Chapter 212: Response (Additional update for 200,000 Yunqi recommendation votes)
Zhou Erlang had sold all his tofu and was now selling bamboo weaving. He saw the lotus leaf-wrapped buns in their arms at a glance. There was nothing he could do about it; the fragrance was wafting over from there.
Thinking about how expensive the food prices were, Zhou Erlang couldn't help but scold in a low voice, "Don't waste money outside. We will be patient and go back soon. We will bring our own dry food tomorrow."
The main reason was that they didn't expect the prices in the county town to soar, otherwise they would have brought their own dry food.
"By the way, how much is the bun now?"
Zhou Liulang: "Two cents each."
"Meat buns?"
"No, plain buns."
Zhou Erlang glared, "Doubled?"
Manbao nodded sympathetically, "Second brother, the guy selling buns just now said that the price of rice has risen to thirty-two wen."
Zhou Erlang was silent for a moment, then turned and said, "Eat quickly, then go home."
Anyway, I can’t sell any of these bamboo weavings in half a day, so I might as well go home.
They hadn't been out for a long time and had no idea that the world outside had become like this. They had to hurry back to the village to tell their father.
Manbao grabbed the buns and ate them with relish. Only after he was full did he sit on the cart and sway back home.
When Old Zhou heard that food prices were soaring outside, he was silent for a long time and then said, "Let's count the food at home and eat it sparingly."
Manbao sat beside him, looking up at him with his little head tilted back.
Old Zhoutou touched her little head and said, "Saving a little every day can save your life at a critical moment. Manbao, you are going to suffer."
"I'm not afraid of hardship!" Manbao clenched his fists and said, "Don't worry, Dad. I will make a lot of money."
Old Zhou said sadly, "Sometimes even if you have money you can't buy food. I just hope that the county government will show mercy this autumn and allow us to use money instead of food."
Otherwise, grain prices would only rise, and they wouldn't be able to buy it even if they had the money. Old Zhou couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the autumn tax his family would have to pay.
It was at this moment that Old Zhou felt that having more sons was not good for the family, as the autumn tax he had to pay was several times higher than that of other families.
Old Zhou glanced at his sons with some disdain and frowned in worry.
Manbao leaned on her shoulder and whispered, "Dad, I read in a book that if a place has a natural disaster, the court might exempt it from taxes."
Old Zhou was not very hopeful. He said, "Our village wasn't affected by the flood, so the tax exemption wouldn't apply to us. Besides..."
What Old Zhou didn’t say was that the autumn tax could be exempted, but the county government could always arrange other donations to get the tax back. Wasn’t that what happened during the severe drought in the eleventh year of Dading?
The village head told them that the imperial court had exempted them from taxes for that year, and then people from the county government came to ask them to pay donations. The donations they had to pay were three times higher than in previous years.
Almost all of the exempted taxes and grain were distributed as donations.
Manbao said proudly: "I asked my friend to tell her father."
Old Zhou couldn't help laughing when he saw her smug look, and asked with a smile, "Who is your friend's father?"
"It's the county magistrate."
Old Zhou: ...
County Magistrate Fu returned home in the dark again. His boots were covered in mud. Instead of going to the dining room, he went to wash up first. After washing off all the mud on his body, he went to the dining room.
Seeing his wife leading the children to sit at the dinner table, he frowned and said, "Didn't I tell you that if I come back late, you can just eat first and don't have to wait for me."
Mrs. Fu served him some food and said with a smile, "We didn't wait long. The children also wanted to eat with you. You must be tired today. Sit down and eat first."
County Magistrate Fu then sat down to eat.
The Fu family had a rule of not talking while eating, so everyone ate in silence. After finishing their meal, they sat together to drink tea, and then Mrs. Fu asked, "Are you going to the village tomorrow?"
County Magistrate Fu sighed and said, "Tomorrow I will visit several villages near Dali Village to determine the damage in that area."
Mrs. Fu felt sorry for him and grumbled, "Just let the village head report it. Why do you have to go and see it yourself? Look at you, every day you're either going to this village or that township, and many of them are places with deep water and many rivers. I'm worried that you..."
"The water from the Luo River doesn't flow into the Min River. Although there was some damage, there wasn't any major flooding. Don't worry, I'm fine."
Fu Wenyun took the opportunity to ask, "Father, is there a Qili Village next to Dali Village?"
"Yes, how did you know?" County Magistrate Fu said this and then remembered, "It was your little friend who told you, right?"
Fu Wenyun nodded and said without hiding anything, "She and her brothers came to the city to sell things today."
County Magistrate Fu asked her curiously, "What did she say? Did she talk about the situation in their village?"
The reason why County Magistrate Fu remembered Manbao was because she was very smart and was still a very young girl.
Fu Wenyun did not hide anything and told her father everything Manbao had told her. She also asked on her behalf: "Father, if there is no grain in the autumn harvest, what will they do?"
County Magistrate Fu remained silent for a moment. After a while, he put down his tea bowl and stood up, saying, "You all should rest first. I'll go to the front hall first."
The front hall of the Fu family is the county government office.
County Magistrate Fu left in a hurry.
Mrs. Fu couldn't help but glare at her second daughter. "Your father finally gets a break, but you can't tell him something happy. Why do you have to talk about business at home?"
Fu Wenyun lowered her head.
Fu Wenxuan quickly hugged her mother's hand and said with a smile, "Mom, I'm just reminding Dad with good intentions. Otherwise, if something really happens, Dad will be even busier."
"Can't we wait until tomorrow? Besides, your sister is only a few years old. What does she know?"
Mrs. Fu felt that girls should not get involved in such matters, especially since Fu Wenyun was only eleven years old.
In the past, County Magistrate Fu would never tell these things to his children, especially his two daughters.
But after meeting Zhou Man and Bai Shan last year, County Magistrate Fu was no longer so shy about talking about these things with his children. His eldest daughter was not interested in these things, so he didn't force her to listen. But since his second daughter was interested, he never drove her away. Sometimes when he was talking to the county magistrate, he would specially call her to the front to make tea.
He had naturally considered what his daughter said this time. In fact, he had discussed it with the county magistrate and others a long time ago, but he had not been able to make up his mind.
Because there are those who support it and those who oppose it.
County Magistrate Fu walked to the front hall, but did not ask anyone to call the county magistrate and others. Instead, he sat behind the desk and was silent for a long time before asking someone to call the legal advisor.
All the previous matters were discussed with the county magistrate, county lieutenant, chief clerk, etc., but this time he wanted to hear the opinion of his legal advisor.
Because compared to the former, the advisor is his aide and the most loyal person to him.
The lawyer arrived very quickly. Today he also followed County Magistrate Fu to the village. He had just eaten, taken a bath, and changed his clothes.
Seeing him come in, County Magistrate Fu closed the door, turned around and looked at him and said, "Wen Bo, have you ever considered what will happen to me after this autumn?"
(End of this chapter)
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