At this time, the people of Lower River Village had just eaten breakfast, and the sun, which had just risen not long ago, revealed its red face, painting Lower River Village with layer after layer of golden halo.
“Mother, have some porridge.”Da Chuan’s daughter-in-law Juan’er looked at her mother Chen at the dining table with a concerned face, holding a bowl of boiled rice porridge with nourishing dried jujube and other things.
Chen shook her head with a haggard face.
“Mother, I dreamt of Da Chuan last night, Da Chuan gave me the news that he had found Second Brother.”Da Chuan’s daughter-in-law Juan’er put the porridge in front of her mother Chen and said in a chatty tone.
Upon hearing this, Chen’s eyes first lit up, then dimmed, and her eyes moistened again “Dreams are all the opposite, my swine child ……”
Many people have this thought, the dream is opposite, that is, anti-dream, this does not have a little bit of scientific basis, but many people are more or less this kind of thought, Chen’s is no exception. Dreams are opposite, said found that is not found, heard the eldest daughter-in-law said dreaming that the eldest son found the youngest son, but on the contrary, more worried up.
This is also concern is messy.
Looking at Chen’s saddened appearance, Zhu’s father on the side came over to comfort, “I also had a dream that Da Chuan hadn’t found the swine child yet.”
Chen sniffed, immediately glared hard at Zhu father, his face was full of sulkiness, without saying a word, he reached out and pinched Zhu father’s arm hard, tears came out of his eyes in anger, “You’re lacking in heart, can you speak!”
Zhu father even made amends, he just saw his eldest daughter-in-law said Da Chuan found swine, Chen said the dream was the opposite and then worried, so Zhu father thought then I said the dream didn’t find swine, the dream was the opposite, wouldn’t that be the reality to find swine, so wouldn’t Chen not need to be sad.
Ideal is very rich, reality is very bone-skinny, I think Zhu father must have understood this truth at this moment.
While Zhu Pingan’s family was thinking of ways to coax Chen to drink congee, they heard someone hurriedly running in from the gate.
“Shouyi’s family, the county office, there are people from the county office.”A villager hurriedly came in and said.
People from the county office?
Upon hearing this, Chen’s heart was overjoyed, and she dabbed up, asking hurriedly, “Did the government find my swine?”
“No.”The villager scratched his head, some can’t bear to break Chen’s fantasy, but people are to the village head, but had to remind said, “they said in the village entrance is measuring land miles, several people, the leader is the county office in the household book master, Li Ertu in the county office has seen, recognised.”
“What land survey, our family’s land in the county office have been filed, received the deed.”Father Zhu walked out the door and said.
“Second brother, then I don’t know.”The townsman shook his head, then anxiously reminded, “But a number of government officials, with paper and pencil pulling rulers have gone to the land, you guys go and take a look.”
Ancient hierarchical system is strict, deeply rooted in the idea of the official position, the household book is only the county Yamen Household Room official, is a minor official, but in the eyes of the ancient townspeople, this is a great big official, the management of the entire county levy tax, pay food taxes it, people are sitting in the county office, under the many yamen it.
In ancient times, although the county magistrate is responsible for, but the county magistrate after all, a person, lack of time, the real work in the county office is the six houses of Xuyun, they actually take over the magistrate’s rights and duties. The county officials are not in charge, in the people’s view of the six houses of Xuyun officials are the hands of the real power of the big man.
The county court came and measured the land, which is not a small matter, so the villagers saw it and thought it was a big deal, so they rushed over to report to the Zhu family, and there are still many people gathered around the land to see it.
The land is the root of the ancient people’s livelihood, in the townspeople’s reminder, Zhu father they also had to pay attention to it.
The family, following the villagers, walked towards the land in front of the village.
Not long after walking out the door, they ran into Master Zhu and others who had heard about the incident from the Zhu family’s old mansion, and of course, Uncle Zhu Shouren was also there.
Master Zhu and the others, just like Father Zhu, all wore surprised expressions on their faces, shocked by the sudden news of the county office coming to measure the land, but Eldest Uncle Zhu Shouren demonstrated the extraordinary psychological quality of a scholar, taking it in stride, with a kind of courage of letting the winds blow and the rains beat, as if he had already known about this, and wasn’t surprised at all.
“Shouyi, what’s going on here? Why do I hear the county office coming?”Elder Zhu asked worriedly.
“Father, I don’t know, it says it’s to measure the land.”Father Zhu shook his head.
“This measuring land is a matter for the household room, could it be that the person coming is the official lord of the household room, which is mainly responsible for paying grain and taxes ……”Eldest uncle Zhu Shouren said with his hands behind his back, stroking his chin’s beard in a staccato manner as he walked.
Paying grain and taxes? When Elder Zhu heard this, his face couldn’t help but become heavy.
Walked to the head of the ground, found in Zhu Pingan home ground has surrounded a lot of village people, the village people see the Zhu family over, also all greetings to make a road, so that the Zhu family to go to the front.
Walking in, I found that there were four magistrates and a household secretary wearing a green official uniform on the ground of the Zhu family.
At this moment, the household secretary was instructing the officers to measure the land, the officers pushed a unicycle, there was a wooden bucket on the unicycle, inside the bucket there was a rope measure similar to the wheel of a spinning wheel, the officers took the rope measure out of the car and inserted it into the soil, one person stood on the spot and was responsible for counting, while the other two led the land all the way in.
“You are the owners?”The Household Secretary wearing a green public uniform saw Father Zhu and the others cross the crowd and walk over, nodding his chin as he looked at Father Zhu and the others and asked.
“I don’t know what your honour is measuring the land for?”Father Zhu asked as he walked forward.
“By order of the governor, I have come to measure your family’s land as a basis for paying taxes.”The household secretary clasped his fist in the direction of the county office and said in an official voice.
Paying taxes? There was a murmur from the crowd of onlookers in the lower river village, Zhu Pingan was a Scholar, he was an official, how could he still pay taxes. Didn’t they say that if you are an official, you don’t have to pay taxes.
Listening to the comments of the surrounding people of Xiahe Village, the Household Secretary touched his beard and said unhurriedly, “Of course, when Lord Zhu was here, naturally he didn’t have to pay taxes, but now that Lord Zhu is no longer here, this tax can’t be waived.”
People go tea cool, some time ago the county government office also often to Zhu Pingan’s home run, and is to send things and congratulations, now Pingan Lang has just had an accident, this is only a few days ah, this county government office jumped out to be taxed, hey ……
“Who said my son is not there!”Chen sniffed angry, gritted his teeth and walked up, hate to scratch this person into a potato wire, even a mouthful of said my son is not in.
“Who are you village woman?”Toshu sneered.
“And who are you, your magistrate has to salute even when he sees me …….”Chen didn’t have a bit of a good face.
“Lao Er’s family.”Seeing Chen being so rude, Master Zhu was worried about pissing off the big lord in the county office, so he couldn’t help but walk up and give Chen a lecture, then made amends to that household book, “She’s a woman who doesn’t know any better, so don’t be ignorant of her, Your Excellency.”
“Then forget it.”
The household secretary said and glanced at Elder Zhu, who locked eyes with the household secretary and couldn’t help but shrink his neck. Zhu old master just also is drumming up the courage to go forward, worried about the second family to cause trouble even the Zhu family, this will be with this official eyes, the courage has long been dispersed!
