The pastoral life of the reborn farmer

Chapter 21

In Shen's room, Shen Dalang and his daughter-in-law Zhao Shuitao were whispering.

"It seems that the second brother has made up his mind to do business, and father will be angry in the future." Zhao Shuitao showed a lively smile, and her expression was a little excited.

Shen Dalang sat cross-legged beside the bed casually, took the quilt to cover his legs, didn't care about his wife's words, smiled, and said, "It doesn't matter to us anyway, we just need to guard the third brother and wait until the third brother becomes an official. Now, we will naturally have a good life."

Zhao Shuitao rolled her eyes, "I know that thinking about your third brother, when he passes the exam after the new year, the exam will have to wait another year! The Beijing exam will take at least two years, and when he dispatches an official, it will take at least three years to start. By then, he may just be a petty official with sesame and mung beans, and he wants to enjoy happiness with him! It won't be possible for four or five years. We are going to endure for so long!"

Zhao Shuitao was very dissatisfied, she was a beauty with a bulging front and back, and when she married into the Shen family, it was the most beautiful time of the Shen family, and Shen's father did not know where she came from. She suddenly made a fortune, returned to her hometown, and gave her a large dowry. I also heard that some uncles are good at reading, especially the third uncle, who is better at reading than adults in the younger grades, and will definitely be able to be a good student in the future. Officer, that's why she got married.

The Shen family was rich at that time, and Shen San and Shen Si were literate and literate. She was considered to be the best family in the country, so she thought about marrying and enjoying happiness, but she didn't want to. They were the best, but they didn't give her the best. Instead, it was given to Shen San. She was the same as marrying into an ordinary farmer. She worked all day and gave birth to three children. She didn't see any of them touching the light of the Shen family. With resentment in her stomach, she was secretly dissatisfied with the Shen family's partiality. If she hadn't believed that Shen San could really be an official and let the family turn over and enjoy the happiness, she would have exploded long ago with her temper.

But even so, it would take several years for Shen San to be in his early years. Zhao Shuitao is now almost counting down his days to make himself feel more balanced. Occasionally, she would think about whether she would have had a better life than now if she had not married into the Shen family, but had married some rich peasant family to fill a house or married into a landlord's family to be a concubine, thinking about her passing away Looking at her rough skin, bloated body and dry hair, Zhao Shuitao was full of mixed feelings for a while.

Just wait until Shen San becomes an official! At that time, she could also be the wife of the official family. Zhao Shuitao thought sadly that she had forgotten Shen Ling's business affairs for a while. She was just a country woman. It's just that everyone said so, she just mentioned it casually, and didn't care.

In the blink of an eye, it was almost New Year's Eve, and Shen Ling's 'sickness' gradually got better again. The day just dawned, and the two of Shen Ling and Han Shi were welcomed into Li Zheng's house.

Li Zheng's daughter-in-law is a slightly fat middle-aged woman, but she can vaguely see her beautiful face. It can be seen that she was also the most beautiful girl in the country when she was young. Shen Ling glanced at it casually, then bent over and clasped her fist: "Auntie Good."

"Alas." Li Zheng's wife nodded, looking a little unsalty and indifferent, "Shen Er! Come in and sit."

Shen Ling cupped her hands and led Han Shi in. Li Zheng was at home at the moment, when she saw Shen Ling When I came in, I was still a little puzzled, and asked with a gentle expression: "What's wrong? Come in, come in, is there anything looking for me?" Li Zheng's attitude was normal, as if the trouble Shen Ling had caused him in front of the ancestral hall had been forgotten by him. In fact, sitting in his position, there are many people who cause him trouble with such big and small things, and he doesn't mind Shen Ling's troubles too much. Generally, as long as he is not hostile, he has always been gentle and polite in dealing with people and things, otherwise he can't He became Lizheng at a young age and also served as the patriarch. You must know that there are people who are older and younger than him.

Shen Ling stood in front of the hall, but did not listen to Li Zheng's words and entered the room. He bowed respectfully and said, "Uncle, I wish you an early year." After speaking, he took the gift from Han Shi's hand, holding it in both hands. go up.

Li Zheng's eyes were filled with satisfaction almost immediately, and the indifference and politeness at the beginning also became a little affectionate, but there was still no special change in his expression, and this emotional change was almost invisible, but the expression of Li Zheng's wife next to him But it was obvious that they were kinder, and the smiles were a little more sincere.

"It's too polite, we can't ask, and there's no reason to ask for something from you!" Lizheng's wife quickly declined. They are only from the same clan, and they have never had any contacts on New Year's Day. Why did they suddenly give gifts?

"Auntie, you must take it. I can't remember the past. I don't know if it's my first time here, but let's just pretend it's my first time here! How can I come without a gift?" Shen Ling smiled.

It was really the first time that Shen Ling had entered the door of Lizheng's house, so Lizheng's wife didn't say anything, just smiled and turned to look at Lizheng, her eyes seemed to be asking.

Li Zheng nodded, Shen Ling hurried forward and handed it over, Li Zheng's wife just accepted it, went into the house with a smile and went to make tea, Li Zheng laughed and scolded: "What? Let's talk! Go to the Three Treasures Hall without anything, today. Why did you come here?"

"Uncle is wise." Shen Ling followed Li Zheng into the main room, stood respectfully in front of Li Zheng, and smiled.

Li Zheng took a sip from a teacup. His family was always crowded with people, so he also kept hot water for tea leaves and tea sets, which was different from that of ordinary farmers.

