Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 55 - 53 Can’t Pamper Anymore

Chapter 55: Chapter 53: Can’t Pamper Anymore

Chapter 55 -53: Can’t Pamper Anymore

Shen Chengyao and Shen Chengzu returned to their house bearing the news.

On hearing it, Mrs.

Lu burst into tears and, without sparing Shen Chengzu a single glance, she grabbed Jie’er and headed towards the third branch.

“Sister-in-law, isn’t this outrageous?

We used to put up with the main family, but now, even after the division, they want to indirectly reclaim the ten taels of silver we were allotted.

If indeed no one from the main family could go and they could not gather the silver, it would be alright to require the grandfather, but they clearly have everything.

Why are they always striving to suppress their brothers?” The thought of all these years brought a fresh surge of tears to Mrs.

Lu’s eyes.

When she gave birth to Jie’er, complications arose.

After the birth, the doctor said she would need to take medicine for several months to recuperate before she could even think about having another child.

Yet Mrs.

Shen was reluctant to part with even a small amount of silver to buy medicine for her recovery.

This led to several years of barrenness.

Recently, because of the division, they acquired ten taels of silver, which she used to seek medical advice.

However, the medicine cost two taels of silver within a month and still needed to be consumed for two more months.

The ten taels from the allotment had already been significantly spent, and Shen Chengzu, earning only five hundred coins a month from the forge—despite it being a relatively high wage—where could they get more silver?

The main family were like vampires, draining people dry!

Mrs.

Liu was also heartbroken.

Every time there were benefits, their two families were overlooked.

Yet when it came to hardship, toil, or financial contribution, it was always their two families at the forefront.

Now despite the division, they were not spared.

Moreover, the thought of others targeting her child disappointed her deeply.

“Her mother never agrees with you and keeps saying that you’re unfilial.

She threatens to go to the government.

We still need to save face.

What other options do we have?”

Xiao’er too was disapproving of the main family’s behavior.

She was adamant about not giving them any leeway.

If they got too accustomed to this, they would keep making troubles for their own family and would bring nothing but trouble.

“Father, Mother, if Grandfather really has to do the labor service, and if none of my other brothers can afford the silver, I wouldn’t think twice about giving all of it, but it isn’t the case.

My elder uncle and eldest cousin do not want to go, nor do they want to part with their silver.

It’s clear that they are scheming against us, and both Grandfather and Grandmother are aiding them.

How can we tolerate such behavior?

If this becomes a habit, when will it finally end?

When we hadn’t divided the family, we did not make a fuss, we settled things among ourselves.

But now, we are separate families and such matters cannot be handled as if we still were one.

Furthermore, could it be that my elder uncle, who runs a grocery store in the town, really doesn’t have 40 taels to spare?

Last time when I brought clothes for the family, I spent more than twenty taels.

Yet the clothes my eldest uncle’s family wears are of even better quality than what I brought last time.

They change clothes many times a year, yet I have never seen them wear the same clothes twice.

What does that tell you?”

“They possess silver but simply do not want to part with it!” Jing Rui exclaimed, clenching his fist.

The room was shrouded in silence.

“So, this time we will give only five taels at most to each of our two families and nothing else.” Jinghao internally justified the decision.

“But we’ve already agreed to it.” Shen Chengyao and Shen Chengzu exchanged glances.

During Mrs.

Shen’s fit about going to the government, they had already agreed to her proposition.

“Next time, let her go to the government!” Mrs.

Lu spat out stubbornly.

Xiao’er had thought of a plan.

Tomorrow they wouldn’t have to give a single copper coin.

She shared her idea, and apart from Shen Chengyao and his brother, everyone else agreed.

In the center of Lianxi Village stood a massive banyan tree under which were placed two stone tables, several stone chairs and rows of stone benches.

During the leisure times between farming, many village elderly frequented the place to chat and frolic with their grandchildren.

Whenever the village chief wished to convene the villagers, he would strike the gong under the banyan tree.

Hearing the sound of the gong, the villagers knew that the village chief had something important to announce.

After about 15 minutes, a representative from each family in the village had arrived.

The village chief then announced the tax obligations and labor service requirements.

On hearing this, the villagers burst into discussion.

Some complained about the high taxes as it meant they couldn’t fill their bellies, while others with more able-bodied men in their households wondered if only one would be sufficient to fulfill the labor service obligation.

“Dafu, if you didn’t gamble away half of your family’s grain supply for silver, your family would have enough food to last through next year.” A villager jeered.

“Mind your own business!

