Just as Zhao Zheng thought.
The incident of a hunter from Xiaomiao Village being taken away by a tiger attracted attention.
The village chief sent people to collect the money.
You Jiao is a township official responsible for arresting thieves in townships, that is, the director of the township police station.
This man has a dark face, a wide mouth, and a thick beard on his chin. He looks like someone who is not someone to be messed with.
Xu Youde, who usually acted high and mighty, stood behind him, nodding and bowing, servilely saying, "Yao Youjiao, please sit down and wait."
Yao Youjiao waved his hand and said, "I don't have the time. Are all the people in the small mountain village gathered? Please count them."
Xu Youde nodded, and hurriedly took out a booklet and began to call out names. Those who were called responded one after another.
"Yao Youjiao, everyone is basically here."
"Okay then."
Yao Yingxiong looked at the crowd, and few people dared to look him in the eye.
"I need eighty men to go with me to hunt tigers on the Pig's Mouth. You need to bring your own food!"
When everyone heard this, they all wanted to back out. Not only was it far to go to the Pig's Mouth, it was also dangerous, and they had to bring dry food?
Who would be happy with this?
Seeing that everyone was reluctant, Yao Yingxiong continued, "Those who go will be counted as performing corvee labor. One day will count as ten days. If you go for three days, you will be exempted from corvee labor this year."
When everyone heard this, they were all overjoyed and raised their hands, "Yao Youjiao, I'll go!"
"I'm going too!"
Although going to Zhuzui Mountain is a bit dangerous, the temptation of three days is still too great compared to doing one month of corvee labor a year.
Zhao Zheng was not interested in this at all. He had two adopted sons who died in battle, and the court gave them preferential treatment. If one person died in battle, he would not be required to perform corvee labor for three years. If he had two sons who died, he would not be required to perform corvee labor for six years!
Moreover, if one is unwilling to perform corvee labor, one can buy out one year's qualification with grain and cloth.
In the blink of an eye, more than half of the people in the crowd were selected.
"Everyone is here." Yao Yingxiong nodded.
Xu Youde also felt proud, "Let's all work hard with Yao Youjiao, but don't bring shame to our small village."
Everyone left and Zhao Zheng also turned back.
Seeing Zhao Zheng coming back, Yang Zhaodi and the others also breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, Zheng Chunmei came over with Li Erdan.
The little thing looked reluctant and felt very unnatural when he saw Zhao Zheng's expression.
"Mom, I don't want to admit my mistake to Zhao Laokou."
"What do you mean by Zhao Laoshou? Call me uncle!" Zheng Chunmei gritted her teeth and said, "I'm telling you, if you don't admit your mistake today, don't call me mom anymore."
Li Erdan was puzzled as to why his mother was so stingy with Old Zhao and even took advantage of his grandmother not being at home to drag him over to admit his mistake.
"It must be that Old Zhao gave my mother some magic potion!" Li Erdan was furious. Although he was only thirteen years old, at this age, many people in the countryside would have become fathers.
His grandmother also said that she would find a way to find him a wife next year so that he could become an adult!
"Uncle Zhao, I'll bring Erdan to apologize to Xiao'e." Zheng Chunmei pulled Erdan over, "Go and apologize to your Aunt Xiao'e!"
Young people are at the age when they care most about their reputation. They hold their heads high and look unyielding. Zhao Zheng is not going to indulge him. "Don't apologize. I will go to the village elder and tell him that you haven't fetched water for my family these days..."
Li Erdan's face changed drastically, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
This damn stingy old Zhao only knows how to tell on the village elders. His grandma is right, he doesn't act like a man at all.
"Aunt Xiao'e, I'm sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn't have eaten your eggs." Li Erdan said with a stiff upper lip, but there was no apology in his words.
Zhao Zheng didn't expect the little bastard to repent. "An apology isn't enough. I'll give you 20 cents for one chicken, and 80 cents for four chickens!"
Li Erdan's face turned pale. "So expensive?"
