Make a long-term worker as an old attack

Xue Zhaoqing's reputation spread throughout the villages and villages around Sanyuan County after collecting the rent this time.Not to mention reducing the rent for poor tenants, he also took the initiative to help widows who have no labor to protect their harvest for a year.These ten miles and eight villages have been counted for several generations, and no one has seen such a benevolent owner.So when Niu Geng took Xue Zhaoqing out of Wuliu Village in a horse-drawn carriage, many tenants of the Xue family chased after them to pay this year's rent, and some even brought them a lot of local products from the field.

The car is under a heavy load, and it is lighter than when it came.Moreover, Niu Geng took care of Xue Zhaoqing's still recovering body, so he naturally slowed down his speed.

In this way, the matter of the young owner's rent reduction and crop protection was passed back to the Xue family's mansion one step earlier.First, the neighbors around the Xue family talked about it, then the girls and servants of the Xue family, and finally it reached Xue Qian's ears.

In the evening, after listening to the family boy's story about the benevolence and righteousness of his eldest son who reduced rent and exempted rent from the tenants, Xue Qian stayed in the study, holding this year's account book in a daze.The situation in recent years has been turbulent. At first, it only affected some tenants and poor peasants. After a long period of time, it finally affected landlords and gentry like him.The Xue family mansion seems to be rich, but apart from the rent from the land, the whole family has no other income. If the situation continues like this, Xue Gan feels that he may have to sell it in less than ten years. Some land left by their ancestors to fill the shortfall.

But in this way, what is the difference between him and those prodigals?What kind of face is he living in this Sanyuan County?A hundred years later, how to face the ancestors in the ancestral hall?

"Master, let's take a break with ginseng tea. I always look at the account book, and be careful to burn my eyes." Xue Tian lifted the door curtain and walked in, put the ginseng tea on the table, and saw Xue Qian frowning. Looking at the account book, he stood aside knowingly and carefully squeezed his shoulders.

Xue Gan took a sip of the ginseng tea, then put it aside, put the account book in his hand heavily on the table, and sighed deeply.

"Master, what's the matter?" Xue Tian asked cautiously.

"Hey, these years, our family's income has been worse than every year. It's hard to live in this troubled world. I have realized it now. If things go on like this, I'm afraid that the Xue family's ancestral property will be lost in my hands." Xue He raised his forehead, and a long ravine formed at the corner of his drooping mouth.

"Master, although this concubine is not talented, she has been favored by the master and has been in charge of the backyard accounts for many years. As the master said, I know in my heart that the expenses of this big family from the beginning to the end of the year can't be less. Although our family looks like a big family, but who knows the difficulties."

"That's right." Xue Qian shook his head. Although he had given permission for the eldest son to reduce the rent, he never thought that the child would lose so much at once. What's more, this matter spread all over the country. What should he do if the tenant asks for a rent reduction?If he refuses, people will say that his Xue family is hypocritical, and he really reduced the rent, and it will only happen sooner or later that the Xue family will be defeated in his hands.

"Have you heard about Zhaoqing's rent reduction for tenants in Wuliu Village?" Patting Xue Tian's hand, Xue Gan pulled her to him.

"My concubine heard from the little girl next to me. It has been spread throughout Sanyuan County, saying that we are benevolent, righteous, honest, and have both ability and political integrity." Holding Xue Gan's hand, Xue Tian stood obediently in front of him, Low-browed and pleasing to the eye.

"You also think Zhaoqing's rent reduction is right?"

When Xue Tian heard that Xue Gan's words were wrong, she tasted the master's usual temper, she paused for a while, put her hand on Xue Gan's, and said softly: "Master, I have never managed you. The things in the field, these, of course, do not understand, but Zhaoqing studied abroad since he was a child, and he is used to reading the books of sages and listening to the affairs of the ancients. He naturally does not understand the hard work of planing in the fields It is inevitable to make some mistakes when you first come to management.”

"Oh? Do you think he made a mistake?" Xue Qian frowned, raised his head slightly, and looked at Xue Tian.

Looking at Xue Tian's whole body with cold eyes, he hurriedly replied: "I don't dare, but I feel that Zhaoqing's rent reduction is a bit hasty, and it really means to reduce the rent for poor tenants. It’s time to come back and discuss with the master, the master has always been kind and will not disagree, but with such a big reduction, the tenants will cry poorly in the future, how will we collect the rent in our land?”

These few words were said to Xue Qian's heart, and they were quite useful. The serious expression on his face relaxed a little, and Xue Tianshi watched it clearly from the side, so he felt a little more relaxed.

"You are telling the truth. In this regard, according to the text, he is much better than his brother." Xue Qian narrowed his eyes slightly, half lying on the chair, Xue Tian slowly squatted down, and knelt at his feet, While beating Xue Qian's leg, he said: "Zhaowen is no better than Shang Zhaoqing. He was just raised by his side since he was a child, and he listened to the master for everything, so when he encountered something, he was used to asking the master first, the master. Just don't find him annoying in the future."

"That child is like you. He is humble and docile. Although he is smarter than Zhaoqing, he has his own advantages." Xue Gan said with narrowed eyes. nap.

Xue Tian took a thin blanket and covered Xue Qian's body, turned around and went out, took out a bag of money from his arms, hurried to the empty corner behind the study, and handed it to the servant who had been waiting there.The young man made a bow with a satisfied expression on his face, turned around and left, but he just spread the news about the young master's rent reduction to everyone, and then exaggerated and told the master that he got so much reward. The money came too easily!

