Chapter 8

"Right, Grandpa, our knives and axes haven't been sharpened yet, have they?" On the road, Yang Heng suddenly remembered this matter, "Ha, kid, there are still things you've forgotten. I've already prepared for this. Didn't you see the whetstones on the cart? Your mother brought them all out for you." The old man laughed, and the old woman laughed along with him, "You child, the knives are already made, why worry about them not being sharp?"

Yang Heng's worries were relieved, and he took a deep breath, sighing in his heart, "The air in ancient times is so fresh, just like after a rain."

Indeed, it had rained just two days ago, and the soil on both sides of the road was still damp. It was late autumn, a time of clear skies and pleasant weather. The family of three set off with high hopes.

At this time, this place was not the barren landscape of later times, but was still covered in green, with a touch of withered yellow. Winter was approaching, and in the distant fields, farmers were harvesting their crops.

"Big Brother, the harvest at home this year is good, right?" "Yes, Old Sir, this year's harvest is enough to pay the landlord's rent, and the rest will last until next year." The farmers were harvesting in the fields, even chatting happily. In recent years, due to the wars, the number of farmers who could farm had greatly decreased, reaching one of the lowest population periods in history. According to historical records, the national population was only about two million at this time. Some landlords reduced their rents to attract tenants, as not renting would mean others would rent instead...

For thousands of years, the Chinese people, whether in the past, present, or the future Yang Heng came from, were content as long as they had food to eat, a wall to shelter from the wind, a roof to protect from the rain, and clothes to keep warm and cover their bodies. But thinking about history, how often were the people truly content? They were always used as tools by the nobles.

Yang Heng felt a bit lost, thinking about what he could do in this era.

"Heng'er, Heng'er, what are you thinking about?" "Ah," Yang Heng was startled out of his thoughts by his mother, "What 'ah'? You almost fell into the ditch. Walk properly. If you're tired, rest on the cart." His mother asked with concern.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about some things. By the way, Grandpa, how much longer until we arrive?" Yang Heng changed the subject.

"Are you in a hurry? It won't be long. We'll be out of the mountains after noon. The problem is that the road into the mountains is difficult. I'm still thinking about how to get the cart in. Do we have to carry it?" The old man said while driving the cart.

This was originally an ox cart, but Yang Heng's family no longer had an ox, so the old man had to tie a rope to the cart and pull it himself. The old woman followed closely behind, helping to steady the cart when the road was uneven. Yang Heng walked alongside, mainly because the mother and son didn't know the way and had to follow behind.

"Dear, are you tired? Do you want me to pull for a while?" The old woman asked considerately.

"Not tired. This load is light. Even if you and the children got on, it would be fine." The old man replied proudly.

They walked and walked, crossing hills and rivers. Finally, around noon, the family of three arrived at the edge of a mountain, where there was a village that wasn't too large.

"Grandpa, is this our hometown?" Yang Heng was very curious. It wasn't as remote as the old man had said; at least it was near an official road.

"No, our home is still in the mountains." The old man smiled bitterly.

"Hey, isn't that Big Brother? How did you get rich enough to come back and see your grandpa?" As Yang Heng was talking to the old man, an old man suddenly appeared, apparently recognizing the old man. Yang Heng was puzzled; the old man's face was scarred, how could he recognize him?

"Ah, you're Uncle, Ying'er, Xiao Heng, this is my uncle. Call him Grandpa. Uncle, this is my wife and children, Ying'er, Heng'er." "Hello, Grandpa." "Good, good. I didn't expect Big Brother to have a wife. You haven't come home for so many years. Your grandpa and grandma miss you. By the way, your brother (the old man's brother) is also engaged. You came back to see your grandpa."

From the old man's words, it didn't seem like they treated the old man badly. Yang Heng even suspected the old man was lying, but what happened next confirmed the old man's story.

"Not really, we couldn't make it in the city, so I want to settle back here." The old man was honest; he could have said he was tired of city life. "That won't do. You know, your grandpa only has a little land, and wild animals often come down from the mountain to destroy it. How can he support your family of three? No, no."

"Grandpa, we didn't say we wanted to live with you. We want to clear some land and farm it ourselves." Yang Heng saw the situation and, though the old man's uncle might not be influential, he didn't want the old man to ruin things.

"Child, step aside. What did you say? You won't live with your grandpa? So you're not coming to seek his help?" The old man's face changed quickly.

"Yes, we just want to build a thatched hut and clear some land to live on our own." The old man followed Yang Heng's lead, sounding a bit aggrieved.

"Clearing land, that's good. Big Brother, which area do you want? Is it in this village? I'll handle the paperwork for you." The old man's face changed again. "No, I want the forest by the river on the east side of our village. I don't know if it's been claimed yet."

"What? The forest? No, no." "Ah, is it claimed?" Yang Heng was anxious. "No, but you can't farm there." The old man was also anxious. "Big Brother, you know, that area has been tried many times, but no one has succeeded." The old man seemed genuinely concerned.

"We'll choose that area." The old man said firmly. "Alright, that area. But Big Brother, I'll handle everything for you. Don't say you don't want it later if you can't farm it. I can't afford to lose to you." The old man said seriously, but in his heart, he was thinking, "Alright, since you're stubborn, I'll tie you down. I can't give you a chance."

"Alright, let's do it." Yang Heng saw the old man's hesitation and firmly agreed. The old man looked hesitant, and the old woman was at a loss.

"Big Brother, what about you?" "Alright, I agree." The old man reluctantly agreed. "How much land do you plan to clear?"

"How much can you give us?" Since you're giving it, I'll ask for more, Yang Heng thought. "A hundred acres. There's a rumor that the court has decided to give a hundred acres of land to each male in a family, and one acre for a courtyard." The old man was also being tough, not explaining the details. In reality, there were distinctions between permanent and allocated land, and before the land was cleared, they just needed to inform the village head and mark the boundaries. The land would be officially measured and documented after it was cleared. But the old man's intention was to trap the old man, and neither the old man nor Yang Heng understood this, let alone the old woman.

"Right, Grandpa, if we clear the land, can we use the water from the river nearby?" "That's easy. I can mark it on the land deed, so the river near your land will belong to you." The old man said grumpily.

"Hehe, thank you, Grandpa."