"Yuehu Town?" Pei Wenfeng stood still with his hands behind his back, feeling a surge of emotion. He sighed and looked around solemnly:
As the northernmost town in Heqin County, it has been ravaged by war and famine for years, leaving it devastated and the people living in dire straits.
The houses are low and dilapidated, the roads are bumpy, the shops on the streets are deserted, and the pedestrians are pale and thin... People's livelihood is in decline and life is dead.
The officer nodded and replied respectfully, "Yes. This is Yuehu Town."
Two trusted servants followed and served. Cai Chun unloaded the luggage from the carriage. Wu Liang approached with a water bag and said, "Sir, have some water."
Pei Wenfeng came back to his senses, took the water bag and drank a few sips. His face turned pale and he was sweating profusely.
"Are you still dizzy?" Wu Liang asked with concern.
Pei Wenfeng sighed, his heart heavy with worry, and replied calmly, "It's okay."
"Oh, the weather has been too hot these days, and you're scorching hot. You're probably suffering from heatstroke, and you need to see a doctor right away." Cai Chun was carrying five or six bags of varying sizes on his shoulders and in his hands.
At that moment, seven or eight constables rode up on horseback. A small leader, Zou Zhao, dismounted with a chuckle and politely explained, "Sir, I've just been on a round of inspection with my men, and the locals all say they haven't spotted any suspicious-looking strangers! The suspect has fled, probably taking the official road into the mountains and refusing to show himself."
Pei Wenfeng had already considered this, and without hesitation, he said sternly, "Dai Qian is a scholar, weak as a hen. He doesn't know how to hunt. His accomplice, though a butcher, is greedy and lazy. They won't be able to hide in the mountains for long. Sooner or later, they will reveal themselves. Follow the plan, and make sure you capture the fugitives involved in the family massacre as soon as possible so that you can report back to the county."
"Don't worry, I've already made the arrangements." Zou Zhao, his face flushed with sweat, his green clothes and red armor soaked with sweat, suggested, "There's only one inn in town, not far ahead. It's noon now, why don't we go in for lunch? Then we can stay and slowly solve the case."
Pei Wenfeng nodded and said, "That's all we can do. Let's go and have dinner first."
"Captain Zou," Cai Chun trotted over and asked anxiously, "Is there a clinic nearby? My son has a headache from the heat and needs a doctor."
The sun was blazing brightly. Zou Zhao wiped his sweat and quickly replied, "Is Lord Pei ill? No wonder he looks pale. I'll ask a brother to fetch a doctor right away. You help him to the inn to rest."
"Thank you very much." Cai Chun bowed to express his gratitude, and he and Wu Liang supported Pei Wenfeng on both sides and went to the inn to stay.
The two places are separated by distance, and Jiang Yushu's cousin happens to arrive in town to investigate a case, but she is completely unaware of it.
After the potato flowers wither and the leaves gradually turn yellow, harvest is imminent.
In the hot summer of June, the sun is scorching at noon, the fields are vast and flat, and the heat makes people dizzy, so even the most diligent people have to go home for a rest and avoid the scorching sun.
The cicadas were chirping incessantly. After lunch, Jiang Yushu heard the news and rushed to the sheep pen. She and her companions worked together to apply medicine to the lambs.
"Mee-mee~" The lamb struggled, shaking its head. Its hind legs were injured and its fur was stained red with blood.
"Okay, don't yell, it will be fine soon." Cuimei hugged the lamb and said sympathetically, "Poor little thing, it was just born and its leg was stepped on by a big sheep."
"No problem. Apply the ginger ointment. I guarantee it'll be healed in ten days!" Fang Sheng said confidently. He carefully put away the porcelain bottle and muttered, "I just had a problem using this new ointment, so I decided to give it a try on the sheep."
Jiang Yushu glanced at the sheep pen, sighed, and said worriedly, "There are more and more sheep, and the pen is too small, not enough for them to live in. The overcrowding is why the lambs are kicked and injured."
