boyutpedia Chapter 140 Sales
Chapter 140 Sales
“My brother, I asked Uncle Fu to arrange a job for him, as a helper in a caravan. My brother is currently studying,” Xiao Yue’er said in a low voice.
"Hmm! Have your parents bring them to our residence before the New Year! I've come up with a business idea for them," Shen Lian said casually, puffing on his cigarette.
The mines will be opening in large numbers after the New Year, and there will be a lot of coal slag and other such things. It would be a good opportunity to have Xiao Yue'er's brother make honeycomb briquettes, which would be a business that can be passed down through generations.
"Ah! Thank you, Lord Marquis!" Xiao Yue'er scrambled to her feet and knelt beside Shen Lian, exclaiming with delight.
Although Xiao Yue'er was sold into the Shen family, she did not hate her parents. On the contrary, she was grateful to them for selling her to the Shen family, allowing her to live a carefree life there for several years.
Now that she has been taken as a concubine by Shen Lian and even bestowed the title of Third-Rank Lady, she hopes that her family can also gain recognition from the Shen family and share in her glory.
But she wouldn't have dared to ask if Shen Lian hadn't brought it up himself. She never expected Shen Lian to give her such a big surprise tonight; how could she not be excited!
Xiao Yue'er knelt beside him, and the bright lights made Shen Lian's eyes blur. Shen Lian couldn't help but reach out and grab one of them.
"Hey! We're all family here, it's just a small thing! Lie down and cover yourself up, don't catch a cold!"
He didn't feel anything when others called him "Lord Marquis," but when Xiao Yue'er called him "Lord Marquis" in a sweet, gentle voice, it always made Shen Lian's heart flutter.
Xiao Yue'er obediently lay down and covered herself with the blanket. She then burrowed deeper into the covers.
Shen Lian: Oh! ... I'm very angry right now...
In Qufu County, the newly appointed magistrate stood on a high platform. He was surrounded by soldiers of the new army, each holding a rifle, while below him, a crowd of eagerly awaiting his arrival gathered.
Despite the large crowd, no one made a sound. They all stared intently at the stage.
"By order of Lord Houjun! The land under the name of the Kong family is now being sold to landless people, with former tenants having priority to purchase. The price is ten taels per mu, and each household can purchase a maximum of fifty mu." The magistrate bowed to the north and said.
"You can pay in cash or take out a loan from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The loan can be repaid over ten to twenty years with an annual interest rate of 20%."
"Good!" As soon as the magistrate finished speaking, the people below immediately erupted in thunderous cheers.
"The Marquis truly loves his people like his own children!"
"Yes! Yes! Since the Marquis took control of Shandong, he has often implemented policies that benefit the people. Look at the people in Taiwu Lindao, how comfortable they are living. Now it's finally our turn."
"Yes! I only hope that Your Excellency will forever guard Shandong for generations to come!"
The whispers of the common people reached the county magistrate's ears, and he nodded repeatedly in approval.
He was originally a minor official in the general's mansion, and later joined Shen Lian's staff. Because of his reliable work ethic, Shen Lian recommended him to be the magistrate of Qufu.
Unexpectedly, the Marquis presented him with a generous gift upon his arrival. The entire Kong family owned nearly a million acres of land, with the fifty to sixty thousand acres of land in Qufu basically belonging to the Kong family.
Even at a tax rate of 5 fen per tael, the county government could collect over 30,000 taels in sales tax. Although the bulk of the tax would have to be handed over, the county government could still retain several thousand taels.
In addition to the Kong family manor and shops that will be sold off later, the county magistrate could potentially receive several thousand or even tens of thousands of taels of silver. With this money, his job as magistrate will be much easier.
Besides, these fields were mostly tax-exempt in the past, but starting next year they will all be subject to taxation. The county government's tax revenue will increase several times over, and wouldn't I gain a huge political achievement out of thin air?
Thinking of this, the magistrate stroked his beard and grinned from ear to ear!
"Your Excellency, let's begin! The people are getting impatient!" The registrar, seeing that the magistrate hadn't spoken for a while, reminded him.
"Ahem! Yes! Sales begin!"
The people lined up, each holding their household registration certificate. They never imagined that the land their ancestors had cultivated for generations would one day belong to them. Many were moved to tears.
No ordinary person would want to miss such an opportunity; this is top-quality arable land. Winter wheat has already been planted in the fields. If we buy it and manage it well, we can expect a bumper harvest next year.
The county government, well-prepared, set up ten stalls in a row to help people with property transfer procedures. Next to each stall were staff from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to assist them with loan applications on the spot.
Although there were many people at the scene, everything was in good order!
Several distant members of the Kong family watched this scene with gritted teeth, but were powerless to do anything. They could only watch helplessly as their land was sold off.
They've already sent people to the capital to lodge a complaint, but these people don't hold out much hope. Shen Lian is currently incredibly powerful and has just achieved great merit. They estimate the court won't punish him.
These people could only curse Shen Lian in secret, not daring to say it aloud!
The people of Shandong now regard Shen Lian as a god. If they were to hear this, we would surely get a beating.
This sale of the Kong family's assets brought Shen Lian another ten to twenty million taels of silver. This greatly alleviated his financial pressure and was a good start for his next plan.
As another year draws to a close, the General's Mansion is even more bustling this year, with officials coming in droves to offer their New Year's greetings.
This is also the last New Year that Shen Lian's family will spend in Linqing. Next year, they will move to Jinan as a whole family. The imperial court has already bestowed upon Shen Lian the relatively well-preserved Ming Dynasty Ningyang Prince's Mansion in the city as his Zhenyuan Marquis's residence.
Uncle Fu has been sending people there to repair it for over a month!
Whether it was due to the medicine given by Shen Lian or simply the joy of good fortune, Old Master Shen Hu's health improved day by day, and he could now move around freely.
As was customary, the father and son stood in front of the hall to receive the respectful greetings from the servants and tenants.
Uncle De and other veterans were always the first to come in and pay their respects, but this year the group had many more young faces.
"Greetings, sir and young master!" Uncle De led a group of people to kneel down before the father and son and kowtowed deeply.
"Dezi, Sanzi, get up quickly, the ground is cold. You're all in your seventies or eighties, no need to be so polite!" Shen Lian laughed and told everyone to get up.
"Sir, we may not have many more opportunities to kowtow to you in the future. Let us kowtow a few more times!" Uncle De and Third Uncle led everyone to kowtow twice more before standing up.
"Come, come, everyone, have a cup of hot tea to warm yourselves up!" Shen Hu called to his old brothers to sit down.
"Sir, young master! We old folks are all exhausted, we can't walk anymore!"
"After the Marquis's residence moves to Jinan, we may not be able to pay our respects to you every year. These are some of the younger generation we have chosen, and we brought them here today to introduce them to you."
"From now on, let them take us to serve the adults and young master!"
As he spoke, Uncle De called over several young men and introduced them to the Shen father and son one by one.