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Chapter 61: Absurdity
Before the evening arrived, Mrs. Gan and Mrs. Qin Fangniang, along with another woman, returned from the county, their faces looking very grim.
Sang Luo initially thought they might not have sold all their goods, but upon inspection, she found their loads empty and asked Mrs. Qin Fangniang, “Auntie, what’s wrong?”
Mrs. Qin Fangniang’s face was somewhat pale as she said, “When we left the city, we saw bailiffs posting notices at the city gate, it seemed like they were demanding rent and taxes. But we’ve already paid our taxes earlier this spring, why do they ask for more now?”
Mrs. Feng Liuniang still wasn’t entirely convinced, “Could it be a mistake? None of us can read. It was all hearsay from those who heard about it before us.”
Mrs. Qin Fangniang pondered for a moment, “Let’s hope it’s a mistake. I need to hurry home and inform my father. He can inquire with the village head about it.”
Mrs. Gan seemed eager to get back as well. After confirming the tofu order for the next day, Mrs. Qin Fangniang and Mrs. Feng Liuniang finally came to their senses, stating the quantity of tofu they needed for the following day before hastily leaving.
Sang Luo had just finished making two drying racks but had lost interest in continuing. So, she decided to descend the mountain and head towards Old Man Chen’s family home.
…
“Paying rent and taxes?” Old Man Chen looked bewildered, shaking his head. “That’s not right. We’ve already paid our taxes for this year. Did the bailiffs read the notice to you?”
Mrs. Qin Fangniang shook her head, “We left the city late, and the bailiff who posted the notice was gone by then. We heard from people nearby and asked about it. They said it was about paying rent and taxes.”
With the new grain still drying in the yard and not yet stored, hearing such news made Old Man Chen restless. He paced around the house and finally couldn’t stay put, “I’ll go to the Zhou family’s house.”
As soon as he stepped out of the gate, he met Shierlang and Old Man Lu, who had come together. When Old Man Lu saw Old Man Chen heading out, he asked, “Are you going to the Zhou family’s house?”
Old Man Chen nodded, “To find out what’s going on.”
They didn’t bother going into Old Man Chen’s house and decided to head straight to the Zhou family’s house together. As they walked, silence hung heavy among them.
During the grain drying days, Zhou Cunzheng himself didn’t need to be busy outside, so today was a rare opportunity for him to rest at home. When he saw Old Man Chen and the others approaching, he was first puzzled, then he thought that perhaps all three families were now setting up stalls in the county. He vaguely guessed something and felt an ominous premonition.
With these thoughts in mind, he got up and greeted them a few steps out, “Uncle Chen, Uncle Lu, what brings you all here together today?”
After exchanging greetings with Shi Erlang, he invited the three of them to sit inside.
Old Man Chen didn’t bother with pleasantries. He directly recounted what his daughter-in-law had heard in the county and said, “We’re skeptical. Didn’t we already pay our taxes earlier this spring? Why do they demand more now? Perhaps there were illiterate people by the notice at that time. Could it be a case of misinformation? We came here specifically to ask if you’ve heard anything.”
Zhou Cunzheng pondered for a moment and shook his head, “I haven’t received any news here yet. But I vaguely heard before that several states in the north have been severely affected by disasters this year, and the situation outside isn’t good.”
He speculated but didn’t dare to confirm. He could only say, “Let’s wait a little longer. If what the notice says is true, the village head should come to inform us by this evening at the latest, or tomorrow.”
Old Man Chen and the others couldn’t wait until evening or tomorrow; every moment felt like an eternity.
After enduring for half a year, just when they saw a glimmer of hope, they were told they had to pay rent and taxes again. Who could accept that?
Just as they were unsure what to do, they heard three gongs in the distance, and someone loudly shouted, calling everyone to the village square to hear an announcement.
Whenever there was a call to the village square, it was usually the village or district heads who had something to say. But the village head was here; who was calling people with gongs?
It seemed to confirm Zhou Cunzheng’s earlier words. All four of them felt a sinking feeling in their hearts, and any remaining hope was shattered.
