Chapter 297: Grain Tax

Zhang Jinlan was almost drowned by the praises.

Her old face flushed.

I'm a little embarrassed.

In fact, the mung beans, flour, etc. stored at home can be sold for a year.

They say this simply because they are afraid that someone might take advantage of them and steal their food.

Besides, her family runs a shop, not a charity, so it is impossible that the price will not increase throughout her life.

But otherwise, she was telling the truth.

The overall increase in food prices has driven up vegetable prices.

In town now, if you want to have a meal, you have to pay more than three times more than before.

Some unscrupulous merchants even increase the price tenfold.

I can't afford it at all.

I heard that the food at Jiang's Snack Shop was sold at full price.

These people were immediately attracted.

The team that was originally formed like a long dragon now looks as long as a kite string.

I walked around several alleys in Baishi Street.

Some uninformed people saw people queuing in another alley and thought that it was someone's landlord giving out porridge, so they followed suit.

After waiting for an hour, I found myself at Jiang's Snack Shop.

Made a lot of jokes.

"Mom, business is so good today, how about we close the shop later?" Jiang Eryong came over in a hurry.

He was so tired that he was sweating all over.

My hands were sore from carrying things, and they were twitching slightly.

But he was in pain and happy.

Who doesn't like money?

"No, if we don't raise the price, we've already offended many merchants in the city. If I hadn't said that we should sell all the stock before raising the price, I'm afraid they would have troubled us. At this time, we can't be too ostentatious. As usual, we should sell all the prepared goods and close the store."

Zhang Jinlan shook her head repeatedly.

The news she told me this morning has spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

Plus there was a notice posted on the shop door.

So today the shop's business is more than ten times better than usual.

However, the head of the family reminded her.

So she directly rejected her second son's proposal.

"Okay, I'll listen to mom." Jiang Eryong nodded and went back to the front to work.

When Jiang Fubao returned home in the evening, he was different from his usual self.

She sat on the sack of food.

It swayed back and forth as the ox cart shook.

It's like riding a roller coaster, so fun.

Jiang Siyin and Zhang Yanzi were worried that their daughter would fall out, so they surrounded her from the left and right.

Return to the village.

Jiang Fubao saw Jiang Guangyi coming out of the house with his face covered in bruises and a sad look on his face.

Since that beating.

The whole family was paralyzed in bed for several days.

So I missed the food scavenging.

Only Zhou Gaier's daughters carried basins and bamboo baskets and picked up a lot of brown rice, otherwise there was no brown rice at all.

No one knew who harvested the brown rice from their fields.

As a result, when they want to find trouble, they don’t know who to turn to.

The village, which was originally disunited, is now unusually united, and everyone said that they didn't see who had cut their family's brown rice.

Jiang Guangyi could only swallow his anger.

There are still two days left before the grain tax and fines are paid.

If you can't take it out again.

I'm afraid my son will be taken away by the officials to perform labor service.

After all, grain taxes must be paid.

That's all the money left at home.

Maybe we can’t even buy enough brown rice to pay grain tax.

Jiang Guangyi's hair turned completely white from worry.

He thought of one last solution, which was to go to Jiang Guangan's house to borrow food.

Go in, then come out.

Behind him, his eldest son, who was originally adopted by his parents, was pushing a wooden cart.

"Lin Feng, Dad..."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by Jiang Linfeng.

"What did you promise my father just now? Take this food and don't bother me for the rest of your life. From now on, you and I have nothing to do with each other."

Jiang Linfeng had a stern face and didn't even glance at him while he spoke.

The contrast with the filial piety in previous years is huge.

Jiang Guangyi felt a little regretful.

He was greatly disappointed by his youngest son, whom he had always valued.

But the eldest son, whom he originally looked down upon, has already passed away.

Ever since my eldest son and his family passed away.

He never had a good life again.

He knew that he couldn't say anything regretful.

I'm afraid I really can't recognize this son.

Soon the day for paying grain taxes came.

Ten constables, led by their chief constable named Lu, drove over in several horse-drawn carriages.

Those villagers who did not receive help from the Jiang family did not know where to get food.

In the end, it all comes down to paying all the grain and taxes.

However, there are also many families who cannot pay the fine.

So a son or grandson was sent to perform corvée labor.

Some families with few people even sent out an old man who was almost 50 years old.

As a result, he was severely scolded by the officials and sent back.

In the end, his only grandson was dragged away by the officials.

The family knelt on the muddy ground at the entrance of the village, crying miserably.

Jiang Fubao felt that they looked unfamiliar.

After thinking for a long time, I remembered that they seemed to live in a mud house at the westernmost end of the village.

Last name: Chen.

Grandma said they fled to Jiangjia Village many years ago.

They did not participate in the initial robbery.

The villagers knelt down and begged for help, but they did not come.

It's like an invisible person, standing in a neutral position, not mixing with anything.

The couple had only one son, who died of illness a few years ago, and their daughter-in-law also abandoned the child and remarried.

He left behind only two granddaughters and one grandson.

The eldest granddaughter is fifteen years old, the grandson is fourteen years old, and the youngest granddaughter is twelve years old.

"Old Chen, are you stupid? Your eldest granddaughter is already fifteen years old. You just take the betrothal money and marry her off casually. A granddaughter is not as important as a grandson."

"That's right. If you can't marry her, marry her to my family. I'll help you get involved. The betrothal gift is two taels, which is just enough to pay the fine. My nephew from my family is old enough. I can go to the next village and call them now while the officials are still here. If you can't wait, I'll pay first."

"Wang, everyone in the village knows your nephew. He is stupid and has no idea what's going on. How can he marry a wife? Don't harm Hongju. This girl is diligent and capable. She is good in every way. If she marries your nephew, her life will be ruined."

"You're talking nonsense. My nephew is just not very smart. He is not stupid at all. He knows to wipe his butt when he poops and runs home when it rains. What's stupid about him?"

The topic was quickly changed.

Old Chen, who was kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, ignored them.

He just kowtowed without caring about anything.

Even though his forehead was broken, he did not stop.

"Grandpa, please marry me. You can't let the official take my brother away. If something happens to my brother, how can my parents rest in peace?"

Chen Hongju cried miserably.

She knelt on the ground, her forehead red from knocking her head.

"No, sister, I'll go, I promise I'll be back, grandpa, don't sell my sister, find her a good family."

Chen Tianfeng, who was grabbed by the police, shouted.

He was afraid that his grandparents would really come up with the idea of ​​marrying his sister to a fool.

"No, Grandpa won't sell you. If God wants to exterminate my descendants, then so be it. I deserve it. I must have done something wrong in my last life. Otherwise, why would he take my son away in this life and also take you away? I admit it!"

Old Chen wiped away his tears and looked at his grandson.

There seemed to be a farewell in his eyes.