Grandpa, your grandson will never forget! Zhu Yunxi said seriously, not only will your grandson always remember it, but also let future generations remember it, so that they know the hardships of the people in the world!
Good boy! The old man praised.
At this time, after Hu Laosan sent his mother-in-law to buy fish, he turned around and said with a smile, "Old man, young master, you guys, you can sit wherever you like!"
There was some chaos in the courtyard, but the old man didn't mind it. He pulled Zhu Yunxi and sat on the only two wicker chairs. The others formed a circle and looked around warily.
Hu Laosan, on the other hand, held his chest, walked into the thatched cottage, and said softly to the main room, Mom, I'm back!
An old woman's voice came from inside, she was not working in the fields and she came back so early. Hearing so much noise outside, who is here?
Hu Laosan pushed open the door and went in, and then there was an exclamation from inside.
Then came the old woman's scolding voice. Do you want to make me mad? You accept so much money for no reason? Do you think I'm an old fool? How did I teach you that although we are poor, we must be poor enough to have ambition and conscience!
Obviously, it was Hu Laosan who wanted to give the silver dollar to his mother, but his mother was frightened and thought it was ill-gotten gains.
While Hu Laosan was defending, a stooped old woman with gray hair opened the door, walked out slowly on crutches, looked at the courtyard with cloudy eyes, and said humbly, "Dear guest, my child is young and confused. He is just suppressing it."
How can you collect so much money when you have grown some crops?
As he spoke, he held up the money bag and said tremblingly, "Take it back quickly, we don't dare to accept this money!"
He is a sensible old man!
Zhu Yunxi stood up and said with a smile, old man, Hu Sange didn't explain clearly to you, this money is not given for free, you bought several acres of your family's land for food!
The old woman was shocked, "It doesn't take so much. I only have so much food on my small land!"
Zhu Yunxi thought about it and said, not only are you buying grain, the rice in your field is better than others, and the ears are bigger than others. I also have some fields at home, and I want to invite Hu Sange to do it next year.
Go and plant. Crop-handling is also a craft job. If he plants well, he is capable. This money is the wages given to him!
Seriously? The old woman still doesn’t believe it, but this is too much!
Old sister, just keep it! The old man also said that the secret recipe for growing crops well is not passed on to others. I spent a little money to get the secret of your family's farming. It's not too late for us to be happy!
What's his secret recipe...it's just...
Mother, don't worry, the money is clear. You can go back to the house and rest, and I will stew fish for you later! Hu Laosan quickly helped his mother back.
After settling down his mother, Hu Laosan came out and smiled honestly again, making the old man laugh!
What’s the joke? Your mother is a sensible person. The old man smiled and looked at him. You are also a filial son. When you have money, you know how to give it to me first!
My mother is the biggest in the family. If you don’t give it to me, who will give it to you! Hu Laosan squatted outside the threshold and said with a grin.
The old man also smiled and asked casually, where is your father?
My father has died a long time ago. He fell to death while building the city wall! Hu Laosan sighed and said, he has been dead for more than 20 years!
Suddenly, the smile on the old man's face disappeared.
The Ming Dynasty established its capital in Yingtianfu, which was expanded several times over the years on the original basis. The people who worked on it were all common people near the capital.
Didn't the official provide any pension? The old man asked in a deep voice.
Yes, the two acres of paddy fields at home are just for the pension! Hu Laosan smiled and said, our Ming Emperor is so good, he treats us common people as human beings. The old man in the village said that in the past when Emperor Yuan was here, people died when they died.
It's no different than a dead beast. He was born in the Ming Dynasty, and he will still have land to give him after he dies. This is paddy field, and you can't buy it with money!
As he said that, he laughed again. These two acres of paddy fields were of great use. When I was young, it was not easy for my mother to support me. With this little rice, I exchanged it for coarse grains every year and fed some chickens and ducks.
Keep me from going hungry. When I grow up, use two loads of rice as a betrothal gift and marry me a daughter-in-law! Haha!
The old man's face softened a little, and he cursed in a low voice, "Fuck you!"
Others may not be able to hear it, but Zhu Yunxi heard it clearly, but only the old man himself knew who the old man was scolding.
Farmers have to bear both national taxes and corvee labor, and they never have any free time in their lives.
Zhu Yunxi looked at the objects in the courtyard and a few children who were hiding away. He didn't want the old man to feel any more uncomfortable, so he asked, "Hu Laosan, your six acres of land have been taken away from the imperial grain. Is there enough for the family to eat?"
, just mention a few children, no matter how old they are, they can all eat a lot!
Hu Laosan looked at his sons and frowned, but he still smiled. Poor families have their own way of living. Nowadays, the world is peaceful and the times are good. There are small fish in the river, food in the fields, and wild vegetables in the mountains.
They won't starve to death no matter what they eat. When they get older, they will be strong laborers. Even if they can't go to the city to carry packages on the pier, they can still have a full belly!