The boy of Lizheng's family is the only son of Lizheng, and he only got married several years later. He is only seven years old this year. He is reading a book in a low voice in the back room, and when he hears guests coming from outside, his voice gradually becomes lower and weaker. Inaudible, as if there was something special, he suddenly let out a low whimper, and quickly covered it.

Shen Ling knew very well. He inquired about the situation of Lizheng's family when he was buying gifts. Lizheng's family didn't know why. It was difficult to have children. So far, he only had one son. A little live, instead, he was enlightened to study from a young age. Although he was less talented than Shen San's talent back then, from a farmer's point of view, he was already extremely good in reading. What Shen Ling gave were some expensive cakes in the town that children like to eat, and a piece of cloth. I guess the child exclaimed when he saw the cakes!

Li Zheng didn't speak, and motioned Shen Ling to sit down again.

Shen Ling sat to the side without moving the tea on the table, and said, "Uncle, you also know that my house is really uninhabitable, and I happened to have some money in my hand, so I thought about buying a piece of homestead, and then I'd do it myself. Build a house, I don't know if there is any land for sale in the village?"

Li Zheng put down the tea cup, "You are in poor health, and you managed to have some money in your hand. Besides, even if you have money, isn't it better to buy some paddy fields and the like than to buy a homestead? Even if you can't plant it yourself, you can plant it for others and collect the rent yourself!"

Shen Ling said with a smile: "Yes, I'm ready. I'll tell my uncle about this after buying the homestead! Do we have any wasteland to sell in our village? I want to buy some kinds of fruit trees to raise chickens and ducks."

Li Zheng glanced at Shen Ling, "Are you sure you want to buy wasteland? , let me tell you a heartfelt word. Although wasteland is cheap, it is not easy to take care of! You might as well buy some paddy fields, and you will not be hungry in the future. If you buy paddy and dry fields, how can you buy wasteland?"

"Naturally, I have already thought about it, thank you for your concern."

"Okay! You can do what you want." Li Zheng looked at the gift just now and kindly reminded two people. But Shen Ling doesn't care, so he doesn't say anything. Anyway, whether it's a wasteland paddy field or a homestead, he takes the same commission. After going through his hands, he can always make some money. As for Shen Ling What he wants to buy has nothing to do with him.

Shen Ling decided to buy land, and Lizheng also confirmed the place to buy with Shen Ling. There is a wasteland in the east of the village, but it is close to the mountains. There are many stones on the ground, which is difficult to cultivate. The only thing is that there is a puddle inside, which is full of water all the year round. If you raise chickens, ducks, and plant fruit trees, it is a good place.

Shen Ling also took a fancy to it at first, and then he and Li Zheng decided to buy a homestead that was closer to the wasteland at the east end of the village, and then left after saying goodbye. He said to himself, "Can I make so much money writing Spring Festival couplets?" If they could make so much money, why didn't those scholars who had no hope of selling characters in the imperial examinations make a fortune?

After thinking about it, I couldn't figure it out, so I gave up.

In fact, Shen Ling did not write the Spring Festival couplets anymore, but went to sell the recipe for chili oil, and made another fifteen taels of silver. After adding it all together, he thought about buying land. Shen Ling wanted to start a canning factory. Since he came to this world, he has been paying attention to everything in this dynasty, and even went to the study to read books for several days, and was almost kicked out by the owner of the store. In the end, he could only give the study owner ten cents a day for rent. The price of the book, was able to continue to study there.

Later, the owner of the study even promoted this method to other scholars. As long as the deposit was paid, he rented books for ten cents a day, and made a fortune. Shen Ling's eyes became kinder.

Shen Ling was also very helpless about the fact that he gave the owner of the study a way to make money for free. He didn't expect that there was no book rental in this world! However, this method is simple and easy to learn, and if you say it, it will be spread and used. He didn't expect to sell for any money, so he put it down and concentrated on studying everything about this dynasty and reading various historical pictures in miscellaneous books.

This dynasty does not belong to any era in history. Of course, the peculiar existence of Shuang'er has made Shen Ling understand that he came to a different time and space, and he is not too surprised.

This dynasty is called the Jin Dynasty. It was only a hundred years after the founding of the country, and the emperor has only passed on for two generations. However, the people studying in the study said that they are not in good health today, and it is estimated that the third generation is coming soon. No idea, just keep focusing on other things. Since the founding of the Jin Dynasty, from the initial poverty and war, to the time when it can recuperate in a stable manner. There have been turmoil for decades in the middle, and the war has completely stopped, giving the people time to recuperate. It is only a dozen years away from now, so overall Said that the state of Jin is still very poor and weak.

Moreover, in the previous dynasty, merchants were not allowed to wear silk and satin, and they were not allowed to participate in the imperial examinations within two generations. Although the previous dynasty was dead, and the Jin state did not have these regulations on suppressing commerce, the Jin state was always busy fighting turmoil and did not care about this. This kind of thing, so until now, people still look down on businessmen. Most of the rich people in the towns and counties are officials and eunuchs, or big landowners. Even if they have business in their hands, they are mostly handed over to slaves. Proud to be in business, although none of them are not in business.

But when Shen Ling looked at the official newspapers issued by the imperial court, he still clearly found that the imperial court seemed to have the meaning of changing this phenomenon. I also mentioned one thing specially. If businessmen pay taxes, the tax amount can be equal to that of private households, which is a lot lower than before, which shows the thoughts of the imperial court.

After reading this, Shen Ling felt relieved and made up his mind to be a businessman, but in this era when the whole people looked down on businessmen, he still secretly decided to be a Confucian businessman, so he bought some exam books and previous years in the study. The excellent test papers and the like can be counted as reference materials. This is why I completely stop running to the study every day, which makes the owner of the study a great regret.