Chapter 350: Going to the Zhou Manor (1)

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“It’s possible, but won’t it be difficult to manage?” Zhou Shou asked.

“Can’t we manage them separately?”

Zhou Shi paused.

“Yes, that’s possible. However, it would be pointless to combine the two manors then.”

Lin Xiaoyue smiled. “The point was not to combine the two manors, but to reduce the amount of farmland between the two manors to increase privacy.”

“I can’t go to the manor every day. So they still have to be managed by the people in the manor.”

“If we combine them into one, I’m afraid the management staff will not get along with each other. If I choose the wrong person, I’m afraid it will be troublesome.”

“So, I thought that it would be better to do it like before. With two heads of management, one taking care of one side, and working together, the effect might be better.”

Zhou Shi nodded.

“Now that you mention it, it does seem better to manage them separately.”

Lin Xiaoyue smiled.

“Since you mentioned this, 1 was just about to ask you. How much do you know about them?”

Zhou Shi was stunned.

“I’ve met Head Fan of the Zhou family several times. I’m not sure about the one in Mao’er Manor.”

She didn’t know that Mao’er Manor was her cousin’s property before this.

Of course, it was more likely that someone else had given it to him.

After all, he had just arrived in Qingshi Town.

“Then let’s talk about this Head Fan. How is he?”

“He is over fifty years old. For as long as I can remember, he’s been manading the Zhou Manor.”

“I think I heard my father mention that his entire family sold themselves as slaves to come to the Zhou family.”

“Later, my father saw that he had potential. He arranged for him to be the head of the manor. This lasted for more than ten years.”

“What about his family?” Lin Xiaoyue continued to ask.

“They are also the manor. Head Fan later spoke to my father and arranged for the whole family to go to the manor.”

“Oh. I’ve given you their contracts along with the title deed of the manor.” Zhou Shi added.

Lin Xiaoyue remembered the wooden box that Zhou Shi gave her and nodded.

“Good. It’s safer this way.” Lin Xiaoyue said.

Zhou Shi nodded.

“My father mentioned before that Head Fan is a loyal person. Under his management, although the Zhou Manor’s annual output was not outstanding, it was consistent. They had a good relationship with the tenants.”

Zhou Shi smiled at Lin Xiaoyue.

“You must be wondering why my father thinks that we need to build a good relationship with the tenants.”

Lin Xiaoyue nodded.

Although she also agreed with this idea.

However, in ancient times, the status of tenants was low, and they relied on the person who owned the manor to hire them to farm for a living.

One was the exploiter, and the other was the exploited. It was very difficult for the two to get along.

In other words, as an exploiter, the landlord would only think of exploiting the tenant farmers for more benefits, and would not care too much about their welfare.

“That’s because after my father took over the Zhou Manor, most of the villagers nearby moved away. In addition, the Zhou Village isn’t far from town, so it was easy to find work in town.”

“When the rent is too high, many tenants simply don’t rent from us anymore.”

“There are not many people in the manor who could work in the fields. He still had to rely on the tenant farmers to help him grow the crops.”

Zhou Shi smiled and looked at Lin Xiaoyue. “There was a problem with renting out the land in Mao’er Manor.”

“Of course, the rent there is higher than that at the Zhou Manor.”

Lin Xiaoyue nodded, indicating that she understood.

“Then how did the Zhou Manor and the tenant farmers set up the lease?”

“The tenant farmers get 40% of the harvest and the manor gets 60%.”

Zhou Shi looked at Lin Xiaoyue, “however, Head Fan mentioned to my father before that he hoped to change it to a fixed rent system. That was to say, each piece of land would pay a fixed amount of rent, and the extra profit would go to the tenant farmers.”

“In this way, no matter if it’s a good year or a bad year, there won’t be any changes in our income. At the same time, the tenant farmers would be more motivated..”

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