When Liu Sidi was still young, his grandfather, Liu Dachuan, was still alive.
At that time, there were seven people in the family.
Liu Dachuan, Liu Dashi, and Liu Dashi's wife, Li Yun 'niang. They also had four children: Eldest Sister, Erlang, Sanjie, and Fourth Brother.
Liu Dachuan had suffered enough. He only wanted to rely on hard work to save a few dozen mu of land so that the family would not starve. Thus, he led the family to live in a barren mountain.
All day long, Liu Dachuan and his son, Liu Dashi, worked hard to open up the land and farm. It was even more strenuous than an old cow. They stepped on the mud in the rice field, lowered their heads, and walked back and forth. They were so tired that their backs were bent.
His daughter-in-law, Madam Li, always went back and forth in the mountains. She led her eldest granddaughter, Fangniang, to split open the barren mountain to make tea and cut firewood deep in the mountains.
As for the remaining children, Erlang, who was eleven years old, went to herd cattle for a landlord.
At the age of nine, Third Sister led her Fourth Brother to collect feces from all over the place to fertilize the land under the disdain of others.
Every day, the whole family went out and used all their money to buy seeds and rent plows.
There were seven people in the family, but only two pieces of clothing were barely intact. They slept on three tattered straw mats full of lice. They tightened their bellies to survive.
Fortunately, the weather was good this year. After a few bumper harvests, the Liu family finally slowly saved up twelve mu of land. The next step should be to buy cattle, right?
However, one year, not long before the harvest, Liu Sanjie and Liu Sidi returned home after collecting dung. They saw that one side of their dilapidated mud house had collapsed. Their grandfather was in front of a man in silk clothes. He called out in a low voice, "Master …"
The man in silk clothes was surrounded by a few strong men who looked like hired thugs. The fat man in silk clothes picked his teeth and interrupted Liu Dachuan, saying, "I'm the most reasonable person. You see, the land is mine. The mountain is also mine. You're planting things on my land. How can you not pay taxes and rent? "
Liu Dachuan said with a trembling voice, "But … this land is clearly barren, and the mountain is also barren. The tea trees on the mountain and the crops in the field were all planted by us. How, how did this become your land? Why do we have to pay rent? "
The fat moneybags snorted, "Your master, I, just spent some money to buy the title deed from the government a few days ago. Now, this land and this mountain, as well as everything on it, are all mine."
As he spoke, he looked at the dilapidated house and spun his jade thumb ring, saying, "You privately built a house on other people's land, so you should be chased away. But I see that you are old and have a family to feed. I am not like other evil gentry, but I am the most compassionate person. That's why I won't chase your family away. How about this, your paddy fields and tea groves will all be rented for 30% of the tax. In the future, you will all be my tenants, and you don't have to move away from here. "
Liu Dachuan looked up and suddenly asked, "What if I don't hand it over?"
"This land is mine. If you don't pay rent, what right do you have to stay here? Get lost, I'll find someone else to plant this tea forest and this paddy field. "
Liu Dachuan valued crops the most in his life. When he heard this, his suppressed anger finally came out. He angrily asked, "What right do you have! This paddy field and tea groves were painstakingly planted by my family, and we didn't spend a single cent of your family's money! What right do you have to chase us away, and then take our tea groves and paddy fields for others to plant? "
The thugs were ready to make a move.
The fat moneybags comforted the thugs and smiled, "Old man, I said that I am the most reasonable person. You said that this land is mine, but these paddy fields and tea groves are yours. How about this, you take your paddy fields and tea groves and leave my family's land. How about it? It's just that, although the paddy fields and tea groves are yours, in any case, you still spent a few years of my family's fertility. If you give me the money for this fertility, I'll let you go. How about it? "
The tea groves had no legs, so how could they live if they left the soil?
If the paddy fields had no legs, how could they grow if they left the soil?
Seeing that they were about to have a good harvest, how could farmers do it if they pulled up the trees and destroyed the rice?
Taking ten thousand steps back, if the gods in heaven opened their eyes, the tea groves grew legs, and the paddy fields grew wings. It wouldn't work either.
