“You two are just running a small stall; I’m already thankful enough that you could take Yang with you. There’s no way we would trouble you.”
Cao Yongquan and his wife were deeply moved upon hearing Cao Wen’s words.
Yet beneath the gratitude was a clear-headed awareness—life was hard for everyone, and they had no face to burden Cao Wen.
“The business at the stall is even better than what my uncle expected. Since the weather is cooler, I was planning to hire some help. It’s better to have someone from home than to find strangers outside.”
Cao Wen persuaded, “This is also Ayan’s idea.”
“No, even though we lost this landlord, Fengyuan Town isn’t short of wealthy landowners. The two of us can just find a new landlord to rent land from. After the autumn harvest, the fields need to be plowed, so there will be plenty of work.”
After the autumn harvest, the farming season slowed down, and labor prices at the market usually dropped.
If landlords were easy to find, they wouldn’t have stayed to serve the Qian family like beasts of burden.
Seeing this, Cao Wen exchanged a glance with Cao Yang.
“Parents, cousin’s offer is not just goodwill, it’s because business is genuinely good and more hands are needed. Haven’t I often told you that the stall business is going well?”
Cao Yang coaxed and reassured them until Cao Yongquan and his wife finally fell silent and agreed.
“Alright, we’ll help you first, and then we’ll keep looking for a suitable landlord.”
Cao Wen nodded, “Agreed.”
Though the autumn weather was cool and business was good, the rain was growing more frequent.
On rainy days, it was inconvenient to take goods to the market, but with Cao Yongquan’s family of three joining in, it wasn’t too troublesome.
Still, in these damp, gloomy days, no one wanted to eat at the stall.
Besides the cold, clothes easily got soaked, and the ground was wet and muddy everywhere, which was unpleasant to see.
Those with means would rather eat in an inn, so the street stall business slowly entered the off-season.
However, their stall’s canopy only seated a few people at a time, so most of the business relied on deliveries.
Apart from the usual difficulty running errands in the rain, things were manageable.
With more hands at the stall, deliveries were also well handled.
Cao Wen paid about thirty wen per person daily, giving Cao Yongquan’s family a hundred wen a day, settling wages daily since all three were laborers.
At first, the old couple was clumsy and rough-handed, much like Cao Yang.
But having spent half their lives working the land, they seemed honest and straightforward.
The couple was also shy and didn’t know how to shout out or attract customers; they just kept their heads down and worked hard.
When free, they would be at a loss, not knowing what to do.
After ten days of this, nothing had changed.
Cao Yang had grown bold after five or six days; by the tenth day, he was already smart enough to handle customers well.
Children were easier to teach, but older folks were set in their ways and hard to guide.
In fact, many farming families in the countryside were like this—steadfast people who bore the sun and soil every day, usually incapable of slick business tricks.
If everyone could do business so smoothly, no one would be farming.
Cao Wen had to tell Cao Yang to take better care of the elderly couple.
That morning there was some sun, but by noon the sky had darkened, and rain began slowly after lunch.
Business in the afternoon was slow; everyone sat idly under the canopy.
Cao Yongquan didn’t stay at his spot long before saying he needed to go to the outhouse, but he ended up gone for quite a while.
When he returned, his expression was visibly troubled.
“Uncle, what’s wrong?”
Cao Yongquan forced a smile and shook his head, “Nothing.”
Cao Wen opened his mouth to ask more but, seeing Cao Yongquan unwilling to talk, he held back.
Even if Cao Yongquan didn’t say, Cao Wen knew what was going on.
Most likely he had gone to the notice board again to check if any wealthy families were posting for tenant farmers—he’d done this more than once.
He’d heard the couple say they would keep looking for a landlord but thought it was just talk, not expecting they really intended to.
He understood.
The old couple wasn’t cut out for business; they weren’t used to this kind of work and felt uneasy bothering others.
Their hearts were always tied to the land; only the land gave them peace of mind.
Cao Wen had also made inquiries.
There were still wealthy landlords looking for tenants now.
After the autumn harvest was the time for land turnover.
These landlords were extremely cunning.
Knowing a group of tenants had lost land, they realized there were many laborers to choose from on the market.
Thus, they set harsher rental terms.
Cao Wen heard that in the market, landlords demanded an additional half share of grain on top of rent.
