Chapter 402: Rent Land
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The exemption of rent had indeed stirred up a significant commotion, which Qin Zhenzhen and Su Bin had anticipated.
Qin Zhenzhen remarked, “The village fields are exceptionally fertile, but the rent is exorbitant.”
Nonetheless, despite the high rents, some villagers were still willing to rent these fields due to their proximity and ease of management.
If these landowners were determined to compel the villagers to make a choice, there would likely be individuals who preferred to rent the fertile village fields. These fields offered the assurance of a bountiful harvest and were conveniently situated close to home.
Su Bin concurred, saying, “Yes, the rents were quite steep, about half of the harvest.”
He reflected on their family’s history, sharing, “In the past, we relied on rent.”
His father had absconded from home with a substantial sum of silver. Upon settling in the Qian Family Village, he had used more than half of that silver to purchase land and establish a shop. The village had nearby fertile fields and was conducive to their family’s livelihood, which primarily centered on collecting rent.
However, Su Bin’s father, a young master, possessed few skills beyond literacy and numeracy to support himself. As the saying goes, even a mountain of gold and silver can be depleted, particularly given his father’s habit of extravagant spending.
With the family’s size growing as more children were born, financial resources dwindled. Eventually, they had to sell their land and shop. As their circumstances worsened, they met with a tragic accident, resulting in the death of both parents.
Following their parents’ demise, Su Bin and his siblings endured mistreatment from their uncle’s family, who forced them to sell most of their remaining fields. The remaining small portion was nearly sold off by their uncle and others.
Fortunately, Qin Zhenzhen had been able to rescue him from those dire circumstances.
Qin Zhenzhen could piece together these past events from the descriptions in the books, and Su Bin had openly shared the details with her.
Quietly, Qin Zhenzhen sighed. She realized that Su Bin’s father’s downfall stemmed from his inability to manage money and plan for the future. Given his limited capacity to earn, the family should have adopted frugality as their guiding principle. Moreover, after relinquishing his position as the Marquis Mansion’s heir, he should not have retained the lifestyle of a spendthrift young master. Adding to their difficulties was the fact that they had a large number of children. Even if nothing untoward had happened to him, they might have still struggled to make ends meet.
She pondered the possibility of him having a change of heart and bringing the children back to the Marquis Mansion in desperation.
“Su Bin, do you believe the patriarch and the others will lower the rent?” Qin Zhenzhen inquired.
Su Bin responded with conviction, “Yes, I do.”
In fact, the patriarch and the others were eager to see the villagers continue renting their fields. Simultaneously, they were hesitant to truly alienate their clansmen, as they did not wish to incur Su Bin’s displeasure.
Su Bin’s assessment proved accurate. Eventually, with mediation from both Qian Youfu and the patriarch, the matter was resolved. The patriarch and the other landlords agreed to reduce rent by 10% and pledged to further decrease it in cases of natural disasters.
Nonetheless, they could not match Su Bin’s offer of rent-free fields, as they still had to pay taxes even in years with poor harvests. The higher authorities showed little leniency, and as landlords, they dared not display excessive generosity.
The villagers opted to continue renting fields from the few clans in the race, while the wasteland in Nanshan was equally divided among those willing to lease land, based on the population. With diligence, they believed they could manage both endeavors effectively.
Qian Youfu adeptly managed this matter, and there were no objections from the villagers.
Word of the Qian Clan’s decision to lower rents in order to retain tenants reached neighboring villages, prompting many to believe they could secure a favorable deal. They eagerly approached, expressing their interest in renting land from Su Bin. Some were even willing to lease a portion of it.
However, Qian Youfu informed them, “All of it has already been rented out..”
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