Differential Treatment

The imperial court's decree of tripling taxes swept through every surrounding village. Zhang Family Village, where Li Xiu had married into, couldn't escape this catastrophe either.

At first light, county constables and tax collectors stormed into Zhang Family Village with fierce momentum.

The clatter of iron chains dragging across the ground and harsh, brutal shouts instantly shattered the village's peace.

Just as in Azure Creek Village, the moment these officials entered, they went door to door violently demanding payment. They looked like fiends, showing not the slightest mercy.

"Pay your taxes in full, now! Not one copper short!"

"If you can't pay, hand over your belongings! If you've got neither people nor goods, we'll seize the able-bodied men for military service!"

"The court needs men to build the canal. If you can't pay in silver, hand over people!"

"..."

Their roars reached every corner of the village. The villagers of Zhang Family Village were ashen-faced, with dark clouds hanging over them.

Their harvests had already been meager, and they could barely scrape by in ordinary times. Now that the taxes had suddenly tripled, they simply couldn't bear the burden. The entire village was shrouded in despair.

Their last stores of food and farming tools were all seized. The elderly, the weak, women, and children knelt on the ground and pleaded bitterly, only to receive the constables' clubs and vicious abuse.

Those unable to pay had the young, able-bodied men in their families forcibly taken away for corvée labor and military service.

Cries of families torn apart rose and fell without end. Every household lived in fear, their eyes filled with terror and helplessness before the harsh taxes.

All of Zhang Family Village was filled with wailing. The people could no longer survive.

The officials were arrogant and overbearing, treating the villagers' lives like weeds, their methods brutally ruthless.

Yet when these vicious officials arrived at Zhang Erzhu's home in the village, they immediately reined in their ferocity.

Before the courtyard gate, the Zhang family had already gathered the silver and waited for the officials' arrival.

Yang Cuihua, Zhang Erzhu, and Zhang Chunhua—the three who were usually sharp-tongued, mean, and domineering in the village—were all trembling slightly, their expressions tense.

They might have been tyrannical in the village, but before government officials, they felt nothing but deep fear.

Li Xiu held Doudou in her arms. She had been living fairly well lately, and even her bearing had changed somewhat.

She was no longer timid and submissive. Instead, she was calmer than Zhang Erzhu and the other two.

When the tax collector approached Li Xiu, his tone was gentle, as if he hadn't been the same man who had casually beaten and cursed the villagers moments ago.

"Greetings, Madam Zhang. We have come under orders to collect taxes."

The tax collector ignored the other three members of the Zhang family. In his eyes, only Li Xiu was worthy of courtesy.

"Your younger brother, Officer Li, has rendered meritorious service guarding the border. Those above have specifically ordered that your household's taxes be reduced by half, and you need not perform any corvée labor or military service."

The moment those words came out, Zhang Erzhu and the other two froze. Their bodies trembled with excitement, and they couldn't say a word.

What government official hadn't always looked down upon them? When had they ever treated mud-legged peasants like them with such kindness?

"Thank you for your trouble, officers."

Though Li Xiu was excited inside as well, she forced herself to remain calm and thanked the officials without either fawning or acting arrogant.

"Just as expected of Squad Leader Li's own elder sister. She's completely different from these mud-legged peasants."

Li Xiu's demeanor made the officials' eyes light up, and they sighed inwardly.

Li Xiu's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She knew all of this had been bought by her younger brother's bloody battles at the border, purchased with his life.

The tax collector wore a broad smile as he said repeatedly, "Madam Zhang, no need to be so polite. This is the favor Officer Li has earned. If your family encounters any difficulties in the future, simply send someone to inform us. We'll certainly do our utmost to look after you."

With that, the tax collector led the constables away, taking the half of the taxes they had collected.

They had treated them with utmost courtesy throughout, a world apart from the savage cruelty and open plunder they had shown the other villagers moments before.

Even after the officials left, Zhang Erzhu's family hadn't recovered from their shock.

The surrounding villagers had witnessed the scene, and the place instantly erupted in discussion.

"Heavens! The Zhang family only had to pay half their taxes, and they don't even have to perform corvée labor!"

"That's far too enviable! We're being driven until our families are ruined and people are dead, while they actually get half their taxes waived."

