Zheng Ruqian kept following the young master of the Fang family until Zhu Zhi left with the other children of the Fang family. Fang Heng did not come forward during this time. He just stood there with a bamboo hat, coldly staring at the two from the corner, as if seeing through them to the proud uncle and aunt in the capital city.
"Sooner or later, the day will come," Fang Heng thought.
Whether it was the Fang family or Zhu Zhi, he would settle this debt eventually.
At the county gate of Xieyang, when bidding farewell, the Anshui magistrate exhorted the few children, "Xieyang will have a new county magistrate in a few days. I cannot guarantee he will love the people like a father, but if anything is wrong, just come to the prefecture city to file a complaint."
Jiang Sheng craned her neck and asked, "Sir magistrate, will it be fifty heavy rods this time?"
The Anshui magistrate could not help but smile, "No beatings this time, Young Master Zhu filed a complaint, no beatings."
Seeing off Magistrate Pang was even more chaotic. This sincere old county magistrate always remembered what Zheng Ruqian had said, so he would give him a couple of hits when nothing was going on, "You should embrace the world, don't harm others and profit yourself."
Zheng Ruqian was quick with words. He had agreed, but when Magistrate Pang got on the carriage, he added, "Harming others is profiting oneself."
Magistrate Pang was so angry he almost jumped off the galloping carriage to beat him up.
Finally, everything returned to calm.
The six siblings stood on a small hill outside Xieyang County, watching the sunset glow in the sky, and suddenly realized that summer had arrived.
If last year they were still a group of disheveled children, now after experiencing difficulties again and again, they already showed the makings of adults.
Xu Mo was gentle and restrained, wearing a long gown, with the grace and elegance of a scholar.
Zheng Ruqian was tall and sturdy, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a square mouth and broad nose. His face was a mix of uprightness and shrewdness, yet not discordant.
Fang Heng's brows and eyes were resolute, his lips lightly pursed. His past fear of darkness and the Fang family had shattered after so many things had happened.
Wen Zhiyun's eyebrows and eyes were smiling. Dealing with Zhu Zhi made him realize the power of medicine. In the past he was timid about his weak physique, and now it seemed he had found a way to become strong.
Chang Yan did not say a word, lightly clasping his right hand over his left, his dark pupils seeming to penetrate space and arrive in the capital city.
Even Jiang Sheng had grown much taller, wearing a new light colored dress, cleverly covering her belly.
Suddenly, a "gulu" sound startled several brothers.
Jiang Sheng's face turned red with embarrassment and she said in a low voice, "Hungry...hungry."
Xu Mo chuckled, "Let's go, back home for dinner."
"Let's go, back home for dinner."
The six children still made quite a bit of noise.
Fortunately, Pang Dashan had been waiting there early with a donkey cart. The few got on in order and whipped the donkey, rushing towards home.
Not long after they left, two servant-looking people quietly walked out.
"Is it true? They don't look much alike to me," one servant asked.
"Look a little bit similar, mainly much taller than before, can't confirm," the other servant shook his head.
"Still have to go back and report to the Lady first. How could the legitimate son of the eldest young miss wander outside," the first servant said.
The two looked at each other affirmatively, then went to the woods to fetch a carriage and rushed straight to Anshui Prefecture.
At the small courtyard.
Xu Mo rolled up his sleeves and fried in the big iron pot, sweating pouring down his forehead.
"Big brother, wipe off the sweat," Jiang Sheng tiptoed.
Sitting not far away cracking melon seeds, Zheng Ruqian sighed, "Big brother is so dignified outside, yet returns home to cook and sweat for us, too sinful."
"Then you do it?" Fang Heng glanced at him.
Zheng Ruqian quickly shut up.
It wasn't that they were unwilling to work, but the food they made...was not as good as Jiang Sheng's mush.
To each his own.
Zheng Ruqian understood clearly that since he couldn't cook, he would earn more money and hire more cooks in the future.
Therefore, at dinner, Zheng Ruqian suggested handing over the vegetable collecting business from Yunshui County to the Pang brothers, while he would go to the prefecture city to discuss cooperation with You Ran House.
"Go by yourself?" Jiang Sheng bit a chicken leg, very surprised, "Second brother, I'm worried about you."
Worrying was useless, the prefecture city was the Wang family's territory, also Old Third's prohibited area.
Zheng Ruqian did not dare bring Fang Heng along.
"Can't hand over the Yunshui business just like that," Xu Mo also reminded, "Although the Pang brothers are acquaintances, interests come first, feelings later."
Zheng Ruqian tutted, he had worried about this too, but there was no other way. To expand the business, helpers were inevitable. Pang Dashan was already the best candidate.
"Perhaps...second brother can consider signing a contract," Chang Yan said softly.
Everyone eating looked over.
"You mean, a slave contract?" Fang Heng raised his brow, "That doesn't seem right."
"There are also labor contracts," Chang Yan had smiling eyes, "Otherwise how do the long-term and short-term laborers on the landlords' farms work?"
Zheng Ruqian gaped, the big eyeballs under his thick eyebrows froze in place.
After a long time, he came to his senses, "I...I've leveled up to be a landlord master?"
On the same level as the rich bullies in town who set off fireworks?
Xu Mo pressed his lips, trying not to laugh.
Jiang Sheng put down her chopsticks and flipped through the silver notes in her little purse.
That's right, after the Fang family gave one hundred taels of silver, little Jiang Sheng realized that not having to carry several pounds of silver all the time was really tiring. So she decisively exchanged all the silver into banknotes.
Counting it up, the whole family had a deposit of two hundred and twenty taels.
According to the calculation that ordinary commoners in Xieyang County earn at most two taels of silver a year, they really were petty bourgeoisie now.
Zheng Ruqian excitedly gesticulated, "Sign, must sign."
The Dayu Dynasty had three types of contracts: land deeds, person deeds, and object deeds.
Among them, person deeds were divided into two types: slave deeds and labor deeds.
Slave deeds were easy to understand, selling oneself into slavery, usually divided into life deeds and term deeds. Life deeds could not be redeemed, while term deeds expired automatically when the term was up.
Labor contracts had a bit more dignity compared to slave contracts. They were signed just for providing labor and dividing work. They were usually divided into long contracts and short contracts. Long contracts were twenty years, short contracts were a few months.
When Zheng Ruqian went to Pang Dashan and asked if he wanted to sign a long contract, Pang Dashan was stunned for a moment.
"It's not the slave kind, but you work for me, I pay you, not just a verbal agreement but a written contract," Zheng Ruqian explained, "It has to go through official channels and be legal. If there is any breach of contract, there will be compensation."
Pang Dashan hesitated for a long time before finally nodding, "I'll sign."
Regarding how much to pay, Zheng Ruqian thought about it for a night, "Our scale is small now, just three to five taels per trip. I can't pay you too high either, but if we expand in the future, too low is not fair. So let's adjust the payment annually."
This year, it would be one tael per person per year. Pang Dashan's labour contribution was higher, so two taels.
The two signed the contract and exchanged silver.
Pang Dashan held the warm six taels of silver, complex emotions in his heart.
From now on, he was no longer a beggar, he was someone with a labor contract.
Zheng Ruqian was also happy, he was one step closer to being a landlord master.
The two parted at the county gate, Pang Dashan taking his younger brother to Yunshui County to transport vegetables, while Zheng Ruqian headed into the county town on foot.
While walking, he thought, have to buy a carriage.
How could a landlord master still take donkey carts?
The more he thought about it, the happier he became. Passing by You Ran House, he was suddenly called to a stop.
"Little Zheng, come here," it was the white boss.
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