"Grandpa, my grandson will never forget!" Zhu Yunxi said seriously, "My grandson, not only will he 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 want!"
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, "I'm not working in the fields, so I came back so early. I heard 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, "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 ambitious and have a 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.
Hu Laosan defended himself. A stooped old woman with gray hair opened the door and walked out slowly on crutches. She looked at the courtyard with cloudy eyes and said humbly, "Dear guest, my child is young and confused. He is just suppressing.
How can you collect so much money if you only harvest some crops?"
As he spoke, he held the money bag and said tremblingly, "Take it back quickly, we don't dare to accept this money!"
Remember https://m in one second.
He is a sensible old man!
Zhu Yunxi stood up and said with a smile, "Old man, Hu Sange didn't explain it 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 astonished and said, "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 Brother Hu next year."
He also goes to plant crops. Cropping is also a handicraft. If he plants well, he is capable. This money is the wages given to him!"
"Seriously?" The old woman still didn't believe it, "But this is too much!"
"Old sister, just keep it!" The old man also said, "The secret recipe for growing crops well is not passed on to others. We spent a little money to get the secret of your family's farming. It's not too late for us to be happy!"
"What secret recipe does he have...it's just..."
"Mom, don't worry, the money is clear. You can go back to the house and have a rest. I will stew fish for you later!" Hu Laosan quickly helped his mother back.
After his mother was settled, Hu Laosan came out and smiled honestly again, "I made 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, "He has been dead for more than twenty 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.
"Your Majesty, didn't you get any pension?" the old man asked in a deep voice.
"Yes, the two acres of paddy fields at home are just a pension!" Hu Laosan said with a smile, "Our Emperor Ming Dynasty treated us common people as human beings. The old man in the village said that when Emperor Yuan Dynasty was here, people died.
If you die, you will die, no different than a dead beast. I was born in the Ming Dynasty, and if I die, I will still have land. 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 are 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.
That’s why I’m not 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 uncomfortable anymore, so he asked, "Hu Laosan, your family's acres of land have been taken away from the imperial grain. Do you still have enough food at home?"
, pointing to several 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."
If they eat together, they won't starve to death no matter what. 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 we eat a lot, we can't do it without strong labor. Only with more people can we live a better life!" Hu Laosan had a simple outlook on life and continued to laugh, "I got another silver reward from the old man today. I will buy some more land later. I 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 per year?"
Hu Laosan was stunned for a moment, calculated with his radish-thick fingers for a long time, and said with a grimace, "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, "The emperor of Ming Dynasty is so ruthless in killing corrupt officials! Who dares to increase the amount he asks for? A few years ago, there was a grain collector in the village next door.
Dou is replaced by Xiao Dou, and let the emperor and his old man kill the whole family!"
As he said that, Hu Laosan grinned and said, "With our Ming Emperor here, we can't bully the common people. How many heads do they have! If you are in trouble, I will file a complaint with a imperial edict on my head!"
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 how to deal with various corrupt officials.
To promulgate the order for the world, everyone must have a copy. 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, the whole family will be punished.
Send it to the frontier and cancel the Ming nationality.
Once the people find out that officials are harming them, they can go to Beijing with a imperial edict in hand to complain. 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 mountains. 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 if local officials committed acts of harming 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.
"Where are the corvees?" The old man asked again, "Although your family has little land, you are still a farmer. You have to do corvees during the slack season. Is the corvee heavy?"
"Hehe!" Hu Laosan laughed, "I have a good life. 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.
Others avoid it, so why does Hu Laosan still say it's a good life?
"What's your job?" the old man asked with a smile.
"Collecting excrement!" Hu Laosan said happily, "On the days when I serve as a corvee, I will drive a donkey cart to the capital city to receive 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, "Manure is a treasure. The reason why my land grows so well is because of manure! I collected manure in the city and brought it directly back to my field.
, what is this fat water called...?"
"Don't let the fertilizer flow to other people's fields?" the old man said with a smile, "You young man has 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. I have cleaned the toilets of big families, and I can get a few copper coins every now and then.
The rewards! The people who collect manure with me are a few wealthy households from nearby towns. They disliked the smell, so they each 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, "So, although you have less land, your life is no worse than others. Even if you have two more sons, you won't 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 from 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.
"Dear guest, please wait a moment. I'll give you some fish stew!"
This chapter has been completed!