Jiang Songxian was only five years old, about the same age as Jiang Songwen.
What kind of work can such a small child do? And yet they still give him half a pound of grain, which is worth more than ten coins.
"Er Ya, think long-term."
Jiang Bai rubbed her head.
"In exchange for a few pounds of grain, you can have a day to study and practice martial arts. So, all things considered, we've made a profit."
"The yams in the field also need to be tended to."
“They are all experienced farmers. With them looking after us, my sisters and I can do other things.”
"You should focus your attention elsewhere rather than on the half pound of grain that has been given to you."
"For example, learn needlework and make some embroidery, or learn martial arts and then go hunting with me in the mountains, and then exchange the game for money, and then use the money to exchange for food."
Jiang Bai needs to farm, but he doesn't like farming.
With the second wife and her family doing the work, she was able to free up her hands to do other things.
Jiang Lu can now focus on practicing martial arts and grow up quickly.
At least when she left Jiangjia Village for the capital, Jiang Lu needed to be able to protect herself.
However, that's not enough.
Jiang Bai suppressed his thoughts and invited Jiang Lu and Jiang Songwen to eat.
Now, let's talk about Zhang.
The second wife had been kicked out, and the house had nothing. Jiang Anshan was leading several children to cut bamboo and build a house.
The old house was no longer habitable, and the Jiang family wouldn't let them stay there either. The makeshift house had nothing at all; there were no pots, pans, beds, blankets, or mattresses.
While they were working, Zhang suddenly had a bright idea. She thought that since they had already sold themselves to Jiang Bai as slaves, there was no reason for them to only be busy with their own affairs. So she told her family to keep busy and hurried to Jiang Bai's house.
"Mother."
The house was built next to the old house, against the wall, with a row of bamboo and a layer of thatch on top, looking very shabby.
But Zhang's heart was burning with passion.
"Come and eat some pancakes."
The rice bran cakes were about the size of an adult's palm, and each one was specially made by Zhang.
She hadn't expected Jiang Bai to be so generous, picking out ten for her.
"Eat quickly."
She stuffed a pancake into the hands of each family member, and then broke the other three into pieces and distributed them to everyone. Zhang's face was flushed, whether from joy or from the heat, it was hard to tell.
"Eat, why aren't you eating?"
Zhang took a bite of the pancake and, seeing that no one in the family had touched it, urged Jiang Lan to hurry up.
Jiang Lan looked at the rice bran cake in her hand, which was larger than her palm, and felt a lump in her throat.
Such a large piece of bread would normally be her food for three days if she were still at the old house.
Jiang Zi was also a little stunned. Her stomach was already growling with hunger, but she didn't dare to take a bite.
"Mother, if we eat this meal, will we have another one?"
Jiang Songqiang, being the eldest brother, thought more about things than his younger siblings. Seeing that Zhang had brought back so many cakes, he couldn't help but worry about the family's future.
Jiang Anshan, who was standing on the other side, divided the half of the cake that Zhang had given him in half again, gave half of it to Zhang, and then began to eat.
There will be no next meal.
Zhang felt a bit of something stuck in her throat while eating the pancake, but since water essence was very expensive these days, she didn't drink any water and just swallowed it dry, then replied with a single sentence.
The atmosphere at home became heavy, and Zhang continued, "Da Ya said that we should continue to reclaim wasteland and that she would give each of us half a catty of grain every day."
Half a pound per person?
Jiang Songqiang and the others thought they had misheard, and Jiang Anshan even choked and coughed.
"Ahem, half a jin per person?"
"Does that include Xian-ge'er?"
Jiang Anshan glanced at Jiang Songxian beside him, then at his two sons who could barely be considered laborers.
My daughter isn't very strong, so she can't actually do much farm work.
"Yes, but we still have to go to the fields."
Whether you can actually work in the fields is not important.
Zhang felt she understood Jiang Bai's meaning: as long as one went to the fields, it counted, regardless of age.
"Mother, isn't this going too far?"
"I...I'm not strong and I don't eat much. I can't even eat half a pound of grain a day. Let's ask for less!" Jiang Zi was younger, and the fact that the old house had been sold had a huge impact on her. But she was also afraid of angering Jiang Bai, who might sell her family off as well.
"It's alright. I've noticed it these past few days. Da Ya is a woman of her word these days. Since she's said so, she won't get angry about something like this."
"But we must work harder and not be lazy."
"Da Ya said that we would start work at dawn, rest for an hour at noon, and finish work at dusk, and then we would receive our rations."
"Let's squeeze in together as a family tonight and make do for one night."
"I'll go to the village later to borrow some household items and pots and pans. When I have a ten-day break, I'll go to the county town to buy things."
Zhang made the decision to sell the whole family, and now all major family matters are handled according to her arrangements.
The second family didn't say anything more, quickly ate, and got busy, at least to have a place where they could barely stay.
"Uncle, are you really not going to give them anything at all?"
The village head and the clan chief watched from afar. The seven members of the second branch of the family were crammed under the eaves of the old house, next to a simple shed they had built with bamboo they had cut with a wood-chopping knife.
The family huddled pitifully in the corner.
Thankfully, the weather is still relatively warm and it doesn't rain much, otherwise it would be incredibly desolate.
The village head felt heartbroken for them.
"No need. The seventh brother's family has been sold off. Only the Anshan family stayed in the village. I don't believe it if you say this has nothing to do with them."
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