Starting with a daily divination to build an immortal clan

Chapter 11 Renting Field
Not yet.

After the father and son finished their meal, Shen Yuan hesitated for a long time before finally buying some fine tea and fruit.

Back at the martial arts school, he delivered tea and fruit to Huang Qingzhou.

Huang Qingzhou glanced at the gift in front of him and said with a faint smile, "Brother Shen, you are too kind."

Shen Yuan smiled slightly: "Brother, please don't refuse. In the future, I will still need your help to take care of Shi Tou."

"If this kid misbehaves in front of you, brother, you can discipline him as you please, and I won't say anything more."

The two families had not been in contact for many years, and he did not expect to be able to rekindle their old relationship with some tea and fruit.

The purpose of this gift was simply to encourage Huang Qingzhou to spend more time on her own child.

That's just how human relationships work.

"Haha... No problem, no problem."

“My nephew is my own son, and I will certainly treat him as my own.”

Huang Qingzhou was still inclined to decline.

In his view, Shen Yuan's visit to deliver gifts at this time was likely motivated by a desire to establish a friendly relationship.

Given the Huang family's current financial situation, continuing this relationship would undoubtedly be like picking up a burden. If they accept this gift, it would be difficult to refuse Shen Yuan if he were to ask for something in the future.

But now that he heard Shen Yuan only asking him to take better care of the child, he felt relieved and accepted the gift with peace of mind.

“Brother Shen, if there’s nothing else, let Stone join everyone in practicing standing meditation this afternoon.”

"Do you and your son want to say something?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan looked at Shen Wenxing beside him, rubbed his head, and shook his head, saying, "He has confessed everything he needed to."

"Brother, I'll leave the child with you and head back now."

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, then turned and walked out of the courtyard.

"Father!"

Shen Wenxing turned around to look at his father's back and couldn't help but call out.

After all, the child was only seven years old. It was the first time he had left his parents, and he felt somewhat lost and fearful.

Shen Yuan froze, but did not turn around. He walked out of the martial arts school even faster.

Behind me came the sound of Stone sobbing softly.

"Shitou, treat this place as your own home. Study martial arts diligently and don't let your father down..."

As Huang Qingzhou's comforting voice rang out, Shen Yuan had already boarded the oxcart and slowly left the martial arts school.

His eyes were a little red on the way.

He glanced at the martial arts gym, then shook his head with a wry smile.

Sometimes, parents really have to be tough on their children.

If he had turned back just now, there would have been no shortage of tears and farewells.

When Hu Yufen returned from town, she was copying the book "Miscellaneous Agricultural Techniques" in the courtyard.

Shen Yuan untied the old ox from the cart, led it into the cowshed, and came to its side.

"You're back so early?" Hu Yufen asked, somewhat surprised. "Have you settled Shi Tou in?"

Shen Yuan stood behind her and gently massaged her shoulders, saying, "Everything is settled. We bought some gifts for Master Huang, and he promised to take good care of Shi Tou."

After hearing this, Hu Yufen's worry eased a little. She then glanced at the courtyard and sighed, "The two children used to play in the yard, but now it's suddenly quiet. It's really hard to get used to."

Shen Yuan didn't speak, but gently placed his hand on her shoulder, letting her head rest against his abdomen.

After a while——

"If you want your children to succeed, you will eventually have to let them leave our protection."

"Besides, isn't Anu still here?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Yufen looked up at the time and said, "It's almost time to go pick up Anu."

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

Both Shi Tou and A Nu were doing very well in their studies. That noon, Shen Yuan returned from weeding in the fields, and Hu Yufen brought him food. The couple sat in the courtyard.

"Have you heard, my husband? Erzhu has been arrested by the authorities!"

Were they arrested by the authorities?
Shen Yuan, holding his rice bowl, frowned slightly and asked, "Why?"

Hu Yufen shook her head: "I don't know. I heard it's smuggling, and it's a serious matter. The person has already been taken to Anyang County."

"According to the laws of the Great Yu, even if he doesn't die this time, he will probably be exiled."

Shen Yuan suddenly realized.

"No wonder the weeds in Erzhu's field are taller than the crops, and the couple never go to weed them."

Niu Erzhu's family's field was adjacent to theirs, covering fifteen mu.

With fifteen acres of fertile land, based on the harvests of the past two years, they should have been able to make a living.

But this Niu Erzhu was a good-for-nothing, addicted to gambling and drinking.

On weekdays, the family's fields are managed by his wife and children.

A few days ago, he went to Blackwater Pool and met a rather thin young man on the ridge of the field. That young man was Niu Erzhu.

Shen Yuan had also heard about smuggling.

The Western Wilderness tribes, separated from Dayu by a mountain, are rich in rare minerals and various furs. Bringing these items into Dayu territory can often increase their price several times to more than ten times.

Such exorbitant profits naturally tempt some people to take risks.

They traded grain for furs and minerals from the barbarians, then sold these items, often making a fortune through various means.

These people are called "mountain walkers".

In the early days, hikers carrying huge bundles could often be seen in the villages and towns along the mountains.

Later, the new Yu emperor established a mountain patrol camp along the mountains, partly to patrol and inspect barbarian warriors who secretly crossed the border, and partly to crack down on these "mountain walkers".

To Shen Yuan's surprise, Niu Erzhu was so audacious that he dared to do such a thing even knowing that there were patrol officers present.

The laws of the Great Yu Dynasty are very strict, and even if the amount involved in smuggling is small, the punishment is very severe.

With Niu Erzhu's property confiscated this time, his entire family is certain to be exiled, and they might even lose their lives as a result.

Thinking of this, Shen Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Yufen, Erzhu's land is next to ours. I'm thinking, after the county court's judgment, should we buy his land back?"

Hearing him say that, Hu Yufen was also somewhat tempted.

The harvests have been good these past two years, and Shen Yuan's method of composting manure can greatly improve soil fertility. If we could have an extra fifteen acres of fertile land, that would be great.

However, Niu Erzhu's land was definitely going to be confiscated. Buying land from the government was not the same price as buying land from ordinary people.

"We only have a little over 130 taels of silver left at home, and we need to keep some for emergencies. I'm afraid we can't afford to buy it."

Hu Yufen spoke with regret.

Shen Yuan disagreed: "If we can't afford to buy, we'll just rent first. The government definitely doesn't have the manpower to manage this land."

“The laws of Da Yu stipulate that tenants have the right of first refusal. Once we have enough money after renting for two years, we can buy all fifteen acres of land in one go.”

Hu Yufen nodded: "Then after you finish eating, go and ask the village head?"

"to make!"

After finishing his meal, Shen Yuan hurriedly went to the village head's house.

Hu Yufen was busy preparing winter clothes for her family. Autumn had arrived, and the two children's winter clothes from last year were obviously too small, so they had to be sewn again.

To save money, she didn't throw away the winter clothes, but planned to modify them and wear them as is for the time being.

Shen Yuan also received definite information from the village head.

The matter concerning Niu Erzhu's family has been basically settled. Due to their involvement in smuggling, the male members of the family were exiled to Beihai, while the female members were demoted to "city laborers."

Chengdan Chun was a form of punishment for criminals in the Dayu Dynasty. Male criminals were called "Chengdan" and were responsible for dirty and strenuous work such as building city walls, while female criminals were called "Chun" and were responsible for pounding rice for the government day and night. Together they were called Chengdan Chun.

As for renting the land, the village head promised to ask him about it later, and if there were no problems, the land could be rented to him next spring.

(End of this chapter)