Three Kingdoms: A Million Soldiers Grown from the Fields

Chapter 27 Contract (Please continue reading)

A dozen pairs of eyes were fixed on one spot, and the refugees naturally followed suit.

Under the watchful eyes of many, Zhang Xian's heart began to beat faster than usual.

He had been to crowded places before, and had experienced several events with thousands or even tens of thousands of people, but back then, he wasn't the center of attention.

And now, it is.

He slowed his jogging pace as he mentally prepared himself.

"They're all just radishes and cabbages, they're all just radishes and cabbages!"

As he drew nearer, he focused his gaze intently.

"Brother Xian!"
The young man's shouts had barely begun when he was pulled away.

"Call me Master!"

Xiahou Lan gave instructions to one of her village friends after another.

Although many of the teenagers didn't quite understand, they still obeyed Xiahou Lan's orders and began to address him as "Master".

Only then did the refugees realize that the seemingly gentle man in front of them was their future master.

Some of the more clever people also started calling the manor lord, just like the young men.

The scene became chaotic for a moment.

Zhang Xian wasn't in a hurry; giving him some buffer time was acceptable.

Once the threshing ground was quiet, he pressed his hands together and addressed the group of refugees who were looking at him, saying, "Alright, stop now. The person who brought you here yesterday must have told you that I have a piece of wasteland that I need labor to cultivate. You have been displaced by natural disasters and man-made calamities and have nowhere to go, so I sent someone to look for you."

“My family is not as demanding as that of wealthy and powerful families, so I will give you two choices.”

"One, only labor, thirty coins a day, no food or lodging, cash payment daily, but let me make this clear: if you slack off or cheat, then forget about getting paid, get as far away as possible and don't dirty my hands."

"Secondly, I will employ you as tenants, and you will cultivate my land. Each year, you will have to pay me 70% of the land's output, but I will also provide the seeds, farming equipment, and land tax. As for this year, before the crops are harvested, you will also eat my produce." (In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the standard tenant rent was 50%, but tenants were required to provide their own seeds, farming equipment, and land tax.)
After Zhang Xian finished speaking, the refugees all chose the second option without even thinking.

As for the first option of working and getting paid, no one has considered whether they can actually use the money they receive.

Having already endured such a miserable and displaced life, all they want now is to settle down. They'll be tenant farmers if they want, or sell themselves into servitude if they want.

The refugees were traveling with their families; if it weren't for the fact that many wealthy families didn't want the elderly and children, they would have sold themselves long ago.

Seeing that the scene was about to become chaotic again, Zhang Xian shouted, "Lan Di, Yun Di! Take the brothers and have them line up and come over one by one to sign the contract!"

"promise!"

"Brothers, maintain order! Make them line up!"

Xiahou Lan immediately agreed and then took charge of the boys in the small mountain village.

Zhao Yun followed suit and led a group of people to organize the refugees into a queue.

Soon, dozens of refugee families lined up in the threshing ground, organized into family units.

Zhang Xian also found a wooden stake to use as a table.

The first refugee family, led by Xiahou Lan, came to his side.

Adult men and women plus two elderly people, no young children.

"name."

Holding the pen and ink he had borrowed from his old village home, he spread out a piece of cloth contract.

"To the Lord of the Manor, I am Zhou Niu, my wife is Wang Xiang, my elders are Zhou Ma and Zhao Hua."

The refugee man was very cautious, and his voice trembled slightly when he spoke.

Zhang Xian wrote quickly, and after writing his name, he wrote his own name on the host's side, noting the year and month.

"Press your fingerprint here."

He placed a basin of dye next to the tree stump. There was no way the farmers could read, so he simply pressed his fingerprint instead of signing.

As for whether the fingerprints on the cloth are clear or not, he doesn't really care.

He never intended for the contract to have much legal effect; he was merely trying to reassure the people. He was trying to calm the hearts of these refugees.

Sometimes people are really strange. On the one hand, they feel that a contract of servitude is like the heaviest shackle on their body, but on the other hand, they have doubts and worries when they don't have it.

One copy of the contract was made. After Zhou Niu and his family pressed their fingerprints, Zhang Xian could clearly see that their originally uneasy expressions had relaxed.

She shook her head slightly and laid the contract out to the side: "Go rest over there, we'll have porridge later."

"Thank you, hosts. Thank you, hosts." The Zhou family moved aside, expressing their gratitude profusely.

He nodded and called out to Xiahou Lan, "Next household!"

Immediately, another family of refugees arrived.

"Name."

"small."

He signed more than thirty contracts at a time, and soon these thirty-odd refugee households would become his ostensible private property.

At least, that's how it appears to outsiders.

However, if someone were to carefully read through this contract, they would find that there is not a single word in the contract that mentions selling oneself into servitude.

It's a bilateral, free employment system from beginning to end, and it can be abolished at any time.

Looking at the refugees who seemed much calmer after signing the contracts, he couldn't help but sigh with melancholy.

In this era, he not only had to contend with the hatred of the upper class, but also with the ideological shackles of the lower classes.

This is destined to be an exceptionally lonely road.

'But someone has to do it, right? Since the times have limited this kind of thinking, then I'll be the one to start it. A person! It has to be a person!'
-
"Come on, come on, time to get your porridge."

Zhou Cui and Zhao's mother each guarded a pot and shouted.

Compared to last night's watery porridge, today's porridge was much thicker.

After at least one bowl, the number of rice grains in the bowl is no longer countable at a glance.

The refugees were finally at ease; at least this bowl of porridge would keep them from starving.

"Brother Xian, I'm back."

On the other side, Zhang Xian was helping the young men in the village sign contracts. Compared to the refugees' brief contracts, the young men's contracts were much more compliant.

Room and board included, daily wage of fifty cents, paid monthly, at least one new piece of clothing per year, extra subsidies during holidays, and reimbursement of medical expenses for work-related injuries (Zhang Xianzheng).

With generous benefits come numerous demands, which can be summed up in two words: obedience!

Furthermore, the contract specifically states that if he were to encounter any life-threatening danger and suffer misfortune, Zhang Xian would be responsible for the entire family thereafter.

He read it aloud to the group of young men, word by word.

After hearing this, their eyes welled up with tears.

They had never heard of such a considerate master when they were guarding the manor. They wished Zhang Xian would order a fight right now, and they were willing to risk their lives to prove their brother Xian.

The sound of hooves stopped beside the group; it was Shi Tou, who had gone to report to the authorities in Zhengding that morning.

"Has the government accepted the case?"

Zhang Xian stood up and asked.

Shi Tou nodded: "It's accepted. Brother Xian, your business card is useful in the county government now. I've really made a name for myself today." He smiled sheepishly, recalling the scene where the usually domineering clerks became unusually gentle after he took out his business card, and felt a wave of warmth wash over him.

"That's good. You've been out there for a long time, go and rest."

"Lan, you take a few brothers and look after these farmers in the village. Yun, Huwa, Heizi, Gouzi, you come with me to our territory!"

"promise!"

After the contract was signed, the sound of "yes" became exceptionally deep and resonant.

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(End of this chapter)