Their family had never borrowed money from loan sharks. Their children had all tightened their belts and were starving to death. All the money was spent on buying plows and seeds.
How could they pay for the "fertility"?
Liu Dachuan was so angry that he trembled, but he couldn't say a word.
At this time, Liu Dashi came in from outside. Liu Dashi heard everything. He knew that although his father looked honest, he was actually a stubborn person. He was afraid that he would offend the noble and get beaten up, so he quickly nodded and bowed to the fat moneybags, "Good, good, Master is merciful, Master is merciful. This is what a donkey pulling a mill — — should do! We are willing to pay the rent, we are willing to pay the rent! "
When the fat moneybags and his thugs left, the children finally dared to timidly walk over.
"Father, Grandfather, what happened?" Sanjie asked.
Liu Dachuan didn't say anything. He just trembled as he walked to the side and touched the plow on the ground. Tears welled up in his old eyes.
Dashi knew that his father wasn't convinced, so he tried to persuade him, "Father, this is someone else's land. That Landlord Cao wants to drive us away. Who can we complain to? It's all our fault. We're old and young, and the outside world isn't good. What if we don't even have a mud house to shelter us from the wind and rain? This Landlord Cao is a kind-hearted person among landowners. He only takes 30% of the rent … Father, this … "
Before Liu Dashi could finish, his father stopped him and asked, "Dashi, how long have we lived on this land? How long have we been farming?"
Liu Dashi was stunned. "… Five years."
"When did Landlord Cao buy the land?"
"… A month ago."
"My family bought the land and planted the tea groves. My family split the barren hills and planted the tea groves. Then what right does he have to take the rice and tea groves that we worked so hard to plant and drive us away? If we don't leave, why do we have to pay the rent for the land and tea groves? "
"Because he bought the land. The land became his … "At this point, Liu Dashi seemed to be stunned. He felt that something wasn't right. Why did it seem like Landlord Cao had taken over his family's tea groves and rice groves, and it was only right that he asked them for rent?
However, he couldn't figure out what was wrong.
In the end, Dashi could only chalk it up to his poor brain and stupidity. He couldn't figure it out.
He looked at his father, Liu Dachuan, but Liu Dachuan didn't have an answer either.
More than ten years ago, Liu Dachuan went against the local landlord precisely because he couldn't figure out these problems. He refused to pay the rent and was driven out of his hometown to wander around. In the end, he married a young lady from a strong family in Guangxi and settled down there.
Liu Dashi was afraid that his father would make a scene because of his dissatisfaction. How could they go against the Cao Family? He advised again, "Father, no matter what, Old Landlord Cao only takes 30% of the rent! If we work harder, we'll be able to save up enough money to buy cows. Who knows, we might even be able to buy a few acres of land. What's wrong with us farming peacefully? "
Liu Dachuan looked at his grandson and granddaughter's confused faces. This stubborn old man didn't say anything. He dragged the plow and rake and walked out. When he walked out, he said to his son, "I've had enough of being a tenant for the first half of my life! Dashi, do you think that a landlord who only takes 30% of the rent isn't a landlord? If the land is in his hands, then the entire family's life is in his hands! "
However, Liu Dashi didn't want to run around anymore.
He had to take care of a father and four children. He kept thinking about the Cao Family's "30% rent". "30% rent". It was as if these three words were his lifesaver.
And so, he became the Cao Family's tenant.
The Cao Family was a kind family. They said 30% rent, so it was 30% rent.
Hence, Liu Dashi said to his father, wife, and children, "Look, we can still get by."
Liu Dachuan was the only one who would sometimes sneer sadly and not say anything.
After a period of time, during the busy farming season, the Cao Family suddenly asked Liu Dashi to bring his son to the Cao Family to work as a long-term worker. He had to help with chores such as drying the grains and making offerings.
Liu Dashi refused.
Master Cao sent someone to say, "If you don't go, then we'll increase the rent."
Liu Dashi had no choice but to go with his father and Dalang. All the chores at home were handed over to Mistress Cloud and Eldest Sister.
This work lasted until the end of the busy farming season.
