Chapter 794 Private interviews in micro service (8)
Zhao Xi sat on the ground. The old farmer didn't think anything of it, but Fu Bi and Fan Chunren were a little shocked. Who had ever thought that an official would sit down on the ground like this?
Even though they were older, they did not dare to sit on the low stool after sitting down on the official floor.
Fortunately, Wang Zhongzheng really knew what was going on and directed the driver to take out a few more felt pads... The preparations were quite complete.
"Such snacks are also available in Guoqiao Town, but they are a bit expensive. I keep them for my grandson..."
"My father-in-law, feel free to taste it and bring some back to your grandson later. I've come all the way and don't know the situation in the town, so I'm bothering my father-in-law."
Hearing what Zhao Xi said, Wang Zhongzheng went to prepare food for his father-in-law. This old man was regarded as a descendant of his ancestors. How many people in the country can be rewarded with food by the officials?
"Hey, this man is right. How many years have we had enough food? It's only in the past few years that ordinary farmers have enough food."
"My father-in-law is a farmer?"
"To tell you the truth, the little old man is indeed a farmer. I met a few people and didn't go to Liu's house, so I came here to do something so I could sell some of my surplus grain..."
He is still a simple person, even if he has a purpose, he does not hide it. Perhaps it is the matter of bringing food to his grandson that makes the old man feel ashamed...
"My father-in-law, do farmers have surplus grain?"
Fu Bi gave it up this time. It sounds normal for farmers to have a surplus of grain, but Fu Bi knew how difficult it is to achieve a situation where farmers have a surplus of grain. Otherwise, Wang Anshi would not have implemented the Lao Shi Zi Qing Miao method.
"That's it! Your Majesty is wise, ever since the imperial court implemented that..."
"One way to compile it."
"Yes, that's right, this is the one method. Farmers only need to convert the spring and autumn taxes into money and grain every year, and only need to pay them once a year. In recent years, the labor service has been very small, almost non-existent. The family's labor force also needs to be paid during the slack time.
Those who can earn three melons and two dates will have plenty."
"As the husband said, how many years have we had enough food? But it's only in these few years that I feel like I'm living like a human being."
After saying that, the old man stuffed the snacks given by Wang Zhongzheng into his mouth, as if to prove that he had become better these years and didn't care about these foods.
"Old man, are there many farmers in this town?"
"Quite a few, fifty percent!"
"Fifty percent is not a lot?"
"So that Mr. Lang will know that thanks to the benevolent government of the current sage, it would be good to have 30%."
"My father-in-law, the current taxation in the country is based on acres of land. Tenants cannot avoid tax. Why are there so few farmers?"
Even Fu Bi felt that this was abnormal. Over the years, the tax system had been gradually improved, and even the imperial property was taxed. The scholar-bureaucrat class was making increasing profits from the industry due to official guidance. When the imperial court implemented the land tax, it did not
What an obstacle.
In other words, there is no possibility of tax evasion and avoidance when it comes to agricultural taxes. But this Guoqiao Town is considered the boundary of Bianliang, and only 50% of the farmers are farmers. What if you want to go to other state capitals?
"Who wants to be a tenant? Seeing how farmers' lives are getting better and better over the years, there is nothing we can do to regret it. It's all the sins of the early years..."
"Old man, doesn't the imperial court encourage land reclamation? Newly cultivated fields are tax-free for three years, and Dingkou fields can still be retained..."
"Yes, otherwise how could the little old man have enough food? It's just the tenants... they have to clear wasteland for the master's family, so naturally they don't have their own fields."
Abnormal? It’s normal if you think about it. Whether it’s a codified tax law, the court’s encouragement of land reclamation, or the land tax, all these practices only try to suppress land annexation as much as possible, and cannot change the already formed land ownership pattern.
Zhao Xi was prepared for such an outcome, which was also the purpose of his trip...
Zhao Xi didn't think about changing, but he also knew that it would be difficult. The country abides by the contract, and the entire people abide by the contract. The so-called tenants are like employees of the landlord's family, and they depend on the landlord's family for survival. They are different from those in Bianliang City.
Like handicraftsmen, in the words of later generations, this is a group of real proletarians.
According to the laws of the country, employees and employers have a time limit. However, because the tenants have no farmland, it is too difficult to break away from the landlord...
"Old man, if we are harvesting grain, can all the farmers' surplus grain be handed over to me?"
Zhao Xi's original intention was to ask how much of the land the Liu family owned in Guoqiao Town, but he thought that this question was too direct, so he changed the question. Besides, the old man had a purpose for approaching, which was to sell grain.
If you don't stay on topic, you may not have anything to talk about after a few sentences.
What I talk a lot these days is entirely sustained by snacks.
"Lang Jun, you can't say this. In Guoqiao Town, even the farmers' surplus grain needs to be inspected by Li Zheng. Li Zheng is now involved in politics, so he can meet you. Li Zheng inspection requires
Verify whether each company is hiding anything..."
The old man's eyes were a little dodgey when he said this.
These are all official words, high-sounding official words that cannot be spoken by an old farmer.
"Old man, is it possible that every year some family adds more fields without registering it? Why do we need to verify the grain harvest?"
I don’t understand what the old man said, but Fu Bi, who had experience as a local official, also knew that there was something fishy in this.
"To be honest with you, I can also contact more than a dozen companies with surplus grains... The surplus grains in Guoqiao Town are all sold out in a serious way. The reason why I want to talk to you is because I see you are strangers...
…”
"I can guarantee that we and the dozens of other families have not concealed their grain production, but only 20% of the Li Zheng family's water supply. I'm really..."
"You mean the Li Zheng family needs to pump 20% of the water for verification?"
"That's not true. All the merchants are attracted by the Li Zheng family. They only do business with the Li Zheng family..."
The old man was also afraid of it, and tried his best to make up for it when he spoke out.
However, the old man is facing old foxes, and the more he talks about it, the more people will understand.
"Old man, how much surplus food can you get from contacting more than a dozen households?"
Zhao Xi changed the subject. The matter was already clear, and there was no need to frighten the old man.
"Not much...a few dozen stones."
"Old man, this little food is really..."
"Forget it, you can tell by looking at a few of them that they are doing big business. The little old man is being abrupt..."
"Old man, I suggest you don't be impatient, wait for some time, maybe you can settle down..."
"Hi! I forgot to mention it. I heard that the son of the Li Zheng family is back and is planning to propose marriage to the Du Sanlang family. Maybe he will go to Bianliang to live. As a local, I need to be reminded by my elder brother."
The old man's words made Fu Bi stunned. Fu Bi wanted to wait for a while and give in to Chunren's temper. He would never let things go smoothly here. By then, the so-called 20% pump would naturally be gone.
But what the old man said seemed to be two different things.
After being reminded like this, the old man didn't want to continue arguing here. He said that he would go back to discuss with several companies and wait until Li Zheng's family moved to Bianliang to get busy with the food business.
Whether the Li Zheng family goes to Bianliang or not has nothing to do with whether the Li Zheng family pumps water, but if this old man thinks so, just follow him.
As long as the result is good, it doesn't matter what you think.