Spring gave way to autumn.
In the blink of an eye.
Another year had passed.
During the spring plowing season of Year 23 of Qing'an, Madam Li finally relented and rented three mu of riverside land outside Qingshan County to Wei Tu and his wife.
However, Madam Li did not yield in the slightest on the rent. Like the other tenant farmers, they had to hand over sixty percent of the grain harvested from the fields.
Fortunately, the Li Family's rent included the land tax collected by the authorities. Unlike other landlords, they did not make their tenant farmers pay the land tax themselves.
In other words.
After Wei Tu planted three mu of land and handed over sixty percent as rent, the remaining forty percent was his own.
Furthermore, while planting wheat, he could also sow some soybeans between the wheat seedlings.
That was another source of income.
Half a month before the wheat ripened, Master Li Yaozu took Wei Tu, his servant, with him to the Prefectural City to pay his eldest son Li Xingye's tuition at the Prefectural Academy.
"The Prefectural Academy instructor is no good thing. The wheat still has more than ten days before it ripens, yet he insists on collecting tuition now. He's clearly trying to scrape together a few more coins..."
On the road, Li Yaozu rode his horse while Wei Tu led it toward the Prefectural City. As they walked, he looked back at the mule cart carrying grain behind them and complained that this year's tuition had been collected too early, costing him money for nothing.
Wei Tu remained silent, quietly listening to Li Yaozu's long sighs and muttered grumbles.
Every year.
Before the grain harvest.
After the grain harvest.
Grain prices were two different things.
The tuition paid might look the same, but because grain prices differed, the Prefectural Academy could make a handsome profit by reselling the grain at this particular time.
Wei Tu had heard about the Prefectural Academy's filthy tricks from Li Yaozu not ten times, then at least eight. He knew them by heart already.
"In another half month, once the grain is harvested, I'll have saved enough to make up the shortfall."
"All that remains is persuading Li Yaozu and Madam Li to let me redeem my indenture contract."
Wei Tu pondered to himself.
It was more or less as planned. After over a year of scrimping and saving, the money in his hands was not far from the ten taels of Redemption Silver.
Now, all he lacked was convincing Li Yaozu and Madam Li to agree to let him redeem himself, return his indenture contract, and willingly write a letter as proof.
However—
Just as Wei Tu was considering how to bring up buying back his indenture contract, Master Li Yaozu, having finished complaining about the Prefectural Academy instructor, suddenly struck up a conversation with him.
"Wei Tu, you're broad and strong. How about going to Xingye's side and serving as his attendant?"
"Protect him."
"As his father, I'd be able to rest a little easier."
Li Yaozu tightened the reins, bringing Wei Tu to a stop before the horse. Then he looked down at him from above, stroked the goat beard beneath his chin, and spoke with a sharp glint in his eyes.
"The Eldest Young Master already has people attending him. If I go, I'll be taking someone's place. It wouldn't be good if it disturbed the Eldest Young Master's studies." Wei Tu froze for a moment, then found a suitable excuse to brush him off.
"In a little over half a year, it will be time for the county's Children's Examination."
Wei Tu added another sentence.
The county's civil and military examinations were about half a month apart. The civil examination came first, the military examination after, so he knew the timing of the Children's Examination like the back of his hand.
"That's true. We can't delay Xingye's studies." Li Yaozu hesitated for a moment, then nodded heavily and did not raise the matter again.
However.
Li Yaozu did not mention it again.
But Wei Tu committed the matter to heart.
"Why did Li Yaozu want to send me away during the autumn harvest? What is he plotting?"
After paying the tuition, on the road back to the Li Residence in Qingshan County, Wei Tu kept pondering the reason behind it.
Master Li Yaozu was not someone easy to get along with. That was the shared understanding of all the servants in the Li Residence.
And that, in turn, showed how shrewd Li Yaozu was. He was not easy to fool.
