Chapter 19
On the first day of October, the prefectural yamen summoned the village heads from all the townships under the prefecture for a meeting.
Every household in every village was waiting for news about this year’s taxes. Once the tax season was over, all matters related to the autumn harvest would be considered complete.
“I wonder what the taxes will be like this year.”
Yuan Huiru fed the chickens with bran, craning her neck to see if there was any movement in the village. Normally, once the village head returned from the city meeting, they would immediately convene the villagers to announce the tax situation for the year.
Although she had money in hand now, and whether the taxes increased or decreased, she didn’t have to worry. But after all, she had been a farmer her whole life, and the two most important events of the year were tied to these two things. The delay in results left her feeling uneasy, fearing that everyone in the village was waiting for the village head to return and hold a meeting.
Huo Shu split two bundles of firewood and stopped when he saw Yuan Huiru still looking out. The south had a lot of rain, and after late autumn, it rained every few days. It was windy when they woke up this morning, and the sky was overcast. It was almost noon, but it hadn’t cleared up, and it looked like it would rain again. If this continued, the number of clear days in winter would likely be even fewer.
Huo Shu wasn’t too concerned about the taxes. He just felt that he hadn’t seen Ji Taoyu for several days. Ever since that day she returned from the city crying, she seemed to have not left the house since. There was no news from the Ji family or the You family in the village either, as if everything was calm. Fortunately, he had observed things secretly that day, otherwise, he would have thought that the Ji family was stooping to continue to hold onto their golden son-in-law.
The entire village seemed to have their minds primarily on the taxes, and no one was discussing anything else.
“Where will the meeting be held?”
Yuan Huiru was startled by Huo Shu’s voice and didn’t react for a moment to what he was asking.
“You mean the tax meeting? Our villagers all go to the village head’s house. At least one representative from each household must go. You don’t like these trivial matters, so I’ll go then.”
Huo Shu said, “Taxes are the most important matter for farmers. I’ll go with my godmother.”
“It’s good that you’re willing to go.”
Yuan Huiru thought that Huo Shu was strong and silent. He rarely spoke to her when there was nothing going on, let alone to the villagers. Since he had settled in the village, it would be good to participate in a few gatherings and show his face, which would help him integrate into the village faster.
Just before noon, Ji Yangzong returned from the city. On the way into the village, he informed everyone he met to come to his house for a meeting in the afternoon. The long-term worker, Da Niu, who had not been notified, went to each household to inform them. It was lunchtime, and every household had someone at home preparing to eat.
Shortly after noon, the swift-footed ones had already gone to the Ji family’s house. When Huo Shu and Yuan Huiru arrived, several farmers were already waiting in the Ji family’s courtyard. The village didn’t have many urgent major events. Generally, they met once a month. On the fifteenth and first of each month, the village head would announce the village’s affairs. Whether it was whose fish pond was opening for selling fish, who needed laborers to help repair houses, or who was holding a banquet, as long as they informed the village head in advance, it could be announced to the whole village on the day of the meeting.
Normally, these gatherings were very lively. The villagers, finally able to gather together, would be noisy and boisterous. This month, at the beginning of the month, there was a major tax event, which led to a temporary gathering. Today, everyone was out of the ordinary. They found their own spots in the Ji family’s courtyard, squatting or standing. Most people were silent, their sallow faces filled with worry. However, there were also those who couldn’t hide their smugness.
“Auntie Sun is so lucky. From now on, she won’t have to worry about taxes anymore. Unlike us, we still have to look at the imperial decrees every year.”
“Not at all. If we don’t worry about this, we worry about that. Worries are endless. It’s only if you look at things with an open mind.”
“Only Auntie Sun has this kind of spirit. If my second son had passed the imperial examinations, I wouldn’t bother to run this trip to attend the meeting.”
Several women and their husbands gathered around Sun Yuanniang, showering her with praise. Sun Yuanniang occasionally raised her hand to fix her hair bun and smiled with pursed lips, greatly enjoying these flattering words. It wasn’t surprising that she specifically came to listen to the meeting today. She had married into the You family against her family’s wishes, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship was not smooth, which led to many gossips from the village busybodies. Now that she had turned things around and become glorious, she would not miss the opportunity to be envied by these matrons and their husbands.