Without the two biggest laborers, a lot of crops and tea trees went bad this year.
However, they still had to pay 30% rent for this year.
Since then, Moneybags Cao often sent people to ask the Liu Family to work at his house as odd-job workers — without pay.
Even Third Sister and Fourth Brother, who were still very young, were assigned to feed the animals and make tea.
Once, Madam Cao said that she wanted to drink tea. When Master Cao heard this, he sent someone to the tea garden and saw Madam Li and Eldest Sister Liu, who were picking tea leaves. He took a bucket of fragrant tea from them.
However, they only harvested about six buckets of fragrant tea this year.
Li Yunniang begged, "Master, Master, please do us a favor! It's not time to pay the rent this year. This fragrant tea is used by my family to make a living. If you take this bucket, please include it in the rent! "
The Cao Family's housekeeper said, "What? Our Master and Madam allow you to live on the Cao Family's private land to farm and open up wasteland. They only charge 30% rent. 30% rent! Is there such a kind person in the world? How can taking a few sips of your tea be considered as paying the rent? Your family is a little too ungrateful. If you don't want to, just tell the Master and no one will stop you. Just move out. "
Li Yunniang was stunned by the reproachful eyes of the kind-looking housekeeper. She repeated the words "thirty percent rent", "great philanthropist", and then "move out". She was so embarrassed that she couldn't say anything else.
From then on, whenever the Cao Family wanted to drink tea, they would directly take it from the Liu Family's tea garden and not count it in the rent.
Year after year, even though they only paid 30% rent, for some reason, the Liu Family's situation seemed to worsen day by day.
In the end, from a few meals of cornbread a day and some white flour during the New Year, it became a few bowls of clear soup a day.
Dalang worked for the Cao Family during the day and had to push the mill at night. When he went to herd cows for a landlord, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old child didn't have that much energy. In the end, he took a nap and lost a cow.
Because of this, the owner of the herd beat Dalang black and blue and threw him back home.
As for Liu Dachuan, he was old. One time, he went to the paddy field and got a big stomach disease. He could only lie on the kang bed all day.
Because they couldn't afford salt, their eldest sister also got a neck disease. Gradually, they couldn't go up the mountains to chop firewood.
Medicine was too expensive. They couldn't afford salt and tea at some point. They had to borrow money from the Cao Family.
The debt rolled up, layer by layer.
Many years later, Sanjie recalled that it was during those years that Liu Dashi, who didn't pray to gods, began to pray to gods and sorcerers.
It was at the end of autumn that year. The Cao Family sent people to collect rent. They even came to press for debt.
Liu Dashi begged, "Master, master, you're a merciful person, you're a kind person! Please extend the time! My family needs to pass the winter, the children need to eat, and we need to treat father, Dalang, and eldest sister. I beg you, I'll kowtow to you, I'll kowtow to you! "
His head banged loudly on the ground.
A few children, who had been starving to the point of being skin and bones, also kowtowed together. They approached the group of people in silk and begged.
The person who came with the housekeeper to collect rent was a young master of the Cao Family.
The Liu Family was a country bumpkin. They worked in the fields all year round. No matter how much they scrubbed, the dirt in their toenails and fingernails seemed to be impossible to clean in a lifetime.
They were thin, dark, and didn't have salt to wash their teeth. At most, they used branches to brush their teeth. Many of them didn't even have shoes and were barefoot. Because they worked with feces and fields all year round, their bodies always stank of feces.
They slept on broken straw and lived in earthen houses that melted when it rained. The floor was full of mud. The clothes on their bodies were actually very indecent. They were so tattered that even the women didn't know etiquette and exposed themselves here and there.
The only valuable things were a few farm tools.
The first few times Young Master Cao came to collect rent, he knew that most of the country bumpkins were sick.
Looking at this family, they were no exception.
The old man had a layer of grease and mud on his body! The woman actually had a scab on her head.
Because the younger ones often fed other people's livestock, the owner told them to sleep in the livestock shed. Their skin was bitten to a pulp by insects, and their hair was yellow and sparse. There was also one who actually had a big neck.
