novel-bin 08, Grain Tax, Lu Family
08, Grain Tax, Lu Family
Five days later.
Ren Yaokang was preparing to return home. Before leaving, he came to call out to his sixth uncle.
In the past few days, Ren Qingshan has finished harvesting the grain and taken care of all the big and small matters at home.
After packing his bags and saying goodbye to Xiao Cui, he and his nephew set off on their journey to earn money.
A 35-year-old landowner returns to the "workplace"!
Thirty-five years old is indeed considered advanced age.
Many men in the village get married in their teens, and some of them are almost grandfathers by now.
However, good things come to those who wait.
With the Book of Land, as long as enough land is accumulated, martial arts cultivation will flourish!
……
"Sixth Uncle, the grain tax this year will probably be increased by the authorities, to eighty catties per person. With the cost of rats, it will be about ninety-five catties."
On the road.
The uncle and nephew chatted casually as they traveled.
Ren Qingshan's eyes narrowed slightly: "Why add so much?"
In previous years, grain tax was collected per capita.
Men over twelve years old each weigh forty jin, plus rats, totaling nearly fifty jin.
Women and children are not accepted.
However, if a woman is over twenty-five years old and still unmarried, she must still pay forty catties.
In addition, there are some miscellaneous supplementary details, but the total number is roughly the same.
The clan head has always collected the goods in the village and then transported them to the government office to be handed over.
Fifty catties of grain wouldn't have been much in previous years, but this year, it's almost doubled!
Ren Yaokang sighed.
"Qingzhou is suffering from a severe drought, and Yongzhou is at war. It seems that the Ministry of Revenue is short of funds and has no choice but to levy taxes heavily."
"Your family is alright, but my family has eight people, so we have to pay an extra 400 jin of grain tax."
He has a large family, so he naturally has many friends.
Ren Qingshan nodded, feeling a pang of regret.
Fifty catties of grain is enough to feed me for several days!
That wicked feudal society!
But then Ren Yaokang said, "My fifth brother is working hard to become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), and my third brother is also planning to take the martial arts Xiucai exam. It would be great if they could pass."
Although scholars could not be exempted from grain tax, the government would return the grain tax to them every year.
A scholar can return about 500 jin (250 kg).
Of course, the exam was extremely difficult, and Renjia Village had never produced a scholar in all these years.
In the dozen or so villages around, Ren Qingshan recalled that in recent years, fewer than ten people, both in the civil and military fields, had passed the imperial examinations and become scholars.
"What level of skill is required to become a martial arts scholar?"
Ren Qingshan was previously frail and unskilled in both literature and martial arts, so he knew little about these things and immediately inquired in detail.
Looking at his sixth uncle, Ren Yaokang explained in detail: "You have to be at least in the late Iron Bone stage to be eligible to apply. It is divided into three stages: Strength, Martial Arts, and Combat. Strength must reach 10,000 jin, Martial Arts must be mastered to the point of perfection, and Combat is a ranking process. If there are many applicants, the best of the best will be selected... To pass the exam with certainty, you must be at least in the Silver Blood Realm."
When is the exam?
Ren Qingshan was greatly moved.
Silverblood, I am now!
I have immense strength, but all I'm missing right now is a martial arts technique!
If one could pass the martial arts examination and become a martial arts scholar, one's future would certainly be much brighter than being a bodyguard for a merchant!
"The exam is held every three years. I passed last year, so the next one will be in the spring of 2022."
There's still a year and a half left...
Ren Qingshan smiled and nodded, patting Ren Yaokang on the shoulder: "Sixth Uncle is out of luck. You should focus on your martial arts training, and there may be opportunities in the future."
"Sixth Uncle is joking... I don't have that ability at all!"
Ren Yaokang smiled wryly and waved his hand, repeatedly expressing his modesty.
……
We chatted the whole way.
After walking about thirty li, we arrived at Lujiazhuang.