Wei Tu could think of how changing attendants would affect the Eldest Young Master Li Xingye's studies. Could Li Yaozu not have thought of it?
That was impossible!
After returning to the Li Residence.
Wei Tu sought out Cai Xia, the head maid, told her of his doubts, and asked for her opinion.
Cai Xia had entered the Li Residence in the same batch as him, and they had always been on good terms.
It had also been Cai Xia, through Chun Lan, who informed him that Madam Li had permitted his marriage to Xinghua.
"In my view, perhaps Master has set his sights on Sister Xinghua..."
Cai Xia pulled Wei Tu into a corner of the corridor, found a spot hidden from view, and softly voiced her judgment.
"First Mistress hasn't been happy lately. A few nights ago, I heard Master and First Mistress arguing. She said Master had been fooling around with the tenant farmers' wives..."
"If Master sends you away, no one will tend the land you rented. Then Sister Xinghua will be at his mercy."
Cai Xia spoke one word at a time.
"What a vicious scheme..."
After hearing Cai Xia's words, Wei Tu's face immediately darkened. He wished he could tear Li Yaozu apart with five horses and carve him into a thousand pieces on the spot.
Before.
He had heard that some tenant farmers, in order to rent good land from landlords, would offer up their wives to sleep with them.
But he had never imagined that this seemingly "kind" Li Residence was also filled with such schemes.
Having him serve as the Eldest Young Master's attendant was likely not Li Yaozu's true intention. Using the matter to force him into submission and make him offer up Xinghua was his real aim.
If he did not submit.
The grain he had worked hard all year to grow would be left to rot in the fields for nothing.
If he did not submit.
Then renting such good land again next year would be nothing but a dream.
As for why Li Yaozu had not directly forced Xinghua to comply before she married, Wei Tu could roughly guess the reason.
First, Madam Li ran the household strictly and was somewhat jealous. She did not allow Li Yaozu to take concubines or lay hands on the maids around him.
Even Cai Xia, the head maid, had served as a bedchamber maid for so long and was still untouched.
Second, it was also a matter of family reputation. Rumors could not spread within the Li Residence that Master Li Yaozu enjoyed toying with maids; that would ruin the family's name.
Li Yaozu himself did not want such a thing to happen.
Third.
Toying with maids.
Whether or not he gave them status afterward was a difficult matter.
But forcing tenant farmers' wives into submission left no future troubles.
Lowly country folk did not have the feudal precept of "death is a small matter, losing chastity a great one." So long as no one learned of it, the matter could be lightly brushed aside.
"I understand."
"Thank you, Cai Xia."
A moment later, Wei Tu slowly unclenched his tightly balled fists, bowed to Cai Xia in thanks, and spoke.
"It's nothing." Cai Xia smiled. "When First Mistress punished me before, Sister Xinghua secretly brought me food. I've always remembered that kindness."
After returning to the main hall.
Having fed the half-grown black horse, Wei Tu practiced the Health Cultivation Technique several times to warm up his body.
"With my current martial strength, winning a military degree may not be as certain as a nail driven into a board, but it is not far off."
"If I directly speak to Madam Li about redeeming myself, with her intelligence, she should not stop me."
Wei Tu considered.
Shallow waters could not raise a true dragon.
He believed Madam Li ought to understand what trouble would come from keeping a martial artist with rebellion in his heart within the household.
"If it does not work..."
"If Madam Li proves unwise..."
A trace of ruthlessness surfaced in Wei Tu's eyes.
With a blade in one's heart, the intent to kill arose on its own.
With his current strength, slaughtering the entire Li Residence would not be difficult.
Of course, he remembered the Li Residence's grace in saving his life and would not do such a thing. But he would still flee the Li Residence, take to the hills as a bandit, and become a blade-wielding outlaw.
He had already had enough of bowing and scraping.
Two paths.
Either redeem himself and take the military examination, or take to the hills as a bandit and become a swordsman!
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