Hybrid Spiritual Plant Cultivation

Chapter 9 Authority Needs to Trample on Dignity

Duan Xiong rode in an exquisite carriage, accompanied by servants, guards, and his beloved children, and leisurely left the city.

This trip was to collect the spiritual rice from the vassal families.

Seventeen-year-old Duan Zhenzhen is at a critical moment of mental maturity and is curious about everything.

She lifted the curtain to take a look at the weather outside and couldn't help asking, "Father, the spiritual rain has caused great damage to the spiritual fields. Why do we have to come to your house on time to collect the spiritual rice?"

"My son, what do you think is the reason?" Duan Xiong sat steadily in the carriage and asked slowly.

The eighteen-year-old son Duan Sheng said: "Of course it is to establish authority. Father always said that the way to control people is to constantly demonstrate one's power. If people are not afraid, then there is no authority. Without authority, people will pretend to obey but actually disobey, slack off, and do small things."

"Yeah." A hint of satisfaction appeared on Duan Xiong's face.

Seeing his father satisfied, Duan Sheng was reassured and continued with a smile: "We can harvest the grain next month, or even delay it for a season, but we have to harvest it immediately when their spiritual rice production is reduced. We want to make them feel uncomfortable and let them feel that the Duan family can decide their life and death and control their lifeblood."

"But..." Duan Zhenzhen said tentatively: "Won't the families in the outer city feel resentful? We collect grain, which is unprofitable for them. If we make them feel uncomfortable, won't it accumulate more hatred?"

"They are just vassal families from outer cities. So what if there is a grudge?" Duan Sheng sneered at his sister's words.

Duan Xiong said at this time: "Okay, Zhenzhen is right. We should not have too many grudges with the families outside the city. This time, the Chen family, the Song family, the Jing family, the Lai family... choose three families to take it slowly, and choose three families to take it strictly."

Duan Sheng thought for a moment and suddenly realized, "Father, what you mean is that if you often show your authority and show some favors, you can win the hearts of the servants. If you give them some preferential treatment and some harsh criticism, you can make it difficult for them to work together. In this way, you can play with them at your will. I understand now!"

"How could father mean this!" Duan Zhenzhen was inexplicably angry and shouted aggrievedly: "Dad!"

"Sheng'er!" Duan Xiong scolded him with a stern face, saying, "You are still young, don't delve too deeply into these unorthodox ways. The premise of playing with people's hearts is that my Duan family is a big family in the inner city. The families in the outer city can see through these methods, but they can only endure them. In the final analysis, you still have to practice well and contribute to the family. That is the fundamental thing."

"That's what my father taught me."

Duan Sheng was a little unconvinced, as there was clearly nothing wrong with his understanding. However, he knew that he could not contradict his father at this time, so he could only accept it.

The atmosphere in the car became dull.

Duan Xiong was playing with his bracelet, not knowing what he was thinking about; Duan Zhenzhen was looking outside, confusion flashing in her eyes; Duan Sheng couldn't stand this atmosphere where he couldn't chat, so he ran outside the carriage to get some fresh air.

The convoy soon arrived at the Song family's Huicui Peak.

Old Master Song came to entertain them, "Manager Duan is here in person, it brings glory to our humble home..."

"Old Master Song is in good health."

The two sides exchanged a few polite greetings, then Old Master Song's face turned bitter and he began to say that life had been very difficult recently, with the rain and disaster causing them heavy losses. He hoped they could be flexible and collect less or more slowly.

The old man's mouth was hoarse from talking, but Duan Xiong didn't give in at all. "Grandpa Song, Huicui Peak is a great sacred mountain. The reason why your Song family can rest and recuperate in this precious place without any trouble is not because of the simple customs of Suizhou people, but because of the Duan family of Anning Prefecture. The Duan family soldiers all need to eat. If I don't buy the food back today, if your Song family gets into trouble in the future, the family soldiers will not be willing to protect you and others."

"Damn it."

Old Master Song could only curse in his heart, and had no choice but to empty out his family's stock and hand over the spiritual rice and spiritual medicine according to his share.