This place boasts an exceptional geographical location, serving as a hub for trade routes. The land route is the "Ancient Silk and Salt Road," while the waterway runs alongside the Grand Canal.
There are large markets every day, as well as special markets for salt, fish, and cattle and sheep.
Led by Ren Yaokang, we walked through the bustling streets and came to a grand mansion ahead, like a castle, with high walls painted white, both magnificent and beautiful.
Two servants in blue robes stood ramrod straight at the entrance.
"This is the front gate of the Lu family."
"Let's go through the back door. I'll go tell the butler."
Following him around to the back gate, there were also two servants in blue robes on guard. Ren Yaokang stepped forward and announced his identity. The servants did not dare to neglect him and sent the gatekeeper in to announce his arrival. After waiting for a full half hour, a middle-aged man dressed in black slowly walked out.
—It seems that Xiao Qi's status as a yamen runner isn't quite enough.
—We can talk, but that's about it.
— Xiaoqi's favor is quite substantial.
Asking for help is like swallowing a three-foot sword, and making money is like climbing nine heavens. Ren Qingshan wasn't particularly impatient, but he kept thinking about it.
The steward's surname was Li. He had a high-pitched voice, a pale face, and no beard. He looked... almost like a eunuch.
Why do salt merchant families live such a grand life?
Ren Qingshan thought to himself as he listened to Ren Yaokang and Steward Li exchange pleasantries, explaining their purpose and identities.
After being scrutinized by his sinister gaze for a while, he led the way, allowing them to enter the room.
After entering the gate, he questioned me all the way, and I walked westward along the high wall of the inner courtyard for about a mile before I finally saw a drill ground.
If someone hadn't led the way, everyone would probably have gotten lost in this grand and prestigious house.
Salt merchants...they're really rich!
……
There were about twenty men on the drill ground, all of them looking full of vigor, their shouts and grunts filling the air, giving off a rather menacing vibe.
"Fang Jinpai, you mentioned the other day that you didn't have enough manpower, so I asked people to look for people for you everywhere."
"Well, we found one. He's an uncle of Constable Fang's family. Constable Fang vouched for him, and he's clean."
"You can assess and assign him a grade."
A burly man with a bare chest and thick chest hair laughed as he spoke to Steward Li from the sidelines of the court.
Such wealthy families don't hire just anyone. If it weren't for Ren Yaokang acting as guarantor, it would be impossible for anyone to come to them on their own.
After all, it's hard to guard against a thief within your own family.
A stranger with no background, who knows where he comes from?
Fang Jinpai's temples bulged, and his eyes were sharp as knives. Although he had a smile on his face, when he looked over, Ren Qingshan suddenly felt his heart beat faster.
The aura of a master is truly remarkable.
How old are you?
Fang Jinpai frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice.
"I'm thirty-five."
Ren Qingshan felt slightly embarrassed. At his age, he was still out "looking for a job," which was truly a bit shameful.
But... I need to make money!
We need to buy land!
"This age... is a bit too old."
"What martial arts technique do you practice? What were you doing before?"
Fang Jinpai frowned slightly and commented, "Out of respect for the steward and the constable, I'll ask one more question."
"I have never practiced martial arts. I found a spiritual herb in the field and ate it. After eating it, my strength increased greatly."
"I used to be a farmer, and I wasn't in good health. It was only after this opportunity that I thought about moving up in rank."
Ren Qingshan responded truthfully.
Ren Yaokang then interjected with a smile, "Fang Jinpai, my sixth uncle, I've tried him. He has at least a thousand jin of strength. I learned the Mighty Grappling Hand technique at the yamen, and I almost lost an arm wrestling match with him."
Fang Jinpai's eyes flickered slightly, revealing a hint of doubt and curiosity.
"You've never practiced martial arts, so what kind of spiritual herbs did you eat to gain a thousand pounds of strength without exploding your body?"
……
……