Zheng Chunmei also became anxious, "Uncle Zhao, you didn't say you wanted to pay compensation last night!"
"You should apologize. Eating my eggs doesn't cost money, do you?" Zhao Zheng sneered, "These days, an egg costs at least seven or eight cents. I'm giving you eighty cents because you're from the same village!"
"Uncle Zhao, even if you sell me, I can't come up with that much money." Zheng Chunmei said anxiously: "My husband used up all the money on his medical treatment before he died. I am an orphan and a widow, I can't come up with anything!"
Yang Zhaodi didn't say anything. Zhang Xiaoe felt a little bit reluctant, but her sister-in-law had told her a lot last night that the Li family must be made to suffer and never dare to bully their family again.
"I don't care. Either you pay me money or you work in my house. You choose one." Zhao Zheng said.
"Mr. Zhao, please stop bullying others!" Li Erdan said angrily.
"Shut up." Zheng Chunmei slapped her son on the butt, then said to Zhao Zheng, "You can work, but there has to be a time."
Zhao Zheng said, "Nowadays, working outside only makes about ten cents a day. If you work for eight days, it's all cleared."
"Okay, I agree." Zheng Chunmei nodded.
"Mom, why? He is obviously bullying us." Li Erdan was furious. No, he had to sue Ma Dabai and let Ma Dabai teach Zhao Laokou a lesson.
Immediately, he ran away with red eyes, regardless of Zheng Chunmei.
Zheng Chunmei was embarrassed. "Uncle Zhao, Erdan is ignorant. Don't bother with him."
In Zheng Chunmei's opinion, working for ten days was nothing. At least she had a legitimate excuse to come to the Zhao family, so that she could eat more food from the Zhao family.
For her, it's actually a good thing.
Zhao Zheng nodded. This little beast would be brought into obedience sooner or later.
"There's some firewood in the kitchen. You can chop it later, then use the soil to make water, use a mold to make adobe bricks, and hang them out to dry in the yard. I plan to raise the wall a bit and build a small house next to it."
After saying that, Zhao Zheng added, "I won't provide meals for you if you work."
Zheng Chunmei's mouth was full of bitterness. She knew that Zhao Laokou would definitely bully her again, or at least he would not let her take advantage of her at all.
She just didn't believe that she couldn't get a piece of meat from the Zhao family!
"Uncle Zhao, you promised me last night..."
"First chop wood, then make half a bowl of rice with crusty rice and a bowl of meat soup!" Zhao Zheng said, and started to get busy.
Yang Zhaodi handed the hatchet to Zheng Chunmei and said, "Use this to chop."
Zhang Xiao'e happily ran to Zhao Zheng and whispered, "Father-in-law, I'm so happy!"
Zhao Zheng patted her head and said, "Make some broth for Zheng Chunmei later. Remember to dissolve it with boiling water and let her taste it, but don't let her eat too much."
"Yes, father-in-law!" Zhang Xiao'e nodded. She felt like she had learned something new. "By the way, father-in-law, what are you doing?"
"I plan to build a dry toilet behind the kitchen. It will be convenient and can also be used to ferment fertilizer," said Zhao Zheng.
"That's great. From now on, my sister-in-law and I won't have to be secretive."
Zhao Zheng smiled and shook his head. The village was too poor. Many families could not even afford to build a dry toilet. Most of them just dug a hole and the utilization rate was very low.
In slightly wealthier families, dry toilets would be located next to pig pens and chicken pens. In his previous life, Zhao Zheng had seen similar dry toilets in some remote rural areas.
Zhao Zheng built a dry toilet purely because it was inconvenient.
He was also tired of using toilet paper to scrape his butt.
It is a piece of bamboo or a small wooden stick, which is soaked in water after use and then used repeatedly by multiple people.
Even though Zhao Zheng, who loves cleanliness, always takes a new one, his butt still hurts, as if it was being attacked by several white socks in turn.
This is still very particular.
Some people don't care about it and use pebbles to wipe it, or even don't wipe it at all, which is very brutal.
And he, Zhao Zheng, must use toilet paper!