The fertile water of farming does not flow to outsiders' fields

After the meal, Pei Renjie went straight to Li Zheng's house and explained his idea of ​​hiring someone.Li Zheng thought for a while and said: "It's better to buy out the life-death contract. Although it costs more money, you should feel at ease when holding the life-death contract in your hands. If you take back all the 20 acres of land in your family, you will have to pay at least three months. Only an adult and a strong laborer can do it, and there are five people in the family of four, one and one, and one more girl is needed to cook and do laundry."

Pei Renjie shook his head quickly, there were four more people in one fell swoop, what is not money for food, clothing and chewing?It is not worthwhile to pay outside the land before it is planted.

Lizheng thought for a while and said: "How about this, buy a strong laborer first, your family has a foreign surname, and you have no relatives in the village. If there is no one in the family who is more vicious and easy to be bullied, you go to bed early today, and I will accompany you tomorrow." Let’s go to the county town.”

Pei Renjie hurriedly nodded his thanks, and hurried home to boil water to coax Changhui to wash his face and go to sleep.

Early in the morning, Lizheng came to knock on the door before dawn, and drove a donkey cart. There were also a few village women who stopped by to buy things in the cart.Zhou Zheng, the head of a young scholar, and the village women glanced at him unscrupulously, covered their mouths and laughed and discussed, giggling from time to time.

Pei Renjie was a little overwhelmed, turned around and sat down next to each other: "Uncle Chen, how far is this from the county?"

Li Zheng replied: "It's not far, just over ten miles away. When I arrive at the county seat, I'll take you to find the yamen servant first." The two chatted for a while before he sat back, but the village women still didn't let him go. Seeing him turn back, he smiled and asked if he had ever married a wife?

Little Xiucai is sixteen this year, because no one cares about him at home, so he hasn't touched on this issue until now, when he was asked such a question, he immediately made a big blush.

Seeing his shyness, the village women laughed again, not only laughing, but also murmured in low voices, about Miss Cui in the north of the village, the bell of the Zhou family, Pei Renjie was so ashamed that he had to go to the front of the car again Sitting here.

After finally reaching the county seat, Li was leading him to the yamen first, and was sent to a side alley to select candidates.The people here are all refugees who escaped from floods or famines. Because they have no registered permanent residence, they can only wait for the government to distribute them or be bought as servants.

Pei Renjie looked left and right to pick and choose, not knowing which one to choose, but Li Zheng was focused on choosing someone who was stronger and more vicious for him.If there is no strong man in a rural family, it is easy to be bullied. Those cunning women and shrews like to pick the soft one the most. If they don't find someone who can stand out for the little scholar, he will definitely suffer.

Li Zheng looked around twice, pointed to a middle-aged man with a big beard and said, "Little scholar, how about this?" Pei Renjie asked, "Can you cook?" The man shook his head like a rattle: "I It's okay to work hard, but things in the kitchen don't work."

Lizheng pointed to another person diagonally across the corner and said, "How about this?" Pei Renjie shook his head, "I've already asked that person. His family runs a tofu shop and doesn't know how to farm." Lizheng thought for a while, Pulling over the yamen servant next to him, he asked in a low voice, "Who among you can fight?"

The yamen servant pointed to a tall and thin man on the far side and said: "This guy has fought a few times when he came here. He is so strong that the three of them can't pull him over." A tattered gown with no visible color, with bulging muscles on the arms and shoulders, he was immediately satisfied: "Xiucai! Little scholar! That's him!"

Pei Renjie walked over and asked politely, "Can you farm the land?"

"Look at the race."

"Can you cook well?"

"Only cooked."

The little scholar looked at Lizheng speechlessly, and Lizheng hurriedly comforted him: "This is the foundation, take it back and teach it well, and it will work if you keep it."

The little scholar had no choice but to turn his head and continue to say: "Buy out the life and death contract, 50 ren per month, do you want to cook, buy vegetables, wash clothes and plant the land, would you like it?" Li Zheng interrupted next to him: "Tell him what to do, I will go to the yamen servant .”

The man glanced at it: "I like men." Pei Renjie was puzzled, and asked tentatively, "Did you agree?" The man smiled: "You just agree."

But the little scholar didn't understand, and was about to ask again, when the government servants were brought over here: "Xue Yinsong! Come here for the delivery procedures!"

Xue Yinsong jumped up, stood up straight and was more than two heads taller than Xiao Xiucai, he saw him lazily moving his neck around, his knuckles cracking, and then he walked slowly towards the yamen servant, Pei Renjie was scalped by what he saw, and was about to speak, when Li Zheng said excitedly: "That's what I want, that's what I want... Take care of those wretches!"

Little Xiucai had no choice but to shut up, and depressedly followed to pay the money.

After finishing all the formalities, Pei Renjie finally breathed a sigh of relief, and was about to buy some daily necessities. He turned around and asked, "Do you want something? I'll buy it for you too." Seeing Xue Yinsong's indifferent face, He said very seriously: "You don't have to be afraid, I have always been very good to my servants, if you have anything, just tell me, as long as it is what should be done, I will do it for you."

Xue Yinsong looked at him, raised his eyebrows and still didn't utter a word, Xiao Xiucai had no choice but to go and buy him two coarse clothes and a quilt, and also bought some rough pottery bowls, fire sickles, Candles and a knife of rough paper.