Not only Sun Yuanniang, but also people from other branches of the You family had come, and they were also receiving congratulations from everyone. Huang Manjing served tea to the villagers. Seeing Sun Yuanniang chatting and laughing among a group of villagers, she deliberately avoided her and placed the tea on the table, not even wanting to greet her.
Huo Shu leaned against the stone wall where the peach tree was planted in the Ji family’s yard, his arms crossed. He silently scanned the situation in the courtyard.
After about a quarter of an hour, Ji Yangzong gathered everyone. He briefly took attendance and saw that everyone from each household had come. He was about to start the meeting. At the main gate, You Lingxiao arrived just in time. Everyone looked over and started discussing.
“Uncle Ji, I’m late.”
You Lingxiao cupped his hands towards Ji Yangzong. Ji Yangzong glanced at him, beckoned him to come in quickly since he had arrived, but did not greet him verbally. The farmers were surprised for a moment. Before they could whisper to each other, Ji Yangzong began to talk about the taxes.
“The prefecture’s taxes for this year have been collected. The production tax is still the same, four parts to be submitted. But there are some changes in the tax.” Ji Yangzong unfolded the notes he had recorded at the prefecture yamen that day. “I will read them to everyone now. They will be posted at the entrance later. If you don’t remember, you can look at them again.”
Hearing Ji Yangzong say this, the farmers knew that the taxes had likely increased again. Everyone was silent and did not respond.
“The head tax is 120 wen per person, adult population is 200 wen per person, and household tax is 500 wen per household. In addition to these, there is a new ‘contribution fee’ this year, 50 wen per adult. They say the war in the northern region has ended, and the soldiers who guarded the border for these years have worked hard, even if they didn’t have any merits. Now that the army is returning, they need to be rewarded. ”
The farmers were already complaining when they heard about the taxes. Upon hearing about the contribution fee, they all cried out, “Last year, the head tax was only 100, and this year it increased by 20 wen. Adult population also increased by 50, and household tax actually increased by 100. All these add up to an increase of 170 wen, not even counting the number of people in the household.”
“And then there’s the contribution fee, still based on population, not household registration. For families with only one or two people, it’s simply unbearable.”
“The taxes are getting higher every year. A few dozen more here, a few dozen more there. How much is a stone of grain selling for?”
“The men who went to the battlefield were recruited from us, and we have to pay the contribution fee. In the end, the money might not even reach the soldiers’ hands. They’re just making us provide people and money, and we get nothing.”
The courtyard was filled with curses, and soon a clamor broke out. The close relatives of the You family heard about this year’s tax collection and shook their heads, but in their hearts, they were even happier. The higher the taxes, the better treatment they could enjoy.
Ji Yangzong was clearly used to such scenes and let everyone curse for a while. He clasped his hands behind his back. Seeing that the time was almost up, he shouted, “Alright, these are the regulations issued by the imperial court. How can we common people comment on them? Everyone, prepare yourselves, pack the grain you need to pay, prepare the tax money, borrow if you need to, and don’t delay.”
“Since it has to be paid anyway, if we delay, the officials from the prefecture will start complaining, and they will use our village as a scapegoat for levying people again.”
The villagers muttered, “The village head has a good son-in-law. Even if the taxes skyrocket, it has nothing to do with him. He truly speaks without pain, and directs us so smoothly.”
“Yes, now he’s complaining that we’re delaying the tax payment. He records the harvest of the village, doesn’t he know the situation?”
Ji Yangzong stood not far away, his ears sharp. He heard the villagers’ discussions but did not reprimand them. He glanced at Sun Yuanniang, who was standing proudly in the crowd. They exchanged glances. Seeing Sun Yuanniang looking like she was watching a show, he sneered in his heart. He knew what that woman surnamed Sun was thinking at the moment.
“Alright, alright, I know everyone is unhappy. We are all villagers, and we should help each other through these difficult times. We will get through the years. Our village has produced a scholar, who will surely bring honor to our village in the future.” After giving You Lingxiao a compliment, Ji Yangzong continued, “By the way, besides taxes, there are also some miscellaneous matters in the village to announce. Zhao Changde’s family, Chang Sui went to the front lines ten years ago and never returned. Yuan Huiru has recognized Chang Sui’s comrade as her adopted son. He has settled in the village and is now a fellow villager. Everyone should not treat him like an outsider. The Zhao family has had a difficult time, and everyone should look out for each other.”
