“Jingpeng, you lead them to make jam today, yesterday I spent all the money to buy land, so we have to step up time to make money. I guess we can find enough workers the day after tomorrow the latest, and then, dad, I guess I need you and Old Song to supervise them. We have to finish all the fifty thousand mu of land before the end of the month.”
Ling Jingxuan said so while eating, when he finished, he found that all the family were dumbfounded. Ling Jingxuan was confused, “What?”
Did he say something that he shouldn't have?
“Fifty...fifty thousand mu?!”
Stuttering there for quite a while, Ling Chenglong finally asked sharply, eyes wide open. So he bought fifty thousand mu of land yesterday???
Finally knowing where the problem was, Ling Jingxuan helplessly put down the bowl and chopsticks. After some careful thought, he seemed to have forgotten to tell them that, “Right, fifty-two thousand mu, to be more exact. Five thousand mu belongs to Brother Zhao and his family, we only have forty-seven thousand mu, actually I have bought all the saline-alkali land through the whole Qingyang county.”
ONLY 47,000 mu? Everyone had a variety of convulsions on their faces. That was nearly equal to the size of a small town, ok? Did he know how much land he had bought?
“Jingxuan, can you really grow something on it? If…that’s tens of thousands of mu of land, I’m afraid we even can’t afford the taxes next year.”
Ling Chenglong’s face wrinkled into a ball. He knew yesterday his son went to the county to buy land, also knew it was some saline-alkali land, but he had never expected that he had once bought tens of thousands of mu. Everything would be OK if he could grow things out of it, but if he couldn’t… Ling Chenglong shook his head violently and dare not let himself keep thinking. By that time, only the taxes would drive them crazy.
“Hehe…Daddy, rest assured, the lord magistrate has exempted the first three years taxes for us, so, even if we can’t grow out anything in the first, we still have two more years, we will grow out something. Besides, don’t we have Jinghan? When he gets listed as a xiucai, we can get duty-free, or, dad, you don't believe in Jinghan's literary talent?”
Compared with their worries, Ling Jingxuan was all kinds of relaxed, even used some kind of teasing tone. He would never do things he was uncertain of. Since he dare to buy all the 50 thousand mu of land, of course he had enough confidence to grow things out of it. And if he couldn’t finally, he still had the almighty Crescent Spring.
“No, how could I ever have no faith in Jinghan? I’m just worried. Nothing is absolute.”
pαndα`noνɐ1--сoМ Hearing that, Ling Chenglong hurriedly turned to look at his second son. They were all his sons, how could he underestimate any?
“Come on, dad, just prepare to be a big landlord. There will be no bigger landlords than us in Qingyang County in the future.”
After exchanging a look with his younger brother, Ling Jingxuan tried to appease him with a smile, and Ling Jinghan hurriedly echoed, “Dad, I trust my big brother, you rest assured, next year, I promise I’ll earn you a xiucai title!”
With the title of xiucai, their family could get tax-free, and by then, even if they couldn’t grow out anything, they’d only lose some money of hiring workers to open up the wasteland, the land was still under their name. Besides, what if they succeeded? By then, maybe they would really become the biggest landlords in Qingyang County, like his brother said.
“All right, Jingxuan, make it steady, I know you have earned everything we have now, and I have no position to say what. But I still hope you can do things one step after another. Don’t let all your previous efforts wasted.”
Under the brothers' double appeasing, Ling Chenglong finally nodded to agree. He was a sincere rough man, except farming, he knew nothing. So, nothing was more important than a happy family, even money.
“What are you talking about, dad? You are the master of this family. How could you say I have earned everything. It belongs to us all. I don’t accept what you said. So, never say that again, dad.”
Seeing that he was taking him as an outsider, Ling Jingxuan darkened his face pretendingly. Seeing that, Ling Chenglong hurriedly explained, “No, I didn't mean that. You know, I am not a good talker, Jingxuan, don’t take it to your heart.”
“Hehe, dad, I'm joking. How would I really be mad at you? About the land buying thing, I have considered it thoroughly. Since I dare to buy it, I have the confidence that I can grow things out of it. Even if we fail finally, we can earn those money we spent on this from other places. As long we work hard, I believe our days would only get better and better.”
Bursting out laughing, Ling Jingxuan said those words earnestly. He could have earned thousands of taels of silver in three months, of course he could earn more in the future. So, he basically had no pressure at all.
“Ah, I know what you mean. Jingxuan, you guys eat quickly. Later we still have to go to town. Don’t worry about the jam thing. You have me and Jingpeng.”
Finally feeling relieved, Ling Chenglong picked up the bowl and chopsticks and ate a large mouthful of the porridge, his son just said that he had spent all the money, he had to seize the time to do more jam to sell.
“Hehe...”
Giving a light smile, Ling Jingxuan said no more. After lunch, as he was about to go back to his own room to get changed, the big bun grabbed him quietly. Ling Jingxuan looked at him strangely, followed him to his room, then saw that he took out his saving pot again, poured all the money out, and stuffed all the silver ingots and bank notes to him.
“Daddy, you can use this money first. Fifty thousand mu of land needs many workers. How can you do without money?”
Although his face looked sore, Ling Wen said it sensibly, turning back and stuffing the copper coins left into the saving pot.
Looking at the bank notes and silver ingots in his hands, Ling Jingxuan felt so touched. He handed them to Yan Shengrui and then held Ling Wen from behind, “Son, thank you!”
Ling Wen blushed and stammered, “You…you are welcome, but daddy, you still have to save money as much as you can. Don’t waste any. Now we became poor again like before. You can’t blow money like before. We…”
For the first time, Ling Jingxuan sincerely felt that the big bun’s nagging was so pleasant to the ears.
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