On both sides of the road, on the branches of the trees that have lost their leaves, there are crystal clear icicles, and on the evergreen pine and cypress sand trees in all seasons, they are full of fluffy snowballs, and the slightest wind blows, they will fall in a flutter. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

A few snowflakes fell on Cai Laohan's neck, and immediately turned into water droplets, sliding down his dark skin. Early in the morning, the weather was extremely cold, but Cai Laohan's body was steaming, a rope was put around his neck, both hands held the handlebar, his body leaned forward desperately, pulling the cart forward with difficulty, leaving two deep snow ruts on the snow he walked on.

Cai Laohan is a charcoal seller. The small 2,000 catties of fine white charcoal pulled in the car were the result of his busy work for more than a month, and he wanted to rush to the city as soon as possible, sell the carload of charcoal, and then go back, and strive to burn a cellar as soon as possible this year.

The price of white charcoal is good this year! Originally, the best white charcoal in Yuejing City came from the four northern counties, which were close to the mountains, with the best wood and the best cellar burners, and the charcoal they burned out, also called smokeless charcoal, in Yuejing City, has always been in a monopoly position, the price is good, and the supply exceeds demand. The quality of the charcoal burned by charcoal sellers like Cai Laohan, who is not far from Yuejing, is too far behind, and it is generally supplied to ordinary people, and the price is less than one-third of that kind of smokeless charcoal.

But this year is different.

The four northern counties have rebelled! His Majesty the Emperor sent troops to surround the place like an iron bucket, not to mention white charcoal, but I am afraid that even a mouse will not be able to drill out, this winter, but the price of white charcoal has skyrocketed. A cart of charcoal like Cai Laohan, which is as small as 2,000, can be sold for more than ten taels of silver in previous years, which is already the sky, but this year, it can be sold for 30 taels. The price has doubled. How can you not make Cai Laohan happy.

In the countryside, people like Cai Laohan are already considered capable people. Farming normally, in winter, he will open a cellar to burn charcoal, burn a cellar of charcoal, at least the New Year's money will be available.

If it weren't for the fact that his son also became a soldier and was sent to the four northern counties, Cai Laohan couldn't wait for the war there to never end, so that he could sell the charcoal at a high price every year!

But now, he doesn't think so, it's always dangerous to be a soldier to fight, although it is said that the soldiers and horses of the imperial court now have the upper hand, but I heard that Jiang Haokun in Ningyuan in the north actually colluded with the barbarians, that is some ruthless people! Now Cai Laohan is looking forward to the imperial court to quickly exterminate those guys, so that his son can leave that dangerous place earlier.

Thinking of his son, Cai Laohan was a little sad. That was his only son, who could have been exempt from being a soldier, so he followed himself in the village to farm the land, burned charcoal in winter, and lived a good life. Who knows, the son of Wang Laohan in the village, went to be a soldier the year before last, and when he came back this year, he actually became a small officer, and when he returned to the village, he wore a new military uniform and loaded all kinds of gifts with mules, and every family in the village got a share, Wang Laohan was very proud, and he also set up a banquet at home, and invited the neighbors to go over to drink. It was that meal, and I didn't know what Wang Laohan's son said to his son, and the stubborn boy in his family turned his head and told himself that he was going to be a soldier.

Of course, Cai Laohan is not allowed. But no one could have imagined that as soon as he turned his head, his son would run away, and by the time the news came back, he had already become a soldier. Just a few days ago, the stubborn boy came back with a letter, and his army had already left for the four northern counties.

That kid hasn't been home for more than half a year. Wang Laohan sighed, his son is still filial, and he sends silver to his home every month, saying that he has good food and clothing in the army, and there is a subsidy of five taels of silver every month, which is very hard. At the end, he proudly told Cai Laohan that many of those who joined the army with him were eliminated, but he was the best among them.

Five taels of silver per month, it is indeed a lot, I work hard for a winter, I can burn two cellars of charcoal at most, in addition to the capital, I can only earn a dozen taels. But that's a lot of money. He would rather his son be eliminated.

Half a year, his son sent back thirty taels of silver, all of which were packed in jars by Cai Laohan and hidden under the bed, this is his son's money, but he can't move around, and he will have to tell his son about his daughter-in-law in the future. I just ask God to bless me and don't let anything happen to my son.

The old cow pulling the cart mooed a few times, as if he felt Cai Laohan's mood, and the huge bull's head stretched out and rubbed against Cai Laohan. Lao Niu is one of the biggest belongings among Cai Laohan, if it weren't for the sharp rise in the market of white charcoal this year, he would be reluctant to let the cow come out to pull the cart at this season, if he broke his legs and feet, it would be bad. But even so, as long as it is on flat ground, he always pulls the cart with milk, so that the cow can save some strength, and when it reaches the uphill road, he is willing to let the cow exert his strength.