Although he eats a lot, he can't do it without strong labor. Only when there are more people can life be better! Hu Laosan has a simple outlook on life and continued to laugh. Today he got another silver reward from the old man. He will buy some more land later, so he won't be hungry!
People, no matter how hard it is, they have never given up their hope for a better life!
The old man asked again, how much royal food do you pay every year?
Hu Laosan was stunned for a moment. He calculated with his radish-thick fingers for a long time and grimaced. I don't know. Anyway, I will pay as much as the chief and officials say.
Zhu Yunxi smiled and said, "You fool, aren't you afraid that people will lie to you and make you pay more?"
Who dares? Hu Laosan glared and said, Our Ming Emperor is so ruthless when it comes to killing corrupt officials! Who dares to increase the amount of money the old man asks him to pay? A few years ago, there was a grain collector in the village next door. He traded big for small.
Dou, let the emperor and his old man kill the whole family!
As he said that, Hu Laosan grinned, "With our Ming Emperor here, we can't bully the common people. How many heads do they have! I'm in trouble. I have a imperial edict on my head and I'm going to file a complaint!"
Suddenly, the old man laughed again.
The Great Edict is the highest law promulgated under the personal supervision of the old man several times. It records in detail the methods for dealing with various corrupt officials.
To promulgate the order for the world, everyone must have a copy in their home. If the people are illiterate, the local officials will send a master to explain it to the people so that the people can understand it. If the local officials do not implement it well, they will be dismissed from office and sent to the army. If the people refuse, then
The whole family was sent to the frontier to cancel their Ming citizenship.
Once the people find out that officials are harming them, they can go to Beijing with their imperial edicts in hand to file a complaint. Officials are not allowed to stop them along the way, and anyone who stops them will die.
Maybe the emperor couldn't do this in a place far away from the mountain. But after all, this is the emperor's feet, and officials don't dare to fool him.
Moreover, due to last year's Knocking Case, the old man once again made repeated orders to make sure that the people of the world know about the imperial edict. Regardless of the city residents or peasants, they are all one body.
At the same time, a few points were added to the imperial edict, which stated that all virtuous and upright people in urban and rural areas could bind the capital and file a complaint against local officials if they committed acts that harmed the people.
To put it bluntly, I am telling the people that any corrupt official who dares to bully you will be arrested and sent to the capital directly, and I will make the decision for you.
Although it is a bit idealistic and the people may not dare to do this, the old man is indeed the first emperor to encourage people to sue and arrest officials throughout the ages.
What about the corvee? The old man asked again, although your family has little land, you are still a self-cultivated farmer. You have to do corvee during the slack season. Is the corvee heavy?
Hey! Hu Laosan laughed, I am lucky, the corvee arranged by the officials is a good job!
This made Zhu Yunxi a little curious. Corvee service was to serve the country, and it was all physical work, which could offset some taxes. Just like Zhu Yunxi went north to conquer Korea and sent Liaodong civilians to accompany the army. These people brought their own food and used labor in exchange for tax exemptions.
Everyone else was trying to avoid it, so why did Hu Laosan still say it was a good life?
What's your job? The old man asked with a smile.
Collecting excrement! Hu Laosan was so happy that on the days when I was serving as a corvee, I drove a donkey cart to the capital city to collect excrement along the streets!
Why is collecting excrement such a good job? The old man became interested and asked.
You don’t understand! Hu Laosan said with a proud smile, dung is a treasure. My land can grow so well because of dung! I collected dung in the city and pulled it directly back to my field. This is called
What fertilizer and water?
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Don't let the fertilizer flow to outsiders? The old man smiled and said, you young man, you have a bright mind! Manure is the best fertilizer!
In addition to being used as fertilizer, how much money can you make! Hu Laosan said mysteriously, I am diligent and carry a brush with me, and I clean the toilets of wealthy families. I can get a few copper coins as a reward every now and then!
The people who collected manure with me were a few wealthy households from nearby towns. They disliked the smell, so each of them gave me a few bushels of coarse grains, and I took over the job!
No wonder you are so good at growing crops! Zhu Yunxi also smiled and said, so to speak, although you have less land, your life is no worse than others. Even if you have two more sons, you will not be tired!
I dare not say that!
Hu Laosan waved his hands repeatedly. It’s hard work! Look, my donkey is tired from pulling the cart every day.
Curious, Mr. Zhu and his wife turned to look at the donkey. The beast was quite arrogant. While eating hay, it exhaled through its huge nostrils and gave them a big white eye.
What a beast! The old man laughed.
At this time, the children in the yard cheered, Mom is back!
I saw Mr. Hu's third daughter-in-law coming in carrying a fish weighing about ten kilograms and a few pieces of tofu. She smiled shyly at the old man and Zhu Yunxi.
Distinguished guests, please wait a moment. I’ll give you some fish stew!