"Master Ling doesn't seem to welcome me?" Cheng Jia sat down on the stone chair in the courtyard and said with a smile.
"How can such a distinguished guest as Mr. Cheng not be welcome, Sum, go and make our best tea." Ling Qingyu turned to go back to the room, and said to Sum.
"It's just right now, isn't head Ling sitting outside?" Cheng Jia laughed.
"No, it's better for us to keep a little distance between men and women, whether to kiss or not." Ling Qingyu half-ran into the room and closed the door.
Cheng Jia laughed out loud at first, then his eyes darkened again.
The positions of Wang Xiang and Dong Xiang in Xicheng were very consistent, no matter how much Qingliu tried to persuade him, but the emperor heard that he could take back tens of thousands of hectares of fertile land, and agreed without saying a word. The Ling family is considered good. If they have money, they can buy it back. Others are more small households, and their families are directly ruined.
Taxes have increased sharply, merchants and pedestrians have to pay more tolls when crossing the road, and the tax payment area has been divided into two places to pay taxes, and there is a west city in the name of re-cultivation, which is actually occupying the people's land. In the past two months, the Zhengshitang The policies that came out have caused complaints everywhere. With the Ling family in Huai'an, there was still a way for those tenants to survive. This also made Cheng Jia realize once again what the Ling family was, and why the Ling family's employees and tenants were so devoted to the Ling family.
It's just that I seem to be completely hated! Cheng Jia smiled wryly.
Sum brought out the tea cakes, and Cheng Jia took them and made the tea by himself. The fragrance of the tea wafted into the room.
Ling Qingyu went out of the room again, sat by the stone table, picked up the tea bowl without hesitation, started to drink, saw Cheng Jia looked over with a smile, and said: "This tea is so expensive, why do you have to drink all of it? "
"It's Jia's fault, I have to apologize to the head of the family." Cheng Jia raised the tea bowl and said.
What I said, Ling Qingyu didn't accept it for a while, it was obvious that his family owed him a lot of favors, but he was unwilling to accept it, so he turned sideways and said: "Master Cheng is wrong, I should have thanked you .”
Cheng Jia smiled slightly, poured her another cup of tea, and said, "Jia went to see the polders of the Ling family and the farm in Taiyuan this time, and I heard that the Ling family didn't increase the rent at all this time, and all losses were paid by The head of the family is responsible for himself."
"Yeah, I guess I'll be bankrupt in another year." Ling Qingyu still turned sideways and said.
"Jia is also considered to be a Jinshi. He has an official position, so he can be exempted from taxes." Cheng Jia laughed.
"Then how much do I have to pay you?" Ling Qingyu looked back at him and said, generally this kind of attachment has to pay the master's family, how much depends on the master's intention.
"Master Ling is joking, but Jia has an unfeeling request. I heard that the master is going to the land of two lakes. Can Jia go with him?" Cheng Jia smiled and said.
"Aren't you an official? Can you run outside like this?" Ling Qingyu couldn't help being surprised.
"Jia has been transferred to the Department of Agricultural Affairs, and has been ordered to investigate the conditions of the fields that belonged to the former king of Chu." Cheng Jia rolled up his sleeves, and with his slender fingers as if playing a piano, he re-boiled some tea, then poured it on Ling Qingyu, and said, "It happens to be on the same road. , it’s better to go together, it’s safer.”
Ling Qingyu looked at him silently for a while, and said, "What if I don't agree?"
"Master Ling, the yearly dependency tax is quite a lot of money." Cheng Jia said with a smile in his eyes.
"Cut, am I the kind of person who puts money in the eyes?" Ling Qingyu said, turning his head.
"But if you want to buy land in Lianghu, I'm going to check it out. Wouldn't it be best to buy with me?" Cheng Jia said with wry eyes.
Ling Qingyu looked at Han Bian, saw Han Bian who had been making the background wall by the side, nodded slightly, and said, "Well, since you are so kind to invite me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw several servants carrying boxes and other things into the yard, and then went straight to the east wing. Ling Qingyu pointed at them unconsciously and said, "What is this for?"
"Since we're together, you don't have to be polite. We all live together so close." Cheng Jia laughed, and then asked the servant to bring the piano over, clean up the stone table, light incense and clean his hands, and then said to Sum: "Brother, would you like to sing the song just now?"
"This!" Pointing at him, Ling Qingyu looked at Han Bian angrily.
"The land of the two lakes," Han Bian walked to her side and whispered, "You can use the names of their Cheng family and Fan family."
"Then you sold me?" Ling Qingyu also whispered. It's so embarrassing for an outsider to live in the same yard! Let’s just talk about what happened that night, it’s so embarrassing to be overheard!
"The main reason is that this inn doesn't have an empty yard, just for one night!" Han Bian whispered.
"Brother?" The Cheng family tuned up and looked up at Sum.
"I only sing for the master." Sum took a step back and said.
Cheng Jia smiled slightly and looked at Ling Qingyu.
"Ahem." Han Bian whispered in Ling Qingyu's ear again, "If outsiders want to listen to his piano, they must give at least a thousand taels of silver as a gift."