Duan Xiong's expression improved when he saw that all the things were loaded onto the car. He took out a few bottles of pills and said, "My Duan family will not let Old Master Song suffer any loss. I will leave an extra bottle of Ninghua Pill for your family."

"This, Manager Duan is really kind-hearted..."

You bastard, you used a mosquito leg to buy so many things from me, and now you should be grateful for adding another mosquito leg.

The wrinkles in Old Master Song's smile were full of curses.

After harvesting the grain, Duan Xiong led the convoy straight to the Jing family. This time he agreed to the Jing family's request to delay for one season and only accepted a small tip.

The Song family had some financial resources, and as it was a period of transition from one year to the next, they were a weakling.

Moreover, since this is the first trip of this journey, we must make an example of him, so we must not let him go.

But the Jing family is different. This generation of the Jing family has raised six practitioners. If they are forced into a corner, they might be forced to death. But they have no way to establish their authority, so they just have to wait and see.

"Above Lianhu Lake is Chen's Qingniu Mountain. The two are so close, the Chen family must have collected the full amount..."

As a result, the Chen family felt resentful and was also unhappy with the Jing family... after all, the Jing family was so close.

Duan Xiong made up his mind and ordered his men to go up the mountain.

Chen Ding was the first to greet Duan Xiong, but Duan Xiong was very surprised that Chen Ding had no intention of bargaining and simply handed over the spiritual rice. This made him lose half of his prestige.

"Is the Chen family so wealthy?"

Duan Xiong was extremely confused. He had been a manager for decades and knew every family's harvest clearly. He could also roughly estimate how much the family could save every year.

Things like spiritual rice can only be planted three times a year.

70% is handed over, 30% is supplied to the practitioners in the family, and only about 50% is left as a surplus every year.

If he buys some major commodities like flying swords, the family’s twenty years of savings will be gone in an instant.

Therefore, even a reduction in production for just one season can cause serious damage to the spiritual plant families in the outer city.

Farming is too poor.

"Among the families in the outer city, only the Chen family manages the household well. They are not affected by the disasters and rains at all." Duan Xiong couldn't help but praise them.

“Just hard work.”

Chen Ding smiled.

He was very happy. Why was he happy? Because for some unknown reason, his own Peiyuan rice had undergone a large-scale mutation, and each one of them was growing tenaciously despite the corrosive rain.

It was expected that the yield of Peiyuan rice would be reduced by 90%, but in the end it was only about 50%. This disaster seems fake.

Of course, he specifically inquired about the Peiyuan rice planting conditions of several nearby families, and found that the situation of others was still very miserable.

"..."

Duan Xiong nodded, frowned, took out the Ninghua Pill and prepared to hand it over, when suddenly a voice rang out.

"Could it be inferior goods?"

Duan Sheng came out waving a fan, kicked the cloth bag of spiritual rice, and shook his head: "Dad, I think it's better to open it and take a look."

"Huh?!" Duan Xiong frowned and scolded, "The Chen family has cooperated with my Duan family for generations, how could they pass off inferior goods as good ones?"

Chen Ding's expression eased slightly.

But then, he slowly said, "Master Chen, please take it down and examine it so I can teach my son a lesson."

"?"

Chen Ding then realized that this was just looking for trouble.

"I'll do it myself."

Duan Sheng became excited after getting the support, and regardless of the attitude of the Chen family, he directly controlled a flying sword and cut through the cloth bags that contained the spiritual rice on the ground.

Crash.

The spiritual rice was scattered all over the ground.

Duan Sheng stepped on the spiritual rice on the ground, turning it everywhere with his feet.

Chen Ding and his family looked at this scene with gloomy expressions.

Every step they took on the Lingling rice seemed to be stepping on their already humble dignity.

"All right."

After a while, Duan Xiong finally stopped and said slowly: "My son is rude. I will punish him when I get back. Master Chen..." He paused, waiting for Chen Ding's reaction.

Chen Ding took a deep breath and said, "No problem."

"Please trouble the master to clean up." Duan Xiong finally smiled, threw down two bottles of Ninghua Pills, and walked aside leisurely.

If there are any typos, please let me know.
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(End of this chapter)