Pig Killer

Chapter 160

Shen Changsheng moved his lips, and this was the only way he could comfort himself.

Shen Changsheng changed the subject and said, "Your pig slaughtering business has dropped sharply. Your life must have been greatly affected! How is it?"

"It's okay! We have enough food and drink, and we don't have much money to spend." Shen Hui'e looked at him with her clear and bright black eyes.

"Just ask if you need anything." Shen Changsheng said readily.

"I won't be polite." Shen Hui'e said with a smile, "I'll take this opportunity to catch up with the children's learning."

"Uncle, uncle, let me show you something good." Da Chong pulled him towards the backyard.

"What is this?" Shen Changsheng asked curiously, looking at the shelf.

"Mother intends to make us both civil and military." The big tiger looked at him with its dark eyes and said with a smile.

"Martial arts?" Shen Changsheng said, "Practice boxing and kicking."

"That's right." The big bug looked at him with its dark eyes shining brightly and said, "My grandmother's family also built one. Brother Yuanji and his family are also learning it."

"I'll give it to Shen Fang later..."

Before Shen Changsheng finished speaking, Da Chong said with a smile, "Third uncle has already joined, and he is having more fun than brother Shen Mu."

"Your third uncle has loved fighting since he was a child, and he developed his skills at that time. It is enough for him to teach your brother Shen Mu." Shen Changsheng smiled when he heard this.

"Third uncle likes to fight." Da Chong looked at him with sparkling eyes and said.

"You country boy, who doesn't know how to fight?" Shen Changsheng shook his head and laughed, "You know how to fight a little bit."

"Haha...If you can't fight in the countryside, you'll be at a disadvantage." Shen Hui'e came over and said with a smile, "Whoever has the strongest fist will speak with more confidence."

"You are really great! You really want to train Da Chong and the others into all-round talents in both literature and martial arts!" Shen Changsheng looked at her with amusement and said.

"I can't do that. I can only guide them. Whether they can become talented or not depends on themselves." Shen Hui'e looked at them with eyes as gentle as jade and said, "Only a famous teacher can produce talented students. I am just an amateur."

"Don't underestimate Ye Luzi." Shen Changsheng looked at her with his dark eyes and said, "Nothing is supposed to be." Then he added, "Water has no fixed shape.

"Can you kill the master with random punches?" Shen Hui'e said with a smile when she heard it.

"Right!" Shen Changsheng raised his sword-like eyebrows and looked at her with amusement, "Don't worry about the moves in a fight, as long as you win, it's a good move."

"Hehe..." Shen Hui'e shook her head and looked at Shen Changsheng with a chuckle when she heard that.

"Does uncle fight too?" asked the raccoon, looking at him curiously.

"Everyone fights when they are young." Shen Changsheng said confidently, "I was very impulsive at that time, and I was beaten by your grandfather a lot." He said calmly, "We were also your age."

"Passionate, impulsive, God is the boss and I am the second, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger." Shen Hui'e said as she looked at them with bright eyes.

"You really understand us." Shen Changsheng said embarrassedly, rubbing his nose with his index finger.

"I saw it with my own eyes." Shen Hui'e said playfully, pointing to her eyes.

"It's getting late, I'm going back." Shen Changsheng said, looking at the sky.

"I'll take you there." Shen Hui'e and the others sent Shen Changsheng away and turned back home.

&*&

The weather is getting colder and the air is gradually filled with the smell of winter.

"Dangdangdang..." The sound of gongs came from the street.

"What's going on?" Shen Hui'e looked towards the gate of the courtyard with confusion, raised her foot, opened the door, and walked out.

"Who died again?" Da Chong muttered softly behind her.

"That's impossible!" Shen Hui'e blinked her deep eyes and said, "It's only been a short time. They walked one step behind the other. This is not a good thing."

"Just go out and take a look, and you'll know." Huang Yuanji said as he chased after them.

When Shen Hui'e and her group arrived at the gate of the yamen with the officials, the imperial edict had already been posted.

The official read out the contents of the imperial edict aloud to them.

The general idea is that the new emperor has ascended the throne, and in order to demonstrate the royal majesty, he plans to rebuild the palace. Not only will he have to conscript laborers, but he will also have to increase taxes.

Shen Hui'e listened to the contents of the imperial edict while holding back her swear words. Damn it.

"Mother!" The big tiger held her hand tightly and said worriedly.

"Let's go home and talk about it." Shen Hui'e looked at them gently and said, "When you are outside, walls have ears, so be careful about what you say."

"Second aunt, this is such a big thing, I will go home and tell my grandmother and the others." Huang Yuanji said to them with a frown.

"I understand. You should go home quickly!" Shen Hui'e nodded slightly and watched Huang Yuanji and the others leave.

Shen Hui'e and the others hurried back home, entered the house, closed the door, and sat on the kang one by one.

"Mother, we suddenly have to pay taxes again. Do we have enough food?" Li Nu looked at her worriedly with a frown.

