Chapter Seven, Rent Collection in Maple Forest Village

Mi Xiaojing was taken aback, feeling perplexed in his heart

Every spring, the Xiyan Gate sends out cultivators to reclaim new land. In addition to cultivating for themselves, they also lease it to the villagers.

Every autumn, when the crops are ripe, after the tenants of Maple Forest Village have harvested, it will be half a month later that it is time for the rent collection at Xiyan Gate

There is no need for you to ask about these matters; when you are told to go, you should go

The front yard is essentially a rental yard, capable of accommodating eight ox carts, and it is quite spacious inside. Along the courtyard wall, there is a livestock shed where the oxen from the carts are driven in, and there are dedicated individuals who cut fodder to feed them

Thank you for your hard work, Master. Thank you for your hard work, everyone.

The mountain goods were also unloaded and placed in the storeroom, waiting for the merchant convoy to arrive before they could be exchanged for the necessary goods

Master Zeng Li fiddled with the beads in his hand

For Mi Xiaojing, as long as the food is not unpalatable, it is sufficient; gourmet food is merely a fleeting cloud in the sky. After having experienced it once, one will no longer be tempted.

Mi Xiaojing was instantly overjoyed, a merchant caravan! It is truly rare to see a merchant caravan here at the Xiyan Gate; generally, there is hope only in autumn. This is because, during autumn, merchant caravans enter the village to purchase grain. At this time, every household has grain available, which can be exchanged for some daily necessities and various goods.

Maple Forest Village relies on the existence of Xiyanmen. The land here has all been cultivated by the masters of Xiyanmen and then rented to the villagers for farming. Rent is collected every year, and the entire population of the village consists of tenants and long-term laborers of Xiyanmen

Mi Xiaojing almost swallowed his tongue, but his nature is good, and he quickly realized that this was not beneficial for his cultivation. Therefore, after finishing his meal, he continuously recited mantras to suppress the temptation of delicious food

After a moment, Master Zeng Li finally raised his head

In fact, the rent collected by the Xiyanmen is not heavy. Generally, the tenants eat better than the masters of Xiyanmen, as they can consume meat. They usually raise chickens, ducks, sheep, and pigs themselves, and some even go hunting in the Xishan and Jing Mountain. The masters of Xiyanmen, on the other hand, suffer, as they are not allowed to eat meat.

At the entrance of Fenglin Village, there stands an ancient maple tree that has grown for a thousand years, now completely red, resembling a gigantic torch, upright at the village entrance

Mi Xiaojing immediately took his leave and hurried back to his room, as he had collected quite a lot of mountain goods

In the past few days, a merchant convoy will be going to Maple Forest Village, and some of your mountain goods can be taken along to exchange for some items

Of course, true delicacies are approaching, and Mi Xiao Jing is not quite sure if she can resist them. In any case, after reflecting and repenting, she feels at peace.

The village chief's house is divided into a front yard and a back yard, comprising a total of two buildings, both featuring one bright room and two dark rooms, with a central hall and two side dark rooms. The front yard is quite spacious, while the back yard is where the family members reside.

White steamed buns, finely rolled noodles, topped with a layer of red chili oil and a layer of chopped green garlic, braised eggplant in oil, stir-fried peanuts, pan-fried tofu, and edamame stir-fried with pickled mustard greens. Although all are cooked with vegetable oil, where in Xiyanmen can one find such rich and flavorful dishes

The old village chief, accompanied by a group of young men, welcomed at the village entrance. He approached Master Zeng Li, bowing respectfully.

In the afternoon, it is time to collect the rent, all in large buckets. Once weighed, it is poured into bamboo woven baskets, which are then arranged on the ground in stacks.

Collecting rent in Maple Forest Village is, in fact, a pleasant task for the maintenance of the West Yan Gate

The village chief's home is the largest in Maple Forest Village. He is originally the agent promoted by the Xiyan Gate and is a person of great authority in Maple Forest Village. New villagers who wish to become long-term workers and tenants must be guaranteed by the village chief; otherwise, they cannot become tenants and long-term workers of the Xiyan Gate.

"Master, collecting rent is not the responsibility of the warden, so why are we being asked to do it?"

The mantras he recited could already transform the intangible into the tangible, each mantra shimmering with a faint golden light, appearing out of thin air, and then being collected into the prayer beads, looking incredibly magical

Mi Xiaojing had already sat at the dining table with several senior brothers. For them, this meal was undoubtedly better than the food in Xiyanmen. Mi Xiaojing was also pitiable; having lived for thirteen years, he had not eaten anything good. This time, during the rent collection, if it were not for Master Zeng Li bringing him along, he would not have had the qualification to come, as he was not a disciple of the supervising institute

Mi Xiaojing collected a total of two large baskets of mountain goods, which included a considerable amount of mountain walnuts, hazelnuts, chestnuts, pine nuts, and dried mushrooms, as well as a small quantity of dried wild vegetables. These items are quite difficult to exchange for other goods, and most of them were kept for personal use.

There are a total of 8 ox carts, among which 2 are fully loaded with mountain goods, belonging to the senior and junior disciples of Mi Xiaojing. Additionally, there are some long-term workers and hired laborers who usually collect mountain goods, and they carry even more items, including a considerable amount of game, dried cured smoked meat, and air-dried chickens and ducks

The term "Master" is a title of respect, and "Master" is the same. Ordinary people generally refer to Yan Xiu as "Master" or "Master".

Xiyan Gate is located at the foot of Xishan Mountain, opposite Jing Mountain. A small river flows past the mountain gate, running along the valley between Xishan and Jing Mountain, from west to east. It crosses a large area of maple forest and arrives at Fenglin Village. After passing through Fenglin Village, it continues to converge into Jingxi Lake. This small river is also called Jingxi.

Yes, Master.

The village chief's wife warmly welcomed the guests, setting up a large table in the front yard to serve the masters their meal

Master Zeng Li, however, ate very little; he only had two steamed buns and did not eat any vegetables. Observing the way his disciples ate, he could not help but shake his head and sigh. At his level of cultivation, such food no longer held any allure for him. His own profound skills allowed him to resist the temptation of gourmet food.

A group of masters indulged in eating, all of them portly men. Even the relatively small-statured ones could eat an astonishing amount. In just a short while, an entire table of dishes was completely devoured.

The guardians of Xiyan Gate not only collect rent but also ensure the safety of the villagers. Every winter, wolves or ferocious beasts such as tigers and leopards appear in Xishan and Jingshan, and there are even terrifying spiritual beasts that emerge. The villagers must rely on the guardians of Xiyan Gate for protection.

"Mi Xiaojing, today we are going to Fenglin Village to collect rent, and you will accompany me. Please prepare for our trip back, as we will be staying in Fenglin Village for two days"

Master Zeng Li, now in his sixties, possesses remarkable vitality. His two dark, arched eyebrows and a pair of sparkling eyes reflect his spirit. He is clad in a patched garment made of various fabrics, and although he sits reciting mantras, his back remains perfectly straight

Mi Xiaojing did not dare to disturb, but simply stood by and watched Master Zeng Li recite the incantation

Along the dirt road by the Jingxi stream, eight ox carts bumped along, and after about more than an hour, they arrived at Fenglin Village

Master Zeng Li sat cross-legged on the earthen kang, holding a string of prayer beads in his hand. He was using a string of one hundred and eight beads, quietly reciting the mantra with his head bowed.

A total of more than ten people went, led by Master Zeng Li, along with several disciples from the monastery, and Mi Xiaojing was also seated on the ox cart

The crowd followed the ox cart directly into the village and then entered the village chief's house