All the children did not go to play. They were also part of the labor force. The older boys helped their father and brother cut the wheat. Their bare backs were also a little thin, not as broad as their father and brother's, but they were already there.

They looked like they were carrying a thousand pounds of strength. But after all, they couldn't compare with their father and brothers. Whenever they couldn't help but straighten up due to fatigue, and saw the still bent backs of their father and brother not far away, they would grit their teeth and bend down to continue working.

The girls followed their mother and sisters in bundling wheat.

The younger children couldn't stand the hard work of harvesting wheat, so they carefully picked up the bundles of wheat and walked to the field. The wheat would be piled there, and their fathers and brothers would pick it up and take it home in the evening.

Even the children who couldn't do any work held up a wooden stick tied to a long grass rope with a serious face and drove away the birds looking for food. Even their faces were serious when they were running.

The entire labor scene was silent and lively. There was no unnecessary expression on everyone's face, only concentration and a trace of piety. Seeing their expressions, this piety also moved Liu Pei. It made his heart peaceful. A few times

For thousands of years, these hard-working people have used the land religiously in this way. And the land has given them rich rewards. It is these humble people who have built the cornerstone of Chinese civilization.

Because this is Xinzhuangzi, everyone is very poor, so the most primitive cooperative commune has emerged here. They work together and eat together. There are only a few old women in the village, and they are running the whole village with their wives.

Human food. Steamed buns as big as bowls were put into baskets and carried to the ground by the two wives. Large buckets of green vegetables were fried in oil without hesitation, and every vegetable leaf was shiny with oil! This is all year round.

It’s a delicious dish that I can’t stop trying several times!

The villagers also slaughtered a pig at a public stall to feed the whole village's strong labor force until the autumn harvest was completed. All the pork had to be cut into pieces of similar size and put in a big pot. It was cooked by two salivating children.

They were guarding. The two poor children were staring at the pot of meat, and they didn't even know that their saliva was dripping to the ground! However, they held their hands tightly behind their backs to prevent themselves from eating.

because

They knew that their fathers and brothers needed these meats. Without oil and water in their stomachs, they would not be able to survive the hard work for more than ten days. The only thing the two of them could do was sniff hard! As if inhaling those aromas would satisfy them.

The desire in my heart!

Along with these dishes were large vats of bone soup. These things were piled on the ground, waiting for everyone to enjoy. The whole air was filled with the smell of happiness. Liu Pei was talking to an old man in the village amidst the aroma. Then

The old man had already recognized Liu Pei as their landlord, and was bowing to Liu Pei tremblingly, waiting for Liu Pei to ask questions.

Liu Pei asked kindly: "Old man, what do you think of this year's harvest?"

When he mentioned this, the old man's eyebrows widened! The old man said: "To tell you this, this year's harvest cannot be considered good, it can only be considered not bad."

Although he has experience in farming in modern times, farming at that time is different from farming now. After all, there are chemical fertilizers and insecticides now, and the output is not comparable to today. But Liu Pei was still confused by his father-in-law’s words.

Said: "Why do you say that?"

The old man bowed again and said: "Master, this is mainly because the land is not good! This land was still wasteland the year before last, and it was opened up last year. The land is not yet mature. If it is still like this next year, it will definitely be a good harvest year.

!”

Liu Pei nodded to show that he understood. He said: "Old man, can you estimate whether the food this year will be edible?"

The old man nodded repeatedly and said: "Enough to eat, enough to eat! The key is that the rent collected by the master is less. After paying the rent to the master, the remaining food will be tight, and we can survive the spring famine!"

Liu Pei frowned after hearing this. He originally thought that after this autumn harvest, these people would be able to breathe a sigh of relief. Unexpectedly, in the end, they still didn't have enough to eat and had to survive the spring famine. Liu Pei said: "This autumn harvest

It's over, you can make a careful estimate. If the spring famine is difficult, I can postpone collecting your rent this year."

After hearing this, the old man waved his hands and said, "Absolutely not! Absolutely not!"

Liu Pei felt a little unhappy. He thought this

The old man was worried about the high interest rate and confused himself with the landlords and wealthy people. So his face became a little cold and he said, "Why not?"

The old man said respectfully: "Go back to the master. Since we came here, the master has helped us build a house and rented the land for us. He also helped us get soil and fertilizer. The rent is low and the interest is also low."

It's all a favor! But we are not helpless people. We have to rely on the master to help us! The master has already spent a lot of money on us, how can we let the master not collect the rent anymore!

It will be thundering! If all the masters in this world are like you, how can we escape from our hometown!"

As the old man spoke, tears came down. He raised his hand to wipe it and said: "We all remember the kindness of the master! But we can't lose the rent of the master just because we are spending the spring famine! That is not what humans do! Besides,

Well, I think the spring famine this year is just unbearable, and people won’t starve to death.”

Liu Pei felt sad when he heard this. When he was a child in modern times, although his family was poor, it could not be this poor. The ultimate goal of these people is just to survive from hunger! What a humble request! But even such a humble request

All the demands have been taken away! How can such a world be maintained?

Liu Pei couldn't help but let out a long sigh when he thought of this. He said, "Okay, it's up to you. But if you can't survive, go to me and borrow a loan. You know the interest."

The old man nodded repeatedly. Then Liu Pei asked about daily life matters. Finding that there was indeed nothing going on here, he sent the old man away. The old man bowed with profuse thanks and left.

Liu Pei looked at the people working in the fields from a distance, and he couldn't help but sigh. At this time, Liu Pei felt that he had a greater responsibility. He wanted to make the lives of the people under his rule better, instead of just one day.

After working so hard for years, all I want is for one person to survive starvation! This is not the life that people should live! This is not the life that this nation should live!
Chapter completed!