Xue Yinsong just watched from the side, and when he saw that he paid the money, he reached out to take it and carried it. Seeing that he was reluctant to talk, Pei Renjie didn't pay much attention.The two bought things and walked to the east gate of the county seat. Lizheng's car was already waiting. Seeing them coming, they jumped into the car and went back to the village.

Seeing the newcomer, several village women chatted about it as usual, but it meant that it was a pity to be a servant with such a good-looking person, and asked why they sold themselves, etc., Xue Yinsong answered impatiently, just raised his eyebrows and glanced across, Those few people didn't dare to speak, and sat quietly until they entered the village.

Pei Renjie led him to Lizheng's house to pick up the child first, and handed him a key: "Because we just came here, we don't know each other well, so it's better to lock the door once we enter and exit."

Xue Yinsong silently collected the keys, carried his things and walked to the backyard. After a while, he saw smoke rising from the kitchen, and he probably started to cook.

The little scholar was very happy, and whispered to Changhui: "We have meat to eat today!" Changhui was also very excited: "Daddy, you can eat a few more yuan then." Pei Renjie said: "My dear son, go The backyard told Uncle Xue to cook more meat, and I will clean the west wing, so that Uncle Xue can sleep at night."

After a while Pei Changhui timidly came over and pulled the corner of the little scholar's clothes: "Uncle Xue is angry, he said there is no meat to eat." Pei Renjie was a little surprised: "Didn't Lizheng's house just deliver some bacon yesterday, why is there no meat?" gone?"

Changhui hesitated for a while before telling the truth: "I saw that he had grown a beard, and he called uncle, but uncle got angry..."

Pei Renjie laughed. Because those refugees were fleeing, they couldn't even eat enough and couldn't shave. Changhui was too young, so he thought that the bearded ones were uncles, so he comforted him softly: "Then I'll go and tell uncle , let him make some bacon, okay?"

Changhui nodded quickly, he didn't dare to follow, he just urged his father to go quickly.

Xue Yinsong moved quickly, and the meal was served on the table in a short while. The thinly sliced ​​bacon was steamed translucently, and green and white chopped green onions were sprinkled on it. A scallion pancake, not greasy but delicious.

One big and one small were immediately attracted, and moved their chopsticks as soon as they got on the table, but Xue Yinsong turned around and went out.Pei Renjie quickly followed him out, seeing him squatting in the kitchen with a bowl of corn paste ready to drink, he hurriedly invited him and said: "Although you and I are in the relationship of master and servant, but my family doesn't have so many rules, just me and Changhui Eating is also deserted, you can come and eat with us in the future."

Xue Yinsong obediently stood up and went to the main room to put on the table, only to see that Chang Hui's hands were full of oil, and he was grabbing a large piece of scallion pancake and gnawed vigorously. Seeing the two of them, they immediately huddled together: "Father, I'll do that first..."

Pei Renjie said sullenly, "Don't do that next time." Then he sat down and divided the cakes. He asked for one and handed another to Xue Yinsong.

This meal was the most delicious meal that Pei Renjie ate in Chenjiacun. The bacon was cut neither thick nor thin, and most of the oil was steamed out. The fatty meat did not feel greasy when biting into it. The scallion cake was also delicious, even corn It was almost a mess, but it wasn't his fault, he hiccupped and explained with some embarrassment: "I didn't eat in the morning, it's really insulting to the gentleman."

Xue Yinsong didn't even look at him, he put away the bowls and walked towards the back kitchen. After a while, there was the sound of washing the dishes.Xiao Xiucai hugged his son and spread it out on the stool. He just felt that giving up that large fortune to come to Chenjia Village was definitely the most correct decision in his life.

After Xue Yinsong had a rest, he went to the backyard to check the chicken coop, and cleaned the pig pen and the sheep pen.

Little Xiucai wondered if she wanted to raise pigs and sheep?Sure enough, after a while Xue Yinsong said that he was going to buy livestock.

"It's hard for you to be thoughtful. Changhui and I don't really understand these things. If we have any good ideas in the future, we will definitely support them."

Xue Yinsong frowned, but did not speak. He just took the broom next to the sheep pen to sweep the floor. Pei Renjie hurriedly asked, "When are you going to buy livestock?"

"Tomorrow."

Pei Renjie sees that everything is arranged by someone, so he doesn't worry about it anymore. He wants to be an official. He packs up and continues to study. Changhui should start practicing calligraphy this year, so let's take it with him when he's older. Then send it to school.

In the afternoon when Xue Yinsong came back with a straw basket on his back, the little scholar was reading a book in the East Wing, shaking his head and chanting, hitting the desk and admiring: "What a 'scholar can't be resolute, there is a long way to go'! If everyone If you have ideals in mind and work hard to realize them, why worry in the prosperous age?"

Xue Yinsong glanced at the east wing, and walked silently to the backyard to start drying grass. It is now the end of summer, and he has to fill up a person-high haystack. In winter, henhouses need to store thick grass, and other livestock can also set them up. Add a crunch.

The sheepsty and pigsty have been cleaned up. Forget the sheep. They can eat and don’t grow meat. It’s more beneficial to raise a few rabbits. Pigs must be raised. If there is no land this year, I will raise one first, and I will go to the county tomorrow. .

Xue Yinsong went around twice to clean up the backyard, and then took out the big wooden stakes hanging under the eaves to chop firewood.