Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 578 Population
Li Ergou hastily ate a few mouthfuls of corn porridge, along with two steamed potatoes and some pickled vegetables. Then, he tucked a multigrain pancake into his pocket and headed outside.

He was carrying an oilcloth bag in his arms, which contained his family's household registration book, the birth certificates of his two newborns, and the receipt from the township when he received the subsidy last time.

Taking advantage of the light rain that made it difficult to work in the fields, he went to the township office early in the morning to collect last month's childcare subsidy from the clerk in charge of civil affairs subsidies.

The drizzle was as soft as butter, and felt cool on my face.

"Husband, drive carefully on the road," Chunniang said, leaning against the door frame as she held one child in her arms and led the other by the hand.

Strands of hair at her temples were damp from the drizzle and clung to her slightly pale cheeks.

"Got it. Keep an eye on them, make sure they don't start fighting again." Li Ergou replied, glancing back at the slightly crowded but lively main room.

The strings of dried corn hanging from the roof beams rustled gently in the breeze.

Chunniang was breastfeeding her youngest son, who was less than half a year old, while Lao Qi was playing in the mud at her feet. Daya and Si Niu were busy in the kitchen, while Dani and Erniu were preparing to cut pig feed with sickles.

The firewood crackled in the stove, and the rising steam mixed with the aroma of corn filled the air.

Clothes of all sizes were drying in the yard, chickens and ducks clucked in the corner, and the mature oxen were ruminating leisurely in the shed.

The cow's tail flicked idly, chasing away the summer mosquitoes and flies.

It was a vibrant scene, yet also bustling and crowded.

To raise money for Mo Xiaoshan's education, they sold the old house and courtyard left by Chunniang's ex-husband. Now, the whole family is crammed into Li Ergou's not-so-spacious courtyard. Later, with the help of his neighbors, he built two side rooms, which barely accommodated ten people of all ages.

The cracks in the adobe wall, though carefully patched with mud, still couldn't hide the marks of time.

Walking through the village, Li Ergou knew perfectly well the envious yet sympathetic looks people gave him—envy of his large family and sympathy for the burden of supporting it.

Honestly, I'm genuinely happy. Watching my children grow up day by day gives me a sense of hope for the future.

Last night, the eighth child learned to roll over, and Chunniang's joyful calls still echoed in my ears.

But this heavy pressure is also very real. There are ten hungry mouths in the whole house, which makes one's scalp tingle just thinking about it.

Lying in bed at night, he would have to calculate what food he would eat the next day, which often made even this strong man sigh.

Not to mention, Chunniang's eldest son, Mo Xiaoshan, is still studying at a university in Shixing City, and it will take him two years to graduate and start earning money.

Although the school provided a considerable stipend for the education, families still had to contribute some pocket money, especially in the first year when buying clothes, books, and stationery emptied most of their savings.

Fortunately, the Xinhua government is genuinely encouraging childbirth.

More than a decade ago, not long after the founding of the nation, it promulgated various policies with the core concept of "more children equals patriotism, and a large population equals wealth."

Official notices and village propaganda repeatedly emphasized that childbirth is not a private family matter, but the most important contribution that every citizen makes to the Xinhua community.

Every new life is a precious resource for expanding territory, resisting foreign enemies, and creating the future.

That sounds inspiring, but what ordinary people value more are tangible benefits.

Fortunately, the government does provide money, food, and cloth to help alleviate some of the burden of raising children for families with many children.

"Damn it, if this were still the Ming Dynasty, we'd probably be selling our children or starving to death everywhere by now," Li Ergou muttered to himself, quickening his pace. "Luckily, we're in Xinhua, where the government helps us raise our children."

Thinking of this, he subconsciously touched the few thin pieces of paper in his pocket—their family's application form for childcare subsidies.

These few coins might not mean much to city folks, but for his entire family, every penny was like water squeezed from dry land—extremely precious.

