bayedsolid Chapter 513 A Gamble
Chapter 513 A Gamble
Sister-in-law Liu was in tears at this moment:
"After all, my family will have no food after paying the tax."
Last year, when there was a famine, she and her two children were the only ones left in their family. This year she worked hard to cultivate the land, but her abilities were limited and she didn't save much food.
Originally, their family didn't have enough food, so they paid less taxes and lived frugally. They could still survive by borrowing some from everywhere. But having to pay taxes on so much grain at once was like killing her.
"Sister-in-law Liu, don't worry, I'll give you some food."
"I'll give you some too."
"If each of us gives your family some food, we will definitely be able to get through it."
Several women spoke one after another.
When Mrs. Liu heard this, her tears couldn't stop falling, she shook her head slightly and said:
"No, no need. Thank you for your help. But this time is different, you can't survive. If I ask for your food again, I will harm you."
"They are all from the countryside, why are you talking about this? Besides, we can't watch your family starve to death, can we?"
Li Zheng said hurriedly.
"Let's get through this together, and in the days to come... in the future."
A woman wanted to comfort her, but she couldn't say anything.
Do they really have a way out in the future?
When a man dies in battle, the state cannot provide him with any pension, and the taxes are increasing year by year. How should we spend our days in the future?
She couldn't see any hope.
"There will always be opportunities in the future. The country cannot watch us all starve to death, as long as we get through this."
The person on the side quickly added.
Mrs. Liu's mood became more stable and she wiped the tears from her face with her hands.
The people in the village don't have enough food to eat. If you give them some, they won't be able to survive.
She had made up her mind to take her child and jump into the river tonight. If you die, you can't harm your neighbors.
There was a sound of scattered footsteps. Looking up, the dust was flying, and hundreds of people were walking towards us. They were all dressed in tatters, their skin was sallow, and their bodies were as thin as if they were just bones.
Only the leader was wearing a warrior uniform and his face was glowing.
Seeing a few people squatting at the end of the village, the leader walked over quickly and asked:
"Hey, old man, how much grain will your county harvest this year?"
Hearing this, Li Zheng seemed to have found an outlet, and the wrinkles on his face were squeezed into a ball:
"Oh, our county master wants one acre and two dan of grain, and he simply won't let us live. This year's harvest year, one acre can only produce four dan of grain, and half of it will be taken away now. The remaining bit will not be able to survive at all. It’s not enough for us to survive.”
"What! Two stones per acre? Are you kidding me? The imperial court only requires three acres and two stones of grain this year. These dog officials really don't want to die. Two stones per mu, how are you going to survive?"
The warrior frowned tightly.
"With so much, we can't survive."
Li Zheng's tone was full of despair.
"These dog officials are so shameless! If not, how about you follow us to Da Qian Country?"
The warrior spoke.
"Da Gan?"
When Li Zheng heard this, a trace of confusion flashed in his heart.
"If I go straight to work in Da Da, won't I become a slave?"
"No, Daqian has issued a policy that anyone willing to settle in Daqian will be given 10 taels of silver as settlement money and shi of food. At the same time, they will enjoy the same treatment as the people of Daqian."
The warrior spoke.
Hearing this, disbelief flashed on several people's faces.
Ten stones of grain is enough for them to survive the next autumn harvest. Ten taels of silver were enough for them to build a house.
If that's the case, going to work might actually be a way to survive.
But is this news really credible?
Daqian didn't owe them anything, so why should he give them food and silver for no reason?
Moreover, this land was the place where they had lived since childhood. To leave like this, or to go to a place they had never been to, there was a fear of the unknown in their hearts.
"Daqan, why are you promulgating this policy?"
Li Zheng asked.
"Speaking of it, this policy was actually promulgated by Counselor Lin of Daqian against all opinions. Previously, Counselor Lin captured Yueshan County in Daliang. Seeing that the common people were living in hardship, he distributed all the money and food to the big families. To save the people, just to let the people live a better life.”
"Later, when he was about to withdraw his troops, he was afraid that the people would return to their old lives, so he promulgated this policy in Daqian. To be honest, I was the guard of a caravan that sold grain between Dashang and Daqian. I also have a clearer understanding of Daqian’s policies.”
"I am also from Tiannan County, and you are also my fellow countrymen. After learning that taxes have increased and people are struggling to make ends meet, all of us in the caravan feel unfair for you. For this reason, the president of the Chamber of Commerce asked us to split up and take the people who have no food to eat. People, go and settle in Daqian Country.”
The warrior spoke.
"This……"
Everyone still hesitated.
In fact, after the handover, if they only eat a little something every day and dig some wild vegetables, it is still possible for them to have enough food until next year.
Going to Daqian is too risky.
"Furthermore, Emperor Daqian was kind. Seeing that the people of Daqian were living in hardship, he ordered that no taxes be paid within three years. Moreover, Counselor Lin of Daqian is in short supply. Even if you don't want to do farm work, you can still work for him."
"I'll go with you!"
Sister-in-law Liu seemed to have made some kind of determination. Rather than waiting for death here, it is better to go to Dagan and give it a try.
"Sister-in-law Liu, please stop thinking about it. If you go there without this policy, you will become a slave."
The woman on the side spoke to persuade.
"Don't worry, the policy is true. We are all fellow countrymen, why did I lie to you?"
The warrior on the side spoke.
"I'll go take a look. Daqian has won a lot of battles, and I think life is a little easier now. Even if I go there to be a slave, I still have hope of surviving."
Sister-in-law Liu said.
After hearing that he should live, everyone who had wanted to persuade him fell silent.
Yes, in this great merchant country, even surviving is a luxury.
"You guys wait for me while I pack my luggage and go to the village to ask if anyone is going with me. Rizheng, thank you for taking care of me over the years."
With that said, Sister-in-law Liu bowed respectfully.
"We are all from the same village, what is there to thank you for? If you have a good life there, ask someone to write a letter back, and I will take my fellow villagers with me. If you don't have a good life there, I will be there at any time. If you can come back, we will find a way to get food for you."
Li Zheng said.
"Okay, you guys wait for my news in the village. If Daqian is really like this, then I will definitely come back in person and take you to collect money."
Sister-in-law Liu said.
She walked along the village paths, knocking on doors and asking questions. Most people refuse, even if they face high taxes, as long as they have some hope of survival, they are unwilling to take big risks.
In the end, only three families were willing to leave with Mrs. Lin. They were all the same. They would not live until the next spring. They could only try to work hard and see if they could find a way out.
As the sun sets, the shadows of a group of people stretch out.