Along the fields, there are rows of bamboo racks with bundles of straw hanging from them.
These are also important production materials. It seems that after the autumn harvest, the straw is hung here to dry, allowing for easy access without worrying about rot or mildew.
This straw serves as the primary feed for livestock such as cattle and horses in the coming year. It can also be used to make straw bags, repair houses, and produce torches.
Field looked with interest and asked Yayoi, "How much land does the village have?"
Yayoi imdiately answered, "There are 78 cho and 2 tan of fields."
Field was montarily stunned, not quite accustod to the various units of the Muromachi Era: 5 square feet is 1 step (Goguryeo foot), 360 steps is a tan (6×60 or 12×30), also known as 1 strip due to its shape, 10 tan make up 1 cho, 1 square cho equals 1 tsubo, and 6 tsubo make up 1 ri.
These units were established during Japan's implentation of the equal-field system, modeled after the Tang Dynasty, and the land division system, essentially persisting until the end of the Muromachi Era, with few changes in between, although the nas were altered several tis, the overall differences were minimal.
Field calculated in his mind for a mont and felt the area was rather small, finding it unlikely to support so many villagers.
Yayoi seed to perceive sothing and cautiously added, "Sir, the village also has over 310 cho of dry fields and over 140 cho of gardens."
Field realized that at this ti in Japan, "fields" referred specifically to rice paddies, dry fields were called "hatake," and non-cereal crop land was "gardens."
The fields were further divided into grades like upper-upper, upper, middle, and lower, with yields varying more than double. Hatake had similar grading but included abandoned land and fallow land, whereas gardens and residential areas were remnants of the equal-field system, with residential areas being hos and gardens used to grow economic crops like mulberry, hemp (sesa, flax, Chinese hemp, etc.), cotton, lacquer, bamboo, and indigo (various dyes).
Field wasn't inclined to delve into Japan Middle Ages agricultural planning policies, just curious and asked, "How's the harvest? How much tax... hmm, field rent... annual tribute?"
"It's okay..." Yayoi spoke more cautiously on this topic, secretly observing his facial expressions and said quietly, "My father says it's now 'five public, five private.'"
"You need to pay 50% of the yield?" Field nodded knowingly, noting that compared to the later era's inco, consumption, construction, and other miscellaneous taxes totaling around 30%, ten percent for five was a bit much but better than he imagined. Concerned, he asked again, "The remaining should be enough to eat, right?"
Yayoi hesitated, realizing Field was indeed a noble, completely untouched by life's hardships.
Field noticed her expression and curiously asked, "Is that not right?"
Yayoi whispered, "Sir, you haven't accounted for the rice for oxen, interest rice, additional land tax, military provisions, and direct-field taxes."
"Rice for oxen, interest rice, additional land tax, military provisions, and direct-field taxes?"
Yayoi secretly watched Field's expression again, seeing he was purely curious without any sign of anger from ignorance, cautiously explained, "Each year, the village borrows oxen from the temple, and after harvest must pay ox rice, about one koku and two to for each ox."
In this era, before planting, the land needs to be plowed, turning the stalks and weeds into the soil, then water is retained before planting a new cycle. This tough job significantly influences yield, unless there's plentiful strong labor at ho, it's best done with oxen, but raising them costs much even if they're not working—an ox requires about four kilograms of straw or fifteen kilograms of green grass daily, three shaku of beans, buckwheat.
More is needed during work with dry and green grass, beans, and wheat combined, otherwise, the ox will rapidly lose weight.
Also required is ample salt for continuous heavy labor, about 100 grams per day, sotis reaching 200 grams; normal use demands at least 30 grams daily, otherwise the ox will refuse to work, get sick, or die.
These miscellaneous costs make raising an ox expensive annually and susceptible to theft, so ordinary farrs can't afford to raise them, opting to rent instead.
After Yayoi's detailed explanation, Field understood and asked, "Interest rice then?"
"Sotis in famine years, without grain stored for winter, the village borrows from the temple. Whatever is borrowed must be repaid with rice," Yayoi cautiously explained, "Most tis it's doubled, sotis tripled; if not repaid within a year, it's spread over two or three years, but so interest rice must be added annually."
100%-200% interest? Or compound interest?
Are monks so heartless? What happened to Buddhist compassion? However, it seems monks everywhere lend with high interest, it's not just Japan, no wonder monks face persecution in various countries and dynasties...
Field muttered internally and continued, "What about additional land tax and military provisions?"
"Additional land tax is rewarding Samurai for their hard work in managing us, paid in rice, with village-wide equal distribution outside the five-public taxes," Yayoi beca increasingly cautious, frequently checking Field's expression, "Military provisions are the rice temporarily collected during wars, also outside five-public, it's... it's our small token of appreciation to Samurai for protecting us."
Lower to middle Samurai managent fees? Temporary war tax?
Field pondered briefly then asked, "And direct-field taxes?"
"Direct-field is land cultivated with forced labor by the main family, with the yield entirely going to them," Yayoi continued explaining to the "unaware young master," pointing to the best rice paddies by the riverbank, "Those over thirty cho are direct-fields, led by my father, and all yield counts as annual tribute."
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