The crops in the fields were still green after being planted. It was the lean season of the year, and the people were out of food. It was the most difficult time of the year. At this time, the court issued an order to collect this year's taxes in advance. For the people, this was like adding insult to injury.

A notice was posted at the city gate, and a literate gentleman stood in front to read the notice. The more he read, the more solemn his face became.

The court had just recruited soldiers not long ago, and the little money in the pockets of the people was taken away. Men without money were dragged to serve in the army, and the family lost a strong worker and income.

In addition, the weather this year is bad. Many of the seedlings in the fields have turned yellow. It is still unknown what the harvest will be like this year. If the drought continues, it is hard to say whether there will be any food in many places in the north. People will starve to death.

The court will collect taxes at this time. Isn't this asking for the lives of the people?

"What? The court is going to collect taxes now?"

"The notice has been posted, how can it be false?"

"This year's taxes have increased. Last year, one mu of land only..."

"This is going to kill us. Our families can't afford the next meal, so where will we get the food to pay taxes to the court? This is forcing the people to live a miserable life!"

The people standing at the city gate talked about the court's tax collection. In previous years, the court collected taxes after the grain was collected. At that time, the people had grain in their hands, and the court had to squeeze out the grain no matter what. But now there is no grain, and the court is still collecting taxes. Isn't this going to kill the people?

At this time, the court was at war, the national treasury was empty, and the Ministry of Revenue could not take out money. The money was not enough to cover the expenditure. Everything in the court required money. The Minister of Revenue took out the account book of the Revenue Army and knelt in the court to cry that the Ministry of Revenue could not take out money and food. The emperor was also very troubled. An official in the court mentioned the issue of collecting taxes, and later there was the issue of collecting taxes in advance this year.

The news of collecting taxes was passed down to the local level. When Zhao Xianzhi received the news that the court was going to collect taxes in advance this year, he frowned and immediately wrote a letter to Fengdu to inquire about the situation. The court was in trouble, and the people's lives were also difficult. Asking the people for food at this time, isn't this forcing the people to rebel?

"Yes, Master, I will find someone to deliver it." The old steward took the letter from the master and immediately found someone to deliver it. After returning from Nanyang, Cao Xiangnan knew that the court was at war and there was drought in the north. He was worried. The old emperor was old and incompetent. Several princes were fighting for the throne. Everyone wanted to be the emperor. The court was divided into several factions, fighting each other. Even the court was in turmoil. How could the world be stable?

So at this time, you should stockpile as much food as you can. When you have food in your hands, you will feel at ease.

Cao Xiangnan's concept of food is not limited to rice. He accepts all food that can be collected, from mountain products and wild animals to fish and shrimp in the water. What can be processed is processed so that it is easier to store.

Chen Hong in the village has always been responsible for collecting vegetables and chickens and ducks in the village. This time he not only collected vegetables in Caojia Village, but also collected vegetables that can be grown in nearby villages. They are close to the water source. It has not rained for several months, and they are not short of water for the time being. The vegetables planted in the fields are growing well if they are watered diligently.

This is the peak season for growing fruits and vegetables. The fruits and vegetables planted in the fields are easy to grow. Every household grows vegetables and the price is cheap. It is the time to harvest vegetables.

After such a long time, everyone knows that Chen Hong works for Cao Jia Silang. The price of vegetables he buys is reasonable. The main thing is that he gives vegetables with one hand and takes money with the other. He never owes anyone money. Therefore, everyone in the village likes to sell vegetables to Chen Hong. Those who grow vegetables will first go to Chen Hong to say hello, and then carry the vegetables to him when they are grown.

Under the scorching sun, the boy wearing a hat is working in the field, sweating profusely. The boy took off the hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Seeing the man standing by the field, Wang Yan's face changed, he tightened his grip on the hoe, and asked in a deep voice, "What are you doing here?"

"I, Ah Yan, I'm here to take you back. Ah Yan, I know I was wrong, you come back with me." The hand hidden in Cao Laoer's sleeve was missing two fingers, both of which were cut off by someone. This man has lost a lot of weight, his beard is not trimmed, and he looks 20 years older. His eyes are fixed on Wang Yan.

When Wang Yan saw the man standing in front of him, a flash of disgust flashed in his eyes. He didn't know why he followed such a man in the past. He turned his face away and said, "Give up on this idea. I have divorced you. Don't come to me again."

Cao Laoer came to ask him to go back more than once or twice, he knew why Cao Laoer came to him to ask him to go back. It was not easy for him to leave that home, and now he would not go back no matter what.

The eldest son said that he would stay with his father. Now the child comes to his place every day, eats and stays with him, and no one comes to look for him. The other children all follow him. He is the only one raising several children. No matter how difficult it is, they are his own children. He will raise them even if it is hard.

Thinking of the silver that was stolen by Cao Laoer, all of which were saved by him with great effort, Wang Yan hated this man even more.

Wang Yan clenched the hoe in his hand, as if he would hit Cao Laoer with the hoe if he dared to take a step forward. The two men stood here facing each other silently. In the end, Cao Laoer couldn't stand the scorching sun and left in disgrace, leaving a sentence "I'll come to see you tomorrow."

Wang Yan breathed a sigh of relief when he saw him leave.

