“Mother, sister-in-law, don’t worry,” Jiang Nuan gently advised. “This is a very important matter. The clan must have a plan. Let’s wait for Father and Brother to come back before we talk about it.”
“That’s true,” Sister-in-law Huang patted herself. “How could the clan ignore such a big matter? Maybe the clan chief and the others have already come up with a solution.”
“That’s true,” Old Mrs. Huang laughed. “Those who can perform corvée labor are all strong laborers, the pillars of their families. How could the clan just watch them die?”
“Yes, yes,” Sister Huang shook her head repeatedly, “This concerns every household.”
Jiang Nuan didn't say much about this.
She knew in her heart that this matter was very tricky and would probably not be so simple to handle.
The Huang family.
Those with some standing in the village gathered here, their faces solemn as they waited for Chief Huang to speak.
Chief Huang's eyes were deep, his brows furrowed, as he was lost in his own thoughts.
After a long silence, he spoke in a deep voice, "No one is allowed to pay for this year's corvée labor with silver!"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.
Those who can sit here must have some wealth, or at the very least, a few acres of land.
“Chieftain,” a dark-skinned man couldn’t help but speak up, “If we don’t offer silver as compensation, what will happen to the children? It’s not like we haven’t built roads before; those roads were practically impossible to survive on.”
At that time, the route hadn't been determined yet, and everyone was exhausted.
This time, the task is so heavy, it could be fatal.
"Is money enough?" Chief Huang sighed. "Twenty miles is not easy to repair. Thirty people might not be enough. How can we possibly complete the corvée labor if there are fewer people?"
“Clan chief,” Village Chief Huang said hesitantly, “this year’s situation is special. Should we bribe the supervisor?”
“This is definitely necessary,” Chief Huang nodded. “Times have changed. If we don’t take good care of things, we won’t have an easy time.”
"Then you still have to spend money?" the dark-skinned man spoke again. "If you can't pay for corvée labor, you still have to spend money. Isn't this just paying money to suffer?"
"You don't know anything," an elder said. "The so-called 'paying money to avoid disaster' has many intricacies in the annual corvée labor system. If you're unwilling to spend money, you'll lose your life. Which is more important, money or life?"
In the past, there were no standards for corvée labor. The people of Huangjiakou were known for their fierceness, and the supervisors dared not offend them too much, so they usually turned a blind eye.
“Times have changed, but money still needs to be spent,” Chief Huang said with his eyes closed. “Even if it’s just to avoid upsetting him, we still have to spend it.”
"So," the dark-skinned man said reluctantly, "we all have to chip in?"
"Otherwise, should I go alone?" Chief Huang gave the speaker a cold look. "Sixth brother, you can't refuse this."
“I didn’t refuse,” the dark-skinned man pursed his lips, “I just felt a little sorry for him.”
Ten taels of silver, and your family would need at least forty coins.
Another expense!
“My family will contribute one or two taels of silver,” Village Chief Huang said. “We don’t have any more, but it’s just a token of our appreciation.”
“The third brother’s family will contribute one tael,” the clan chief Huang said after thinking for a moment, “and my family will contribute two taels, with the remaining seven taels to be split equally.”
The two men's words softened the expressions of the others.
"Huang Ye doesn't have to perform corvée labor, so the money for the wedding gifts should be excluded from their family's contributions," Old Man Huang added quietly.
The expressions on everyone's faces, which had just calmed down, instantly darkened slightly.
However, no one made any sarcastic remarks.
Seeing this, Chief Huang nodded in satisfaction, “We are all of the same clan and should support each other. Although this forced labor is a great hardship, as long as we work together, we will not have to worry about not being able to overcome it.”
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