NOVEL NEXT Chapter 780 - 780: Want to Put the Field Under Your Name
Chapter 780: Chapter 780: Want to Put the Field Under Your Name
“What else is there to discuss?” Third Master Tong asked indifferently.
“You rotten kid! Always looking out for yourself, I’ve wasted all these years raising you!” Tong Xingda was furious and wanted to raise his hand, but thinking of Third Master Tong’s agile dodges, he didn’t ultimately raise it.
He had come to Third Master Tong today with serious business.
But seeing his father stopping him to spew the same useless nonsense, Third Master Tong maneuvered around him and climbed onto the horse-drawn cart.
Seeing this, Tong Xingda stopped wasting his breath and grabbed Third Master Tong’s arm, “Don’t leave yet, I have something to tell you.”
Third Master Tong looked at him blankly.
Tong Xingda ignored his emotionless face and said, “Now that you are a scholar, our home’s fifteen acres are exempt from taxes, however, our relatives still have to pay taxes. Thus, they want to put their lands in your name to avoid taxes.”
Taxes were a heavy burden for farmers. The annual yield wasn’t much, and yet they still had to pay a portion to the Court. Every time they thought of it, they felt pain all over.
However, fields under the name of a scholar did not have to pay taxes, and thus to avoid taxation, many people relied on this method, transferring their lands to a scholar.
The Tong Family itself did not have many relatives, but the wives they married into the family all brought their own relatives. Now that Third Master Tong was a scholar, these relatives sought him out, wanting to transfer their lands to his name. This way, they could save a considerable amount of grain each year.
Hearing this, Third Master Tong responded indifferently, “Aren’t they afraid I’ll annex their lands?”
“What kind of person are you, would you even care about such small plots of land? They all trust you,” Tong Xingda said.
“Then I will betray their trust. I disagree. Dad, tell them to pay their taxes and stop trying to evade them with crooked methods.” Third Master Tong said, as he whipped his horse, ready to leave.
Frustrated by his response, Tong Xingda grasped Third Master Tong’s sleeve tightly, “You brat! Why don’t you agree? What do you call ‘crooked methods’? Many people do this, okay?”
“Because I plan to buy some fields myself, and I can’t accommodate so many in my name.”
There were four families among these relatives. Even the Zhu Family, which was the smallest, owned thirty acres of land. Each of the other families owned over a hundred acres. If he allowed all those people to put their lands in his name, how would he buy his own fields in the future?
He and Xiaomai Qiao had already discussed, after they had some free time, they would buy the fields around the manor and plant more crops next year.
Besides, if these people were surnamed Tong, that would be another matter.
But these people didn’t bear the Tong surname, and they weren’t even from the same village. Now they wanted to put all their lands under his name. What nonsense was this!
After hearing Third Master Tong’s words, Tong Xingda asked, “When do you plan to buy fields?”
“After finishing up the current work.”
“Then first transfer their lands to your name and avoid this autumn’s tax.” Tong Xingda commanded.
While it is said: when one ascends to the skies, even his dogs and chickens ascend with him. But after becoming a scholar, the Tong Family didn’t reap any benefits!
They didn’t obtain any benefits at all!
Instead, Third Master Tong was busy with menial tasks just like any other farmer.
This couldn’t go on, the Tong Family had to get some concrete benefits!
Seeing that Tong Xingda was not releasing his grip, Third Master Tong simply called out to Tong Tiehu at the front line, “Grandfather, please come and persuade my father. I’ve got things to do, I’m leaving first!”
As he spoke, Third Master Tong exerted some force to break free from Tong Xingda’s grasp, whipped his horse, and galloped off towards the manor.