Chapter 66: Advance Payment of Wages

  Liu Yitiao put down the bamboo basket, then turned around and said to Li Dechen: "Li Lao, no need for so much courtesy, our Liu family doesn't have as many rules as other families. Whatever it is, let's talk about it inside."

  "Yes, what's the matter? Let's sit down and talk about it. You, Old Li, are always so particular about rules and etiquette. You've been here for almost an hour now, but you still refuse to enter the house. It's as if our threshold is too high for you. Aren't you implying that we, the Liu family, don't know how to treat guests?" Old Liu also chimed in to persuade him.

  "No, no, no, Master Liu, you're being too serious. I didn't mean it that way." Li Dechen hastily waved his hand and explained: "Farmers don't enter the main hall, this is a rule that has been passed down for many years. The master is kind enough to take us in and give us food, I really don't want to bring any bad luck to the master. Whatever needs to be said, I can say it standing in the courtyard, there's no need for you or Master Liu to worry about me."

  Is there still such a messy rule? Seeing Li De's stubborn appearance, Liu Yitiao knew that he would not enter the house again, so he let Old Liu move two stools out of the house and said: "Since Mr. Li is unwilling to enter the house, then we will talk in the courtyard. Please sit down."

  Liu Yitiao stretched out his hand and gestured to Li Dechen, then sat down first and said: "I don't know what brought you here, Li Lao, what's the matter?"

  Li Dechen bowed to Liu Yitiao, then sat down on the stool and said: "As for returning to Dongjia's house, I came this time because of the spring plowing this year. As the weather is getting warmer now, the farmers in the village are urging me to come here to ask when Dongjia plans to start plowing? We tenants also need to make preparations."

  Li Dechen's words sounded good and tactful, but Liu Yitiao still understood the meaning behind them. The tenant farmers were eager to start work, but they had no money in their hands.

  It's been nearly half a month since they were last relieved, and those few hundred dollars should have been spent by now.

  Liu Yitiao thought for a moment and said, "This year is a warm spring. It's only the first month, and the land already has signs of thawing. I think in another three to five days, we can start working. At that time, Lao Li can gather those over 100 men and distribute the land according to the number of people. Hmm, my 30 hectares of land are all barren and need to be reclaimed from scratch. We'll have to work day and night to rush through it, trying to get everything ready before spring planting. You go back and tell the villagers to prepare for a long period of hard labor."

  "Don't worry, master, we tenant farmers may not be good at anything else, but we can endure hardship and have the strength to work. We won't disappoint you." Li De-shen's face, full of wrinkles, broke into a smile when he heard there was work to do. What's there to fear about working overtime? In the past, when working for other masters, wasn't it always busy until midnight before sleeping? Besides, Liu Yi-tiao also gives overtime pay, and the more they get, the happier the tenant farmers will be.

  "Well, that's even better. Li Lao, please wait for a moment here, I'll go inside to get something and be right back."

  Li Dechen also stood up and bowed: "Master Li, please don't mind me, an old man."

  Liu Yitiao smiled and turned around to enter the house. In a moment, he came out again with a money bag in his hand.

  Hand the purse to Li Dechen and say: "There are 316 silver coins in it, you take them back and distribute two coins per person to each tenant, which is the wages I paid in advance. Let each household get through this period first, and I will pay the rest next month."

  Li Dechen took the money bag and said with a slight tremble in his hands: "Boss, this...this is not good...we haven't done anything yet, how can we..."?

  His purpose in coming this time was actually for this, the few hundred coins left by Liu Yitiao last time had been eaten clean by hundreds of mouths, if Liu Yitiao didn't start work for them again, they would only have to starve.

  But when it comes to asking the master for money, Li Dechen really can't open his mouth. It's not that he can't bear to lose face, but rather because he has been rejected too many times before and doesn't want to suffer this humiliation again. So just now, hearing that they could start work in three to five days, Li Dechen thought about letting the villagers hold on for a few more days and then it would pass.

  Now, Liu Yitiao is willing to give him money proactively, which makes him feel a bit at a loss. In his heart, he feels grateful and also a little guilty. Although this money will be deducted from his salary later, it's still hard to get by for these two days.

  "Enough of that." Liu Yitiao smiled and said, "Although I, Liu Yitiao, am just a small lord who is not in the mainstream, I also cannot let my tenant farmers go hungry for me to cultivate. Take this money back, divide it among each household, and have them take care of their families first. Hmm, five days later, bring all of them here, and I will distribute farming tools and assign land."

  "Thank you, Master Dong. I, a humble old man, will remember your great kindness." Li Dechen carefully tucked the money bag into his bosom and assured Liu Yitiao, "Please don't worry about the farming, Master. I'll personally guarantee it for you. From now on, every household will work hard to farm for you with all their might. If anyone dares to slack off, I'll be the first to deal with him."

  "Hehe, then I'll have to trouble Old Li with this." Liu Yitiao chuckled and smiled. He did all these things, in short, for the sake of a single honest farmer.

  "The host has been polite." With the matter settled and his goal achieved, Li De-shen bowed to Liu Yi-tiao and said: "Old man hurry back to inform the villagers, don't disturb the host here, I'll take my leave first."

  "Uh," Liu Yitiao nodded and bowed his hands to Li Dechen: "Then, Old Li, take your time, I won't see you off."

  After Li Dechen walked away, Old Liu came over from the house and asked Liu Yitiao: "Yitiao, was that Li fellow just now going to be your tenant farmer? Hmm, not bad, he's a good hand at farming. With people like him among your tenants, I can rest easy."

  Liu Yitiao smiled and said, "Dad, you're not familiar with him, how do you know he's a good farmer? Are you also going to read people's fortunes? Take a glance and know a person's past and future?"

  Liu Lao Shi didn't mind Liu Yi Tiao's teasing and said to him, "How can you be so mysterious? I've always relied on my own eyes to judge people. I talked with Li Lao Ge in the courtyard for almost an hour, of course, I could see some clues."

  Liu Yitiao smiled silently, if the old willow could see people, it wouldn't have been deceived by Xia Dechang to buy a sick cow last time. He picked up the stool and said to the old willow: "Dad, let's go inside and talk, being outside for so long, I really feel a bit cold."

  "Hmm." Old Liu responded with a grunt and followed him into the house.

  Liu Yitiao sat down in the side room, and after Liu Laoshi also sat down, he asked: "Dad, what do you think about that land consolidation thing I mentioned to you last time? If it's feasible, we can start plowing and planting all at once this spring."