Wu Dalin sat on the ridge of the field with his knees in his arms, smiling at the wheat fields that were almost invisible to see. The ears of wheat hung heavily. Each bunch of wheat represents a bumper harvest this year. This made Wu Dalin smile every day. Whenever he had a little time, he would sneak into this field that belonged to his family and look at these lands that represented his family's hopes with satisfaction.

Speaking of which, Wu Dalin was a poor man. He was once a soldier of the Great Qi Dynasty, but he was not lucky. In a war with the Chu State, he lost one arm and had to retire and go home.

At that time, soldiers from Qi returned home with disabilities, but they did not have a complete system like those in the Ming Dynasty to ensure that retired soldiers, especially disabled soldiers, live a safe life in the future. He returned to his hometown after receiving a meager pension.

In the countryside, it is conceivable how difficult life is for a disabled person. Wu Dalin only found a widow with two sons as his daughter-in-law when he was forty years old, and finally had a family. In the third year after the family, the widow gave him another son, which made him feel very satisfied in his life.

He worked hard, usually renting and growing ten acres of land from wealthy families. After a year, after paying the rent and taxes, even eating became a problem. He had to go to the city to find some work to supplement the family's income. However, a disabled person had limited jobs. Even if Wu Dalin worked hard, his family would be poor and had no overnight food at home, which was common.

Fortunately, as the two adopted sons grew up, the family had two more laborers, and their lives were getting better. But after being able to eat enough, a bigger problem was put in front of Wu Dalin. The two adopted sons had reached the age of talking about their daughter-in-law, but what did his family use to find a daughter-in-law for the two adopted sons?

Although they were adopted sons, Wu Dalin always treated them as parents and children. Moreover, these two boys were almost raised by him. He didn't want them to find their wife like him, who was almost forty years old.

Just when he was at a loss, he never expected that he would be delighted from the sky.

The old emperor was gone and the new emperor came to power. Suddenly, they were allocated a large amount of land, each ten acres, and his family's five people were divided into fifty acres.

Wu Dalin went the farthest in his life to the county town. How could he know that the two wars far away in Chang'an and Luoyang had completely changed the political structure of Daqi. The biggest scene he had ever seen was just a chance to meet the county master sitting in a sedan chair on the streets of the county town.

Wu Dalin knew that the master who rented the land for them to plant was captured by the officers and soldiers one night. He heard that he had committed a serious crime of treason.

He had no favoritism for the former landlord, and he collected the rent very heavily. He refused to reduce the rent even in the disaster year. Now he seems to be not a good person.

The emperor was willing to share the land for them, so he would naturally be a good emperor. Although he still had to collect money, the price was very low and he was allowed to pay them every year. Although this was a lot of money for Wu Dalin's family, it was a great deal to calculate the accounts.

This year, I can only plant one season of spring wheat. After autumn, I can plan the 50 acres of land at home, some of which are planted in winter wheat and some are planted in spring wheat, and then I can also plant some other things at other times. As long as God is beautiful, it will take less than a few years to truly turn these 50 acres of land into his Wu family.

After getting the land, Wu Dalin almost devoted himself to the ground, went out before dawn, and the moon climbed into the sky before returning home, using all his farming experience in the past few decades to serve him carefully the hope of the Wu family.

Looking up at the sun in the sky, he smiled even happier. In a few days, he could harvest it. There is absolutely no problem with 400 kilograms per acre. 50 acres of land is 20,000 kilograms. After paying public grain, deducting the money for the land that needs to be repaid every year, there is absolutely no problem with 5,000 kilograms of wheat left.

The family of five, oh, no, there are only four people left. The eldest son has been recruited to serve in the army this year. Three Dings have two sons. The Wu family happens to have three sons. One of them must have been to serve in the army. Two thousand kilograms of grain is enough to eat. The remaining three thousand kilograms of food were sold, and the family finally had the remaining money.

Of course, this money cannot be spent randomly. You have to save it. You are planning to save the bride price for your two sons. When the farm is slack, your second child can still find some temporary jobs in the city and earn some money. The house at home needs to be cleaned up.

As Wu Dalin thought about it, he laughed rattle. With the remaining money, he had to prepare bride money for his sons. Of course, he had to change his thatched house at home to a large tiled house. Today he could only grow wheat for one season, and tomorrow he could plant two seasons. In addition to interplanting some other crops, the family's income would definitely be more than double that of today.

