After the Lantern Festival, time flies quickly, and it seems that in a blink of an eye, it will be the end of January. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

At this time, it is time to start spring ploughing.

Although they all consciously save, and in addition to the relief grain, they are afraid that something will happen in the future, and they are afraid that Feng'an grain stores will not know when they will have no grain to sell like other time-honored grain shops, or that the price of grain will rise again, so they exchanged all the cash in their hands for food.

But it turned out that they were still too optimistic, and according to the previous daily rations, they could only eat half full, and they did not have the strength to work at all, although they had already picked a lot of edible wild vegetables and added them to cook, and even so, by the end of January, there was not much food left in their hands.

Now that they are about to start raising seedlings, they have no money to buy any more grain seeds.

However, on the first day of February, the officers and soldiers of the state capital once again rushed to the various government offices.

Many people who were preparing for cultivation in the fields couldn't help but have some hope in their hearts when they saw the officers and soldiers on horseback, and they couldn't help but have some hope in their hearts: will the imperial court start to distribute relief food again? Because the last time I saw officers and soldiers running like this, it was when it was announced that the distribution of relief food had begun. If there is a hair, they will save the grain no matter what.

The villagers hurried back to the village from the fields and told the chief what they had seen. Most of the lieutenants were worried, and when they heard the news, they immediately asked people to tie up ox carts and drive them to the county.

When I was on the way, I also saw the villagers saying that the officers and soldiers were going back, and I wanted to ask, but I was afraid that it would delay their affairs.

I had to urge the ox to walk a few steps quickly. When I arrived at the county seat, there were already a lot of people gathered at the gate of the county office. The county knew that everyone was so anxious that they didn't even have time to write the notice, so he personally went out to report the good news to everyone: "Good news!" I just received news from the state capital, saying that the imperial court is going to distribute grain seeds! ”

Although it is not as far as expected, it is also a surprise, after all, grain is much more precious than rations. If they are given rations, they can hold on for a while, but if there is no food in the field, it is also the difference between starvation and death two or three months later. On the contrary, if the grain is distributed, as long as the grain is planted, even if they dig up the grass roots, they will deal with the past few months.

"Distribute food seeds?" Although things are to be happy about, some people still raise concerns, "The imperial court has given us grain seeds, and when the summer harvest comes, will the taxes collected will increase?" ”

This natural disaster caused them to suffer heavy losses, and all their savings were exhausted, and if the imperial court increased taxes, they didn't know how much it would increase, and they didn't know if the remaining food after payment could support them for another season. They were frightened by the fear of hunger. However, this is just an inquiry, this time so much relief grain was launched, the imperial treasury may also be empty, I think I know that there should be an increase in taxes at the time of the summer harvest to fill the treasury. Despite the fears, there is no other way at the moment. I can't even guarantee food rations, so where can I get food!

"No!" The county Cheng knew everyone's worries, and he didn't sell the guanzi, "Not only will taxes not be levied because of this, but on the contrary, the imperial court has also sent an official letter down, saying that all taxes will be halved during the summer harvest!" ”

"Ahh

"That's great!"

This is indeed great news! Despite the apprehension in their hearts, under the impact of such a succession of good news, everyone's faces could not hide their joy.

The grain was quickly transported from the state capital to the major county towns and then to the villagers. This is followed by seedling raising.

Although it was difficult for everyone's eyes to move when they looked at the solid grain and thought of the little grain left in the grain tank at home, in the end, no one put their thoughts on the grain seeds. It's all soaked.

Baiyun Villa is the same, it is busy raising seedlings. The families who had taken refuge in the Zhuangzi for the time being had all returned to their homes. They went to get grain seeds, and they were busy raising seedlings. Not only that, but according to Song Chen's instructions, Luofu also asked them to plant their respective fields first, and then come to Zhuangzi to help.

There is so much land in Zhuangzi, and after they have planted their own land, there are still a lot of places where they can help.

