[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia":3,"chapter-my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-24":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","My Life as a Literary Giant in Russia",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2317199,4531,"Chapter 24: The Economics of Serfdom","my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-24",24,"\u003Cp>When Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev entered the parlor, his mother, Varvara Petrovna Lutovinova, was scolding a trembling servant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was a sharp, formidable middle-aged woman who, despite her short stature and slender frame, made the servant before her dare not even glance at her—only bow his head, trembling, occasionally muttering indistinct words before quickly swallowing them back in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this servant faced more than just reprimands; when her anger flared, the well-dressed woman rose abruptly and slapped the servant twice hard across the face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even this beating, the girl—barely ten years old—could endure, even feel somewhat relieved, for who in the Spasskoye-Lutovinovo estate did not know how Mistress Varvara dealt with her servants?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Serfs were whipped merely for failing to clear snow in time or breaking dishes; once, she ordered a serf bound in the stable and beaten for hours until he was permanently disabled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She once made a serf stand barefoot on broken glass in the bitter winter, or forced others to labor while chained in iron.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once, an elderly serf was exiled to a Siberian frontier settlement for failing to remove his cap quickly enough as she passed—completely disregarding his family circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, stories of Mistress Varvara were known to all in the estate; a beating was nothing extraordinary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, honestly, such conditions were not uncommon in Russia today—so widespread, one might say they were commonplace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one party clearly knows the other is under their control, what kind of relationship will form between them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in modern times, many officials with power treat their subordinates like grandchildren—abusing and exploiting them; so what would happen when a landlord held nearly limitless power over serfs?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let us return to the matter at hand: when Turgenev entered the parlor and saw this scene, he immediately asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mother, what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The blind fool wouldn’t even pour me tea after I returned from outside—has the devil blinded her eyes?” Hearing her son’s voice, the middle-aged woman slowly turned, her ferocity instantly fading; though still stern and domineering, she now seemed noticeably softer:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My dear Vanychka, what brings you to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let her go, let her go! I’ll pour you tea—don’t punish her over such a small thing!” The gentle young man, now visibly angered, gestured for the servant to leave quickly, then picked up the teacup to pour for his mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his action, Varvara, though displeased by his defiance, ultimately allowed it; once Turgenev placed the tea before her, she eagerly said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I read the most wonderful short story, Mother—just let me read it to you! You really must hear it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Very well, Vanychka, read on.” Seeing her son so excited, Varvara did not dampen his spirits; she nodded, sipped her tea, and listened intently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing his mother’s full attention, the young man gathered his strength and began reading the article from the magazine, hoping to convey even a fraction of the poor child’s longing and cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nine-year-old boy Wan Ka Zhukov, three months ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading with deep emotion, Turgenev immediately turned to his mother, whose expression had not changed, and hurriedly asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dear Mother, what are your thoughts?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Varvara, seasoned by years, clearly saw what her son wanted her to say; after a pause, she voiced her opinion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That vile couple should not treat this serf’s grandson so. He is not their property—how dare they treat him so cruelly? In our estate, he would never suffer such treatment.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How can you think that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he knew his mother’s nature well, Turgenev now stared at her in disbelief:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve had a fine education, you’ve seen the world—can you not hear what the author truly means to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Vanychka, isn’t that answer enough?” Feeling her son’s shifting attitude, Varvara grew impatient:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think the author wants to say? Yes, he describes the serf’s grandson’s plight—but is this our fault? You know I give alms to the poor and donate to the church; many I know do not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And don’t you know? Many I know sell serfs and their children apart—yet no chaos has arisen. Perhaps reality is not as this inexperienced author writes: how can an adult possibly understand a child’s thoughts? There is too much implausibility here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re making me confused.” Turgenev looked again at his mother, momentarily forgetting what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve been away too long—you’ve forgotten how to manage household property.” Seeing the conversation turn here again, Varvara decided to impart her wisdom:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think serfs are easy to handle? Let down your whip, and they’ll refuse to work properly. Show them the slightest leniency, and they’ll slander you behind your back, steal your wealth, and wish to trample on your head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t find ways to subdue them, to establish an image they dare not defy, they’ll eventually turn on you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But how you deal with them—you must know your methods; if you choose wrongly, they’ll unite against you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop, Mother, stop.” Unable to bear these words he’d heard too many times, the young man’s heart, already shaken by the story, now ached more deeply; he merely waved his hand:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to go out—I have other matters to discuss. Let’s end this here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I really like Turgenev, though during this period in Russia he was almost universally reviled (rest in peace)—we’ll explore his later development.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, last round of recommendations—but several lv5 masters joined me this time, and many lv4 veterans too; as a little newbie like me, how can I possibly defeat them even if I give everything? (sob)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’m about to become food for the masters (sad)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Please, I beg you—support me on Tuesday; this little newbie doesn’t want to crash in the first round (bitter)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, I must thank everyone for your support; this is such a niche topic, and incredibly hard to write—balancing entertainment with so many other elements, I spend hours daily researching, reading original Russian novels, and honestly, when I started, I had no confidence at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I only meant to try—but the results so far have exceeded my expectations. Thank you for your monthly votes and overwhelming support (heart)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ll keep working hard—more explosive updates coming soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Special thanks to “Fu Bo 137” and “Better to Drink” for their generous tips—I never expected to receive them, thank you so much (nervous hand-rubbing)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1054,"2026-06-20T14:41:53.633Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e04772839ad106cce70185360a1d5f425819b5335c43eb244ed868f21b0837f4","my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-25","my-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-chapter-23",105,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmy-life-as-a-literary-giant-in-russia-cover.jpg"]