"Does one have to get married at sixteen?" She frowned.
“In the State of Ye, if a woman does not marry by the age of sixteen, or a man does not marry, he must pay heavy taxes to the state, and the taxes increase year by year. If he cannot pay them, he will be imprisoned.”
“In our village, there’s a family whose eldest daughter has dark spots all over her face. They’ve been trying to find a husband for years, but no one has married her. They used to be a wealthy family in the village, but they’ve gone through so much taxation that they’ve sold their house, grain, and land. Now they’re so poor they can only afford to eat chaff. Can your family… afford to pay those taxes?”
Zheng Quchi: "..."
I can't afford it.
Even wealthy families go bankrupt, let alone small, insignificant ones like his.
So being single is illegal in Ye Kingdom?
"Men should marry when they're old enough, and women should marry when they're old enough. Who doesn't want a wife, kids, and a warm bed? Brother Sang, you're still young. When you're older, you'll start thinking about your wife, hahaha..."
Ha, she wouldn't even think about women. Even if she gets older, she'll only crave men.
However, I never expected that the Kingdom of Ye would have such a deadly rule. Does that mean that whether she is male or female, she will ultimately be forced into marriage?
Another serious situation is looming ahead.
Being a person... is difficult.
It's even harder to be someone who is neither male nor female and doesn't get married.
——
Overwhelmed with worry, she drank too much and suffered from a hangover headache the next day. But little did she know that something even more troublesome was about to happen.
At noon, a scholar in blue robes knocked on the door. Brother Sang was cooking in the kitchen, and Sister Sang was watering the flower bed. Zheng Quchi rubbed his temples and went to open the door.
Who are you looking for?
When the scholar in blue first saw Zheng Quchi, he was taken aback.
I've never seen anyone so unusually dark-skinned, especially since they were also unusually short, like... a lump of coal.
cough.
"Oh, I am the village head. I'm here to register the household registration of eligible women. Zheng Quchi, you are sixteen years old this year. You must be from your family."
As he spoke, he looked behind her for someone, but when he saw the Sang residence, his eyes widened in surprise.
This house... is quite unique.
What are those green tiles on top?
Why was the wall built so smoothly and painted so white?
The elevated walkways and terraces, connected to the main house and its row of interconnected buildings, are structurally varied and winding, combining simplicity and complexity. Bathed in the golden afterglow, the tranquil and secluded atmosphere made him feel as if he had entered another country.
Upon hearing his words, Zheng Quchi froze, then turned sharply to look at Brother Sang who was walking towards them.
He was not surprised.
“It’s our family. Let’s register. She’s visiting relatives and will be back in a couple of days.”
who?
Who went to visit relatives?
"elder brother!"
"I see." The village official replied absentmindedly, his eyes seemingly glued to the Sang residence. "The wedding procession will come to pick you up in three days. If you are absent or miss the appointment due to illness, you must go to the county office to pay the unmarried tax."
Brother Sang nodded: "We understand."
After registering what needed to be registered and explaining what needed to be explained, the village official still seemed reluctant to leave. In the end, Zheng Quchi, who had lost patience, politely pushed him out the door and then slammed the door shut.
She turned her head, glaring angrily at Brother Sang, and demanded, "Why is Zheng Quchi registered in our family?"
Brother Sang told her calmly.
Years ago, her parents spent a fortune to register her as both a male and female in Fuxian County. The male was registered as Sang Xuanqing, a craftsman, and the female was registered as Zheng Quchi, an adopted daughter of the Sang family who often visited relatives.
Zheng Quchi: "?!"
Is this even possible?
And what's with that guy who's always away visiting relatives?
Brother Sang said that this was just an official statement. His family wasn't royalty, so who would care about nitpicking over trivial matters?
"Making you dress as a man was a last resort. You are still a woman. If you want to return to your female identity, do you really want to live as a man for the rest of your life, living in constant fear of being taken away for forced labor?"
That's not the problem.
She didn't know where to begin, and only asked, "Brother, what will happen to Sang Xuanqing if I get married?"
“Naturally, this identity should disappear.”
disappear?
She lowered her eyes.
She was willing to bet that if Sang Xuanqing suddenly disappeared at this time, things would be very serious. At best, the Sang family would be arrested and tortured to find out Sang Xuanqing's whereabouts; at worst, they would be secretly wiped out to leave no future trouble.
Especially on the Mo family's side, Zheng Quchi's identity had long been exposed, but she guessed that the other party probably did not know the secret that "Zheng Quchi" was a woman.
But she couldn't explain these complicated and troublesome matters to Brother Sang, as he was unaware of the seriousness of the situation.
She could only use other tactics to dissuade him from pressuring her to marry her: "But what will happen to our family if no man is out earning money?"
Brother Sang refused to budge: "I'll figure something out myself."
Seeing his resolute expression, Zheng Quchi also lowered his voice: "Brother, I cannot marry him."
Brother Sang seemed to have anticipated her reaction. He didn't argue with her, but simply asked, "Fine, you won't marry me, but can you afford the taxes for two people?"
A tax on Sang Xuanqing refusing to marry, and a tax on Zheng Quchi refusing to marry.
Having long seen through her greedy nature, Brother Sang's words hit the nail on the head, leaving her utterly defeated.
Good heavens!
Zheng Quchi's expression immediately cracked.
Can she afford it?
She had barely saved up her meager salary, and had squandered almost all of it on repairing her new house. What was she going to do with her life?
“If you insist on not returning to your female identity and getting married, fine, I won’t force you. If you can’t pay the taxes, our whole family will go to the county jail for a meal.”
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