Men, listen, grab the top of the mountain and stand in the center position

The rice ears in the fields gradually curved, blooming from the top to the middle and now to the bottom, pollinated by the wind. On the sunny hillside, the rice ears were filling with grain. A gentle pinch of the fingers revealed a white, milky liquid that spilt from the still-small grains.

"When the pulp slowly becomes like soft dough, at least it will fill your stomach. When it hardens and turns yellow, and the rice leaves wither and dry up, it's a good harvest!"

"Oh, it's unbearable. I can't even sleep well now. I'm afraid of a strong wind and a very cold weather in the middle of the night!"

"The owner of the Zushi Rice Shop came here yesterday and said he wanted to place an order in advance. He offered a hundred for a bushel of rice!"

"Don't do anything rash! Even if there's a good harvest now, Miss Ji might not be able to make the decision!"

The farmers, gathered together and whispering, quieted down for a moment. There were still three rice shops with grain in stock, and the best rice was selling for 150 coins per dou. It was unknown how much grain the General's Mansion had, but they had already sent soldiers to guard the rice fields outside the city. Anyone with a finger could tell the truth was not good... If it was a good harvest... who knew what would happen...

In the open space in the middle, Ji Wu ordered several brothers to help Wangshu unload two bags of wheat, a pot of braised meat cut into small pieces, three jars of pickled cabbage, and a bag full of copper coins and silver from the carriage.

Ji Shou carried a broken gong and struck it as he walked, shouting, "Pay your wages! Each farmer should send a responsible person to come here and collect them quickly!"

As soon as the gong sounded, every household rushed out, with children running the fastest. With the deep impression left by the previous three times, the gong for "paying wages" has become a happy event as important as the Chinese New Year!

The head of the household was in front, and the elderly, children and women who were watching the fun were behind, looking forward to it.

"So much meat! It smells so good!"

"Those sacks are full of food. I only have a handful left at home! I just ate the wild vegetable soup!"

"Boss, get some pickled cabbage to enjoy with your porridge!"

Everyone laughed and talked about it. Everyone knew it well. It was just a matter of licking the pickled cabbage, smacking the flavor, and drinking a bowl of wild vegetable soup.

"If I could eat that meat, it would be worth dying for!"

Everyone was drooling all over the floor. Some half-grown children looked at the meat and smelled the aroma, clamoring to eat it, crying and making a fuss. The scene was as noisy as a city.

Wangshu looked at the second young master, and Ji Wu rolled his eyes in his heart. How can a young lady be a mother in the future if she doesn't like children making noises?

He shouted, "Quiet! Anyone making noise should go home! If anyone causes trouble, I will kill them on the spot!"

Very good. Wangshu took out the account book and, according to the name list, marked the number of mu and mu of land each person cultivated. It was agreed that a monthly wage subsidy of five wen per mu of land would be paid, which could be offset by vegetables, meat, and grain of equivalent value. At the end of each month, Wangshu and the farmers would jointly inspect the growth of each household's rice fields. If the rice fields were intact and normal payment was being made, if there were weeds, slow growth of rice ears, or even dryness and death, wages would be deducted on the spot...

Spreading out a piece of paper, Wangshu said, "I'll read what's written here to everyone. Second Young Master, please bear witness." He stood up and pointed at the words on the paper, reading line by line. "August wage claim form. According to the contract, I will receive the full amount. Please sign, seal, and place your fingerprint here. This large blank area is for you to watch. According to the contract and the joint assessment, I didn't receive the full amount. Only Thursday signed here. He watered the land improperly, and half a mu of land was sunburned. Therefore, all wages for the previous three months and this month will be deducted from this half mu of land, a total of ten cents. Below this is the signature of Second Young Master as witness, the date, and myself..."

Ji Wu nodded. This was his second time as a witness. Previously, Qin Xiuyuan had sent someone from the government to serve as a witness.

"Sir! Miss Ji! Could you please forgive me? My family is so hungry that we can't survive. If you deduct ten cents, not only our children, but even the adults will be too weak to bear the cost!"

Zhou Si fell to his knees, wailing. He was young and didn't listen to advice. He rushed to finish watering the fields before noon to avoid going out. Unexpectedly, the water in the field heated up in the sun, and the field was scalded and dried up.

Wangshu was furious, and the remaining ones were transplanted to a fertile land, and were given some wood ash fertilizer and chicken manure, and they barely came back to life.

"When things calm down, I'll pay you your wages."

Some anxious farmers, whose stomachs were rumbling, were about to step forward and drag the wailing man out, but Zhou Si was so scared that he shut up.

"A real man must admit his mistakes. Your other fields aren't growing as well as ours. There's no such thing as being lazy when it comes to farming. Didn't you promise to plant the crops step by step according to the rules? There's a god above us!"

The old farmer from Wangshu's household, who was also the leader, came out and said a few words. He had undertaken the task of finding people to grow rice, and he remembered clearly the oaths these people had made. But they kept complaining while growing rice, which was dishonest!

The farmers had already made their promise, so they didn't say anything more.

Ji Shou pointed and said, "It's the same old rule: a small piece of braised pork costs three cents, a head of pickled cabbage costs five cents, and a bowl of wheat costs three cents. My young lady is a fair trader. These braised pork and pickled vegetables are a cent or two more expensive in the city! These two bags of wheat are of excellent quality. I know that even if you have copper coins, you may not be able to buy this three-cent bowl of wheat in the city. My young lady pulled out the last rations of the son-in-law's family who is transporting grain to the southwest. I hope we can eat new grain next month, otherwise my family will starve. If you need cash, you can get it in cash."

Goodness me! Less than two months after Qin Xiuyuan left, this young woman has already emptied out his entire house! Tsk tsk! Last month, she distributed her own family's food reserves, and this month, she's distributing food to her fiancé's family. It's outrageous.

"Everyone, a few days ago in the city, a bowl of wheat like this cost three and a half coins, but it might not be that expensive now! If you have elderly or children at home, you can exchange some of this braised pork for a side dish. The pickled cabbage can make a good addition to your porridge. Just this month, not to mention you, my family of three, each of us earns money, and there are four of us, including the two families, maids, and servants. We can't be lazy, and now we only eat half full every meal. Life is hard for everyone. So, talk less and get hungry more slowly."

Wangshu picked up the distribution form and said, "Listen to your name. Go up from the right, choose your package, and go to the middle where I'll sign and stamp your name. Then go down from the left."

Everyone held their breath and listened to the names being read out. The order was different every month, and the sequence was always rotated.

"...Iron Head Two! Twenty-three coins!"

A tall, thin, dark-skinned man came forward carrying two jars, followed by a woman holding a baby. Tietouer was illiterate but a good worker, while Tie Niangzi could write a few words, count, and sign.

"Brother Ji, my family wants five bowls of wheat, a pickled cabbage, and a piece of braised meat."

She only had one child in her womb and didn't eat much. Tietouer worked diligently, renting nearly five acres of land by himself. He worked from dawn to dusk, and the braised meat was to nourish his body and give him strength.

Ji Shou counted on his fingers and found that it was right. He scooped five bowls of flat wheat into one jar and a head of pickled cabbage into another jar, and reminded him: "Don't let it get greasy before eating! The braised meat is strung with a rope, and you can choose a piece. Don't let the greasy food get on the pickled cabbage!"

"Iron Head No. 2 knows."

The Iron Lady held the sleeping baby in her left hand, gestured a few times with her right hand, signed the two or three words "Iron Head", and pressed her fingerprint.

"Zhou Dahong! Eighteen cents!"

… “Six bowls of wheat!”

"Think three! Fifty-two coins!"