CHAPTER 99: CHAPTER 93 RENT-FREE

Zhao Ming couldn’t convince Zhao Song, and Zhao Song couldn’t gain Zhao Ming’s approval, so the father and son parted unhappily.

Despite the unpleasant discussion, Zhao Ming still had to accompany them on a land inspection the next day.

It was the peak of the summer harvest season, so there were people everywhere in the fields harvesting wheat.

Zhao Hanzhang, wearing a veiled hat and riding a horse, refused to wear it properly; she lifted the veil, exposing most of her face, allowing her eyes to meet those of the laborers in the fields as she looked down.

Zhao Song, who didn’t like horseback riding, went directly in an ox cart. He called out to Zhao Hanzhang, who was walking beside the cart, and asked, "How is the wheat harvest in Shangcai? I see that it’s going to rain in a few days. We need to hurry up and harvest."

Zhao Hanzhang replied, "It’s all harvested. The farmers are currently preparing the land to plant beans."

Zhao Song was surprised, "So fast?"

In his memory, there was quite a bit of land in Shangcai as part of Zhao Hanzhang’s dowry, in addition to the land she exchanged with Zhao Zhongyu.

Zhao Hanzhang sighed and said, "The household stewards didn’t manage well before, and many lands were neglected. With tenant farmers and long-term workers leaving in recent years, the cultivated lands were sown roughly and didn’t yield much. Lately, I’ve taken in some refugees, and with more hands, this work was quickly finished."

After her words, Zhao Hanzhang smiled, "It was precisely because the work in the fields was done that I could return to see Fifth Uncle."

Zhao Song’s heavy mood lightened, and he laughed, "Wouldn’t you come back to see me if there was work in the fields?"

Zhao Hanzhang sweetly replied, "Of course I’d come back. Seeing Fifth Uncle is like seeing Grandfather; it puts my heart at ease."

Zhao Ming, who was cramped in the ox cart with his father, couldn’t stand it any longer. He told the coachman to stop the cart, jumped down, stretched his arms and legs, and upon noticing everyone watching him, he waved and said, "Let’s go; I’ll walk and stretch my legs."

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment, dismounted, and handed her horse to Ting He, deciding to walk as well.

Fu Tinghan pondered whether it would be impolite if he didn’t dismount as well.

Zhao Song, not bothering with his son, smiled at the slightly awkward Fu Tinghan, "Mr. Fu, don’t mind them. Let the uncle and nephew walk. Riding is bumpy, why not join me in the cart?"

Fu Tinghan gladly agreed.

Zhao Ming glanced back at the ox cart and said to Zhao Hanzhang, who was walking beside him, "Mr. Fu’s health seems worse than yours, Third Lady."

"Isn’t that the trend now? Men powder their faces, becoming as frail as willows swaying in the wind, giving an ethereal, celestial appearance."

Zhao Ming: ...felt slightly offended.

Zhao Hanzhang, however, turned her head and scrutinized him carefully. After a thorough look, she suddenly beamed, "Your makeup is quite good today, Cousin."

Looking at the bare-faced Zhao Hanzhang, Zhao Ming suddenly felt very angry but couldn’t say a word.

Walking to the field’s edge, Zhao Hanzhang pulled a stalk of wheat and observed, "It seems this year’s harvest isn’t bad."

"There are some poor areas too," Zhao Ming stepped forward, pulling another stalk, tasted a grain, and said, "There’s a canal here, and the land is fertile and close to home, so it’s well-tended. The further out you go, the more barren the land, and the worse the yield."

Zhao Ming pointed in a direction and said, "There was a pest disaster north of the mountain this year. Most wheat in that area is empty husked, even worse."

Zhao Hanzhang thought for a moment and said, "I remember our family and Uncle’s family have several fields over there."

Zhao Ming acknowledged with a "Hmm," and said, "Later, we can detour north of the mountain on our way back to Wu Castle. You can check it out."

