It's really hard to just farm peacefully.

On the fourth day after the Reunion Festival, the 19th day of the first lunar month, at noon, Dongshan Village elder Jiang Wang hurriedly asked his grandson Jiang An to quickly call the villagers to the ancestral hall, saying that he had something very important to tell them.

Jiang Wang's home is at the easternmost end of Dongshan Village. By the time Jiang An ran to Jiang Yan's home at the westernmost end, he was already exhausted and out of breath.

"Sister Jiang Yan, my grandfather is calling you to the ancestral hall. There's something important going on. Hurry up, it's dangerous! The others are probably arriving soon."

Jiang Yan was covered with a patched reed quilt, curled up on the yellow mud kang which was still warm to keep warm, and at the same time distract his stomach which was still playing the empty city plan.

Hearing Jiang An's voice, Jiang Yan quickly replied, "Right away, right away. Let me put on my coat."

The ancestral hall we were going to was a temporary one, located in the center of the village, borrowed from an empty house of a villager.

The original ancestral hall had not been repaired for a long time. There was heavy snow a few years ago and the roof collapsed under the weight.

It was so cold that the villagers didn't dare let the remaining elderly and weak people repair it, for fear that they might slip and get into an accident. The village really couldn't find a strong laborer, so they had to leave it alone for the time being.

But they couldn't let the ancestral tablets sit out in the cold in the ancestral hall, so Jiang Wang asked someone to go to the county town and ask the owner of the house to borrow a room to place the ancestral tablets.

The owner's surname was Jiang, and his name was Jiang Fu. After marrying Yu, he followed his father-in-law to do peddling business from door to door, and renovated his own house into the best yellow mud house in the village.

Jiang Fu made a small fortune a few years ago and moved to the county town with his family. During the holidays, he would hire people to bring some food and clothing to the elderly and children in the village to maintain relationships.

The house that served as the ancestral hall had a solemn atmosphere. Even at noon on a sunny day, it always felt gloomy and cold, and not very bright.

When Jiang Yan and Jiang An arrived at the ancestral hall, the room was almost packed with people. Standing close together in the back row were a group of teenagers and children who were not yet adults.

They both consciously stood still among the group of children.

The overly young generation entered the ancestral hall for the first time to listen to the affairs with their elders. They were excited and a little uneasy. They all stood honestly, their bodies a little stiff and a little embarrassed.

But Jiang Yan, who had lived for twenty years before and after the time travel, was obviously not among them.

She stood on tiptoe slowly and slightly, then quickly stretched out her head to glance around through the gap in front of her body before retracting it.

The elders had all arrived and were standing in the front row, talking in low voices and looking worried.

Jiang Wang was always keeping an eye out for everyone. Seeing Jiang Yan's little movement, he couldn't help but cough and clear his throat loudly. The chattering in the ancestral hall stopped tacitly.

Jiang Wang walked to the front of the crowd, looked from left to right, and then said with a sad face: "This morning, Jiang Fu's wife sent someone to bring a message saying that the northern barbarians are going to attack Nanqi Mansion."

"The imperial court is now short of people, money and food."

Jiang Wang paused for a moment, then continued, "Our officials at the government office are considering increasing taxes by another 10% this year."

"Boys ten years old and older are also required to be conscripted."

"This time, I can't pay with money."

The ancestral hall was silent. So quiet that even Jiang Yan, standing in the back row, could clearly hear the breathing in front of him, which became faster and louder.

After a few breaths, an old voice said hoarsely and hatefully, "This is going to kill us! Oh my God, this is going to kill us!!!"

The deathly silence was broken.

"What do you mean it can't be paid with money? When has money ever been used to pay it?!"

"My son, you're the only one left by my side, why can't I keep you?!"

"I...I'm thirteen. Do I have to go to war too?"

"You're such a ruthless person who's going to destroy other people's offspring. Last time, you did it to a fifteen-year-old, and this time, you're even going to do it to a ten-year-old..."

……

Jiang Yan listened to the flustered, confused, helpless voices and suppressed sobbing around her. Her eyes turned red, her fists clenched, and she tried her best to hold back her tears.