Military Farming

Five days later, Lin Xuan's strength had risen another level. With the Six-Force Bow, he could draw it to the full three times in a row; on the fourth, his strength began to give out, and on the fifth, it was cut in half.

That put him on par with a sturdy laborer, far beyond an ordinary grown man.

The speed of his progress left him dumbfounded. He felt that the current him could take on ten versions of himself from ten days ago!

Aside from the boost from his talent, the rapid improvement was also due to the Pheasant King's meat. One jin of it was worth two jin of ordinary meat.

Lin An's strength had improved somewhat as well. Though not by as much as his, she could now handle some heavy work herself.

For example, weeding. When the two worked in the fields together, the same work felt far easier than before.

Moreover, Lin Xuan discovered something remarkable: Lin An's stamina seemed especially abundant. She was not particularly strong, but she could work almost as long as he could.

Yet Lin Xuan had not seen any talent manifest on her.

Could it be that we don't understand each other well enough? Or does she simply have no talent that I can replicate? Lin Xuan pondered.

Should I try to advance our relationship, then? With that thought in mind, Lin Xuan carried his bow and arrows to Rou Mountain.

Ever since buying the Pheasant King last time, he had not gone hunting again. He knew his own limits: only his first arrow was truly accurate, while the second would start to go astray.

After his strength increased, his archery had returned to the standard of his previous life.

Now, his first three arrows were all accurate! So he felt that he was capable again.

Over the past few days, he had bought three Triangular Arrowheads and three Willow Leaf Arrowheads from the Garrison, spending more than a hundred coins in total.

Triangular Arrowheads were powerful and could easily ruin the integrity of a pelt. They were meant for unexpected large beasts, such as bears and tigers.

Willow Leaf Arrowheads, meanwhile, were for hunting small prey.

Sharp Eyes activated, allowing him to easily catch distant moving objects. Small animals seemed to move in slow motion before his eyes. Though they were only slightly slower than before, that slight difference was enough to greatly raise his odds of success.

A rabbit forty paces away caught his attention.

It was not very plump, probably only around two jin, and was cautiously looking from side to side, intending to nibble at the crops.

Lin Xuan nocked an arrow and used the Mediterranean Shooting Style, pinning the wild rabbit to the ground with a single shot.

After being struck by the arrow, the rabbit struggled violently a few times. Streams of blood soaked the drought-parched earth. It kicked twice more, then went completely still.

After surveying the area, Lin Xuan found a herd of wild boars. They too were gnawing on the crops. None were particularly large, and a big boar led the group.

Lin Xuan was secretly delighted. If he could shoot one, it would be a small windfall. Both the hide and the meat could be sold for money.

He selected a Willow Leaf Arrowhead, took aim, and fired.

One young wild boar failed to react before an arrow struck its body. Pain erupted instantly. It squealed in agony and ran forward, but its blood flowed rapidly, even spurting from the wound.

The other wild boars were startled by its violent reaction and scattered in panic, fleeing in all directions.

Lin Xuan did not rush after it, because his enhanced vision allowed him to clearly see the bloodstains left by the boar.

Before long, the wounded boar finally could not run any farther and collapsed in a pool of blood. Lin Xuan walked over and dragged it up.

It really isn't light. It must weigh fifty or sixty jin. Pleased with himself, he tied up the boar's legs and carried it home.

It was already dusk. As Lin Xuan walked down the road, he felt as though his vision was not as good as before.

Silently, he unequipped [Sharp Eyes], and his vision immediately returned to normal.

--

Two Garrison soldiers in battle jackets kicked open the Lin Family's courtyard gate. Their sabers clanged at their waists, and their voices were frighteningly coarse.

Lin An and Chen Fang had been working when their sudden intrusion startled them.

"Lin Xuan, receive the order! The Thousand-Household Office has ordered you drafted into Military Farming. You depart tomorrow. No delays!"

Chen Fang froze, then suppressed her fury as she asked, "Sirs, by the rules, our Lin Xuan has not yet come of age. How can he be drafted into Military Farming?"

