Chapter 598_1

The incessant rain turned the crops in the fields into a waterlogged mess, but Lin Yue's family was lucky that most of their land, except for a few acres near the river with lower elevation, remained largely unaffected, as most of their land consisted of reclaimed wasteland and barren hills.

Originally, they had thought that wasteland and barren hills were exempt from taxes, hoping that within ten years, someone in the family would surely attain scholarly honor, thereby exempting them from taxation. What's more, the wasteland and barren hills claimed large areas suitable for cultivation of crops such as sorghum and sweet potatoes. Additionally, their plots were situated halfway up the hill, making them conveniently closer to their home.