Zhou Labor

After returning home, Zhou Ming quickly adjusted his mood.

Indeed, in a world where class solidification was so severe, there were very few paths of advancement left for commoners. Although many stories passed down among the common folk spoke of Sons of Farmers who saved a knight, luckily became a knight's squire, and ultimately rose to become nobles, how many such examples truly existed in reality?

Perhaps it was precisely because they were so rare that such stories could spread so widely.

Shaking his head, Zhou Ming realized that he had clearly been misled by those stories and taken a slight detour.

"Looks like I need to change my way of thinking. There's no future in being a farmer tilling the land all my life. I'll never get ahead."

Many thoughts flashed through Zhou Ming's mind.

Become a merchant?

There were already many traveling merchants in this world, buying and reselling goods between different territories. Since each territory had different products and prices, and information did not flow freely, the chances of making enormous profits were high. If he joined those merchants and relied on some of the ideas in his head, becoming a wealthy tycoon would not be difficult.

Become a bandit entrenched in the mountains?

This world was vast. Many noble territories had development rates below 10%, with lightless black forests everywhere—where vegetation was so dense that the light within appeared black—as well as swamplands and wilderness. There were countless wild animals and plenty of room to move about. If he raised a banner and gathered a band of men in the wilderness, becoming a carefree mountain king would not be a problem.

There were also free professions like craftsman, mercenary, and sailor that he could choose, as long as he left Glan Territory.

But...

Alice.

It would be impossible to take his only little sister and flee far away quickly. They would be easily caught and brought back by the lord.

Moreover, with Alice's looks, even if he took her out of Glan Territory, if they encountered powerful men with ill intentions outside, he alone would be completely unable to stop traffickers or mercenaries from taking her somewhere and selling her for a good price.

Zhou Ming had a headache. He had raised Alice with his own hands, so it was impossible for him to say he felt nothing for her. It was even more impossible to abandon her and go out into the world alone—unless he possessed the overwhelming strength to defeat more than a dozen knights by himself.

Then he looked at his body, barely over twelve years old. He did not even have much ability to protect himself...

"I'll endure for a few more years. Once I strengthen my body further and gain the ability to protect myself, everything will be easier."

With that thought in mind, Zhou Ming began increasing the intensity of his daily training from that day onward. His morning exercises increased to 800 push-ups, 200 frog jumps, 200 pull-ups, and a 3,000-meter run. His nightly spear-charge training increased to 2,000 repetitions.

However, Zhou Ming had not carried out his new training regimen for long before Butler Brunode knocked on his door with several ill-looking servants, completely disrupting his plans.

"Ryan, starting next week, you'll be assigned to work Zhou Labor at the lord's farm. Don't forget to show up!" Butler Brunode said with a look of vengeful delight on his face.

"Zhou Labor? Isn't Zhou Labor only required of territory residents over sixteen? I'm only twelve. Why should I do Zhou Labor? This violates the Territory Law!"

Zhou Ming retorted. Although the lords of this world exploited their territory residents severely, they had not yet reached the point of killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. Most Territory Laws stipulated that only territory residents over sixteen had the obligation to perform Zhou Labor.

"Young Master Edward's words are the law! For a lowly farmer like you, who has nothing better to do after filling your belly and keeps dreaming of living in the castle and becoming a knight's squire, Young Master Edward said we have to find something suitable for you to do so you'll give up those absurd ideas! Starting next week, you must perform Zhou Labor. Otherwise, I'll take back the land you cultivate and revoke your right to rent plow oxen and heavy plows!"

Butler Brunode had Zhou Ming right where he wanted him! Farmland, plow oxen, and farming tools were a farmer's very foundation for survival. Without them, the only paths left to a farmer were waiting to die or fleeing.

"I'll go next week, Butler Brunode."

Zhou Ming lowered his head and spoke in a low voice, while his fists secretly clenched together.

"Hahahahahaha!"

"A lowly farmer wants to fly up onto a branch and become a phoenix? Give up that dream!"

