Zhang Baiyang and Zhang Qinghua's village is called Huangnigang, which is a very ordinary small mountain village, only more than ten miles away from Lijiazhuang, and there are more than a dozen households in the village.

More than a dozen families are not all surnamed Zhang, but Zhang, Jiang, Li, Guo four surnames, they are basically the end of the Sui Dynasty when the displaced people, after the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, the imperial court Juntian, was placed in this small mountain col by the government. Because there was no village in the past, Jun's field was actually a borderless land that was taken over from the surrounding villages in the war-torn era.

There are only ten or twenty acres of land in one family.

It is very difficult for a family of several people to rely on such a small amount of land and bear the rent. Therefore, the vast majority of the villagers in the village not only tended to their own fields, but also worked for the surrounding landlords, tenant the fields, and at the foot of the mountain, sometimes cut woods to collect firewood, and went into the mountains to collect some prey to subsidize their families, so they barely survived.

Zhang Baiyang has many children in his family, eight children of men and women, not counting the three who died young. His father had three brothers, and because there were many people in the family, they separated early. The so-called division of the family is actually nothing more than the brothers helping to build him a thatched house, and then dividing a few dishes and chopsticks for him, and then marrying a daughter-in-law for him, but as soon as the family is divided, the debt of several dollars will be repaid.

After more than ten years, the young couple of the year are now old, and the children have pulled eight, but the thatched hut when the family was separated is still lived, but a few more were built next to it later.

Not only did the family not have any savings, but they even increased a lot of debts, and the rent adjustment from the government was also owed a year a year, and they couldn't pay it every year.

The most important property of the Zhang family, even if it is the two pigs in the family, the family feeds two pigs every year, and at the end of the year, the pigs are fattened and sold, and they can't eat half a piece of meat.

The days are tight.

When Li Xiao wanted to run a college and enroll students for free, it was Zhang Baiyang's grandfather who made the decision and asked his father to send him to sign up. Lao Zhangtou took his family to wander around during the war at the end of the Sui Dynasty, endured many hardships, and saw many things.

I know that this is a rare opportunity, and reading can change the fate of an ordinary family like them. Zhang Baiyang's father was reluctant to let his son go to school, and his son was eight years old and could almost help the family do a lot of work.

But Lao Zhangtou insisted that he send his children to school, in his words, the opportunities that can be had without spending money are not always available, and they must be seized if they have them.

Every time Zhang Baiyang came home from school, Lao Zhangtou liked to call his grandson in front of him, let him report to him about his studies in the academy, ask him what he had learned, let him endorse to himself, and let him write on the branches to himself.

Although he couldn't understand or understand, he was comfortable listening to it and happy to look at it. He also asked his grandson to teach what he had learned to the rest of the family, both older and younger.

In the words of Lao Zhang Tou, since Zhang Baiyang is the only one in the family who has gone to school, he also has to help the other brothers to read and write.

Thinking that he could use cattle for free by joining the cooperative, Zhang Baiyang had wind under his feet and ran fast along the way. They even took off the cloth shoes on the soles of their feet, which were issued by the school and did not cost money. Zhang Baiyang had never worn cloth shoes before studying, and even in winter, he wore straw sandals or clogs.

He was afraid that his shoes would break out, so he walked barefoot on the mountain road with his shoes. The road was uneven and awkward, but he was still used to the feeling.

Far away, the small village of Huangnigang appeared in front of him, some of the messy small houses, low and messy, and the neatly planned, flat road Zhangjiazhuang can not be compared, but Zhang Baiyang looks kind, this is his home, here is his family.

Sure enough, my grandfather knew that he was coming back today, and he was already waiting for him at the entrance of the village with a stick.

"Awn! I am back. ”

Zhang Baiyang ran forward with a smile, Lao Zhangtou hugged his grandson and touched his head affectionately, this child has not seen him for ten years, and it seems that he has grown taller and stronger.

"You didn't cause trouble at the academy, did you?"

Zhang Qinghua also called some Ah Weng on the side.

"Liu Cai is also back, go home quickly, your grandma is waiting for you."

Tang people often call their fathers Aya, and the official titles are father or adult, and sometimes elder brother. If you call your grandfather, you will be called Ah Weng and Ah Gong.

"Ah Weng, Bai Yang also won a reward in the academy this decade, and the teacher personally rewarded him with two brushes, which is amazing."

"Oh, how's that reward?"

Zhang Baiyang said proudly, "My calligraphy was rated first in the grade by the mountain chief. ”

"Okay, my good grandson is amazing, he has the ability."

A few people talked and laughed and walked back, Lao Zhangtou was old, although he was actually only in his fifties, but now his legs and feet were weak, and his hair was almost white. He has three sons and four daughters, and the third generation has more than ten grandchildren, a large group of granddaughters, and even great-grandchildren.

Thanks to the blessing of the Tang Dynasty, the war ended, so that he had a stable life here, although the days were hard, at least the family lived here.

"Ah Weng, I have good news to tell you, our teacher is now helping Lantian Gong to take charge of the tax on the feudal household of the food estate, and the teacher wants to set up a cooperative, it is said that as long as the princess's household is enclosed in the society, she can adopt a cow from the teacher. Bring the cattle back to take care of them, and when the farm is busy, they can use the cattle for farming for free, and do not need to rent them. Ah Weng, let's go to Lizhuang to find a teacher to sign up for cattle. ”

Lao Zhangtou was shocked when he heard this, but he didn't believe it.

"Where did you hear it, how can there be such a good thing, don't rent cattle? Can you use cattle for free if you help raise them? It's impossible, the owner of Li Zhuang doesn't have so many cows, I heard that the princess has 800 households. ”

"It's true." Zhang Baiyang hurriedly said, "Our teacher has already gone to buy cattle before, and this time I heard that we will buy more, and it is said that we will buy a thousand heads." ”

Don't rent cows, you can use cattle for free if you help feed them, Lao Zhangtou has experienced so much, but I still feel that this thing is a bit pie in the sky.

Li Sanlang, the owner of the Li family, knows that he is a good person, and now the children in the family can study in the academy, all thanks to his kindness. Moreover, Li Jiazhuang built houses and dug ponds before, and several sons of his family also arrived, working there to eat enough, and the wages were also sufficient, all of which were cashed out, not in arrears at all, and the grain given was also good grain, and there was no old grain, let alone adulteration.

But if he wants to say that he will give cattle for free, he can't believe it, if they are tenants of the Li family, this is still a little possible, but they are just the princess's household, and the princess has so many households, what about eight hundred households, the Li family takes so much money to buy cattle to lend to everyone for free?

"Ah Weng, if you don't believe it, let me Aye and them run to Li Zhuang and ask, don't miss a good opportunity."

A cow is extremely important to a farmer. The Zhang family has no cattle, although there is a lot of labor, but it is very hard to cultivate the land, their own land plus the land of tenants, when the farm is busy, they also have to rent the landlord's cattle, borrow the landlord's cattle, and must give the landlord's land a harvest of 10% every year, which is not bargaining.

Hearing what his grandson said, although Lao Zhangtou didn't believe it, he still hurriedly walked back with a stick, yes, whether it's true or not, let his sons go to Li Zhuang first to ask if it is. If there is such a good thing, then how can you miss it?