lt;pgt;Scholar from

The shortage of able-bodied men, coupled with heavy levies and extortion by bandits, meant many ordinary people could only afford one meal a day. They couldn't possibly bear any extra taxes.,At the end of spring and autumn, the county government would organize two matchmaking events called "Sending Brides" to send unmarried eligible women to various villages and towns, where men could choose their brides.,On the top of Lubei Terrace, stood three young men, a hunchback, a limping man, and the last one, though he had all four limbs intact, his face was sly and shifty, not looking like a good person at all.。