The Garrison soldier sneered. "At a time like this, you still want to talk about age? He's a strong laborer now. Do you know how fiercely the Qiangqu People are causing trouble in the north? If they break in, do you think you'll still have peaceful days?"

"But... but every male of my Lin Family has gone to war. Lin Xuan is our only remaining shoot. If you take him away, how are we supposed to live?"

The Garrison soldier grew impatient. "Old woman, this is a military order. If you dare defy it, wait to be made government slaves!"

Lin An was furious, but she had no solution. She could only silently clench her fists.

The Lin Family's current predicament was even more distressing than the local thugs Lin Xuan had mentioned before.

Seeing the state of Lin Xuan's household, Lin Jie secretly thought things were bad. His own plan was still brewing, yet someone had gotten there before him!

Households with private fields like this were seized and sent to Military Farming.

Military Farming soldiers could bring their wives, children, and elderly relatives with them, though they could also choose to bring only one person.

Once that happened, there would be no strong laborer left to tend the fields, and the crops would become impossible to manage. Then, through gradual intimidation and threats against the family, they would make them feel that the land was useless to keep but a pity to abandon. Afterward, they would buy up the fields at a low price. This was a common, time-worn method of devouring a household without heirs.

Judging by the looks of it, they must have done this many times. Their seniority in the Garrison could only be greater than his, not less.

Against someone with such seniority, he did not dare oppose them openly.

But he could make a few moves in secret and make them run into a wall!

Lin Jie planned to spread rumors that Lin Xuan's Shangguan was bullying the orphaned survivors of a military household—the widow and orphan of the Lin Family—making it difficult for him to swallow Lin Xuan's family property.

By then, Lin Xuan's Shangguan would only assume Lin Xuan had spread the rumors, and would make things difficult for him.

Then Lin Jie could sit back and reap the fisherman's profit.

Lin Xuan's family was also raising a fair and pretty child bride. Given the Lin Family's situation, they probably had not yet married or consummated the marriage. If he could get her for his own grandson as a wife...

At that thought, a smile appeared on Lin Jie's face.

Lin Xuan returned late, carrying the young wild boar and rabbit.

The moment he got home, he sensed that something was wrong with the expressions on his mother's and Lin An's faces. His mother looked as though she had just cried, her eyes red, and she sniffled now and then.

Lin An's face bore unmistakable hatred.

Immediately realizing something serious had happened, he hurriedly asked, "Mother, Sister An, what happened?"

Chen Fang had just begun to explain when tears surged into her eyes. She sobbed helplessly and could not get the words out.

Lin An sighed helplessly. "People from the Garrison came. They said you have to go into Military Farming tomorrow."

Lin Xuan frowned.

For Military Farming under the Garrison, soldiers were not granted land until they came of age at sixteen. He was still one year short.

So-called Military Farming meant growing the Garrison's public fields.

Normally, fifty mu of land would be granted for a military household to cultivate.

Then the Garrison would take most of it, while the military household received a small share. That small share had to pay for weapons and armor, dry rations and service, support themselves, and feed their entire family.

But that was simply unrealistic! The Garrison's cut was far too great, and they had to cultivate a full fifty mu, making them suffer even more than ordinary farmers. Garrison soldiers were nothing but the officers' serfs.

The twenty mu currently held by the Lin Family were private fields, land bought back when the Lin Family still had extra men and extra money.

With a normal harvest from twenty mu of private land, after all the miscellaneous taxes were deducted, it was still barely enough to support the family.

But Military Farming was exploited far too harshly. Even fifty mu could not support a family at all! That was why Garrison soldiers all worked so listlessly.

If he went into Military Farming, who would tend the twenty mu of private fields at home?

"Rotten from top to bottom." Lin Xuan shook his head helplessly.

"Mother, wife, calm down first. This isn't a dead end. There's a way out." Lin Xuan smiled, choosing to soothe their emotions first.