After becoming a top-notch peasant woman, she continues to be a top-notch

After just two days of rest, it was time to harvest grain again, and almost every household, except for babies, had to go out.

Some farmers looked at their fields and sighed, "With the weather this year, the crops are not very good. I don't know if I can pay the taxes."

"My house was trampled by wild boars before. It looks like we won't have a good year this year."

A farmer rubbed his own rice and found that there were only empty husks inside. He rubbed several husks before he saw one with rice grains inside.

"It's difficult!"

Every family is in the same situation, but there is no other way. They have to collect the grain quickly. The village chief said that the soldiers collecting taxes will be here in half a month.

The Qiao family was fine. Their rice fields were a little different from those next door. The rice grains looked quite full. Qiao Dashan rubbed a few and found that only one was empty.

Qiao Dashan was very satisfied and thought that he could have a good New Year this year.

The family was bending over to cut rice. It was Qiao Chao's first time, so his hands were still a little clumsy and he almost cut himself.

He was still in the front, while Qiao Chenshi and Qiao Dashan had already moved to the back, and Qiao San was cutting faster than him.

Qiao Chen stood up and glanced at him, "Boss, what's wrong with you? Why did you only cut a little bit?"

Qiao Chao: “Uh…”

Qiao Dashan: "Are you tired and haven't recovered yet?" After all, he was exhausted from selling vegetables in the past two days.

Mrs. Qiao Chen: "Then take a rest before continuing." After saying that, she patted her waist and continued to bend down and start cutting rice.

Sweat dripped from the forehead into the soil. Everyone wiped the sweat and faced the earth with his back to the sky. This is the life of a farmer.

Qiao Chao did not rest. He tried cutting for a while and finally found the feeling. Soon he became proficient in it.

At noon, Zhen Yue came to the fields with steamed buns, vegetables and water. The family only harvested one acre of land in the whole morning.

Zhen Yue placed the food on the ridge of the field and said, "Come and eat."

Everyone stood up when they saw her coming. When Qiao Chao bent down, he felt his bones cracking... it hurt.

Qiao Chao limped to the edge of the field, then sat down and let out a long breath. He could finally rest. Cutting rice was more tiring than growing vegetables. He looked into the distance and saw that other families were doing the same thing except theirs.

He also saw some people putting bundles of rice in baskets and carrying them back. Fortunately, their family had a donkey cart, otherwise it would have been even more difficult.

Is this the fate of the lower class? Qiao Chao was thinking.

Suddenly, a bowl of water was placed on his back, "Drink it quickly." It was Zhen Yue.

Qiao Chao came back to his senses and drank all the water in the bowl in one gulp. It actually tasted a bit salty? Then Zhen Yue handed him the steamed bun and said, "Eat it quickly."

Qiao Chao was eating steamed buns with pickles, and suddenly felt that steamed buns seemed delicious.

On the other side, Qiao Er Qian was also eating with big mouthfuls, while Zhen Yue was looking at the rice in her own field. She touched it and thought that her own rice seemed to be in good condition, which was worth her two previous visits.

When she came over just now, she heard someone sitting on the edge of the field complaining bitterly about what to do this year. It seemed that the output of one acre of land might not be very good.

Zhen Yue touched the rice ears and sighed, "There is no idle land in the world, but farmers still starve to death."

She was sitting next to Qiao Chao, so when she whispered this, Qiao Chao looked at her in shock.

There is no idle land in the world, but farmers still starve to death. How apt is this description?

Thinking about being reborn as a farmer, Qiao Chao really understood this feeling. In his original memory, he rarely had enough to eat since he was a child. Some people would even starve to death in winter.

He has also heard these days that this winter will be more difficult, so he doesn't know how many people will die.

The country was indeed poor before he was reborn, and he had seen many impoverished places, but it was never as profound as when he experienced it himself.

After everyone finished eating and rested for a while, they continued to work. Zhen Yue also took the things back home and said, "I'll ask Xiaohua to bring the water over later." Xiaohua and the others were at home looking after little Achu.

"it is good."

As soon as I got home, I heard little Achu crying loudly. Xiaohua and the others were trying to comfort him but little Achu still kept crying.

Zhen Yue quickly put her things away and went into the room to pick up the child. Xiao Hua and the other two felt very guilty, "Aunt, our little brother keeps crying and we can't comfort him."

Zhen Yue: "It's okay, he must be hungry, you guys go to the kitchen to eat first."

"Yes."

My aunt has become better and better. She hasn't scolded them for a long time.

After the sun went down, Qiao Chao and his friends came back. In fact, some people had come back in the afternoon as well, mainly to transport rice back to the yard using donkey carts.

The family had dinner and then went to rest. Everyone was exhausted and snored in their sleep at night.

The family worked for more than ten days in a row. Sometimes they had to light lamps and beat the grain with sticks in the middle of the night, and dry the grain during the day. Zhen Yue also helped. Every time she lay down and fell asleep, her desire to make more money became stronger.

Be sure to make more money!

As soon as all the rice was collected and dried, the village chief notified that the tax-collecting officers and soldiers would arrive the next day, and asked everyone to prepare the food and take it to the big banyan tree.

"How much should our family pay?" Zhen Yue wanted to know how much food her family would have left.

Qiao Dashan was already preparing the tax for the day after tomorrow, "It should be three stones."

Their current yield per mu is about two and a half dan, which is just over one hundred jin but less than two hundred jin, while other families may have around one and a half dan, which is even less.

Zhen Yue calculated that she would have to pay about 20% grain tax.

Qiao Dashan: "We also need to prepare a head tax of five cents. If you don't have money, you can use grain to pay it off."

Zhen Yue calculated that the tax was quite high. No wonder everyone felt it was so difficult. The head tax for their family alone was five cents.

Qiao Chao was also frowning on the side. He understood as soon as he heard it. He didn't expect the taxes in this dynasty to be so high. It wasn't that high when he was there. It was just that the country was really poor at that time, so it was not high. Now when he arrived at the county town, it actually seemed okay. He didn't expect the taxes to be so heavy.

No wonder farmers have it so hard.

If he hadn't gone hunting, and Zhen hadn't sold the good vegetable seeds, would their family have had a hard time this year?

The next day, the Qiao family prepared everything. Zhen's mother came over early in the morning. As soon as she arrived, she took Zhen Yue's hand and whispered, "Do you have any extra food at home? Lend me some. We don't have much food this year, and I'm afraid we won't be able to pay the tax tomorrow."

Zhen Yue: "...My family owes a lot of money this year. It just so happens that you are here. Please lend me some money. My family is still collecting the money."

Zhen Yangshi: "I just came in and saw the food in your yard. You told me that it's not enough. No, you have to lend me some. Otherwise, what will happen to your brother and others? You have to think about your brother and others."

Zhen Yue sneered, "Then let my brother think about me and ask him to lend me some money. Anyway, there is no money."

Zhen Yang looked her over and said, "You are not my daughter!"

Zhen Yue's heart skipped a beat, and Zhen Yang spoke up again, "I think you are like spilled water, and have become the daughter of the Qiao family! Will you lend it to me or not? If not, I won't come here anymore."

Zhen Yue rolled her eyes: "No! Come if you want?"