Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 820 - 418: Sending_2
A rough calculation suggests that it is so.
Since Lian Jizu made the decision, Lian Shouxin had nothing more to say, and he did not even inquire about how much money the grain had sold for.
However, the inherently warm-hearted nature of Lian Shouxin would never change.
"Jizu, the rent for this year has been collected. What are your plans for next year?" Lian Shouxin asked this because he thought Lian Jizu, having made the decision to sell the grain, was a man of ideas.
The faces of Lian Jizu and Lady Chiang suddenly looked somewhat strange.
"Uncle Four, I, I was originally planning to take back the land and not let them till it," Lian Jizu quickly glanced at Lady Chiang and coughed twice while saying.
Lady Chiang turned her head away.
"But then the Woo Family Brothers came begging me, calling it a family matter and even said that my grandfather had promised them the land for three years. If I overrule my grandfather’s wishes and take back the land, that wouldn’t be proper," Lian Jizu said.
Which meant the land would still be tilled by the Woo Family Brothers. This was really something— Lian Manman was somewhat speechless. Lian Jizu could go against Old Master Lian’s wishes and independently decide to sell the grain, so why couldn’t he decide to take back the land? Lian Jizu’s words were inconsistent and it was hard to understand what he was thinking.
"...They knelt, they cried, and even swore oaths that they would certainly be honest in the future. If they ever dared to default on the rent again, they said it would bring them a bad end. I thought that after this strict handling, they’d be obedient and not dare default again. Finding new tenants would be quite troublesome... The key still lies in considering my grandfather’s desires," Lian Jizu, feeling his argument was somewhat flimsy, hurriedly explained.
Lady Chiang let out a soft hum.
Lian Jizu’s face turned a shade redder.
"Then, Uncle Four, I..." Lian Jizu quickly stood up.
"Jizu, if you’re about to leave you’ve surely got to pay respects to friends and such, I won’t keep you. Go on. Tonight, you and your spouse come over and let your Auntie Four make dumplings for you," Lian Shouxin said, "Well."
Lian Jizu and Lady Chiang agreed, then left one after another.
"...This child Jizu, just dislikes trouble," Lian Shouxin sighed after the two had left, "He says it saves on cartage fees, but buying grain elsewhere is just the same. How can it be the same? Even including the cartage fees, transporting grain would still be cheaper than buying it anew from the grain shop. Buying from the grain shop, where you can’t be certain of new grain, old grain, good quality, or poor quality, how could that be better than grain harvested from our own fields?"
"Father, let’s just keep this talk between ourselves. Never mention it in front of Brother Jizu and our sister-in-law. And don’t bring it up later to grandfather, or in front of others, either. Now, Brother Jizu is the one making the decisions," Lian Manman said.
Being kin doesn’t mean being close; as Old Master Lian’s beloved eldest grandson, whatever Jizu did seemed reasonable. If Lian Shouxin were to criticize Jizu, Old Master Lian might not be pleased.
"I know, your grandfather values Jizu greatly. Isn’t it just that I’m thinking aloud? Do you really think I’d be foolish enough to discuss this with others?" Lian Shouxin retorted.
In the evening, Lian Jizu and Lady Chiang, Lian Shouli, Lady Zhao, and Lian Yeye all came over. The women sat on the kang, chatting while making dumplings, and the men sat a little further away, also chatting.
"...The tobacco leaves aren’t dry yet. If you could wait another couple of days until they are, it’d be just in time to bring them back for your grandfather," Lian Shouxin said to Lian Jizu.
Lian Jizu vaguely acknowledged.
"Uncle Four, my brother Jizu didn’t tell you," Lian Yeye said as she pinched dumplings, speaking loudly, "This afternoon, brother Jizu brought people over to check on the tobacco leaves. Since they weren’t quite dry, he told us to roast them a bit more, and in a couple of days someone will come to get the tobacco. They weighed all the tobacco, marked down the amount, and brother Jizu has already collected the money for selling it."
Lady Chiang, with her head bowed and focused on rolling the dough, seemed to not hear what everyone was discussing.
"Ah..." Lian Shouxin uttered in surprise.
"My grandfather has always been preoccupied with this tobacco," Lian Jizu intervenes, "My grandfather, as a heavy smoker, feels uncomfortable if he doesn’t smoke for a moment. I was initially planning to take this tobacco back for him. But since it wasn’t quite ready, I simply sold it. The money...I’ve already taken it, and was thinking of sharing it with Uncle Three and Uncle Four."
As he was speaking, Lian Jizu made a move to reach into his chest.
Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli quickly stopped Lian Jizu’s hand.
"Jizu, don’t do it. We cannot take this money; the tobacco was sun-dried for your grandfather. Since you’ve sold it, just use the money to buy more tobacco for him to smoke," they said.
While making dumplings, Lady Zhang inquired about the situation in Taicang and asked about Zhao Xiue.
"Erlang’s wife, should be about due, right? How’s her handiwork?"
"It’s about time, everything including the midwife was arranged before we came," Lady Chiang replied, "The old lady saw her and said that Erlang’s wife is capable of bearing children, robust and sure to have a smooth delivery."
Lady Chiang answered the questions with smiles, but beneath the smiles there lay tiredness and strain, occasionally zoning out—differing from her mood when she had just returned.
"Sister-in-law, on your return, will you have to stay a couple of days in the county with Sister Huahua?" Lian Manman asked. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
"Yes. After leaving here tomorrow, we’ll spend a night in the county, then head back to Taicang," Lady Chiang replied.
Staying at Lian Huahua’s would surely not be for nothing, and Lian Manman wondered how much they could get from Lian Huahua this time.
The next day, after sending off Lian Jizu and Lady Chiang, Zhao Liansheng came along with a few from Zhao Family Village.
They wanted to buy corn seeds.
***...***
Here’s the third update, seeking pink (votes).
Clutching her fists, Ruoyan dove back into writing, possibly aiming for a fourth installment. Should it get too late, please don’t wait; it would be perfect to read in the morning.
****...****
Recommended completed novel by Ruoyan: "The Brocade Screen Chronicles," a lighthearted domestic struggle over farmland tale, with the ups and downs within a grand household.
Book ID: 1771214
Below is a direct link, click to go straight to it. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to qidian.com to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