Even desperate tenants had to think carefully.
With the market situation like this, how could Cao Yongquan not worry?
The rain made days dark early.
Seeing the day was almost over, Cao Wen noticed some unsold ingredients left and decided to close the stall.
He called everyone together, saying they would finish early and eat meat at home, and the leftover ingredients could be eaten by the family.
They headed home carrying the goods, leaving muddy footprints everywhere—luckily, they were always prepared with umbrellas.
Walking among them, Cao Wen didn’t mention his unease but said, “If the weather’s like this now after entering autumn, winter will be even more troublesome. We should pick a day to buy an animal to pull a cart.”
Hearing this plan, Cao Yongquan, who had been carrying things with his head down, perked up.
Anyone who’d worked the land longed to have a draft animal.
Though he couldn’t afford it himself, hearing Cao Wen’s idea made him happy.
“Really? Buying an animal isn’t cheap.”
“Having one would be so convenient. I’ve wanted to buy one for a long time—it would be useful for spring plowing.”
“You’ve done well, lad.”
Uncle and nephew eagerly discussed whether to buy a mule or a donkey when a soft sobbing caught their attention.
“Isn’t that Gou Er from our Xianqin? All grown up now, why are you crying?”
Cao Yongquan tilted his head to look—it was indeed someone familiar.
“Uncle Cao.”
The boy wiped his tears.
“What happened?”
“My father said he’s going to give my sister to that Zhang Yuanwai in the city as a concubine.”
At the mention of this, the boy’s sorrow deepened.
“You mean that Zhang Yuanwai from the landlord recruitment notice?”
The boy nodded.
“Ah, that Zhang Yuanwai is over sixty years old. Your sister is just coming of age. Following him won’t be a happy life. Li Yuan has liked your sister since they were young. Didn’t they say the two would marry when the time came?”
The boy shook his head.
“The landlord took the land back, so neither family has fields now. We can barely eat. Zhang Yuanwai said if we marry my sister to him, our family can rent four acres at the market price with only a 30% grain rent. My father had no choice but to break off the previous marriage arrangement.”
Running into someone from the Xianqin with such news was naturally disheartening.
Cao Yongquan and Cao Bainiang sighed.
Almost every tenant in Xianqin was struggling, and only this family was a bit luckier—still able to earn a decent wage daily thanks to their capable nephew.
If not for Cao Wen, their life wouldn’t be any better.
Cao Yongquan comforted the boy, and once they reached Xianqin, urged him to go home early, feeling heavy-hearted himself.
That night, after the Cao family finished dinner and dispersed, Xu Duoyan helped Lü Lingbi clear the dishes.
On her way back, she saw Cao Wen counting money.
He wiped his hands, brought the candle closer to the table, and sat beside Cao Wen.
“Are you thinking about reclaiming some wasteland?”
Cao Wen paused, then turned to Xu Duoyan.
“If you still plan to, we can go inquire in town tomorrow.”
“How did you know what I was thinking?”
Xu Duoyan raised an eyebrow.
“After living under the same roof so long, you think I don’t know what’s on your mind?”
Cao Wen smirked, “For the first time, I think it’s good that you understand me.”
Xu Duoyan snorted and nudged his foot.
A way out.
There was a ready labor force in Xianqin now.
If gathered to reclaim wasteland, it could be a win-win. Such opportunities were rare.
Before, they gave up reclaiming land because of a lack of manpower, but now that there was a solution, how could Cao Wen not think about it?
Not only him, even Xu Duoyan had thought the same—if they could properly reclaim some land, it could open a path for the tenant farmers in Xianqin.
“How much money do we have at home now?”
Cao Wen raised an eyebrow.
“Already over a hundred taels. I just counted—about one hundred twenty taels.”
Xu Duoyan roughly knew the figure.
Their monthly income was around thirty to forty taels, so this was about right.
“The price of wasteland shouldn’t be too high. This sum could buy a small parcel, though I don’t know if the Imperial Court still allows land reclamation here.”
With such an opportunity, the wealthy in the city would not miss it.
The next morning, Cao Wen and Xu Duoyan bought pig offal but didn’t rush back.
They waited for the town office to open.
“You want to reclaim wasteland?”
