Chapter 20

The imperial messengers, divided into silver messengers and labor messengers.

In the yamen, the messengers are silver messengers, assigned to the people, who pay money, and the government hires the laborers themselves. Labor messengers, such as gatekeepers, prison guards, post soldiers, grain measurers, warehouse keepers, and granary workers, must be personally served by the people. In short, silver messengers are paid off with money, while labor messengers require physical labor.

Lin Yanchao recalled the Ming dynasty's corvée system and said, "In theory, it's not yet the New Year, and the yamen would reassign duties during the New Year. Assigning duties now is against the rules."

Lin Qianqian said, "Xie Zongjia said that official matters are unpredictable, and temporary assignments are common."

"I knew it. Fortunately, I was prepared this time. What kind of duty did he assign to our family?"

"Two days ago, Xie Zongjia came to our door and said that our family was assigned to be a warehouse keeper at Changfeng Granary, and we would take office after the autumn." Lin Qianqian lowered her head.

"What a Xie Zongjia, he doesn't even show any consideration, trying to ruin our Lin family!" Lin Yanchao couldn't help but sneer.

He thought Xie Zongjia would at most assign his family hard labor like dam workers, post soldiers, or river repair workers, but he didn't expect it to be a warehouse keeper, which could ruin a family.

Lin Yanchao wasn't a novice anymore after his穿越. In the past, he would have thought being a warehouse keeper was a good job. There's a saying in the official world: being an official is not as good as being a prostitute (warehouse keeper), and being a prostitute is not as good as being a grain keeper.

But this benefit is for those within the system, not for temporary laborers like labor messengers. The warehouse keeper has to compensate for any shortages or damages in the warehouse, and if the clerks demand money, whether public or private, it all comes out of the keeper's pocket. Nine out of ten people assigned to be warehouse keepers end up bankrupt.

At this moment, Lin Yanchao remembered what Lin Chengyi said, and every word was true. Without an official title, as a commoner, the yamen officials can bully you, the clerks can bully you, the gentry can bully you, and the elders can bully you.

Don't blame others for treating you like meat. It's all because you're not strong enough.

"Brother Chao, don't get angry. Xie Zongjia sent a message beforehand, saying that there is still room for negotiation. If our grandfather and uncle go to apologize to Lady Xie and bring her back home, the duty will be canceled. Otherwise, the two families will divorce, and the dowry and private wealth must be returned to the Xie family in full, and Yanshou must return to the Xie family and change his surname to Xie. He can also cancel the duty."

Lin Yanchao understood that the Xie family was forcing them to comply.

Being a warehouse keeper is a path to ruin, and most people wouldn't choose it. As for divorce, not only would the Lin family have to pay a large sum, but they would also lose their grandson. Lin Yanshou is the eldest grandson of the Lin family, and Lin Gaozhu and Uncle would rather ruin the family than give up their eldest grandson.

So, the second option seemed acceptable.

To others, it might seem like a wife is angry and has gone to her mother's house, and the husband goes to apologize and brings her back. This is nothing to Uncle, who always maintains his authority. But Xie Zongjia's condition that even Lin Gaozhu must go is unacceptable.

An elder apologizing to a younger one, and a grandfather apologizing to a daughter-in-law, what kind of dignity is this? It's like breaking Lin Gaozhu's back, making him lose face in front of the Xie family forever.

"A man lives by his breath, and a tree by its bark. To make my grandfather apologize, what a dream. What did Uncle and Third Uncle say?"

"They said to wait for Grandfather to come back."

Lin Yanchao couldn't help but hold his forehead. Indeed, since Lady Xie was expelled, there was no one to make decisions in the family.

In the evening, Uncle and Third Uncle returned home.

Both looked exhausted. Third Uncle had no heart for farming, and Uncle was yawning, looking listless.

"Qianqian, has Grandfather sent any news?"

"Not yet."

"Chao has returned."

"Um, Uncle, Third Uncle, have your meal first. I have something to say." Lin Yanchao said.

"Alright, alright, let's eat first." Third Uncle had no objections.

The family sat down to eat.

Lin Qianqian brought a pot of clam soup and a plate of wild vegetables. The porridge in the pot was thin. Clams were the cheapest, costing only a few coins for a pot in the provincial city.

Lin Yanchao was surprised. When did the family's life become so hard?

Lin Yanchao was used to a hard life after his穿越, but Lin Yanshou, who was usually pampered, was complaining: "I want meat, I want meat."

"There's no meat."

"Then I want fish, I want fish."

"There's no fish."

"Then I want my mother, I want my mother."

Uncle slammed his chopsticks and shouted, "If you don't eat, get out!" Lin Yanshou immediately burst into tears: "Father doesn't love me, I want my mother, I want my mother." Lin Yanchao thought that in the past, Yanshou was the family's treasure, and Uncle never scolded him, but now...

Lin Qianqian looked apologetic and said, "We just paid the annual tax, and the family is short of money."

The annual tax is one of the three taxes in the li-jia system, a heavy tax in addition to the summer and autumn taxes. The annual tax is to supply the court with local products. The county yamen uses this pretext to levy money from the people.