“Let’s go, and see what’s happening.”
Zhou Cunzheng asked Old Man Chen and Old Man Lu to lead the way, while he followed alongside.
From a distance, they could see a figure standing in the square. It wasn’t anyone other than Zhou Lizheng and two village elders.
As villagers continued to arrive, Zhou Cunzheng went to Zhou Lizheng’s side, asking, “Brother Qi, what’s going on? Is it true that they’re going to collect rent and taxes?”
Zhou Lizheng glanced at him and asked, “Have you heard about it?”
Zhou Cunzheng nodded, not disclosing where he heard it from, just waiting for an answer.
But Zhou Lizheng waved his hand and said, “Wait for a while, I’ll announce it soon.”
…
Sang Luo had come along with Mrs. Chen. Coincidentally, they bumped into Shen San and his wife who had come out of their house upon hearing the gong.
Shen San glanced at Sang Luo, snorted, and walked ahead first.
Sang Luo: …
What’s wrong with him?
Mrs. Chen patted Sang Luo’s hand and said, “Ignore him, let’s go and hear what’s going on. They couldn’t possibly ask us to pay rent and taxes again, could they? The government wouldn’t do that, right?”
However, Sang Luo’s heart was hanging. She hadn’t forgotten that they had already paid rent and taxes once this spring. If they could pay once, perhaps it wasn’t impossible to pay a second time, considering the precedent.
As more people gathered, men, women, and children, the square filled up.
Finally, Zhou Lizheng cleared his throat and began to speak. He took out a notice from his sleeve and read it aloud, though few could understand the elaborate language. After finishing, he folded the notice and explained it in simple terms.
The gist of it was that in recent years, various states had suffered frequent natural disasters, especially severe ones last year. The court had provided relief efforts, but the situation was still difficult. Therefore, they were forced to ask everyone to pay next year’s rent and taxes in advance, so the court could overcome the current difficulties.
Despite the flowery language, it sounded like they were demanding their pound of flesh.
The crowd erupted into an uproar.
“Paying next year’s rent and taxes in advance? That’s absurd! The crops in the fields won’t magically grow next year’s food for us.”
“Paying taxes twice a year? Are they trying to kill us? We haven’t even tasted this year’s new harvest, and they’re already coming to take it away.”
“The court is in difficulty, the officials are in difficulty, does that mean we shouldn’t live anymore?”
Some people started crying as they spoke, “This world, it’s devouring people, it’s devouring people.”
When adults cried, children who didn’t understand were frightened and started crying too. For a moment, it seemed like even the air sucked into the lungs at the drying ground was filled with despair.
Sang Luo stood beside Mrs. Chen. Since crossing over, she felt thoroughly chilled for the first time, from head to toe.
It wasn’t fear of whether they could pay the rent and taxes this time, but fear of the era, the age, and the world she found herself in, where the destiny of the people was controlled by the court.
In the original memories, she only knew her own little world, but in the announcement just now, disasters had occurred across the years and states, not just in the original hometown’s province and county.
And the so-called relief efforts by the court, Sang Luo had never heard of in the original memories.
War, recurrent natural disasters, an ineffective court, heavy taxes, heavy labor—this was by no means a sign of prosperity. If things continued like this… Sang Luo’s hands and feet turned ice-cold; she dared not imagine.
She hadn’t experienced troubled times, but she knew better than to be a dog for the peaceful era and be a victim of chaos.
Zhou Lizheng was still doing the government’s work, meaning if they paid this year, they might not have to pay next year. First reason with them, then intimidate them. That was the court’s intention. Under the heavens, there was no exception. If they didn’t pay the rent and taxes, they’d be sent off to labor camps. Whether they had a return ticket was another question. They should weigh their options.
Then he handed a roster to Zhou Cunzheng. “This is the list of outstanding payments in your village. With the grain drying for a few more days, during this time, you should follow this list and do your job well. The bailiffs will come to our villages on the ninth day of the first lunar month. At that time, don’t delay the payments. After the seventh day, you’ll have to take the rent and taxes to the county yourselves.”
