Liu Meiniang didn't quite understand why the family background was so poor, but Zhang Li's family still favored her son so much. He was not allowed to do even a little farm work.

What is it that is not idle waste cultivated in this way?

Zhang Li couldn't find a suitable reason to refute Liu Meiniang, so he could only sigh and respond.

"Ji Han, you must not be idle in the future. You're the only man in the house, and you're going to be the breadwinner. The family depends on you for their livelihood, so you have to be involved and give most of your efforts. You know? ”

"Got it." Zhang Jihan knew that he was at a loss, and he had no objection to Liu Meiniang's resolution at all. "I'll try." ”

My sister-in-law seems to be a different person since she fainted and woke up last time. In the past, I used to endure everything, but now it's not like that at all. Very assertive, and his temperament is more strong.

Zhang Jihan involuntarily followed her instructions.

When Liu Meiniang heard Zhang Jihan's words, her heart was a little more relaxed. Fortunately, this Ji Han is still a person who knows something, otherwise it would be really difficult.

"But Mei Niang, our family has lost all of our land. Where are you going to find fertile fields now......" Zhang Li looked sad.

The soil in Liuhe Village is heavy and not very fertile. In the past, they slowly conditioned the fields to make the soil fertile.

The more fertile soil also has a home.

It's dog days, and the sowing season for rice and wheat is not at this time. It's embarrassing.

"It doesn't matter." Liu Meiniang was not worried, "We don't plant rice and wheat, just grow melons, fruits and vegetables." As long as you cultivate it carefully, the fruits and vegetables will not disappoint. ”

What's more, there is also spiritual spring water that can be blessed to ensure that the fruits and vegetables they grow will kill those dishes in the vegetable market in every aspect.

But Liu Meiniang will not make a noise about this matter. I'm just waiting to find a piece of land and start plowing it.

"Our house is right at the foot of the mountain. No one goes here, and no one farms here. I saw that there was a clearing at the foot of the mountain, and when the time came, we would go and reclaim it together. Liu Meiniang said.

Everyone agreed, but only Zhang Tongtong was not very happy.

Although the jurisdiction of land in ancient times was not as strict as that of modern times, it was not allowed to be used for private purposes without authorization, and the reclamation of wasteland for cultivation had to be reported to the relevant departments. You need to sign a document and hand over a certain amount of money before you can go to the corresponding land reclamation.

In the afternoon of the same day, Liu Meiniang went to the village chief.

The village chief of Liuhe Village was in charge of these, and the other party was a little surprised when he heard Liu Meiniang's words, "You have to think about it, the land at the foot of the mountain is not very fertile." Moreover, there are many stones on the ground, and it is very troublesome to plow the ground. ”

Liu Meiniang pulled the corners of her mouth and smiled, "Village chief, it's not that you don't know the conditions of our family. I can only afford to pay this amount of money. ”

Liu Meiniang said so, and the village chief couldn't say anything more. directly took the seal, pressed the seal on the paperwork, and received Liu Meiniang's money.

The formalities are not cumbersome, at least much simpler than modern ones.

Liu Meiniang has long been optimistic about that piece of land, and the land is indeed not fertile. But not far from that field there was a small stream that flowed down from the hills. It is crystal clear and can be drunk straight. It is also convenient to irrigate the fields with water from the creek.

Moreover, this side of the mountain is relatively steep, and every time it rains for a long time, or when it is strong, you can bring some sediment down from the mountain.

In this way, the small stream at the foot of the mountain forms a miniature alluvial fan. The soil there is more humid and fertile than the soil elsewhere.

It's just that very few people pass by here, and few people notice it.

Liu Meiniang shook a little cleverness.

When the time comes, it will be enough to plow their field a little, and then move the more fertile land on the other side of the creek little by little. Fertility should be able to go up a bit. If it still doesn't work, just add a little spiritual spring water to the water.

Just do it, after all the formalities have been completed, Liu Meiniang led the old and young people to prepare to reclaim the wasteland with shovels, hoes, sickles and other tools on their backs.

But Liu Meiniang miscalculated, in this era. The land can only be cultivated little by little by hands, and when the ground is dug up piece by piece, the oxen can plow the land. And they don't have cattle yet, so they can only ask their neighbors to borrow them.

Unlike modern times, they can directly use machines to plough the land, and everything can be digitalized and accurately controlled. It is easy to grow high-quality fruits and vegetables.

When the sun is scorching, sweat is dripping like rain, and the clothes are still very long, and I almost realize the prickly heat. Long clothes and trousers are difficult to move. My eyes hurt from sweat.

The Zhang family thinks that all this is normal, but for Liu Meiniang, who has traveled from modern times, she is detached from modern technology and has no intention of being isolated from the world. At this time, Liu Meiniang's heart was simply collapsed. There's nowhere to cry.