"What should we do?" Cuimei stroked the lambs one by one, and said worriedly, "The summer harvest is almost here, and we're too busy to do anything, and the villagers don't have time to help. After the summer harvest, we have to plant the next crop, and we can only rest after winter. By then, the sheep will definitely not be able to fit into the pen."
Jiang Yushu was worried. She inspected the house inside and out and said loudly, "Alas, the crops are more important. We can build a new sheep pen during the slack season! I've already discussed it with the village head, and we've decided to convert the front yard of this deserted house into a sheep pen for the time being. There's no time to waste. We should separate the sheep in the evening to prevent them from getting crushed again."
"Okay!" Cuimei stood up, handed the lamb to her companion, and temporarily tied it and the ewe outside the pen.
Jiang Yushu yawned and said, "Alright, everyone go back and rest for a while. We'll go to the fields at 5 p.m."
"Girl, wait for me." Cuimei clapped her hands and took two steps at a time to catch up.
But after taking a few steps, he ran into Liu Dong who was carrying a large bundle of fresh grass.
Liu Dong was sweating profusely and breathing heavily. His heart raced as he met their faces. He subconsciously stepped back, his Adam's apple rolling as he asked anxiously, "You, what are you busy with?"
"It's you." Cuimei stopped and frowned involuntarily.
Jiang Yushu stopped, pulled Cuimei to the wall, raised her hand to signal her to go first, and asked in surprise, "Strange, Liu Dong, didn't I tell you to send me there once every evening? Why are you here again at noon?"
Before Liu Dong could say anything, Fang Sheng, carrying a medicine box, approached and sighed, "Ever since the government issued the order, he's been doing this. He makes at least two trips a day, delivering two bundles of fodder, rain or shine. Alas, a son pays his father's debts. The father stole the sheep, and the son suffers."
When he heard the word "steal", Liu Dong immediately lowered his head in shame and his face turned red.
Jiang Yushu felt quite sympathetic as she looked at the thin, dark-skinned young man, who cowered and lowered his head all day. She warned him, "The government has punished your family by requiring them to pay five taels of silver and harvest sheep grass for a year. The silver has been paid, but the county doesn't stipulate how much fodder to use. It's hot this summer, so harvesting one bundle in the evening will be enough."
Being able to deliver fodder openly every day and seeing you often, how rare is that opportunity?
Liu Dong shook his head firmly, willingly saying, "No, it's nothing. Cutting sheep grass isn't tiring at all. My father committed theft, but thanks to the leniency of the government, he wasn't arrested and imprisoned. I'm cutting sheep grass to atone for my crime, and I wouldn't dare be lazy."
Jiang Yushu waved her hand and said helplessly: "It's up to you. But it's so hot today, you'd better be careful of heatstroke." After that, she took Cuimei and the group went home to cool off.
"Thank you, thank you." You are such a kind-hearted person. Liu Dong was so happy to hear these words from the man in his dream that he hurriedly put the hay into the shed, wishing he could make ten or eight trips a day.
After a while, the Guo family closed the gate.
"Hmph, showing off your kindness for no reason is either a traitor or a thief!" Cuimei had always disliked Liu Laozhu because of their grudge against him. She whispered, "My guess is that Liu Laozhu must have ordered his son to do this in order to get some grain seeds."
Fang Sheng nodded in agreement and echoed, "I guess so. Liu Laozhu stole sheep and couldn't grow potatoes. He cried and begged everywhere for some seeds."
As Jiang Yushu walked, she said, "It's really unfortunate for children to have a father like that. Liu Laozhu has begged me more than once in the past six months, but the grain seeds are not mine, and the government has other plans, so his pleas are in vain."
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At this time, Aunt Pan peeked out from the kitchen and said with a smile: "The mung bean soup is ready. It's hot in summer, come and have a bowl to cool down!"
Fang Sheng's eyes lit up, but he asked in confusion, "Where did you get the mung beans? Aren't they sold in town?"