When Niu Geng drove the carriage to the gate of Sanyuan County, it was already dark, and Xue Zhaoqing got out of the carriage with the support of Niu Geng when the watchman had just finished knocking the Haishi shift.Along the way, the two of them played while rushing along the road, they had long forgotten the time, and the journey that would have been able to get home at Xushi was delayed by the two of them for an hour.

"Then it's settled. After you finish your work in the afternoon, teach me to ride a horse first, and then go to my room to continue learning to write." After getting off the carriage, Xue Zhaoqing didn't dare to be as brazen as no one was around, and secretly He tugged at Niu Geng's clothes and whispered.

"Okay." Niu Geng nodded his round head, "Hurry up and go in, it's cold at night, don't freeze."

After watching Xue Zhaoqing enter the gate, he drove the carriage and circled around again, and entered through the back door.

First, I went to the study and reported back what my father saw and heard about the rent collection this time. After Xue Zhaoqing finished speaking, he stood quietly aside.

Xue Gan already knew these things, so he didn't say anything more, but told Xue Zhaoqing: "If you have any idea of ​​reducing the rent for the tenant in the future, just tell the tenant secretly, and don't spread it to the outside world, so as not to cause more trouble."

Xue Zhaoqing listened, but he didn't pay much attention to it. His mind was full of pictures of that night and Niu Geng now, so he didn't have the heart to listen to it. He answered with a low eyebrow and went back to his room to rest.

In the blink of an eye, it was the beginning of November, and the busiest autumn harvest had passed, and the rents in the Xue family had almost been harvested, and the work in the fields planted by the family had also slowed down. Originally, the long-term workers were the happiest at this time. Yes, but at this time of the year, Niu Geng felt that he couldn't relax at all.

The instigator was not that tortured Young Master Xue.

Ever since he tasted the fish that day, Xue Zhaoqing was like a dissatisfied wild cat, thinking about Niu Geng's strong body all day long.But on weekdays, after greeting grandma in the morning, he would go with his father or younger brother to visit the neighboring tenants’ houses, or visit his own field, and in the afternoon, he would follow Xue Qian to study the Xue family’s account books over the years. , Listening to Xue Fu or Xue Zhong telling him about the specialties of the land, at the same time, because he didn't want to waste his studies, he had to read the Four Books, Five Classics, and poetry dictionaries in his spare time.Often when I am free, it is already approaching evening.

Therefore, Xue Zhaoqing often used the pretext of learning how to ride a horse to pester Niu Geng to the small open space, but often he couldn't ride a few laps, so he was hooked into the small forest, doing that shameless thing in the dark .Few people set foot in this small forest, and the forest is often surrounded by mist. At first, the two of them were afraid, but after a few times no one noticed, they became more and more daring. It hurts, but I still can't quit the drug I've been addicted to for a long time.His body has become more and more used to Niu Geng's different things from ordinary people, not to mention the pain, on the contrary, it has become more and more sensitive and comfortable recently.

Every day when he comes back from "riding the horse", Xue Zhaoqing will feel sore all over his body, and he can only let go of the appointment to learn bookkeeping. Fortunately, although Niu Geng is not smart, he is also a good learner. The dots of kerosene lamps in my hut looked at the account book and saw half a night.

In the evening of autumn, the weather was getting colder. After Niu Geng put on his cotton-padded clothes, he couldn't bear to take Xue Zhaoqing to the grove anymore. His own body was second only to him. If the frail young master was frozen, he would be so heartbroken to death.

But after a long time, the two who had just met each other couldn't bear it anymore. The eyes they looked at each other almost swallowed each other alive. On this evening, Xue Zhaoqing called Niu Geng into his room in the name of learning to write. As soon as the door of the wing was closed, he couldn't help but pounced on it.

After lingering and kissing for a while, Niu Geng felt that Xue Zhaoqing's little hand was getting lower and lower, so he couldn't help but stop it with his own.

"Young master... No, it's too risky to be at home." Niu Geng panted deeply, obviously he was too impatient, although not everyone can enter the courtyard of the master's young master, but in case the master suddenly breaks in It's not impossible to come in.

Xue Zhaoqing also knew this truth, blinked her eyes full of youth in disappointment, and finally withdrew her hand back.

Since there was nothing he could do, Xue Zhaoqing picked up his pen and ink seriously, intending to continue teaching Niu Geng to write and keep accounts, but before he could write a few copies, the two fell down on the chair behind the desk and kissed each other stand up.

I can't stand it anymore!Niu Geng couldn't be so scrupled anymore, he sat on the chair, hugged Xue Zhaoqing and sat sideways on his lap, biting his neck while untying his long gown, after successfully untying the long gown, he just peeled off the There was a coat that was an eyesore, and suddenly there was a loud knock on the door of the courtyard.

As if being poured from head to toe by a basin of cold water, the two of them immediately calmed down and dressed in a panic. For fear of arousing suspicion, the courtyard door was not bolted, but was only concealed. If the person who came was Master Xue, then they would not It's too late to clean up this big piece of mess!

Fortunately, it was only a young man who knocked on the door. The young man saw that the courtyard door was closed, but he didn't dare to go in. He just shouted at the door: "Is the young master there? Master, please go to the old lady's room to have a look." The old lady is in trouble!"