Eighth year of Chongzhen

Chapter 9
After Zhu Youjian left the village, the closed doors of every household in the village opened one after another. Many people still didn't dare to come out, but just looked out.

In the courtyard of a farmer, Liu Dachun, a tenant farmer, is polishing his hoe. His wife, Liu Lishi, is holding a pottery pot filled with crushed vegetable leaves and is feeding a dozen chicks. Behind the mother.

The yard is not big. There is a thatched shed on each side of the three main rooms, which can be regarded as a kitchen and a latrine. A chicken coop is built next to the latrine, and a pile of dry firewood is stacked next to it.

Mrs. Liu and Li wore a skirt with a lot of patches, but it was very clean, and she looked like an ordinary person.

While feeding the chicken, she said, "Husband, I heard from Li Zhuangtou that the person who came to our village is a nobleman from the palace. Yesterday, my servant took a look through the door and saw a young nobleman wearing a dragon robe. Tell me, it is a nobleman." Not a prince?"

"What nonsense, the prince is so precious, what are you doing here in this poor village? It's a hot day, and the nobles are all enjoying the shade in the big house. I think it's probably a father-in-law who is in charge. Look at Liu in the village. Feng Yu, what a majesty! The affirmative officer here is bigger than him!"

Liu Dachun analyzed it decently.

Mrs. Liu and Li nodded repeatedly, and said, "This time, the father-in-law in the palace is not here to collect the rent, is it? If you urge, you can urge, anyway, our family has handed it in!"

Having said this, she sighed, and continued: "Oh, the harvest is not as good as every year. This year our family has finished paying the food, and the ration is much less than last year! Seeing that the stone is getting bigger every day, the appetite is also increasing. Not much, I don’t know when the remaining food will last?!”

Hearing his wife's words, Liu Dachun stopped polishing and didn't speak for a while.

After a while he said: "When the farming is slack, I will go to the capital to see if there are noble people who can hire workers. If I am lucky enough to meet a good family, I can have a long-term job and earn some money at the end of the year. Then you won't have to worry."

Liu Lishi shook her head, feeling secretly sad.

In the past, my husband also went to the capital to work during the slack season, but in the past few years, I heard that the world is not peaceful. There are more and more people fleeing in the capital, and it is even more difficult to find work.

The husband returned empty-handed many times, and sometimes even if he met a hired worker, he would give some iron money and cheap money. How will the future live like this.

When I was worrying, suddenly someone rang the gong outside, accompanied by someone yelling loudly: "Followers, listen up, the heads of each family have gathered in the courtyard on the south side, Liu Fengyu has urgent orders!"

Liu Dachun was stunned for a moment, and said to his wife: "Could it be that the palace thinks that we don't pay enough food, and the nobles in the palace came to collect more?"

Mrs. Liu and Li shook her head blankly. Liu Dachun put down the hoe, touched the jacket with both hands, and said, "I'll go and listen, you stay at home and take care of the baby."

After speaking, he came to the door, opened the courtyard door and went to the courtyard.

After arriving at the yard, many people had already arrived, and the acquaintances were talking in low voices. All kinds of guesses and conclusions were bad things, and I felt uneasy in my heart.

After the people gradually arrived, after a while, Liu Chao came down to the courtyard, followed by Jinyiwei Xiaoqi and Zhuangtou.

Liu Chao stepped onto a small earthen platform in the south of the arena, looked at the crowd with his hands behind his back, coughed lightly, and there was no sound below.

He nodded in satisfaction, and said in a sharp voice: "I called you here today. I have a few important things for you to know. These are all good things, great good things! It's the emperor. Grace to you!"

Having said that, he cupped his fists towards the north.

There was a buzzing sound from the audience, and everyone whispered to each other, all looking at Liu Chao on the stage with suspicious eyes.

Seeing this, Liu Chao was slightly dissatisfied, and cleared his throat loudly, but the audience was silent again.

Liu Chao continued to speak: "Do you know which nobleman came yesterday? Speaking out scared you to death, the one who came is today's Holy One! It's Long Live God!"

In the last sentence, Liu Chao's voice suddenly rose, and the sharp voice pierced everyone's eardrums.

After a short period of shock, everyone in the audience suddenly became noisy.

Hearing that Lord Long Live came to Huangzhuang, some were afraid, some were suspicious, some were trembling with excitement, some were blushing, and some stood there blankly.

Some people wept bitterly, some fell to their knees, the scene became chaotic and the noise became louder and louder.If everyone was inside the house, the sound at this time might have knocked over the roof.

Don't doubt whether the scene described by the author is exaggerated. In a society where imperial power is supreme, let alone ordinary people, even most officials will never have the opportunity to see the emperor in their lifetime.

Even in the era of information explosion in later generations, even though they see national leaders on TV every day, once they suddenly see leaders in reality, most people are still extremely excited, and it is not an exaggeration to say that they cheer.

So when Liu Fengyu said that the nobleman who came yesterday is Long Live Today, although most people didn't see it, it was still like being struck by lightning.

Seeing that the scene was a bit out of control, Liu Chao raised his hand as if pressing down and shouted: "Silence, silence!"

The Jinyiwei Xiaoqi and the two Zhuangtou also shouted.

After a while, everyone's emotions gradually calmed down.

