Chapter 29: Wash if you want to
It is now the middle of the month.The night was deep, a round moon hung high in the sky.Inside the Yang family home, everyone sat together, watching Xiao Jiu calculate.She knew Yang Lin understood her meaning.
Faced with such a nonsensical question, Yang Lin actually asked back, "Do you want to change all this"
"I..."
Li Yuxiang originally wanted to say "yes."
Though words were at the tip of her tongue, she clenched her fists helplessly and remained silent.
All of these suffering people are the citizens of Great Qin!
I want to change, and I can't wait to make the changes.
But she understood what else she could do now.
Yang Lin smiled and looked at Li Yuyao, saying, "Actually, I've always been curious, who are you and where do you come from"
Li Yuyao's heart skipped a beat, and she stared at Yang Lin in surprise.
Could he have seen something
"Don't worry, I won't ask about things you don't want to say. I was just curious."
As for the question you raised...
Yang Lin let out a wry smile: "Of course I know the answer, and it can be summed up in eight words."
“Land annexation, exorbitant taxes!”
Yang Lin spoke, but shook his head.
"Don't ask me what to do, because asking is pointless. I don't know what to do either."
Yang Lin shrugged.
This kind of problem is not unique to only Daqian.
In the vast river of history, there have been countless examples like this. One can say that it is an inevitable problem when a dynasty transitions from prosperity to decline.
Aristocratic families, through land consolidation and accumulation, amassed vast wealth but paid very little in taxes.
When the national treasury is depleted, taxes are increased, and the increase falls on the common people.
When the common people cannot afford to pay taxes, they have no choice but to sell their land.
This creates a vicious cycle, widening the gap between the rich and poor, with more and more people falling into poverty.
...until such pressure reaches a certain degree....
The world is in chaos!
As for how to solve it.
Yang Lin is not unaware, but solving this requires taking on the powerful and influential, something even the emperor wouldn't dare to do. Who would
Whoever does it will be standing on the opposite side of the world's powerful group!
So, knowing it's wrong and saying it anyway, what's the point
Li Yuxiang stood there for a while.
Her intuition told her that Yang Lin seemed to know something, but was unwilling to say it.
This man gave her too many surprises. If she were still on the throne, with him by her side, perhaps things could have changed indeed.
...and now.
Li Yuxiang let out a wry smile.
Even if I think about it a lot, it's just a pipe dream...
That evening, in the Yang family's small cottage.
The women sat together, counting their silver, all with smiles on their faces and eyes full of joy.
A total of 148 liang and 7 coins.
Finally, Xia Jiu wrote the number in her notebook and closed it.
But the women were still lost in thought.
Before that one hundred ounces of silver, how Yang Lin spent it, no one knew. It was already gone with little left.
Today, I made even more money!
Not bad.
Yang Lin nodded. "We have money again."
"Little Nine, in the future, all the money earned will be divided into three parts."
"Part of it we keep, part of it goes into industry, and the last part, we spend!"
All the women were astonished again.
One-third of the silver That's almost fifty taels! Everyone stared blankly at Yang Lin.
Even Li Yuyao felt that Yang Lin was generous and never spared any expense, almost like a prince!
"Remember, folks, stonemasonry is our most profitable business. Keep the truth under wraps; not a single word can leak out."
From now on, there will be no more stones or water, only specially prepared potions!
"And we must maintain a strategy of scarcity marketing, making sure our medicine... I mean, our elixir business, is always in high demand. Only then can we stabilize the price and ensure long-term profits."
From now on, only ten barrels of medicine water will be sold every three days.
"My lady, when you turn back, please teach elder sister the techniques of burning gypsum and preparing stone water. From now on, all the medicine business will be handed over to elder sister."
Li Yuxiang nodded.
After observing for many days, Yang Lin could see that Big Sister was a steady person. Although she didn't have much talent, the business of medicinal water needed someone careful and prudent to manage it. She didn't need to be outstanding, just avoid making mistakes.
Big Sister didn't expect Yang Lin to entrust such an important matter to her. She was overwhelmed with excitement for a moment.
"I will definitely do well!"
All the women envied her deeply.
I have already chosen the location for the house today, and we can officially start construction tomorrow. Everyone should get some sleep now, and we'll discuss how to build the house tomorrow.
Just as I was about to go to sleep, my fourth sister brought me a basin of foot water.
"Honey, you've had a long day. Wash your feet and relax."
Saying that, the fourth sister was about to take off Yang Lin's shoes.
"Well... I'll do it myself."
Yang Lin hurriedly dodged.
Si Mei was the prettiest among all the concubines, and particularly alluring. She was charming and seductive. In her previous life, she could have easily been a star.
Yang Lin didn't have the feudal mindset. Although she was his concubine, he felt awkward when women washed his feet.
Of course not, we can't let the fourth sister come.
Xiao Jiu said with a smile, "This is the first time I'm washing my husband's feet. As concubines, we shouldn't compete for this. It should be left to elder sister."
Xia Jiu smiled cheekily at Li Yuyao.
Li Yuxiang's face changed drastically.
Washing a man's feet
Just thinking about it, she couldn't accept it!
Once upon a time, they were the emperor and princess. They were pampered from childhood to adulthood by countless people. They had never served anyone else.
Let alone giving someone a foot massage!
To Yang Lin's surprise, the other women also nodded.
"We can't fight with our sister over it."
"Our family is already quite good. My husband isn't so strict, otherwise, if Si Mei snatched the task of washing his feet before elder sister, she would definitely be punished."
"Well, elder sister washed for her husband today, tomorrow it will be the eldest sister, and the day after tomorrow the second sister... According to seniority, we can't break the rules."
"After the house is built, when serving her husband at night, she should also follow this order, hehehe."
All the women chimed in, agreeing that what Xiao Jiu said made a lot of sense.
Li Yuxiang's face grew increasingly unsightly.
She unconsciously looked at Yang Lin's feet.
Yang Lin had been busy all day, and the long-tube cloth shoes he wore were tightly fitting. Even through the shoes, one could smell a faint scent of sweat.
Yang Lin saw the situation and quickly waved his hand: "No need, no need. I'm such a big person, I can wash myself."
He could tell that Li Yuyao wasn't ordinary, she was most likely the daughter of a wealthy family. How could someone like her wash feet for others
And he himself wasn't used to being waited on. He preferred doing things like washing his feet himself, so he wouldn't put her in a difficult position.
Yang Lin didn't mind, however, a pair of strange eyes stared at Li Yuy Yao.
Facing those gazes, Li Yuyao's small face flushed red.
She understood that in ordinary families, men were superior to women. Women had to follow the three obediences and four virtues, which meant serving their husbands by doing things like washing their feet. This was considered natural.
That's why she didn't do it, and everyone else found it unbelievable.
To be watched by so many eyes, shame, guilt, helplessness... surged up in my heart.
Li Yuyao wants to cry a little.
"Wash it then!"
She rolled up her sleeves and crouched down in front of Yang Lin.
Without a word, he took off Yang Lin's shoes.eal."First the bitterness, then the sweetness. Let me tell you the bad things first," Yang Lin said."Good!"Zhao Fuguai swallowed nervously, took a deep breath, then lowered his voice in a mysterious t...