Chapter 401
Before Old Master Chen could leave, the villagers of Daniu Village returned. This time, however, they were all the old, the weak, women, and children. A dozen children followed behind the adults, their dark pupils filled with curiosity as they secretly watched Zhan Feiyu and her entourage.
"We beg the noble one to save us," the old woman at the head, her hair yellowed and so thin she was just skin and bones, pushed away her grandson's support and knelt on the ground with a thud.
The other women also knelt down. The accompanying children were all young and, after a moment's hesitation, knelt beside their mothers or grandmothers.
Even though the guards brought by Old Master Chen had spoken harshly earlier, Zhan Feiyu had not been angered. However, seeing the sea of old, weak, women, and children kneeling on the ground, Zhan Feiyu's expression turned grim.
"Miss?" He Nuan's face was also unsightly. Were these villagers trying to coerce Miss into buying this land? If they succeeded this time, would they then kneel and beg Miss to collect less rent in the future?
Greed knows no bounds. He Nuan could even imagine them becoming more demanding. Since Miss was not short of money, with a set of jewelry costing tens or even hundreds of taels, why not give them this land?
Aunt Guihua also knelt beside the old woman. Her eyes were still red and swollen from crying, and she pleaded with Zhan Feiyu in a hoarse voice, "Noble one, please be kind. Old Master Chen is demanding too much rent; he is forcing us all to death."
"Yes, eighty percent rent. We have no way to survive here."
"Little Niuniu, quickly beg the noble one for help. If the noble one agrees, you won't have to go hungry."
The little girl pushed by the woman, who looked no more than four or five years old, was still kneeling. Being pushed, she fell directly to the ground.
When she looked up, her small face was not only covered in dust but her forehead was also scraped. She looked blankly at her mother beside her and said to Zhan Feiyu in a dazed voice, "Niuniu doesn't want to be hungry... Wah, Niuniu doesn't want to starve to death..."
Old Master Chen, standing to the side, didn't understand at first. It wasn't until these women knelt down one by one, crying and begging, that he realized. They didn't want him to buy the land, so they were begging the noble one to buy it so they could pay less rent.
Although Zhan Feiyu was also a young girl, her demeanor made Old Master Chen dare not be presumptuous. He looked at the kneeling villagers with disdain and then said to Zhan Feiyu obsequiously, "Miss, there's no need to be angry. Poor mountains and bad waters breed difficult people. These clodhoppers are not good people. If Miss intends to buy this land, I will gladly hand it over. However, if Miss finds managing these matters troublesome, I can also do it on your behalf."
This young lady was an official's daughter! Old Master Chen thought of the money he had to bribe the yamen runners every year and felt a pang of pain. If he could establish a connection with this noble person, who would dare to demand money from him in the future?
Aunt Guihua and the other women were stunned and looked at the fawning Old Master Chen with extreme fear. They had lied and begged the noble one for help, but if the land was still managed by Old Master Chen, why would they be kneeling here?
Zhan Feiyu looked at the anxious women. For a moment, Zhan Feiyu even considered agreeing to Old Master Chen. But looking at their emaciated faces, their anxious eyes, and the sobbing little Niuniu, that moment of coldness was suppressed.
"I said I am not from Longyou Dao, so I will not buy this land," Zhan Feiyu finally spoke, but she did not pressure Old Master Chen to lower the rent.
In fact, it would be useless. Perhaps the rent would be lowered this year, but when Old Master Chen discovered that Zhan Feiyu was far away in Jiangnan Dao and beyond his reach, he would surely increase the rent even more.
"Pah, seventy percent rent sounds good, but with all sorts of difficulties, wouldn't we still have to pay eighty percent rent!" Aunt Guihua glared fiercely at the hypocritical Old Master Chen.
...
Before Old Master Chen could leave, the villagers of Daniu Village returned. This time, however, they were all the old, the weak, women, and children. A dozen children followed behind the adults, their dark pupils filled with curiosity as they secretly watched Zhan Feiyu and her entourage.
"We beg the noble one to save us," the old woman at the head, her hair yellowed and so thin she was just skin and bones, pushed away her grandson's support and knelt on the ground with a thud.
