Village Flowers and Female Scholars

Waking up early in the morning on the second day, Xie Yan and Cao E's mother and daughter took Xie Yuangu up calmly, and went down to the ground carrying tools as usual.

It's just that the field where they went to loosen the soil today was exactly the one belonging to Li Zheng's family.

Most of the land of Lizheng's family was rented out, except for the three acres of land left to cultivate by themselves. Coincidentally, it happened to be connected with the land of Cao's family. Xie Yan observed it for a few days. I just happened to be busy in this field yesterday, and I haven't finished my work, so I will definitely come here today.

Sure enough, not long after the mother and daughter were squatting in the field to work, Lizheng Cai Chu led his daughter-in-law Gao Shi to the field.

Seeing the mother and daughter nearby, the villagers greeted each other. Thinking about what happened yesterday, Cai Chu asked, "Did Cao's family not make things difficult for you after you went back yesterday?"

Xie Yan replied: "There is no embarrassment. They cooked bacon for us for the first time, and said that the food and housing conditions will be unified in the future, and they will no longer treat us as harshly as before."

Cai Chu couldn't help but frowned and said, "It's strange, it shouldn't be."

Listening to his muttering, Xie Yan asked, "Uncle, the Xie family drove our mother and son back, and our household registration has not been processed. If we want to separate, what should we do?"

Cai Chu straightened up in astonishment and said, "Do you want to separate? But now Xiao Gu'er is not yet five years old, and a man can only establish a household after he is 12 years old. Besides, if you have no land and no land, if you really separate , what will I live on in the future?"

"Isn't it still possible to set up a female household? Like my mother, she was divorced by the Xie family before. It stands to reason that she will become an independent household after she returns. If she remarries, it can also depend on my mother's wishes. It's just that these years have not I have been living together all this time, now that I have grown up, and Gu'er is almost five years old, if the whole family of the Cao family has been together, it will be difficult for Gu'er to miss school in the future."

The matter of the Cao family is clearly there, Xie Yanche brought up his younger brother's schooling problem, Li Zheng naturally knew that it was just a pretext.

"The three of you, mother and son, don't have a homestead in this village, so it stands to reason that you can't settle down."

When Xie Yan heard this, although she was already mentally prepared, she still felt a little thumping in her heart. The ancient household registration system is indeed similar to the modern one. You must first have a homestead before discussing the establishment of a household.

"Then Uncle Cai, can we separate and set up female households after we own the homestead?"

Lizheng pondered for a while and said: "From the perspective of the laws of the Jin Dynasty, if there is no male head in the family, or the youngest son is under the age of twelve, and has a homestead in the village, he can establish a female household after the approval of Lizheng in the village."

Xie Yan hurriedly asked: "Uncle, as long as I own a homestead, no matter how big or small, I can become a household?"

"That's the way it is, but you have to be able to support yourself after the separation. Otherwise, you will go out to beg after the separation. If the higher authorities find out, I will not be able to explain it as a righteous person."

As it was about performance appraisal, Cai Chu didn't want to cause too much trouble.

"Uncle Cai, my mother brought me and my younger brother back to Shangyan Village five years ago. In the past five years, our mother and I have cultivated all the land of the Cao family. You said that if we were separated, we would have hands and feet. Where can I not support myself?" Xie Yan looked at Cai Chu pitifully, hoping to impress the man in front of him.

"That's what I said, but that field is the Cao family's own land. If you mother and child are divided, it's impossible for the Cao family to share the land with you, right?"

"Of course it's impossible, but now there are many families in the village who don't want to farm their own land, so they rent it out for planting. My mother and I find a family to rent four or five acres. After paying the land rent for a year, we will definitely be able to support ourselves. "

Cai Chu looked at the little girl in front of him. He didn't pay much attention to this person before. Every time he met, he rarely saw her speak. Most of the time, he hid behind his back and worked quietly. The little girl changed her previous timid look, her eyes were filled with things she couldn't understand.

"Uncle, don't think that I have changed suddenly. I was forced to do this. You saw what happened yesterday. What kind of life have we lived in Cao's house these years? There is really no way to change it." Bear with it, my mother wants to be a filial son, but we as sons and daughters must find a way for our future."

Cai Chu looked at Cao E, who was bewildered, and sighed, "But now there are fixed tenants for the land of every household. You came out of nowhere, where can you rent the land in a short while?"

"No matter how bad it is, my mother and I can still reclaim wasteland. I asked about it before. Now the imperial court encourages people to open up wasteland and farm a lot in order to recuperate. The wasteland will be directly owned by the people who opened up the wasteland. Are you afraid that we don't have a house?" Base?"

"Girl Jin, don't turn this matter upside down. You must first have a homestead in this village before you can settle down in our Shangyan Village. Only after you have an account can you reclaim wasteland. Otherwise, what do you think? A cat and a dog came and went straight up the mountain to reclaim wasteland and then lived in our Shangyan Village, isn’t this a mess.”

Xie Yan sorted out this matter. If you want to separate the family and set up a female household, you must first own a homestead, and you must persuade the man in front of you to help you register. When all this is done, you can move from the Cao family. come out.

