Chapter 4 Tax Collection

Chen Sansi excitedly ran over, picked up the rabbit from the ground, and weighed it a few times, estimating it to be around seven or eight jins in weight.

"Based on the current market price, this could sell for at least sixty copper coins!"

He wasn't in a rush to descend the mountain; instead, he securely bound the rabbit with a rope and hung it on his body, continuing to search for new prey.

"Goo goo—"

Nearby, the calls of birds continued unabated.

With the help of "Tracking and Hiding," Chen Sansi quickly located two pigeons perched far away on tree branches.

He nocked the arrow, drew the bow, pulled the string, and released the arrow—a sequence of movements as fluid as flowing water.

A blurred shadow flashed by, and the two pigeons were shot through in a string, falling from the tree with a "plop" to the ground.

Chen Sansi smoothly pocketed the pigeons.

Pigeons, being highly nutritious, were priced slightly above rabbits; the two combined were worth thirty copper coins.

He wanted to continue, but unfortunately, it was getting dark, and he could only pack up and head down the mountain.

Selling game required going to the restaurants in the county town.

Along the way, he would pass through many villages even poorer than Yanbian Village, where each villager's face was gaunt and yellowed, and some lay motionless on the ground, leaving him to wonder if they were dead or alive.

When they saw the game in Chen Sansi's hands, they all cast envious and greedy glances, but upon spotting the bow and arrows on his back, they could only forcefully suppress their sinister thoughts.

"Eight Treasures Restaurant."

An hour later.

Chen Sansi stood before the towering gold-plated signboard of the restaurant, pausing in his steps.

This was the restaurant where his father used to sell his game; it was one of the top restaurants in the city, where a casual meal supposedly cost at least three to five taels of silver.

Just now, by the roadside, there were people nearly starving to death, yet now he personally witnessed a rich man carelessly discarding a full plate of fresh food on the ground to feed to dogs.

"This is truly 'wealthy homes reek of meat and wine, while bodies freeze to death on the roadside'..."

A poor harvest of crops?

If all the grain in the granaries were taken out, it might well be enough to feed the whole town through the winter.

Chen Sansi felt emotionally moved.

The shopkeeper who came out to greet him at the restaurant was an acquaintance of his father.

"Eight jin and two liang of rabbit meat, and a pigeon weighing half a jin, a total of eighty-five wen," said the slightly portly middle-aged man, dexterously maneuvering the beads on his abacus: "Does that seem fair to you?"

"Fair enough, thank you Uncle Liu," replied Chen Sansi, who knew the going rates.

Liu Hongda smiled and said, "If you have good merchandise in the future, just bring it here, and I guarantee you won't be shortchanged a single penny."

Chen Sansi took the copper coins.

'To earn nearly a qian of silver in one day is definitely enough for living expenses in normal times.'

'But now with taxes due soon and debts to be paid, this amount is simply not enough.'

'I must hunt larger game!'

As he was counting the copper coins, a skinny, dark-skinned youth came over to sell fish.

"Brother Shi?!"

The youth recognized him at a glance.

The corresponding name also quickly surfaced in Chen Sansi's mind.

Zhang Shun.

Aunt Li's child, with whom he had once bare-bottomedly played in the mud during childhood.

If it hadn't been for Aunt Li taking Sister Lan to work, occasionally bestowing a little help, they probably would have starved to death by now.

"Shun, you've come at just the right time," said Chen Sansi, pulling out the still warm copper coins: "The money I owe your family..."

Before he could finish, Shun interrupted him.

"Brother Shi, don't worry, I'm not in urgent need of money right now," said Zhang Shun while lifting the fish basket at his feet, showing the full catch within, which even included a large fish weighing seven or eight jins: "It's you who have just recovered from illness and need money more. Pay me back when you are in a better financial position!"

"Alright, thank you Shun," Chen Sansi did not refuse further.

He owed the family two qian of silver. One qian was not enough; he might as well wait until he could repay it all at once, both principal and interest.

"Bro, don't mention it, you are the one who taught me how to read when we were kids!"

Since both lived in Po Yang County, they naturally went back home together.

During their conversational walk, he learned that Shun's family had saved up more than ten taels of silver and was planning to join a Martial Arts Hall to learn martial arts soon.

"Martial arts, huh," mused Chen Sansi, well aware that in this world, those able to practice martial arts held exceptional status.

For a common family's child to enter a Martial Arts Hall was to make something of oneself, and achieving even small successes would bring glory to the ancestors.

