What Was the General Status of Peasants During the Zhou

What was the general status of peasants during the Zhou period?

A) The peasants were enslaved on a hereditary basis.
B) They were mired in a share-cropping existence, with no protection from the central government.
C) They were hard working, but not miserable, and sometimes even prosperous.
D) They lacked needed equipment and work animals such as horses.
E) They were happier than the aristocrats, because they controlled their own lives.