When they entered the city, they went straight to the West Market. Speaking of the demise of Dayue, after the new construction of the Ming Dynasty, the thing that made Cai Laohan feel the most was that he didn't have to pay any more money to enter the capital. Collect more and collect less, but the military masters who are guarding the city are not happy, happy, one penny or two is fine, if they are unhappy, they can't get through dozens of pennies, and if they drag a large cart of charcoal like themselves, they can't go in without a tael of silver.

Now, the money is saved.

Of course, when you get to the West Market, there is a tax there.

Or last winter, looking at the West Market that has not changed anything, Cai Laohan also begged in his heart that the official errands who collect taxes should not change, those who used to be familiar with each other and stuffed a lot of money, there is always some affection, I am afraid that once the son of heaven and a courtier, I will change some tax collectors, then today will definitely cost a lot of money.

The ox cart stopped under the huge archway in the West Market, and when he saw the tax collector coming out of the hut on the side, Cai Laohan's heart was suddenly relieved, he was still the tax collector before, and he was his own family, and his surname was Cai.

"Old Caitou, come so early!" The tax collector surnamed Cai raised his eyes and looked at the sky, "You left home in the middle of the night, right?" ”

"Yes, yes, yes!" Cai Laohan walked over with a smile, "Sell it early and return it early, this day the thief is cold." ”

"That's right. Lao Caitou, this year's charcoal price is very good, you old boy is going to make a fortune. He walked over, lifted the thatched blanket from the ox cart, and the tax collector looked up and down the neatly stacked cart of charcoal.

"It's good if you don't lose money!" Cai Laohan said with a smile.

"Estimate two thousand pounds. Twenty taxes and one, Cai Laohan'er, this car of charcoal can be sold for thirty taels of silver according to this year's market, and the tax is one or two five. The tax collector's eyes were very poisonous, and he estimated the weight of Cai Laohan's car at a glance.

"How can there be two thousand catties, only one thousand and five!" Cai Laohan approached the tax collector, took out a dozen copper coins from his sleeve and stuffed them into the tax collector's hand, "The market is not as good as you said, it would be good to be able to sell it for twenty taels of silver." I don't know if I can sell it. ”

In previous years, the tax collector basically took it quietly, and then hello, I am hello, everyone, but this year it is a little different, the tax collector retracted his hand as if he had touched a coal, and a dozen copper coins fell into the snow at once.

"Old man Cai, what are you doing!" The tax collector scolded, "Don't hurt me. ”

Cai Laohan was a little dazed again, wasn't it like this in previous years? Could it be that the market is good this year, so I think the money is less, and when I gritted my teeth, I took out dozens of copper coins and wanted to stuff them into the hands of the tax collectors.

The tax collector took a few steps back, "Old man Cai, you are a bribe, if it weren't for the sake of familiarity, I would have arrested you and not put it away." ”

Seeing that the other party didn't look like too little, Cai Laohan was a little scared in his heart. Why is it that in a blink of an eye, he is iron-faced and selfless! He naturally didn't know that the Ming Dynasty implemented the recruitment of officials into the government, like these tax officials, today's salaries are implemented with reference to officials, and they have risen several times, of course, the management is also strict and impersonal, and several tax officials have been found to have accepted bribes, not only directly lost their errands, but also ate lawsuits.

According to the current policy, when he retires in a few years, the pension money he can get is equivalent to the salary of a seven-grade official, and he certainly refuses to smash his pension job for this little money.

Maybe at this time, there will be a pair of eyes staring at him in the dark, and he has collected these dozens of dollars, and before he can cover the heat, someone from the Supervision Yuan will come to arrest him.

"Cai Laohan, tax money for one or two or five pieces of silver." The tax collector took out a stack of things from his arms, tore off two from them, and handed them to Cai Laohan, "Take it, this is the proof that you paid the tax." ”

Cai Laohan knew that he couldn't run away with these two and a half dollars, and he hadn't sold a pound of charcoal yet, but he had already gone out for one or two five, and he couldn't help but feel a little pain in his heart.

But the money still has to be paid.

He sighed, took two copper coins from the chains on the wheels, put half of them back, and handed them to the tax collector.

But the tax collector didn't accept it, "Cai Laohan, now there are regulations above, half of the tax money can be used in the past copper coins and silver, and the other half must use the paper money that has just been issued." ”

"Banknotes?" Cai Laohan looked at the other party blankly, "What is that?" ”

The tax collector also knew that this old man was from the countryside, and most of them didn't know these things, "Cai Laohan, I can't understand you for a while, what about you, you can go to the West Market, there is a store called Taiping Bank, you take this copper coin, tell them to change the new currency, they will exchange it with you, and then you take the new currency to pay taxes with me, I can tell you, let's see that you are an acquaintance so that you are accommodating, hurry up, I will show you the car, there will be many people, I can't take care of it." ”