Don't Mess with That Dragon-Chapter 761 - 002

Young York was a typical child from an old-era farming family, and during his growth, hunger and labor were eternal themes.

When his father was killed by the Lord, the pillar of the family suddenly collapsed.

That was a period of despair.

Without the main labor force at home, the family's production capacity significantly decreased, yet the land taxes from the Lords did not reduce at all. His mother Monia worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, alongside the family's savings, but it could only barely sustain them for half a year until they ran out of food.

The hardships at home made young York learn a lot at a young age.

During that period of despair, young York not only did his utmost to help his mother with farm work, but in his spare time, while tending to his younger siblings, he also went out to cut grass, merely to exchange with the livestock officer for a handful of peas to supplement the family income.

If the Blue Dragon Kingdom hadn't come, young York's family might not have survived that winter.

It was the Blue Dragon Kingdom that saved his family from the abyss of despair; it was that respectful Village Chief who gave them the hope to live on amidst despair.

Even now, young York feels sincere gratitude towards that Village Chief and the great His Highness Austin in the village.

He always remembers the scene when he couldn't withstand hunger anymore, running to the Lords' castle, and receiving black bread from the Village Chief's hands.

From that moment onward,

the past and future life drew a clearly defined dividing line.

Life in the past was forever not having enough to eat or wear, bustling every day, only to barely obtain some gruel to survive, while still bearing the unbearably expensive taxes from the Lords, struggling on the brink of hunger and survival.

Now,

as long as you work diligently, no longer longing for those black bread you could only expect during harvest festivals, you might even occasionally taste white bread, cheese, and so on that previously only noble Lords could enjoy.

In the Blue Dragon Kingdom, the rapid development of the commodity economy and significant improvement in productivity levels even gave people in newly occupied territories the same convenience of development.

Moreover, having been freed from the oppression of old noble Lords, the land tax has been reduced to an unprecedented one-tenth level, with just a little effort, one could maintain warmth and satiety from the beginning to the end of the year, luxuriously buying some white flour and cheese from the small town to make a sumptuous dinner that only noble Lords could enjoy in the past.

In recent years, under the rural development policy context of the South Dragon Kingdom, young York's family also enjoyed these advantages of the fast economic development in the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

Still remember the first time they enjoyed the delicacies that only the nobles had the privilege to consume,

not only young York and his siblings, even his mother Monia nearly swallowed their tongues.

Heaven,

according to his mother Monia, she had never tasted such delicious food from birth until now, it wasn't food meant for humans, only delicacies found in heaven.

Mother Monia, born as a daughter of a poor farmer family.

Not long after adulthood, she married and gave birth, starting a family, giving birth to young York and his siblings, her half-life had been spent in the busyness, spinning like a top every day, to barely keep the family afloat.

Even in the best harvest years, the most delicious food was nothing but black bread.

Upon watching his mother enjoy those dishes that once only existed on noble dining tables for the first time, eyeing his mother's rough and calloused hands, young York made a vow to let his mother live a good life in the future.

And precisely because of this,

taking advantage of his time off from middle school during the summer, young York did not return to the countryside, but stayed in the city doing odd jobs, coincidentally coming to work at the Smith's house for a period of time.

Though the secondary school fees were free, York's grades earned him scholarships, making basic living not a problem.

But at home, to allow his mother and siblings a better life, York essentially studied hard while using his spare time to work outside, sending most of the pocket money he earned home to supplement household expenses.

Despite the significant growth of the Blue Dragon Kingdom's economy over the years, and the successful progress of rural policy reforms, young York's family's living standard is far higher than before.

Yet people always yearn for a better life.

After getting used to eating black bread every day, occasionally having a meal of white bread with cheese, no one would want to go back to those days of eating gruel that even animals wouldn't want.

A while ago, the newspapers reported an anecdote.

In certain places, rebellious old nobles hid in the mountains for years, taking advantage of the Blue Dragon Kingdom's gradual resolution of most old feudal remnants in recent years, relaxing pursuit power, they fled back to their rural estates intending to "raise the banner" to rally vassals to launch a rebellion against the Blue Dragon Kingdom.

As a result, they were captured by a group of farmers wielding pitchforks upon their return and escorted to the township office.

Just like the conclusion in the newspaper: having experienced the good days over these years, only a fool would want to go back to those lives of eating half-cooked gruel, unable to even fill their stomach.

The saying goes, without comparison, there can be no harm.

The hearts of the entire Blue Dragon Kingdom, especially the bottom-layer farmers, are firmly inclined towards the great His Highness Austin.

Transitioning from frugality to luxury is easy, from luxury to frugality is difficult.

No one would want ever to go back to the days under old noble Lords' exploitation and oppression.

However,

the increasingly better life is also considered a drawback.

Indeed, life has become better, but the instinct and nature of intelligent life are to move towards a better life.

In the past,

young York's greatest wish was to eat black bread.

Now, young York's family, who eat black bread every day, are already tired of its taste, yearning to eat that fragrant white bread with cheese for every meal.

Despite the land tax in the Blue Dragon Kingdom being only one-tenth, and economic development, farmers' income level has increased by more than tenfold compared to before.

However,

to lead an even better life, the expenditure required is also greater.

Such as those sewing machines, televisions, motorcycles, recognized as the three major items by bottom-layer farmers, every meal wanting that white bread with cheese, canned beef produced by canning factories, and so on.

Life is better than before, but the daily labor is more abundant compared to before. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Because only with more effort can one live a better life, human desires themselves are endless; getting better only leads to wanting better.

Compared to other families, York's family still resides on the poverty line.

This is one of the reasons why young York works odd jobs to earn money to support his home.