With a Progress Panel on him that tracked his martial arts learning, he naturally wanted to practice martial arts as well. However, the tuition fees were hefty, and he first needed to get past the current difficulties and save enough silver.

Upon reaching the town, Chen Sansi and Shun parted ways.

He had not even reached home when he saw a graceful figure anxiously looking out at the doorway from afar.

It was Gu Xinlan, of course.

She had deliberately finished work early and gone home to cook, waiting for the man to return. As dusk approached and he was still nowhere in sight, she nearly panicked to the point of heading up the mountain to look for him.

"Brother Shi!"

Gu Xinlan hurried over, half concerned, half reproaching as she said, "It's already dark and you just got back, are you trying to scare me to death? Haven't I told you it doesn't matter if you can't catch anything?"

Chen Sansi didn't rush to speak, but cheerfully pulled out a gray pigeon from behind his back.

"Ah, did Brother Shi catch something?"

Before Gu Xinlan could recover, a bag of copper coins was thrust into her hands, and a gentle voice simultaneously sounded in her ear, "Tonight, we eat meat."

Half an hour later.

On the dining table, besides the salted duck egg with rice, there was also a pot of fragrant pigeon soup.

Ever since Xin Lan's father passed away, their family hadn't had meat for half a year.

"Brother Shi, you're truly amazing."

Gu Xinlan still couldn't quite believe it, "I heard even Uncle Zhao from the village returned empty-handed today."

"I just got lucky, Uncle Zhao and the others are old hands at Second Layer Mountain; they always bring back big catches."

Chen Sansi gnawed on a pigeon leg, relishing the salted duck egg mixed with rice, feeling immense satisfaction in his stomach.

He purposefully didn't sell everything for silver, just so he and Sister Lan could nourish themselves.

But Gu Xinlan still refrained from eating the meat.

After Chen Sansi urged her again and again, she finally ate a pigeon wing.

After a satisfying meal, he sat on the edge of the bed, pulling Sister Lan to sit beside him; she lowered her head, her face flushed, fingers nervously intertwined.

Today marked their first day of marriage.

Under the flickering candlelight, Chen Sansi took his time to carefully observe Sister Lan's pretty face for the first time.

Her fine arched eyebrows were charming, apricot eyes reflecting the candlelight as if autumn waters mirrored the moon, her slightly flushed cheeks resembled peach blossoms—she radiated an irresistible charm all over.

And on top of that, she could read and was skilled in embroidery—if it weren't for the coarse hemp clothes she wore, she would be a perfect young lady from a reputable family.

"Sister Lan."

Chen Sansi unconsciously drew closer.

"What's wrong, Brother Shi?"

"You smell so good."

"Brother Shi, I... I still hurt."

...

Late at night.

Chen Sansi leaned against the bed head, his arm still being tightly clung to.

"Brother Shi~"

Gu Xinlan looked worried, "Did we offend that Qin Xiong?"

"Qin Xiong?"

"Mhm."

Gu Xinlan nodded, "I heard from the neighbors that Mr. Qin had been lingering at our doorstep for quite a while during the day."

"..."

Chen Sansi took note.

It seems that fellow really isn't willing to let things go, I'll have to be more cautious in the future.

He comforted her, "Go to sleep, Sister Lan; I'm here."

"Mhm."

Gu Xinlan was already exhausted and quickly fell asleep.

These last few days, she somehow felt at ease.

Chen Sansi leaned against the bed head and noticed a leftover old book at the bedside that hadn't been sold, so he picked it up and flipped through it.

[Skill: Reading (Entry-Level)]

[Progress: (15/300)]

[Utility: Spirit refreshed, photographic memory]

"Not bad at all."

While hunting during the day, when he realized the skill [Tracking] he wondered, could reading work too?

It turned out he wasn't wrong.

Not only that, but he had reached entry-level right away.

Looking at how the original body had accumulated knowledge, how come he never managed to become a Scholar?

Holding the book in hand, Chen Sansi estimated that if he were to take the civil service exam, he would surely pass.

Unfortunately, the next exam wasn't for another two years, too long to wait.

First, he needed to survive.

After browsing the book for a while, Chen Sansi also fell into a deep sleep.

"Thud, thud, thud—"

"Open up!"

"Open the door quickly!"

The next morning.

Chen Sansi was awakened by the urgent knocking.

He told Sister Lan to dress and hide in the inner room, then he got up to open the door.