"Uncle Cai, how do we buy and sell the fields in our village?" Xie Yan thought about the more than 1000 copper coins he had buried in the cave, and asked this question a little nervously.

Cai Chu was a little surprised when he heard that the little girl in front of him dared to ask the price of the land, and then looked at the tattered appearance of the three of them, and sighed: "Now in our village, first-class Eight taels for high-quality fertile land, six taels for second-class, four taels for third-class, two taels for inferior ones, and even less than one tael for some inferior ones.”

Cao E and the two children with yellow and thin faces in front of them did not look like people who could afford a tael of silver.

Unexpectedly, after listening to Cai Chu's words, Xie Yan's heart instantly became clear. The money she had saved earlier was more than enough to buy a modest homestead. Anyway, this land is not used for planting, so it doesn't matter at all. , of course they don't have the money to build a house on it now.

But no matter what, being able to own a homestead means that there is hope for breaking away from the Cao family. At least the Cao family has no way to dictate the marriage of their mother and daughter, let alone sell them. As for the house, build a house. You can live in a thatched shed, which is better than Cao’s firewood house with air leaks on all sides and can’t keep out the rain. Moreover, the village is surrounded by unowned mountains, which are temporarily owned by the imperial government. It is not difficult to build a house with a tree.

"Uncle Cai, if you have time today, can you ask me if there is any land for sale in the village? I want a homestead that is worth about one or two taels of silver, or if your family has suitable land, it can also be sold. Give it to me." Xie Yan pleaded.

"Don't worry, I can afford it. If you like it today, I can give you the money tomorrow. It's not Cao's money, I earned it myself."

Xie Yan was busy packing tickets and said.

Li Zheng naturally didn't believe her. One must know that their mother and daughter used to work as cattle and horses for the Cao family, and all the grain in this field was taken away by the Cao family. Where can I find money.

Seeing that Cai Chu had no intention of asking the land, Xie Yan also understood in her heart. You must know that the situation of their mother and daughter is really not like someone who can afford a tael of silver. Not even a penny.

But now that the money is on the mountain, I can't take it all at once. The Cao family must be paying close attention to me these days, and I have to be careful wherever I go. Even if I want to find Li Zheng, I have to come here under the pretext of working in the fields. waiting.

She had no choice but to plead bitterly: "Uncle Cai, you know the situation with my mother and brother now, within three to five days, the third uncle will definitely drag me to the city to sell, and then find my mother The widower is married, my younger brother is so young, and the officials in the city like his skin and tender flesh, do you have the heart to see the three of us, mother and son, reduced to such a state?"

Cai Chu's wife, Mrs. Gao, was also listening. She had always disliked the Cao family. In the past, she could not bear to see the mother and daughter as a whole family fighting to death, but this is someone else's family. It is not easy for outsiders to participate in housework. Now hearing the little girl's begging, Cao E's eyes are red and she is crying secretly. The young Xie Yuangu can't help it when he sees his mother and elder sister's faces bitter. Weeping loudly.

This scene is extremely unbearable.

Elbowed the husband on the side and said: "Didn't Granny Yu say earlier that they had a piece of land under the big locust tree at the foot of the mountain to sell? It happened to be less than an acre of land, and I'm afraid it wouldn't cost even a tael of silver. Miss Jin If you have the money, you can consider where it is, and it is far away from the Cao family, and they have to spend half a stick of incense if they want to swear."

"Thank you, Auntie, for your guidance," Xie Yan couldn't help crying with joy, "Auntie's kindness, will our family never forget it?"

Gao Shi was put on a high hat before this help was done. Gao felt relieved for a moment, glared at her husband, turned her head to Xie Yan and said: "The land is a bit higher, maybe only five points. It can be planted, but it is blocked by the big locust tree, which blocks the sun there, and the crops can’t grow well, otherwise they won’t be sold.”

Xie Yan didn't care about whether the land could grow food, as long as he could have a homestead, he would be thankful.

"It's just enough to have a place to live in. Don't dare to ask too much. If it's a fertile land, we can't afford the money."

Seeing that she didn't choose, Mrs. Gao felt happy in her heart, but said with embarrassment: "Yu Po's side is easy to talk to, let your uncle help to ask in the evening, just because I'm afraid you won't be able to get the money out. Although Yu Po and her family It seems that she is doing well, but she has spent a lot of money on medical treatment these years, and I am afraid that this price will be indispensable to you."

Xie Yan shook her head and said, "Don't worry about the money, Auntie. I can pay Granny Yu the full amount tomorrow morning, but I have to ask Uncle Cai to help me with the land deed procedures."

After speaking, he looked at Cai Chu with pleading eyes.

As long as the Cao family left, they would have a lot of time to go up the mountain to pick up game, so there was no need to worry about not getting back the money they bought for the land.

Cai Chu spread his hands helplessly: "What else can I say after you've finished talking, I'll help you out then, but the little girl can't just talk empty words, if you make an agreement with Granny Yu but don't see you take the money Come on, then it won't be so easy for you to ask me for help in the future."

Xie Yan had a major issue in mind, and he breathed a sigh of relief: "I will never break my promise."