“At this time, every household has just harvested their grain. No one should have trouble paying. Let’s all be swift and decisive. There’s no benefit in delaying. This autumn, the last deadline for tax payment in our county is September fifteenth. Missing this deadline is no joke. Those who refuse to pay taxes will endure the hardest labor. If there happens to be a war, they could be sent to the border army at any time.”
Zhou Cunzheng’s cheeks tightened with anxiety as he took the register from Zhou Lizheng’s hands.
Zhou Lizheng could see his distress and said, “Alright, this isn’t something folks like us can influence. We just have to follow orders. You carry on, I’ll head to another village.”
As they prepared to leave, they beckoned the two village elders who had accompanied them.
Zhou Cunzheng looked out at the villagers on the drying ground, some crying, some wailing, some lamenting to the heavens, some silently wiping tears. Among them, he also spotted his own wife and children, all mourning as if they had lost their souls.
Feeling troubled, yet helpless, he opened the register given to him by Zhou Lizheng. After a quick glance, he sensed something was wrong. Flipping through several pages, Zhou Cunzheng hurriedly went to chase after someone.
Zhou Lizheng hadn’t gone far, so Zhou Cunzheng shouted as he chased, “Seventh Brother, Seventh Brother.”
Zhou Lizheng stopped and turned around, waiting. As Zhou Cunzheng approached, out of breath, he said, “Seventh Brother, this register is incorrect.”
Some villagers had already noticed Zhou Cunzheng yelling and chasing after Zhou Lizheng and they looked towards them.
Zhou Lizheng glanced at the villagers on the drying ground, then at his fellow clansman, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Shi Dalang, Chen Dashan.” Zhou Cunzheng opened the register, pointing at the two names on the first page, then flipped through several pages. “And many more, Shen Lie, Second Brother Lu’s family, Third Brother Li’s family, over a dozen people from our village who were conscripted before, they all died in battle. Why are they still listed in the tax register?”
Some observant villagers had already heard the commotion and were heading their way.
Zhou Cunzheng looked at his clan brother, waiting for his response.
Zhou Lizheng lowered his eyes, then raised them again to ask Zhou Cunzheng, “Who said they died in battle? Where are the death certificates? Do you have any?”
Zhou Cunzheng was taken aback by the question. His lips moved for a moment before he said, “Seventh Brother, the supplies for this batch were not provided by the court.”
Zhou Lizheng made a faint sound through his nose, “There you have it. Without death certificates, how can you prove they died in battle?”
Zhou Cunzheng stared at him and said, “Seventh Brother, you know very well that the court didn’t provide them. Everyone went from village to village asking about it. You could advocate for them.”
“I know? What do I know?” Zhou Lizheng interrupted him. “I’m just following the rules as a village head. What can the testimony of one or two old soldiers returning from the battlefield prove? How can I advocate?”
“Without death certificates, it can’t be proven they died. So, they’re still alive, still conscripts, still subject to taxation.” Zhou Lizheng looked at his fellow clansman, emphasizing each word. “This is the law, Ninth Brother.”
He handed the register back to Zhou Cunzheng and left.
Old Man Chen was among the first to notice Zhou Cunzheng’s actions and was one of the few who overheard everything. He stared blankly at Zhou Lizheng’s departing figure, then turned to look at Zhou Cunzheng. His weather-beaten face and eyes that seemed momentarily lost and confused, filled with absurdity.
No, it was absurd.
Old Man Chen turned his head and muttered, “Ninth nephew, what did they say? Did I hear correctly that my Dashan was on the tax list just now?”
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The court is so corrupt to even tax people that are presumably dead, even if there were no official death certificates, meaning their families have to pay extra taxes for nonexistent people.
I previously thought the new emperor was good because he advocated for education, but there must still be heavy corruption in the court, with officials most likely embezzling large portions of the relief funds, if they still require more taxes for relief purposes.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀
maybe he indeed is good, but incompetent. the corrupt officials are to blame ig… He needs to crack down some serious corruption from what is going on