peasant girl allure

Chapter 52 Taxation and Labour

When Xiao'er returned home, she happened to meet Shen Chengyao, "Father, where did you go, and you're only coming back now?"

"Xiao'er is back, I just came back from the village chief's house." The two father and daughter entered the house together.

Seeing that they all came back, Mrs. Liu set out a meal, "It just so happens that you are all back, let's eat first."

Xiao'er washed her hands and face before she sat down at the table, "Dad, did you go to the village chief uncle's house to invite someone to open up wasteland?"

"Well, the village head promised to help us talk about it tomorrow. It just so happens that tomorrow the village head will also call the villagers to talk about paying taxes and labor."

"How much will the tax be paid this year?" Mrs. Liu asked after hearing this.

"It's also [-]% the same as last year. This is also because the past two years have not been good. The imperial court has taken care of the people. Next year, taxes should be raised." Shen Chengyao said what the village chief said.

"What about hard labor? When will it be served? How many people will come from each family?"

"For labor service, families with two or fewer adult males will have one male per family; families with three to four adult males will have two males per family; and families with five or more adult males will have three males. I have to leave in five days, and I have to go for a month."

"We have already picked the day when we will build the house. Dad just doesn't have time at that time. Can we pay money to replace him?" Recently, there are so many things to deal with in their family. If Shen Chengyao went to do labor, the house would not need to be built.

Moreover, labor labor is a very hard job. There is no wages, and all the work is to dredge water conservancy, build roads and bridges. These jobs are all for the benefit of the people, so those who don’t get wages will also build temples. Yes, there will be ten cents a day's wages, so many people are reluctant to do hard labor, but this is something that can't be helped, it is compulsory.

"It costs 20 taels per person to pay the money." Shen Chengyao was actually hesitant in his heart. It is a bit too much to pay 20 taels if he does not go to labor. He is a little bit reluctant, but let's go. His family happens to open up wasteland and build a house, and he needs to do many things. manage.

"Even if it's 50 taels, we have to pay it. We can't live without our father when we open up wasteland and build a house." For those who don't want to do hard labor, they have to pay 20 taels per person. If you think about it, the treasury should be empty, and you want to take it back from the hands of the rich. Silver, after all, commoner Yum who is willing to spend 20 taels has to do a lot of work to save enough 20 taels.

"Our family can not build a house first."

"No, I want to live in a new house." After listening to Shen Chengyao's words, Xiao'er immediately played a child's rascal.

"I want to live in a new house too." Jing Hao seconded.

"Then pay 20 taels." Seeing that his children disagreed, Shen Chengyao compromised.

"The elder brother's family came back today, probably because of the labor service." Mrs. Liu changed the subject.

"Brother's family, there are only two of them going to do hard labor. Neither elder brother nor Wen'er have ever done hard work. I guess they went home to discuss what to do." In the past, Shen Chengzong, Shen Chengyao and Shen Chengzu went together to do hard labor.The people in Dafang have never served.This year, the big house and the old man will have two people to do hard labor. If the old man goes, then Shen Chengguang and Shen Jingwen will be drowned with spittle.

Sure enough, after eating, Shen Chengyao was called to go to the room not long after.

"Father, mother." Shen Chengyao greeted his parents when he came to the upper room, and then said to Shen Chengguang: "Brother's house is here."

"Third Brother, come sit here." Shen Chengzu was also called to the room.

"Lao San heard that you bought land to build a house. It's ok. I didn't expect that the first one to buy land and build a house after the separation was actually Lao San. I bought one or two acres of wasteland. Are the mud bricks ready?" The tone of Shen Chengzong's words was not good, it could be said to be sarcastic and sarcastic.

"Don't talk if you can't speak!" Old Master Shen gave Shen Chengzong a look.

Shen Chengyao didn't take his brother's sour words to heart. He sat down beside Shen Chengzu and asked, "Dad, is there anything you want to discuss with our brothers?"

"Isn't your eldest brother in town? Get the news quickly. You have to start paying taxes and doing hard labor in these two days. I just want to ask you what your plans are."

Shen Chengzong entrusted the brothers of Li's natal family to help in the north-south business, and put all the money into it, so he said, "My family has no money, so I lost it all. Of course, I can only pay food and serve in the army."

