"Let's go, Ku; trade's done, time to pay the tax," Old Master Li said as he watched Chen Ku pull the firewood along, taking a puff from his dry pipe.
However, Chen Ku noticed that Old Master Li's eyes held not much joy from earning over seven liang of silver, but rather a mixture of worry and annoyance.
Soon, he found out why.
They reached the archway at the entrance to the Medicine and Firewood Market.
"Hand over all the transaction receipts from the market," two Government Officials demanded, backed by several clerks.
Old Li sighed deeply and handed over all the transaction receipts from their trip to the Medicine and Firewood Market.
The taller Government Official glanced at them briefly and quickly calculated the total.
"This time, your trade in the market totals seven liang and nine qian of silver. As a registered household Herbalist, that's a one-tenth tax, plus the 'seven qian nine li' tax for gathering from mountains and marshes."
Chen Ku thought that was it.
Yet, the Government Official continued, "Our Qiu Dragon Mansion is located on the frontier and is often troubled by itinerants and bandits. Thus, the Prefecture Yamen must suppress these bandits and train soldiers to protect the local populace. Hence, the military expenses, including 'Jiao Xiang' and 'Lian Xiang,' must also be shared by the populace, each at a rate of one-tenth."
Old Master Li nodded silently in distress.
Chen Ku, however, was utterly dumbfounded.
Apart from the taxes due as a registered household from the gains of the land, they were also required to pay the additional 'Liang Xiang'!
And it wasn't over yet.
The Government Official went on, "Recently, the large dam in Baojiao County has fallen into disrepair after many years. There's also a 'donation tax' of one-twentieth per household for dam repair."
Chen Ku truly grasped what was meant by… exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes!
At last, there was still one more fee.
"For trading in the Medicine and Firewood Market, there is also a 'stall protection fee'…"
This final fee, Chen Ku understood it clearly. Protection money. This was completely going into the pockets of these Government Officials in the Medicine and Firewood Market.
Exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes, being exploited at every level… Chen Ku felt a chill in his heart.
At this moment, he somewhat understood why Big Brother Zhao had taken the risk to "smuggle." Without smuggling, with these taxes weighing them down, even if they could barely survive, they would never be able to breathe freely their entire lives.
"Here is the tax receipt."
In the end, after Old Master Li paid all sorts of exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes, less than half of his earnings of seven liang and nine qian ended up in his own pocket.
"Alright, next," the Government Official said.
Chen Ku's scalp tingled.
Even Master Li, who was not an individual merchant, still had to pay nearly half in taxes. As for his own status as an individual merchant…
It was Chen Ku's turn. It felt almost like being skinned alive. His income was four hundred Wen. It was said to be half-taxed, but when calculated in the same way as Master Li's, he would have to pay almost seventy percent of it! Seventy percent went to others; he had to pay nearly three hundred Wen in taxes.
"What? Haven't paid your tax yet, and you dare to buy firewood?" the tall Government Official looked coldly at Chen Ku's cart of firewood. "If you can't afford the tax, go serve corvée labor instead."
Chen Ku took a deep breath, feeling the cruelty of this world, and finally said, "I can pay."
If not for the three hundred Wen of emergency money from Big Brother Zhao's kindness, he almost wouldn't have made it out of the Medicine and Firewood Market.
Watching the Government Official's disdainful look, he thought to himself:
"Cruel officer! If I ever rise, pray you don't fall into my hands!"
He had intended to buy rice and flour, but now he could only pull a cart of firewood back home.
"Next."
Chen Ku was about to pull his cart away to make room for the people behind him.
However, he saw a man in martial artist's attire, with a long robe and boots, who merely glanced at the Government Official and nodded, then directly bypassed Chen Ku.
"Mr. Wang, take care," the Government Official even bowed in response.
Chen Ku was greatly astonished.
"Why doesn't this man have to pay taxes?" Before Chen Ku could speak, Li Jiyang widened his eyes at the man who strode away, flicking his long sleeves.
From a distance, the man who had walked away seemed to hear them. He turned back to look at Chen Ku and Li Jiyang, revealed a faint smile, but paid no heed before turning and leaving.
Could he be from the Yamen? Chen Ku lowered his head in thought.
The Government Official coldly said, "Didn't you see he was wearing a long robe and boots? Mr. Wang's family has a member who passed the 'Military Scholar' exam. He has the status of a Scholar. In Daji, we value martial prowess over scholarship. Scholars need to achieve the title of Scholar to be exempt from taxes, while Martial Artists only need the status of 'Martial Student' to be exempt from all taxes. How can you commoners compare?"
"Yes, yes, yes, the child is ignorant," Master Li quickly apologized and pulled his grandson away.
"Let's go first," he hurriedly said to Chen Ku.
After leaving the Medicine and Firewood Market and reaching the main street, Old Li finally scolded Li Jiyang, "In the future, don't speak so recklessly. We were lucky that man in the long robe didn't concern himself with us. Otherwise, if he had slapped you for your words, even I couldn't have done anything."
A long robe signifies status. Chen Ku felt the oppression of this world, and the vast disparity between their statuses.
If I find a Treasured Medicine, the first thing I'll do is shed this registered household status.
"Ku, are you going home first, or will you stick with us a bit longer?" Old Head lit his tobacco pipe. He knew Chen Ku didn't have much money left after paying his taxes and wondered if he could help him out a bit more.
Li Jiyang, straightforward and blunt, said, "My grandpa plans to buy some meat. Come with us, and we'll get some for you too."
Chen Ku promptly declined.
He could accept small things, but meat was too precious for him to dare accept. The kindness and favors of others were significant and should be cherished. If he shamelessly followed them to get meat for himself too, those favors would gradually diminish.
Old Li did not insist further, tapped his pipe, and instructed, "Then you should head home early."
After parting with the grandfather and grandson in the town, Chen Ku pulled his cart of firewood and wended his way to a travelling doctor's stall, where he spent a dozen or so Wen Money to buy a few packs of medicine for diarrhea.
In the late afternoon, he pulled the cart back to his village, marking his return from the market.
Just as he reached the village, someone at the village entrance saw him and called out, "Second Chen boy, you're finally back! Go home and check; Huang Ba from the neighboring village came to your house with some people."
Chen Ku was furious.
This Huang Ba was a notorious rogue leader who roamed among several villages. Most crucially, it was said that Huang Ba was the one who had tipped off the government about his elder brother, leading them to their home and resulting in their current predicament.
He dropped the cart at the village entrance, drew out a sickle, and charged towards his home.
After a short while, when he reached home, he did not see Huang Ba. Only the sound of his sister-in-law sobbing inside the house and his mother's sighs could be heard.
Chen Ku stepped over the threshold and looked around. Finding that everything in the house was still in place, he immediately asked his mother, "What happened? What did Huang Ba come here for? Did he bully you?"
His sister-in-law wiped away her tears, still sobbing, and said, "Brother, alive or dead, I belong to your family! Please don't drive me and Hu Zi away; I still have to wait for your brother to come back."
Chen Ku looked at his mother. "What exactly happened?"
Mother Chen sighed and said, "That Huang Ba… after you left, he came over with some people. He said he was interested in our house and could give us some money. He also wanted to buy your sister-in-law and Hu Zi."
Chen Ku was enraged. "How dare he! Does he really think there are no men left in this house, daring to prey on a defenseless family!"
Suddenly, at that moment, the Transformation Diagram in his mind flashed a line of text.
[There is one Huang Ba, the Rushing Fiend Diagram Master; kill him to gain Evil Qi.]