History of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 4

Dusk was coming to an end and Feng Yun was almost home.

He and his brother and sister-in-law temporarily live in the same hospital, but his brother was enlisted in the army a few years ago and is now a soldier in a border town and has been away from home for many years.

There are only sisters-in-law and nephews at home.

Before Feng Yun awakened from the memory of his past life, he was living in confusion, living on the few meager fields at home. Because he was not good at farming, it was not easy to make ends meet after paying the rent, and he often needed help from his sister-in-law.

As soon as she walked outside the house, she saw a stocky woman looking around with a panicked look on her face.

When she saw Feng Yun, she rushed to Feng Yun as if relieved.

"Brother-in-law, why did you take your eldest brother's trousers and run around!"

The sister-in-law had a simple and honest face, but when she saw Feng Yun, she was extremely angry. However, he also knew Feng Yun's temperament and would not do anything wrong.

"What's in your hands?"

Seeing that Feng Yun was fine, she noticed the grain and cloth in Feng Yun's hands.

The surrounding neighbors stood inside the low earth wall and looked out. They were all surprised by what Feng Yun was holding.

One piece of fine cloth, one piece of coarse cloth, two buckets of rice...

Without waiting for his sister-in-law to ask questions, Feng Yun said hurriedly: "Sister-in-law, I went to the Classics Palace and was hired. This is my monthly salary."

"Palace of Classics?" My sister-in-law was stunned and couldn't believe it, although she didn't know what Palace of Classics was.

But with the word palace, you can understand that it is the residence of the monarch and the place where the nobles stay.

And there's also a monthly salary. Isn't this a treatment that only nobles have?

Seeing that his sister-in-law didn't believe it, Feng Yun took out the key in his arms. This was the key to the outer room of Dianji Palace. On it were the national emblem of Da Ting Kingdom and the words Dianji Palace.

My sister-in-law couldn't read the words, but when she saw the national pattern, she immediately knew that it couldn't be fake.

But no one would forge the national emblem, which is a serious crime of decapitation.

"Oh, are you really here?" My sister-in-law waved her hands excitedly. She looked around at the neighbors, raised her head proudly and said, "Tell me, sister-in-law, what is this classics palace for?"

My sister-in-law's voice was very loud, as if she was talking to others.

But Feng Yun shook his head.

"Sister-in-law, I'm tired from walking all the way, so I'd better go back to the courtyard and talk."

The sister-in-law's smile did not diminish. She looked at the valuables in Feng Yun's hand and said hurriedly: "Okay, go to the yard and put things away first. I'll let Hei Quan put the food in place."

The sister-in-law pushed Feng Yun closer to the courtyard, and then shouted into the low wall next to her: "Feng Hei Quan, go to the kitchen stove and put the food in place!"

A thin and frail boy, wearing two horn bun hair accessories, poked his head out of the earthen house in the courtyard, and said with a flat mouth: "I know!"

Seeing this, Feng Yun also smiled.

At this time, men farmed and women weaved. There was not much difference in social status between men and women, and women also had great power at home.

And the sister-in-law is a trouble maker. Feng Yun has been under the care of her sister-in-law in the past few years. She treats him like an eldest sister and a mother, so Feng Yun will naturally not disobey her in small matters.

"Brother-in-law, sit down and tell me, sister-in-law, what kind of palace does this palace belong to and what are you doing there...don't sign a body contract and let others deceive you!"

My sister-in-law suddenly looked panicked.

Feng Yun said, "Sister-in-law, if I was sold, how could I come back?"

Putting the cloth in his hand on the stone table in the courtyard and the corn on the ground, Feng Yun took out four strings of shell coins from his arms.

Seeing the shellfish, my sister-in-law's eyes widened again.

"Is this also a monthly salary?"

My sister-in-law remembers the word "monthly salary" clearly.

She looked carefully.So many things…

"A piece of fine cloth costs fifty shell coins, a coarse cloth costs thirty shell coins, two buckets of corn costs seven shell coins, and four strings of shell coins costs twenty shell coins. After all, you can have more than a hundred shell coins a month. A monthly salary of one shell coin..."