Uncle and Third Uncle both lowered their heads. The fields weren't producing, and Third Uncle had no money to bring home. As for Uncle, it was already good that he didn't take money from the family. This year, the family relied on Lin Gaozhu's salary from his job and Lin Qianqian's mat-making to make ends meet, and to support Lin Yanchao and Lin Yanshou's education.

Lin Gaozhu had the privilege of a one-dou exemption and the income from fifteen acres of land, and the family's life was manageable. But after the flood, life became tight.

Lin Yanchao comforted Lin Qianqian, "Qianqian, it's fine. A clever housewife can't cook without rice. It's good to have something to eat. I love your wine-soaked clams and clear clam soup."

"Don't say that. It's not Qianqian's fault. It's all because I'm useless, and I can only give you such side dishes." Uncle put down his chopsticks, blaming himself.

"Brother, don't say that." Third Uncle also sighed.

Uncle and Third Uncle are good people, but should I, the nephew, have to comfort them?

Lin Yanchao hadn't spoken yet when Lin Qianqian said, "Uncle, don't worry. Look, so many clams, once cooked and shelled, they're still a meat dish."

"That's right. They say the poor can't eat more than three ounces of meat. We'll show them we can eat it." Hearing this, everyone's mood improved.

Lin Qianqian smiled and said, "Not only can you eat the clam meat, but the clam shells make a green, clear soup, which is a top-notch dish. In the past, when Brother Chao had night sweats, a bowl of this soup cured him."

Lin Yanchao and Lin Qianqian praised the clams, and Lin Yanshou, wide-eyed, believed them and picked up his chopsticks, "Father, father, I want clams, I want clams! Help me pick some!"

Lin Qianqian scooped a large spoonful of clams into Lin Yanshou's bowl. Lin Yanshou happily cracked the shells and ate the clams.

Uncle looked at Lin Qianqian with gratitude and scolded Lin Yanshou, "Who eats side dishes as the main dish? One mouthful of rice, one mouthful of dish!"

Third Uncle said, "Brother, there's been less rain lately, and the vegetables in the fields are withered. It will be better soon."

With this, Lin Yanshou ate happily, and everyone's frowns disappeared.

Lin Qianqian shelled the clams and put them in her bowl. Lin Yanchao felt that although the family was eating simple food, the atmosphere was good.

They say love can make one feel full with just water, but if possible, it's better to have love and abalone.

Uncle said, "Chao, what did you want to say?"

Lin Yanchao took out the document exempting the family from corvée and handed it to Uncle.

Uncle looked at it in disbelief, "Chao, how did you get this? With this, we don't have to fear the Xie family."

Lin Yanchao smiled, "Uncle, you can rest easy now."

Third Uncle was also delighted, the gloom on his face lifting, and he slapped the table, "The Xie family is too overbearing. Tomorrow, I'll show this document to Xie Zongjia and make him angry."

Lin Yanchao shook his head, "Third Uncle, don't show it yet."

"Why?" Uncle and Third Uncle asked in unison.

"If we show it now, Xie Zongjia will be on guard and might find other ways to harm us. It's better to wait until he sends someone to arrange the matter and comes to our door, and then we tell him we won't go."

Uncle and Third Uncle looked at each other and said in unison, "Yanchao, you're too cunning!"

The next day, Lin Yanchao was reading at home, and the corvée issue was resolved. The Xie family had bullied them, and it felt good to fight back.

But how to start?

Just as Lin Yanchao was thinking, someone outside shouted, "Bad news, bad news, the people from Miaofeng Village are fighting with our village."

"Damn them."

Lin Yanchao walked to the door and opened it. He saw the villagers cursing and grabbing poles and hoes, rushing to the village entrance.

Yong'an Li's Miaofeng Village and Hongshan Village were originally one village. After the official road to Hongshan Bridge was built, the two sides were separated by a road and eventually became two villages.

Hongshan Village was mainly inhabited by the Lin family, while Miaofeng Village was mainly inhabited by the Xie family.

The two villages often had conflicts over land and water, and fights between villagers were common.

In the past, Lin Yanchao didn't care, but now he had an idea, "Qianqian, I'll go take a look!"

Lin Qianqian immediately put down her work and said anxiously, "Brother Chao, why get involved in the adults' fight? Don't go."

Lin Yanchao smiled, "I just want to take a look. Do you think I'll fight with them?"

"No, no, no!" Lin Qianqian's eyes were about to tear up, her mouth pouting, and she held onto Lin Yanchao's clothes, shaking her head.

"Qianqian, let go. Don't worry, I'll just watch from a distance, I won't get involved, okay?"

Lin Qianqian saw Lin Yanchao's serious expression and said, "Then you promise me, don't get into trouble. If the villagers start fighting, run back, don't watch!"

"Okay, okay, I know." Lin Yanchao absentmindedly agreed and ran out the door.

"Brother Chao, be careful!" Lin Qianqian called out, her eyes full of worry.

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