I played as an assistant in ancient times

"Aunt, don't worry, collect this first." Shen Xiaoye opened the big basket that her uncle had brought, which contained two pheasants and two rabbits.

Xin Laojiu's wife was obviously more friendly than before. She held Shen Xiaoye's hand and said, "Why did you bring so many things again? The dried meat and watermelon I brought a few days ago are still here!

Don’t take it next time. You must be tired after such a long journey. Did you have lunch on the way? I will make some more for you.”

"I'm not tired, it's the two animals that are tired." Apart from the hot spots, Shen Xiaoye really didn't feel tired.

Xin Laojiu's wife immediately told her youngest son to go to the town to find her husband, and asked her eldest son to prepare feed for the livestock while she went into the kitchen to start the fire.

At the signal from her two uncles, Shen Xiaoye hurriedly stopped her and said, "Aunt Jiu, we had a lot to eat on the way. We have to stay a day or two longer this time. One reason is that the mules and horses can't stand the back and forth journey, and the other is that we want to visit some families on both sides of the strait and try to collect more cloth.

So I want to leave my car at your house for two days, and then I'll cross the river and ask you to find a reliable boat to the other side."

The last time we traveled back and forth for more than a hundred miles, both the donkey and the mule were a little tired, but my uncle had to give them extra food and take good care of them so that they could lose weight.

Since it consumes so much energy, my grandfather is already discussing with my great grandfather about buying the donkey.

"So you're going to find a place to stay across the street at night? How can you do that when you're unfamiliar with the place? You have to ask the head of the family to lead you back to stay at night.

In this way, the newly built brick house in my home is also spacious, as there is already an empty room.

Let the two boys sleep in one room for the next two days, and make room for your two uncles." Xin Laojiu's wife acted decisively and asked her youngest son to go to town while she made room for herself.

Shen Xiaoye couldn't stop her for a moment, nor could she follow her into the side room, so she had to sit in the main room with her two uncles and look at each other, "What should I do?"

"It's hot at noon so we can wait. It would be even better if Brother Xin Jiu could join us for the trip." Uncle Shen Changshou knew that it was convenient to travel in the countryside with an acquaintance leading the way.

Shen Changsui also agreed. He thought that he could ask Brother Xin's wife to help collect the cloth in the future. In this way, they would not have to go to several villages to collect the cloth every time.

However, the amount of labor fees to be paid still needs careful consideration.

Coincidentally, Shen Xiaoye was also thinking about whether she could develop the Xin family into her middleman. When she was comparing the pros and cons, the youngest son of the Xin family ran into the house and went straight to the main hall, "Where's my mother?"

"Here you are, why are you back again?" Xin Laojiu's wife came out of the side room with a small broom.

Her youngest son ran over and said, "I just ran to the village entrance and met the fourth brother who was fishing in the water. He said my father was fishing in the West Ditch and the mule cart was still tied up in the reed marsh. So I..."

"Damn you Xin Laojiu, how dare you go out and play secretly." The sister-in-law didn't even listen to her son's words about going to Xigou to call him back. She dropped the small broom in her hand, rushed into the kitchen, picked up a rolling pin and ran out the door.

She instantly forgot about Shen Xiaoye and the others at home. Her youngest son looked at the guests who walked out of the main hall and said, "I have to go save my dad. Who of you will come with me?"

It seemed that no one was suitable to go, and the three of them looked at each other.

The little boy seemed to have no patience and ran away as soon as he asked.

"Uncle, can you go to the backyard and call someone over?" Shen Xiaoye was referring to the eldest son of the Xin family.

However, just as Shen Changsui called people to the front yard, he heard the sound of a mule cart outside the gate. Shen Xiaoye ran out first and saw Uncle Xin Jiu holding a rolling pin and constantly accompanying his wife who was pulling the mule cart.

His youngest son was sitting in the car holding a fish basket, staring at the fish in it. Did he "rescue" the person?

Upon seeing this, Shen Xiaoye quickly retreated back into the yard and hurried back to the main room with his two uncles. His movements were so fast that the eldest son of the Xin family became a little confused.

But when he saw his parents coming in with smiling faces and greeting the guests, and the rolling pin was placed on the shaft of the cart with its head not visible, the young man understood something. Was this the "face" that the adults often talked about?

Not long after this little episode, Xin Laojiu asked some villagers to row a boat to take Shen Xiaoye and two other animals across the river.

Not long after stepping onto the river bank, they turned into a small village with only seven or eight households.

Xin Laojiu said: "Most of the people living in this row of houses work in the cotton fields over there, weeding and catching insects without a break, and only then can they grow a good cotton field."

"Is that where they are? They are not villagers but tenant farmers?" Shen Xiaoye rode the mule as if it were a horse. She pointed in the direction Xin Laojiu was looking. In a large cotton field more than half a foot high, there were busy farmers everywhere.

As she walked closer, she found that the people in the fields were working very skillfully and efficiently. Children of several years old were helping to catch insects. However, the clothes these people were wearing were really shabby, with only patches of linen clothes.

Xin Laojiu nodded and shook his head: "It is there, but they are not tenant farmers, but slaves of this family. They are said to be punished to do farm work.

And without the owner's permission, you are not allowed to live back in the manor."

"Alas, once you become a slave, you have no control over your life and death, let alone your work and accommodation." Uncle Shen Changshou was leading the mule for Shen Xiaoye, and he was afraid that the little girl would fall off.

There was a basket on the donkey that Shen Changsui was leading, and a small black cat was playing in it. He asked, "Brother Xin, who are these owners? Are they officials or civilians? Do they weave their own cotton?"

Baohe County, which is adjacent to Linghe River, is very popular among officials and wealthy families for building villas because of its fertile land and basically no mountains.

"Of course it's an official. How could a wealthy family without an official title dare to keep so many slaves?

I heard that this family is a high-ranking official who is particularly valued by the emperor and receives rewards every year.

A few miles further ahead, you can see a brick and tile house, which is also a manor granted by the emperor. "Xin Laojiu couldn't help but envy.

He added: "After the cotton here is harvested, it will be spun into thread and given to nearby farmers to weave cloth.

The better the quality of the fabric, the higher the labor cost. However, if the quality does not meet the requirements, the deposit for the cotton thread paid by the family will not be refunded, and they will have to ask for the cloth themselves.

So several of the companies I asked yesterday all took cotton thread to make cloth but didn’t make it well.”

“You can come and have a look. The cloth is not bad, but the owner has high standards and doesn’t want it.

In the past, those cloths would be sold to cloth merchants from other places at a lower price. "As if he was worried that they might misunderstand, Xin Laojiu added another explanation.

Shen Xiaoye nodded: "As long as the cloth belongs to the weaver himself, I will buy it after I inspect it on the spot and find it qualified.

But, doesn’t the cotton farm owner collect very little cloth every year? "

If it is less, is there any practice of forced buying and selling, forcing farmers to pay for the cotton fields?

She looked at her uncle, questioning him with her eyes.

Shen Changsui interpreted it accurately and shook his head at her, telling her not to say anything more.

Xin Laojiu was already saying, "I'm not sure either, maybe my aunt knows.

Another eight miles and you will reach her home. Her cloth is all made of her own cotton, all fine cloth.”

The group walked quite fast, and when they arrived at the village of Xin Laojiu's aunt, they found a man in rich clothes surrounded by a group of people.

After a while, the man got on the carriage and left quickly under the escort of several young men.