Niu Bajin said: "Isn't that good? What are you doing in such a hurry? ”

The little dog said: "But I heard him say that the county wants to be the chief of grain, and the one who ordered it is your house!" ”

Niu Bajin listened to the buzzing in his head! Immediately put the hoe on his shoulder in his hand and said, "Go!" Go back and check it out! With that, he led the four of them and walked briskly towards the village.

To say that this grain chief is a unique system of the Ming Dynasty. Because Ming Taizu was born in poverty, he attached great importance to preventing the deprivation and scourge of the people by the officials. Therefore, the grain chief system was specially designed.

In the early years of the Ming Dynasty, the grain chief was elected by the township and appointed by the state and county governments. There are normal tasks and side tasks for the grain chief. The most important part of the normal task is to collect food. In addition to accomplishing this task, the grain chief also had the task of leading the villagers to clear the wasteland, measuring the land, compiling the Yellow Book of Enlistment and the Atlas of Fish Scales, admonishing the peasants to cultivate, supervising the grain households, and many other errands.

During the Hongwu period, Ming Taizu even instructed the grain chief to report the local unjudicial officials. This makes the boundaries of the power of the grain chief unclear, and he has extrajudicial privileges. Therefore, in the process of implementing the grain chief system, the grain chief often expands his power or even abuses his power. For example, the grain chief monopolizes the jurisdiction of the village and interferes in local affairs. So at that time, there were many people who were willing to be grain chiefs.

Later, with the collapse of the imperial court's law, the permanent charging system was slowly replaced by the rotation charging system and the friend charging system. On the one hand, there is an increasing number of cases of fraud among grain chiefs. When he collects grain, he goes up and down his hands to fill his own pockets. Not only did it over-expropriate, but it also embezzled public funds, resulting in difficulties in handing over the funds from top to bottom. So it was of little use to the feudal government.

On the other hand, due to the increasing exploitation of the officials and gentry, coupled with the continuous concentration of land, especially the increasing number of preferential households, the yeoman peasants could not afford the huge taxes and fled one after another. Faced with the situation that the land is often in arrears, the government naturally ordered the grain chief to make up the taxes. In this way, the grain chief can only use his own money to supplement the field endowment, which leads to bankruptcy. So at this time, people who used to like to be grain chiefs in turn felt that it was a chore.

Wealthy people pay bribes to avoid being ordered to be rationed. If you can't afford it, you can't do it. Slowly, the grain chief became the responsibility of the next family. As a result, it is even more difficult for the government to collect all taxes.

In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, the grain chief system became a convenient way for officials and gentry to rob the people. If you fall in love with someone's property, you will order him to be the chief of grain. Wealthy and powerless people often have to go bankrupt to get out. And the poor families are even more ruined. As long as they could not pay the taxes, they would put them in prison, and when they died, the only land left in the family would be swallowed by the officials and gentry. This is the case that the Niu Bajin family is encountering now.

When the group of five returned to the village, they found that a group of people had gathered in the center of the village and were talking about something. Seeing Niu Bajin and five people coming back, Hula suddenly surrounded him and talked nonsense.

Niu Bajin was so noisy that he couldn't hear what they were talking about. He waved his hand and said, "Don't make noise, everyone!" Hu Laohan, come on! ”

Hu Laohan is about the same age as Niu Bajin, and they are all childhood playmates. Hu Laohan stomped his feet and said, "Brother Bajin, just now Guo Lezi's beast came back and took away all the things at home. But the bastard said that his sister had made a concubine for the new master of the county. I'll come back to you for revenge after a while! He also said that this time the county asked for the chief of grain, and said that he would let you go by name. Brother Bajin, you have to find a way quickly! This grain chief deserves it! As soon as Hu Laohan's words fell, everyone began to talk again. In short, one meaning is to let Niu Bajin hurry up and find a way, and he must not be ordered by the county to be a grain chief! Once you become a grain chief, you will be ruined!

Niu Bajin asked, "How long has Guo Lezi been gone?" ”

Hu Laohan said: "It's about a moment. ”

Niu Bajin then asked, "How many people are coming?" ”

Hu Laohan said: "He is the only one." I guess it's to clean up while everyone is on the ground. ”

Niu Bajin immediately said, "Boss." You take the second and third children to chase Guo Laizi and bring him back. If you don't catch up with the toad squatting place, forget it, and you'll come back. ”

The eldest Niu Mantun promised me and ran out with his two younger brothers. After a long time, the three of them came back empty-handed. It seems that they didn't catch up. When the villagers saw that the three of them hadn't caught up with Guo Laizi, they slowly dispersed.

When the three of them returned home, Niu Bajin had already cooked the meal. The four of them began to sit down at the table to eat. It's not when the farm is busy, there is no dry rice, only a pot of porridge and pickles.

The eldest Niu Mantun held the bowl and said, "Dad, what can I do with that little grain chief?" ”

Niu Bajin sucked the porridge and said, "What can I do?" Wait for now. ”

The second Niu Mancun's face changed, and he said, "Dad, you can't wait for this matter!" If you really order the grain, the long man will be ruined. Our family's little family foundation is not enough! ”

Niu Bajin put down the bowl and said, "How many years has the county not had any grain?" Eat your meal, what's the hurry? Maybe it won't be at all. It's just that Guo Lezi casually said to scare us. After two days of finishing the work in the field, I'll inquire again. ”

Hearing this, the eldest and second looked much better and began to eat with their heads bored. Only the third cow was full of grain, and he drank the porridge and ran to play.

In the days that followed, there was no news of the commissariat chief. I didn't hear any wind in the lobby. The Niu family and the people in the village slowly put their minds at ease, thinking that it might be Guo Lezi's nonsense to scare people.

After more than ten days, not long after the father and son of the Niu family went to the ground, the little dog stood on the edge of the ground and called them. shouted: "Uncle Niu, go back to the village quickly!" Someone from the prefecture has arrived. said that he wanted to read the list article and look for you by name! ”

Niu Bajin's heart was excited, and he thought to himself, is it true that the matter of ordering grain is long? He beckoned his three sons to walk briskly into the village.

When I returned to the village, I saw that the people of the village were gathered under the big tree in the middle of the village. Seven or eight servants swaggered down on stone benches under the trees, drinking tea. There was also a man who was not wearing an official uniform among them. This person is Guo Lezi.

The father and son of the Niu family approached the crowd, and the crowd dispersed at once. Looking at everyone's eyes, Niu Bajin felt that something bad might really be coming!

Sure enough, as soon as Niu Bajin stood in the center of the crowd, an errand officer stood up and said, "You are Niu Bajin?" ”

Niu Bajin nodded and said, "Officially old man." I don't know what the official commands? ”

The leader of the errand officer Pi said with a smile: "The county lord is very dissatisfied with last year's grain harvest!" So this year, we have to collect it seriously! I heard that you have eight catties of cattle in this piece, so this grain chief specially ordered it for you! After speaking, he took out a document from his arms and stuffed it to Niu Bajin.