A pretty metaphysical widow supports her six children by fortune telling!

Chapter 35 Gao Baozi bullies the people!
Dongshi Street in Weishui County is the place where most things are sold.

There are not only various shops but also various stalls and vendors, and the sounds of hawking, talking and laughter are endless.

It was sometimes very cold at night in spring. Lin Jiangyue wanted to buy a better quilt. She had been to the business several times. The shopkeeper of the clothing store recognized Lin Jiangyue and greeted her with a smile when she brought people there.

"Ms. Lin, what are you going to buy this time?"

"Bedding, and I want to buy him two pairs of ready-made clothes."

The shopkeeper immediately rubbed his hands and said, "Okay, okay, I'll ask the guy to take you to have a look."

"Wang Er! Take Mrs. Lin to see it."

The waiter said politely, "Ms. Lin, please come this way."

Next door to the clothing store is where they store materials and various finished products. Lin Jiangyue touched a plain quilt without any patterns on it and asked.

"How can I sell this bed?"

The shopkeeper smiled and said, "This costs eight coins."

"What? Eight pieces of silver?" Lin Jiangyue touched the quilt in her hand in disbelief, but could not figure out how this quilt was worth eight pieces of silver.

"Yes, this is our best quilt. The inside is made of good cotton and the fabric is comfortable."

"Are you trying to trick me? I bought it from your house before, something similar to this, for seven coins!"

"That was before, and now is now. Now all kinds of taxes have increased dramatically. They have been increased twice in just six months. None of us who are open to do business can escape, let alone, hey."

The shopkeeper of the clothing store shook his head sadly and sighed.

"Ms. Lin, why don't you look at something else that's a bit inferior?"

Lin Jiangyue, however, became very interested in what the shopkeeper said just now, "Shopkeeper, what else did you say just now?"

The shopkeeper realized that he had said the wrong thing, folded his hands and sighed repeatedly and stopped answering.

"Just now you said that the commercial tax in Weishui County has been increased twice in half a year? I remember that the Holy Father reduced the burden and lowered the commercial tax to [-] in [-]. Why has it increased again now?"

"One out of sixty, that was all in the past, now it's one out of thirty! This is just on the surface, behind the scenes we have to search for more."

The shopkeeper of the ready-made clothing store was also bullied too hard, so he spoke impulsively. After he finished speaking, he realized something was wrong and hurriedly urged.

"Ms. Lin, do you want to buy a quilt or not? Why are you asking about all this?"

Li Yi was filled with doubts. Weishui County was under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou. If the Qingzhou government office was corrupt, the Weishui County government office would not be able to escape either.

Li Yi was about to open his mouth to inquire about something more, but suddenly there was a shout outside the shop door.

"Shopkeeper Zhang! Shopkeeper Zhang!"

As soon as shopkeeper Zhang heard this voice, he shrank his neck like a mouse seeing a cat. He ordered his assistants to take Lin Jiangyue and two of them to continue looking at the goods, while he quickly ran to the door of the store to greet him.

"Who is outside the door? Why is your shopkeeper so afraid?"

Lin Jiangyue looked over and asked the clerk at the same time.

The waiter sighed, "This movement must be from the man named Gao!"

A tall and sturdy man named Gao outside the door pushed Shopkeeper Zhang hard. Shopkeeper Zhang staggered and almost fell on the threshold.

"What time has it been? You haven't paid yet?" Shopkeeper Zhang shook out a couple of silver coins from his sleeves and offered them to him with both hands. The man with the surname Gao happily took it with his mouth crooked and tossed the silver coins with one hand.

"Next time if it's too late, I'll skin you!"

Shopkeeper Zhang nodded and bowed with an apology, "Yes, yes, Mr. Gao, please go slowly."

Lin Jiangyue and Li Yi both felt uncomfortable watching this scene. When the boss wiped his sweat and returned to the room, Lin Jiangyue asked.

"Shopkeeper, who is that person? Why is he so tyrannical?"

"Are you still buying something? Why are you asking so many questions?" The shopkeeper looked impatient with a bitter look on his face.

"Buy." Li Yi took out a tael of silver and threw it to him. The shopkeeper immediately smiled and gave the clerk a look, and the clerk closed all the doors and windows of the room.

"The man's surname just now is Gao. Everyone calls him Gao Baozi. His uncle is the county magistrate of our Weishui County. He collects the health fees and safety fees of various merchants. These are superficial excuses. If you don't pay, He comes to trouble you every day, pours excrement on your shop in the middle of the night, or invites a few people to sit in your shop, and you can't do any business."

"If it's less than once a month, we have to collect it twice or three times. If it's too much, we have to collect it two or three times. It's really difficult to do business now. Look outside."

Shopkeeper Zhang pointed out the window, "There are many people doing small businesses outside. They run away as soon as they see Gao Baozi, and they can pay less. How can we, who rent a shop, run away?"

Lin Jiangyue nodded, "No wonder there are so many people doing odd businesses and hawking outside."

Shopkeeper Zhang sighed and shook his head, "I have been running this shop for many years, and it has never been as difficult as this year. I think I am not far away from closing."

Lin Jiangyue suddenly remembered something and asked hurriedly, "I know there is a high-ranking police officer in the county government, and his uncle is also the county magistrate."

"Gao Baotou, he is naturally a good person. This Gao Baozi is his cousin. You don't know something behind this. Today, the county magistrate has no heirs, so the county magistrate's wife thought of a way to find a son in the family. One of them should be adopted and treated well, so that when they are a hundred years old, they will have someone to take care of their affairs. Don't look at this tall leopard, he is tall and thick, he is young, so he was adopted, and he has become rampant and lawless recently. "

Hearing this, Lin Jiangyue raised her eyebrows. When the county magistrate's wife asked her what she should do if she didn't have an heir, Lin Jiangyue suggested that she adopt one. Unexpectedly, she actually adopted such a little bastard.

"The county magistrate should love the people as his own son, but he dares to indulge his adopted son in oppressing the people! Don't you sue?"

Shopkeeper Zhang clicked his tongue, "This little brother has never been beaten when he heard what you said. Of course his own adopted son is used to it. Without his support, how could Gao Baozi be so arrogant? Sue the official?" There’s no door!”

It is true that Li Yi has been renovating in Beijing since he never fought in the war, and the cases he handled were all major ones. When the shopkeeper said this, he became angry.

"It's just a tall leopard. Touching him will dirty my hands."

Lin Jiangyue took the opportunity to interrupt the topic, "Shopkeeper, help me wrap up this quilt and these clothes."

Shopkeeper Zhang became happy again when he saw the money coming in. He asked the waiter to busy tying up the goods while he praised Lin Jiangyue.

"Ms. Lin, I have seen so many young ladies, and you are the most beautiful and kind-hearted."

Li Yi was too lazy to listen to his kind words and turned his eyes outside the shop.

An old man passed by while hawking a target of candied haws on his shoulder, and he chased him out.

Lin Jiangyue asked, a little confused.

"what are you doing?"

Li Yi's voice was still smooth and clear, but it revealed his love, "Last night, my daughter said she wanted to eat candied haws."

　King Duan: What father doesn’t love his daughter?

　　
　
(End of this chapter)