You could buy plenty of salt, seasonings, needles and thread, or some stationery for the children, or a few feet of coarse cloth to make new clothes.

The Maoxi Township government is about 10 miles away from Pingxi Village, where they live. It takes about two hours to walk there, but fortunately, the roads are all gravel, so it's walkable even in the rain.

The road was deeply rutted with muddy rainwater, requiring one to hop and skip across it.

When we arrived in the village, the light rain had stopped, but the sky was still overcast, and we didn't know if it was holding back an even heavier downpour.

The Civil Affairs Office was a few newly built brick and tile houses, much more impressive than most of the wooden and earthen houses in the town, with a sign that read "Maoxi Township Civil Affairs Office" hanging at the entrance.

Li Ergou went inside and found a dozen people already gathered there, all of whom were receiving subsidies.

The air was filled with the smell of cheap tobacco mixed with sweat.

"Brother Er Gou, here to collect your money again?" A familiar man greeted him with a smile, glancing at the voucher in his hand. "Another baby? Hey, what a lucky guy!"

"Hehe... just making a living, just making a living." Li Ergou chuckled憨厚ly, but there was a hint of satisfaction in his heart.

He touched the carefully folded voucher in his pocket to make sure it wasn't damp.

In this new land, being able to have many children is indeed considered a "blessing" and a "contribution".

On the wall of the office, there were eye-catching slogans: "Many children, many blessings, adding to the nation's population" and "A thriving population, a prosperous China forever." Next to them was a picture of several chubby babies surrounding ears of wheat and gears.

When it was Li Ergou's turn, he respectfully handed the stack of documents to Sun Wenshu, who was sitting behind the desk.

The other party took the voucher, then retrieved the register of Pingxi Village, and slowly flipped through it to check.

“Li Yangou, head of household. Ten family members… Hmm, one new male member was added in February, Li Maolin…”

As Sun Wenshu read, he made notes in a thick booklet. "Hmm, meets the criteria for 'multi-child family allowance'. There are currently seven minor children in the family, so they are eligible for a childcare allowance of seventy cents. The 'birth bonus' was received last time... This month's 'childcare subsidy' will be increased by fifteen cents based on the increase in the number of children..."

"Oh, and your 'children's tax credit' certificate is about to expire. Remember to bring the village's certificate next month to renew it. Since your family has more than four children, according to the policy, the agricultural tax is completely exempt..."

Sun Wenshu muttered the policy terms while his subordinates rapidly calculated on an abacus: "This month's total is eighty-five cents. Here you go..."

He counted out a few coins and a few cents from the money box, spread them out on the table, and looked at Li Ergou with a smile.

The silver coin gleamed with a warm luster in the dim light.

"Hey, hey, thank you, Sun Wenshu!" Li Ergou quickly took the money and carefully put it into the inner pocket of his pocket, which was stitched up again and again.

Eighty-five cents could buy several kilograms of meat, or a few feet of coarse cloth, enough to make a new jacket for an older child.

The government provides a wide variety of subsidies, including birth bonuses, childcare allowances, multi-child allowances, tax credits, and more.

Although each item is small, they add up and are a real lifesaver for families like theirs.

Not to mention, the promise of forty acres of "land granted immediately" under each child's name is like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey, encouraging them to keep having children while enduring the hardships of raising them.

"By the way, the county's 'Childcare Bureau' will send someone down next month to distribute the autumn children's cloth supplies. Remember to come and collect them," Sun Wenshu added, stamping the receipt with a red seal.

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Sun!" Li Ergou nodded hurriedly, carefully putting away the voucher. The red ink was still wet, and some of it smeared on his fingertips.

After receiving the money, Li Ergou did not leave immediately. He queued for a while at the supply and marketing cooperative's distribution point next to the civil affairs office, and used his voucher to collect twenty eggs, half a pound of sugar, and a packet of traditional Chinese medicine powder for treating prickly heat in babies.

