RPAGF Chapter 229 S-mouth, shut up!
Chapter 229 S-mouth, shut up!
It has to be said that women's sixth sense is terrifyingly strong.
After the father-in-law finished eating, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth, waved his hand, and immediately the servants below took out the measuring cup and began to collect the grain tax.
The village chief led the way in lining up to pay taxes. After he gave his name, the guard next to him found it in the roster.
"Zhao Hua, six mu of paddy fields and ten mu of dry land."
The total tax revenue was 1,800 catties of rice and 1,500 catties of sorghum.
After the reading was finished, the guard next to him took a "shengzi" (one shengzi is ten jin) and began to measure the weight of the rice.
The village chief was startled by the sight of the protruding [shengzi], and quickly stopped the guard's hand, saying urgently:
"Sir, aren't we going to use a wooden stick to level off the excess?"
The guard slapped the village chief's hand away:
"Do I need you to teach me how to do things?"
"Don't get in my way, get out of my way, or I won't hesitate to give you a good spanking."
The village chief was startled by the guard's shout and took a few steps back, but dared not actually leave. He could only stand aside with a look of anxiety and helplessness on his face.
The villagers dared not speak out against their anger. After the measurement was completed, the village chief's family still owed 150 jin of rice and 120 jin of sorghum.
It took three trips back and forth to finally pay all the taxes.
In other words, all the extra produce from the fields this year has been lost.
The rest is the same as in previous years.
By the time the village chief's tax grain was finally paid, he was covered in sweat and his body seemed somewhat hunched over, his back revealing deep exhaustion and powerlessness.
The villagers were filled with even greater sorrow upon witnessing this scene. They had hoped for a bountiful harvest this year that would bring them a better life, but it turned out to be all for naught.
Gao Mengli bit her lip tightly, her hands unconsciously clenching in her sleeves, her nails almost digging into her palms.
When Dou Wei saw that his "golden thigh" was about to get angry, he quickly winked at her and told her not to be impulsive.
His eyes were practically cramping from blinking so hard that he finally managed to suppress the anger in Gao Mengli's heart.
I'm so angry, it's given me breast hyperplasia.
"Lin Xi, one mu of dry land? Uh, one mu of dry land?"
When the guard read out the name of this household, he thought he had made a mistake. He didn't expect that after checking back and forth, he would find that there was only one mu of land.
He looked up at Lin Xi, who was young and dressed in cotton clothes, and frowned.
Judging from their clothes, they don't seem like people who can't afford to buy land.
Eunuch Zhou also found it strange, so he quickly brought over the roster and saw that it was indeed the case.
Holding the roster, Eunuch Zhou's eyes revealed a hint of scrutiny:
"You young man, you look strong and capable, why are you only tending this one acre of dry land?"
Lin Xi grinned:
"Sir, it's because I'm lazy!"
As soon as Lin Xi said this, the surrounding villagers all looked at him with surprise, but then they understood.
The Lin family only had one mu of dry land, which was transferred to them from the old house belonging to Lin Yong's family, since the whole village's hope, Da Niu, was to take the imperial examination.
It wouldn't work if you didn't own land, since merchants weren't allowed to take the imperial examinations.
The villagers were afraid that the father-in-law would cause some trouble and pick a fight with the Lin family.
Since there is little land, these people will get less benefit, and there is a risk that they will cause trouble for the Lin family's eldest branch.
They quickly surrounded them and explained:
"My lord, you are unaware of this, but Lin Xi is the most outstanding woman in our village."
"Yes, sir, they are the bullies in our village."
Don't be fooled by his respectable appearance now; he's a gambler and a heavy drinker.
He only cares about enjoying himself now that he has money; he's squandered everything at home.
Wang Gougou also jumped out to agree, "Yes, yes, his family has no money, they gambled it all away!"
The only valuable thing he had was his clothes; after all, he was going to the county town to swindle and cheat, and he couldn't afford to be poorly dressed!
Lin Xi: ……
He tried to explain that he hadn't done it, but just as he was about to launch into a tirade, Gao Mengli swiftly covered his mouth.
"Shh, shut your mouth. The villagers meant well and didn't mean to mess with you."
Lin Xi's mouth was covered by Gao Mengli, so she could only make "woo woo" sounds.
Gao Mengli lowered her hand, and Lin Xi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
"I thought they were making fun of me!"
Three men can make a tiger, let alone the whole village saying so, so Zhou Gonggong had no doubts.
He just looked at Lin Xi with disdain in his eyes.
I thought he was a fat sheep, but I never expected him to be a gambling addict.
He was not in high spirits and quickly waved for the guards to collect the sorghum.
The villagers breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the old man didn't ask any further questions.
