But after being busy all year round, everyone felt a little uncomfortable when suddenly having some free time. It was okay to lie on the warm kang for one night, but sleeping day and night would make your bones sore.
Finally, someone suggested it.
"We have nothing to do anyway, so why don't we cut down some trees and build a cabin? Sixth Uncle has a large family, and this small cabin might not be enough for them all. Let's make a living and build another one, so that we'll have a place to stay when we come to visit in the future."
This proposal was immediately supported by everyone, and then the work was quickly divided up. Some were chopping trees, some were peeling bark, and some were digging foundations, all working in a busy and orderly manner.
When those who had finished their shifts that night returned, they brought axes and saws, even chisels and machetes. The availability of these tools also fostered everyone's "ambitions."
The cabin was expanded from one to two, and it was said that they would be separated into male and female cabins for easier living...
Not to mention the Tai family who were working hard in the mountains and forests, just a hundred miles away near the Beidi Palace, the people who were conscripted for labor were also sweating profusely.
The palace had not been inhabited for a long time, so it not only needed repairs, but the weeds in the courtyards were as tall as a person, making it very difficult to clean up.
But this is just a little tiring. Those people who are unlucky and assigned to build roads will suffer.
The potholes on the official road should be covered with gravel and compacted.
The gravel has to be mined from the mountains, hammered, and transported on carts, all of which is hard work.
Unfortunately, the weather was not good. It had been drizzling since we arrived at the work place.
It was rainy and the damp and cold air seemed to penetrate into the bones and could not be stopped.
Those who were better off at home brought thick clothes and thick bedding, but they were always soaked by the rain, and the heavy clothes felt like stones pressing down on their bodies, making them sweat even when they were not working.
There were so many people that of course there weren't enough places to live. Those who paid bribes to the supervisor could get a dilapidated house, but the rest of the people had to chop branches and build a temporary shed by themselves.
As for meals, I had a bowl of watery sorghum rice porridge in the morning, a bowl of millet porridge at noon, and a muddy soup in the evening.
In this way, within just seven or eight days, many people quickly lost weight, and even started to have a runny nose and fever, and were on the verge of falling ill.
The villagers from Liujia Village, Zhangjia Village, and Sancha River were also assigned to work together because they came from the same place. A total of one hundred people were responsible for the fifty-mile official road.
After working so hard all day, they could only repair two or three miles of road. Seeing the long road ahead, not to mention the young people, even the middle-aged men could not help but despair.
At noon that day, the autumn rain suddenly got heavier. Seeing that the supervisory officials had found a place to take shelter from the rain, everyone hurried into the dilapidated temple, hurriedly lit several bonfires, and huddled around them for a long time before they felt a little warm.
Some young men missed home and were suffering, and couldn't help crying quietly.
Others sighed and complained.
"When will this job be finished? I'm afraid it won't be finished in a month!"
"Yeah, when I left, I told my family I'd be back in half a month!"
"I'm not afraid of working, I'm just worried that everyone will get sick. My little brother had a fever last night and was delirious."
"If I had known, I should have brought my father's cotton-padded jacket with me when I came out!"
I don’t know who mentioned Taijia Village, but their tone was full of envy.
"How come the Tai family is so lucky that they are all out and didn't even show up for the corvée this time!"
"Yes, I saved myself a lot of suffering and maybe even saved my life. If I had known this, I wouldn't have come here!"
Some people were more sober-minded and scoffed, "The Tai family didn't send anyone, not just out of luck. They also had the confidence. The fine was three taels of silver per person, and they paid it right away! My family... let alone three taels, we can't even come up with three hundred coins!"
Everyone who heard this lowered their heads and remained silent.
Comparing yourself to others can be frustrating, and that's the difference...
They were chatting by the fire, completely unaware that someone was hiding from the rain in the small house next door.
A young nobleman was wearing a black cloak, with two guards armed with swords behind him, and an attendant busy guarding the fire.
The attendant, having overheard the gossip next door, whispered to the young nobleman, "Sir, these people seem to be the folks from the old man's neighborhood?"
The young nobleman nodded and asked in a low voice, "Is the food and accommodation on the construction site really that bad? Didn't they bring in food from all over this time? They have to feed the workers at least once a day, right?"
The attendant snorted coldly and replied, "Young Master, you know that those people are like geese that pass by and plunder feathers. No matter how much food they transport, the migrant workers will not eat it. Besides, this year's harvest in the north is rare. They are calculating that every family has some surplus food, and the migrant workers will bring their own dry food, so they are even more rampant."
"I secretly went to check yesterday, and the rice porridge in the big pot didn't have any rice at all. I'm afraid the rats are eating better than the migrant workers!"
He came from a poor family and couldn't help but feel sorry for the migrant workers.
"Everyone was happily harvesting the harvest at home, but they were forced to work at the drop of a hat. They weren't even given enough to eat, and they were exposed to the wind and rain. I'm afraid someone will die within two or three days!"
Needless to say, this young nobleman is the Sixth Prince, Huang Kangcheng, who also frequents the Tai family!
He frowned, gently stroking the dagger in his sleeve, his eyes fell on the boots on his feet, which were sewn by his aunt stitch by stitch, and there was a bit more warmth in his eyes.
"Forget it, let me think of a way..."
Half an hour later, the rain became much lighter and eventually stopped completely.
Everyone was happy and hurried to work, otherwise they would have to stay up late if they couldn't finish the day's work.
The supervising officials didn't care what the reason was, even if it rained knives, it wouldn't work.
When the time comes, the whip will fall mercilessly and no one will be able to withstand it!
Two days passed in a blink of an eye, and more people at the construction site began to cough and have fever, and there was crying everywhere.
Some people were clamoring to go home, "I don't want to die outside, woo woo, I want to go home!"
Someone started to incite and shout, "Why don't we all run away together? The law doesn't punish everyone, and even if we are caught, they won't kill us all! There are more than 2,000 of us, who would dare to let so many die?"
"Yes, let's run. Even if we are caught and beaten to death, I would rather die at home. If I am buried here in such an unclear way, my mother won't be able to find me!" someone echoed.
Some people were timid and said, "No, no! We are all on the list. What if our family gets implicated and goes to jail? What will we do then?"
"I can't run away, and I can't stay. What should I do? This damn court, this damn corvee!" He was very irritable and started throwing things to vent his anger.
More than half of the hundreds of people in Liujia Village, Zhangjia Village, and Sanchahe also fell ill and gathered together with sad faces.
Normally at home, they would listen to the village chief and clan leader for advice. Now that neither the village chief nor the clan leader has come, they are like headless flies, not knowing what to do.
Just when everyone thought they were going to die here and were afraid to escape, things finally took a turn for the better...
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