"Isn't it because their daughter-in-law is the elder sister of that Officer Li at the border? They're benefiting from Officer Li's favor. Even the officials are so polite to them."

"We're all from the same village, so why is the difference this huge? If only my family had such a backer."

"..."

The villagers gathered nearby, their eyes full of envy and jealousy as they chattered among themselves.

Some were full of admiration, sighing over the Zhang family's good fortune in having such a formidable relative.

Others secretly burned with jealousy, their words dripping with sourness, yet there was nothing they could do.

Still more looked at their own miserable circumstances, compared them with the preferential treatment the Zhang family had received, and felt only bitterness and helplessness.

In these chaotic times, power and military merit were the hardest foundation one could have.

Li Xuancang's achievements at the border had not only protected his own family, but had also brought tangible benefits to the Zhang family, his in-laws. They had become the most exceptional and envied family in all of Zhang Family Village.

The tax collector and constables soon vanished from Zhang Family Village, and the watching villagers gradually dispersed as well.

But what had just happened struck hard at every member of the Zhang family.

Yang Cuihua and the other two all turned to look at Li Xiu beside them.

Their faces were filled with respect, even carrying a hint of cautious wariness.

Yang Cuihua hurried forward and seized Li Xiu's hand. Her movements were incomparably gentle, her face full of smiles, and her tone more warm and considerate than it had ever been.

"Xiu'er, come, come sit inside. The wind is strong out here—don't let yourself get tired."

She held Li Xiu's hand tightly, a little restrained as she supported her toward the house, sighing again and again.

"My good daughter-in-law, you've truly suffered. Mother treated you poorly in the past—it was Mother who was muddleheaded. Only now do I understand that our entire Zhang family has been benefiting from your favor!

Thinking of the courtesy shown by the officials, the heavy taxes cut in half, and the waived corvée and military service, Yang Cuihua's heart filled with relief and pride.

If Li Xiu hadn't had a younger brother serving as a squad leader at the border, the Zhang family would have been just like every other household in the village: stripped clean, perhaps even dragged away for corvée labor. How could they possibly have such peaceful days?

Zhang Erzhu wore a fawning smile. "Xiu'er, it's all thanks to you, thanks to our brother-in-law. From now on, don't do any work around the house. I'll take care of all of it. You just rest properly."

Only after seeing how the officials treated Li Xiu today did Zhang Erzhu truly understand the influence Li Xuancang carried.

Even though he was far away at the border, and even though the Zhang family was only connected to him through Li Xiu, those ordinarily arrogant and domineering officials still had to show them some respect. It was something Zhang Erzhu wouldn't have dared dream of before.

At that thought, the corners of Zhang Erzhu's mouth couldn't help lifting, and he unconsciously straightened his back.

From now on, with this powerful backer, who would dare bully the Zhang family?

Zhang Chunhua, standing to one side, had lost her usual childish willfulness as well. She hurried forward and affectionately looped her arm through Li Xiu's, her voice soft and respectful.

"Sister-in-law, from now on, you're my own sister. If anyone dares say a single bad word about you, I'll be the first to refuse. I'll help with the household work from now on, so don't tire yourself out."

The whole family surrounded Li Xiu, fussing over her and treating her like a treasure in their palms, yielding to her wishes in everything.

Yang Cuihua busied herself in the kitchen, taking out the family's last remaining fine rice and eggs to make Li Xiu a good meal.

Zhang Erzhu eagerly hoisted a hoe and finished all the heavy work in the courtyard in one go, refusing to let Li Xiu suffer even the slightest fatigue.

Zhang Cuihua obediently stayed at Li Xiu's side, helping serve tea and pour water. She spoke softly and gently, not daring to defy her in the least.

Watching the Zhang family act this way, Li Xiu's heart was a tangle of emotions.

She knew that this sudden respect and preferential treatment had all been won by her younger brother at the cost of his life.

She only hoped her younger brother far away at the border would remain safe and sound, suffer fewer injuries, and return victorious soon.

As for the preferential treatment at home, she only wished to live steadily and well with her family, without letting her younger brother's sacrifices go to waste.

And the Zhang family had come to believe from the bottom of their hearts that Li Xiu was the Zhang family's blessing. From then on, they would certainly treat her well and never dare neglect her in the slightest.