When Master Zhou heard this, he told Chen Shihong that there was no need to tell the saint about this matter, Chen Shihong only needed to do this, anyway, this is in turn, and everyone will have to serve at that time, and no one can escape.

Now it's just a matter of changing sooner or later, even if the saint knows that the road is repaired, the saint won't blame anything.

When Master Zhou said this, he told Chen Shihong with some threats that since ancient times, officials and gentry have always been one, and if officials are willing to listen to the gentry, then the gentry will naturally listen to the county.

The two sides cooperated, so why worry about the peace of this place. When the time comes to the three-year competition, Chen Shihong can naturally be promoted. But if you want to make things difficult for me, I will make things difficult for you, and this black gauze hat will not be easy to wear.

After hearing this, Chen Shihong smiled at Master Zhou and told Master Zhou that he naturally knew the stakes, but this time he came according to the rules of the imperial court, and he was also timid and did not dare to make his own decisions.

Master Zhou saw that Chen Shihong was so determined, so he didn't want to talk about it, saying that he was a suggestion, and Chen Shihong didn't want to listen to it.

Chen Shihong said that he really had no way to do this, he was willing to listen to the opinions of the gentry, if he could do it, he would definitely do it, now this is the emperor's errand, but he can't be sloppy.

Master Zhou said to understand, the front foot left, and the back foot went to find Lin Duowen, Lin Duowen was studying in the academy, and after hearing it, he had to put down the book and go to the living room to meet him.

After the two sides saluted, Master Zhou said his intentions, talked more about their suffering, said that the four people are headed by scholars, and now, everything must be taken precedence, they are also cultivating heirlooms, and they also want to cultivate fields, there is already a lot of land, there are not enough manpower, and now they have to be transferred to repair roads when the farm is busy, so don't they only be starved to death?

After Lin Duo heard this, he told Master Zhou: "This can hire people to serve, and it doesn't cost much silver." ”

"Uncle, your family has a big business, so naturally you don't care. And our small family, we can have a surplus of more than a dozen taels of silver a year, and we are smiling. You don't know that those people don't hire them when they know that the farm is slack, so when the farm is busy, they ask for a price all over the day, and they ask for 100 yuan a day, and this ten days is the same money. Take my family as an example, our gentleman's family is two out of five, that is, there are twelve people who serve on the tenth day, and this service is twelve yuan. ”

When Master Zhou said this, his face was miserable, he deliberately shed a few tears, saying that this road did not know how many years it would take to repair, and he would lose twelve taels of silver this year, and after a few more years, he would be bankrupt.

Although Master Zhou said miserably, Lin Duowen knew that he was pretending, he didn't know much about the people's suffering, but he still knew about the wealth of the gentry's family, and they just wanted to play the role of their servants again when they were slack.

Lin Duowen told Master Zhou that if the meal is reduced today, and the prince also pays for it, the nobles of the world should also set an example and not embarrass the court.

When Master Zhou heard Lin Duowen's words, he also responded, this should naturally be responded, but this day the family and the country have a big business, so he naturally doesn't mind, but the small family really can't stand such a toss, speaking of which, Master Zhou hinted that Lin Duowen, not only him, but also other gentry felt embarrassed.

Now Lin Duowen is the leader of the sergeant Lin in Haining City, and everyone expects Lin Duowen to say a word for himself.

When Lin Duowen thought of his birthday, these people had given money, which was the so-called eating people with soft mouths and short hands. He promised Master Zhou that he would go back to talk to Chen Shihong, but he didn't dare to guarantee whether the matter would succeed or not, after all, he had no official position and could not use his official position to suppress Chen Shihong.

Master Zhou said that Lin Duowen was willing to go, and they were very happy, whether this matter was successful or not, but secondary.

Lin Duowen really drove to the Zhixian Yamen the next day, and he had been handling the case with Chen Shihong in the back office before meeting Chen Shihong.

After Chen Shihong saluted, let Lin Duowen sit down, Lin Duowen explained his intention to Chen Shihong, and also said his own difficulties, Lin Duowen is a local, not only has to deal with these gentry, but also his children and grandchildren have to deal with the descendants of these people, this distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor, naturally it is not easy to offend.

"Brother Lin, I understand your embarrassment, but this matter, you can't break the rules, they can't afford to build this road, can civilians bear it? These people think about themselves, but they forget the teachings of the sages, and these people are really vain to call themselves scholars. ”

Lin Duowen said yes, these people are not worthy of being called scholars, but all the scholars in the world are this virtue.

Speaking of which, Lin Duowen told Chen Shihong that he would not embarrass Chen Shihong about this matter, and today's words, after Chen Shihong heard it, he just turned a deaf ear.

Chen Shihong thought about it and asked Lin Duowen which family was the biggest in Haining City now.

Lin Duowen said that there is no big family in Haining County, but there is a Xiao family in Hailan City, which is a big family, and the place where they are located borders Haining County.