They brought many guards and worked quickly, collecting all the village's grain taxes in half a day.
But Old Man Zhou remained calm and composed, sitting on a stool drinking tea, his eyes occasionally glancing at the high wall at the village entrance.
As for the public toilet at the village entrance, Dou Weiyi said he built it, and he also said he built the canteen.
He didn't say he built the high wall and the brick road.
After all, if he built all of this, he would have to question his "good intentions".
The village chief scratched his head.
Why isn't this person leaving?
The village chief secretly walked up to Gao Mengli's side:
"Lin family, why is Eunuch Zhou lingering here?"
We've already delivered all the grain, what else does he want?
Gao Mengli scoffed inwardly, "What for? They're just waiting for their kickbacks."
She looked at Dou Weiyi next to her, and saw that the person who brought the goods gave her a "V" sign.
Her lips twitched; this person had quite an appetite.
Immediately, she gave Ah Li, who was standing next to her, a few words of advice.
Ah Li nodded, took twenty taels from home, and handed them to Gao Mengli.
Gao Mengli turned her back and placed the silver in the village chief's hand:
"Village chief, please send the silver over."
The village chief, holding the twenty taels, felt bad; how could he let the Lin family pay for such a sum?
“Lin family, this is unacceptable. This is a village matter; how can we let you pay for it?”
Gao Mengli pressed down on the village chief's hand:
"It's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away."
Village chief, now is not the time to worry about these things.
The most important thing is to get rid of this old man first. If he continues to pester us, we'll be in the village, where we'll see workshops, a Guanyin temple, and new houses for every household.
Even if the village gets into even bigger trouble.
Consider this money a temporary loan to the village; we'll discuss it later.
After being prompted by Gao Mengli, the village chief finally understood the situation and quickly nodded.
He took the silver and walked over to Eunuch Zhou's side:
"Sir, this is our offering of tea money to you. You have traveled a long way and worked hard to collect grain for our village. You have truly worked hard."
This is just a small token of our villagers' appreciation; we hope you will accept it.
Eunuch Zhou glanced at the silver, a slight smile playing on his lips, and reached out to take it, placing it in his pocket.
"At least you guys have some sense."
However, this village looks quite different. What do you villagers usually do all day long?
Grandpa Zhou asked seemingly casually, but his eyes were scanning the high wall at the village entrance and the villagers coming and going.
The village chief's heart tightened, and he quickly put on an apologetic smile:
"My lord, I have heard that there is a famine elsewhere, and people are fleeing everywhere."
The villagers were all afraid, so every household sold coffins to raise money to build a high wall.
"Isn't this safer? After all, with refugees coming into the village, how can we possibly survive? There's nothing we can do about it."
Eunuch Zhou nodded:
"You're right. Alright, then we'll be going."
"Hey! Congratulations, sir!"
When the village chief heard that he had finally decided to leave, he quickly bowed respectfully to see him off.
Truly, the anger he had been holding in was finally relieved.
After everyone left, they went back to their work.
The village chief and the villagers were secretly relieved that they had followed the Lin family's eldest son and entrusted the escort agency to stockpile grain everywhere.
Otherwise, it's likely that even getting food will be difficult this winter.
Moreover, it would be even more difficult to hold out until the harvest of crops in the fields by the end of next autumn.
The villagers couldn't help but admire the foresight of the Lin family's eldest branch in planning for the future.
This incident didn't have much impact. They returned home and took out all the money they had saved.
Previously, he had "borrowed" five mu of wasteland from Dou Weiyi using the house deed, and this year he is backed by the Lin family.
They made a fortune!
Dou Weiyi received the money for the village's wasteland, as well as the money for the workshop and homestead, and the money for Gao Mengli to buy the mountain at the yamen, but he didn't look very happy.
He usually loves money the most, but now he could only manage a forced smile.
After the villagers left, Dou Weiyi looked up and saw that Gao Mengli and Lin Xi hadn't left and were standing in the yamen, staring at him intently.
"You guys? What's up?"
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi exchanged a glance and took a few steps forward.
Lin Xi spoke first:
"Lord Dou, there is something I am not sure if I should say."
As you know, although our village has weathered the current difficulties, relying solely on farming and workshops will likely be insufficient for long-term development.
Dou Weiyi frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes, but she listened attentively to what was to come.
Gao Mengli continued to explain, picking up where Lin Xi left off:
"Lord Dou, we know you are a good official."
The Dou family behind you, as well as the families of your wife and aunt, are all heroic military families. Heroes should not be overlooked, should not be spared humiliation, and should certainly not be constantly guarded against.
Dou Weiyi's eyes were filled with helplessness upon hearing this.