When it was almost Qingming, it rained a few times. The people of Lannan were frightened by the rain, although it was a good thing that there was always some rain before and after Qingming and when there was water in the fields to plant seedlings, but before the rain stopped, people were still terrified for several days.

As soon as the rain stopped, those who had been ready for a long time seized the opportunity to go to the fields.

Originally, there were nearly 40 laborers in the Zhuangzi, plus the few families who would come in a few days, and Liufu planned to stop hiring short-term workers this time. However, the farmer's land was scarce, and within two days after the rice planting began, he saw that this year's Lufu did not recruit people, and the people who had been working in the Zhuangzi for the first two seasons couldn't help but come and ask. They still want to do some work, so that they can earn some money so that they can buy food. And more importantly, working in the Zhuangzi can eat the three meals provided by the Zhuangzi! They now eat only two meals a day at home, and if it weren't for the strength required to work, they wouldn't be able to get enough of them. And when they were working in Baiyun Villa, they had rice three times a day, they were full, and the dishes were full of oil, and they had been looking forward to this time for a long time.

Seeing the expectant eyes of those people, Lukfook originally wanted to reject the words as planned, but he really couldn't say it for a while. He had no choice but to let those people go back first: "Because there should be enough manpower in Zhuangzi this year for the time being...... I'll look for the proprietor again and see if I need to add more people. Go back and wait for news! ”

Those people are not doing short-term work once or twice, in addition to the work of farming in Baiyun Villa, when the farm is not working, they will also go into the city to find workers to do, and they are very clear about the stewardship. Liufu's words are tantamount to a disguised refusal, but he has always been kind, unlike some housekeepers in the city who have the face of a wicked person.

However, when they were asking about Liufu, Su Miao happened to pass by outside the courtyard. As soon as those people left, Su Miao asked people to call Liufu to her yard: "Liufu, those short-term workers hired in previous years, please do the same!" They are not easy either. When the time comes, if they are willing to receive the grain directly, it is up to them. ”

Although Liufu sympathized with those people, as the great butler of Song Chen and Su Miao, he naturally put the interests of Zhuangzi first in everything. Although he didn't know how Su Miao knew about this, since she had ordered it, he naturally wouldn't object.

Sometimes, for some, it's just a gesture, for others, it's a great favor!

In order to prevent more people from coming for food rations, when Lukfook asked people to inform the short-term workers, they were specifically told that they only needed those from previous years. This disappointed some people who did not come in previous years, but now they have worked in the field and want to earn some wages, but there is no way to do it, there is so much work in the field, there are more monks and less porridge, and the Zhuangzi can't really raise so many people for nothing! When the time comes, it will only embarrass Song Gongzi and Miss Su, and as a good housekeeper, Luofu naturally wants to put an end to this kind of thing.

Because of the large number of people, the work in Zhuangzi was completed two days earlier than usual. Those day-time workers happily took back the food they deserved in exchange for their wages, much to the envy of the people in the village.

At this time, there was still food, which was already unique for them. Many people's grain tanks have bottomed out. Before the beginning of spring, all the wild vegetables that grew everywhere were dug up.

Some people saw that the hunters had more or less harvested something every day on the mountain, and they also wanted to try their luck with them, but they never thought that they would almost let the wild boar arch, and they didn't dare to fight the idea of the mountain again for the rest of their lives.

After Song Chen and Su Miao learned about this, they asked Yu Lin, who was idle in the field, to take people into the periphery of the mountain and teach them some small traps to catch rabbits. And they and Xiaobai entered the middle ground, and if the harvest was large, except for a small part for the people in the Zhuangzi to eat, they would let them share the rest. But the prey on this mountain is limited, and they can't go up the mountain indefinitely every day, so sooner or later the animals in the mountain will become extinct.

After the flood, Wei Shu'an, who had gone to study at a private school in the village near Zhuangzi, stopped school, but after the beginning of spring, the land was planted, things were on track, and the gentleman who had returned to the county town to avoid the disaster came back again. Wei Shu'an and the others happily went to school, but when they came back, they were a little depressed. Because the children in the village can't afford to pay for it, they don't plan to study anymore. Originally, the teacher said that if you don't have cash, you can pay food, but now this food is more rare than cash, and who can afford it! This private school is about to be completed.

