Chapter 1755: Time to Pay Your Grain Tax
Chapter 1755: Time to Pay Your Grain Tax
Bai Yiqiao pulled Fang Yong’s sleeves tightly. Her expression was nervous, and she was in a very agitated state.
Bai Yiqiao’s mind was in disorder. She was worrying about too many things and felt as if her hands and feet were tightly bound. She couldn’t breathe.
When Fang Yong’s clothes were tugged by Bai Yiqiao, he turned around, lowered his head, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Bai Yiqiao smiled with difficulty. “It’s nothing.”
Fang Yong raised his sleeves to block the scorching sun for Bai Yiqiao. His caring action brought tears to Bai Yiqiao’s eyes.
Such a Fang Yong made Bai Yiqiao hate Chen Ermei and Li Gouzi even more.
She also hated the heavens. Why couldn’t she achieve anything she desired?
Was the purpose of her rebirth to live a life of being abandoned by others just like her previous life?
Ning Shu looked away from Bai Yiqiao and focused on the two government officials.
“Everyone is here,” said a bailiff. “Now for the imperial court’s edict.”
“It is time to pay your grain tax. Each family’s tax is calculated at 30 pecks per person. If you give silver instead, each person will have to pay four taels of silver,” said the bailiff.
“It’s best to hand in grain. It doesn’t matter if it’s new or old; both can be used.”
Upon hearing such a heavy tax, the villagers wailed in agony. Their faces were full of panic.
Such taxes couldn’t possibly be paid even if they were beaten to death.
Ning Shu was also stunned. Although she knew in advance that the tax might be heavy this time, she didn’t expect it to be so heavy. Ten pecks was about 90 kilograms, which was about two hundred catties. A single person would have to pay nearly 600 catties of grain.
Taking the Chen family with four people as an example, they had to pay two thousand catties of grain. In ancient times, the yield per mu was very low, only amounting to a few hundred catties. Even more, it was currently a time of drought, so not even a stalk of grain was growing.
As for the four taels of silver, for the poor commoners, they might only save so much money in one year—no, it might even take two or three years.
Four taels of silver for one person. The court was really just demanding whatever they wanted.
It was basically asking for people to rebel.
The government officer then gave a sermon on loyalty to the emperor. The country was currently in distress, and the people should contribute their fair share. He also denounced the rebel army, saying that as soon as the insurgents were caught, they would be executed via death by a thousand cuts.
The bailiffs asked everyone to go home to prepare. After ten days, they would come to collect food and money.
Ning Shu couldn’t help but shake her head. If the Heavens wished for the humans to be wiped out, it must first drive them mad. The court had gone mad. It didn’t give the people any way to live at all. In order to survive, starting an uprising and riots were all too normal.
Bai Yiqiao turned her head and glanced at Ning Shu. Seeing Ning Shu’s solemn expression, she sneered in her heart. There were more than one hundred taels of silver in her family, yet she pretended to have an anxious face.
So disgusting. Seeing other Chen family members with relaxed expressions, Bai Yiqiao suddenly said, “Brother Bailiff.”
When Ning Shu heard Bai Yiqiao’s voice, she immediately looked in her direction. She could see an indescribable ruthlessness on Bai Yiqiao’s face. Ning Shu suddenly had a bad premonition in her heart.
Bai Yiqiao glanced at Ning Shu and said, “There is a family who can pay taxes right now.”
She pointed to Ning Shu. “The Chen family found a ginseng plant, and it sold for a lot of money.”
As soon as Bai Yiqiao said this, the surrounding villagers stared at the Chen family with strange gazes. They were whispering to each other, saying that the Chen family was really good at keeping secrets.
There was no one in the village who could pay their taxes, so much so they didn’t even have food to eat. However, the Chen family had actually sold ginseng. How much money was that?
Scarcity was not the problem but rather uneven distribution. They didn’t didn’t mind living a poor life and feared chaos more. The villagers just wanted to pay the taxes and live in peace, and the Chen family was the way they could do it. Now, the Chen family had become everyone’s target.
As soon as the bailiffs heard this, their eyes lit up. Their gazes were full of greed.
#Take’s comments: 600 catties is about 793.6 pounds or 350 kg. ∑(ﾟﾛﾟ ;). Also Bai Yiqiao is really capable of drawing aggro…
MTL Editor: Meraki
TLC: Kaho