Tan Zhong followed them honestly.

The lands owned by the two families, excluding the portion cultivated by clan members, left a considerable amount for tenant farmers and long-term workers, and the fields were close to each other.

After inspecting her own, Zhao Hanzhang could easily turn and see Zhao Zhongyu’s fields.

The tenant farmers and long-term workers in the fields didn’t recognize Zhao Hanzhang. Upon hearing she was the eldest daughter of the Zhao Family’s main branch, they immediately put down their sickles and came forward to kneel on the field’s edge and report to Zhao Hanzhang, "Last year, the kindness of our lord allowed us to defer two-tenths of our rent. This year’s crops are good enough to make up for it."

Zhao Hanzhang lifted him up and asked, "Is your name Chen San?"

"Yes, I am the third in my family."

"What family do you have? When did you come to Wu Castle? How many acres do you lease here?"

Chen San answered each question. He fled to Xiping five years ago, and stayed because Zhao’s Fortress was recruiting long-term workers and tenant farmers.

"...I lease ten acres, six of which are from Miss’s family, and four from the Seventh Grandfather."

Zhao Hanzhang asked, "Can you make ends meet?"

Chen San replied, "Barely."

Zhao Hanzhang sighed longingly, glanced at the woman bent over harvesting wheat nearby, and the children picking grains in the field. After a moment of thought, she said, "Last year’s deferred rent from my grandfather is now waived."

Chen San’s eyes widened, and he couldn’t help glancing at Zhao Song, seated on the ox cart, before kneeling and repeatedly saying, "I dare not."

Zhao Hanzhang helped him up, "Last year, my grandfather deferred two-tenths of your rent to sympathize with your hardship, fearing a direct rent waiver might lead to laziness. Now, I am merely fulfilling his legacy."

Seated in the ox cart, Zhao Song nodded approvingly.

Moved, Chen San’s eyes reddened as he broke free from Zhao Hanzhang’s hand, knelt again, and bowed incessantly, "Thank you, Miss, thank you, my lord. I will return and place a long-life tablet for my lord, offering daily tributes, never neglecting this duty."

Zhao Hanzhang said, "Grandfather wasn’t one to care for such empty rituals, why go to such expense?"

Her gaze widened, aware that much of the land here was hers. She decisively said, "I am waiving all of the two-tenths rent my grandfather deferred to you last year; inform everyone of this."

Chen San’s eyes lit up, and he kowtowed twice more, loudly exclaiming, "Thank you, Miss, for your great benevolence!"

Chen San ran to the next field ridge and loudly shouted towards the distance, "The Miss has waived our two-tenths rent deferred from last year—"

The sound carried far, and tenant farmers who also leased land from Zhao Hanzhang’s family, upon hearing it, cheered joyfully, kneeled to bow towards where Zhao Hanzhang stood, then rose to shout the news further away.

Zhao Song sensed the tenant farmers’ joy and gratitude towards Zhao’s Fortress, feeling its community spirit grow stronger.

He stroked his beard with satisfaction, glanced at Zhao Hanzhang with approval, then turned to the thoughtful Zhao Ming beside him and said, "Spread the word, we will not collect the two-tenths deferred rent from last year."

Zhao Changyu, the clan leader, directly influenced the family’s other members with his decisions.

Last year, due to the poor harvest, he wrote back stating that clan members and tenant farmers were having a hard time, so after the summer and autumn harvests, he collected only one-tenth rent from clan members and two-tenths from tenant farmers, leaving the remaining two-tenths till the next year for better yields.

The deferred two-tenths rent effectively became a loan to help everyone get through tough times.

As a staunch supporter of Zhao Changyu, Zhao Song naturally stood firmly by his side and adopted the same approach in his family.

The prominent households in the clan followed suit, including Zhao Zhongyu, who was far away in the Capital City.

At the time, he naturally joined his elder brother in action.

At this moment, they all turned to look at Tan Zhong.