The skilled widow is busy farming

Chapter 10 News
Xiu Niang smiled at Mammy, her eyes bright and firm, "I sincerely want to retain you, and it is also for the sake of the Li family clan to reach a higher level. The girl's education must be good."

"That's very true. You are very thoughtful and thoughtful. Let me think about it."

"Okay, don't rush, just think about it slowly."

Xiuniang was the first to express her sincerity and give her a reference opinion.

In the afternoon, my eldest brother came back from selling wine. He learned the art of wine making from his grandfather. He brewed a lot of wine every year. He was good at giving gifts and also used in family gatherings held during festivals in the village.

Secondly, selling wine is the family's biggest income, otherwise how could he afford to support so many people studying? There is a restaurant in the provincial capital that regularly orders drinks from his family.

The Zhou family also has relatives who own a tavern and order drinks from Grandpa to fill up the supply. The money from the drinks is the basis for the Li family to provide students with education.

The family still has fifty acres of land, and her personal dowry is ten acres of land. The second uncle's family also has forty acres of land, and his family has enough food.

My nephew Li Rui and my brother-in-law are very good at calligraphy and can earn some pocket money by copying books for others. My husband Li Ping used to earn a regular income from teaching.

Xiu Niang quickly poured a bowl of mung bean soup to quench his thirst.

The eldest brother drank a bowl of soup and then wiped his sweat and took a breath. "Brothers and sisters, I found a field."

"Really?"

Xiuniang's eyes lit up and she smiled expectantly.

"Where's the land? Is it good?"

Grandparents also stopped what they were doing and asked.

"Grandpa, there are two places. One is 250 acres of land, of which only half is good land, half is second-class land, and there is another [-] acres of wasteland, not far from our village."

"The second option is not far away. It is a small village with 120 acres of land. It is a hundred acres of good land. The village is a bit old but well taken care of. It has water channels, but it is sold by the landlord and the price is quite high."

After Li Mao finished speaking, he sat down and waited for his grandfather's decision.

"Where is the first location? Is it close to our village?"

"It's very convenient next to our village. There are dug ditches. The wasteland is close to the mountains and is just separated from the fields of other villages. There are no landlords or nobles nearby. The location is quite good, but the fields are not very good."

Li Mao ran around for several days, looking for referrals, and visited all the good fields nearby, but he put in a lot of effort.

"That Zhuangzi is relatively small. It is surrounded by the land of other landlords and squires, which are very close to each other. But the fields in Zhuangzi are all good. If they are taken care of, the land will be stable next year."

He added another sentence.

Grandpa glanced at grandma, "What do you think?"

"Zhuangzi is a good Zhuangzi, but there are hidden dangers. He is too close to the squire and can easily be swallowed up. In the end, we will suffer the loss. I am worried about this."

Grandma fumbled for the beads in her hand and thought seriously.

"Xiu'er, what do you think?"

"Should we call my second uncle to discuss it? I am quite optimistic about the first option. There is a lot of land and it is close to our village. There are no hidden dangers. The land can be raised. Even if it is slow to return the investment, it is not a big deal for our family. . Our family has a large population and not only one person can make money. It doesn’t matter if the return on investment is slower, wasteland is quite cheap, but it just takes longer to maintain.”

"Yes, I think so too. Come back and ask the elders."

"Call everyone back this afternoon and we can discuss it together."

Grandpa touched his chin and thought before speaking.

"Row."

After lunch, the second uncle and the others came after finishing their work.

"Dad, Brother Mao told me what your plan is. I'm quite optimistic about the first one. It's in a good position."

"Look at what Zhuangzi is like. It's all good land. With a little management, it can produce a lot of profit every year."

"Zhuangzi is very good. I have thought about it in my heart. But we have a big family and 250 acres of land is really suitable. We are not afraid of wasteland. We can raise it. As farmers, the last thing we are afraid of is taking care of the land." The second uncle has his own After thinking about it, he also paid 50 taels of silver this time, which was all the money the family had.

