dongshan Village to find him, but settle in a refugee camp outside the city?

As if sensing his gaze, the thin figure turned to look over. When Yu Hai saw the haggard but familiar face, he snorted slightly and whispered: "Eldest sister......"

Perhaps too far away, the man did not recognize him, but continued a few steps forward, and slowly crouched down under a simple shed made of dead branches. In fact, even if the two face each other, Yu Caifeng may not be able to recognize him.

Since the year Yu Hai got married, the eldest sister has come back once, and more than ten years have passed, although Yu Hai's face has not changed much, but it has matured a lot. For more than a year, he has eaten well and is in a good mood, and he was originally thin and tall, but his figure has become burly and powerful.

Today I wore new clothes, and I sat in the carriage of the house, like a rich man in the city. Even when Yu Caifeng saw him, he just felt familiar, and he didn't dare to recognize him!

"Stop, stop!" Yu Hai snatched the reins from the butler's hand and pulled hard. The horse, which was trotting steadily forward, let out a long neigh, stopped, its hooves restlessly trampling on the ground. Thanks to the well-trained horses of the house, if you change to other scolding, you may be shocked!

Yu Xiaocao, who was napping in the carriage, almost got out of the carriage. She poked her head out suspiciously, only to see Daddy leap off the unsteady carriage and walk briskly towards the area known as the refugee camp.

"Daddy! Why are you going? Wait for me! With the help of the housekeeper, Yu Xiaocao got out of the carriage, carried a long skirt, and chased in the direction where his father left. However, when I accompanied my father to Zhuangzi, my godmother had to let her wear such a formal dress, and it was not convenient to run around at all, and she accidentally stepped on the skirt.