Chapter 41: Lian Man Er Settles Accounts

  Lian Wan'er asked Zhang Shi if she knew how much Lian Shouren's family spent in a year in the town.

  This topic is even more difficult.

  "Your great uncle didn't have much money, only a few taels of silver from teaching each year. This was during the good times, and even then, it wasn't always possible to find a position as a teacher. I remember there were four or five years when he couldn't find any work as a teacher. There were other villages that had schools, but he refused to go, saying they didn't pay enough and the rural areas were inconvenient. He also complained about the cramped living quarters and the food being unpalatable. And yet, he brought his whole family with him, renting a courtyard in town for six taels of silver per year. Your great uncle followed your great aunt to read books, but didn't earn any money."

  "If so, shouldn't Grandpa's family be living a tight life?"

  Lian Wan'er was shocked. With such an income, the Lian family's big house in town could only barely make ends meet, and that was with the Lian family's level of thriftiness. It was truly a case of being a "poor scholar". How could they possibly afford to wear silk and silver, and have such luxurious food and clothing?

  "Our family's thirty mu of land produces grain every year, apart from what we keep for ourselves to eat and the taxes we pay, everything else is sent to the town in four seasons for your uncle." Zhang said to Lian Man Er.

  This is to say that Lian Shouren's family was actually living beyond their means, and the only reason they could maintain this lifestyle was because the entire Lian family was frugal and made sacrifices to support them.

  Lian Man'er asked Zhang Shi a few more questions and began to calculate in her mind.

  According to Lian's current 30 mu of land, because Old Man Lian is diligent and capable, and a good farmer, the yield from his land is better than average. Just calculating based on each mu producing 300 jin of highland barley per year, 30 mu would be 9,000 jin. The whole family has 19 people, with seven adult males including Lian Dajiang and Lian Erjiang. They live frugally, every day eating mostly porridge with a little rice, strictly controlled by Mrs. Zhou. It's almost like a rationing system, calculating based on an average of six liang of grain per person per day, they would need 4,161 jin of grain per year, plus the vegetables and melons from the garden, that's what the Lian family eats for the whole year.

  The taxes in the current Ming Dynasty are not heavy, and the fields of Lian's family are considered to be above average. After calculation, simply put, it is roughly calculated that for every mu of land that produces 250 kilograms, a tax of five percentage points is collected. Calculated this way, thirty mu of land would require paying taxes of approximately 375 kilograms of grain.

  This way, more than half of the grain is left over.

  Even if half of the grain is sent to the town, some of it will be used as rations for Lian Shouren's family. The rest will be sold and exchanged for silver.

  "Great Uncle's family. Even though Niu Niu is not yet two years old, there are seven people in total, and they calculate the grain ration as six taels per person per day. In a year, they would consume over 1,500 jin of grain, leaving behind 3,000 jin of grain. Calculating at the average price of millet, which is five wen per jin, that's a surplus of fifteen taels of silver." Lian Man'er asked Zhang Shi, "Has Great Uncle handed over this fifteen taels? The money he earned from being a teacher, did he give it to Grandma?"

  "These years, they haven't taken any money back home." Zhang said, otherwise how could the family's life be so tight. "Oh, they have taken some money back a few times, just like this time to send out wedding gifts, not taking money back, that time your uncle married his wife was also like this." The result is that they took back a little and then had to take back several times more. What if there's no money? Sell the land. As a result, now the family only has 30 mu of land left.

  "We give him our annual income every year, and he doesn't even take a penny back?"

  "Your eldest uncle will come back for the New Year and buy things for your grandparents and your aunt, just like today," said Zhang.

  "It's still wool coming from a sheep!" Lian Man'er muttered to herself.

  "What does it mean?"

  "That is to say, the money for that gift was also earned by our family. Grandfather usually wouldn't even spend a few cents on wine, but today he spent a whole jar of pear blossom white wine, and got so excited, actually it's still spending public money." said Lian Man Er.

