Seeing Zhang Yunzhi's panic, Xu Ying had already expected that the people in this world all relied on the fields to make a living. If all their fields were taken away, it would be worse than killing them.
"Not even an acre is left. The fields at home are just thin fields. After planting for a year and paying the government taxes, there is nothing left at all!" Xu Ying shook his head, his attitude was very determined.
He deeply understood that farming alone would never make a comeback.
"That, that, that..." Seeing Xu Ying's determination, Zhang Yunzhi was at a loss for a moment. Having lived in the fields since she was a child, she could not imagine a life without fields.
"Don't worry, I believe your husband-in-law will make you live a good life!" Xu Ying reached out and touched Zhang Yunzhi's head, with a face full of doting.
Zhang Yunzhi has never been so close to a man, even though this man is now her husband-in-law, her heart is so nervous that it might jump out of her chest, and her face is red with embarrassment.
After teasing Zhang Yunzhi again, Xu Ying got up and walked towards the east of Xujia Village. People in the village didn't have much food left. Even if Xu Ying wanted to sell his 20 acres of thin farmland, no one could afford it.
Only the landlord Xu Fugui who lives at the east end of the village can eat it. However, this person is notoriously treacherous, so this trip may not be that easy.
Not long after, I walked out of the village and found a large house standing in a beautiful place surrounded by mountains and rivers. It had white walls and blue tiles, and a thick vermilion door. It looked very luxurious. Compared with Xu Ying's house, it looked like the same house. Heaven and earth.
Looking at the big house in front of him, Xu Ying felt quite emotional. When would he be able to live in such a house?
Shaking his head, Xu Ying quickly came to his senses. As long as he followed his plan, he could make the first pot of gold quickly, and then many plans could be put on the agenda.
"Boom!"
Knocking on a pair of iron door knockers, after a while, the heavy wooden door opened a crack, and a small head poked out from inside. His hair was coiled around his head. He was only eleven or twelve years old, and he was a long-term employee of the landlord's family.
"Xu Ying? What are you doing here?" The boy was a little surprised when he saw the person coming.
"Is Uncle Fugui here? I have something to do with him!" Xu Ying had met him before. When Xu Fugui was wandering around the village, this kid followed him carrying a bunch of things.
"The master is here, please wait a moment for me to report!" The child nodded, and then ran in to report the news.
Not long after, the boy left and returned. This time he opened the door directly and welcomed Xu Ying in. After passing through a corridor, he saw the quite wealthy Huang Fugui playing with a yellow parrot in a pavilion.
"Hey, isn't this Xu Ying? I just got married yesterday and if you can't enjoy yourself at home, what brought you to my place?" When Huang Fugui saw Xu Ying, a smile appeared on his fat face. . Xu Ying's father had made military exploits and was now promoted to centurion. Therefore, Huang Fugui was still very polite when facing Xu Ying. If it were anyone else, Huang Fugui would not even bother to meet him.
"Uncle Fugui, please don't tell secrets. This time I came to you for something. I want to give you the twenty acres of thin farmland in my home. You are the only one in our village who has the ability to eat it!" Xu Ying said directly In power.
After hearing Xu Ying's words, Xu Fugui froze, as if he had heard wrongly, and asked with a look of disbelief on his face.
"You want to sell me those twenty acres of land? That is your family's capital! You have already sold the five acres of fertile land that your father earned. Now if you sell these twenty acres of land, what will you do in the future? "
Years of wars made the people of the Song Dynasty live in dire straits, but Xu Ying's father was a centurion, and even if his life was not rich, it was not to the point of selling land.
"I have my own plan. Uncle Fugui, you decide whether to accept it or not. If not, you can only find someone from the next village!" Xu Ying waved his hand and did not answer Xu Fugui's question.
"Collect it! Why not? But you also know that there are wars and chaos everywhere now. It is not easy for me to find so many laborers to farm. At this price... I can only give you 40 taels of silver per acre!"
A quarter of an hour later.
Xu Ying walked out of Xu Fugui's house carrying a baggage. One acre of land cost four taels of silver, and twenty acres of land cost eighty taels of silver. Xu Ying was not easy to carry, so he carefully returned home.
Just after returning home, Zhang Yunzhi came over anxiously. She knew that Xu Ying had gone to sell land.
"Ms. sir, are you really selling twenty acres of land?"
"Sold, for a total of eighty taels of silver!" After locking the door and window, Xu Ying opened the baggage, and the white money was immediately revealed. But looking at the pile of silver in front of him, Zhang Yunzhi couldn't be happy.
Although eighty taels of silver seems like a lot, it is all their family's property. Without land, they have to buy food, pay taxes, and daily expenses. If they have children in the future, they will have to increase their head tax to eighty taels. Money can't last even a few years.
Seeing Zhang Yunzhi's sad face, Xu Ying felt a little heartbroken for some reason.
"Fool, since I dare to do this, I naturally have my own plans. Don't worry, you won't starve if you follow me!" Xu Ying touched Zhang Yunzhi's head and said with a doting look on his face, and then took out another five taels. The money was put into Zhang Yunzhi's hand, and then he gave instructions.
"Take this money and go buy some food and firewood. Remember, the firewood must be hardwood!"
"Firewood? If my husband needs firewood, I can just go to the mountains to get it. Why waste money!" Zhang Yunzhi said hurriedly. She thought she could save some money. Why should she buy firewood all over the mountains and plains?
"No, I need a lot of firewood. Let's collect 10,000 kilograms first!" Xu Ying calculated on his fingers. A load of firewood of about 120 kilograms can be sold in the city for 20 cents, which is about the same. One penny costs six kilograms, but there is plenty of firewood in the village. As long as you are willing to work hard, it shouldn't be a problem to buy ten kilograms for one penny.
Ten thousand kilograms of firewood only costs one tael of silver.
"What does your husband need so much firewood for?" Zhang Yunzhi was also shocked by the amount of firewood Xu Ying needed. Such a quantity of firewood was indeed not something she could handle.
"secret!"
Xu Ying smiled, but did not directly say that if you want to practice refined iron, you must have enough temperature to melt the iron and extract the impurities in the iron. However, it is impossible to reach the temperature Xu Ying needs with just firewood. To achieve the desired temperature only use carbon!
Therefore, collecting firewood Xu Ying is used to practice carbon.
Zhang Yunzhi frowned, clenched the money in his hand tightly, and finally did not ask again, but said with determination.
"I'll do it!"
"Okay, then I'm going to the county town to get some iron ore back!" Xu Ying was a little excited. As long as he got the iron ore back, he could start his own plan.
"My lord, I'm afraid it won't be peaceful going to the county town. Why don't you ask some people to come with you?" Zhang Yunzhi asked worriedly.
Xu Ying nodded. It was really inappropriate to go alone in such a chaotic situation.
"It's time to make some preparations!"
So Xu Ying went to find his third uncle, Xu Maocheng. When he heard that Xu Ying was going to the county to buy iron ore, he immediately agreed to go with him without any hesitation, and also called two elders in the village.
