Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 416: Surplus Grain at Home

The landlord arriving with his children to collect rent was a novelty for the tenants.

Da Lang was in charge of weighing and reporting numbers, while Second Lang took the contract given by their father to verify the figures, and then circled them on the newly written ledger to signify that the collection from this family was complete.

Sanlang and Si Niang helped arrange the family’s baskets, waiting for Ah Wang to pour the grain handed over by the tenants into their baskets, and then carried them to the cart.

As for Liu Ji, the head of the family didn’t need to work, sitting atop the shaft of the horse-drawn cart, sipping the coarse tea politely offered by the tenants, appreciating the bright blue sky and white clouds, while keeping a sharp eye on the grain being handed over; whenever he spotted a stray weed, he would lecture for fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile, he accepted the tenants’ peace offerings of half a bushel of wheat, embodying a skinflint like Zhou Ba Pi, as if every layer counted.

Ah Wang and the four Da Lang siblings collectively twitched at their lips, exchanging glances, and continued their work.

Don’t judge Liu Ji too harshly, for there are many worse than him.

Compared to another family that brought thugs to collect rent, his actions were small potatoes.

The others would find fault and raise the rent by ten percent each time.

To the tenants, Mr. Liu, who could be appeased with half a bushel of rice and a cup of tea, already seemed quite kind.

After all, throughout the year, this is the only time he would create minor troubles.

Moreover, he just agreed to let them borrow oxen for spring plowing, and the extra bushel they handed over could be considered as an advance payment for the oxen rental fee.

Thinking about this, the tenants let go of the last trace of resentment in their hearts.

Liu Ji winked at the puffed-up Si Niang playfully, "See your father’s skills, impressive, eh?"

Si Niang snorted, unwilling to respond.

But after turning away, recalling her father’s playful expression, she couldn’t help but laugh.

"Just laugh if you want to, little girl, sulking is not pretty."

Liu Ji, without her noticing, came up behind Si Niang, pinched her chubby little face.

Before the little one could react, he picked her up and placed her onto the shaft of the cart.

Then he jumped up, flicked the whip, and drove the cart laden with wheat to the farm, temporarily storing the grain in the small courtyard before returning with an empty cart.

By the roadside bloomed wildflowers, and Si Niang pointed at them, "Dad, I want those, can you help me pick them?"

"Sure!" Liu Ji agreed enthusiastically, immediately halted the cart, gathered a handful of flowers and grass for his daughter, placed them on her lap, and resumed driving.

Suddenly, a small hand reached his ear, inserting the purple and white wildflowers she picked into his hair one by one.

Liu Ji wasn’t annoyed, jokingly asked, "Pretty?"

Si Niang covered her mouth, giggled without replying, treating her father’s head like a vase, freely expressing her artistic vision.

However, nearing the tenants’ gate, Liu Ji forbade her from continuing, removing the chaotic flowers and plants from his head, leaving only one flower behind his left ear to play the role of a petty villain like Zhou Ba Pi.

Si Niang, having played along the way, was satisfied, stopped misbehaving, and only mentioned that upon returning home, she wanted to pick the most beautiful wildflowers for her mother to decorate the room.

Liu Ji sarcastically said, "Isn’t dad good enough for you? Every conversation leads to your mother. Could she let you turn her head into a vase?"

Si Niang, with raised eyebrows, said spiritedly, "I just love mother the most!"

Liu Ji clicked his tongue twice, chose to stay silent, avoiding further embarrassment.

Father and daughter returned, and Ah Wang’s ox cart was also fully loaded, ready to depart. Alternating between two carts, they worked into the evening, finally completing the collection of the tenants’ grain from Ding Family Manor.

There was still a family near Jinshi Town, and with father and five sons, they collected from that household as well, then hurried home at night.

Things weren’t finished yet.

After resting for a night, they set off again early the next day, to transport all the grain back home.

All thirty acres were used to grow rapeseed, and in the spring harvest, they collected 2,700 pounds of rapeseed.

From seventy acres of top-grade farmland, they harvested 7,840 pounds of wheat.

The taxation this year remained one-fifteenth; after deducting the required tax payment, they received 2,520 pounds of rapeseed and 7,317 pounds of wheat.

Government grain tax does not include rapeseed, so rapeseed tax must be converted to silver for payment.

Liu Ji enlisted the help of Liu Zhong, who often procures supplies in the county, to find an oil mill for this batch of rapeseed.

Each pound of rapeseed sells for two coins. After selling all of it, deducting taxes and transportation losses, he obtained exactly five taels of silver.

Five thousand pounds of wheat were also sold; this year’s wheat price has stabilized, but due to last year’s famine causing a shortage of flour, this year’s wheat price is double that of the previous years, six cents per pound with the husk.

Selling five thousand pounds of wheat, they earned 30 taels of silver.

The remaining two thousand pounds of wheat were kept for self-use.

Additionally, ten acres of village wheat were also harvested by hired labor, yielding 3,000 pounds of wheat after tax deductions.

Combining both, they had over 5,000 pounds of wheat; after removing the husk, more than enough to feed a family of seven for a year, with lots to spare.

The household has a grain storage warehouse, so there’s no rush to sell it, with plans to decide when autumn harvest arrives.

With surplus grain at home, one encounters troubles without panic.

Farmers live by nature’s whim, uncertain if next year’s climate will be unfavorable, reducing field yield, so storing more grain is always wise.

The school holiday lasted only three days; after experiencing the joy of rent collection with their father, Da Lang and siblings returned to attend classes.

Subsequent transactions and taxation matters were managed solely by Liu Ji.

After preparing all accounts and silver, Liu Ji carried these items into the main hall, smiling as he presented them to Qin Yao.

"Darling, here are the rent and accounts collected from this year’s spring harvest: a total of thirty-five taels of silver and 2,317 pounds of wheat, please review."

Qin Yao had been busy these days; with spring harvesting and sowing, two major concerns for farmers coinciding, many factory workers took leave, requiring production line adjustments. She and Yun Niang were busy nonstop, with things barely stabilizing the past two days, allowing her to come home for a lazy noon break.

This busyness was not favored by Qin Yao, feeling more mentally exhausted than leading a team to collect resources in her past life.

It seemed that professional tasks require professional personnel; it’s time to hire a General Manager to liberate herself.

When Liu Ji arrived, Qin Yao was planning what kind of General Manager to find with her homemade charcoal pen.

Seeing the tray containing shiny silver ingots, anyone’s mood would brighten up.

Qin Yao reviewed the account book, found no errors, then set it down, taking the thirty-five taels of silver, she stowed it in her pocket.

Looking up, she saw Liu Ji still standing there, gazing at her expectantly, she smiled at him, "Well done."

Liu Ji pretended to be humble, lowering his eyes, eagerly awaiting more praise.

However, silence followed.

Looking up, Qin Yao was already holding her charcoal pen and notebook, looking ready to leave.

Liu Ji, feeling anxious, quickly called out, "Darling!"

Qin Yao turned back, "What?"

"Don’t you have anything to say?" Liu Ji blinked his Taohua eyes, hinting.