Chapter 34: Weeks of Thanks
As Yang Zhengshan arrived at the western part of the village, he looked at the tenant farmers who were tilling the land. He called the head of each household to come forth.
“Old Puyou, from now on, you will be in charge of managing the four households. I will give you the oxen to raise, and we will take turns using them for plowing,” Yang Zhengshan said to an old man with a hunched back.
“Don’t worry, old master. I’ll make sure to raise the oxen well,” Old Puyou replied with a smile.
Yang Zhengshan’s eyes twitched slightly at the title “old master.” It was a title he wasn’t used to.
However, he understood that there were some things he had to get used to. As he transitioned from a peasant to a landlord, he couldn’t afford not to adapt.
“Now, I’d like to introduce my eldest son, Yang Mingcheng. He will be in charge of managing the land from now on. If you have any issues, you can look for him,” Yang Zhengshan said, introducing Yang Mingcheng to the four tenant farmers.
Among the three brothers, Yang Mingcheng was the best at farming. To be honest, it was a bit of a waste to have him manage the land, considering he was already a skilled warrior. However, Yang Zhengshan had his own reasons.
In this world, there was an emphasis on seniority and hierarchy. Although the Yang family didn’t have any illegitimate children, they still had to follow this tradition.
While Yang Zhengshan was around, the Yang family would naturally follow him. But if he wasn’t around, the family would have to rely on Yang Mingcheng.
Previously, Yang Zhengshan had sent Yang Mingzhi to train and participate in battles, and had Yang Mingcheng take care of the family’s women and children. This was because he was thinking about the future.
Yang Mingcheng would have to take responsibility for the family’s industries in the future. Besides, Yang Mingcheng’s personality was also a reason for this arrangement. He was honest and sincere, not suitable for dealing with the outside world. In contrast, Yang Mingzhi was more cunning and resourceful, making him a good assistant for Yang Zhengshan.
As for Yang Minghao, well, he was just a foolish kid who only thought about marrying a wife. Yang Zhengshan even suspected that his brain was filled with water.
Yang Mingcheng smiled awkwardly and said, “No need to be so polite!”
However, Old Puyou continued to address Yang Zhengshan as “old master” and Yang Mingcheng as “young master.” As a lifelong tenant farmer, he was very clear about the temperament of the landlords and knew that they valued face-saving. No matter how kind Yang Zhengshan and Yang Mingcheng were, he would still show respect.
Yang Zhengshan didn’t bother explaining and directly led them to the fields.
Although the hundred hectares of land he bought were in Jiang Family Village, they were actually very close to Yang Family Village, just a seven-to-eight-minute walk away. According to the labor force of the four tenant farmers, Yang Zhengshan divided the land among them, with each household getting twenty to forty hectares.
As they were about to return, they saw Yang Minghao running towards them excitedly.
“Father, Father!” Yang Minghao shouted from a distance.
“What’s wrong?” Yang Zhengshan asked as they approached.
Yang Minghao grinned and said, “That female general has arrived!”
Yang Zhengshan’s eyebrows raised. “Female general?”
He thought of Zhou Lan and her manly, energetic demeanor. It was as if a big, burly man was shouting “brother” with a high-pitched voice.
Well, that was a bit unfair to Zhou Lan. In reality, she was quite good-looking, but Yang Zhengshan’s impression of her was stuck on her fierce and heroic image, not suitable for being gentle and soft.
“What did she come for?” Yang Zhengshan asked as they walked.
“She said she came to thank Father for saving her life!” Yang Minghao replied.
Yang Zhengshan stroked his short beard, deep in thought.
He had thought that after their previous encounter, he wouldn’t have any interactions with this female general for a while, or at least not in the short term. After all, Zhou Lan had left behind many things as a token of gratitude for their help.
But unexpectedly, Zhou Lan had come to their doorstep so quickly, right after the Hu Tribe’s invasion.
He couldn’t quite understand Zhou Lan’s intentions. Was it just gratitude?
“Let’s go take a look,” Yang Zhengshan said, quickening his pace towards home.
When he arrived at the doorstep, he saw nearly a hundred soldiers on horseback, along with four horse-drawn carriages loaded with goods, covered with oilcloth. Zhou Lan stood among the soldiers, her face calm and collected.
The Yang family and the villagers were watching her and the soldiers with curiosity and respect.
“Commoner Zhou meets General Zhou!” Yang Zhengshan hastened to bow and salute.
Zhou Lan smiled and said, “No need for formalities, Brother Yang. I’ve come to thank you for saving my life!”
Yang Zhengshan stood up, a faint smile on his face, and said, “General Zhou, please come in.”
He led Zhou Lan into the house, and also instructed the nervous Wang Shi to “serve tea.”
Wang Shi’s hands were shaking as she poured the tea. Yang Zhengshan looked at her shaking hands, his face filled with black lines.
Can’t you be more composed, daughter-in-law? It’s just serving tea!
However, he understood why Wang Shi was nervous. As a village woman, she had probably never seen an official as high-ranking as Yang Zhengshan, and now she was faced with a general.
Zhou Lan also noticed Wang Shi’s nervousness and smiled as she received the tea. “Thank you.”
Her current warm demeanor suited her more, exuding confidence and authority without any weakness.
The tea was served, and Zhou Lan took out a list of gifts, handing it to Yang Zhengshan. “These are my thanks!”
Yang Zhengshan took the list and looked it over, his eyebrows raising slightly.
Zhou Lan’s gifts were numerous, including silks, gold and silver jewelry, furs, and medicines, totaling over thirty items. Among them were four warhorses, a long gun, and a thousand silver taels of silverware embossed with intricate designs.
Looking at the list, Yang Zhengshan felt like he had struck gold.
Damn, it’s too extravagant!
He estimated that the gifts were worth at least five thousand silver taels, or even more. There were some things on the list that he didn’t even know the prices of.
For example, the long gun was listed as a锁金飞鱼枪 (Flying Fish Gun). In the Da Rong Imperial Dynasty, the flying fish pattern was a rare and precious design, only used on items bestowed by the imperial family.
In Yang Family Village, iron guns were already extremely valuable, and in the military, iron guns were a standard-issue weapon. The iron gun Yang Zhengshan had used previously was specially made by the military’s craftsmen, and it was a decent weapon.
If he were to sell that gun, it would fetch at least twenty silver taels.
The锁金飞鱼枪 Zhou Lan gave him was not only valuable but also a symbol of imperial favor.
-END-
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