FID – Chapter 969

Chapter 969 – Xinghua Village, the Liu Family’s Liu Zhiqiu

“Master, I can read a few words. Perhaps I can help read it aloud?” A young voice came from the back of the crowd.

Immediately, someone stepped forward from the rear—a man in his twenties, with a well-proportioned face and clear, bright eyes.

Liu Yusheng noticed that when the tenant farmers saw him, they visibly relaxed. Their eyes showed a strong trust in this young man.

It seemed they knew him and were familiar with him. Moreover, the young man’s character clearly earned their respect.

Liu Zhiqiu handed over the contracts directly and said without the slightest hesitation,  “Read it.”

The young man paused for a moment, then took the contract and gave Liu Zhiqiu a long, intent look.

—Today, the master of Liu Family Farm, Liu Zhiqiu, signs a tenancy contract with the tenant farmers of Chuanjiu Village, leasing out 1,500 acres of fertile farmland under the estate’s jurisdiction in Chuanjiu Village, collecting thirty percent of the actual harvest per acre. This serves as proof.

The young man carefully read the document word by word twice, leaving nothing out.

The shock in his heart was indescribable. His hands, holding the contract, trembled, and his eyes were fixed on the three characters at the very end of the document:

Liu… Zhiqiu.

Liu Zhiqiu!

Looking up at the master, the young man could no longer hide his astonishment.

“The contract isn’t long. You’ve all heard it. If you have any questions, you can ask them now,” Liu Zhiqiu said to the tenant farmers.

“We heard it! We heard it!” The older tenant farmer who had spoken first exclaimed excitedly. “We have no questions. We can sign the document with the master right now!”

The contract was clear and straightforward, with no convoluted clauses, and certainly no hidden traps to cheat them. What was there to hesitate over?

Leasing the fields for just thirty percent of the yield was an incredible deal!

They were only afraid that if they delayed nodding, their master might change his mind!

“Wait,” Liu Yusheng said, handing over a piece of paper to the hesitant tenant farmers with a smile. “My Second Brother is a bit careless, and he hasn’t even calculated how much land each of you wants to lease. This is a tally sheet. You can mark how many acres each person or household wants to lease with a fingerprint. That way, when the rice harvest comes, the accounts won’t get messed up.”

“Oh, Nannan, you’re so thoughtful! I knew you’d help me,” Liu Zhiqiu said, grinning, taking the sheet first, then handing it to the still-stunned young man. “I remember your name is Liu Tiao, right? You’re Uncle Liu’s eldest grandson, and I named you myself. Help explain this to the tenant farmers and tally the numbers. When you’re done, bring it back to me. Also, help spread the word. If there are other tenant farmers in Chuanjiu Village or nearby villages who want to lease land, they can come see me within the next two days.”

With 1,500 acres of fields, these tenants wouldn’t lease it all; the rest could be distributed to others.

“Yes, Master!” No one noticed that Liu Tiao’s voice had become loud, clear, and resolute.

Turning to look at his elder brother and Feng Qingbai, who were sitting nearby watching, Liu Zhiqiu grinned proudly. “See? I didn’t need your help at all. It’s simple and efficient. Once the tally is done, we’ll take it to the government office to get it officially stamped, and the contract will be complete. Everything on our end will be settled neatly.”

“You’ve got some skill,” Liu Zhixia said, his face calm but a smile flickering in his eyes. This second brother of his was clever in unusual ways. He didn’t like to take the same old, predictable path.

With ordinary leases, each tenant would have their own individual contract. But he came up with this method: everyone signs together. It saved time, effort, and worry, and didn’t affect the outcome at all.

Liu Tiao guided the tenant farmers one by one, helping them press their fingerprints next to the number of acres they wanted to lease. The scene was full of energy and excitement.

Everyone’s faces were lit with joy, some trembling as they pressed their fingerprints. Standing in the middle, Liu Tiao glanced through the gaps in the crowd at the few people nearby who were quietly smiling and chatting. His eyes shone brightly.

Once the tally was complete and the elated tenant farmers had left, Liu Tiao used the moment when everyone was sent off to prepare dinner to dash back to the rear courtyard.

“Grandfather, Father, Mother!” Before even entering the yard, he couldn’t hold back, shouting out in pure exhilaration, the long-suppressed excitement rivaling that of a tenant farmer who had just received an incredible boon. “The new master is Liu Zhiqiu! It’s Liu Zhiqiu!”

Inside, the middle-aged couple came out, puzzled. “Liu Zhiqiu? That’s the new master’s name?”

They knew the master’s surname was Liu, but they didn’t know his given name. They hadn’t dared to ask, and there was nowhere to ask.

“Why are you so worked up just knowing the master’s name?”

Liu Tiao glanced outside, then carefully turned to close the courtyard gate.

His sneaky, furtive behavior left the whole family speechless, but also curious. Could it be that something extraordinary was connected to this new master?

Once the gate was secured, Liu Tiao guided his father and mother inside. After everyone was seated, and seeing that they were all present, he spoke in a trembling voice: “Grandfather, Father, Mother, you haven’t heard the name Liu Zhiqiu before, but you know the Liu family of Xinghua Village, right?”

“Of course we know them. Who in all of Nanling hasn’t heard of the Liu family of Xinghua Village? That’s a family of great virtue…” Liu Gen paused, then suddenly widened his eyes. “The Liu family of Xinghua Village? Could our new master be a member of that Liu family?!”

Liu Tiao nodded vigorously. “Yes! I’m certain! When I used to go to the town to buy supplies, I once overheard people talking about the Liu family of Xinghua Village. The second young master’s name is Liu Zhiqiu! Their eldest son serves as the governor of Yunzhou, named Zhixia! And… and the King’s Consort—”

The whole family’s mouths gaped open and shut. After a long while, Liu Zhi finally murmured in a daze, “When the master entered, he said among the people who came, there was one elder brother, and a younger sister with her husband…”

“One elder brother, one younger sister, that matches! That’s it! It’s extremely likely. They really are members of the Liu family of Xinghua Village!”

“What do you mean extremely likely? I’m certain it’s them!” Liu Tiao’s eyes were red with excitement. “Father, Mother, we don’t have to be afraid anymore. The Liu family of Xinghua Village is truly a family of great virtue and lasting good fortune. Following them, we will live in peace. Absolutely, we will never face those terrible things again!”

The last words were spoken through gritted teeth by Liu Tiao.

Every time he said them, it was like reopening his sister’s wound. Over the past year, they had all witnessed how much she had suffered, which was why they had never dared to mention anything related to that incident.

But today he had to speak. He had to tell his sister that she no longer needed to be afraid!

Liu Ya lowered her gaze, hiding behind her mother, saying nothing. Only the trembling of her eyelashes and the tight, pale grip on her mother’s sleeve betrayed her fear.

Everyone’s eyes grew red, the previous excitement giving way to a quiet solemnity.

Some things could not be rushed.

Knowing that they were now with a good master was certainly a blessing, but that alone was not enough to heal the scars left by their past trauma.

Even after calming down, their hearts could not help but feel a lingering unease.