Chapter 582: Chapter 582: Cutting Grass
The clerk sent to announce the county government’s decree had toured the various villages for quite some time due to the labor levy, and had long since experienced the scolding skills of the village women.
Upon hearing Mrs. Chen’s words, he did not even blink an eye, instead trying to soothe her by saying, "This auntie, don’t be agitated..."
"Pah! What kind of look is that? I’m so young, how could I be your aunt? You’re almost thirty, right? Call me big sister!" Mrs. Chen said angrily with her neck stiffened.
However, this Secretary Chen was only twenty-two years old, his child just turned three.
Gu Dagui was quite frightened and hurriedly pulled her back, saying to the clerk, "My lord, please forgive her, the rural women don’t know the proper manners. Please continue."
Secretary Chen was newly recruited by County Magistrate Xu to clean up the county government after the previous officials in Tianfu County had left, and he had spent the past few months at home reading the Confucian classics, without developing the habits of cruel officials, having been admonished by County Magistrate Xu when he first entered the government office, warning him not to bully the citizens or plunder their wealth, otherwise he would face severe punishment. Therefore, he dared not reprimand Mrs. Chen and simply said: "It doesn’t matter."
Accompanying Secretary Chen were two government officials, one of whom was Constable Xiao Yang, the nephew of Squad Leader Yang, who had visited Da Feng Village several times and recognized Mrs. Chen. He hurriedly advised, "Aunt Da Gui, Secretary Chen is just following orders. The increase in grain tax is commanded by the court; don’t scold him."
Aunt, for the sake of sharing a surname, spare him from your harsh words, stop scolding him.
Mrs. Chen had only dared to scold in a flash of anger; she was more afraid of the government officials than anyone. Hearing this, she spoke no more.
Secretary Chen continued to explain, "There is a drought in the Northwest; our Jianghuai area is not heavily affected and still has food. This increase in grain tax is to supply the citizens and soldiers in the Northwest."
So, be kind-hearted, prepare the grain tax, and pay it promptly.
He added, "You can use actual silver to offset the grain tax, this is due within ten days, any household that fails to pay on time will face a fine and imprisonment."
After finishing, Secretary Chen left the document with Village Chief He, saying, "You can start preparing now. I will return in two days to begin collecting the grain tax."
"Well, have a safe trip, Secretary Chen." Village Chief He, supported by He Jinseng, took the document and escorted Secretary Chen out of the village.
After Secretary Chen left, the villagers started cursing again, but no matter how much they cursed, the grain tax still had to be paid.
Gu Jinli’s house had harvested nearly 30,000 catties of rice, and had to pay 9,000 catties in grain tax, instantly losing thirty percent which deeply distressed Gu Dafu and Mrs. Cui. The couple was red-eyed as they prepared the grain tax.
Seeing his parents so reluctant to part with the grain, Gu Jinli straightforwardly suggested, "Let’s use silver instead, I’ve calculated, and paying cash is more economical."
Upon hearing this, Gu Dafu and Mrs. Cui immediately agreed, "Alright, since it’s more economical to pay in silver, then let’s pay with cash."
However, they did not use Gu Jinli’s private savings. The spice workshop, preserved flavors shop, and tofu workshop were all profitable, and there were dividends at home. Gu Dafu took the silver notes and paid all the grain taxes for their household. The tax for the rice fields along with other crops amounted to a total of two hundred and ten taels of silver.
The other families also paid in silver; they had fled famine and valued their grain very hugely, fearing there wouldn’t be enough food at home, so they preferred to pay in silver.
After completing the payment of grain tax, Elder Wu the doctor then called her over to Xuanhu Fang and gave her a contract: "Yuanzi Pharmacy has added an order of sixty thousand bottles of tooth powder, and they need them delivered by the end of the year. If the pharmaceutical workshop can produce it, you should sign."
Tooth powder indeed sold very well; twenty thousand bottles of tooth powder shipped to the Linhe Prefecture and Jinling Prefecture were sold out in less than half a month. Currently, all the branches of Yuanzi Pharmacy in the two prefectures were out of tooth powder and urgently needed the goods.