Young Master Cao was at the age where he studied poetry and books. When he saw such dirty and smelly "people" and dirty environment, he felt fear and disgust.
In order to barely shift his gaze, he looked at the only place in the house that looked clean: it was a sign that worshipped the fox deity.
What was even more ridiculous was that the word "fox" was written incorrectly.
Young Master Cao's frown deepened.
He, who was well-read, finally sighed and said, "Old man, my family only collects 30% of the rent, and you still have to default. You … why do you have to do this? If you were more hardworking and not so lazy, it wouldn't look bad on everyone. "
Liu Dashi opened his mouth, but after a while, he closed it again.
He just kowtowed even louder, "Young Master, I have old people and young people, a family of seven …"
Young Master Cao interrupted him, "Old man, you see …" He pointed his white and clean fingers one by one and sighed, "Your family is in a difficult situation, who can you blame? Could it be my family's fault? Cough, old man, take a look at yourself! Your family is poor, but you have four children! You … since you are poor, why do you have so many children? If you don't have so many children, I'm afraid your life won't be so difficult. "
Liu Dashi and his wife were stunned.
After a while, Liu Dashi stuttered, "But … after … after giving birth … and getting married, we will …"
Young Master Cao was impatient and shouted, "Then don't consummate the marriage! Can't you control it? Then don't get married! If you know you are poor and can't afford to raise them, why get married! Why have children! Don't think about raising your own children. If you work for my family honestly, you won't owe so much debt! "
The room was silent.
Liu Dashi and his wife, as well as the children below, were dumbfounded. They seemed to think that it made sense.
Only a thin, unyielding girl's voice rang out clearly, "Bah!"
"Stupid girl, you are unreasonable!" Several servants quickly wanted to slap Liu Sanjie's mouth. Young Master Cao hurriedly stopped them, "Stop! As a man, how can you bully a weak woman? "
Young Master Cao looked at the room full of people kneeling. A touch of helplessness appeared on his elegant face, "Ai, forget it! Villains are born poor and treacherous, always deceiving gentlemen. You are taking advantage of my inexperience. It is obviously your own fault, but you still rely on my family's kindness to default on the rent and debt. "
Liu Dashi was absent-minded and ashamed. It seemed that it was indeed their fault. He couldn't help but murmur, "Sorry, Old Master. Sorry, Young Master. It's just that, it's just that my family is so honest that even half a rotten egg can't be scraped … Please give me a few more days … "
Young Master Cao frowned unhappily. After a while, he slowly walked out of the mud house with a sigh. When he went outside, he gave a few instructions to the servant.
After the servant received the instructions, he turned back into the house and sneered, "Your mother's bullshit! What do you mean poor! Those who are really poor, how can they have the heart to raise their daughters? They would have drowned those stupid girls long ago to save food! Those who really want to repay the debt would have sold their daughters long ago! Your family is still not willing to sell your daughters to repay the Old Master's debt, which means that you still have surplus food and are not willing to take it out! "
The Liu family was dumbstruck.
Liu Dashi's mouth trembled a lot, but he couldn't think of a single word to refute.
Only Liu Sanjie was still fine, unyielding, and angry, "Bah —!"
The servant was spat in the face. He was furious and was about to hit her. But he was stopped by Young Master Cao who came in, "Outrageous! Didn't I just say that as a man, you can't bully weak women! "
The servant hurriedly stopped.
Therefore, in the autumn and winter of that year, the Liu family finally began to sell their sons and daughters in the 30% rent. Liu Sanjie was sold.
In the autumn of the second year, in the 30% rent, the eldest son finally couldn't endure it. He froze and died.
Liu Dachuan's big belly burst, and many insects crawled out from his stomach. He also died.
The eldest sister stiffened her neck and didn't want to drag her family down, so she jumped into the water.
… …
"Father, mother, brother, sister …"
After waking up from a dream, Liu Sidi's tears wet the broken straw mat under him. In a trance, he thought that he was the little beggar who wandered around in the past.
Walking out of the hut, the sun shone on the world. The yellow soil was bleak, and his eyes were full of the same poverty.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
