Sickly Peasant Girl: General, I’m In Charge!

Chapter 33: Paying Summer Taxes

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Seeing that it was almost their turn to pay taxes, Old Chen had to give up.

Upon their turn, Old Chen, along with Chen Wushu, started unloading their grain, basket by basket, before the tax collectors.

The usual stoic tax collector raised an eyebrow, studying Old Chen a bit more than usual. He checked Old Chen’s family records, glancing between them and Old Chen, “You have five sons?”

Old Chen acknowledged, “Yes, five sons. My youngest isn’t even 15 yet. Only four of my sons plus me are liable for the summer tax.”

A collective gasp echoed around them, and curious eyes turned to Old Chen.

In these parts, life was plentiful but survival scarce. To have five sons meant birthing at least eight or nine…

A potent sign of vitality…

The tax collector softened a bit towards Old Chen, beginning to measure the grain.

As Chen Xiaosang watched him measure ten stones, pouring the remaining half-basket of wheat into the sack behind him, she interjected, “Sir, that makes ten stones already.”

The last half-basket of grain was rightfully theirs.

The tax collector’s brow furrowed, turning to scold her, but on seeing a fragile young girl, he redirected his irritation towards Old Chen, “Why would you bring a child for the summer tax payment?”

Old Chen responded, bowing respectfully, “The child isn’t in the best of health. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving her at home, so I brought her along.”

“If she continues to speak out of turn, the county magistrate might hear, and you’ll find yourself in jail!” the tax collector warned bluntly.

Chen Xiaosang frowned at her father, but seeing him bow his head in response, she bit her tongue.

After marking Old Chen’s account, the tax collector motioned for them to leave quickly.

Once they were a safe distance away, Old Chen turned to the puzzled Chen Xiaosang, “The grain we provide may have stones or be shriveled. The county magistrate demands extra to compensate. Next time, don’t question this in public.”

Chen Xiaosang was far from convinced.

When the tax collector measured the grain, he heaped it to the brim and beyond. There was no chance they had shortchanged him.

She felt sure the leftover grain was ending up in the county magistrate’s pocket.

Feeling a sense of injustice, Chen Xiaosang sat quietly on the handcart, lost in her thoughts.

Old Chen, seeing her silent, offered her a warm bun, holding it near her mouth.

The aroma of the freshly baked bun filled her nostrils. Despite her efforts, Chen Xiaosang involuntarily swallowed, turning her head away.

Old Chen, persistent, held the bun close to her mouth again. Her stomach betrayed her silence with a low grumble.

“We woke up early today and haven’t eaten. You must be hungry.”

With a sigh, Chen Xiaosang took the bun. She tore it in two, pushing one half into Wu Shu’s mouth, and the other into her father’s. She gazed at her father expectantly.

Old Chen, understanding her silent plea, handed her another bun. Cradling it in her hands, she took a small bite.

The bun was fluffy and soft. As she chewed, her cheeks puffed up, making her resemble a tiny hamster.

Oh, so tasty! These buns are truly delicious!

“Dad, can we have buns for breakfast tomorrow?” Chen Xiaosang asked, her voice filled with joy.

Old Chen inhaled sharply, “A single bun costs three coins”

He had a large family of thirteen, and they would need at least thirty buns. That would total to ninety coins.

A breakfast costing ninety coins was extravagant, even for the wealthy Xu family!

“We could buy white flour and meat and make the buns ourselves,” Chen Xiaosang suggested.

Her three brothers would certainly enjoy having buns.

The mere thought of this made Old Chen wince. He shook his head emphatically, “No, no, that’s not possible.”

Chen Xiaosang, however, wasn’t deterred by her father’s refusal. After all, she had some money of her own.

Spotting a grain store, she called for the cart to stop and dashed in, her pockets bulging with coins.

Old Chen, seeing her rush in, asked Wushu to keep an eye on the cart while he hurried after her.

When he found Chen Xiaosang, she was busily grabbing handfuls of copper coins.

