Chapter 8: Old Home? New Home?

  "Right, Ah Ye, our knives and axes haven't been sharpened yet?" On the way, Yang Heng suddenly remembered this matter, "Ha, kid, you've also forgotten something. I'll tell you, I've already prepared for this. Didn't you see that there are several whetstones on the carriage? I had your mother bring them all out."

  What a relief, Yang Heng's worries were lifted, and he took a deep breath, sighing in his heart, "The air in ancient times is really fresh, just like after the rain." It wasn't like after the rain or anything, it was still raining three days ago, and you could clearly see some dampness on the ground on both sides of the road. At this time, it was late autumn, a season with high skies and refreshing air. The family of three set out on their journey with full hope.

  At this time, the place didn't have the image of later generations where everywhere you look is a yellow earth slope. It was still all green with a bit of withered yellow. Winter would be arriving soon. In the distant fields, farmers were harvesting crops.

  "Great, this year's harvest at home is not bad, right?" "Yes, old man, this year's harvest in the field is enough to pay the rent to the landlord, and there's still enough left over to eat until next year." The farmers were harvesting in the fields, even chatting happily. In recent years, due to the war, the number of farmers who could plant crops had greatly decreased, and it was said that it had reached a historical low point. According to historical records, the national population at this time was only over 20 million, and some landlords also reduced their rent collection because they couldn't find enough tenants...

  The Chinese people, for thousands of years, whether in the past, present or future, as long as they have a meal to eat, a wall to block the wind, a roof to keep out the rain, and clothes on their backs to keep warm and cover their shame, they are very satisfied. But if you think carefully about history, how much time have the common people really been satisfied? Haven't they always become the tools of the nobles' games?

  Yang Heng was thinking in his heart, somewhat bewildered, what could he do after coming to this era?

  "Heng Er, Heng Er, what are you thinking about?" "Ah," Yang Heng was suddenly awakened from his thoughts by his mother, "ah, what's wrong? Be careful not to fall into the ditch, walk carefully, and rest in the car if you're tired." His mother asked with concern.

  "It's nothing, just thinking about some things. Oh, right, Grandpa, how much longer until we arrive?" Yang Heng changed the subject.

  "Hurry up, not much longer, after noon we'll be out of the mountain, it's just that going into the mountain is not easy to walk, I'm still thinking about how to get this car in, do we need to carry it in?" Old Dad said while carrying the cart and walking in front.

  This was originally a cow cart, but Yang Heng's family had no cows, so his father could only tie a rope to the cart and pull it forward with his hands. His mother followed closely behind the cart, helping to push or pull when they encountered uneven terrain. Yang Heng walked alongside, mainly because the mother and son didn't know the way and could only follow from behind.

  "Dad, are you tired? If so, I'll pull for a while." The old mother asked considerately. "Not tired, this weight, even if both of you mother and son go up, it's still manageable," the old father replied proudly.

  They walked and walked, crossing the ridge, crossing the river, and finally arrived at the foot of a mountain around noon. There was a small village on the edge of the mountain that wasn't too big.

  "Grandpa, is this really our old home?" Yang Heng was very curious. This place wasn't as remote as his father had said, at least it was still adjacent to an official road.

  "It's not, our home is still in the mountains." Old Dad said with a bitter smile.

  "Hey, isn't this Dalang? How did you get rich and come back to see your grandfather?" Just as Yang Heng was talking to his father, an old man suddenly appeared from the side, seemingly familiar with his father. Yang Heng was puzzled - how could he recognize him when his father's face was so blurry?

  "Ah, you are, you are my uncle. Come, Ying'er, Xiao Heng, this is my uncle. You call him Ah Wong. Uncle, this is my wife and son, Ying'er, Heng'er." Ah Wong, where did Ah Wong come from? Oh, I remember now, probably the younger brother of Father's stepmother. "Ah Wong is good." "Good, good, didn't expect that Eldest Brother already has a daughter-in-law. So many years without coming back home to see your grandfather and grandmother. Right, your family's Second Brother (Father's younger brother) is also engaged now. You've come back to see your grandfather?"

  It's really hard to hear anything bad about Lao Die from the old man's words, Yang Heng even suspected that Lao Die was lying, but what followed directly confirmed Lao Die's statement.

  "What's wrong, can't you make a living in the city? I was thinking of coming back to settle down." Old Dad is really straightforward, couldn't you just say that you're tired of living in the city? "That won't do, you know it as well as I do. Your grandfather only has a small piece of land, and there are often wild beasts coming down from the mountain to cause trouble. How can we support your family of three? It's not possible, not possible." This old man's face changed in an instant, just now he was still smiling, but now his face turned into a donkey's face.

  "Ah-yong, we didn't say we'd come back to live with you, we want to come back to reclaim the land and farm it ourselves." Yang Heng thought this wasn't good, although his father's uncle might not have much influence inside, he couldn't let his father mess things up.

  "Little kid, go away! Ah, what did you say? You won't live with your grandfather, which means this time you won't go to your grandfather for help." The old man's face changed quickly.

  "Yes, we just want to go back and build our own thatched hut, open a few acres of wasteland and live on our own." Old Dad also followed Yang Heng's tone and said with grievance.

  "Opening up new land, that's great, Dàláng, which place have you set your eyes on? Is it a plot of land in this village? I'll help you with the procedures." The old man's face changed again. "No, I've set my eyes on the woods by the river to the east of our village. I don't know if someone has already occupied that place." "What did you say? Woods? No way, no way." "Ah, how could it be occupied?" Yang Heng became anxious. "It's not that it's been occupied, but rather it's a place where farming can't be done." The old man also became anxious, "You're still trying to get your grandfather to help you out in a roundabout way, no way, no way!" "Dàláng, you know that we've tried to open up that land many times before, but not once has it been successful." The old man seemed genuinely kind.

  "We'll choose that place then." Old Dad said firmly. "Alright, it's that place, but I'm telling you, Dalang, if you want that place, I'll take care of all the formalities first, don't say later that you can't open it and regret it, I won't be able to accompany you." The old man said seriously, but in his heart he was thinking, okay, since you're so stubborn, I'll tie you up right away, can't give you any chance.

  "It's settled, then." Yang Heng found that his old man was hesitating, so he took over resolutely, while at this time the old man was full of hesitation, and his mother on the side was at a loss.

  "Alright, I agree too." The old man also reluctantly agreed. "How much land do you plan to open up?" The old man took the opportunity to settle things once and for all.

  "How much can you give us?" Since you said you gave it, I'll ask for more. This is Yang Heng's idea. "About 100 mu, recently there have been rumors that the imperial court has decided to give each household with a male member 100 mu of land, including one mu of courtyard and house." The old man also came up with a ruthless plan. In fact, there are distinctions between Yongye田 and Koufen田, and before the wasteland is opened up, it's just a matter of notifying the village head and going to draw out the boundaries, and only after it's opened up will the area be formally calculated and some land deeds taken. But what he has in mind now is to force Lao Ye to his death, so he's doing this. This old man doesn't even understand Yang Heng, let alone Old Mother.

  "Right, Ah Weng, if we open up the wasteland, can we use the water from the river over there?" "Easy to say, I can mark it on the land deed that the river near your land belongs to your family for use." The old man said gruffly.

  "Hehe, thank you, Uncle."