Chapter 0010: The Land Sale Controversy (Part Two)

Indeed! He He quickly echoed, "Elder, do not let the old ten deceive you. All that talk about bringing glory to the family after high school is nothing but deceptive nonsense. The matter of ten strokes has not even begun. Just look at the scholar Guo from the neighboring village; he studied his whole life and still hasn't even managed to become a xiucai!"

Xu Jin seemed not to notice that Xu Deming was on the verge of losing control, and continued, "I dare to ask once more, how did the land passed down from the Xu family ancestors come about?"

Xu Youcai then realized that something was amiss. Although the clan leader did not speak, his attitude had clearly softened. He hurriedly sneered and said: "Old Ten, stop pretending to be pitiful to gain sympathy. Who can you blame for being lazy and indulging yourself?"

Xu Deming, as the patriarch of Xujia Village, holds supreme authority among the villagers. Even during the lifetime of Xu Jin's scholar father, there was a profound respect and awe towards Xu Deming.

The villagers surrounding the scene mostly displayed expressions of sympathy, whispering among themselves, and naturally, public opinion began to tilt in favor of Xu Jin

Xu Deming nodded and said, "I can gather some money from the villagers for your temporary use, and you can repay it gradually later"

Xu Jinleng said: "This year's harvest is poor, so was last year and the year before? A month ago, I was seriously ill, and our family ran out of food. Xiaowan went to your house several times to ask for grain, but was refused each time. In the end, it was Xiaowan who pawned her winter clothes and wedding dress to buy grain.

Xu Jin nodded and said: "Chief, please be aware that my nephew's period of mourning has ended, and he intends to participate in next year's county examination. However, our family is now without any funds, which leaves us with no choice!"

If this "prodigal son" hat is firmly secured, Xu Jin will likely bear a lifelong stain, ridiculed and pointed at by others.

There are naturally no clan rules in Xujia Village that prohibit the sale of land, and upon further investigation, it is not the first time that the villagers of Xujia Village have sold their fields.

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings erupted in an uproar, with villagers collectively condemning Xu Youcai and his wife for their shamelessness

Xu Deming was taken aback for a moment, feeling somewhat unable to keep up with Xu Jin's line of thought. However, if he failed to answer the three questions posed by the younger generation consecutively, where would the clan leader's dignity be placed in the future? He coldly snorted and said, "The Xu clan of Shangrao County originates from the Jianghuai region. Our ancestors migrated south to Huguang to escape the turmoil at the end of the Yuan dynasty and settled in Shangrao. The ancestral lands were naturally accumulated through generations of hard work by the Xu family."

Although my nephew is not talented, he is determined to sell land and leave his hometown. When he achieves success in the coming year, he will certainly acquire extensive land and property, thereby enhancing the reputation of the Xu family.

Xu Jin's two consecutive questions struck at the heart of the matter, leaving Xu Deming unable to respond. However, being questioned in such a manner by a junior made him feel somewhat embarrassed, causing his hands to tremble with anger, and his cane was at risk of coming down at any moment

Little did they know, Xu Jin calmly said: "My nephew will certainly not let the clan leader down"

"Oh no!" He Shi covered his head and screamed in agony like a pig being slaughtered. Xu Deming was about to strike again when several older villagers quickly intervened, scolding Xu Youcai and his wife to leave.

Xu Deming fell silent at once. If Xu Jin had previously mentioned national laws and family rules as a means of arguing based on reason, now it was a matter of appealing to emotions. To put it bluntly, it was about seeking sympathy, followed by expressing determination, painting grand visions, and stating that once he entered high school, he would buy back the land, and do so at tenfold or a hundredfold the price, thereby bringing glory to his ancestors

Xu Jin smiled and comforted, "Buddha competes for a stick of incense, while people compete for a breath of air. Do not worry, next year your husband will return after passing the scholar examination!"

