Autumn Tax (Part 1)

Autumn Tax (Part 1)

Learn martial arts?

A martial arts prodigy?

The people present chewed over those two terms, all finding them strange. Someone like that did not seem as though he should appear in Yi Xing City—at the very least, not in Liang Qu.

Who was he? An orphan.

An identity that was unbearably heavy in any age.

Other than selling themselves for a chance to live, most became beggars and quietly starved to death in some winter.

The Liang father and son had already lived poorly. Many neighbors still vividly remembered the widower Liang Dajiang's death. He had not been wrapped in a straw mat after dying, but only a thin coffin had been bought for him. He was hastily buried in the back hills, with a wooden tablet erected over his grave.

Liang Dajiang had been rather average at fishing as well. Aside from leaving behind a good boat, there was not even a fishing net in the house. As his son, Liang Qu naturally should not have been much better.

The only thing that could be considered good was perhaps Liang Qu's looks. Yet in this world, no matter how handsome a boy was, no one would come asking for his hand in marriage, and good looks certainly would not fill his belly.

But seeing the three brothers flee in such sorry state, this seemed to be the only explanation.

Everyone exchanged looks.

They had thought Liang Qu's final path would be no different from those other orphans: either sell himself or beg for food. Who would have thought that he would now be completely unlike what everyone had imagined, as though reborn?

First, he had become good at fishing, bringing in nearly a hundred coins' worth of catch each day. Later, he had even caught a Treasure Fish—and a fine one at that—selling one fish for the price of two. Now it seemed the money from selling fish had been used for martial arts lessons.

Studying and training in martial arts had always been the two best paths for an Ordinary Person to rise in the world.

Setting studying aside for now, martial arts were not so distant from these people. Even if they had not seen it, they had heard of it, but they had never heard of anyone from the countryside making something of themselves through martial arts.

After finishing their training, they could not even help their own family claim a river mouth, water two more mu of fields, or cast two more nets of fish. It was money wasted for nothing.

Yet Liang Qu seemed to have truly made something of it.

No matter what, reaching this point proved that Liang Qu was somewhat different from ordinary people. Some began speaking up to flatter him.

"A Shui has made it. You'll be a master someday."

"If you truly become a Martial Master, don't forget us neighbors."

"Exactly, exactly! Once you become a Martial Master, I'll have my son learn from you too!"

Watching their reactions, Liang Qu was not particularly pleased. He only said that he had been lucky.

The reason he revealed that he practiced martial arts was simply because he did not want scoundrels coming to his door every other day anymore. So he was giving everyone two pieces of information.

First, he had no money left. It had all gone toward martial arts tuition.

Second, he had an Innate Talent for martial arts. If they wanted to come mooch off him, they had best weigh themselves first.

Of course, there was another purpose. His changes would only grow greater in the future. When the time came, do not ask. If asked, the answer would be martial arts training.

What, you asked why others had not changed like this? Did they have Root Bone as exceptional as his?

Planting the seed that he possessed Innate Talent now would make things seem less abrupt when they grew more outrageous later.

Once the crowd's bustle had dispersed, Liang Qu returned home, moved aside the rice jar, and dug out the silver buried in the dirt. Seeing that not a penny was missing, he let out a breath of relief.

Autumn Tax would be due before long. If he had no money, he would be in deep trouble.

Fortunately, thanks to the Single Whip Law and Taxing Households by Land, fishermen had it simple when paying taxes: one tael of silver for every adult man.

However, the purity of the silver paid varied, while the standard was official silver. This created the issue of meltage loss, and that loss naturally fell upon the common people. In reality, the tax came to around one tael and three mace.

Da Shun considered one an adult at sixteen. Strictly speaking, Liang Qu was still a few months short, but those who knew, knew. Never mind a few months—even if you were half a year short, you were still "sixteen."

Unfortunately, under the Single Whip Law, he should theoretically only need to pay silver directly. Yet several prefectures around the Jianghuai Marshlands still had to continue paying grain, to supply the capital.

So he needed to buy rice tomorrow. Otherwise, the prices would rise terribly.