After the scene completely quieted down, Liu Chao continued: "Long Live God pity you and others for the difficulty of survival, and Zhuge Er and others have changed their payment from [-] to [-], starting from this summer ration!"

As soon as his words fell, the noise from the audience resounded again.

Someone took the lead, and everyone fell to their knees and kowtowed, and the rent was reduced by [-]%. Every family was much better off, and some households with high yields could even have enough food. This is a great kindness.

Seeing everyone kowtow, Liu Chao hurriedly sideways to avoid, and continued to say loudly: "Get up first, this is the grace of the Long Live Lord, our family is not worthy of your big gift! Our family has not finished talking, there are still good things to come, besides!"

Everyone stood up and stopped discussing, and looked at Liu Chao on the stage with expectant eyes. The long beardless face in front of him had never been so friendly as it is today.

"Long live God also said that he ordered our family to buy chicken and duck seedlings and distribute them to every household for free. In the future, when eggs are produced, the palace will buy them at market prices in cash! We also want our family to buy piglets and build a pig farm. The farmer who knew how to raise pigs in the family before was the head of the pig farm, hired people, passed on the experience of raising pigs, and when the pigs were fattened, they would buy them at the market price in the palace, saving you the trouble of running around and selling them!"

After finishing speaking this time, there was no noise in the audience, and there was no sound at all.After a while, an old farmer with a gray beard tremblingly asked at the front of the stage: "Dare to ask Fengyu, what you just said is true? Didn't you lie to me?"

Liu Chao glanced at him, and said impatiently: "Our family is busy, so we don't have time to lie to you and other villains! Long live Lord Jinkou spoke well, and our family just relayed to let you know!"

The old farmer fell to his knees, cupped his hands above his head, his lips trembling: "Old man, I have lived for more than fifty years, and I have never seen such a sage! We are all like ants, and Long Live God actually takes me and other ants to heart!" Come on, even if the old man dies now, he will still smile at Jiuquan! Holy Lord!"

After finishing speaking, there was a sound of kowtow, and everyone on the field fell to their knees. There was a sound of kowtow, dust everywhere, mixed with sobbing, and some people burst into tears.

Liu Chaoxin felt something, and said, "Get up later, our family has something to order!"

Everyone then slowly stopped crying and stood up.

"From today onwards, the young and strong men and strong women in the village must seize the time to turn over the fields, and when soybeans and miscellaneous grains are planted, all the strong men must gather and build the walls of the village! We also need to build workshops, At that time, the Ministry of Industry of the imperial court will send personnel to supervise! Long Live God specially instructed that building the walls of the workshop is not a labor service, and all participants will be provided with two meals per person to keep their fill!"

Everyone in the audience was shocked to the point of numbness.

After the fence was built in the village, the safety of Zhuangzi was greatly improved; after the workshop was completed, people must be recruited to work, which meant that there was no need to travel dozens of miles to the capital to work in the slack season, and there was no need to travel around.

What's more, this time they don't do hard labor and still take care of the food. In the past, each family contributed their own money and had to eat their own food for such errands.

"Long live God also said that after the summer grain is changed to [-]th this year, there will be surplus food in addition to the ration of each family, and the palace will buy it at the market price in cash! But you have to think about it carefully, don't be greedy for money, and sell all the rations at home. !"

Everyone nodded hastily, and there were a few households that had food in stock, but they were secretly happy.

After Liu Chao finished speaking, he rushed to the stage and waved his hands: "That's all, you can leave later! Hurry up and go home to clean up, and finish the farm work as soon as possible, so don't delay the important things that the Long Live Lord ordered!"

After hearing this, everyone bowed to him and left.

Liu Dachun trotted all the way back home, Liu Li looked at her excited husband in surprise.

Since marrying him, she has never seen her husband so happy, she hurriedly asked: "Husband, isn't there a levy in the palace?"

"My lady, what a happy event! Do you know who the nobleman who came yesterday is?" Liu Dachun replied with a grin.

Before his wife could answer, his face turned red again, and he said loudly, "It's the Holy One, it's the Lord Long Live!"

Liu Li's eyes widened in surprise, and asked repeatedly: "Husband, what are you talking about, is it really the Long Live Lord who came? Really?"

Liu Dachun grinned and said: "It's really the Long Live God, really! The Long Live God also reduced the annual levy for us, and gave us chicken and duck seedlings, all of which are free of charge. Every family has them. have!"

Mrs. Liu and Li were already stunned, and it took him a while to come back to his senses, and he hurriedly said: "Husband, Long Live God really reduced our money and food? Is it true? Isn't it?"

"Seventeen has been reduced to fourteen! With the miscellaneous grains in autumn, even if I don't go to the capital to do part-time work, our Shishi and Xiaohua don't have to go hungry anymore!"

At this moment, Liu Dachun was as happy as a child, and when his wife recovered, he recounted everything he had heard.

Liu and Li shed tears while listening to it, and after listening to it, she was sobbing unbearably.

Liu Dachun embraced his wife, his eyes were red, and he patted her shoulder lightly.

He understands his wife's feelings. If these things are done, his wife and children will no longer have to worry about two meals a day, and even unimaginable good days are already waving to them.

Similar scenes were staged everywhere in the village. Even the children felt the joy of the adults. The whole village was full of laughter and laughter. Everyone seemed to be full of strength. This should be the great spiritual power brought by the yearning for a better life.

(End of this chapter)