Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

She frowned, her face full of seriousness: "There are many important things in life, and love is not everything. You have to have your own ideas and your own pursuits. You can't focus all your attention on a man." Xiuying put her hands on Shiliu's shoulders and shook them gently.

"For someone like Luo Jingan, it's a good thing to see his true face early on. We can't lose our soul because of him. You have to be strong and live a good life." Xiuying's eyes were full of expectation.

"Remember, my daughter, I won't allow you to lose yourself for a man."

After saying that, Xiuying held Shiliu's hand tightly, giving her strength and courage.

Shi Liu listened to her mother's words, nodded slightly, and said with a choked voice: "Mom, I understand."

Xiuying smiled with relief, "That's right, child." In the evening breeze, the figures of mother and daughter were stretched very long.

Compared with the war, the villagers of Futian Village are still thinking about the vegetables in the fields every day.

They work from sunrise to sunset, and wherever they look, they see lush green vegetable fields.

On the edge of the field, the villagers were discussing the growth of this year's vegetable seedlings and calculating how much they could harvest.

"This year's radishes look so juicy, they're sure to fetch a good price."

"That's right. We're hoping for a good harvest. The whole family depends on these vegetables."

In the village, only the village chief and Xiuying were concerned about the turbulent times. The village chief often sat under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, listening to the fragments of his youngest son's words from the city, and he was filled with worry.

Xiuying was at home, tending to the household chores while keeping an eye on the outside world. Her brows were furrowed, and when she and the village chief occasionally met, they would always share their concerns about the situation.

In this seemingly peaceful village, their minds drifted far away to the ever-changing outside world.

That day, Afan and Shiliu hurried back from selling preserved eggs. They looked anxious and walked hurriedly.

As soon as he entered the yard, Afan shouted, "Oh no, there's new news!" Shi Liu also had a worried look on his face.

They brought shocking news: "The old emperor paid a tribute of one million taels of silver to the Shang Kingdom and wanted to seek peace." Afan's voice was filled with anger and helplessness.

Everyone was shocked when they heard this.

Shi Liu continued, "What will follow is an increase in taxes. How are we going to live in the future?" She frowned, looking worried.

Even the fee to enter the city has increased, from two cents per person to three cents per person.

People were complaining at the city gates,

"What's going on? Everything's going up in price!"

"Life is getting harder and harder!"

The merchants who often came to the city to do business all had sad faces.

"This extra penny reduces the already slim profit even more." A peddler carrying a load on his shoulder sighed.

Ordinary people who go to the city to do business or visit relatives can't help but shake their heads and sigh.

"Three cents per person, that's a heavy burden." A woman holding a child looked embarrassed.

The officers and soldiers in charge of collecting tolls at the city gate urged people to pay money to enter the city with expressionless faces, and turned a deaf ear to everyone's complaints.

"Don't dawdle, pay the money!"

Shi Liu and A Fan were unable to pull the full cart of preserved eggs back, so they had to pay six cents to enter the city. After selling the preserved eggs, they hurried home and told Xiuying the news.

After hearing this, everyone fell into deep worry. The yard was silent for a moment. Only the occasional sound of the wind seemed to tell people's sorrow.

After hearing the news, Xiuying sighed and said worriedly, "One million taels of silver can only buy temporary peace."

There was deep helplessness and worry in her eyes.

"Shang State has such ambitious intentions, how could they just give up for a mere one million silver coins?"

Xiuying shook her head, her brows furrowed.

"This act of seeking peace is nothing but drinking poison to quench thirst." She folded her hands in front of her, her tone heavy.

"It's a pity for the people. With the increasing taxes, life is becoming more and more difficult." Xiuying looked into the distance, as if she saw the difficult years in the future.

Shi Liu frowned and said worriedly, "It's a wise move for mother to ask everyone to stock up on food. There's not even any chaos yet, but prices have already gone up." Her eyes were full of admiration for Xiuying.

"Three cents could buy a lot of things in the past, but now it's only enough for one person to enter the city." Shi Liu gestured as he spoke, a look of worry on his face.

"If it continues like this, I don't know how high it will go." She sighed, her eyes full of worry about the future.

"Fortunately, mother had the foresight to let us prepare early." Taohua's tone was filled with a hint of relief.

Xiuying said worriedly, "There's been little rain this year, so most harvests are not good. If this continues, I'm afraid we won't know what the prices of grain and vegetables will be like." She frowned, her face full of anxiety.

"In previous years when the weather was good, we could have a good harvest and the price was relatively stable. But the situation now..." Xiuying shook her head helplessly and sighed deeply.

"God is blind, and we ordinary people are the ones suffering." She looked at the cracked land in the distance, her eyes filled with deep sorrow.

"I just hope the situation won't get worse, otherwise we won't be able to live." Taohua clasped her hands together and prayed silently.

Xiuying looked solemn as she slowly analyzed, "From ancient times to the present, it is us poor people who have suffered from wars and natural disasters. For the rich, it is just a loss of some money, and they can still live their lives." Her eyes were filled with resentment and helplessness.

"We ordinary people rely on those few acres of thin land and a little bit of skills to barely make a living. When disaster strikes, the fields yield nothing and our skills are of no use." Xiuying's voice trembled slightly and her hands clenched unconsciously.

"The rich can buy off connections and find a safe place to stay, or stock up on sufficient supplies. But the poor can only drift in this storm, their lives uncertain.

When will this world truly be fair, allowing poor people to live a stable life?" Xiuying sighed, her heart full of sorrow and nowhere to vent.

Thinking of her father and mother in Yangliu Town, Xiuying decided to drive a ox cart to Yangliu Town tomorrow.

Thinking of this, Xiuying said to the children with a serious expression: "I will take Taohua to Yangliu Town tomorrow, and the rest of you should lock the door at home. Shiliu and Afan don't have to go to Nanyang City to sell preserved eggs for the time being." She looked at the children one by one with a firm gaze.

"Those of you at home should practice archery seriously just in case. The situation is unstable now, and we must be fully prepared." Xiuying's tone was filled with unquestionable determination.

"Remember this. Don't take it lightly." She crossed her arms over her chest with a serious expression.