"I calculated that according to the imperial edict, our family has to hand over two-thirds of the grain." Da Chong looked at her worriedly and said, "The remaining grain will definitely not last until next summer harvest."

"Uh... I know." Shen Hui'e looked at them with deep and cold eyes and said, "If it really doesn't work, we should buy food. We can't go hungry."

"Instead of killing pigs and selling them, how about we hunt and eat them ourselves?" The big tiger said with its black eyes rolling.

"No way! The aroma of the game will be smelled by others." Cheng Donglai frowned and looked at them and said, "What if someone with bad intentions reports it?"

"We cannot afford to be guilty of a crime of disrespect." Shen Hui'e looked at them with her dark eyes and said to them, looking at their sad faces, "Three months will pass quickly. It's not indefinite."

They can only bear it, what else can they do? They wouldn't dare to disobey the emperor's order even if they had ten guts!

"Okay, cheer up, it's no big deal." Shen Hui'e said to them with a smile on her face.

"It's nothing to us. We have to buy food. But for those who have no money, life is hard." The tiger puffed up his cheeks and said indignantly, "We finally managed to avoid starvation, and now..."

"This is really unpredictable. Who could have thought of such a thing?" Shen Hui'e looked at them with dark eyes and said, what else can they do except accept it and digest it silently?

"Is second sister here?" Shen Changsheng shouted while standing in the yard.

"It's your uncle." Shen Hui'e got up and walked out of the house, looking at him and said, "Why are you here?"

"I'm here about the imperial edict." Shen Changsheng looked at her with a frown.

"I'm fine. I have money in my hands. I'm not worried about the additional taxes." Shen Hui'e looked at him with a relaxed expression and said, "Let's go in and talk. It's cold outside."

Shen Changsheng followed her into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I'm afraid the grain shops will take the opportunity to raise prices." Shen Changsheng expressed his concerns.

"That's for sure." Shen Hui'e clenched her fists and looked at him and said, "There are many people who take advantage of the situation, but few have a conscience." She looked a little uneasy and said, "This is the first time they will collect taxes, will they do it a second time? What if there is no food left at home?"

"It can't be that cruel!" Shen Changsheng said uncertainly, his confidence clearly lacking.

"We are conscripting laborers to build the palace. They need to be well fed. They are not old oxen that can just eat grass. They need to fill their stomachs with wheat bran. They need to ensure their basic food needs." Shen Hui'e looked at him with deep and bottomless eyes and said, "If we conscript all the farmers, who will farm the land? Life will not be easy next year."

"Alas..." Shen Changsheng sighed heavily, "Be prepared mentally and make plans for the worst."

"What's the worst plan?" Da Chong looked at him nervously.

"Without food, we can only eat tree bark and dig wild vegetables." Shen Hui'e clenched her fist and rubbed her thumb back and forth.

"Ah!" The black grape-like eyes of the raccoon almost popped out of the window when he heard this, "Can I eat that?"

"You can't eat it. But if you're hungry, there's nothing to worry about." Shen Changsheng said with a gloomy face.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. We won't starve if we have game." Shen Hui'e stretched out her long arm and grasped her cold hand, saying, "The food will be available next year."

"But mother, won't there be any taxes next year? What if the taxes are increased again?" The tiger looked at her with his innocent eyes and said.

"Even if he confiscates all the grain in the fields, I will not let you starve." Shen Hui'e comforted them with eyes as gentle as jade and with the power to calm people's hearts.

"It's just that some people have a harder time." Li Nu looked at her dimly and said.

Shen Hui'e moved her mouth, thought for a moment, looked at them and said, "Everyone has compassion. We can only ensure our own survival first." She looked up at them and said, "These are all our guesses, maybe it won't be like that! It's not advisable to fish in a dry pond, the nobles should understand this truth. They won't do that."

"Yes, yes, yes! Your mother is right." Shen Changsheng said, "Let's not talk about this anymore."

"The higher-ups are conscripting laborers again. What are you going to do?" Shen Hui'e looked at him worriedly.

"It doesn't matter. Just use the money to redeem the person." Shen Changsheng said to her with his dark eyes.

"Can you still do this?" Shen Hui'e stared at him with her deep peach blossom eyes wide open.

"Has our family always done this? Otherwise, you would have gone to perform labor service long ago." Shen Changsheng looked at her with deep black eyes.

"That's good." Shen Hui'e let out a long sigh and suddenly her eyes fell on Cheng Donglai and said, "Donlai, you are old enough, right?" He looked like an adult now.

"Uh..." Cheng Donglai gave them a reassuring look after hearing that, "Just be sure you can't hide from me." He smiled lightly and said, "I'm still a child, and I can't be assigned any heavy work." He held Xiao Douzi's hand tightly.

"No, no, you can't go." Shen Hui'e looked at him with deep and penetrating black eyes and said firmly, "Isn't it just for money? I'll pay for it, and I'll deduct it from your salary in the future."

"Auntie, can you pay it out once? Can you pay it out again and again?" Cheng Donglai looked at them calmly and said to Xiao Douzi and the others, "Just them?"