The heavens start from Maoshan

Chapter 13
the next day.

Zhang Heng woke up late, and it was already past nine o'clock in the morning when he opened his eyes.

Seeing that the master was awake, Grandma Sun greeted someone to wait on him, and asked, "Master, what would you like to eat in the morning?"

"Don't eat, it's already past nine o'clock, let's talk about it at noon."

Zhang Heng slapped Hache in his mouth, thought about it and then warned: "Tell the rice-grandmother to make beggar chicken at noon, and for the rest, just make six or seven dishes."

The six or seven dishes were not Zhang Heng's extravagance, but the large number of people in the courtyard.

He didn't eat, and the younger ones didn't have to eat either. Usually, Zhang Heng finished eating, and the four little maids ate.

After the four little maids have finished eating, the rest can be added to the rough ladies in the backyard.

Don't think that this is leftovers. Zhang Heng doesn't eat much. He is full of six or seven dishes after eating one or two bites of each.

The little girls didn't eat much either, and they could leave most of the meals, all of which were high-quality dishes, much better than the servants' meals.

In the Zhang Family Courtyard, the levels are very clear.

The leader is Zhang Heng, who is everyone's god.

Further down, the old housekeeper was the chief steward, and the grandmother Sun was the head of the maids, in charge of the rough messengers in the courtyard.

The two of them are special servants, in charge.

Then came the four little girls who served Zhang Heng. They were first-class servants, and they all returned to the mansion.

Then came the rice cooker, the vegetable granny, the seamstress, the coachman, the porter, the watchman, the gardener, the porter, the guards, and the rough women.

Zhang Heng didn't make a detailed calculation.

But there are so many people, there must be three No. 40 people, who stretch out their hands for real clothes and open their mouths for food.

"Go to the militia camp in Zhenbei."

Out of the middle courtyard, to the front yard.

Only this time, Zhang Heng did not take the carriage, but sat on the bamboo sedan chair.

Bamboo sedan chairs are the kind of chairs that are carried by two poles and have a sunshade on them, which are found in some famous mountain tourist attractions.

Unlike traditional sedan chairs, bamboo sedan chairs are lightweight and ventilated.

The climate in the south of the Yangtze River is humid, so it is more comfortable to sit in this sedan chair.

"Get up!"

A shout.

The concierge opened the middle door, four porters carried Zhang Heng, the big and small Kui guarded on both sides, followed by a team of foreign guns, a group of more than a dozen people, heading for the militia camp.

This one went and didn't come back until noon.

It's just different from when he left. When he came back, looking from a distance, Zhang Heng found a group of people standing in front of his door.

"Go, go, where is the beggar, do you know where this is, Zhang Family Courtyard, get out of here."

The porter came up to chase people.

"Patriarch Zhang, we are not beggars."

Three or forty people blocked the intersection, and an old man at the head blocked the way: "We are your tenant farmers!"

"The tenant farmer, the farmer who rented my land?"

Zhang Heng waved his hand, motioned the porter to put him down, and asked, "Old man, what do you have to do with me?"

"We are villagers of Xiao'an Village, and we came here to bring you fruit."

The old man at the head untied two rag bags from the little donkey on the side of the road, and asked earnestly: "In the morning, Zhuang Tou said that you want to reduce the rent for us. We are here to thank you specially."

After speaking, he opened two rag bags to reveal wild walnuts, longan, and wild dates.

Zhang Heng was half moved, half sad: "I know Xiao'an Village, it's a half-mountain village, and nearly half of my 1000 mu of land is on your side."

His tone paused slightly: "But I remember that Xiao'an Village is more than [-] miles away from Dagou Town. How did you get so many people here?"

The old man replied, "We are country people with fast feet."

At a glance, everyone's faces were full of wind and frost.

They only have a small donkey, which is still used to carry cloth bags and dry food. It is not allowed to walk for three or four hours after walking down the thirty-odd miles.

