Su Qin sighed, "I only need ten kilograms this morning and a hundred kilograms in the afternoon. I don't know if we will arrest people directly tomorrow."

Shui Ling bit her lip, it was not impossible.

Shui Zheran didn't know the news yet. He was leading people to dig into the mountain. He dug a U-shaped road straight into the mountain, then dug straight up and down, and dug small holes on both sides as footholds. This way he dug very quickly.

He dug the straight up and down road in one day, and in the evening he prepared to dig out the storage space together.

When they returned to the village, they saw all the villagers sitting outside, all with sad faces.

He asked in confusion: "What's going on?"

Shui Dongliu said: "The government also requires one hundred catties of grain per person. No matter how big or small, each person needs one hundred catties. If you can't get it, go to work and build the city wall."

Shui Zheran frowned. Although every household had food, families with many children really couldn't afford one hundred kilograms of food for one person.

The key thing is that the food in their village must not be taken out. Once taken out, it will only attract more greed and lead to the destruction of the people in the village.

So... I can't eat food when I have it, and I have to go back to the days of chewing tree bark and eating grass roots.

He thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry about it. If we rely on the mountains and the mountains, how can we still have nothing to eat?"

"If you guys work harder and help each other, we can still get together the 100 kilograms of food per person."

Shui Dongliu nodded, "That's right. Let's all go back and rest. We will continue digging wild vegetables tomorrow."

The villagers dispersed, and Shuiling followed her parents home.

In the next three days, everyone frantically dug wild vegetables, pulled grass seeds, and even picked slightly tender reed sticks for food.

Shui Ling tugged at Su Qin's sleeve, "Why are everyone so serious?"

Su Qin sighed, "Now you can keep food if you work harder, so everyone is fighting for food."

"Oh..." I'm afraid of the consequences of being hungry.

Shuiling lowered his head and continued to dig wild vegetables, grass roots, reed roots...

On the fifth day after the order was issued, the officers and soldiers came to collect the grain. They looked at the bags of wild vegetables until they said no, and began to collect them by name.

When it was the turn of Shui Zheran's family, the officers and soldiers pointed at Shui Ling and said, "Is there anyone who is betrothed to you?"

Shui Zheran said quickly: "The marriage has been decided."

"Oh, are you engaged to have a girl around ten years old? Our young master needs a maid."

No one spoke, but soon a girl shouted: "I am ten years old. I am familiar with the female precepts, the three obediences and the four virtues..."

Everyone looked over and saw that it was Zhao Xiaohe.

The officers and soldiers asked: "Whose child is this?"

Shui Dongliu immediately said: "They come later. This child's father was once the minister of the Ministry of Rites, and he was born as a concubine."

Zhao Xiaohe glared at Shui Dongliu fiercely, probably because he exposed her background as a concubine.

The officers and soldiers looked at Zhao Xiaohe and Shui Ling, and said reluctantly: "Okay, you come with us, and you don't have to pay for your food."

"No, I am alone and have no family. The official should follow the rules." Zhao Xiaohe said coldly.

Shui Ling was unhappy in her heart. This girl was so cruel. A concubine or a concubine was indeed a disaster.

No, the biggest disaster is the man who created them, a product of the unfair rules of this era.

The officers and soldiers left after collecting the food. Zhao Xiaohe sat on the leader's horse and was very high-spirited. I really didn't know what kind of path she would take in the future.

Shui Dongliu knocked the gong and said: "Don't relax, hurry up and find more food before the weather gets cold. You must know that the surrounding villages have been plagued by insects."

"Other villages eat chaffy vegetables, but our village eats spicy food every day. Doesn't that attract thieves? So for the sake of safety, everyone should suffer a little."

"Anything you save can be planted next year. Don't think about it just when you feel a little more secure. Do you understand?"

The villagers nodded one after another. They were not worried because they had food, so even the wild vegetables they ate were sweet.

In the following days, everyone still looked for wild vegetables, mushrooms, and caught small dried fish. The dried small fish in the swamp was almost exhausted.

People from other villages who came to investigate shook their heads. This village was too poor, but it was normal for people to be new here. Gradually no one came to explore.

Shui Zheran found a time to use the space to enter the county town. He first went to find the fat owner. His dried fruit shop had closed.

"Is Brother Li here?" Shui Zheran called softly at the door.

The door opened quickly, and the fat boss... couldn't be called the fat boss anymore, he had lost two big pounds, his name was Li Fugui.

Li Fugui opened the door and pulled Shui Zheran in. He said anxiously, "Why are you here? Don't go out when you are here. Wait until dark before leaving. They are arresting people everywhere to build the city wall."

Shui Zheran asked: "Why build the city wall?"

"You don't know?" Li Fugui was surprised, "Some tribes in the grassland country are in chaos, and then there is an insect plague. They want to attack our border town."

Shui Zheran frowned. I had never heard of this. It turned out that the insects flew from their side, so they must have experienced a drought.

Regardless of this, Shui Zheran asked: "Has all your food been harvested?"

Li Fugui nodded, "The dried fruits and other things you gave me later were all stolen. When the storm is over, I will go to the bank to get money to compensate you."

Shui Zheran waved his hand, "These are all things from the mountains. There is no need to pay for it. I'm just worried that you won't have anything to eat here, so I will bring you something. You should be careful to hide it."

After saying that, he untied the backpack, took out twenty kilograms of dried noodles and cut them into one-foot-long noodles. Wrapping them in yellow paper would inevitably break some.

Li Fugui sighed: "The food in your village has been confiscated, and you still care about me. I really don't know how to thank you."

Shui Zheran smiled and said, "Don't be so polite. Do you think those tribesmen are scattered soldiers or organized?"

Li Fugui shook his head, "Let's go in and talk, there's no place to sit here."

Shui Zheran shook his head, "No, I have to go back as soon as possible."

"Well, it is said that there is a bit of chaos within the prairie country, and the small tribes on the fringes cannot get support, and they are so hungry that they run out to grab food." Li Fugui said.

Shui Zheran frowned and asked with lingering fear: "Will there be another cannibal coming?"

Li Fugui also frowned, "I don't know. If a person is extremely hungry but doesn't dare to die, what can't he do?"

"Well... ok, I have to go back."

"Be careful. If you encounter officers and soldiers, cough hard. They won't get sick." Li Fugui nagged.

Shui Zheran smiled, opened the door and slipped out, found a corner and changed into a backpack and ran to Wei Chenglin's house.

He didn't knock on the door and climbed in through the low fence. There were cries in the room and Wei Chenglin's comforting voice.

Shui Zheran pushed the door, but it was unlocked, so he got in and closed the door.
Chapter completed!