"Fortunately, Hua'er is only 13 years old and one year short of 14 years old, so he doesn't have to serve in the military. In previous years, I did it for a month, and almost lost half my life." He deliberately looked at Dafang's family and gloated.The family separated this year, and the Dafang family could no longer escape the fate of forced labor.In the past few years, there was always an old man protecting him, saying that although a scholar did not pass the examination as a scholar, he was still a boy, so how could he go to labor.

"My family is inseparable from people when preparing to build a house. If I want to pay taxes, I will pay grain directly, and I will pay money for labor."

The old man was stunned for a moment, and then he came back to his senses. Maybe Shen Chengyao didn't know that those who didn't want to go to labor labor this year had to pay 20 taels. In previous years, it only took five taels to replace labor labor with silver.

"If you don't serve in the military this year, you have to pay 20 taels per person."

Shen Chengyao didn't react when he heard this, he already knew about it, but Shen Chengzong and Shen Chengzu were surprised.

"Why is there so much money this year? How much is the tax?" Shen Chengzu hurriedly asked.Although his family is small, but according to the past years, the production of the land has paid taxes, enough to feed the family, and there is only a little surplus food. If taxes are increased, food and clothing will become a problem.

"The tax hasn't changed, it's still [-]%." Mr. Shen shook his head.

Shen Chengzu heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this, "I also plan to pay food directly and go to labor." 20 taels of silver, not to mention that his family doesn't have so much, and he couldn't bear it, so he went to work outside and didn't have 20 taels of silver for a year. Don't talk about doing it for a month, it's just a month of heavy work, and he's used to it, so he doesn't think it's a big deal.

Old man Shen and Shen Chengguang were quite surprised to see that Shen Chengyao didn't react much. Shen Chengguang rolled his eyes, did the old three get rich? 20 taels of silver can be given out.

The old man sighed: "It's not good to divide the family. In the past years, three people from each family were enough for hard labor. Now we have five people in our family. Jing Wenna is still a half-grown child. He has been studying since he was a child." , and you are a child, so you must not go to labor, you don’t have to break your body and delay your studies. Your elder brother also manages the shop, so he can’t go, and I have to go to the big house.”

"What are you talking about? You are already old. You go to do hard labor for a month, and you don't know if you will come back. What are you doing with so many sons? Let them pay some money, so you don't have to go If they don't come out, I'll report to the government immediately," Shen Zhuang looked sharply at the three sons sitting below.

Shen Chengzong quit after hearing this, "Mother, we just separated, and you also know that all the ten taels of our separated family have been lost to Butler Hu. Where is the money in my family? I am powerless. If I can split , I immediately went to replace my father without saying a word! Young people have to go to the military to exercise and let an old man go, and then they will never even think about being an official." After saying this, he glanced at Shen Chengguang again.

"Second brother, what are you talking about? I'm going to go by myself, and it's none of anyone's business." After hearing the words of burying his eldest grandson, Mr. Shen was not happy.

Shen Chengyao didn't say a word, although he thought it was not good for elder brother and elder nephew to pay such attention, but he also knew that his father loved them deeply since childhood, and he also felt that his elder nephew would not be able to do hard labor. , His father is going, this is normal.My family also discussed it just now, if Mr. Shen goes, they will pay five taels of silver.After five taels of silver, I will go up the mountain a little more in the future, and I will earn it back soon.

Shen Chengzu was also in a dilemma, but his mother said so, what can he do, the 10 taels of silver in his family has not been used much after the separation, and there is still money out.Alas, he originally planned to save a few taels before building a house.Now it seems that the plan to build a house has to be rejected again.

"Anyway, I don't have any money to pay. Dad, you know it too. If you really want to pay, just ask the third and fourth children. The third child has money to buy land and build a house. Can't you afford ten taels or eight taels? No One hundred taels, how dare you build a big tile house made of blue bricks.” Apparently someone forgot that he just buried someone else to build a mud brick house.

"Okay, you three and four will pay ten taels each, so let's go away if you have nothing to do." Shen Zhuang was too lazy to listen to their nonsense, and directly ordered to drive them away.

Shen Chengyao and Shen Chengzu were dumbfounded when they heard this. Does this mean that they are going to get rid of both of them? !

(End of this chapter)