Some villagers thought that only the caravan would go to the border this time, but they didn't expect that the old man would ask all the strong men in the village to follow, and even boys over thirteen years old would set off together.
This was unusual, so someone asked, "Sixth Uncle, our sorghum hasn't been harvested yet. If I leave, how long will my mother and wife be busy?"
The old man waved his hand and replied, "Don't worry about that. It's just a few acres of land. If everyone helps, we can harvest it all! Now the most important thing is to safely deliver the corn seeds to the border. After all, who knows how many people are eyeing these treasures.
"We can't help with anything else, but we can finally do our best to defend the border, so we can't mess around!"
Third Master Tai also chimed in, "Listen to your Sixth Uncle and go quickly and come back quickly. It will take at least five or six days to make the round trip. Maybe when you come back, you can catch the tail end of the land acquisition!"
Everyone thought it made sense, and the young boy was so happy that he jumped for joy. You know, it's not easy for them to go to the city on weekdays, let alone go to the border which is so far away.
For others, transporting food on the road is a chore, but for them it is a happy journey.
Tai Yonglu, Tai Yongyue and Chen Ruiyang all wanted to follow the convoy to the border, but were stopped by Old Man Tai.
"There's a lot of chores at home, so you guys shouldn't go. Even if you can help look after Zhuzhu, it will save the adults a lot of worry!"
The three boys had no choice but to stay behind unhappily.
Tai Yongan patted his three younger brothers on the shoulders and consoled them with a smile, "Just stay home and wait for your eldest brother to hunt some good furs and make a big hat for each of you. Then you won't feel cold when you go ice skating in the winter."
"Okay, thank you, brother!"
"Brother, your words must be kept!"
The three boys were very satisfied and immediately started smiling again!
In this way, except for the people in the caravan who packed some extra luggage, the rest of the villagers simply carried a small package, a set of change of clothes, shoes and socks, and followed the team.
After all, He Xiong was always by the general's side, so he was much better at reading people's expressions than others.
He found the old man privately and asked, "Uncle, has something happened? Why are all the villagers going to the border? We don't need so many people. And there's no one to protect us here. What if something happens..."
The old man didn't want to hide it from him and whispered, "Kang Cheng sent a message home. The corvée service will be soon. Now that everyone in the village has left, it will be easier to pay the fine."
"Corvee labor?" He Xiong frowned, unable to guess what major event had recently occurred that would require corvee labor.
The old man lowered his voice even more and replied, "I heard that a noble person is coming to the palace and needs corvée labor to repair the palace and build roads. I guess the general should have received the news, so you should hurry back. If anything happens, let me know in time."
He Xiong guessed a possibility and his face changed immediately. He quickly clasped his fists in salute and hurried on his way.
Two hundred soldiers plus Tai Jiye's carts, the horse-drawn carriages carrying grain, and the young and old men who helped to protect them, all together they were nearly three hundred people, and they made a huge presence wherever they went.
In addition, the three brothers Tai Jizu received instructions from their grandfather and acted in a high-profile manner wherever they went. When they passed by the city gate, they even took people into the city to buy a lot of food.
As a result, almost the entire county knew that the men and women of Taijia Village had gone to the border.
But as to why, some said they were going to work, some said they were going to the grasslands to do business, and some said they were delivering food. After all, the momentum of the corn harvest has been quite large these days...
Even Manager Min heard about it and took some time to go to Taijia Village. While holding Zhuzhu and feeding her snacks, he talked to the old man for a long time.
The old man couldn't tell the truth, only saying he had something to plan. Finally, he changed the subject and said, "We've harvested corn at home, and many people are thinking of buying it for seed. If you have a friend who has a favor to give you, and you really can't refuse, just let me know. I don't have any extra, but I think a hundred or two hundred pounds would be fine."
Manager Min was immediately happy, "Uncle, I'm really worried about this! Although our master also planted some crops, we didn't take good care of them, so the harvest is not as good as in our village. Moreover, there are more families who need to pay gifts, so it's not my turn at all.
"And I have two good friends who I often visit. They really asked me for a few dozen kilograms of trial planting, and you solved this problem for me!"
The old man waved his hand nonchalantly, "Good things should be kept within the family, so of course good things should be given to our family first."
Finally, Manager Min had lunch at Tai's house and then left with a bag of corn kernels.
As soon as he left, Tai Yongning and Yongfeng came back together. It turned out that the Wu family had also heard about the situation in Taijia Village, so they asked the Yongning brothers to come back and take a look. If they needed help, the Wu family would definitely lend a hand.
The old man was very happy to see his grandsons, but the family was in chaos and they couldn't help but worry about him, so he sent them back to school early.
The two boys didn't know what had happened, and were reluctant to leave, but they were also obedient and returned to the small courtyard in the city before the sun set...
The mountain village is strangely quiet under the night sky, and the mottled fields outside the village make it seem even more desolate.
Because of the departure of the convoy, the only people left in the village except He Shan and ten others were the elderly, the weak, women and children.
Fortunately, Liujia Village and Zhangjia Village knew how to be grateful. When they patrolled at night, they expanded the range by two or three miles, which helped He Shan and others a lot!
During the day, the villagers, without distinguishing between families, worked together to collect the remaining crops. The sorghum had to be cut and stacked, the millet had to be cut and the ears of grain cut, and the beans, along with the bean stalks, were brought home to dry in the yard and then rolled over and over with stone rollers. The bean stalks were removed, and the beans were repeatedly folded up. The autumn wind blew away the broken leaves and the like, leaving only a golden pile of beans...
Not only in Taijia Village, but in all other villages, all the farmers who are full of expectations for the fields are busy, tirelessly busy.
Originally, this autumn had passed in such a peaceful and happy way. But something unexpected happened at this time!
In the county government office, the old magistrate, holding the official document, looked extremely surprised, then angry and irritated. Tai'an County had not had a good harvest for several years. God had finally shown mercy, giving the people hope of filling their stomachs, but at such a time as the autumn harvest, such a commotion had occurred!
The Wei Dynasty has only been established for a few years. Is its power about to run out?
But no matter how angry I am, I can't disobey!
So he called the officers and ordered, "Post the notice. Three days from now, the corvée will begin. One in two men will be conscripted. Strict supervision will be carried out everywhere. If anyone truly refuses to perform the corvée, the fine will be doubled!"
The officer was delighted to hear this, but he didn't dare to laugh out loud. He just lowered his head and quickly agreed.
The government office is permanent, but the superiors come and go.
The old county magistrate has the heart to worry about the country and the people because he has a monthly salary, land and shops, and his subordinates are filial to him.
But the monthly salary of these people is only enough to support their families. If they want to live a better life, they have to rely on unexpected events such as conscription!
Even though the people would call them heartless behind their backs, how could they make money without paying anything, right?
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