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

Chapter 462 Smiling Without Saying a Word

"Village chief, elders, please come in."

Fang's father ignored the villagers and instead politely welcomed the village chief, Wu Sheng, and several respected elders into the living room.

After everyone took their seats, Village Chief Wu Sheng said with a smile, "Xiao Fang, your Xiao Yong has really made something of himself this time. I heard from the villagers that Xiao Yong is now a soldier in the Chen family army and earns one tael of silver a month!"

"hey-hey!"

Mr. Fang scratched his head, his face full of pride and joy. His son had made something of himself, and as his father, he was naturally very happy.

“I saw Xiaoyong with my own eyes yesterday.”

Another village elder said, "Goodness, Xiao Yong is as strong as a calf now. If he were to go farming, he could probably do the work of three able-bodied men."

"More than that! I estimate it could be equivalent to five."

"I think he's worth ten of them."

"Xiao Yong is living a good life now. I heard that in Chen Family Army, he can eat three meals a day. No wonder he's so strong."

"..."

Fang's father listened to the village elders' remarks without saying a word.

Farming?

In the Xia Kingdom, farming was indeed considered an honorable thing. After all, in the traditional social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, farmers ranked second, even higher than artisans and merchants.

But this is just a verbal ranking. In reality, let alone compared to wealthy merchants, even compared to skilled craftsmen, farmers live far worse lives.

Only those who have farmed know how heartbreaking the phrase "facing the loess soil with their backs to the sky" truly is. If it were only that, it wouldn't be so bad.

In agrarian societies, farmers also have to bear high taxes. After harvesting a crop of grain, they have to hand over at least 30% to the government, and now that figure has risen to 50%...

It's no exaggeration to say that farmers are the most exploited group in the entire Xia Kingdom. They toil under the scorching sun, sweating profusely all day tending to their crops, only to have the majority of their harvest handed over to the government and the imperial court...

Mr. Fang knew how difficult it was to be a farmer, so although he was an old farmer himself, he did not stubbornly believe that his son should also become a farmer.

He had no choice before, but now... Fang Yong has a better choice. He will never let Fang Yong become a farmer who toils in the fields again!

"Xiao Fang."

Seeing that Mr. Fang remained silent, an old villager couldn't help but ask, "Your son Yong is so successful now, haven't you thought about bringing you two to live in Chenjia Village?"

“Brother Yong mentioned this last night.”

Mr. Fang replied with a smile, "We also promised Yong-ge that once the crops are harvested, our family will move to Chenjia Village."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room couldn't help but show envy. Even the village chief, Wu Sheng, said with envy, "Your family is going to live a good life! Chenjia Village is a truly wonderful place!"

Today, Chenjia Village is famous throughout Taiping County. It can be said that in the hearts of the people of Taiping County, the most ideal place to settle down is definitely not Taiping County town, but Chenjia Village, which is located north of Taiping County town.

According to word of mouth among the people of Taiping County, Chenjia Village had an endless supply of grain and cloth, and everyone in the village lived like a wealthy landlord.

Therefore, when they heard Fang's father say that they were going to move to Chenjia Village, their faces were full of anticipation.

"Xiao Fang, when you move to Chenjia Village, don't forget your fellow villagers!"

"The Fang family is probably going to live like gods. I heard that everyone in Chenjia Village can eat meat now."

"That's right! The meat that the villagers of Chenjia Village eat is so fatty it's practically oozing oil, and every bite is full of the aroma of oil."

"If my grandson could join the Chen family army, maybe I could go to Chen family village and enjoy a good life."

"..."

In the afternoon, the villagers who had gathered in the Fang family courtyard gradually dispersed, and the village chief and elders also left afterward.

After dealing with guests all day, Mr. Fang felt parched. He took a sip of water and then said to Mrs. Fang, who had come over, "Daughter-in-law, let's kill the duck that Yong-ge brought back yesterday and invite the neighbors for a meal."

Upon hearing this, Fang Hao's eyes lit up. Young people crave meat the most, and his eyes couldn't help but gleam at the mention of eating meat.

Fang's mother hesitated and asked, "Husband, are we really going to kill the duck?"

"Of course!"

Mr. Fang nodded and said, "Our neighbors have helped us a lot in the past, so it's only right that we treat them to a meal. Besides, we're about to leave the village, so we should say goodbye to them properly."

"Too."

Fang's mother nodded, and then took the white-feathered duck that she had placed in the backyard into the kitchen to get busy.

Mr. Fang then went out of the house to invite two neighbors who were on good terms with his family.

Soon after, all the neighbors arrived, and adults and children crowded into one room, making it very lively.

Aunt Li's husband, Xu Jie, who had always been on good terms with Fang's father, said with a smile, "Old Fang, you're really in the limelight today!"

Xu Jie had also visited the Fang family in the morning and witnessed the scene of Fang's father being praised and envied by the whole village, which is why he made this remark.

"Old Fang really stole the show today!"

Another neighbor, Zhu Luo, laughed and said, "Everyone in the village knows that your Yong-ge has made something of himself. Now Lao Fang can walk around the village with his head held high!"

"Ha ha!"

Facing his two close friends, Mr. Fang made no attempt to hide his emotions, laughing heartily as he said, "Please sit down, the food won't be ready for a while."

Upon hearing this, Xu Jie and Zhu Luo took their seats with their respective family members.

Then Xu Jie said with a smile, "Why is Lao Fang being so generous today, actually treating us to dinner?"

"Isn't it because Yong-ge brought back a duck?"

Mr. Fang said with a smile, "That duck was huge. There are only three people in my family, so we couldn't possibly finish it. That's why I thought I'd invite you all over to eat the meat together."

eat meat?

Xu Jie's daughter and Zhu Luo's son's eyes lit up, and they swallowed hard.

Xu Jie and Zhu Luo's expressions changed immediately, and they said in unison, "No, no! That duck is too valuable, we can't eat it!"

Xu Jie and Zhu Luo originally thought that Fang's father had invited them over for a simple meal, but they never expected that Fang's father would actually kill a duck to entertain them.

These days, even getting a bite of food from someone else's house is frowned upon, so how could they possibly have the nerve to eat the Fang family's meat?

"Why can't it be done?"

Mr. Fang dismissed it, saying, "With our relationship, what's wrong with having a meal of meat?"

"Old Fang, I know you care about us, but we really can't eat this duck."

Zhu Luo shook his head repeatedly, saying that to be honest, he was very grateful to Fang's father for killing a duck to entertain them. After all, these days, very few people are willing to offer food to their friends, let alone meat.

But it was precisely because he was grateful to Mr. Fang that he so firmly refused.

The value of a single duck is equivalent to a month's income for a family in Tupo Village. How could he possibly have the nerve to eat such precious food?