Zhao Kuan traced the drawing he had already sketched once onto canvas. After confirming there were no errors or omissions, he put down his brush and stepped back. His task for the day was complete.

Seeing this, Zhao Rong immediately looked around. Seeing that only they were in the room with no elders present, he immediately set down his brush and asked, “Brother Kuan, Uncle Ming told us to enter the world to help Third Sister, but haven’t we already been helping her? How else should we enter the world?”

The other young clan members in the room immediately looked at Zhao Kuan upon hearing this. “That’s right, how else should we enter the world?”

Zhao Kuan had been kneeling on the ground for a long time. His knees and neck were aching. He stood up and twisted his neck, saying, “Before, it was because of the wager. This time, Uncle is having us work hard to help Third Sister, or rather, work hard to gain her approval.”

“What does that mean?”

Zhao Kuan glanced outside and lowered his voice. “It means that in the future, our Zhao clan in Xiping, or rather in Yuzhou, will be under Third Sister’s command.”

The young men were shocked and cried out in surprise, “That’s impossible, isn’t it? Isn’t there still Uncle Ming?”

Zhao Kuan: “So I said in the future.”

Some young men found it troubling. “Then how do we gain Third Sister’s approval?”

Zhao Kuan spread his hands. “I don’t know.”

Seeing everyone looking at him, he said earnestly, “I truly don’t know. But right now, don’t we need to draw diagrams and organize Master Xiahou’s manuscripts? Let’s first organize the manuscripts.”

“That’s true,” Zhao Rong said. “If Third Sister needs to use us, she’ll naturally come find us. Let’s draw the diagrams first.”

They thought that since there were no outsiders present when they said these things, Zhao Hanzhang couldn’t possibly know about it in the short term. Who knew that as soon as they left the courtyard, Zhao Zheng leaked this matter to Zhao Erlang.

Zhao Erlang returned to the county office and repeated it to his sister.

Upon hearing that so many people in the clan were waiting to be used by her, Zhao Hanzhang was even happier. “Have them wait. Once they finish the drawings in hand, there’s no urgent need for them in small matters now. When there are big matters, I’ll go request their help.”

Fu Tinghan could tell she was deceiving people again. County affairs were inherently complex and detailed. How different were current affairs from future affairs?

Clearly, she planned to fully control Xiping County before heavily employing Zhao clan members. However, judging from the current situation, it wasn’t far off.

“These are the grain storage ledgers for new acquisitions. Take a look.”

Zhao Hanzhang accepted them. “Set aside a batch to send to Shangcai. Shangcai has also issued quite a bit of work and likewise needs considerable grain.”

Fu Tinghan agreed.

In Shangcai’s Zhangjia Village, Zhang Dayan carried a bow and arrows, hefting a roe deer as he strode into the village.

The village was quiet. Because it was cold in winter, to stay warm and eat less grain, most people stayed home without going out.

Zhang Dayan first carried the roe deer home, then turned to go to the village chief’s house not far from his.

From across the wall, he shouted inside, “Third Uncle, Third Uncle, are you home?”

After quite a while, the village chief pushed open the door, shrinking his neck. “What are you shouting about? If I’m not home, where could I go?”

Seeing that despite the cold weather, he wore only two layers of clothing without freezing, and instead appeared broad-shouldered and robust with a sturdy physique, the village chief was extremely envious. “Dayan, did you hunt game again?”

Zhang Dayan vaguely acknowledged and said, “Third Uncle, I ran into Bao Sanzhu from Dajiao Village on the mountain. He said the Zhao clan estate is hiring workers to dig irrigation channels and reservoirs. They provide two meals a day, let you eat your fill, and pay ten coins. Should our village send someone to inquire?”

The village chief leaned against the door, dizzy from hunger. “But it wouldn’t come to us, would it? Before winter, they took in so many refugees. They’d use them without paying wages. Why would they use us?”

“Who says no wages? Bao Sanzhu said those refugees also get ten coins a day for work, plus clothing. Though we’re coming from outside, we don’t get clothing.”

The village chief perked up a bit. “The Zhao clan is that good? Even the refugees they took in get wages?”

“Yes, I verified it thoroughly. Absolutely true,” Zhang Dayan said. “They don’t even cheat outsiders who come as refugees, so they definitely wouldn’t cheat us. We’re Shangcai people after all.”

The village chief hesitated.

“Third Uncle, if we don’t earn some grain, even if everyone can survive winter, they won’t survive spring. It’s still half a year until next year’s wheat harvest.”

The village chief listened and gritted his teeth. “Call a few more people. Let’s first go to the Zhao estate to ask clearly. If they really need people, we’ll come back and bring more.”

Zhang Dayan immediately agreed and turned to leave.

This year wasn’t easy. Although marauding troops didn’t reach Shangcai, Shangcai had to pay military taxes, plus three taxes newly added to the autumn levy this year. To meet the taxes set by the county magistrate, the villagers had practically emptied their reserves.

Since the winter wheat was planted and the weather started getting cold, every household began “hibernating,” eating just a bit of rice gruel daily, maintaining a state of not dying.

Those in slightly better situations like the village chief’s family, though not “hibernating,” wouldn’t eat their fill either, trying to conserve grain as much as possible.

Only Zhang Dayan, who could hunt and knew some medicinal herbs, could enter the mountains, so his life was somewhat better.

But with only his family living well while the whole village suffered, he felt uneasy, fearing that one day when he wasn’t home, someone unable to bear hunger would rob his house.

So as soon as he got this news, he immediately returned, thinking that if the village’s able-bodied men could all go work at the Zhao estate, everyone’s lives would improve.

Zhang Dayan called people, and together with the village chief’s son and several able-bodied men, bringing dry rations, they headed for the Zhao estate. They lived far away and walked for two days before arriving.

Unlike the desolate scenery outside, before even reaching the Zhao estate, they saw people working in the fields.

Zhang Dayan, being strong, ran directly over to look. He saw over twenty people digging earth. “Brothers, what are you doing?”

The working person looked up at him, then said, “Digging an irrigation channel.”

“Is it an irrigation channel for the Zhao estate?”

The other party acknowledged. Zhang Dayan immediately asked, “Does the estate still need people?”

The other party then looked up to carefully examine Zhang Dayan and the others, seeing they were all able-bodied, and only then nodded. “Yes, we need people to dig irrigation channels, dig reservoirs, fell trees, quarry and transport stone.”

Zhang Dayan asked, “How much daily wage can one earn?”

“Eight to fifteen coins, depending on what work you do. Heavier work pays more,” the other party said. “Two meals provided daily.”

The people behind Zhang Dayan hurriedly asked, “Where do people coming from outside stay?”

“The estate has housing for workers. Rest assured, it’s warmer than your own homes.”

Upon hearing this, the Zhangjia Village people immediately urged Zhang Dayan to quickly go to the estate to find the steward.