She used to wear a damp washcloth around her neck, but now it has been heated by the sun, and the water that is wrung out is hot. No, it's not water anymore, it's a mixture of sweat and water.

Liu Meiniang sighed in her heart, this path was chosen by her, and no matter how hard she was, she had to persevere.

It's probably too hot, and my mood is getting restless.

Zhang Tongtong suddenly screamed and slammed the hoe to the ground, "I really don't understand why I want to do all this useless work!" Obviously, the palace has rented land, why do we have to work so hard to reclaim wasteland? ”

Liu Meiniang frowned and straightened her waist. She didn't speak, she just wanted to hear what Zhang Tongtong thought.

In fact, what Zhang Tongtong said is not unreasonable.

The slightly better land in Liuhe Village is in the hands of those powerful people, and there are very few people who have fields in their hands. Most of the peasants rent land from their hands. A certain amount of grain is paid to the landlords every year, and then the rest goes to themselves.

It's not that they don't want to have it, it's that they can't afford it.

The laws of Daqi stipulate that everyone who owns land must pay taxes.

The territory of Daqi is vast, like the people of the south of the Yangtze River, and the products are abundant, and the people there pay more taxes than here in Liuhe Village. But on the other hand, the lives of the people there are also a little richer.

Although the taxes stipulated by the imperial court are not too high, how can there be so many honest officials in such an era when the higher officials crush people to death?

Especially for officials in small places like them, just those officials don't know how much oil and water there is, let alone the county lord's class?

Taxes are always higher than the share of regulations.

If the land is cleared, it is very likely that the farmers will not have enough to eat after a year of hard work. The quality of life is not as good as working under the landlords.

Therefore, few farmers are willing to cultivate their own land.

Liu Meiniang's tone was very calm, "Yes, you are right. It is true that land reclamation is not as good as renting land, but you are not unaware of the situation of our family. We can't put most of our money on renting land, but if something happens, we're really desperate. Do you understand? ”

Zhang Tongtong looked at Liu Meiniang fixedly, "This is not the best way." If you want to pay back the money as soon as possible, you might as well make some gadgets and sell them on East Street. It's a lot faster to make money than growing vegetables. ”

Liu Meiniang sighed, very helpless about Zhang Tongtong's behavior of having to do it against herself. This child just has a lot of prejudice against her, no matter what she does, Zhang Tongtong always has to find something wrong.

"You mean we want to go to the mountains every day to find food, right? Hungry and full, did you eat the last meal or not? Liu Meiniang continued to wave her hoe, "If you don't want to be so busy, you can also not participate and sell your things." I won't stop you. ”

Seeing that the atmosphere was tense again, Zhang Jihan on the side couldn't help but come out and play a round, "Each has its own good, third sister, you are skillful, we can still do both." ”

"What's the end of the two-pronged approach! If you hadn't gambled, our family would have been like this! Zhang Tongtong was like a cannon fight, just one point, "Look at it, how long has it not rained this day?" The rice in that field cannot be filled, and where will there be a harvest in the autumn? What kind of guarantee can be talked about in this work of watching the sky and eating? In the end, what if the bamboo basket is empty? ”

Zhang Jihan opened his mouth, but couldn't find the words to refute.

This year it was true, the fields were so dry that the fields were cracked. But there was no sign of rain at all. The people in the village are worried about this matter.

"And this land, so barren that even grass can't grow, what can you use to grow vegetables?" Zhang Tongtong stomped his feet vigorously, as if he was losing his temper with the land, "There is no half of the land in the Wangfu manor!" ”

"How many years older than I am, are you so reckless? Do things without thinking about the consequences? Zhang Tongtong looked at Liu Meiniang fixedly, and a mocking smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, "Besides, in recent years, there have been continuous wars on the border, and the situation in Daqi is unstable. There are more and more military salaries, what will we pay for when the time comes? ”

Liu Meiniang pursed the corners of her mouth, she had no way to tell Zhang Tongtong about the spiritual spring water now, she could only take her words as wind in her ears. Liu Meiniang bent over and dug into the ground with a hoe.

"I know you've always had a problem with me. You have your thoughts, and I have mine. But do we have to distinguish between right and wrong? ”

Sweat trickled down the parched earth and quickly disappeared.

Zhang Tongtong didn't speak, but quietly squeezed the handle of the shovel in his hand. The joints are all white.

"As you have always said, your eldest brother is gone, your mother is old, and her family is depressed. I have to carry the burden at home. Do you really want me to do these Rausch things? Do you really not understand any of this? Liu Meiniang said nonchalantly, "This is all forced by the environment." I just want this family to be a little bit better. At least you can eat and clothe yourself. ”