Xu Yue pondered for a while, then said with some regret:
“I underestimated the tenants too much. I thought that even if they were dissatisfied, they would naturally follow along once the fields yielded more. I never expected them to be unwilling from the start.”
She still lacked real-world experience. The actual ancient society was not as simple and straightforward as she had imagined.
Landlord Xu patted his grandson’s bun-haired head with relief and comforted him:
“You’re still young, it’s only natural you wouldn’t know these things. Your father was even more reckless when he was little – he got tricked out of his candy by village boys every single day!”
Xu Yue: …Really wanted to know the specifics of how he got tricked.
“Yue Ge’er, all these fields and lands in our family will be yours someday. Grandpa wants to teach you some principles early.”
“Don’t be fooled just because these tenants are farming the Xu family’s land and appear respectful on the surface. Actually, there’s an old saying that fits perfectly: between landlords and tenants, it’s either the east wind prevailing over the west wind, or the west wind prevailing over the east wind.”
Xu Yue widened her eyes, leaning closer and lifting her small face to listen. Landlord Xu couldn’t contain his pride, bursting into hearty laughter before carefully explaining:
“It’s true that landlords own many fields, but they need people to farm them to generate income. If a landlord is weak and lacks skill, these tenants will band together and demand lower rents, threatening not to rent your fields at all.”
“And some tenants are downright unscrupulous! Even when the weather is perfect, they’ll falsely claim drought or flood, reporting two dan of yield as only one dan, pocketing the difference. What can you do about that?”
Landlord Xu snorted heavily through his nose, his eyes gleaming sharply as he spoke with profound sincerity:
“You know how Grandpa acquired those twenty mu of high-quality paddy fields a few years ago? The previous owner died of a stroke while visiting prostitutes in the city, leaving behind helpless orphans and widows with no planning skills. Their tenants cheated them left and right – they only received peanuts in annual rent payments, eventually forcing them to sell the land.”
Xu Yue was shocked. Wasn’t it said that ancient peasants were exploited by landlords and lived in poverty?
Landlord Xu told her: nonsense!
These are all thinking people. While landlords do hold the upper hand, you’d be wrong to think tenants are all obedient and compliant.
Poverty breeds change.
When people are pushed to extreme poverty, they’ll do anything. That’s why landlords must maintain proper boundaries when dealing with tenants.
You can’t be too soft-hearted – too much compassion might mean tenants constantly pleading poverty and you collecting little to no rent.
But you can’t be too ruthless either – excessive harshness could drive tenants to desperation, making them abandon everything and burn your entire family alive – such cases aren’t unheard of.
Landlord Xu spoke gently, teaching earnestly. Seeing Xu Yue’s tender little face listening so attentively, his heart melted completely.
“Yue Ge’er, you’ve received heaven’s favor by learning these immortal farming methods – no one in the world can compare. But those tenants don’t know that.”
“Hmph, I knew someone would make trouble. I’ve been waiting for it.”
“So Grandpa was waiting to see me make a fool of myself?” Xu Yue said quietly, her bright eyes fixed on Landlord Xu.
Ahem. Landlord Xu guiltily averted his eyes.
Well, he just wanted his dear grandson to understand human relationships and worldly affairs. Studying is good, but he shouldn’t become a bookworm, right?
Moving past this topic, Landlord Xu asked with a sly expression:
“Yue Ge’er, besides suddenly knowing these immortal farming methods, have you received any other benefits?”
“No. Grandpa, why do you ask?”
Xu Yue shook her head. In truth, aside from farming, the biography contained other knowledge…
That great figure was born in turbulent times, living in a small mountain village where daily survival was uncertain. With the imperial examinations suspended and his frail body unfit for military service, he still proved himself extraordinary. He led the villagers in farming and reclaiming wasteland, accumulating resources before gaining renown and joining a rebel army. There, he handled logistics while learning from the military strategist.
In chaotic times, one had to know a bit of everything—like how to feed the largest army with the least grain, or how to maneuver into favor with a new leader after one’s commander was defeated. He mastered the art of discreetly eliminating rivals through means like grain supply disruptions. These strategies were profound and nuanced; Xu Yue felt she grasped only a fraction even after ten readings.
Naturally, she kept this from Landlord Xu. She feared that if he knew, his inflated pride would have him fantasizing about her celestial destiny as a Reincarnated Star of Literature aiding a true dragon emperor. Best not to mention it.
“It’s nothing…” Landlord Xu smacked his lips, somewhat disappointed.
His precious granddaughter was a Reincarnated Star of Literature who’d suddenly acquired unprecedented farming knowledge. After pondering it endlessly, Landlord Xu had an epiphany—immortals had colleagues too! Perhaps one or two of her celestial friends had quietly pulled strings for her. He reasoned this helpful immortal must be the deity in charge of agriculture.
In all honesty, he told himself not to be too greedy… What if it had been the God of Wealth?…
…
A month passed in a flash. This year’s silkworm cocoons had been harvested, and indeed, the yield was poorer than previous years, with few first or second-grade cocoons.
After boiling and reeling the cocoons, most of the raw silk was sold to the Xu family. The remaining silk was woven into bolts of satin by skilled women, which were also sold to the Xus as usual.
While the women worked busily, the men weren’t idle either—it was rice harvest season!
Despite the rainy weather causing poor silkworm growth due to damp mulberry leaves, the fields promised a bumper crop. Though exhausted, the villagers wore smiles and worked with vigor.
During roadside chats, someone brought up the eighty acres of land with mockery: “That coward Zhou Da was scared into dumping some potion and fertilizer every day with a dozen men. Mark my words, they’ll be lucky to get half the yield!”
“Impossible,” another retorted, then added, “They might get seventy or eighty percent. Otherwise, Zhou Da’s crew would’ve been wailing by now.”
“Right? After rent, they’d be left with half a bag of grain—enough to make anyone weep.”
The first speaker’s exaggerated expressions drew laughter from the crowd, all feeling superior. They congratulated themselves on not leasing those fields, or they’d share Zhou Da’s misfortune.
Just then, someone rushed over sweating, shouting breathlessly: “Hurry! Go see Zhou Da’s fields—they’ve yielded a bumper harvest!”
The group exchanged embarrassed glances, their earlier boasts still hanging in the air. One man blustered hoarsely: “So what? Everyone’s harvesting well this year! My land yielded nearly two dan per mu!”
The messenger rolled his eyes, spat, and yelled: “Two dan? Their fields produced almost three dan per mu!”
What?!
The earth-shattering news that the harvest had increased by nearly one-third struck the villagers like a thunderbolt.
Everyone swarmed over, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the grains being weighed on the large scale. Someone suddenly dropped to the ground, slapping the earth while crying out:
“If only I had rented this land too.”
This scene made Zhou Da and the tenant farmers behind him feel as if they had gulped down a mouthful of cool water on a scorching summer day—refreshed from head to toe.
…
After the rice harvest, Landlord Xu held Xu Yue in his arms, grinning from ear to ear.
Xu Yue smiled faintly. This season’s rice harvest was just a small test of her skills. Next season, starting from seed selection and gradually improving each step, the yield could be increased even more.