Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 151 - 149: What If It Can’t Be Grown?

Chapter 151: Chapter 149: What If It Can’t Be Grown?

Gifts must certainly be given, but it doesn’t mean they can have whatever they ask for! Everything they need for daily sustenance should be handled for them, and an additional ten taels of silver given to Mr. Shen and Mrs. Shen as pocket money. As for whether it is enough or not, that is their business!

The dominant power must be in their hands, her purpose is simply to sway public opinion!

"Sir, Madam, you can live here at ease. Although we have split our households, or you can say we severed our familial ties, since you are living in our home, you will not be denied daily needs. In addition to free food and lodging, we will give ten taels as pocket money for the three of you. If my sister wants something for her dowry, you can buy it with this silver. As for you Uncle, and your family, rest assured you will also be taken care of."

"Ten taels of silver, are you treating me like a beggar? With this much money, even the salt we buy wouldn’t be salty!" Mrs. Shen stamped her foot in anger after hearing this.

"Don’t we have silver too? Our family has more members! It should be more than ten taels!" Mrs. Li was dissatisfied with only free food and lodging.

’I usually only give one coin to beggar! Which shop sells salt so expensive that it isn’t even salty with ten taels? Madam, you should report this to the government!"

Mrs. Shen shifted his stance, "....what kind of dowry can you buy with ten taels of silver? You can’t even afford a proper face! The dowry you wasted was much more, how can your sister’s dowry be less than yours!"

"Our family has already given grandma a pearl, that is worth several hundred taels! Our family has given everything for my sister’s dowry! As for the rest of my sister’s dowry, it’s up to you!"

"That doesn’t count! The pearl is missing!" Mrs. Shen cursed the thief every time she thought about that pearl! Ah, her heart, liver, spleen, and lungs are all aching again!

"That’s your problem, we don’t have that much silver to spare!" she said. Who exactly stole that pearl? The theft was so well done! However, he really can endure it! They haven’t even found out whose village is living a better life now.

"My dear brother, we have seen families who cut ties with relatives and have not been this generous, from not offering food and drink to not even acknowledging them." Jingrui was incensed. People are never satisfied!

"Breaking ties once, is that really considered a break? In this Imperial City, if one disregards someone and offends a noble, wouldn’t that indirectly involve everyone? Does this mean that the bond has to be broken multiple times?" Jinghao thoughtfully added.

Mr. Shen’s face had turned red with all the chaos.

"Some people are insatiable, my home’s silver didn’t come from nowhere, let them eat their own! I will no longer attend to them!" Mrs. Liu was also angry. How could ten taels of silver be insufficient? In the village, ten taels could get you a pretty decent bride!

"Stingy, if you don’t want to give then just don’t bother, always bringing up old scores!" Mrs. Li grumbled quietly.

"Not as generous as Mrs. Li though. I’ve grown so old, and I haven’t eaten even a single hair’s worth of pig from her family, let alone pork!" Xiao’er heard with sharp ears.

"We don’t have pork to eat at my house either!" every time she went back to her mother’s home since the private salt affair, she no longer brings back meat. She always returned disgruntled, with a stomach full of resentment.

"Your mother’s family sells pork, don’t they? You used to bring back meat secretly for your family after visiting your mother’s, but you never generously shared it with the whole family!" If we don’t put you in place, you will keep chirping!

Mrs. Li shut her mouth. She decided to mooch off the food as long as she could since the dishes at Chengzong’s were much better than what they had during the New Year. She wished they hadn’t split the family.

Mr. Shen cleared his throat and veered off the topic: "Has the Emperor spoken about any other matters during your audience?"

"The Emperor has awarded me a thousand acres of fertile land."

Upon hearing his words, Mrs. Shen, Mr. Shen... Shen Chengzong’s entire family gasped. A thousand acres of fertile land? How big could that be, could they even see the boundary from a distance?

"Third brother...." Shen Chengzong rubbed his hands, he was so excited he didn’t know how to ask for a portion. He was not greedy, a hundred acres will do!

"It wasn’t a no-strings-attached award, I have to provide the Imperial Court with rice seeds for the entire country next year."

On hearing this, Shen Chengzong was silent again. Provide rice seeds for the entire country? Wasn’t that like working for free? That’s like helping the Emperor farm for free! Poor Third Brother, farming is such hard work! The grains harvested aren’t even theirs! Even the Emperor is reaping the benefits of their hard work!

Mr. Shen thought further. Farming depends on the weather. What will happen if nothing grows?

"Did the Emperor mention what would happen if the crops grow?"

That’s right, once the crops are grown! Wouldn’t the Emperor buy it in silver? How could he have forgotten! Why would the Emperor take advantage of the people! Chengzong was hopeful after hearing this.

"The Emperor said there would be great rewards if this is successful." Chengyao didn’t care much about the rewards, he wanted to see the crops grow. He had been a farmer and understood how much a farmer looks forward to a good harvest. Even if the harvest was a pound more than the previous year, they would be overjoyed!

He’d never forget the happiness on his face the day they harvested the rice. He wanted to share that happiness with as many people as possible.

The most beautiful smile is that of a farmer during the harvest.

"Well, what if the task is not completed?" Mr. Shen asked nervously. Farming is unpredictable and depends completely on the mercy of nature. He hoped his son wouldn’t jump in recklessly.

"I didn’t think about it at the time." He believed that it would definitely work.

Mr. Shen held his head, and Chengzong felt a jolt in his heart. He had forgotten that crops won’t necessarily grow just because you want them to. Third Brother really is unreliable! He owes all his wealth to luck, and the moment his luck runs out, he’s done for!

"Third Brother, what if there’s a drought, or a flood, and the crops fail?"

"That’s not something I can control. The Emperor is a wise ruler, he won’t blame us." Do your best and leave the rest to fate.

Mr. Shen shook his head, who can guarantee he wouldn’t blame us? The mind of a ruler cannot be fathomed! Once the crop is successful one year, he’d expect it the next year and the year after that. This isn’t different from putting your head on the chopping block, one can only hope for mercy from the heavens! But life is long and it’s impossible to always have good luck!!

"You shouldn’t have agreed to such a large matter, Third Brother." Mr. Shen felt the plan of his son was not thought through.