  Zhang was stunned for a moment. This truth is simple, she had thought about it before, but it all passed vaguely, without delving deeper.

  "Your great uncle was a scholar, and it's only natural that his days are better off," said Zhang. Like most rural people, Zhang had a respectful attitude towards scholars, always feeling that scholars should be more fortunate than them, who tilled the land, and lived a good life. "However, well..."

  Zhang hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

  "Girl, if you have something to say, just say it, there's no outsider here."

  "Alright... As I said, your uncle's family doesn't know how to live a simple life either. Take their house for example, renting a few rooms would be enough, but they thought it was too cramped and inconvenient, so they rented a whole courtyard. One time I passed by and saw it, it had two or three courtyards? The house had at least 20-30 rooms. Your aunt said it was to separate the front yard from the inner quarters, following the rules of big households in the city, but I don't understand it either. And as for food, you can't calculate it like that either, your uncle's family doesn't eat coarse grains, they sold all the grain we sent over and exchanged it for rice and white flour to eat."

  "Mother, you know all of this?"

  "They wanted to deceive people, but the town was too close, and there were rumors. Your eldest uncle once passed by and saw it with his own eyes, and told me about it, that's when I believed."

  "Does Grandpa and Grandma know too?"

  Zhang didn't say anything this time.

  "My father wasn't a shopkeeper outside for many years, can't he be precise with accounts? It seems like he definitely knows."

  "Your great uncle was a scholar, your great aunt and also your eldest sister-in-law are all noble people, they should eat and use some good things." said Zhang Shi.

  "Are we born with a fate of being cheap?" Lian Man'er got annoyed.

  Zhang said that, rooted in the deep-seated idea of a bookworm's preciousness, but also partly out of helpless self-consolation. Seeing Lian Mian's eyebrows raised and her small face flushed with anger, she immediately regretted it.

  After all, she is a mother, and if she appoints herself, that's fine. But when it comes to her own children, she hasn't been "virtuous" to that extent yet. It has to be said that this is still relatively fortunate for Lian Meng and the few kids.

  "No, of course not." Zhang hastily corrected himself, then let out a sigh.

  "Girl, that idea of yours is wrong." Lian Man'er said, she thought Zhang Shi must have been brainwashed. "Since we don't separate the family property, it should be a fair share, without us working hard, while they enjoy life."

  "We don't ask him to take out the money he's earned, it's just that we think he doesn't want to. We ourselves live like this and save in the same way, every year we can still save some money, and also send Ge and Xiao Qi to school."

  "All these years, the money from selling surplus grain would have been enough for my brother and Xiao Qi to go to school if it weren't all given to Uncle and his family." added Lian Man Er.

  Zhang picked up a piece of cloth. In the water basin, she subconsciously scrubbed it, scrubbing harder and harder. She wasn't one who hadn't thought this way before, but she had suppressed such thoughts. And no one had ever lectured her on such reasoning.

  "Brother said he didn't want to read books, but I saw him alone using a twig to practice writing on the ground." Lian Man'er glanced at Wu Lang and continued.

  "I'd rather give up, if it's possible, at least let Xiao Qi go to school." From the moment Lian Man'er mentioned going to school, Wu Lang had been looking down. Now he finally looked up.

  The girls were talking. Lian Shouxin came in from outside.

  "What's wrong?" Lian Shouxin asked, seeing Lian Man'er excitedly red-faced, while Zhang Shi, Lian Zhier, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi all had some sorrowful expressions on their faces.

  Zhang finally put down the cloth in his hand and looked at Lian Shouxin with a sigh.

  Lian didn't care about those things. Let Lian Shouxin sit on the kang. Then he recounted the account that had just been calculated to Lian Shouxin again.

  Lian Shouxin also fell silent, just like Zhang Shi. He too had a clear count in his mind. This was the first time someone had calculated it out so clearly for him to hear.

  "I've got nothing more to say, his father. Let's think about the children." said Zhang.

  "Dad is clear about it. Well, isn't it all for the sake of letting Big Brother stand out and giving the Lian family a good reputation?" said Lian Shouxin.