"Exactly! Why doesn't he look in a mirror and see who he is?"

"For the rest of his life, all he'll do is deal with straw. When he gets old, he'll realize how ridiculous he was in his youth."

Brunode left with his servants amid wild laughter. Inside the house, Zhou Ming's fingernails were nearly digging into his flesh.

Early three days later.

Carrying his hoe, Zhou Ming followed the farmers from town to work in the lord's wheat fields east of the castle.

"Ryan, don't work too hard, but don't be too slow either. Otherwise, Brunode will make you work until very late. Also, don't slack off for too long in the middle. Otherwise, your Zhou Labor for the day won't count as completed, and tomorrow you'll be required to come back and keep working until Brunode acknowledges that you've completed three days of Zhou Labor." While they worked, kind-hearted Uncle O'Neil reminded Zhou Ming.

"I understand. Thank you, Uncle O'Neil."

Zhou Ming nodded as he bent over to weed. He noticed Butler Brunode's gaze fixed on him the entire time. Seeing the faint, almost nonexistent smile on Brunode's face, his heart sank. He lowered his head again and silently continued pulling weeds.

As evening approached, sparse stars flickered in the sky, and the farmers in the fields could barely make out each other's rough outlines.

The day's work was done. Looking back at the five mu of wheat field he had hoed that day, Zhou Ming saw that he had done no less than the other adults. He breathed a sigh of relief. There should not be any problem now.

"Little Ryan, you didn't meet the standard. Today's Zhou Labor doesn't count!"

A smug voice rang out, utterly crushing the last trace of luck in Zhou Ming's heart.

"Butler Brunode, I finished hoeing five mu of land today. It counts as one day of Zhou Labor." Zhou Ming stepped forward and argued quietly.

"No, no, no." Brunode shook his head. "Those five mu weren't completed by you. They were completed by Mr. Wade from town. Your completed workload is zero."

The farmers nearby began murmuring among themselves.

"That's too shameless. Little Ryan worked all day right in front of all of us, yet Brunode says he worked for nothing today."

"I was wondering why Wade didn't come with me to do Zhou Labor today. Turns out he relied on Brunode being his uncle and had Little Ryan work in his place."

"Poor Little Ryan. Who knows how he offended Butler Brunode to be treated like this..."

"Shh, keep it down! Brunode is petty and miserly. Don't let him hold a grudge against you!"

Because they were afraid of offending Butler Brunode, no one dared step forward to speak for Zhou Ming.

Seeing this, Zhou Ming said nothing more. He merely shouldered his hoe and silently returned home.

For six days in a row, after all the other farmers had completed their three days of Zhou Labor and returned to their own fields, Zhou Ming alone remained working in the lord's wheat fields. Butler Brunode continued sitting by the field with several servants, watching him with great interest.

"Father, I have good news! Young Master Edward agreed to let me become his knight's squire!"

At that moment, a round-faced, chubby youth ran over from the edge of the field. The excess flesh on his face jiggled as he excitedly reported the good news to Brunode.

"Really? Wonderful, my son! Excellent, excellent! I'm so proud of you!"

The short, fat Brunode jumped up and excitedly embraced his son. Two masses of fat slammed together with a bang, and both of them shed tears of excitement.

"Congratulations, Young Master Baum! You'll definitely become a noble gentleman in the future!" Several servants stepped forward to flatter and fawn over the fat youth named Baum, praising him to the skies.

"Huh, Father, who is that person working in the field? Is today a Zhou Labor day?" Seeing Zhou Ming bent over and weeding, Baum asked curiously.

"No, no. That boy is the farmer boy who went to the castle last time to compete for a squire position. I'm making him hoe some extra weeds now to knock some sense into him," Brunode explained with a smile.

"Father, knocking sense into him like that is useless. This works better." Baum waddled over with his fat butt swaying and kicked Zhou Ming squarely in the rear.

"Hahahahahaha!"

Watching Zhou Ming roll around in the field, Brunode, his son Baum, and the servants all burst into wild laughter.