The other women also knelt down. The accompanying children were all young and, after a moment's hesitation, knelt beside their mothers or grandmothers.
Even though the guards brought by Old Master Chen had spoken harshly earlier, Zhan Feiyu had not been angered. However, seeing the sea of old, weak, women, and children kneeling on the ground, Zhan Feiyu's expression turned grim.
"Miss?" He Nuan's face was also unsightly. Were these villagers trying to coerce Miss into buying this land? If they succeeded this time, would they then kneel and beg Miss to collect less rent in the future?
Greed knows no bounds. He Nuan could even imagine them becoming more demanding. Since Miss was not short of money, with a set of jewelry costing tens or even hundreds of taels, why not give them this land?
Aunt Guihua also knelt beside the old woman. Her eyes were still red and swollen from crying, and she pleaded with Zhan Feiyu in a hoarse voice, "Noble one, please be kind. Old Master Chen is demanding too much rent; he is forcing us all to death."
"Yes, eighty percent rent. We have no way to survive here."
"Little Niuniu, quickly beg the noble one for help. If the noble one agrees, you won't have to go hungry."
The little girl pushed by the woman, who looked no more than four or five years old, was still kneeling. Being pushed, she fell directly to the ground.
When she looked up, her small face was not only covered in dust but her forehead was also scraped. She looked blankly at her mother beside her and said to Zhan Feiyu in a dazed voice, "Niuniu doesn't want to be hungry... Wah, Niuniu doesn't want to starve to death..."
Old Master Chen, standing to the side, didn't understand at first. It wasn't until these women knelt down one by one, crying and begging, that he realized. They didn't want him to buy the land, so they were begging the noble one to buy it so they could pay less rent.
Although Zhan Feiyu was also a young girl, her demeanor made Old Master Chen dare not be presumptuous. He looked at the kneeling villagers with disdain and then said to Zhan Feiyu obsequiously, "Miss, there's no need to be angry. Poor mountains and bad waters breed difficult people. These clodhoppers are not good people. If Miss intends to buy this land, I will gladly hand it over. However, if Miss finds managing these matters troublesome, I can also do it on your behalf."
This young lady was an official's daughter! Old Master Chen thought of the money he had to bribe the yamen runners every year and felt a pang of pain. If he could establish a connection with this noble person, who would dare to demand money from him in the future?
Aunt Guihua and the other women were stunned and looked at the fawning Old Master Chen with extreme fear. They had lied and begged the noble one for help, but if the land was still managed by Old Master Chen, why would they be kneeling here?
Zhan Feiyu looked at the anxious women. For a moment, Zhan Feiyu even considered agreeing to Old Master Chen. But looking at their emaciated faces, their anxious eyes, and the sobbing little Niuniu, that moment of coldness was suppressed.
"I said I am not from Longyou Dao, so I will not buy this land," Zhan Feiyu finally spoke, but she did not pressure Old Master Chen to lower the rent.
In fact, it would be useless. Perhaps the rent would be lowered this year, but when Old Master Chen discovered that Zhan Feiyu was far away in Jiangnan Dao and beyond his reach, he would surely increase the rent even more.
"Noble one, please be merciful and pity us." The old woman at the head raised her hand to wipe away her tears. Her withered hand was as dry as tree bark, truly skin and bones, as if it could break with a single bend.
The children kneeling on the ground, though plumper, were so only in comparison to these white-haired old women. Compared to Zhan Feiyu, they were worlds apart. They were not getting enough to eat, and their food was poor. It was already a blessing that they hadn't starved to death.
Old Master Chen was initially worried that he wouldn't be able to buy the land, but after hearing Zhan Feiyu's words, he felt relieved. Looking at the pleading old women, Old Master Chen stroked his beard and smiled, "Alright, you don't need to trouble the noble one. Today, for the noble one's sake, the rent will be collected at seventy percent, just like before."
"Pah, seventy percent rent sounds good, but with all sorts of difficulties, wouldn't we still have to pay eighty percent rent!" Aunt Guihua glared fiercely at the hypocritical Old Master Chen.