RPAGF Chapter 148 Tax-free Field
Chapter 148 Tax-free Field
Si Ya was very quick and efficient. In a short while, she brought three bowls of egg noodles with a few vegetables. It looked very delicious.
Zhang Laoer and his friends were really hungry, so they started eating without a hitch. Liu Sanlang finished three bowls in a row before putting down his chopsticks.
Only then did Xu ask about the events of the examination. Zhang Laoer recounted what he could, including the story of how the provincial government officials came to the inn to announce the good news. Everyone was so excited, saying, "Oh my God! These are the people from the provincial government. They're so generous. They even set off firecrackers when announcing the good news. But our county government officials only went to announce the good news with music and drums."
Li smiled and said, "The county town certainly can't compare to the provincial capital, but this is already very glorious. If my grandson can pass the imperial examination and become a scholar, I will die with peace of mind!"
Ma curled her lips: "That's a nice thought!"
Li snorted, "Why? I'm just daydreaming. Ten or so years ago, who would have thought that my sister-in-law could be the mother of a scholar? One always has to have something to look forward to, right?"
Xu echoed, "Oh, I never expected this. This is fate. I was destined to have this blessing."
Zhang Laosan smiled and continued, "Since you're back now, why don't we hurry back to the village today? Parents are waiting to see you!"
Zhang Ping'an shook his head and said, "I'm afraid I can't today. Firstly, I haven't gone to the academy to thank the teacher yet, and secondly, I haven't gone to the county government to handle the scholar's paperwork. Only with this paperwork can our family be exempted from corvée and taxes. And according to common sense, the county magistrate usually holds a banquet to entertain new scholars. I'm not sure if they will still follow the old tradition after this earthquake. I'll have to ask my classmates tomorrow to find out."
Zhang Lao Er also nodded and agreed, "There's no rush for the next two days. It's more important to go to the academy and the county government office to do some work. There will be rewards to be claimed later!"
Ma exclaimed, "What? There's a reward to be claimed!"
"Five...five taels," Liu Sanlang said from the side.
"That's right, business is more important. My eldest brother and I will stay in the county town for two more days. We have already stayed in the inn nearby, so it's convenient for us to come here," Zhang Laosan said with a smile.
Zhang Ping'an raised his eyebrows in surprise when he heard this. His eldest aunt and third aunt really spent a lot of money to stay in the inn.
After chatting for a while, Xu began to send everyone out: "You all go back first, go back. The child's father and Ping An need to wash up and get some sleep first. They are very tired and scared after going out this time. There are too many of you here, and you will disturb them. Come back in the evening."
Zhang Laosan didn't want to leave, so he smiled flatteringly and said, "Second sister-in-law, we promise to be quiet and not talk, and not disturb their sleep. We have nothing to do when we return to the inn!"
No matter what Zhang Laosan said, he was still ruthlessly driven out by Xu. After the yard was quiet, Xu instructed Si Ya to boil two pots of hot water, clean the bathtub, and let several people take turns soaking in the tub to wash more comfortably.
After taking a shower, they finally relaxed and prepared to catch up on some sleep.
Zhang Ping'an instructed, "Mom, when Big Brother Liu finishes his work at the Subdistrict Office and comes over, please remember to call him. You can wake me or Dad up."
"The eldest brother of the Liu family? Why is he with you?" Xu asked in confusion.
Zhang Pingan patted his forehead and laughed, "Look at my memory. I forgot to tell you that Brother Liu was selling lotus roots in the city. He happened to be back the same day as us, so we went together. After entering the city, he had to go to the Street Office to file taxes first, so we separated. We agreed to come over for lunch later."
Xu nodded and said, "Okay, I understand. Go to bed now!"
Zhang Ping'an slept very soundly and didn't wake up until almost noon. After he got dressed and left the room, he found that the yard was full of people. His father had already gotten up and was entertaining the guests.
Except for Big Brother Liu, Jinbao's grandparents, my second sister's family, and my third sister's family all came over, but everyone spoke in a low voice, perhaps because they were concerned that I was still sleeping.
Erya was sharp-eyed. Seeing Zhang Pingan coming out with sleepy eyes, she laughed and said, "Little brother, you're finally awake. I was so suffocated by your whispering!" After saying that, she patted her chest.
San Ya rolled her eyes, and the two of them obviously didn't get along.
My third brother-in-law Qian Yongde came forward and praised him, "My dear little brother, you are really amazing. You passed the imperial examination at the age of thirteen. This is unique in our town and probably not common in the county. As the opera says, you are the reincarnation of Wenquxing. You will have great blessings in the future!"
Zhang Pingan shook his head and said calmly, "Third brother-in-law, it's not that exaggerated."
Qian Yongde was born with a sweet talk. He said a lot of nice things as if they were free of charge. As the saying goes, one should not hit a smiling person, so Zhang Pingan finally let him go.
Jinbao's grandparents also praised him non-stop.
Naturally, everyone stayed here to eat at noon. The table was not big enough, so they had to squeeze in and eat. The women had to make do in the kitchen.
In the evening, Zhang Lao Da's family and Zhang Lao San's family also came over. There was no way they could make do with each other, so they had to go to Jinbao's house to move a table over and set up two tables.
Jin Bao came to Zhang's house for dinner. When he saw Zhang Ping'an, he walked up to him and excitedly patted his good brother on the shoulder. After looking him up and down with a smile, he said, "Ping'an, what's wrong with your brain? You've been smart since you were a child. We both eat the same food, go to the same school, and have the same teacher. How can there be such a big difference between us?!"
Zhang Pingan put his arm around Jin Bao's shoulders and teased him, "Because I've never eaten fish roe since I was a kid!"
Jinbao scratched his head in confusion: "But it's too late for me to not eat the fish roe now!"
"Okay, okay, I was just kidding, but you actually believed it. Hurry up and go have dinner," Zhang Ping'an said with a helpless smile. Why did Jinbao believe everything he said?
After the meal, Xu started to drive people away again. Although she liked the lively atmosphere at home at the beginning and felt comfortable listening to everyone's flattery, after a few days, she finally felt annoyed. There was no peace and quiet at all. She could only chat and do nothing every day, and she still had to be treated to delicious food!
Especially the first and third wives were inquiring about the tax-free land in both open and covert ways, which was extremely annoying. Xu herself didn’t even understand what was going on!
After the guests had left, Madam Xu took her son to sit down and said gently, "My son is now very successful. He has become a scholar at such a young age. He has a bright future ahead of him. However, people are afraid of fame, just as pigs are afraid of being fat. I have a lot of troubles right now. Your eldest uncle and third uncle have been asking me about the tax-free land for several days. I don't understand the details of it, but you and your father must have a plan in mind and come up with a plan. After we return home, this matter will definitely not be delayed."
"Mom, the scholar can indeed be exempted from the 20 mu of land tax. Our family has eight mu of paddy fields and three mu of dry land, so there are only nine mu left for them to share. Moreover, the clan must take a part of it. In fact, it is not much. Let grandpa and grandma make the decision when the time comes. It is better for them to come forward," Zhang Pingan explained patiently.