After hearing their request, the gatekeeper didn’t say much but politely invited them in.
They quickly met the Tingzhang and soon learned that not only was the wasteland not fully taken, but there was plenty left.
Because of years of war, many Shijia Haoshen had hoarded large tracts of land.
Now, with the new Emperor on the throne, the Imperial Court intended to regulate land consolidation.
A recent Imperial Decree had been issued locally, forbidding local gentry from purchasing wasteland to reclaim.
Anyone with holdings over fifty acres was disqualified from renting more land.
When the decree was first issued, some local officials colluded with the gentry to ignore the rules, but the Imperial Court acted decisively, sending Central Officials to supervise.
Many local officials were now severely punished.
Fengyuan Town, being remote, received the decree late.
Hearing about officials being punished, local officials here dared not break the rules.
Thus, many wealthy inquirers who didn’t meet the criteria were turned away.
Those not wealthy enough were unwilling to spend silver to reclaim land.
The Tingzhang held the decree, uncertain what to do.
Finally, someone qualified appeared.
The Tingzhang smiled warmly.
“If you two are serious, you should decide soon. We’ll handle the paperwork promptly. The weather is perfect for reclaiming land now; act quickly, and you can sow seeds next spring.”
Cao Wen didn’t forget the main point.
“What’s the price for wasteland now?”
“Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself properly,” said the Tingzhang.
“Currently, five taels of silver per mu for wasteland. How many mu do you want?”
Cao Wen didn’t reply immediately.
He lifted his gaze slightly and instead asked, “What about the tax on reclaimed land?”
“Forty percent. The land and grain tax has been like this for two years now.”
Cao Wen smiled.
“Reclaiming wasteland is hard work. Even if it’s ready before spring planting, the first few years’ yield won’t match that of regularly farmed land. The Imperial Court hasn’t shown much benevolence. We common folk have tight finances and must consider carefully.”
He exchanged a glance with Xu Duoyan, then stood up.
“Today, we only came to learn about the wasteland rental policies. Thank you, Tingzhang, for your kind explanation.”
The two who came in with such strong intent suddenly wanted to leave.
The Tingzhang hurried after them.
“Wait! You two wait. I know the difficulties farmers face. If you have the heart, we can discuss more.”
Feigning surprise, Cao Wen sat back down.
“What are your plans then?”
Cao Wen found this amusing—as if negotiating a business deal with the Imperial Court.
Since that was the case, he laid out his business terms.
“Reclaiming wasteland is difficult. If the Court is mindful of us commoners, we also want to give back. If we can lease wasteland with reasonable terms, we will work hard to cultivate it well.”
“But reclaiming needs good tools and fertilizers to enrich the soil and increase yields. We country folks have limited funds. If we can lease one mu for two or three thousand wen, and the tax is cut by ten or twenty percent for the first three years, we’d break the bank to lease twenty or thirty mu.”
Cao Wen spoke earnestly, then sighed, “It’s a pity this exceeded expectations and is quite a regret.”
The Tingzhang said, “How about three taels per mu?”
“That’s still no small amount. Will the tax really be reduced by twenty percent for three years?”
“Of course not a joke!”
Cao Wen hesitated, “Then please allow me to go back and consider for two days.”
The Tingzhang gestured, “If you really want to lease thirty mu, it will be three taels per mu, and for the first two years, the tax is reduced by ten percent. We can process your paperwork today.”
Cao Wen exhaled lightly, weighing the matter.
“Well… alright. I’ll return to the village, borrow some more silver from friends and family, and lease the land.”
After half a day’s negotiation, Cao Wen returned with a land deed and ninety taels of silver exchanged.
“The Court officials are truly cunning. If I hadn’t bargained, we’d have been overcharged.”
“The Court probably hasn’t fixed the exact prices or taxes for wasteland leasing, letting local officials adjust according to circumstances. That’s why there’s room for bargaining. They’d naturally like to pocket more, but our area is too remote and the Court’s rules too strict. There’s little profit, so sometimes they can’t meet the higher-ups’ directives, which allows us to negotiate.”
Xu Duoyan sighed, “No matter what, getting thirty mu at this price and terms isn’t bad.”
By comparison, it was indeed better than buying two mu of farmland at thirty taels each.
But this was wasteland, not the same; there would still be many investments to make.
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