The nephew lost his father at the age of 10, and his mother at 11. The family fell into decline, leaving him alone and destitute, struggling to make ends meet. Out of necessity, he was compelled to sell land to fund his education

Xu Deming said, as he thrust his cane forcefully into the ground, angrily declaring: "As the patriarch of the Xu clan, I absolutely will not allow you, such unworthy descendants, to ruin the legacy built by our ancestors with their blood and sweat"

Xu Deming was taken aback, truly not expecting Xu Jin to be so resolute. He felt a twinge of regret in his heart, but the words he had spoken could not be taken back.

Therefore, it can be said that Xu Deming's move is indeed ruthless

Xu Jin, however, did not wish to owe this favor. He shook his head and said, "The clan leader's good intentions are appreciated by your nephew, but as the year-end approaches, everyone is not well-off. Moreover, if your nephew is fortunate enough to pass the county examination, he will still have to participate in the provincial examination, the academy examination, and even the township examination in the following year. The expenses for all these are quite substantial, and it cannot all be borne by the village!"

Xu Deming did not truly intend to drive Xu Jin to his death; rather, this young man dared to challenge the authority of the clan leader, and naturally, he had to be taught a severe lesson. As long as Xu Jin showed even a slight sign of submission, he would readily retract his earlier words.

Before the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the sale of land was prohibited. However, during the Warring States Period, the ban on land transactions was somewhat relaxed. Later, when Qin Shi Huang unified the six states, he explicitly permitted the circulation and sale of private land. Since then, all subsequent dynasties allowed land transactions. The Ming Dynasty was no exception; in addition to official land, military land, public land, and long-term leased land, all private land was permitted to be bought and sold.

In feudal society, due to the constraints of social productivity and the social environment, it is difficult for individuals to establish themselves in society relying solely on personal strength. Only by uniting together can they maximize the protection of their own interests from infringement. This is what is referred to as the concept of kinship; the more united a family is, the stronger the kinship concept becomes, and naturally, the greater the power of the patriarch.

The villagers also shook their heads and dispersed, sighing, "Ah, Jin Ge'er is still so young and impetuous!"

Indeed, at least the deadline should be extended; I believe five years is appropriate! The elders of the clan all spoke up to plead.

Xu Youcai felt secretly pleased; the young brat was sharp-tongued, but unfortunately still a bit inexperienced. He actually embarrassed the clan leader in public, leaving him with no way to save face. Today, even if you are in the right, it has turned into a wrong. Without the clan leader's permission, even if you want to sell land, no one would dare to buy it

Half a month ago, I went to your house to ask for grain and stumbled upon your family secretly eating meat, yet you refused to give me even a single grain. Later, I said that I would reclaim the fields next year, and only then did you reluctantly give me a dou of rice

It was only now that Xu Jin revealed this in front of the villagers, compelled to demonstrate in order to uphold the authority and fairness of the clan leader, which led to him breaking the head of the He family.

Alas, indeed, Jin Ge's parents passed away early, leaving him all alone and truly pitiful

"Very well, very well, you truly are the good son of Wenxu (Xu's father)!" After Xu Deming finished speaking, he waved his sleeve and left, leaning on his cane.

Patriarch, this seems a bit excessive

Xu Youcai and He Shi's faces were flushed red. The former stammered, "Don't listen to Lao Shi's nonsense. The harvest this year is poor; what can I do? Moreover, I just gave Shi Di a dou of rice half a month ago!"

Under the persuasion of the crowd, Xu Deming gradually "calmed" his anger, casting a dissatisfied glance at Xu Jin, who was watching the drama from the sidelines. If this young man had spoken up to say something like forgiveness, he could have easily backed down, avoiding such a prolonged ordeal.

Xu Youcai and his wife dared not linger any longer, fleeing the courtyard as if in a panic. As they exited, Xu Youcai even stumbled and fell, injuring his lip. The couple, one covering his mouth and the other shielding her forehead, ran away in a disheveled manner

Xu Deming, still seething with anger, struck the ground fiercely with his cane. In fact, when he initially entrusted the six acres of rice fields belonging to the Xu Jin family to Xu Youcai for cultivation, Xu Deming had his own ulterior motives, as Xu Youcai was his own grandson. Therefore, when Xu Youcai failed to supply Xu Jin with grain on time, Xu Deming turned a blind eye, as long as Xu Jin did not complain to him, he pretended not to know.

