During the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (the rise of the commodity economy in the Jiangnan region, land annexation intensified, taxes were heavy, and farmers struggled between traditional farming and new production models) Zhou Mingyuan was a farmer in Wuxian County, Suzhou Prefecture, South Zhili. His ancestors were farmers. He had a down-to-earth and intelligent personality, and he knew farm work well and was good at observing. Due to his family's decline, only one of his sons was left. There are three acres of thin farmland, but he has an ordinary vision of "planting good fields, raising his family, and protecting his neighbors." The story of a Jiangnan farmer who relied on improved farming, united his neighbors, adapted to the current situation, and protected his land and home amid heavy tax pressure and changing times shows the survival wisdom and resilience of farmers in the middle and late Ming Dynasty.
