Chapter 21 Heavy Taxes and Production Reductions

That afternoon.

My uncle met with a few people and asked the old farmer named Lao Jin who had been following him to explain something.

Just the next day.

When Chen Nuo went out, he found that everyone along the way was paying attention to him, with excitement in their eyes.

Chen Nuo smiled lightly.

This is all to be expected.

Probably, the first crop of second-generation oyster mushrooms has grown.

When we arrived at the ancestral hall, my uncle was already waiting.

"From now on, in the clan, you don't need me to speak for you anymore."

Uncle said suddenly.

Chen Nuo understood what his uncle meant, but he still shook his head, "With my uncle's prestige, I can help him at any time."

The old man smiled and said, "When are you going to move?"

The clan leader should naturally live in the center of the village. There is also a house left by the previous clan leader here.

But Chen Nuo shook his head, "No need, my home is not far from the center, and it's not impossible to live there."

The uncle nodded and did not try to persuade him again.

Now that he is the clan leader, he has the final say.

Unless there was a major mistake or Chen Nuo came looking for it, he would not intervene.

Respect is respect, but for some things, the old man feels that he should take the lead and not rely on his elders.

Chen Nuo naturally didn't know about this. He came here just thinking about the autumn harvest.

"Uncle, during the autumn harvest, is there any news from the tax collectors this year? What is the harvest rate?"

This is the focus of his visit this time.

In this era, food is the eternal lifeblood.

Chen Nuo must pay attention.

Hear the words.

Uncle frowned and said, "Well, Lao Jin just told me two days ago that the tax collector Li, who we know well in the county, passed the message that this year's grain tax will be 50%."

? ? ?

! ! !

"What?!"

Chen Nuo was a little uneasy.

Because this is an absolutely terrifying number!

Normally, the already relatively heavy grain tax is basically 1 out of 10 taxes. However, the overall grain output has declined in recent years, and the government has received a 30% increase, which is why the oppression is so difficult.

This is because Chenjiazhuang is a whole clan. They are basically self-cultivated farmers. My uncle also has a conscience and has not become one of those unscrupulous landlords.

Otherwise, under land annexation, 70% will go to the landlords, 30% will belong to the tenants, and the grain tax will still come from the tenants.

Now it has increased directly from 30% to 50%, which means that even the owner farmers have to hand over half of their grain. The tenant farmers are even more miserable. They have to hand over half of the only 30%. Where can the remaining grain go? Can survive the winter.

There is simply no way to survive!

"Don't worry, there is something else in it. According to Tax Collector Li, this time the grain tax is not only land tax, but also includes head tax and corvee, and it can be offset by property."

Even so, this is still a heavy tax. For this, I have to thank those gentlemen. Fortunately, I am glad that there is no other tax.

"Can we get money to pay for corvées?"

Chen Nuo asked with a frown.

The uncle nodded silently.

Chen Nuo couldn't help but curse secretly: Mader, you are the sign of the country's subjugation!

"Okay, since he can offset it with property, there's no need to worry. You don't think that our Chen family doesn't even have this kind of background, do you?"

The old man chuckled.

Chen Nuo suddenly realized, no wonder the old man didn't panic after hearing the news.

"Besides, it's a good thing to be able to exchange money for your life." The old man sighed.

Chen Nuo understood that the old man was talking about corvee labor.

"The country of Yue is probably going to be in chaos. Nothing is constant throughout the ages." The old man glanced at Chen Nuo meaningfully, indicating something.

"Arnold, we have to prepare early, we can't get caught up in this mess."

"Well, I will step up my efforts to stock up on food next year."

The two finalized some details.

…

Because of the second-generation oyster mushroom.

The entire Chenjiazhuang was well healed, and everyone took a breath.

The atmosphere in the village is very good.

As for the precious oyster mushrooms in his hands, he also strictly guarded them, so there was no need to worry about them leaking information for the time being.

Of course, it doesn't matter if it's leaked. After all, there are only three crops, and then they become extinct.

After all, oyster mushrooms are just vegetables, not staple foods, just barely available food.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed and it was August 5th.

There are still ten days.

The autumn harvest is coming.

But.

The previously relaxed atmosphere in Chenjiazhuang was filled with a sense of desolation and sadness.

"Oh my God! Oh my God!"

"What's going on!"

"Food, why did the food become like this!"

"What a thief! What a thief!"

"..."

Curses, howls, and whines are endless.

field.

In all the fields, food production has actually decreased!

It looks plump, but when you peel it off, it’s actually very thin!

When such a big event happened, Chen Nuo, the patriarch, was naturally present.

At this moment, his eyes were full of gloom, and he asked Lao Jin next to him, "How much has production been reduced compared to previous years?"

"Every piece of wheat is about the same. It's 20% less, so the overall amount should be about 20%." Lao Jin, an old farmer, was trembling in his hands and feet at this moment.

For ancient farmers, their livelihood for a year depended on this small amount of land. Not everyone had other skills that could support their family!

A little less food would be a loss of life, but now there is a full 20% less food, which is simply terrible!

Even if the production decreased in the past two years, it was only a slight decrease, not so much.

Add to that the increased grain tax this year...

Chen Nuo took a deep breath.

"Okay, the sky hasn't fallen yet, tell the people in the village to take good care of the crops and don't mess around."

As a "leader", the more times like this, the more you can't mess around.

Sure enough, after Chen Nuo spoke, the people present stabilized a lot. Although they were all sad, at least they didn't look like they were dying just now.

Chen Nuo squatted on the ground, staring at the crops, waved his hand, and called Chen Li next to him.

"Chief?"

"Go and ask someone to go to other villages to check."

"Yes."

Looking at the crops, Chen Nuo's brain was working at full speed.

What should I do with the food?

There are not enough oyster mushrooms.

Do business and then buy them with money?

No, it is estimated that food is more expensive than gold now. Even if my uncle has money, it is impossible to buy enough food for the whole tribe after paying taxes, otherwise they won't be so embarrassed.

Go hunting in the mountains?

It's difficult. Panshe Mountain is not small. Regardless of the so-called ecology, with Chen Li, Chen Yong, and myself, as well as those young men, we can greatly alleviate the food pressure. However, the strange beasts and poisonous snakes...

Is there any other way to get food?

Wait, Xiaochen Creek!

Fish!

In an instant, Chen Nuo thought of Xiaochen Creek, the stream that awakened his memory.

There are a lot of fish there, but because of the existence of strange fish in the past few months, no one has dared to go there for a long time. Even if there are, it's a matter of luck.

If you are not careful, you may die in the river.

"Strange fish, is that strange fish also a strange beast?"