The autumn days grew colder, and another year was about to pass.
Normally, this would be the slack season for farming. The villagers could enjoy a few days of leisure, letting their weary bodies rest after a year of hard labor.
But this year was different.
In Da Liushu Village, life went on as usual only for the family of the landlord, Master Liu. Nothing had changed for them.
For every other household, anyone who could still draw a breath was either rushing to plant cold-resistant crops or foraging for wild vegetables and fruits in the surrounding area.
Some even ventured into the mountain forests, risking danger to search for mountain goods, medicinal herbs, and more.
The imperial court had raised taxes, driving the villagers of Da Liushu Village to the brink of ruin.
They had scraped together everything they had to pay the taxes, but now their homes were left without enough surplus grain to survive the winter.
