Old Man Chen chuckled, revealing a mouth full of big yellow teeth. He beamed with pride, "I am the village chief of this village. My name is Chen Da, and my son is Chen Yusheng. Everyone in the village calls me Old Man Chen. You can call me... Old Chen!"
He was so proud that he almost let the lady call him Old Man Chen too. Fortunately, his mind worked quickly, and he immediately steered the conversation back.
"Uncle Chen, the village looks quite large, yet only about ten households live here. And all the houses are in disrepair. Why is this village so poor? I've traveled to many villages, and none are like this. Do you know the reason, Uncle Chen?"
When it came to the village's poverty, he stopped smiling proudly. Instead, his mouth opened and began to curse.
Old Man Chen's strong command of invective precisely and standardly expressed his inner rage: "That bastard Ding Jian, and Yuan Xi, they are less than human, worse than beasts. I really want to curse their ancestors! One is a wolf, the other is a jackal. Together, they do nothing good. We villagers live a life of utter misery, while they live in overflowing wealth, fat and robust, fatter than pigs in a pen. Even their servants eat much better than I do."
After a string of curses, Zhao Jiaqi understood his colorful language but didn't grasp who the two people he mentioned were.
She asked, "Who are Ding Jian and Yuan Xi?"
Zhao Jiaqi vaguely guessed they might be officials of the underworld, but she couldn't be sure, as some bullies also colluded with the authorities and wreaked havoc in the town.
Soon, Old Man Chen clarified for her: "Ding Jian is the county magistrate, and Yuan Xi is the town mayor. They are sworn brothers. Otherwise, how could Yuan Xi, that scoundrel, be the mayor? It's all because of his sworn elder brother. Otherwise... Hmph."
The moment Zhao Jiaqi heard "county magistrate," she immediately felt uneasy.
"The imperial court has repeatedly issued strict orders for officials to help farmers prosper and to report unresolved issues in villages and towns to the imperial court for special personnel to investigate and implement rescue measures. Have you not heard this news?"
Old Man Chen was clearly stunned. He shook his head a few times: "We haven't heard of such a thing. The mayor has never issued any similar notice. But if you ask me, even if the imperial court genuinely wants to help us, they should look at the actions of these corrupt officials below. There are policies from above, and countermeasures from below. We are just hoping that they won't demand more grain tax from us each year."
After speaking, he sighed softly.
Zhao Jiaqi asked, "Then how much grain tax do you pay annually?"
Old Man Chen held up five fingers: "Fifty percent. After paying the grain tax, my wife and I drink thin porridge, just enough to fill our stomachs. Let alone families with more mouths to feed."
A fifty percent grain tax was enough to shock Zhao Jiaqi. Since the national treasury had become abundant, they had significantly reduced the grain tax, requiring only ten percent. Yet, she never expected that in this place, the grain tax had not only not been reduced but had increased! httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"As far as I know, the grain tax is only ten percent per household annually. Don't you know about this? Have the outsiders in the town not mentioned this matter?"
Was the news here so isolated?
So closed off that not a whisper was heard?
Or was this place controlled, with no way in or out?
They had come via a small path, by sheer coincidence stumbling into this place?
Upon closer consideration, it didn't quite add up. Although they had come via a small path, it wasn't an abandoned one!
As she pondered her confusion, Old Man Chen nodded heavily, a rare gesture, and sighed, "We know, but what good is it? The emperor cares about us common people, but these officials below couldn't care less. They only want to stuff more silver into their own pockets. As for anything else, it's like clouds in the sky, visible but untouchable."
She seemed to be infected by Old Man Chen's continuous nodding. After hearing his words, Zhao Jiaqi also nodded along. Indeed, these clouds weren't just a bit high; they were impossibly high.
Knowing about the tax reduction, they were still subjected to increased taxes under the oppressive government. It was infuriating.
Zhao Jiaqi now understood the suffering of these common people, but she wouldn't let them continue to suffer.
The net of heaven is vast and remorseless. This wasn't because of a rainstorm and catching a small fish that one would remain unaware of who else might be implicated behind the small fish!
"Uncle Chen, when did your taxes start to increase?"
Old Man Chen lowered his head, tilted his face, and looked out the window, pondering for a moment. He said, "The summer of the year before last, it only increased to thirty percent. Last year, in the latter half of the year, it suddenly increased to fifty percent!"
He paused again, and after confirming his words, he nodded even more emphatically, "Yes, in these past few years, there have been two increases in total. The first time it went up to thirty percent, and the second time it increased to fifty percent. That's right."
According to Old Man Chen's description, the summer before last was when they had left the palace.
After the start of autumn last year, they had spent time in Lingnan Prefecture. During these two periods, this small county town had coincidentally raised its taxes twice, which indicated what?
The thought sent a chill down her spine!
"You mentioned Yuan Xi earlier, was he a scoundrel before?"
Old Man Chen waved his rough, large hand at Zhao Jiaqi: "Calling him a scoundrel is already flattering him. Let me tell you, in our region, any young girl with even a bit of beauty was ruined by him. Any young wife with a decent figure and fair skin did not escape his clutches. Even during a wedding, the bride had to be sent to him the night before for him to 'appreciate' and 'play' with. Only then could the wedding proceed. Otherwise, if a private wedding was held without informing him, the groom would be beaten to the point of being bedridden for half a month at the very least, and at worst, the bride would be made a widow, separated in life and death."
"That's why my son is still single. It's not difficult to find a wife, but the difficult part is... alas. Tell me, who wouldn't want to find a pure girl!"
After hearing his words, Zhao Jiaqi gasped in disbelief. This man was so wicked; wasn't he afraid of kidney failure?
Old Man Chen looked at Zhao Jiaqi, noting her good looks, refined temperament, and elegant attire. She was a type that grew more attractive with time. He said sincerely, "You, my dear young lady, must not go to town alone. If those lackeys find you and drag you to Yuan Xi, you'll be in for a terrible fate. Since you've called me uncle, I cannot stand by and watch you fall into the tiger's jaws."
After saying this, he considered that she had guards, and her husband appeared quite strong, with a fierce look in his eyes, not someone to be easily provoked.
However, in this world, one couldn't fight against power. It was best to be cautious.
"Then, the county magistrate isn't a lecherous person, is he?"
Speaking of the county magistrate, Ding Jian, he curled his lips in disdain: "More than just lecherous! He has at least eight or ten concubines in his backyard, more than the emperor himself! Hmph, that bastard Ding Jian indulges in drinking, gambling, whoring, and smoking; there's nothing he doesn't do. If he can protect a scoundrel like Yuan Xi, do you think his character can be any good?"
If one were to rely on the county magistrate, it would be better to rely on a sow; at least a pig, once slaughtered, could provide meat!