At last, that swaggering bunch left. They took one of the two large barrels of grain, saying, "In consideration of your hard work this year, we'll only take half as rent. Come spring, you can keep farming this land. This is the master's grace—you'd best remember it!"
Kicking up clouds of dust, they rode off in triumph. Shen Le watched their retreating backs coldly, his fists clenched tight.
"...Grace?!"
"Ah, Dog Boy, when you have to live under someone else's eaves, you have no choice but to bow your head." The village chief slowly came over and pressed Shen Le's fists down. "At least they're still willing to let your family farm the land. They haven't taken back your tenancy. Otherwise, what land would your family farm next year?"
Taking back the tenancy. Their family's ten mu of poor farmland was all rented from the landlord; not a single mu belonged to them.
Fifty percent went toward rent, twenty percent toward land tax, and only thirty percent of the harvest barely belonged to them. Their whole family could only just scrape by. They had worked painstakingly to clear one mu of wasteland, hoping to save up a little family property, but they had barely begun when it was cut short—
"I understand." He slowly unclenched his fists, his straight back sagging. "I understand. Thank you, Grandpa. Don't worry. I'll endure it."
"It's good that you'll endure it, good..." The village chief's hand was not quite withered, but it was wrinkled and spotted with age as he gently patted Shen Le's hand. "Us common folk, going up against people like them, that's an egg smashing against a rock. They can sit on equal terms with the county magistrate and drink with him. When we go before the court, all we can