The government provides free childcare subsidies, including eggs, poultry, fabric, and common medicines to families with newborns under one year old every month. Although the quantity is limited, it is a token of the government's goodwill and alleviates some of the burden.

Touching the subsidy he had just received, Li Ergou hesitated for a moment before taking out three cents to buy a small bag of maltose to sweeten the children's mouths. He then counted out two and four cents to buy some salt, a bottle of rapeseed oil, half a pot of wine, and a bar of soap.

He clutched the remaining money tightly, intending to save it.

Although the government provides subsidies, household expenses are still very high.

The children's clothes and shoes wear out quickly, and although the food they eat is grown on their own land, they still need money for oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and occasionally a little meat.

Not to mention, he was also thinking about saving more money. After Mo Xiaoshan graduated from university, he might need to help him get married and settle down. All of these things would cost money.
As I walked out of the civil affairs office with money in my pocket and things in my hand, the sky had cleared up and the sun was shining, warming me up.

Li Ergou wiped his sweat, mentally planning the work ahead.

The flax in the field is ready to be harvested; it's more valuable than grain.

We're going to clear out some land on the hillside behind the house to plant potatoes... But just relying on farming to feed this whole family will be a struggle.

He recalled hunting for furs on the west coast during the winter off-season. It seemed that due to the war, the furs were hard to sell, and the price had dropped by more than half, far from the good profits of a few years ago.

Sigh, for the sake of this family, for the sake of those little ones, and also for... his stepson Mo Xiaoshan who is still in school, he not only has to put in more effort, but also has to find more ways to make money.

Thinking of Mo Xiaoshan, Li Ergou felt a mix of emotions.

The argument from three years ago about whether to support his university studies still seems like yesterday.

He took out all his savings and even planned to sell Chunniang's old house to support her, which finally moved Chunniang and made that stubborn stepson look at him properly for the first time.

Mo Xiaoshan has been studying at the university in Shixing City for a year now, and I heard that his grades are good, but the expenses are indeed quite high.

The government's meager student subsidies are only enough for tuition and basic living expenses. The cost of pens, paper, socializing with classmates, and occasional travel expenses home are all considerable expenses.

Every few months, Li Ergou would squeeze out a few cents and have someone deliver it to him, generously telling him not to suffer while he was away.

He knew that Chunniang had secretly shed many tears over this matter, feeling that she had truly let down her other children in the family.

But he gritted his teeth and persevered in supporting this stepson with whom he had no blood relation.

You should know that the graduates of this university are the most outstanding talents in Xinhua. They either go on to become officials in the government or to manage industries in major commercial companies and factories.

I've heard that the mines and factories in China are expanding their operations and are in dire need of scholars like myself to manage them. The future prospects there are much brighter than tending a few hundred acres of land.

Old Zhao's son from the neighboring village has only been out of school for two years, but he has already built a beautiful brick house, which makes everyone extremely envious.

As for the wages, I heard that they are at least ten yuan a month.

Ten yuan! That's enough for him to save for half a year!

Tsk tsk, even if Mo Xiaoshan can't give all his income back to his family, he can at least manage to give them two or three yuan a month.

These good days are just around the corner!

On his way home, he saw that the village school was being expanded, and that a middle school was being added to the existing primary school so that children from six or seven surrounding villages could attend.

From now on, the children in the neighborhood won't have to travel to the countryside to go to school.

Although the middle school is no longer free, the tuition fees don't seem to be much. If a family is a little better off, they can still afford to send one or two children to school.

Li Ergou secretly resolved to at least make a name for himself by supporting his two sons.

As they were walking, they ran into Sister Sun, the village matchmaker. She had just brought together a couple from the village and was beaming with joy as she held a thank-you gift in her hand.

"Brother Er Gou, how are the kids? Are they all alright? Da Ni and Er Ya at home are almost due, right?" Sister-in-law Sun greeted him warmly. "Would you like me to help you find a good match? The government is encouraging early marriage and childbirth these days. Girls can get engaged and married at fifteen. You can get quite a dowry!"

