That night someone slipped into the government office stealthily. He was as light as a bird and hid himself from the guards easily. He finally managed to slip into the tax official’s office, lit a candle and, after opening the tax books, began to read carefully.
He had read over them for about four hours. He then extracted several typical tax books and put the rest back as if no one had ever read them.
…
On the second day, Xiao Baoshan took those tax books to the provincial city. After wandering around in the city for a while, Xiao Baoshan spotted an opportunity. When the chief inspector was drinking tea in the tea house, he secretly passed the tax books to the chief inspector.
The chief inspector found some tax books had suddenly appeared on his table, which he felt was rather strange. After browsing the contents he understood something. It must be some people who had been wronged but had no other way to get justice, so they must have passed the evidence to him while he was drinking tea.
He drank tea in this tea house every day and there were always some people came, whether to sue others or to give evidence.
Well, I’ll send someone to Qinghe to investigate.
…
Ye Xiaoxian had been waiting for Xiao Baoshan at home for two days before he arrived back. When Xiao Baoshan came in Ye Xiaoxian was making seasonings in the yard. Seeing Xiao Baoshan return she quickly stood up.
“Have you done it?” asked Ye Xiaoxian.
Xiao Baoshan answered plainly, “Perhaps!”
“Why perhaps? You’ve either done it or you haven’t,” said Ye Xiaoxian.
Xiao Baoshan did not say much but walked straight over to Ye Xiaoxian and looked at her as if there were flames in his eyes.
Ye Xiaoxian was stunned.
What does he mean by this? Why does he look a bit scary?
Xiao Baoshan put down his rice hat and the rest of the things in his hands and then he suddenly held Ye Xiaoxian.
“What, what are you doing?” Ye Xiaoxian looked at him and asked.
Why didn’t Xiao Baoshan look foolish now? He actually looked a bit fierce.
Xiao Baoshan immediately picked her up. “What did you promise your husband? Have you forgotten?”
“…” Ye Xiaoxian wanted to ask, “What about yours? Have you done it?”
However, seeing him like this she dared not say anything but pointed at the room next to them.
Xiao Baoshan happened not to see this and thought that Ye Xiaoxian was pointing at his room.
“My room? Sure.” He then carried Ye Xiaoxian and was going to go to his room.
At that moment Li Hongmei opened the door with a squeak and walked out.
Looking at what was going on in front of her, Li Hongmei was in a daze first and then said, “Ah, my poor eyesight, everything seems blurry to me now. I’d better go back to my room to grind the seasonings.”
Xiao Baoshan looked at Ye Xiaoxian while Ye Xiaoxian was also looking at him.
“Why is Ma also here?” said Xiao Baoshan.
“She’s here to help me grind the seasonings,” said Ye Xiaoxian.
Xiao Baoshan paused and then said, “Still, let’s go to my room.”
“You…”
She hadn’t seen him for two days and felt that Xiao Baoshan had become very naughty.
Li Hongmei stayed in her room and heard the playful giggling from next door. She finally used two cotton balls to block her ears.
…
After five days, someone was asking to see Ye Xiaoxian in the restaurant. It was still the subordinate of the tax official.
Ye Xiaoxian was not happy to see him as she thought that Fang Shanding was here to pick on her again, however, the man said, “Miss Ye, I’m here with a new document. You just need to pay two taels of silver in tax, as usual.”
“Why?” asked Ye Xiaoxian in surprise.
She thought that Fang Shanding was going to play some other tricks but the man said, “We have a new tax official now.”