"Is he a performer?" Ling Qingyu just asked, when Han Bian continued: "Even if you give it away, he won't know how to play."
"Sum," Ling Qingyu sat down on the chair Yan San moved out, and said, "Sing it again for the master." Then he turned to ask Yan San, "Why did you move this out?"
Yan San smiled, and just put the cloak on her.
Su Mu opened his mouth and sang a few words, and Cheng Jia's piano sound followed. Thoughts drifted away.
It's already mid-April, the roadside beauty is infinitely good, peaches and plums are competing for beauty, and pomegranates are blooming again.
Cheng Jia was traveling in a private server, but brought two carriages, a few servants, and four guards. Ling Qingyu felt his teeth itch when he saw this, who was following whom for safety! You go to the fiefdom of King Chu to check Yintian, how many people trouble you!
For the money! I will endure! Ling Qingyu clenched his fist again, and said to the outside: "Thirteen, walk slowly!" Let's see who can stand it!
It's just that no matter how slow she is, she still has to count the time. She really can't bear the leisurely way of Jiana strolling in the garden. Walking slowly on the road, he can play the flute, sleep in the wild at night, he can burn incense and play the piano, as if entering the inn , I came to Ling Qingyu to talk about the mountains, and the whole thing was treated as an outing.
On this day, the time to enter the city was wrong again, so the convoy camped on the small hill beside the official road.
Ying Shisan went hunting, Su Mu and Xie Sanlang lit a bonfire, and Cheng Jia's guard took the initiative to find the water source.
Han Bian walked up to Ling Qingyu and sat down, and said with a smile, "Master, we can't bear the time."
Ling Qingyu looked at the sky, and said depressedly: "I know, tomorrow is going to speed up. I have to hurry up and go out to sea. Ah Zhao is waiting for me to come back and get married."
"Alright, it's not a problem if you keep procrastinating." Han Bian nodded.
"Who are you marrying?" Ling Qingyu was startled by Cheng Jia's sudden appearance behind her holding Qin, and hurriedly looked around to find Yan San.
"Your guard seems to have gone hunting too." Cheng Jia smiled slightly and asked, "Are you going to marry Yang Zhao?"
"What's none of your business?" Ling Qingyu looked at him vigilantly and said.
"Yes," Cheng Jia looked up at the starry sky, and said, "The stars are pretty good tonight."
Sitting on the ground, Cheng Jiaxiang stopped burning, put the qin on his lap, plucked the strings lightly, and asked, "Is there anything the master wants to hear?"
"High mountains and flowing water." As soon as he finished speaking, Ling Qingyu burst into tears in his heart. Cheng Jia's piano skills were peerless, and he became addicted to listening to it. Although he knew that this must be Cheng Jia's trick, as long as Cheng Jia Putting on this posture, Ling Qingyu couldn't help being hooked. In this era when entertainment is impossible to travel with, listening to his piano is indeed a wonderful enjoyment.
"Okay." Cheng Jia bowed his head, flicked his fingers, and a gurgling song of mountains and rivers came.
Hearing the sound of the piano sounding again in the forest, Yan San frowned slightly, and then said to Ying Shi: "You continue to follow, but don't get close, you are not their match."
"Do we not care?" Ying Ten asked.
"I can't control it, it's the Red Mansion's own business." Yan San lowered his eyes and said.
"But if you go back, Third Master, you must be the landlord of the Red Mansion." Ying Shi's voice was slightly urgent.
"Hmph." Yan San sneered, and said, "Yingshi, you have to be clear, whose people are we now? The place in the Red Mansion is better than the head of the house?"
Ying Shi was silent for a moment and said: "I know, I will definitely not let the red building affect the master."
"Ying Shi, you should stop following them and go back to Hangzhou." Yan San said.
"Why?" Ying Ten asked a little puzzled.
"The fight between them doesn't happen for a while, you call Ying Er back, and this time we go to sea together." Yan San turned around and left after speaking.
Yingshi was silent for a while, then whispered: "Yes."
Hiding in the woods, Yan San looked at Ling Qingyu who had already sat beside Cheng Jia, with a slight smile on his mouth, Gu Sui wanted the world, Yang Zhao wanted responsibility, but I, Yan San, only having her is enough.
After playing the third piece, Cheng Jia shook his fingers in front of Ling Qingyu's obsessed eyes, and said, "One piece is one thousand taels, now there are three pieces."
"what?"
"Didn't the head of the family say that Jia is a performer? Jia is relatively poor now, but she can't afford it." Cheng Jia laughed.
"You you you!" Ling Qingyu gritted his teeth, profiteer! Absolute profiteer! Then he took out three silver bills from his purse and patted them in his hand, saying: "Hmph! I will never listen to it again!"
Ling Qingyu left angrily, and seeing Cheng Jia with the bank note in his hand was very happy, Han Bian shook his head unconsciously and said, "Brother Cheng, what are you doing?"
"Well, in fact, performing arts is not bad!" Cheng Jia laughed.
Before he could stop laughing, big raindrops began to fall.