Li Ergou chuckled sheepishly, "He's still young, still young! No rush."

My palms felt a little damp. I remembered that Da Ni was only thirteen and still a girl who would hide from strangers.

He was actually a little conflicted.

Two years ago, the government did lower the marriage age, from 18 to 17 for men and from 17 to 16 for women, so that couples could get married as soon as their parents and matchmakers brought them together.

Meanwhile, in order to address the problem of the large number of single men in the country, the government has also established an "official media" agency, which recruits a number of women from the Ming Dynasty, Korea, and even Japan every year to help local unmarried men find marriage partners.

Women from afar often disembark at the Shixing Port wharf, their eyes filled with timidity.

He knew that early marriage and childbirth, and the belief that many children bring many blessings, were national policies of the court, but looking at his two daughters, Da Ni and Er Ya, who were only teenagers, he always felt that they were still children and couldn't bear to see them get married too early.

This Er Ya was pestering him for sugar figurines yesterday.

However, he also knew that when a girl grows up, she will eventually have to leave home.

Chunniang often sighed at night, saying that girls are like dandelions, scattered by the wind.

Sun's words suddenly reminded him that his children were growing up and their future weddings would be another huge expense.

Last time I attended a wedding in a neighboring village, I saw four loads of betrothal gifts alone.

It was already noon when I got home.

Chunniang had already prepared the meal, and the whole family sat around the small wooden table in the courtyard.

The meal was simple: a large bowl of brown rice, a pot of stewed green beans, a few pieces of salted dried fish, and a dish of pickled vegetables.

But the children ate with great relish, making constant slurping noises.

The seventh child still had rice grains all over his face, which attracted the chickens to wander around under the table.

"You're back?" Chunniang looked up and saw him. He looked a little tired, but his eyes were gentle. "Have you received everything?"

"Hmm." Li Ergou walked over and handed the eggs and medicine powder to Chunniang. "Eighty-five cents, plus eggs and sugar, to help you recover. Oh, and the boss gave me a packet of medicine powder. It's hot, so use it on the two little ones to prevent them from getting prickly heat."

Chunniang took the packet of maltose, glanced at it, and said softly, "You're wasting money again! I'm fine, so let's keep these eggs for the children."

“Just eat what I tell you to eat. You’re the one breastfeeding; you can’t afford to neglect your health.” Li Ergou’s tone was firm, yet it carried an undeniable concern.

He squatted down and teased the little one in the cradle. The little guy giggled and reached out his chubby hand to grab his face, and the smell of milk wafted over him.

"Daddy, Daddy, hug me!" The seventh child staggered over, stretched out his hands, and called out indistinctly.

Li Ergou laughed, picked up Lao Qi, and weighed him in his hands: "You brat, you're heavy again."

At this moment, Sanya (the third daughter brought by Chunniang) ran over and tugged at Li Ergou's trouser leg: "Dad, the food is ready for you. Hurry up and wash your hands and eat."

That one word, "Dad," made Li Ergou feel at ease.

Although these children were not his biological children, he believed he had never mistreated them.

For Sanya's winter clothes last year, he specially asked Chunniang to add half an ounce of extra cotton.

Life was tough, but at least we had a complete family.

"Husband..." Chunniang said softly while feeding Lao Qi rice cereal, "The Sun family in Houtun... I was busy with fieldwork the other day and didn't have time to go over. I heard that their second daughter, the one I wanted to arrange a marriage for Xiaoshan, was betrothed to Wang the carpenter's son from the neighboring village last month."

Li Ergou paused for a moment while eating, said "Oh," and didn't say anything more.

He knew that Chunniang had always kept this matter in mind, thinking that if she had arranged a marriage for Mo Xiaoshan back then, perhaps he wouldn't have gone to university and would be able to help support the family now.

But he doesn't regret his initial support.

