In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 379 Continuation

In short, Gou Xin's ancestors knew him as someone whose life was confined to the small area south of the Wang family manor. As for the county town outside the manor, Gou Xin had never even seen it once. Not to mention the county town, even the area where the Wang family's main residence was located was a place they were forbidden to set foot in.

Logically speaking, poverty doesn't last three generations, and a serf like Gou Xin shouldn't be able to pass on his bloodline. However, in order to ensure the number of serfs in the Wang family, they would often force young men and women among the serfs to be paired up to ensure the serfs' reproduction. This is why Gou Xin was able to find a wife. Otherwise, no one would be willing to marry a man who couldn't even get enough to eat and was a slave himself.

"Liu San, is the prefect really that kind-hearted?"

Gou Xin stared wide-eyed and asked incredulously.

"The official already said so, how could it be false?"

Liu San laughed and said, "Don't worry! The prefect and other important figures would never lie to us. We will no longer be serfs. If we don't want to farm, we can go to the prefectural city to make a living. If we want to continue farming, that's fine too. We just need to stay here! The government will give us the Wang family's land to cultivate."

Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed across Gou Xin's face, and he couldn't help but ask, "Will the government provide us with food like the Wang family does?"

"This one……"

Liu San hesitated, not because he wanted to hide it, but because the officials hadn't told him about it yet.

"Chasing Master!"

At this moment, someone in the crowd asked the same question as Gou Xin: "If we stay here to help the government farm, will the government provide us with food?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged official smiled and shook his head, saying, "No!"

Upon hearing the answer, the serfs' faces darkened. Many of them had grown accustomed to farming every day and were willing to stay and continue farming. But if the government did not provide food, how could they stay?

"but……"

The middle-aged official changed the subject, saying, "Although the government will not provide meals, it will not take away all the grain you grow like the Wang family did!"

The prefect has already said that anyone who helps the government cultivate the land only needs to hand over 50% of the produce; the rest of the grain is entirely theirs!

"what?"

Upon hearing this, the serfs all stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

Having to hand over half of their grain is absolutely unacceptable to other self-cultivating farmers. After all, losing half of the crops they've worked so hard to grow is something no one can accept.

For these serfs, this was already the best treatment imaginable. You see, in the past, when they tilled the land for the Wang family, they had to hand over ten percent of their grain, and all they received in return was two meals of bran and chaff a day...

It's funny, these serfs mostly grew wheat and rice for the royal family, but the vast majority of them had never eaten white rice or steamed buns...

The hardships of serf life are evident.

Therefore, when they heard the officials say that they would only need to hand over 50% of their grain in the future, many serfs were excited.

"Officer, are we really only required to hand over 50% of our grain from now on?"

"Officer, you're not trying to make fun of us, are you?"

"Why do I feel like I'm dreaming?"

"..."

At this moment, all the serfs stared intently at the official's face, hoping he would give them a definite answer.

The middle-aged official, who was under everyone's gaze, did not disappoint them. He slowly nodded and said, "Those who stay in the Wang family to farm can rent 10 mu of land each. This 10 mu of land belongs to the government, not to you. However, as long as you are willing to cultivate it, you can have the right to use this 10 mu of land. You only need to hand over 50% of the harvest from this 10 mu of land, and the land will be given to you to cultivate indefinitely!"

"Great!"

"Haha! We can eat the food we grow ourselves from now on!"

"Long live the government!"

"..."

In an instant, all the serfs cheered and jumped for joy. They had been waiting for this day for far too long, having suffered so much oppression from the royal family. Although the land still belonged to the government, they would receive a share of the grain produced there. They only needed to pay 50% of the grain as rent, and the rest of the produce would belong to them...

Many serfs licked their lips, seemingly already envisioning themselves eating rice.

"Old Wu, you can't be lazy when you work from now on, otherwise the farmland you rent probably won't grow many crops."

"I definitely won't slack off! Neither will my son!"

"Great! Now we'll have our own land!"

"Long live the government!"

"..."

The serfs cheered and spread the news, their faces beaming with joy. Even some of the children couldn't help but cheer when they saw the adults so happy.

Looking at those thin but lively children, Gou Xin felt both joy and sadness.

He was happy because he would no longer be a serf; he would have his own land, and a portion of the grain produced from that land would belong to him.

And the sadness is because...

He once had a child named Gou Jianqiang.

The reason for naming him Gou Jianqiang (meaning "strong and resilient") is that Gou Xin hopes his child can live as strongly as his ancestors.

What he didn't expect was that his child was too strong... or rather, too stubborn.

In order to become a member of the Wang family, Gou Jianqiang resolutely abandoned the surname used by his ancestors and changed his name to Wang Taishan.

That's right.

Gou Xin was Wang Taishan's father, but after Wang Taishan became a retainer of the Wang family, Gou Xin had no further connection with Wang Taishan.

Gou Xin refused to acknowledge his ungrateful son, and Wang Taishan looked down on his father, a serf. From then on, the father and son became like strangers. Gou Xin hadn't seen Wang Taishan for several years, and even...

Wang Taishan's appearance gradually faded in his mind and memory, becoming increasingly blurry.

"The boss."

Gou Xin's wife noticed the unusual look on his face and asked in a low voice, "Are you thinking about Jianqiang?"

Gou Xin nodded, not denying it. It would be a lie to say he had no feelings for his son; after all, he and his wife had raised the child with great difficulty. However…

Since Gou Jianqiang changed his name to Wang Taishan, the two have had no further connection.

"It's fine."

Gou Xin's wife comforted him, saying, "It doesn't matter if the child doesn't acknowledge us. We have our own land now, and we can keep half of the grain we grow. We can definitely have another one."

In a feudal country like Xia, women's desire to carry on the family line was no less than men's. Therefore, even though Gou Xin's wife was nearly 40 years old, she still wanted to have another child to continue the Gou family's bloodline.