Gu Jinli calculated her inventory and nodded, "It can be done before the end of the year."
She took the two contracts, carefully read them through, wrote down her name with a pen, then pressed her fingerprint, kept one copy of the contract for herself, and handed the other to Elder Wu the doctor.
Elder Wu the doctor gave her a silver note worth twelve hundred taels as a deposit, exchanged a few words with the accompanying Nanny Tao, and then let them return.
Gu Jinli stopped by Xia Family’s place on her way, but she did not go in herself. Instead, she had Nanny Tao deliver a cotton cloak that Mrs. Cui had prepared for Brother Cheng.
Now it was already November and the weather was getting colder by the day. In the mornings, Brother Cheng would only wear a cotton jacket to school. Worried he might catch a cold, Mrs. Cui asked Gu Jinli to bring him a cotton cloak.
Lady Xia was delighted to know she was there, but fearing that Gu Jinli might be upset upon seeing her, she dared not invite her inside. Instead, she sent over a previously known nanny with a hand warmer.
Gu Jinli declined: "Nanny, please take it back. It’s not the coldest time yet; there’s no need for this."
The nanny said, "How can it not be the coldest time? This morning, the water in the kitchen yard was nearly freezing. You should take it."
Otherwise, her madam would shed tears yet again.
"Second Sister!" Brother Cheng followed Nanny Tao out of the Xia household, carrying a small school bag and running towards Gu Jinli, with Master Xia also not far behind.
Gu Jinli, surprised, asked, "You finished school so early today?"
"Mm-hmm, the teacher said it’s too cold today and let me go home earlier, to avoid getting sick." Brother Cheng was happy to go home early.
Master Xia smiled and said, "It’s chilly today and Brother Cheng wore less clothing. Children are frail and shouldn’t get cold."
He had a doctor check Brother Cheng’s pulse because the child, having suffered from poor nutrition when younger and having survived a famine, was weaker than other children. However, Brother Cheng had been practicing martial arts and eating medicinal meals, and his health had much improved. Still, they were very cautious, fearing he might fall ill.
Gu Jinli smiled at Master Xia and nodded, holding Brother Cheng’s hand, she said, "Then let’s go home."
"Okay!" Brother Cheng responded, waving to Master Xia, "Teacher, thank you for your hard work. Brother Cheng will come again tomorrow. Please go back and don’t catch a cold."
Master Xia was touched. As Master Hu had said, as long as he developed a bond with Brother Cheng, he need not worry that the Gu family would refuse to adopt Brother Cheng to the Lu Family as an heir.
Gu Jinli had arrived by a mule cart driven by Han Liu. After she and her siblings, along with Nanny Tao, got into the cart, they drove to Shang Family Village. After waiting for 30 minutes, they went to fetch Good Brother An from school and then took all three of them home.
At home, Third Grandma, Mrs. Cui, and Gu Jinxiu were busy making winter clothes, while Gu Dashan and Third Grandpa were taking out farming tools to ask Gu Jinli, "Xiao Yu, everything is ready, when are we going to harvest Mingya Grass?"
Their family’s Mingya Grass was ready for harvesting and if not collected soon, it would die from the frost.
Gu Jinli said, "We can go harvest now, there’s still half a day left, we can harvest quite a lot."
"Alright, we need to hurry, or the white frost will come and kill all the plants with leaves." Third Grandpa and Gu Dashan, carrying rice knives, left the house and started cutting the Mingya Grass in front of the barren ground of their yard.
Gu Jin’an also rolled up his sleeves to cut the grass, and brought Brother Cheng along: "You come too, our family is poor, and you’re not some young master."
Brother Cheng was young and was doted on by his family, but Gu Jin’an did not want to spoil him and make him delicate.
Brother Cheng pouted, "Big Brother, I’m cold..."
Gu Jin’an sternly replied, "Don’t pout, go cut the grass."
He also reasoned with him, "It’s cold, but if we don’t work, the chores just pile up. You see, your big brother, dad, and Third Grandpa all have to work. Brother Cheng has to work too."
Brother Cheng always listened to Gu Jin’an, and after hearing this, he obediently went to cut the grass.