"Dad, my second brother and I have the same idea. We will allocate the good fields to the family and keep the wasteland to our family. The remaining good fields will be left to the second brother and his family. The second-class fields and wasteland will be left to our family to serve as servants. I am capable and not afraid. of."

The father-in-law is the eldest brother, and he takes the lead in giving way to his younger brother and the whole family.

"That won't work. Give me some of the wasteland. I can't let you suffer all."

The second uncle shook his head.

"You suffered a loss when the family was separated. You had little money and a small yard. I haven't made up for it all these years. Now that you have money this time, big brother will make up for you."

The father-in-law looked at his brother and smiled honestly.

"When did the old almanac come out and chew your tongue, and you weren't afraid of the children's jokes? During the years when my second son was studying in Beijing to take the exam, not only did you give me the money, but also the money my niece and daughter-in-law spent on brocade weaving. What did I say? I haven't been polite to you for a long time."

The second uncle waved his hand and disagreed with the eldest brother's method of distributing the losses.

"Then since you are all willing, just buy the 250 acres. Brother Mao, you and your second uncle will buy it together tomorrow. You will need a red-headed deed, and by the way, you will also get the ancestral field. Whose name is suitable for the ancestral field?"

Grandpa saw that both his sons were willing to have more land, so he decided.

"Just remember Brother Qun, he is the eldest son of the second brother."

The father-in-law thought for a moment before speaking, with a look of regret in his eyes. He lowered his head and tugged on his trouser legs, his rough hands gently groping the trouser legs, his hands trembling slightly.

The white-haired man gave the black-haired man a gift, and an outstanding son died. The parents-in-law were so devastated that it was so painful to even think about it.

"I agree. I'll write about Brother Chun next time. He can wait."

The second uncle also nodded in agreement. The ancestral field has a name, which is also a guarantee for Xiu Niang and her son. If the family is confiscated and the family is exterminated, the innocent women and children will be spared. With the ancestral field, there will be a future and a chance to turn around. The ancestral field will be returned to the individual. It will not be confiscated.

"Zhong, let's make a decision like this. We will give our clan [-] acres of good land. The remaining good land, second-class fields and wasteland will be divided equally between you brothers. No one can fight for it. We are a family. If any good things happen in the future, we should distribute them equitably. ,help each other."

Grandpa made the final decision.

"Okay, then this time I will take advantage of my eldest brother and my niece-in-law. Our two families will open up wasteland and cultivate the land together. There is strength in numbers."

The second uncle was no longer polite, and the family really couldn't move away.

"Brother, you go and write down all the names tomorrow. The land of the two families belongs to the father-in-law and the second uncle."

As for how the second uncle will distribute the money to his son in the future, that is his business.

The gold that Xiuniang took out was really not hers alone. There was money collected by her father-in-law and her eldest brother and sister-in-law, and it was all in it. The second uncle also paid part of the money for her husband to take away, which was everyone's money.

"I remember, it's all red-headed deeds."

"Is the money enough? If it's not enough, I still have more."

Xiu Niang hurriedly spoke. The red-headed deed guarantees that it will not be lost. The yamen will also keep records, but it will cost more. The white deed does not leave a name or record, and it cannot be found if it is lost.

"I have money, so I paid for the wine."

"Then you go and get some help tomorrow. Brother Mao, have you asked about the shop I asked you to inquire about?"

"I asked, it's too expensive. I thought I wouldn't rush it for a while. If I wait a little longer, I won't become fat after eating this. I'd better buy it first to feel at ease."

Farmers value land more.

"When I sell the paintings, I will have money to buy a shop. There will be no rush. I will build a new yard after the mourning period is over."

Xiu Niang specially explained that people should not say that the two members of the Li family drank the blood of dead people. It was too ugly.

(End of this chapter)