YM778.TV Chapter 102 - 102: She Wants to Be a Landlady
Qiao Xiaomai laughed, “But, 1 don’t want to sell.”
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper He’s smile froze. If she wasn’t planning to sell, why all the fuss?
After pondering for a moment, he asked, “Are you worried about offending Zuixian Building?” Without waiting for Qiao Xiaomai’s reply, he quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry about that. With Jiweiju on your side, Zuixian Building wouldn’t dare to act against you.”
“The one who visited with Shopkeeper Zhou yesterday, a man named Shen Bai,” said Qiao Xiaomai.
Shopkeeper He was at a loss for words.
A twitch appeared at the corner of his mouth as he cursed internally. No wonder she had declared her right to set the price. So it was Shen Bai who had come to Bailu Town!
At the court of Daqi, there were two chancellors. The owner of Jiweiju was the left chancellor, and Zuixian Building was supported by the right chancellor.
Shen Bai was none other than the sole son of the current right chancellor, Shen Jingsong.
Anxiety gnawed at Shopkeeper He. The amount of silver Shen Bai could manipulate far exceeded his own. In a contest of wealth, he was bound to lose against Shen Bai.
However, to stand by helplessly while Zuixian Building took over the business of tofu and bean curd would be even more painful than slicing off his own flesh.
“Miss Qiao, how about waiting a few more days while 1 relay your asking price to the owner? Let’s see how much silver they are willing to pay,” he suggested.
Qiao Xiaomai nodded, “Alright.”
After a moment of pause, she added, “Actually, it doesn’t necessarily have to be money.”
“Hmm?” Shopkeeper He widened his eyes, “What do you mean, Miss Qiao?”
“I would accept land as well….”
“Oh, 1 see.” Shopkeeper He stroked his beard in understanding.
The current Emperor promotes farming over commerce. For most people, land is the most secure asset, especially for villagers. To them, land was their lifeline.
The common practice was to purchase land whenever one had enough money. The lands yielded profit, which was then used to acquire more lands, eventually turning them into major landlords.
Among these landlords, the ambitious ones would build manors, foster armies, and become local tyrants.
When the Emperor fails in his governance, these tyrants would rise and rebel.
The fall of the previous dynasty and the establishment of Daqi all happened this way.
However, because of these incidents, the ‘Daqi Law’ clearly limits the amount of land a common civilian could possess to no more than five hundred acres. This effectively restricts the development of landed gentry.
This regulation might work in sparsely populated areas, but in places like Bailu Town, the rules were practically obsolete.
“Miss Qiao, Bailu Town has a large population. If you are planning to trade for land, you might face some difficulties.”
The population was so dense that the allocation from the ‘Daqi Law’, which assigned a hundred acres per person, had been reduced to just thirty acres per person. It would indeed be difficult for Qiao Xiaomai to exchange her recipe for a large plot of land.
“Then, give me an approximate figure in a few days.” Qiao Xiaomai seemed aware of this situation and didn’t say more.
“Alright,” Shopkeeper He agreed.
After thinking for a moment, Qiao Xiaomai added, “1 don’t need that much. I may sell the recipe for tofu and bean curd to both of you. After all, 1 can’t afford to offend either Jiweiju or Zuixian Building.”
Shopkeeper He was at a loss for words again.
If the other party were Shopkeeper Zhou, he would certainly promise right away. But now the other party was Shen Bai.
He frowned in frustration, “I will respond after consulting the owner.”
“No need for too much land. I want to establish good relationships with both families, in case I need assistance in the future,” Qiao Xiaomai added..