“Furthermore, there is the marriage between the Ji and You families. From now on, everyone should stop talking about it. They are getting married separately. Those who want to propose should propose.” Ji Yangzong said it frankly. Today, there were not a few families who had engaged and then broken off the engagement, and it was not considered rare. Widows remarrying after marriage also happened; this was not the first time for them.
Everyone was still immersed in the anxiety of rising taxes, so other major events seemed less significant. However, upon hearing that the marriage between the Ji and You families was called off, everyone was indeed surprised and couldn’t help but want to know what happened. However, the village only announced the cancellation of the marriage and did not explain the reason, so no one dared to ask.
“That’s all. Today, there are only these few matters. If there’s nothing else, everyone can disperse.” The farmers stirred and left in groups.
“Why did this good marriage get called off just like that? Is the village head stupid? He waited for so many years, wasn’t it just waiting for You Erlang to achieve something? It’s finally settled, but now they’re not getting married.”
“Do you think the village head looks stupid? This matter is probably because the You family refused.”
“Then the You family is too heartless. The village head helped their family quite a bit back then.”
“The world has changed, and people’s hearts are not as they used to be. I think we can no longer expect the You family to seek any benefits for us in the future.”
“Give it a rest. Who has the time to care about the affairs of the big families? What about this year’s taxes?”
The villagers avoided the You family members, whispering as they left, discussing incessantly. Although no one said who had actively proposed to break off the engagement, everyone knew who was in a weaker or stronger position. At one point, they all felt that the You family had become prosperous and were now crossing the bridge and tearing it down.
“Mother, didn’t you say Uncle wouldn’t announce this matter! Now there’s no room for recovery!” You Lingxiao heard Ji Yangzong’s announcement and was struck by a sudden blow. His eyes reddened, and he anxiously grabbed Sun Yuanniang’s arm. The situation had suddenly exceeded the expectations of mother and son. Sun Yuanniang was also a bit surprised and hadn’t recovered. She didn’t expect the Ji family to be so tough as to reject such a good marriage. Seeing the taxes increase again, they could actually give up the chance for protection. She took a deep breath, underestimating Ji Yangzong. Seeing her usually refined and polite son lose his composure, she quickly patted You Lingxiao’s hand to comfort him. “Since they insist on breaking the engagement, then let’s go along with their wishes. It saves us the effort of trying to mediate.”
“Mother!” You Lingxiao saw his mother like this and became even more anxious. Seeing that Sun Yuanniang had no intention of going through with this marriage, he let go of her hand. “I’ll go talk to Uncle Ji myself.”
“What are you going to say to him!” Sun Yuanniang saw her son being stubborn and tried to grab him, but he was quick and darted away.
“A’Shu, let’s go back.” Yuan Huiru’s heart was a little unsettled after hearing two major events today. Seeing that most of the villagers at the entrance had dispersed, she also prepared to leave.
Huo Shu’s gaze was on the You mother and son. He saw You Lingxiao’s intended husband slipping away and then regretting it and becoming anxious. The little brat from the Ji family didn’t seem like someone with a strong will. He was afraid that if he saw his childhood sweetheart crying, he would forget his pain. He had waited until the Ji family made a decision, so how could he let this person go crazy before his eyes? Huo Shu said to Yuan Huiru, “Godmother, you go back first. I need to discuss something with the village head.”
Yuan Huiru was a little surprised by what Huo Shu was going to do, but he was already a big boy and had his own affairs. She wisely didn’t ask, “Okay, then come back early.”
“Mm.” After speaking, Huo Shu walked forward.
You Lingxiao found Ji Yangzong and excitedly shouted, “Uncle Ji!” Ji Yangzong looked at him upon hearing the call. His brow furrowed, but he didn’t want to deal with him. Seeing that he was about to come forward and pester him, Ji Yangzong was extremely disgusted, fearing that he would not be able to refrain from cursing. Just as he was about to ask Da Niu to block him, a tall figure stepped forward before You Lingxiao. “Village head, please do me a favor.”
Ji Yangzong saw Huo Shu and his face broke into a smile. “Huo Yishi, what is it? Tell me inside.” After speaking, he pretended not to see You Lingxiao and led Huo Shu into the house.
