Chapter 12: The War Tax

“Then... don’t cause Uncle Lin any trouble!”
Xiaoyu quickly nodded.
Tian Zhong said to Tian Xier, “You must keep an eye on her too.”
“Got it, big brother.”
Tian Zhong gave Lin Feng an honest smile. “Sorry for troubling you.”
“Not at all, don’t worry.”
Only then did Tian Zhong turn and leave the small courtyard.

Lin Feng noticed the exquisite little cricket figure Xiaoyu was holding, seemingly woven from bamboo strips and grass. Curiously, he asked, “Xiaoyu, where did you get this?”
“It wasn’t bought; my aunt made it.”
Lin Feng looked at Tian Xier in surprise. “I didn’t expect you to be so skillful with your hands, Sister Xier.”
Hearing Lin Feng’s praise, Tian Xier’s cheeks flushed with a rosy tint. “I just make them for fun.”
“Aunt made lots of them! Fish, dragonflies, grasshoppers, little frogs...” Xiaoyu listed them off like treasured possessions.
“They’re all learned from my sister-in-law. She’s the really skillful one, but...” A hint of sadness flickered in Tian Xier’s wide eyes. “My sister-in-law died from heavy bleeding after giving birth to Xiaoyu...”

So Xiaoyu had no mother.
In ancient times, with limited medical knowledge and no cesarean sections, childbirth was as perilous as passing through the gates of the underworld. Many women died from complications or postpartum hemorrhaging.
Lin Feng sighed inwardly—if not for being born himself, his mother might not have passed away so early.

Changing the subject, he said, “Sister Xier, why don’t you sell these little woven items in town?”
“They’re made from bamboo strips and grass, not worth much,” Tian Xier replied.
“Bamboo and grass might be cheap, but your craftsmanship is valuable. How about this: sell me all these woven items, and I’ll give you two copper coins for each.”
“Brother Lin, are you joking?” Tian Xier couldn’t believe such a good offer.
“I’m serious. Go bring all your woven things here. I’ll pay you right away.”

Tian Xier and Xiaoyu happily returned home. Soon, they brought a large bamboo basket brimming with woven trinkets to Lin Feng.
Indeed, every piece was exquisitely beautiful.

Lin Feng immediately had Xiaodie count and tally them.
There were nearly five hundred pieces.
That must have taken quite some time to weave.

Lin Feng handed Tian Xier a string of coins worth a thousand wen. Tian Xier’s small mouth couldn’t stop smiling with joy.
Lin Feng then noticed how lovely her smile was, with two small dimples gracing her cheeks.

“Brother Lin, do you want more?” Tian Xier asked. “I can weave for you again.”
“Yes, the more the better!” Lin Feng laughed. “Why not gather bamboo and grass now, right here in the yard? For each finished piece, I’ll pay you two wen.”
“Okay!” Tian Xier beamed and immediately pulled Xiaoyu off to fetch materials.

She was overjoyed—not just because she could earn money but because someone appreciated her work.

Xiaodie asked Lin Feng curiously, “Big brother, why do you need so many of these?”
“I have my uses... You and Liu Xi go gather paper scraps. Today we have to fill two boxes.”

After instructing Xiaodie, Lin Feng continued roasting spiced peanuts. After finishing the previous thirty jin of peanuts, Madame Tian brought another thirty jin from various villages as Lin Feng had requested. He decided to roast another twenty jin.

At noon, the Tian family brought a large stack of flatbreads. They ate while working.

By afternoon, everything was done. Lin Feng didn’t make Tian Xier continue weaving and told her to go home and rest.
He had noticed her hands were red and swollen, with cuts from the bamboo strips. This girl was working too hard!

The mountain village’s spring afternoon air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and grass. A gentle breeze brought a refreshing comfort, and warm sunlight bathed the earth.

Lin Feng took a chair and sat in the courtyard, feeling content and as if he had fully embraced the peaceful rhythm of this ancient world.

Suddenly, the sound of a gong came from outside, accompanied by a loud voice shouting, “Attention, everyone! The Liang King of Jiangdu requires the militia to prepare arms and supplies for emergencies to maintain peace in Jiangzhou. All households must immediately pay the military supply tax!”

Damn!

Lin Feng’s newfound appreciation for this world vanished instantly.

What kind of tax was this? Why didn’t they ask the court or the emperor for supplies but instead demanded it from the common people?

Clearly, it was just another scheme to squeeze money from the populace.

As he pondered this, someone outside asked, “Captain Li, who lives here?”
“This is a temporary tenant of the Tian family.”
“Go in and check.”

Several men in official uniforms entered, led by a tall, imposing officer not much older than Lin Feng. Following him was an elderly man in cloth garments, holding two thick ledgers and two brushes.

The tall officer asked, “Who’s in charge here?”
Lin Feng cupped his fists. “Officer, I am.”
“This is the house you rented?”
“Yes.”
“Planning to stay long-term or short-term?”
“Maybe one or two months at most.”
“One or two months isn’t short. That counts as long-term residence, so you must pay taxes.”

Lin Feng was taken aback. “You have to pay taxes for renting a house?”
“Of course. In Jiangzhou, taxes are everywhere. Not only military supply tax but also the poll tax, land tax, grain tax... You have to pay them all.”

Lin Feng frowned. “We rented the house, so why pay land tax? And we don’t farm, so where does the grain tax come from?”
“Pay what you’re told! No excuses. If you don’t want to pay, leave Lufeng County immediately. But I warn you, as long as you stay in Jiangzhou, these taxes apply. It’s an order from above!”

“Fine, I’ll pay. But if you want me to pay grain tax, you should at least give me some land to cultivate.”

The lead officer laughed. “You’re quite shrewd...” He looked to the elder. “Captain Li, find him a few acres and register their names in your village’s temporary household records.”

“Understood, Officer Zhang.” Captain Li immediately took out a household register and sat on a large box in the courtyard. Opening the temporary household ledger, he asked, “Name?”
“Lin Feng.”
“And the other two?” Li looked at Liu Xi and Xiaodie.
“One is Liu Xi, the other Xiaodie.”
“No others?”
“No.”
“Where are you from?”
“We’re from Chudu City.”

Surprised they were from the imperial capital, Captain Li didn’t ask further; temporary tenants didn’t require detailed inquiries, only tax collection mattered.

After recording, he pulled out an abacus and began calculating. “Military supply tax: 300 wen. Poll tax: 400 wen per person, total 1,200 wen. Land tax: 400 wen. Grain tax...” He glanced around the courtyard. “Do you have any grain?”
“No.”
“Then it converts to 300 wen in copper coins... I’ll assign you prime land, so your grain tax will be calculated accordingly.”