At this time, the people in Xiahe Village had just finished breakfast. The sun, which had just risen, revealed its red face, painting Xiahe Village with layer upon layer of golden halo.
"Mom, have some porridge." Dachuan's wife Juan'er looked at her mother Chen with concern at the dinner table, holding a bowl of cooked rice porridge with nourishing dried dates and other ingredients in her hand.
Chen shook her head with a haggard look on her face.
"Mom, I dreamed about Dachuan last night. Dachuan told me that he found his second brother." Dachuan's wife Juan'er put the porridge in front of her mother Chen and said in a chatty tone.
Hearing this, Chen's eyes first brightened, then dimmed, and her eyes became moist again. "Dreams are always the opposite, my piglet..."
Many people have this idea that dreams are the opposite, that is, reverse dreams. There is no scientific basis for this, but many people have this idea to some extent, and Chen is no exception. Dreams are always the opposite, and if you say you found something, then you didn't. When I heard the eldest daughter-in-law say that she dreamed that her eldest son found her younger son, I became even more worried.
This is also the case of being too concerned and causing confusion.
Seeing Chen's sad look, Zhu's father came over to comfort her, "I had a dream too. I dreamed that Dachuan hadn't found Zhu'er yet."
Upon hearing this, Chen glared at Zhu's father with anger on her face. Without saying a word, she stretched out her hand and pinched Zhu's arm hard. She was so angry that tears came out. "You are stupid. Do you know how to speak?"
Zhu's father apologized repeatedly. He had just heard his eldest daughter-in-law say that Dachuan had found Zhu'er. Chen said that dreams are the opposite, and she was very worried. So Zhu's father thought, then I said that I didn't find Zhu'er in the dream, and dreams are the opposite, then doesn't it mean that Zhu'er was found in reality? In this way, Chen doesn't have to be sad.
Ideals are full, but reality is skinny. I think Mr. Zhu must have understood this truth at this moment.
When Zhu Ping'an's family was trying to coax Chen to drink porridge, they heard someone hurriedly running in from the gate.
"Shouyi's family, there's someone coming from the county government office." A villager came in hurriedly and said.
Is someone coming from the county government
Hearing this, Chen was delighted, stood up, and asked anxiously, "Did the government find my pig?"
"No." The villager scratched his head, somewhat reluctant to break Chen's fantasy, but since they had already reached the village entrance, he had to remind her, "They said they were measuring the land at the village entrance. There were quite a few people, and the one leading them was the household clerk from the county government office. Li Ertou had seen him in the county government office and recognized him."
"What land do you want to measure? Our land has been registered with the county government, and we have obtained the land deeds." Zhu's father said as he walked out the door.
"Brother, I don't know about that." The villager shook his head and reminded anxiously, "But many yamen runners have come to the field with paper, pens and rulers. Go and have a look."
In ancient times, the hierarchical system was strict and the idea of officialism was deeply rooted. The Hushu was just a clerk in the county government, a minor official. However, in the eyes of the ancient villagers, he was a very important official who was in charge of collecting taxes and paying grain for the entire county. He worked in the county government and had many yamen runners under him.
In ancient times, although the county magistrate was in charge, he was alone after all and could not do everything, so the people who really worked in the county government were the six clerks, who actually took over the power and responsibilities of the government. The county magistrate was not in charge, and in the eyes of the common people, the six clerks were all powerful people.
Someone from the county government has come and is measuring the land. This is no small matter, so when the villagers saw it, they thought it was a big deal and hurried over to report the news to the Zhu family. Now there are still many people watching in the field.
Land was the foundation of the ancients' livelihood. At the reminder of the villagers, Zhu's father and others had to take it seriously.
The family followed the villagers and walked towards the fields in front of the village.
Not long after walking out of the door, I ran into Grandpa Zhu and others who came from the Zhu family's old house after hearing the news. Of course, my uncle Zhu Shouren was also there.
Like Mr. Zhu, Mr. Zhu and his friends all had surprised expressions on their faces, as they were shocked by the sudden news that people from the county government were coming to measure the land. However, uncle Zhu Shouren showed the extraordinary psychological quality of a scholar. He remained calm and had a kind of courage that said "no matter how hard the wind blows, I will remain unmoved." It seemed as if he had known about this matter for a long time and was not surprised at all.
"Shouyi, what happened? Why did I hear someone coming from the county government?" Old Master Zhu asked worriedly.
"Dad, I don't know either. They said they were measuring the land." Father Zhu shook his head.
"Measuring the land is the job of the Hufang Department. Could it be that the person who came is an official from the Hufang Department? The Hufang Department is mainly responsible for paying grain and taxes..." Uncle Zhu Shouren said in a rhythmic manner, with his hands behind his back, stroking his beard as he walked.
Paying grain and taxes? When Mr. Zhu heard this, his face turned heavy.
When they arrived at the end of the field, they found that many villagers had gathered at Zhu Ping'an's field. When the villagers saw the Zhu family coming, they greeted them and made way for them to pass.
When they walked in, they found four yamen runners and a household clerk wearing a blue official uniform on the Zhu family's land.
At this moment, the household clerk was instructing the yamen runners to measure the land. The yamen runners were pushing a wheelbarrow with a wooden bucket on it. Inside the bucket was a measuring rope similar to a spinning wheel. The yamen runners took the measuring rope out of the wheel and stuck it into the soil. One person stood there and was responsible for counting, while the other two people pulled the rope to the edge of the field and walked inside.
"Are you the victim?" The household clerk, who was wearing a green official uniform, saw Zhu's father and his companions walking towards him past the crowd, and asked, nodding his chin as he looked at Zhu's father and his companions.
"I wonder why you are measuring the land, sir?" Zhu's father walked forward and asked.
"I'm here on the order of the county magistrate to measure your family's land as a basis for payment of taxes." The household clerk clasped his fists in the direction of the county government and spoke in an official tone.
Pay taxes? The people from Xiahe Village who were watching the scene were discussing why Zhu Ping'an was the top scholar and an official. Why did he still have to pay taxes? Didn't they say that officials don't have to pay taxes
After listening to the discussions of the people in Xiahe Village, the household secretary stroked his beard and said slowly, "Of course, when Master Zhu was here, we didn't have to pay taxes, but now that Master Zhu is gone, we can't avoid paying taxes."
People are forgotten when they are gone. Some time ago, the county government often visited Zhu Ping'an's home, giving gifts and congratulating him. Now, Ping'anlang just got into trouble, and it's only been a few days, and the county government has already jumped out to levy taxes. Oh...
"Who said my son is gone!" Chen was furious when she heard that. She walked forward with gritted teeth, wishing she could tear this man into shredded potatoes for saying that my son is gone all the time.
"Who are you, this village woman?" Hu Shu sneered.
"Who are you? Your county magistrate has to bow to me when he sees me..." Chen did not look happy at all.
"The second elder's family." Seeing Chen's rudeness, Mr. Zhu was worried that he would anger the county magistrate, so he stepped forward and lectured Chen, then apologized to the clerk, "She is a woman who doesn't know how to behave. Your Excellency, please don't bother with her."
"Then forget it."
As Hu Shu spoke, he glanced at Mr. Zhu. Mr. Zhu exchanged glances with Hu Shu and couldn't help shrinking his neck. Mr. Zhu had just stepped forward with courage, fearing that the second son's family would cause trouble and implicate the Zhu family. Now that he met the eyes of this official, his courage had long since disappeared. (To be continued.)