When the news of the court's tax collection came to Caojia Village, the village immediately exploded.

Wang Yan was stunned like everyone else. To be more precise, he couldn't recover from the news of the tax collection so quickly. Is the tax collected so soon? The crops he planted in his field have not yet bloomed and eared. He only has a few copper coins to sell vegetables in his hands. He has several mouths to feed at home. What he works every day is not enough to eat. Where can he get extra food and money to pay the tax?

After thinking about it, Wang Yan thought of going to his elder brother to borrow some rations. He must have rations there. The imperial court collecting taxes at this time was like a thunderbolt for many people. They were stunned and couldn't recover for a long time.

"Isn't this forcing us to die? Ah, we just recruited soldiers. It hasn't been long, and taxes are being collected... God, you are not giving us poor people a way to live..." The one who sat at the door and cried loudly, his cry was more bitter than the other.

Yes, the imperial court wanted to collect taxes and they had to pay. What should they do if they couldn't pay money and food? They could only figure out a solution themselves.

Today, Cao Xiangnan came home a little early. When he came back, Wanfeng was already home with the two children.

Little Bao was very enthusiastic to see his father coming back. Even though Cao Ruile didn't see much expression on his face, he generously gave a look to his father who had returned.

"Daddy..." Little Bao'er spoke clearly. When he saw his father coming back, he threw away the wooden horse in his hand and rolled into his father's arms. Cao Xiangnan reached out to catch the child, hugged him, and kissed his fair and tender face several times. The child giggled and loved playing with his father like this.

"Daddy's baby, daddy's sweetheart..." He kissed him twice more.

"..." Cao Ruile was so happy that goosebumps appeared all over his body.

"Husband, have a glass of water!" Qi Wanfeng saw his husband coming back and poured water for him. He couldn't help laughing when he saw his husband flirting with Little Bao'er as soon as he came back. He loved this ungrateful child in vain. He took care of this child every day, but it would be better for him to kiss his father.

Cao Xiangnan sat down and put the little Baoer he was holding on the ground. He reached out and touched his fat boy's head. He felt that the baby fat on the child's face was disappearing little by little. He was growing taller. This fat boy was not much taller than Dabaoer, but he was half a head taller than Baoer. He thought he would not be too short in the future.

He and Wanfeng were not short. In comparison, he was about the same height as an average man, but Wanfeng was much taller and more handsome than the average guy.

"Why did you come back so early today?" Cao Xiangnan asked, picking up the water poured by his wife and drinking it in one gulp. "Le Le had a little fever, so I took him and Baoer back first." Qi Wanfeng also poured some water for the child and wanted to feed him. Cao Ruile took the cup and drank the water in two or three gulps. He felt very uncomfortable.

The child has been quiet since he was young, not noisy or noisy, so it is easy for people to overlook that he is also a child. If he hadn't noticed that something was wrong with the child and touched him, he wouldn't have known that the child had a fever.

Later, Qi Wanfeng took the child to see Dr. Luo. Dr. Luo touched the child and said that the child had a fever because of growing milk teeth. He didn't prescribe any medicine, but just told him to come back and pay more attention.

"Oh, that's okay, let him drink more water." Cao Xiangnan picked up the little fat boy and held him in his arms. Their little fat boy was the most obedient. "Le Le, be obedient and drink more water, okay? If you feel uncomfortable, hum a few times."

Fat Le raised his drooping eyes and glanced at his father. The child was not feeling well and had no energy. He looked listless. Cao Xiangnan, the father, felt sorry for the child and consoled him, "It's okay, just bear with it, everyone has to go through these things." Are

you sure you are really consoled? Cao Ruile didn't even have the strength to roll his eyes, so he just leaned in his stepfather's arms for the time being.

The child who was said to be leaning on, once his little body relaxed, he fell asleep in a short while.

Cao Xiangnan carefully carried the sleeping child into the room and let him sleep well. As for the other one, he had slept before and was still refusing to sleep. Fearing that Xiaobao would disturb Lele, they coaxed Xiaobao outside to play.

"Today, a notice was issued in the town saying that the court will collect taxes in advance. Everyone is talking about this. This court, alas, it has only been a short time since the conscription and it is already collecting taxes..." Qi Wanfeng talked about the court's tax collection again. It took a while for the store to have some business. Now that the news of the tax collection has come out, no one has come to their store.

Not to mention that they can't do business, the people really can't live.

"Yeah, I heard about this too." Cao Xiangnan also heard about the court's tax collection in the workshop today. When he came back, he passed by the city gate and deliberately went down to take a look at the notice, so he knew about it.

The two talked about the court's tax collection, and they had to pay if the court wanted to collect it.

"If the court wants to collect, we have to give it. We can't not give it, right?" Cao Xiangnan was also very helpless. He bought a lot of good farmland this year, and the tax has to be collected before the harvest. He has no grain, and even if he has grain, he would not want to use grain to pay it off. He will just pay with silver when the time comes.

When he came back, he went to find Li Zheng and asked everyone in the village to give as much silver as possible. Those who can leave the grain should leave it and keep all the grain.

When Cao Xiangnan mentioned this, Li Zheng would be careful and told the village chief about this matter.