Chen Shihong carefully inquired about the Xiao family, and Lin Duowen also said.

It turns out that the Xiao family is from the beginning of the Chen Dynasty, there is no separation, when the Wei Dynasty was established, the Xiao family was already the ninth generation of the same family, there are more than 1,000 people, in the time of Emperor Wei Wen, because the Taishi rebellion was also involved in the Xiao family, but after Emperor Wei Wen heard the deeds of the Xiao family, he said that such a filial family, how could they participate in the rebellion, so let people let go of those Xiao family people.

The Xiao family is also because of this, although they still let their children study, but they can only be admitted to show their talents, and it is enough to have a meritorious reputation.

Moreover, the Xiao family is also obscure, and all the children of their own family, if it is not an important matter, they are not allowed to leave the local area for twenty miles.

Therefore, although the Xiao family is a big family, its reputation is not obvious. The people around here, there is nothing to talk about. Far away, I don't know that there is such a big family in Hailan City.

The Xiao family doesn't go out to socialize, and they still have some prestige nearby. Lin Duowen told Chen Shihong that if he could say that the people of the Xiao family could set an example, then these gentry would not dare to say anything.

Chen Shihong nodded, saying that he had this plan, but he didn't know if the Xiao family was willing to help with this.

"Brother Shi doesn't need to worry much about this, the patriarch of the Xiao family is the easiest to talk to, as long as you tell him about this, he will definitely be willing to help."

Chen Shihong said that in this case, he was going to visit.

Lin Duowen said that he didn't bother much, just let Chen Shihong keep himself busy.

Chen Shihong was about to ask Miss Cao how she was, but thinking that asking Lin Duowen like this would be too hurtful, so he endured it.

In the afternoon of the same day, Chen Shihong took care of his official duties, and then in the early morning of the next day, let Siyun drive the carriage to Xiao's house.

It was very easy to inquire about the location of the Xiao family, and they arrived at the Xiao family in the afternoon.

Because the Xiao family is not separated, everyone lives in a large courtyard, which is a courtyard, which is still a little inaccurate, to be precise, it is a small town, and the houses here are neat and tidy. evenly distributed in the courtyard walls.

After Chen Shihong handed over the post, the patriarch of the Xiao family came out to greet him in person, and took Chen Shihong to the living room, Chen Shihong saw a strange thing, that is, in the corridors on both sides of the main hall, clothes were hung.

If you talk about drying clothes, these clothes don't look like they have just been washed.

Patriarch Xiao didn't explain, and waited until Chen Shihong went to the living room and sat down, and then greeted Chen Shihong for a while before asking Chen Shihong's origin.

Chen Shihong didn't see the door, but said that he heard that the Xiao family was a righteous family, so he came to visit and wanted to find out.

Patriarch Xiao touched his beard, but he was a little proud, he told Chen Shihong, wondering what was going on with those clothes, Chen Shihong nodded.

Patriarch Xiao told Chen Shihong that this is the robe of the people in the clan, and if anyone wants to go out to run errands, just take a piece of clothing there.

When you get back, hang the clothes back in their place.

In addition to the fact that this dress is used by everyone, there are also children, and everyone takes care of them together, and whoever should weave cloth today, then her children will be handed over to other women to take care of.

Chen Shihong was surprised by this matter, and asked if this child was the heart of his parents, and many people would be reluctant to do so after a while, and now this child is handed over to other people to raise, whether it is appropriate.

Patriarch Xiao said that this is the rule of the Xiao family, there is no private property in the Xiao family, everything is owned by the family.

Chen Shihong originally didn't have much interest in Yimen, but when he heard the patriarch say this, he was interested instead.

The patriarch told Chen Shihong that their fields here are called Yitian, a total of 2,500 acres, and these fields have been cultivated by the clansmen, and when it is time to harvest, they are all in the warehouse.

As for the use of the clansmen, it is one liter of white rice per month for men, and if they can't get the white rice, if they replace it with bad rice, they will also get two percent more. The number of women has decreased by 20%, and as for children, it is only half.

If you want to wear clothes, you can buy a set every summer and winter.

It's fair for Chen Shihong to ask about this, but what about getting married and marrying a daughter?

The patriarch also said that if you marry a wife, you will pay 30 yuan, and if you marry a daughter, it will also be 30 yuan. If a man marries again, then only twenty times, and if he does it three times, he will not be paid.

If a woman remarries, there will only be fifteen times, and she will naturally not give money for the third marriage.

Chen Shihong asked, if this can't have private money, then if the woman's maiden family has money, if she gives the woman jewelry, will these also be confiscated?

Patriarch Xiao smiled and told Chen Shihong that he would naturally not be so unkind, and they would make some compensation for other women.

All the daughters-in-law of the Xiao family, they will have jewelry every year.

Patriarch Xiao said that in a big family like theirs, the most important thing is fairness, and no one can gossip, if you encounter injustice, you can go to the ancestral hall in front of the whole family and theorize right and wrong.