"What you're saying, how could I not know it..."
However, the ruler, ministers, assistants, and envoys each remained in their respective positions.
Given this situation, what can I do?
The slightest misstep could implicate my family and the entire Dou family.
After saying that, he sighed deeply, sat back down in his chair, his eyes filled with resentment.
Hearing him say that, Gao Mengli felt a little more at ease.
She whispered:
"My lord, we understand your difficulties, and we have come here not to ask you to act rashly."
Although the village is small, its people are united, and with proper planning, it can become a trump card in your hands.
In chaotic times, she was willing to become someone else's trump card.
The reason is simple: she and Lin Xi just wanted to be wealthy, have leisure time, and be happy ordinary people, and survive here.
However, while such exploitation might be manageable in the short term, it will eventually render their efforts futile and turn them into objects of exploitation.
Dou Weiyi couldn't be the magistrate of Pingyao forever; he couldn't protect them for their entire lives.
Their goal was simple: to elevate him to a high position and have him protect them for life!
Dou Weiyi will never escape their clutches in this lifetime.
Dou Wei was startled and looked up at Gao Mengli and Lin Xi, who were both expressionless:
"You...you guys are going to build..."
Lin Xi made a shushing gesture:
"Shh! Sir, don't talk nonsense, we didn't!"
Their previous actions were merely correcting past wrongs; they weren't what Dou Weiyi was thinking.
Lin Xi took a step closer and lowered her voice:
"Sir, we are well aware of your difficulties and understand the hardships of this world."
All we ask for is for our village to enjoy lasting peace, and you are the hope of our entire village!
Dou Weiyi frowned, her eyes filled with worry:
"You're thinking too simply. The situation in the court is complex and intertwined, with various forces deeply entrenched. A slight misstep could lead to annihilation."
Gao Mengli's lips curled up, revealing a hint of confidence:
"My lord, that is precisely why we must be even more careful."
We are not in a hurry to achieve quick results, but will start from Pingyao County and gradually build our business.
First, ensure the people's prosperity, then focus on achieving outstanding political results. Use public opinion and tangible achievements as a foundation, and gradually work your way up the ranks.
He is truly deserving of the people's support!
At that time, everyone will follow Dou Weiyi's lead; wherever he points, the people will fight!
The people will definitely support his decision!
As Dou Weiyi listened to their plan, her heart was filled with turmoil.
That doesn't seem like a bad idea!
But the thought of not being able to get weapons made him back down, even though he knew there were dangers ahead.
"But, now that we're rich, food supplies aren't a problem, but..."
Hearing him agree, Lin Xi and Gao Mengli exchanged a glance, seeing surprise in each other's eyes, and also knowing what Dou Weiyi was lacking.
Lin Xi walked to Dou Weiyi's side, bent down, and said something in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Wha...what?"
Dou Weiyi turned his head and saw the two of them nodding at him with smiles.
After his initial shock came overwhelming joy!
He truly had the right timing, the right place, and the right people all on his side. If he didn't achieve something great, he would be letting down his ancestors!
He immediately stood up excitedly, "Okay, I understand. You guys go back first, I'll make the arrangements!"
After saying that, he rushed out.
The two returned to the village, expecting to receive Dou Weiyi's arrangements for dealing with the back mountain.
Little did they know that a few days later, the first to arrive were Madam Dou and her four concubines.
"Madam Dou, what brings you here?"
Gao Mengli quickly helped Madam Dou as she disembarked from the carriage.
Madam Dou patted her hand and smiled sweetly at her:
"From now on, don't call me Madam Dou anymore. My surname is Xue, and my given name is Ling! I'm a year older than you, so you can just call me Sister Xue!"
Gao Mengli was slightly taken aback, and asked in confusion:
"Huh? Why?"
The four concubines standing nearby, Wu, Gu, Feng, and Deng, covered their mouths and laughed, leaving Gao Mengli completely bewildered.
Fifth Aunt stepped forward, "Because we've divorced Dou Weiyi!"
Gao Mengli's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief:
"Divorce? How is that possible?"
Xue Ling smiled gently, but her eyes revealed a hint of high fighting spirit:
"A man should do great things."
If they succeed, all will be well; but if they fail, it will be a matter of exterminating nine generations of their family.
Only when you are free from all attachments and ties can you truly go all out!
They also long for children to surround them, but after so many years without a son or daughter, it would be a lie to say they don't envy other families with children.
For the sake of having descendants, and for the sake of ensuring their children grow up safely, what more could they possibly want in support?
They are happy to support their husbands' decision to divorce!
“My sisters are all very understanding and righteous, but what are your plans for the future?” Gao Mengli asked softly.