Chapter 19: Autumn Tax (Part 1)

Learn martial arts?

Martial arts genius?

The crowd present chewed on these two words, always feeling that it was strange, as if such a person should not appear in Yixing Market, at least not on Liang Qu.

Who is he?

An orphan.

A status that is extremely heavy in any era.

Except for selling oneself to find a way to live, most of them became beggars, dying silently of hunger in some winter.

The Liang father and son didn't live well to begin with, and many neighbors still remember the passing of the widower Liang Dajiang vividly. He wasn't wrapped in a straw mat after death, but only bought a thin-skinned coffin, buried hastily on the back mountain, and erected a wooden monument.

Liang Dajiang's fishing skills were also quite average. Except for the good boat left behind, there wasn't even a fishing net in the house. Liang Qu, as his son, naturally wouldn't be much better.

The only thing that could be considered good was that Liang Qu looked good, but in this world, no matter how good-looking a boy is, no one will come to propose marriage, and he won't be able to eat enough.

But seeing the three brothers fleeing in a sorry state, it seems this is the only explanation.

Everyone looked at each other.

They thought Liang Qu's final path would be no different from those orphans, either selling himself or begging, but they didn't expect that it would be different from what everyone thought, as if he had been reborn.

First, he fished well, with nearly a hundred wen of fish harvest every day. Later, he caught a treasure fish in one fell swoop, and it was a good treasure fish, selling for the price of two. Now it seems that the money from selling fish was used by him to learn martial arts.

Studying and practicing martial arts have always been the two best ways for ordinary people to get ahead.

Studying is not discussed for now. Practicing martial arts is not far from everyone. They have heard of it even if they haven't seen it, but they have never heard of anyone in the countryside getting ahead by practicing martial arts.

They couldn't even help their family occupy the river mouth after learning, water two more acres of land, or catch two more nets of fish, wasting money in vain.

On the contrary, this Liang Qu seems to have learned something.

No matter what, being able to reach this step today proves that Liang Qu is different from ordinary people, and some people began to compliment him.

"Ah Shui has made progress, and he will be a master in the future."

"If you really become a martial arts master, don't forget us neighbors."

"Exactly, exactly. If you become a martial arts master, I will let my son learn from you too!"

Liang Qu looked at the crowd's reaction and was not very happy, only saying that he was lucky.

Saying that he practiced martial arts was just because he didn't want rascals to come to his door every few days, so he told everyone two pieces of information.

One, I have no money, all taken to practice martial arts to pay tuition.

Two, I have the talent to practice martial arts. If you want to come and take advantage, weigh it first.

Of course, there is another purpose. His changes will become bigger and bigger in the future. Don't ask then; if you ask, it's practicing martial arts.

What, you ask why others don't have this change? Do others have such excellent bones as me?

Planting a seed of extraordinary talent for everyone at the beginning, it won't be too abrupt when it gets more outrageous later.

After the crowd dispersed, Liang Qu returned home, moved the rice jar, dug out the silver money buried in the soil, and breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that not a cent was missing.

The autumn tax will be paid soon, and if there is no money, it will be a disaster.

Fortunately, thanks to the Single Whip Law and the Tax-per-Head-to-Land-Tax reform, the tax to be paid is very simple, which is one tael of silver for an adult man.

It's just that the quality of the silver paid is different, and the standard is official silver, so there will be a fire loss problem. This fire loss is naturally counted on the common people, and the actual tax paid is about one tael and three qian.

In the Great Shun, one is an adult at sixteen. By rights, Liang Qu is still a few months short, but those who understand understand. Not to mention a few months, even if it's a year, you are "sixteen".

It's a pity that by rights, under the Single Whip, one should pay silver directly, but several counties in the Jianghuai marshlands still have to pay grain to supply the royal family.

For this reason, one should buy rice tomorrow, otherwise the price will rise sharply.

Liang Qu made a plan, put the money in his arms, then took out a branch, drew a table on the ground, and began to practice fist.

Recording growth through a table and judging the best time and efficiency of practicing martial arts is a scientific body-refining method.

Early the next morning.

Liang Qu took the silver and went to the rice shop early, finding that there were quite a few people coming to buy rice.

He entered from the front door. Looking up, there was a long counter, and next to it was a row of rice boxes, all filled with half-rice grain for display. If you buy a little, you can naturally fill it and take it away. If you buy a lot, you take goods from the small warehouse.

The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, fiddling with an abacus and drawing with a brush. Seeing someone come in, he glanced at him and continued doing his own things.

Liang Qu's clothes were shabby, and he didn't look like a rich man, so he naturally had no interest in entertaining him.

"Come, take it well, a total of thirty-six wen, check out at the counter."

"Young man, look, what kind of grain do you want?"

The clerk on the side was enthusiastic, and after finishing his work, he hurried over, even having time to answer other people's questions.

Liang Qu looked over: fine rice, brown rice, inferior rice, glutinous rice, sweet potatoes, there were quite a few types, but none were marked with prices.

"How much is fine rice per jin?"

"Ten wen per jin."

"So expensive? Wasn't it nine wen per jin a few days ago?"

The clerk smiled, "Isn't this the autumn tax? There are many people coming to buy rice, and no one wants to do hard labor, so the price is naturally different every day. If you come two days later, it might be eleven or twelve."

The change is so fast, no wonder there is no price tag, Liang Qu thought.

"Can't it be cheaper?"

"This..."

Click.

The shopkeeper put down his brush, looked up, and said in a flat tone: "The price is the same everywhere now. If you want to buy, buy it. If you don't, leave quickly. The front shop is not big, so make room for the people behind."

Liang Qu's eyes twitched, and he really wanted to take off his shoe and slap him, but there was only this one rice shop in Yixing Market. If he offended them, he could only go to Pingyang Town to buy.

A stone of rice is more than 150 jin. I'm afraid I'll be exhausted if I carry it for ten miles. If I take a car, it's another unnecessary expense.

Moreover, a stone of rice may not be enough. If you encounter a ghost foot, a stone of rice may be counted as seven dou, so you have to buy one and a half stones to be safe.

Having money and grain is truly arrogant.

Liang Qu, who didn't want to go against money, could only continue to ask: "One jin of rice is ten wen, then if I buy one and a half stones and pay with silver?"

"One and a half stones paid with silver?" The shopkeeper pondered, took out an abacus and fiddled with it, "Then I'll count it as one tael and six qian, how about that?"

Liang Qu calculated it. He was not very good at bargaining, basically listening to the other party's quotation, thinking it was okay to buy, and if not, forget it.

One and a half stones for one tael and six qian is also okay.

"Good, then one tael?"

"Where is your home..."

"Just in Yixing Market."

"Then it's naturally included."

"Good, move the rice."

Liang Qu paid directly, not worried about being tampered with.

Coming to this ancient time, the only thing he felt was okay was that shops would not have any fraudulent behavior toward local people. If they wanted to bully, they would do it openly, like the fish stall, willing to fight and willing to suffer, saying how much they would cheat you, they would cheat you, and they wouldn't do bad things secretly. Otherwise, with the population mobility here, they wouldn't be able to survive at all.

After the rice was settled at home, Liang Qu bought two baskets to hold rice, a mattress, two sets of clothes, two pairs of cloth shoes, a good fishing net, a piece of soap, a pig-hair toothbrush, and some tooth powder, and spent all the money.

Liang Qu carried the mattress and a pile of things, feeling that money is really not enough to spend. He just bought some daily necessities, and the remaining one tael of silver was gone.

However, holding the soft cotton quilt, he will definitely be able to sleep well tonight. ===== CHAPTER 20 =====