Country Maiden: Fields and Fortune

335, Kill the Chicken to Scare the Monkey (1 more update

Xie Zhinuan spoke in another gentle voice, and being good-looking herself, the children gathered at the door were utterly fascinated, especially the little girls who were filled with envy.

The most important thing they envied was that Xie Zhinuan owned herself and controlled everything about them, having the power to sell them if she wished. Even if they were to marry in the future, they had to ask whether they could, whether they would receive some grace, or whether they could buy their freedom.

Of course, the chance of them being able to buy their freedom was extremely slim.

Bending over in the fields and facing the sky, their whole year’s labor was barely enough to keep themselves fed. It was impossible for them to save any extra silver. Even the clothes they wore were new only because of their master’s great kindness. And if they ever got new clothes, they couldn’t wear them. Instead, they were traded for money or exchanged for coarse or hemp fabric.

There was no way they could hope for a substantial dowry when they married.

Those who understood this resigned themselves to their fate with a clear understanding.

They also feared that Xie Zhinuan might be even more ruthless than the previous landlord from the mountains and exploit them even more severely.

The children, still naive, saw that the chest was quite large and immediately approached it.

Dirty and skinny, with yellowed faces, they looked quite pitiful.

Xie Zhinuan opened the chest, which contained several parcels wrapped in oiled paper. She took one out and unwrapped it.

“Green bean cake!” a child exclaimed with joy.

Clearly, he had eaten or seen it before.

“Yes, these are green bean cakes!” Xie Zhinuan counted and then asked the Farmer, “Have all the children from the families arrived?”

“Back to the master, they are all here!”

Xie Zhinuan looked around at each of them, all dressed in patched clothing. “What about yours?” she asked the Farmer again.

The Farmer was taken aback.

He had not expected Xie Zhinuan to say that.

He swallowed hard, “Mine are in the back; I’ll go call them!”

“No need!”

Xie Zhinuan casually pointed to a youngster, “You go call them!”

Upon hearing this, the youngster immediately went.

The Farmer suddenly felt a sense of panic.

Soon, five people came out, the oldest in their teens and the youngest around six or seven, three boys and two girls, all wearing clothes that were fairly new and hadn’t been washed many times.

“Ah!” Xie Zhinuan chuckled softly.

“Alright, come here and take some pastries, two pieces each!”

The Farmer’s children, seeing the green bean cakes, did not seem too excited, but still stepped forward to take two pieces each and stood aside, not eating.

Unlike the other children, who devoured their cakes greedily and kept a hopeful eye on the parcels in Xie Zhinuan’s hands.

Their eyes shone with eagerness.

Some even licked their fingertips, as if trying to savor every last taste on their hands.

“…”

Xie Zhinuan spoke softly, “You are all here; I have a few questions to ask the Farmer. Listen closely and tell me if what he says is true or not.”

The Farmer’s face showed embarrassment, with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

He wanted to retaliate, but the sight of two men sitting by, who didn’t look simple, made him dare not act rashly.

“Please speak, master!”

Xie Zhinuan nodded, “How much land does this manor have in total?”

“There are forty-five mu in total. Each family has built houses and left space for vegetable gardens in the backyards, so about ten mu are used up!”

“That means, on average, each family has a bit over seven mu of land!” Xie Zhinuan said, glancing at the Farmer, “Then, the chickens and pigs they raise every day, do they belong to the Farmers or the master?”@@novelbin@@

The Farmer hesitated.

“Back to the master, the Farmer said we have to give half of the livestock we raise to the master!” someone blurted out.

Xie Zhinuan nodded, looking at the Farmer, “What do you think?”

Over at Lao Zhu’s place, Lao Zhu had never mentioned such a rule.

The Farmer swallowed, “I, I was just thinking of what’s best for the master!”

“Then, did you really send all that you took to the former master? You’d better not lie to me. If I want to find out something, asking your former master isn’t difficult!” Xie Zhinuan spoke sternly, her face already looking displeased.

Chapter 337