Having settled his plan, Liang Qu tucked the money into his clothes. Then he took out a branch, drew a table on the ground, and began practicing his punches.

Using a table to record his growth and determine the best time and greatest efficiency for training was the Scientific Body-Refining Method.

Early the next morning.

Liang Qu took his silver and headed early to the rice shop, only to find quite a few people already there to buy rice.

He entered through the front door. Before him stood a long counter, beside it a row of rice bins, each filled more than halfway with grain for display. If one bought only a little, it could naturally be scooped out and carried away. If one bought a lot, the goods would be fetched from the small warehouse.

The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, flicking an abacus and making marks with a brush. Seeing someone enter, he merely glanced over and continued with his work.

Liang Qu's clothes were shabby, and he did not look like a man with money. Naturally, the shopkeeper had no interest in serving him.

"Here, take it. Thirty-six coins total. Settle the bill at the counter."

"Take a look, young sir. What kind of grain would you like?"

The attendant at the side greeted him warmly. As soon as he finished his task, he hurried over, even taking the time to answer others' questions.

Liang Qu looked over the selection. Fine rice, coarse rice, inferior rice, Glutinous Rice, sweet potatoes—there were quite a few varieties, but none had prices marked.

"How much is fine rice per jin?"

"Ten coins per jin."

"That expensive? Wasn't it nine coins per jin just days ago?"

The attendant smiled. "It's Autumn Tax season. More people are buying rice, and no one wants to go do hard labor, so the price naturally changes every day. If you come two days later, it might be eleven or twelve."

The prices were changing so quickly. No wonder there were no price tags, Liang Qu thought.

"Can't it be any cheaper?"

"This..."

Tap.

The shopkeeper set down his brush. Raising his head, he spoke in an indifferent tone. "It's this price everywhere now. Buy if you want to buy; if not, leave quickly. The front shop isn't large. Make room for the people behind you."

Liang Qu's eye twitched. He truly wanted to take off his shoe and smack the bastard with it, but Yi Xing City had only this one rice shop. If he offended it, he could only go to Ping Yang Town to buy rice.

One shi of rice weighed over a hundred and fifty jin. Carrying it more than ten li would likely exhaust him to death, and hiring a cart would be another unnecessary expense.

Besides, one shi might not be enough. If he ran into Ghost Foot, one shi of rice might be counted as seven dou. He would need to buy one and a half shi to be safe.

Having money and grain truly made one overbearing.

Not wanting to make trouble with money, Liang Qu could only continue asking, "A jin of rice is ten coins. If I buy one and a half shi and pay in silver, then what?"

"One and a half shi paid in silver?" The shopkeeper considered it, then took out his abacus and calculated. "One tael and six mace. How about it?"

Liang Qu calculated silently. He was not very good at haggling. Usually, he simply listened to the other party's price. If it seemed acceptable, he bought it; if not, he let it go.

One and a half shi for one tael and six mace was acceptable enough.

"Fine. One tael and six mace." Liang Qu took out his money pouch. The attendant beside him was just about to reach for it when Liang Qu moved it away. "Your rice shop delivers grain to the house, right?"

"Where is your home?"

"Yi Xing City."

"Then of course we do."

"Good. Move the rice."

Liang Qu paid directly, without worrying that they would tamper with anything.

Since coming to this ancient era, the one thing he found tolerable was that shops would not commit any fraudulent acts against locals. If they wanted to oppress you, they did it openly. Like the Fishing Wharf, it was willing buyer, willing seller: if they said they would skim a certain amount from you, they would skim exactly that much. They would not secretly play tricks, because with the population mobility here, they simply would not survive otherwise.

Once the rice had arrived and been put away at home, Liang Qu bought two baskets for storing rice, a set of bedding, two sets of clothes, two pairs of cloth shoes, a good fishing net, a bar of soap, a pig-bristle toothbrush, and some tooth powder, spending every last bit of his money.

With bedding on his back and a pile of things in his hands, Liang Qu sighed inwardly at how quickly money disappeared. He had only bought daily necessities, yet the remaining tael or so of silver was already gone.

Still, hugging the soft cotton quilt, he would certainly get a good night's sleep tonight.