Chapter 55: Twice-Yearly Labor Service

After dinner, the eldest son of the village chief came in from outside to announce that each household must send one person to the ancestral hall for a meeting.

Madam Huang asked, "Nephew, what is this about?"

The village chief’s eldest son mentioned something about the labor service and then left to notify the next household.

Since many villagers were away during the day, the chief decided to wait until everyone had finished dinner before calling the meeting.

Hearing the word "labor service," Sun Shan's heart tightened. He put down his brush and asked, "Father, what work do we have to do this time?"

Sun Bomin also didn’t know and merely shook his head.

In Huangyang County, there are two labor services a year, one before spring plowing and one after autumn harvest.

The length of each service varies. The three Sun brothers, though living separately, share one household registration and take turns fulfilling the labor duty.

Last autumn’s service was undertaken by the third uncle; this spring, it was Sun Bomin’s turn.

Madam Su frowned and said, "Master, you should go to the ancestral hall first and see what the village chief says."

Since the chief required one representative per household, Madam Su naturally would not go and was not qualified to attend.

In the Sun family’s ancestral hall, only those bearing the Sun surname are permitted inside, even the Sun family’s maids are allowed, but outsiders, especially daughters-in-law from other families, are not.

This rule has its origins.

Typically, other villages allow only male members inside, barring daughters-in-law and maids. But the Sun family’s ancestral hall is unique.

It is said that when the clan first fled here during a time of hardship, many households were left with only daughters, as the men had either disappeared or died along the way.

The clan head then set a precedent: daughters who marry into the family would bear the Sun surname.

Therefore, daughters are regarded as sons, allowed entry into the ancestral hall, and honored there.

Thus, the ancestral tablets include those of women who married into the family.

At every village memorial ceremony, the family head leads both sons and daughters in worshiping their ancestors. Of course, daughters who have married out of the family are forbidden from entering.

Sun Bomin put aside his work and, without lighting a lantern, walked by moonlight to a neighbor’s house, called out, and together they went to the ancestral hall for the meeting.

Sun Shan was by now accustomed to the biannual labor service.

Fortunately, the work was never too demanding.

It usually involved building bridges, repairing roads, or managing irrigation channels. Huangyang County had no iron, coal, or large rivers, so the labor was not life-threatening.

Sun Shan resumed his brush, carefully forming each character.

After practicing enough, he turned to his sisters and said, "Come, I will teach you the characters we need to learn today."

The four sisters of Guyu listened as their brother explained the meanings and demonstrated the strokes.

Finally, they each wrote on a stone slab. They didn’t use brushes, but charcoal sticks, since brushes and ink were expensive and consumable items the Sun family couldn’t afford to waste on them.

Sun Shan smiled and said, "If you practice several times every day, you’ll remember them."

He thought that once he mastered writing well on paper, he could make copies for his sisters to use.

Guyu complained with a headache, "Brother, I can never remember them. Maybe I shouldn’t learn."

Sun Shan immediately countered, "Big sister, I forget too, but if you study every day, it’s hard not to remember."

Among the four sisters, Guyu was likely the oldest and most distracted, so she learned the worst.

Xiaoman was the most cunning in her learning, though not the best.

The best was Lixia, who could write after just a few lessons, albeit with crooked strokes but all correct characters.

The youngest, Hanlu, was average and steady.

Lixia encouraged, "Big sister, if we write more, it’ll be easy to remember."

Xiaoman added, "Big sister, our brains may be slow, but we’ll learn little by little. We don’t have to take exams; whatever we remember is a gain. Brother pays the tuition, so all five of us are learning."

Xiaoman believed that if their slow-witted brother could learn, she certainly could.

Guyu had no choice but to steel herself, seeing her siblings so dedicated.

Madam Huang smiled, "Don’t rush. Take your time. Your eldest aunt didn’t want to learn at first either, but your grandfather taught her every day until she could read and write without realizing it. It’ll be the same for you—study every day, and in time, you’ll understand."

Madam Su initially disapproved of Shanzi teaching the four girls, but since the tuition was already paid, having one more person learn was a gain.

She supported Sun Shan’s teaching, thinking she should learn too to justify the expensive fees.

She said to Sun Shan, "Shanzi, teach Mother as well."

Sun Shan was delighted. "Mother, alright, I’ll teach you," and repeated the lesson, growing more fluent in writing.

The oil lamp in the main room flickered dimly but did not diminish their joy in learning.

About an hour later, Sun Bomin returned from the ancestral hall.

Sun Shan asked with concern, "Father, what did the village chief say?"

The women gathered around also looked on anxiously.

Sun Bomin replied, neither happy nor sad, "The village chief said we’re to repair the irrigation channels the day after tomorrow to prepare for spring plowing."

Madam Su quickly asked, "Master, where exactly will you be working? Last autumn’s labor was road repair; this time it’s the channels, but we don’t know where."

Sun Bomin said, "In the outskirts of the county town, not far from Xiaomei village, helping the government repair the water channels."

Madam Huang felt less anxious upon hearing it was canal work. They would go wherever duty called as long as it was safe.

She hurriedly asked, "How many days will you be gone?"

Sun Bomin answered, "About ten days. The officials said ten days would be just enough to finish and return in time for spring plowing."

It also benefited the officials’ fields for spring cultivation.

The newly appointed magistrate of Huangyang County was using the labor service to reclaim land in the county outskirts.

The newly reclaimed fields belonged to the government, whose income supported official expenses.

Hearing they’d be working in the county outskirts, Madam Su realized they wouldn’t come home during that time, and asked anxiously, "Master, where will you stay?"

Sun Bomin scratched his head. "The officials said they set up shelters for the laborers."

Madam Huang said, "Make sure to bring quilts; it’s still cold these days, don’t get chilled."

Then she added, "Bring some dry food as well. The officials will provide hot water, right?"

Sun Bomin nodded, "The village chief said there will be hot water all day long. Oh, Mother, I’ll bring an old quilt; even if it gets stolen, I won’t mind."

Madam Huang agreed, "Bring two quilts—one to sleep on and one to cover yourself. For food, bring rice cakes, dried sweet potatoes, and some steamed jerky."

The family had two quilts reserved specifically for labor service, along with cotton vests and worn cotton padding. If any of it got stolen or lost, it wouldn’t be a big loss.

Madam Su asked, "Master, when you gather the village’s belongings together, will someone be assigned to guard them?"

Sun Bomin nodded, "The village chief said, just like before, each village group will be assigned a place, and someone will be appointed to watch over things. The officials don’t want items lost either."

If things went missing, the villagers would cause trouble, delaying the work, so it was better to have strict supervision from the start.

After discussing the labor service arrangements, everyone went to rest.