[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-transmigrated-as-a-stepmother-time-to-bring-the-":3,"chapter-transmigrated-as-a-stepmother-time-to-bring-the--transmigrated-as-a-stepmother-time-to-bring-the--chapter-148":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1194349,1538,"Chapter 148 - 147: Press-Ganged Three Thousand Laborers","transmigrated-as-a-stepmother-time-to-bring-the--chapter-148",148,"\u003Cp>On the night when the soap was made, heavy rain began to fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stirred awake by the chill, Qin Yao rolled up in her warm bedding, thankful she hadn’t hung the soap under the corridor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, three days of effort would have been wasted with the storm overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rain poured all night, only slowing into a drizzle at dawn, with no sign of clearing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"One autumn rain brings one degree of cold,\" pushing open the door in the morning, Qin Yao immediately felt the ’cold’ in that saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>September had already passed halfway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today was the fifteenth, the day to distribute last month’s wages to the workers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After breakfast at home, Qin Yao changed into a thick cotton outfit and took the ledgers and silver to the factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though she hadn’t visited for half a month, with Liu the carpenter there, everything at the factory was still running smoothly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Qin Yao carrying the ledgers under her arm, the workers shook off the gloom brought by the rainy weather, showing undisguised excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Yao first found Liu the carpenter to verify the accounts of recent half-month, then took out a draft paper to calculate the workers’ wages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before finishing work at dusk, the workers’ wages were entirely distributed, bringing festivity throughout the factory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The workers took their wages and gradually left, with Qin Yao and Liu the carpenter being the last to leave after finalizing some details, locking the door and heading home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having received wages today, every household added extra courses to their meals. As Qin Yao traversed the village, various delicious aromas tickled her nose, quickening her pace home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On arrival, Da Lang had already prepared dinner, and seeing her return, promptly set the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps influenced by the village’s joyous atmosphere, the five hailed the simple meal as delightful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, just as everyone relaxed in the joy, the summoning bell unexpectedly tolled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five of them, having just finished eating, were simultaneously taken aback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s going on?\" Qin Yao muttered suspiciously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four siblings looked baffled, unaware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ll go check.\" Qin Yao signaled for Da Lang and the others to stay home, donned her straw hat, and quickly left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the road, she encountered Old Liu and Liu Bai, exchanging glances of doubt and unease, they headed to the village assembly hall together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The village’s summoning bell rarely rang; for important notices, the village head usually sent someone with a gong to summon the villagers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The last time the bell rang was during the bandit attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, such a sound heralded fresh rounds of military conscription or corvée labor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only just having experienced a semblance of peace, the villagers of Sheng Country recalled, Sheng Country merely reduced labor and taxes, not exempted them entirely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An instant before, everyone had been joyously celebrating the receipt of monthly wages with special meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, they gathered solemnly in the assembly hall, dripped by drizzle, eyes fixed on the village head holding the register.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the representatives from every household in the courtyard, the village head sighed deeply, forced to announce the news he had just received.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Desert Barbarians have invaded, border conflicts have resumed, Zijing Mansion has issued a decree that all counties under its jurisdiction should swiftly assemble three thousand civilian laborers to deliver provisions to the border....\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Every household, male over twelve and under fifty, should send two out of four men, one from fewer than three, exempt the only child; urgency in time, discuss at home tonight and report by seventh morning, departing in three days.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following the announcement, the village head immediately opened the register to call out household names, specifying how many men each had, and how many should be sent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching the Liu Family’s old house, eligible to the age, four men needed to send two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Yao had not yet observed Old Liu and Liu Bai’s expressions when her house’s turn came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liu Ji’s family has one eligible man, should send one.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Liu Dafu’s family has four eligible men, should send two...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every mentioned household member involuntarily bowed their heads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sky continued to drizzle, weighing heavily on everyone’s hearts, the atmosphere suffocating in oppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Provisions transport labor, among the reluctant tasks during corvée, just slightly better than conscription, being logistical, but not free from danger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gravest risk being military deadline; failing to deliver provisions completely and promptly can cost lives or implicate three generations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After reading the long list, the village head sighed repeatedly with a gloomy face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His family had five eligible members, should send two; without titles or ranks, ordinary people couldn’t skirt labor service.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he managed to secure a certain quota reduction for everyone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calling out to rally everyone’s spirit loudly, the village head proclaimed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This county has thirty-five prisoners; six taels of silver can secure one replacement quota, first come, first served, those with silver hurry up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These thirty-five quotas were from previous bandit extermination, awaiting execution post-autumn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the decree were to come later, money couldn’t buy quotas!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The originally hopeful villagers gasped upon hearing the figure of six taels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite this, those capable of gathering the sum vowed to make every sacrifice, if only to fight for a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With money gone, hardship can still be endured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a person perishes, there indeed remains nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old Liu and Liu Bai clenched their fists tightly, rushed home to gather silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, this year’s harvest was plentiful; otherwise, it would be impossible to gather the twelve taels needed; failing which, at least one person must go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mrs. Qiu was due soon, definitely excluding the second son’s possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Fei was still young, a mere child contributing minimally, encountering anything unexpected on the road, the consequences would be unimaginable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, the quota was bound for either Old Liu or Liu Bai.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both were grateful that the harvest yielded the necessary silver this year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, daring little hope given merely thirty-five quotas amidst thousand conscriptions for labor, racing for a chance left no room for delay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Father and son hurriedly exited the assembly hall, suddenly recalling Qin Yao, Liu Bai darted back inside to urge her to swiftly return home and fetch silver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just six taels of silver, Sister-in-law, don’t hesitate; hurry and hand it to the village head, or else the third must transport provisions, that’s a perilous task!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having delivered the message in haste, Liu Bai followed Old Liu home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The father and son assumed Qin Yao understood the gravity of the matter, certain she would return home to fetch silver for Liu Ji’s replacement quota.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet unaware, Qin Yao wasn’t anxious, instead revealed a faintly curled cold smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Ji, this time let’s see if you can escape death!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mother!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing figures far down the hill, Si Niang couldn’t contain a loud call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Yao waved, \"Go inside; it’s raining out here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Si Niang didn’t move until Qin Yao arrived, then held onto the corner of her clothes into the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young girl’s eyes filled with worry, raising her head to look, \"Mother, did something bad happen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Da Lang and his brothers also turned towards, anxious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qin Yao removed her straw hat, patted water off, smiled: \"Nothing, just the government seeking civilian labor to transport provisions to the border for soldiers fighting the barbarians.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sanlang, Si Niang, breathed lightly, naïvely remarked: \"Oh, is that what it is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1231,"2026-06-03T13:46:23.347Z",1,"novelbin.me","c635140c4ebe3003a94df7270492b6c65c711449fafe97b244a8c505dc194afc","transmigrated-as-a-stepmother-time-to-bring-the--chapter-149","transmigrated-as-a-stepmother-time-to-bring-the--chapter-147",588,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Ftransmigrated-as-a-stepmother-time-to-bring-the--cover.jpg"]