CHAPTER 238: CHAPTER 238: COERCION

The negotiations at Yiling Village had reached a deadlock, but Fengyu was in no rush. She took Qiuxiang, Chunlu, and Zhang Da, along with others, to visit a nearby manor. Yiling Village was the most significant component of her agricultural assets. However, if we were discussing profit, it paled in comparison to Linglong Pavilion, Wangjiang Restaurant, or even the teahouses. The profit from farming was exceedingly modest.

The wealth of noble families depended on land rent and money lending, layer upon layer of exploitation. Land rent was exorbitant, and tenant farmers were left with scarcely any surplus grain after paying taxes and rent. Yet they had no other means of livelihood besides farming, and in years of famine, misery befell many. Yiling Village was considered affluent because the Feng Family charged low rent, refrained from increasing rent in years of abundance, and even waived part of it during famine years, ensuring the tenants’ basic needs were met. Six months ago, a dispute had left Fengyu bitter, and after resolving the conflict, she raised the rent.

She had never been a benevolent person, nor did she enjoy playing the fool. She was a pragmatic businesswoman. When the landlords’ taxes increased, it was impossible for her to bear the burden alone; inevitably, the tenant farmers had to share the weight.

"People’s greed knows no bounds. Miss, you’ve spoiled them too much," Chunlu said indifferently. Her indenture contract was with the Feng Family, and she ought to align herself with the tenant farmers, who were the lowest rung of society.

Yet Chunlu rarely harbored sentiments that a young lady as wealthy as Fengyu ought to alleviate poverty. The world operated by rules, the class hierarchy was rigidly stratified, and Fengyu was born into the Feng Family, enjoying privileges and luxuries that were hers by birthright. It wasn’t her fault. She wielded wealth, and if she chose to be charitable, it was an act of grace; if she chose not to, no one could compel her.

The world was rife with refugees, each family burdened with its own challenges—how many could Miss Fengyu truly save?

The tenant farmers of Yiling Village were already the most envied in the Capital City: low rent, fertile fields, and Fengyu even waived part of the farming tools’ fees, always looking out for them. Tenant farmers renting from noble families and aristocrats were invariably exploited, drained dry—they didn’t have nearly as good lives. With the new taxation, if the rent remained unchanged, Fengyu would have to shoulder the entire tax burden herself, losing money every year.

Qiuxiang, too, was aggrieved and adamantly sided with Fengyu, yet she curiously asked, "Miss, since Linglong Pavilion and Wangjiang Restaurant yield such high profits, and farmland profits so meager, why not sell the land?"

"Selling it would bring in a considerable sum and relieve the burden of heavy taxation."

"Farmland is the root of life, the final fallback and guarantee," Fengyu patiently explained to Qiuxiang and Chunlu. "In business, there is success and failure; nothing is certain. Generations of wealthy merchants in Jiangnan have risen and fallen, reshuffling every few decades. No one knows what the future holds, but the land is our lifeline. If one day our business fails and we’re in debt, with land and crops in hand, I can rely on the income from farming to start anew. The seed capital for the noble families’ businesses also comes from exploiting land income—it’s the foundation and the fallback. That’s why farmland cannot be sold."

Fengyu had a strong sense of foresight. Over the past three years, she had been acquiring large amounts of farmland, even a few forests, and had branched into the lumber industry. She wasn’t picky in business—anything profitable was fair game.

Qiuxiang listened, half-dazed. Her mind was simple. Having followed Fengyu from a young age, she believed Miss Fengyu was supremely wise and kindhearted. Miss Fengyu would never harm her, so whatever Fengyu said, Qiuxiang followed without question.

Chunlu, however, was much shrewder than Qiuxiang. As Fengyu’s cultivated right-hand aide, Chunlu remarked, "Apart from the Lin Family, hardly any noble households are willing to release farmland. They use their privileges to find ways to reduce or evade taxes. The next year is likely to be tumultuous."

"Let them do as they wish; it’s not our concern. Send Zhang Da to negotiate further with the Land Office, and instruct him not to be too forceful. Courteous first, assertive later," Fengyu said coolly.

"Understood!"

Fengyu was the landowner; she held the authority. The tenant farmers simply wanted land or reduced rent—solutions could always be negotiated.

The matters of Yiling Village dragged on for another day, leaving Fengyu tired. That night, she slept deeply.

She hadn’t anticipated trouble the very next day.

When Zhang Da arrived, Fengyu was having breakfast, her appetite poor. Zhang Da entered looking frantic. "Miss, two elderly tenants from Yiling Village have hanged themselves at home."

"What!" Fengyu put down her chopsticks and quickly rinsed her mouth. "What happened?"

"This elderly couple, nearing sixty, lived with their eldest son. Both had leg issues. They had three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. The old couple usually stayed home to care for the children. The Land Office reports the daughter-in-law resented their old age and called them a waste of resources, always indirectly insulting them. Last year, there was even an argument over rotating care duties among the three sons; none of them wanted the responsibility, as it was a family matter difficult to arbitrate. Last year into this year, the harvest was poor, and the couple’s situation grew increasingly dire; they were often struggling to find food. Yesterday, when the Land Office went house-to-house announcing the rent increase, neighbors said another fight erupted. The elderly couple felt they were burdens to their sons and decided to take their own lives together in despair."

"Beasts!"

"Having such sons is worse than leaving a puddle to dry!" Qiuxiang cursed crudely, her teeth grinding in anger. Their large family faced reduced surplus due to the rent increase, and the couple, too old to work, naturally became despised.

Zhang Da sighed as well. Everyone would grow old someday.

"This complicates things," Fengyu frowned.

"What’s complicated? It has nothing to do with us—it’s obviously their family resenting the elders for not being productive and eating for free," Qiuxiang said indignantly. "An entirely unfilial mess of a household!"

Years ago, when Fengyu was abducted and escaped, she once passed through a village.

The village was filled with young adults and children, but few elderly. While hiding in a mountain cave during a rainstorm, Fengyu saw a man abandoning his elderly mother in the mountains. The mother cried for her son, but the son walked away heartlessly. Fengyu witnessed the elder’s desperate cries for help. Though she had steeled herself by then, the sight stirred her deeply, making her pity the elderly woman.

The elder explained that the village had a tradition: once elders turned sixty, they were abandoned by their children due to poverty and hardship. If they lost their ability to work, they’d be left behind. Even those younger than sixty but severely ill or disabled would be discarded on the mountains. Having fewer mouths to feed meant more food for the household.

Fengyu listened in shock. Fearing she herself might end up trapped in such a dreadful place, she fled that very night. Abandoned elders in the mountains either starved to death or were devoured by wild animals.

In times of dire survival, the bonds of kinship grew as thin as paper—fragile against the winds and storms of hardship.

Fengyu’s pity was soon overtaken by rational concern. She feared that Yiling Village’s people would exploit the elderly couple’s deaths as political weapons.

Her fears proved to be justified. Yiling Village indeed made a spectacle of the couple’s death, accusing Fengyu of raising the rent and driving innocent people to their ends.