Originally, Liufu didn't tell Song Chen and Su Miao about this matter, but when they came back from the mountain that day, they saw Wei Shu'an in Zhuangzi, who was supposed to be in the private school, in the field, and they asked a few words before they knew what happened.

In the current situation, there is no way. Song Chen asked Liufu to go to the gentleman and ask him if he was willing to come to Zhuangzi, so that he could make a courtyard at the gate and give this gentleman a place to live, and Wei Shu'an and they could also study nearby.

If he returns to the county seat, he will stay at home, and he has no income, and his family is also having a hard time, and now he has three meals a day, and there is also a bundle, of course Mr. agreed.

This matter was settled. Originally, Luofu also asked Mr. Teach's consent to let the children who used to study with him also come over to the class together, anyway, he taught a few to teach, and it would not be a big burden to teach a few more. But even if it's free, there is no way for those families to keep their children in school. The wild vegetables in the fields were all harvested, and the people in the village found mushrooms and other edible wild vegetables and the like after going up the mountain, whether they were old or young, they were all picked cleanly, and some people also found a large area of wild Huaisheng, which was also dug up. Anyway, the most important thing right now is to get food! Now it's time to dig up the roots, which are much more difficult to dig than wild vegetables, and you need to go out with the whole family!

Although Lu Yan is in the city, he has always been concerned about the people's situation below, not to mention that in this extraordinary period, he asked the county officials below to write an official document to report to him every day. Naturally, this important thing that the people have begun to dig up the roots of the grass also fell into his eyes.

Lu Yan, who also loved the people like a son, couldn't sit still, he sent a message through Lin Jiu, and hurriedly invited Song Chen to the city, saying that he had something important to discuss.

The villages near Baiyun Villa have also reached this point during this time, and this kind of thing naturally has not escaped Song Chen's eyes. Zhuangzi has begun to give porridge in the nearby villages, there are too many people, and the requirements of wanting to let go of the belly to eat can not be satisfied, but once a day to give porridge, put some dried vegetables harvested in the field in winter, put a little oily, for the villagers can already withstand half a day of hunger, anyway, there is not much heavy work at the moment, they can also dig some grass roots or pick some edible young leaves can also top the stomach. Compared to other places, their lives are already better.

So Lu Yan was in a hurry, but in fact, Song Chen and the others were already thinking about it. It's just—

"Let's hold our ground for now, and we'll see in a few days!" Song Chen decided to move quietly first. The movement of the Wan's grain store had stopped a few years ago, and their granaries were already full, but they had been closed and had no intention of doing business, and he was waiting for their next step.

Something must be brewing.

"How many more days? Now the people are eating the grass roots! If it weren't for the rice seedlings cutting their throats and being so hungry, they would have eaten the seedlings that had just grown! This is the original words of the county officials, Lu Yan was frightened, he looked at Song Chen cautiously, "Is the grain in Feng'an Grain Store almost gone?" "Because two of the four grain stores in the city have closed their doors in the past few days, and the quota for each of the remaining two has been reduced by half, there are already rumors in the city that the Feng'an grain store is about to sell out of grain. If this is the case, he will have to go to the rescue side of the capital, and in any case, he will have to argue about allocating some relief food.

"No problem for the time being!" Song Chen said indifferently, "The granaries of the grain shops led by the Wan Clan Grain Shop are all full, because if it doesn't work, you can directly lead the troops over and requisition their grain!" ”

"Is this ......" he is serious? Lu Yan stared, secretly thinking about the authenticity of Song Chen's words in his heart, which did not match Song Chen's always stable image. Because in the past few years, they have been slandered by the Eagle State for their country's freedom and respect for doing business, and many rich businessmen have been robbed to the local area, so the emperor is particularly concerned about the government's use of power to bully people, and resolutely put an end to it. If he is really like what Song Chen said, I am afraid that the black gauze hat on his head will not be guaranteed!