  "Standing out from the crowd, isn't it supposed to be about studying hard? Going down to the restaurant every day. Picking and choosing what to eat and wear, can that really make you stand out? Ten years of hard study in a cold window. But I haven't seen anyone who has achieved success with just a big belly." said Lian Man Er.

  Lian Zhi'er and several others covered their mouths and burst out laughing. Lian Shouren was not fat, but he had a big belly early on.

  Lian Shouxin and Zhang's family both had gloomy faces, some of Lian Shouren's family's behavior, they had the same thoughts as Lian Man'er in their hearts, but did not agree.

  "If you dare say separate households, your grandfather will split me in two." Lian Shou said.

  Lian Man'er's eyes lit up. Lian Shouxin said this, indicating that he also tended to divide the family, but was restrained by Old Master Lian.

  "I've heard that when a tree grows big, it branches out. We and Uncle's family have been drifting apart for some time now, we should have split the household long ago." said Lian Wan'er.

  Lian Shouxin sat there for a moment, deep in thought.

  "This matter of dividing the family property, I've thought about it too, it's inevitable." Lian Shou said.

  Lian Wan'er straightened her body, and Zhang Shi and several other children also quieted down to listen to Lian Shouxin speak.

  "If the eldest brother gets an official position and goes to take office, Father, Mother, and Xiu'er will have to follow him. I think Second Brother also wants to go with them. When the time comes, Eldest Brother will have to support so many people, and even if he doesn't want to divide the family property, it will have to be divided."

  Lian Man'er blinked, Lian Shouxin isn't stupid, although it wasn't explicitly stated, but at the time Lian Shouren would turn his back on people, however, it's clear that he has a relatively objective evaluation of the situation and some people's temperament.

  "I thought, by then we'll be separated. By then, they won't need us to work hard for this little money anymore."

  Lian Man'er rolled her eyes and leaned against Lian Zhi'er's body.

  "Man Er, what's wrong?" Lian Zhi Er thought Lian Man Er was ill, but when she looked down, Lian Man Er's face was rosy and there was nothing wrong.

  What's wrong, of course I'm angry.

  After all, it's either Lian Shuixin or Baozi, a typical Baozi way of thinking.

  "I don't think they necessarily look down on us now," said Lian Man'er. Even if they work hard and live frugally, but looking at the big house's words and deeds, they are not grateful at all, but rather high above, completely looking down on these country people.

  Lian Man'er spoke very directly. Zhang Shi and Lian Shouxin couldn't refute her, because they had also seen it, but being kind-hearted, they didn't want to think deeply about it, nor did they want to say it out loud.

  "I think it's better to separate early. We have to wait for Lian Hua to marry into the Song family, then the Song family will use their connections to get Lian Shouren a government position, who knows how long that will take. Separating early is cleaner, and she can focus on her plan to become a small landowner."

  "When the time comes, we'll split it. Now everyone says that Dabo's family has become wealthy and doesn't recognize people anymore. It's not like splitting now would make a difference, they wouldn't care about the few cents we scraped together from those muddy holes. Who knows, maybe because of our rural background, they'd be ashamed of us and lose face."

  Lian Man'er said, looking at Zhang Shi.

  "Girl, you said you were just passing by your uncle's house, but didn't say you were going in. They wouldn't let you in the door, would they?"

  Zhang's face turned red.

  "You kid, your mouth is so sharp, you'll definitely offend people in the future."

  "There's no outsider here!" Lian Man'er laughed.

  Zhang sat down beside Lianmeng.

  "I don't know what's going on, but hearing Man Er say that seems to have relieved my heart a lot." Zhang said. She's not stupid and can see the pros and cons, it's just that she has always been suppressing her true feelings for the greater good.

  "Fourth sister-in-law, come and cook." Zhou Shi shouted at the door of the upper room.

  In-depth and all-around analysis of Baozi. Hehe.

  Subscribe, like, reward, and leave a footprint, which is also a support for weak colors.