What does my gambling have to do with you?” Li Dafu was infamous in the village for his gambling habit.

These frivolous pursuits had dwindled his family’s dozens of acres of farmlands to just a handful of acres, and yet he showed no signs of remorse.

When he lost at gambling, he drank, and when he was drunk, he vented his frustration by beating his wife.

Often, the villagers would see his wife with black eyes and a swollen face.

“It’s twenty taels per person for anyone unwilling to do the labor service.” Hearing this, the villagers expressed their concern.

This was a substantial amount of silver.

In previous years, it was only five taels.

How could the amount increase so exponentially all of a sudden?

It’d be wonderful if they could earn twenty taels a month by working outside.

The village chief struck the gong again, urging the villagers to calm down, “Enough, enough.

The taxes have been rather low for the past two years.

As for the labor service, it has been the same every year.

The tasks are usually clearing channels for irrigation and road repairs.

The Imperial Court is doing this for the good of the people.

Once these tasks are completed, it will bring convenience to all of us.

A month will pass by quickly.

Let’s now decide who will fulfill the labor service.

Please queue up here to register.

As for those who don’t wish to go, make sure you pay your silver by tomorrow at the latest.”

“There’s one more thing.

The Shen Chengyao family bought those wastelands at the head of the village and now they want to hire people to clear them.

It’s 50 coins for one acre of land.

They want every root and pebble in the earth cleared and plowed once.

Those who are interested can sign up when you register for the labor service.”

The villagers were all abuzz with this news.

“One acre for fifty coins, is this for real?”

“Has the third Shen family struck it rich?

When did they buy the wastelands?

Why didn’t we hear anything about it before?”

“Hiring people?

One acre for fifty coins?

What if they can’t afford to pay the wages afterward?”

Jingrui stood next to the village chief.

This was what they had discussed last night, Shen Chengyao had to go order bricks and tiles early this morning, so the task of hiring workers fell to Jingrui.

Although Jingrui was just an eight-year-old child, many children his age in modern times could behave calmly in TV shows or international competitions.

With so much happening at home, Shen Chengyao couldn’t handle everything by himself, and some things were not suitable for women to handle, so it was a good opportunity for Jingrui to practice his social and speaking skills by hiring workers in public.

These days, Jingrui had been selling goods and negotiating business deals with Xiao’er.

His experience was different from before.

The calm and composed demeanor displayed by his own sister had deeply impressed him, and he had already studied it seriously.

Now, he suppressed his nervousness and calmly stepped up to the village chief.

He spoke according to what had been discussed by his family the night before.

Finally, he added that his family would first deposit five taels of silver at the village chief’s place for safekeeping and to be used for wages, so that everyone did not have to worry that they couldn’t afford the wages.

Mrs.

Liu took the initiative to hand over five taels of silver to the village chief.

Seeing that Mrs.

Liu really took out five taels, everyone crowded up to register, especially the families who had a good relationship with Mrs.

Liu and Shen Chengyao were already signing up.

After Mrs.

Liu took out five taels, she took out thirty more taels to give to the village chief, “Of these thirty taels, twenty are the silver my husband paid to avoid labor service, and the other ten are for my child’s grandfather.”

“I also have ten taels here, which is for my child’s grandfather as well so he won’t have to do labor.”

The crowd started discussing again.

“Did Shen Rengui’s family not already split up?

Doesn’t he live with his eldest son?

Why do the two sons who left home have to pay silver, what are the other sons doing?”

“The father and son of Shen Chengguang should go for labor service, why does the old Shen have to go?”

“Isn’t Shen Chengguang running a grocery store in the town?

Why can’t he even pay for his father’s labor service?

His two brothers have to do it.”

“Shen Chengyao probably got rich, but why didn’t he pay for everything?”

“How can Shen Chengyao’s small amount of money compare to Shen Chengguang’s…”

“Shen Chengguang’s family are scholars, and yet they let their father serve, fortunately, Shen Rengui has two good sons, otherwise, the old man would have been worn out!”

Master Shen and Shen Chengguang in the crowd listened to the villagers’ comments, their faces turning black.

Shen Chengguang hurriedly pushed through the crowd to the village chief, “Village chief, it’s a misunderstanding, I can’t let my father do labor service.

My brothers and sisters are not clear about the situation, this is the money for Jingwen and I to serve.” Shen Chengguang took out fifty taels of silver banknotes painfully.

“Who in old Shen’s family is going for the labor service?”

“Of course, Chengguang and Wen’er”.