Troubled times: Start practicing spiritual practice by taking care of your sister-in-law

Chapter 55: Collecting taxes, seventeen years old

The night is as cold as frost.

The cold wind mixed with snow blew against the windows, making a noisy sound. Some cold wind squeezed into the house through the gaps in the windowsill, ringing in the ears of the beautiful woman on the kang.

An arm as white as a lotus root suddenly reached out of the quilt, pressing half of her round and round face against the quilt. A lampstand on the high table cast a dim yellow light on the kang.

Han Aniang got out of the bed and took a breath of fresh air. As soon as she picked up the small clothes on the side and prepared to put them on, she was pulled away by Chen Mo.

Han Anniang said shyly: "Uncle, didn't you say you wanted to teach the slave family how to read?"

"You can also teach on the kang."

Chen Mo quickly got out of the bed, took an enlightenment book, and quickly lay down on the bed again, hugging Han Anniang.

"Bite off more than you can chew, sister-in-law. I will teach you five Chinese characters first. After you can read and write, I will teach you five Chinese characters."

Chen Mo planned to teach Han Anniang the blood-nourishing technique after she learned how to read.

Chen Mo didn't expect her to succeed in cultivation. As long as she could learn a little bit, it would be good to strengthen her body.

He asked Han Anniang to say the words she knew first.

Although Han Aniang didn't read and didn't know many words, she could still write her own name and Chen Mo's name.

After understanding the words she knew, Chen Mo began to teach her, starting with the five common words in life: rice, oil, salt, and tea.

Han Aniang was still studying very seriously. She was reading and writing on her lap.

It’s just that Chen Mo’s teaching was a bit dishonest.

"Uncle." Her pink lips pursed slightly, and an intoxicating blush gradually appeared on Han Anniang's snowy cheeks.

"Sister-in-law, study hard and don't look around." Chen Mo said.

Han Aniang: "..."

She endured the uncontrollable shame and said as quietly as a mosquito: "Uncle, how can you let me learn from you like this?"

"Why can't you study this way? It can also cultivate your concentration and kill two birds with one stone. Come on, read to me, Chai, Mi..."

"..."

Han Aniang lowered her beautiful eyes, endured the shame, and said in a trembling voice: "But uncle, if you are like this, I can't concentrate at all."

But Chen Mo didn't listen.

Han Anniang could only endure her shyness and adapt.

Fortunately, it was only five words, not many. Han Aniang mastered it quickly and wanted to learn more.

Chen Mo smiled and pinched Han Anniang's face and said, "Just because you remember it now doesn't mean you will remember it tomorrow. Go to sleep."

…

Sure enough, early the next morning.

Chen Mo asked her to write down the five characters she learned last night, but Han Aniang only wrote the words rice and tea.

Chen Mo could only teach her for a while while eating breakfast.

In the morning, he practiced swordplay and Zhang He dug tunnels.

After eating at noon and resting for a while to digest, Chen Mo taught Zhang He how to practice swordsmanship.

After practicing the sword, Zhang He continued to dig tunnels after regaining his strength.

In the eyes of people who don't know the inside story, Zhang He is used like a bull by Chen Mo.

But for Zhang He, there was no complaint, but gratitude.

Because Chen Mo not only provided for his lunch and dinner, but also occasionally let him take some food home.

In these troubled times, food is like a second parent.

Secondly, everyone in the village now knows that he is Chen Mo's younger brother.

The villagers greeted him with a hint of respect in their voices.

Time flies like water. In the blink of an eye, five days passed.

During this period, Chen Mo took Zhang He into the city and brought back the newly made Tang Dao.

This new Tang Dao is more than five kilograms heavier than the original Tang Dao.

Chen Mo gave Zhang He the old Tang knife.

In addition, Chen Mo also purchased a batch of grain, mainly rice and pork.

The price of food has risen again. Spring is not far away, so Chen Mo must stock up on food first.

Once a war breaks out, food prices will only get higher.

But that was the day they came back from buying food.

Zhang He told Chen Mo that many people in the village wanted to hang out with him and asked him if he would accept them.

Naturally, Chen Mo would not accept it.

This is the world of martial arts, not the ancient times before he traveled through time. What's the point of recruiting so many people to build another Qinghe Gang?

Stop making trouble, how can he afford to support so many people when his own expenses are so high?

Even if he can afford it, these are troubled times and the rebels are about to attack. Can he recruit so many ordinary people to resist the rebels?

Or rebel?

It would be almost the same if they were warriors.

Accepting dozens of ordinary people as his little brothers, just with dozens of mouths to help him eat, does he really think of him as a philanthropist?

Moreover, these people also brought their families with them.

To put it bluntly, it is a burden.

Take care of yourself first.

…

Another week has passed.

The time has come to January 20th.

Although it was still cold, the snow had stopped falling for two days.

On this day, people from the Yamen came.

It was Peng Qing who brought the people here himself.

The purpose of coming to Fuze Village is to collect taxes.

It's a new year again.

It’s time to pay this year’s hunting tax and body money.

But Fuze Village, which had been raided twice by the Qinghe Gang, had no money to pay taxes.

Does the Yamen know?

of course I know.

But this is a dead order from above. If the tax revenue cannot come up, you will have to find a way to make up for it yourself.

Chang Yuan will definitely not pay this money.

If he doesn’t come out, who will?

Are you counting on the local gentry to come forward?

Therefore, the people can only suffer.

If you don’t have money, you can use the land to pay for it.

Many people in the village still own fields.

For them, fields are their hope in life and their roots. They will not sell their fields unless they have to.

Peng Qing knew that this was going too far, so at the beginning, he tried to persuade them with good words, saying that they could use the land to offset taxes, and get refunds for more and less compensation.

Later, when the villagers refused to listen, they started to use force.

Fuze Village was filled with mourning again.

Chen Mo also paid taxes.

This is what every family has to pay.

Unless he wants to rebel.

After Peng Qing and the others left, Chen Mo sighed.

What a mess this court has become.

If this continues, there is no natural reason for death.

Chen Mo could only complain now. He glanced at the system panel.

[Name: Chen Mo. 】

[Age: 16. 】

[Skill: Nourishing Blood (Dacheng 283.3/1000.]