Jiang Yushu smiled and explained, "Last time, my family hunted a lot of game, so we gave the village head clerk two rabbits and a bowl of wild boar meat. As a gift, he gave me a small bag of mung beans yesterday. I heard they were bought from the county."
"Hahaha, I see." Fang Sheng walked towards the kitchen carrying the medicine box and said happily, "I haven't tasted it for a long time. I'll drink a bowl to quench my thirst."
"I want to drink too!" Cuimei followed excitedly.
Jiang Yushu felt sleepy and weak, so she slowly walked into the east room. As soon as she took off her veil, Xiaotao rushed to take it.
The sound of water splashing, she slowly washed her hands and face while asking: "Xiao Tao, why don't you go drink mung bean soup?"
"I don't like hot drinks. I'll wait until it cools down in the well and try it tonight." Xiao Tao smiled and hung her veil on the rack. "What about you?"
Jiang Yushu took off her coat. Her fair skin, which couldn't be tanned, was reddened by the sun. She closed her eyes, wiped it, rubbed her shoulders and neck, and said tiredly, "I'm so sleepy. I need to sleep for a while. I can drink it in the evening."
"Well, then you take a rest." Xiao Tao closed the door quietly and went back to her room to rest.
In mid-June, hundreds of acres of potato leaves turned yellow, and other crops were ripe. Every household in Liu Village began to busy themselves with the summer harvest.
At daybreak, a large group of villagers gathered, driving a long line of mule carts and ox carts loaded with hoes, sickles, and large piles of baskets, and headed towards the fields in a mighty and lively manner.
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This summer is different from last winter.
In order to facilitate weighing, the government specially ordered people to build a simple pavilion next to the canal, with the chief clerk Zhuang Song in charge, and eight officials with swords were sent to guard it.
Before the harvest, Zhuang Song climbed up a huge rock, looked down from above, and sternly shouted, "35%!"
"Everyone, the county government has already announced that 35% of the potatoes in the field will belong to you, and the rest will belong to the government. We will follow your orders and weigh them on the spot from now on. We will come one family at a time."
"What belongs to you, you can eat or plant as you please; what belongs to the government, no one is allowed to touch it! If anyone dares to have evil intentions, cheat, or secretly take more than they deserve, they will be severely punished!"
The villagers hurriedly shook their heads, patted their chests, and said in unison:
"How dare you? I absolutely wouldn't dare."
"Don't worry, I'll take as much as I should. I won't take any more."
"It's actually better to weigh it on the spot. I can weigh it clearly and then take it home."
…
Zhuang Song nodded with satisfaction and said sternly, "It's best if you behave honestly. Everyone will be happy. Go ahead!"
At the chief clerk's command, the crowd quickly dispersed, picked up their hoes and baskets, and went to work in their own fields.
Suddenly, up and down the slopes, on both sides of the canal, there were villagers everywhere bending over and swinging their hoes, all of them full of expectations and enthusiasm, and the sounds of talking and laughing were continuous.
More than ten people from the Guo family cultivated a lot of land and worked together.
With one hoe after another, the ridges of the field were gradually dug up, revealing the potatoes hidden in the ground.
"Oh, this one is so round and heavy." Cuimei squatted in front of the ridge, weighed it carefully, and said excitedly: "I guess it must be more than a pound!"
The morning breeze was cool, and Guo Hongzhe simply sat cross-legged, meticulously placing the potatoes neatly into a straw-filled basket. He said excitedly, "Second sister-in-law, I think this harvest will definitely be better than last year!"
"I hope so." Jiang Yushu was nervous and busy picking potatoes. She said softly, "I dream of a good harvest."
Zhou Yan's wife, however, was not worried at all. She exclaimed happily, "Don't worry! Look, the trees are full of fruit, and they are big. The harvest is very good."
It was noon that day. Pei Wenfeng finished his official duties and could not wait any longer. He took a carriage and headed straight to Liu Village to look for his cousin.
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Life is like this, sudden surprise or joy...
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