He told the old housekeeper about the rent reduction yesterday, and these tenant farmers knew about it in the morning.

It is only noon now, that is, after they found out in the morning, they filled the village with wild fruits, and they brought two cloth bags to thank him.

"They are all loyal people!"

Zhang Heng sighed.

To say thank him, pick one or two representatives and come on a donkey.

But they came three to 40 people, that is to say, in Xiao'an Village, almost all the farmers who leased his family's land will come.

Zhang Heng is also a scene man.

Thinking that the life of farmers in this era is not easy, so he ordered: "Instruct the chef to kill a sheep and stew it. I want to invite everyone to eat the famous Gan and Shaan dishes, mutton steamed buns."

"Can't, can't."

The old man was very frightened: "We people, how can we eat meat sheep."

After he finished speaking, he thought that it would not be good to refuse directly, and said, "We are all country people. If we have a bowl of small rice to eat, that is the accumulation of virtue from our ancestors."

"Old man, don't refuse, you are a guest from afar."

Zhang Heng invited everyone into the compound, and while ordering to kill the mutton and stew, chatted with the old man.

After talking, I found that although the old man was smiling, there was always a trace of sadness in the smile.

"Old man, I think you have something on your mind?"

Zhang Heng put down the teacup and asked, "But don't worry about your family?"

The old man shook his head.

Zhang Heng asked again, "But there is a famine at home?"

The old man still shook his head.

Zhang Heng was a little puzzled, this is not, that is not, there must be a reason.

"Master."

The old man saw Zhang Heng's confusion and sighed: "You have reduced the rent for us, we should be happy, but there are still people in the village who are worried that such a low rent will be taken back after the autumn harvest. Did your Zhang family plant it instead?"

As the old man spoke, he carefully looked at Zhang Heng's face.

Zhang Heng laughed as soon as he heard it.

He thought why, it turned out that he was afraid that he would take back the land and not plant it for everyone.

It is normal to have this concern.

Forty percent of the land rent is probably not much in the world.

There is a good thing, of course, it is suitable for his own clan. Compared with the Zhang clan, their Xiaoan Village is all foreigners, so why not worry.

"Old man, if you have an idea, you must proceed from the reality."

"Xiao'an Village is more than [-] miles away from Dagou Town. If you don't plant the land for you, why don't you send someone over there?"

Zhang Heng smiled bitterly, and in order not to let everyone worry about gains and losses, he immediately expressed his position: "Your worries are superfluous, look back, I will ask the housekeeper to take people there. The previous lease was a one-year lease, and I will change it to three for you. The year is certain, so you don't have to worry about it, right?"

"Master, you are really a living Bodhisattva, a great man!"

The old man led everyone to kowtow to Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng hurriedly stopped: "Now that the Republic of China is over, and the emperor is gone, this old rule of kowtowing has to be changed. If you really remember me, you will bring the descendants of the village to meet me when you come back. This is a lot of walking. , if you don't kiss it, it's a kiss."

"It should be, it should be."

Everyone responded repeatedly: "If you have any orders, whoever dares not obey, we will break his legs."

"No way, no way."

Zhang Heng waved his hands again and again.

noon.

The crowd ate a meal of mutton steamed buns.

In the afternoon, the old man took the villagers of Xiao'an Village back.

Before leaving, he also promised that he would bring the descendants of the village to visit Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng is also unequivocal.

Packed ten pounds of white noodles for each person to go back.

Don't think it's too few. There are not many people who can eat white noodles these days. Even if they don't eat it themselves, it's hard currency to keep in their hands.

If there are relatives at home and make a white-flour steamed bun, both you and your relatives will feel good.

"They are all loyal people!"

Watching the backs of the old and young leave, Zhang Heng instructed the old housekeeper: "Didn't I get some grain to plant back, and I will send it to Xiao'an Village tomorrow, and when this season's grain is harvested, let them plant it. The grain I gave."

"Yes, sir."

The old butler respectfully responded.

(End of this chapter)