There is really hope for this day!

"Old man Wu, Old man Wu!" A shout came from afar. Wu Dalin stood up and looked at Li Zhengren Hai who was running out of breath in the distance.

"Ren Lizheng, what's the matter with me?" Wu Dalin asked.

"Old man Wu, the best wheat growth in the village this year is your family. You kid, this is going to be released!" Ren Hai looked at the wheat fields in front of him and said a little enviously. In terms of farming level, no one in the village can compete with Wu Dalin.

"Where can I send it? Three sons are three debt collectors! The eldest and second brother are about to ask for his wife, and the money is not yet settled!" Wu Dalin smiled and said this, but the smile on his face betrayed his complacency.

"As sooner or later, sooner or later." Ren Hai patted his shoulder: "It's not for anything else to find you, but the superiors sent corvee again. Just after the wheat harvest, each family will leave one person to build roads. Haven't your second son gone to the city to do short-term work in recent years? Call it back quickly."

"You have to serve labor again?" Wu Dalin's face changed color. People's labor service has always been a deadly task. There was no labor service in the Ming Dynasty. All these projects required were purchased and sold by the court or local governments, and were contracted by merchants. However, in Qi, civil servants were still recruited during the slack season.

Not only did you have no money to get the labor service, but you also had to bring your own food. In the past, it was common for people to die every year. Local clerks took advantage of the opportunity to collect labor service to exploit the people and make a living.

"I heard that I was going to build roads and castles in Crab Bay. I heard that a few months ago, there was a big battle there. The Ming people's warships came and they were so messy that they almost couldn't defend it. This time, the labor service was to build a stronger fortress." Ren Hai, as a lizheng, naturally had much more informed information." It took a month to bring his own food. Ten days later, gathered to the county town to meet the large troops and then set off."

Looking at Wu Dalin's mourning look, Ren Hai comforted: "Old man Wu, I can't help but worry. I heard that this time, the construction of a castle and road construction is different from previous years. I heard that it is made of cement and steel bars, so there is no need to open mountains and split stones anymore. I heard from the yamen runners in the county town that what is the thing about building roads and houses is fast and good. After the repair, it is harder than the stones!"

"Cement?" Wu Dalin looked confused.

"Don't there be such a workshop in our county? It's right there in Meishan." Ren Hai smiled and said, "So, this time it's not as terrible as you think. Of course, you can do it if you don't want to go, but you have to pay the usual amount of free service. This is not something I'm trying to cheat you. Your old man works in the county and has posted a notice."

Wu Dalin thought about it and refused to pay for his usual money, but he was unwilling to let the second son go to perform labor service. The old woman at home must also disagree. The eldest son went to serve in the army, and it was hard to say that life and death. Wu Dalin himself had served as a soldier, so of course he knew how dangerous it was. If something really happened to him, the old woman would not have to live. Besides, during the slack season, letting the second son work in the city can earn more money than he himself. Most young and strong people in the county go to perform labor service, and it will be difficult to hire people at that time. The wages will definitely grow rapidly, and the second son can earn more money.

Thinking of this, he made a decision.

"Ren Lizheng, my second child won't go, I'll go."

"You? You are a man of old arms and legs, but you can really withstand it. Although I heard that it is much better now than before, it is definitely very tiring to build roads and castles. Don't make you really unable to come back then. That's my sin." Ren Hai hesitated a little.

Wu Dalin beat his chest with one hand: "Ren Lizheng, don't look at me without an arm, but my body is much better than ordinary people. Look at these places, who in our village can grow better than me? Do you think? You can do it well. Then I will say that my second child is sick and can't go. This corvee service is not waiting for anyone, so I will go."

"Old man Wu, your good life is just beginning, don't mess around with yourself. I can help you, my fellow villagers, but you can think clearly."

"Think it clearly, think it clearly." Wu Dalin smiled and said, "I called my dick back and harvested it quickly. Only by putting the wheat into the warehouse can I leave with peace of mind!"

"It's okay. You were a soldier back then. The crab bay was full of soldiers. Maybe you could say a few more words. If you really have such a chance, you should take care of the people in our village." Ren Hai reminded.
Chapter completed!