"One hundred shell coins is equivalent to two stones of corn. If you eat it tightly, it can feed a family of three for a year... one month's salary."

As the sister-in-law spoke, she began to cry.

"Tell me quickly, what are you doing in that palace... Your eldest brother follows the nobles at the border and goes through life and death for them, for only about ten shellfish a month..."

Nowadays, most of the soldiers in various countries are children of nobles, but these children are officers, not soldiers who kill enemies on the battlefield.

Generally, those who kill the enemy are mostly slaves, slave soldiers, private soldiers of noble children, without military pay.

The ones above are conscripted, and those who are conscripted are not paid. They are serving the country, and they should be conscripted. They often have to be conscripted for a few years before they can go home.

And those who are above are soldiers who serve as guards for the nobles' children, or they are good soldiers among the domestic slave soldiers, or they are recruited as soldiers, or they are good recruits and find dependence, or they are civilians who voluntarily accept the title of lord...

Just like in the Palace of Classics before, those guarding soldiers were personal soldiers, attached to the Lord of the Great Court, and sent to various palaces for defense and work.

Feng Yun's eldest brother is a soldier. His master is a noble son who went to the border to gain military merit. It is okay to serve as a soldier for him. A few shell coins per month are much better than farming at home, and it can offset the military conscription.

"Sister-in-law..."

Feng Yun explained what she was doing in the palace of classics in advance, and her sister-in-law didn't care to cry anymore.

"Have you learned how to read?" My sister-in-law knew that Feng Yun's family had left some broken bamboo slips, but she didn't expect that Feng Yun had learned how to write by relying on the broken bamboo slips, and he could also buy a house in a place full of words like the Palace of Classics, and receive a gift belonging to a corporal. Half of the salary.

"If my parents knew that my brother-in-law had such abilities, they would be delighted." Wiping away the tears on her face, her sister-in-law said, "Look at you, you have abilities but no clothes. How can a gentleman be without good clothes... to wear on you?" Big brother’s crap won’t work.”

My sister-in-law said, "If you want this fine cloth, I will spend the night making you a dress with a curved train and a plain dress with a straight train. You can also buy a house, so as not to be looked down upon by your peers."

In addition to the daily farming at home, my sister-in-law also sewed clothes for others. She was very skilled in craftsmanship, and Feng Yun also wanted to do this.

but……

Feng Yun handed a bunch of five shell coins to his sister-in-law.

"Sister-in-law needs to collect it. This is the money for ready-made clothes."

My sister-in-law refused: "I can't have it, I can't have it. A piece of clothing only costs half a shell..."

"Sister-in-law, you have helped me a lot. Besides, my eldest brother is away, so I have the obligation to take care of you and my nephew." Feng Yun took another bunch and handed it to her sister-in-law.

"This is vegetable money... I already have corn, so my sister-in-law can use it to cook together. I haven't made it yet, and my eldest brother and I are still the same family..."

The sister-in-law silently watched Feng Yun arrange the matters and did not interrupt again.

It wasn't until Feng Yun finished narrating that she responded: "Okay, your eldest brother is not at home. You are now sixteen. If you buy a property, I will follow your arrangements."

Putting away the shell coins given by Feng Yun, she picked up the fine cloth.

"Sister-in-law, let me use the coarse cloth to make clothes for my nephew and you. If you receive the fine cloth next month, you can make it again."

The sister-in-law didn't answer, but she picked up the coarse cloth.

Turning around, she said: "Let's go into the hall and get the food first."

……

After dinner...

The black dog boy was only seven or eight years old. He was lying in front of the fine cloth, looking around, and wanted to touch it.

As soon as the sister-in-law slapped him, the black dog immediately stopped daring.

Feng Yun had finished his meal and was about to leave the hall and go to his room, but he heard his sister-in-law say: "Wait a minute, brother-in-law."

(End of this chapter)