Patriarch Xu Deming raised his cane and struck Xu Youcai, scolding, "You worthless thing, is this how you take care of your younger brother!"

"Fourth Brother, don't you feel guilty saying that?" Xu Jin said with a face full of "grief and indignation": "Patriarch, my nephew lost his parents at a young age. The patriarch, considering my youth and lack of understanding of labor, entrusted the six mu of paddy fields from my family to Fourth Brother for cultivation, allowing Fourth Brother to provide for my daily needs, so that my nephew can focus on his studies and fulfill my father's wishes.

Xu Jin felt a surge of anger within and calmly said: "Chief, please do not be agitated. As you just mentioned, the land of the Xu clan was not always theirs; it was gradually accumulated over time.

Xu Deming was furious and scolded, "It is all your fault, you pickled woman, for instigating and corrupting men!" As he spoke, he struck He's forehead with his cane, instantly causing it to bleed profusely.

Xu Jin sneered coldly in his heart; he had long wanted to deal with this couple. Since he had already presented his face, he would not hold back.

It is precisely for this reason that Xu Deming found it strange; Xu Jin, this little brat, faced with his anger, remained so calm and composed that he momentarily refrained from striking down with the raised cane

Ah! Xie Xiaowan's face instantly turned pale. If being labeled as a "prodigal" is a stain on one's life, then being expelled from the family can ruin a person. Unless one moves to a distant land to live, there is no hope of finding a place to stand. Moreover, one should not expect to pursue the imperial examination, as no matter how well one performs, they will not be admitted, and even the qualification to take the exam will be revoked.

"Sir, why not apologize to the clan leader?" Xie Xiaowan said with concern

Now the fourth brother actually says that I am lazy and indulgent, in front of the clan leader. I must ask the fourth brother if he has no conscience and if he feels no shame

Look at Jin Ge'er’s family, still wearing tattered straw sandals in the middle of winter

Xu Deming is experiencing some toothache, and you, young man, are capable of this. Do you really think you can pass the imperial examination all at once? In this dynasty, apart from a few extraordinary individuals, no one else can achieve that.

Although I have my doubts, it is still important to encourage young people with ambition. Xu Deming nodded and said: "Alright, Jin Ge'er has ambition, so I agree to your selling of the land. However, there is one condition: you must pass the scholar examination within two years. If not, you will be expelled from the Xu clan of Shangrao."

However, the fourth brother did not fulfill the promise made at the beginning. In the following month, and even for half a year, he did not send me a single grain of food. When I went to urge him, he made all sorts of excuses. My nephew, in desperation, could only sell family possessions to make ends meet. Now, the family is left with nothing, living in utter poverty.

Xu Youcai clutched his shoulder in pain and cried out, while Xu Deming was about to strike again. He Shi hurriedly protected her husband and shouted: "Patriarch, it is Old Ten who is squandering the family fortune by selling land, why are you hitting my husband!"

Xu Jin's eyelids twitched anxiously; that old man was truly ruthless. He couldn't help but feel a wave of fear. Just now, if Old Xu had struck him on the head with his staff, he would probably have ended up like He.

Xu Deming let out a cold snort without answering, and Xu Jin asked again: "May I ask, Clan Leader, did my nephew violate the clan rules by selling the land?"

Xu Jinting stood upright in front of Xu Deming, his expression calm as he said: "Patriarch, I dare to ask a question, does selling land violate national law?"

The villagers were immediately in an uproar, with some even cursing Xu Youcai and his wife as bastards and worse than beasts.

"Jin Ge'er, although you have your reasons for selling the land, it is after all ancestral property. Selling it would be a disservice to our ancestors. Are you truly determined to sell?" Xu Deming asked in a deep voice