83 Paying Taxes
After harvesting the rice and wheat and drying them in the sun, the farmers would have to pay taxes. Only then would they be able to keep the rest for themselves.
In this dynasty, the taxes were 30 catties of grain per acre of land. Currently, the average output per acre of grain was 200 catties. If the weather was good that year, the output would be higher, and the people would receive more grain.
However, if the Heavens did not give them face and some disaster occurred, the harvest would be greatly reduced. However, the tax would not change, and the people would suffer this year.
Therefore, the people’s greatest wish was for the weather to be good. Due to the drought last year, Shifeng County had another heavy snowfall at the end of the year.
The snow was auspicious for a good year, and the weather this year was very good. From the beginning of spring, it had been drizzling incessantly. The crops that had just been planted had sufficient rainwater and were growing well.
In the summer, there would also be occasional thunderstorms. The basic crops did not lack water. Therefore, the harvest this year was very good. Basically, there were more than 230 catties per acre. The common people could leave behind a lot of grain, so even if they had to pay taxes, everyone’s face was full of joy.
Every household in Jian Village put all the grain that had to pay taxes into the grain drying field, and then agreed to ship it to the county.
This year, with Jian Qingqing’s family’s cattle, there was no need for manpower to pick them. However, the line to the county was still very large. Every household’s children and women would follow them. Usually, it was rare for them to go to the county. After paying taxes, they had to start a new round of summer planting. There was even less time to go, so they all took the opportunity to go on the day of paying taxes.
Jian Qingqing’s family often went to the county town because she set up a stall in the county town, so there was nothing new about going to the county town. The adults did not plan to go, and only the four children went to join in the fun.
When the taxes were paid, it was customary for each family to send another person to check. Since the adults did not go, she could only bring Xiao Lang with her.
Originally, Jian Qingqing did not want to bring Xiao Lang with her, but he was too energetic. Xiao Hu and Xiao Ye could not keep an eye on him, so had no choice but to be in charge of restraining him.
She did not know if there was a martial arts school in the county town, so she could send him there to exhaust his energy. Otherwise, leaving him at home would be torture. Xiao Hu was often beaten to tears by him. If he was not only three years old, he was still too young. Jian Qingqing even wanted to throw him into the school.
The line to pay taxes was very long, so it was not their village’s turn yet. Jian Qingqing calculated the time and decided to go shopping before coming back. Otherwise, it would be uncomfortable to wait here.
She first went to buy two buns for Xiao Lang and said helplessly, “How can you eat so much? How long has it been since you ate breakfast?”
Xiao Lang ate one bun in two bites and said coquettishly, “I’m hungry.”
Jian Qingqing felt that he was almost heavier than Xiao Ye. She was really worried that he would become a little fatty in the future, but he was really hungry. His stomach rumbled, and he had no choice but to eat it. Thinking of how skinny he looked when she first saw him, could it be that he was eating too much?
Seeing that his clothes were a little short, Jian Qingqing took him to the tailor to buy a few ready-made clothes.
Seeing that it was almost time, Jian Qingqing brought Xiao Lang along to the tax area.
After measuring the weight, she passed the household registration to the official. Seeing that he had stamped it, the taxes were paid.
The place to pay the taxes was in the field outside the county office. Jian Qingqing kept the household registration and went into the county office to ask if there was any land for sale.
The officer took her to the office of the registrar. Jian Qingqing asked Xiao Lang to wait outside the door and told him not to run around, so she went in to check out the lands for sale.