Her small hands could only grasp seven or eight coins at a time. After four rounds, she’d accumulated about the right amount. She beamed, presenting the coins to the shopkeeper, “Here, 64 coins.”

The shopkeeper, after sweeping the coins into his drawer, eyed the white flour and mushrooms on the counter, then glanced at the petite girl. He asked hesitantly, “Can you carry all this?”

“I’m my father’s beloved daughter,” Chen Xiaosang confidently patted her chest, “He’ll help me.”

“But where’s your father?” The shopkeeper asked, puzzled.

Chen Xiaosang turned around and saw her father coming over, a look of distress on his face. She waved cheerfully at him, “Over here! Dad! I bought so many wonderful things!”

Old Chen wanted to take a moment, maybe have a smoke, but seeing the shopkeeper watching, he had no choice but to pick up the items Xiaosang had bought. Taking her hand, they began to walk out of the store.

As they left, he muttered, “Why did you buy all this? We aren’t the kind of family that can afford to eat white flour.”

He wouldn’t have taken the items if his daughter hadn’t already paid for them.

“Our brothers work so hard outside,” Chen Xiaosang declared, not missing a beat, “They should come home to good food to help them recover.”

“Dazhu and Erzhu are still injured. They need good nourishment to heal properly. After all, we need to be in good health to earn money.”

Unable to argue with her logic, Old Chen could only advise, “We don’t make money easily, so we should be careful about how we spend it.”

Chen Xiaosang frowned, “But earning money isn’t that difficult. Look.”

She patted her pocket as she spoke.

Old Chen was left speechless.

His little girl indeed found it easy to earn money.

His daughter, who found making money a breeze, quickly demonstrated what it was like to spend freely.

She wanted to buy everything – soy sauce, vinegar, chili. And in the end, she even added half a pound of white liquor to the shopping list.

As her pocket seemed to deflate with every purchase, Old Chen’s face twitched with worry.

His discomfort eased slightly when they entered a medicine shop and he sold two baskets of honeysuckle, earning fifty-three coins.

But just as they prepared to leave, Chen Xiaosang pulled out four pieces of Tianma from her pocket. After weighing, they amounted to a pound and a half, earning her a whopping 1,500 coins.

Old Chen’s eyes sparkled at the sight of the money. But before he could pocket the coins, Chen Xiaosang started listing off items to the shopkeeper.

“I need five taels of star anise, a catty of Sichuan pepper, and four taels of cinnamon bark…”

The more she listed, the more Old Chen’s smile faded. By the end of her shopping, he couldn’t muster a smile at all.

Just like that, another hundred coins were spent.

Once outside the pharmacy, Old Chen loaded the purchases onto the cart, hoisted Chen Xiaosang onto his back, and with Chen Wushu in tow, made a beeline for the docks.

Carrying her on his back, he thought, would prevent her from spending any more.

As they sped away from a vendor selling candied hawthorns, Chen Xiaosang sighed, “I wanted to buy some candied hawthorns for the three brothers too.”

“You’ve bought plenty of tasty things already. That’s enough,” Old Chen placated her, quickening his pace. Chen Wushu struggled to keep up with the cart.

The mid-May sun was fierce, and by noon, their skin stung from the heat.

Old Chen, in an act of paternal care, placed his old straw hat on his little girl’s head.

Upon reaching the dock, he sent Wushu to fetch the rest of his sons.

Seeing his sons appearing as if they’d been dredged up from the water, Old Chen’s heart clenched with worry.

Chen Xiaosang hopped over to Chen Dashu, seizing his hand, she said, “Big Brother, I’ve sold all the soup. You promised to come home with us!”

Chen Dashu and his brothers gaped, astonished. Had she really managed to sell it all?

Chen Xiaosang pointed at the now-empty wooden bucket and said, “Go on, take a look. The bucket is completely empty.”

Upon checking, they found it was true. Not a trace of soup was left.