"If it's settled, then it's settled," Li Ergou said in a muffled voice. "That kid Xiaoshan is good at studying. Once he finishes his studies and becomes successful, will we have to worry about not finding a good wife? Just wait and see, then our whole family will benefit from his success."

“I know…” Chunniang sighed, “It’s just that we’re living such a tight life, and it’s unfair to the other children. Look at Daya and Erya, they’re all grown up, and they don’t even have a decent set of clothes…”

Before she could finish speaking, she turned her face away.

“After I buy the linen in a few days, I’ll get some cloth for them to make new ones,” Li Ergou promised. “I’ll think about it some more and see if I can do some temporary work in the workshops in the city or the nearby mines during the winter off-season. After a month or two, I can earn two or three yuan to supplement the family’s expenses.”

“Then we won’t turn the soil over…” Chunniang sighed.

Turning the soil is hard work, and she really couldn't handle it all by herself.

"Next year, when planting beans, there's no need to plow the fields deeply," Li Ergou said. "By next spring, we can just lead the oxen to plow it once."

After the meal, the older children were taken out by Daya to cut grass for the cows, chickens, and ducks.

Chunniang coaxed the two little ones to sleep in the inner room, and a soft lullaby drifted out intermittently.

Li Ergou sat on the threshold, guarding the brief moment of peace in the small courtyard.

He grabbed the half-empty flask of wine, took a small sip, and felt the alcohol burn down his throat, flowing into his intestines, causing him to tremble slightly.

Yes, the cheap liquor burned my throat, but it warmed my heart.

After a while, the scorching heat transformed into a lukewarm warmth, slowly spreading out and gradually dispelling the damp cold and fatigue that had seeped into his bones all day.

Looking at his simple yet vibrant home, he inexplicably recalled the slogan on the wall of the village's civil affairs office: "Many children equal patriotism, a large population equals wealth," and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

The government's propaganda is true: a larger population means more land to cultivate, more taxes to be paid (even though his family is exempt from taxes), and a stronger country.

I still remember when I first came to Xinhua ten years ago, all I could see for miles around were desolate forests, meadows and rugged coastlines.

Today, Xinhua's population is gradually increasing, with crisscrossing paths, wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, and vibrant villages and settlements being established one after another, while children run around everywhere.

In early spring, when the village clerk was explaining the major political events in Xinhua, he mentioned that the population of Xinhua had reached 460,000, which was more than eight times that of ten years ago.

When the document was read to this point, the voice rose eight octaves.

With the arrival of new immigrants this year, it's a certainty that Xinhua's population will exceed 500,000.

Oh, by the way, he also said that more than 14,000 newborns were born in Xinhua last year.

Among them, Li Ergou made a contribution.

These ordinary people are contributing to the continuous development and growth of this newborn nation through the most primitive methods of reproduction.

However, the phrase "population wealth" means real and tangible pressure for every family with multiple children.

Even with various government subsidies and a promise of "immediate land grants," behind it all are countless fathers like him, working from dawn till dusk and even exhausting themselves just to barely maintain a balance.

His support for Mo Xiaoshan's studies was also an investment, just like how an ordinary farming family in the Ming Dynasty hoped to raise a scholar who would pass the imperial examination. It was an expectation for the family's future "wealth" and status.
They hoped that this stepson could use his knowledge to lead the family out of the cycle of relying solely on land and labor for a living.

Li Ergou tightly plugged the wine jug, shook his head, stood up, and picked up the hoe leaning against the corner of the wall.

"I'm going to the fields," he called out to Chunniang inside the house.

"Hey, husband, come back early, the sun is scorching," Chunniang whispered, peeking out from under her.

Li Ergou grunted in agreement, picked up his hoe, and strode towards the field outside the village that held the hopes of his family.

The weeds in the field are growing wildly and need to be cleared frequently; there is no time to lose.

"Mo Xiaoshan, if you ever dare to disrespect your father again, it will be a grave act of disobedience and unfilial piety!"
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(End of this chapter)