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“I’ll handle the farming. It might be a slow process, but we always manage to grow enough for the tax in grain.” Qiao Changshun answered without hesitation.

Nowadays, taxation is mainly on food grain and cloth.

If you choose to pay with silver instead of food grain and cloth, you’re subjected to the commercial tax rate. Given that his Majesty of today doesn’t favor businessmen over farmers, if you adopt the merchant’s standard, you’d end up paying a lot more in silver.

For instance, if tax is paid in food grain, two bushels will suffice.

However, if it’s paid in silver, if two bushels of grain is worth one tael silver, the tax would then be two taels silver, twice the cost.

“You’ll also need to help me with the business. There isn’t time for you to farm.

1 think buying back five acres is enough.”

Knowing that to farmers the land is everything, Qiao Xiaomai carefully explained to Qiao Changshun, “Dad, the task of grinding the beans is too laborious. We need to rotate it. Plus, delivery of the tofu to the town is also my responsibility. I won’t be able to do all of it alone.”

“I’ll help sister!” Before Qiao Xiaomai could finish, Qiao Dami quickly jumped in, her voice loud and clear.

She had a piece of green bean cake in her mouth, causing her chubby cheeks to puff out like a squirrel’s.

Qiao Xiaomai smiled, placing a bowl of porridge in front of her, “Eat slowly, don’t choke.”

She ruffled Qiao Dami’s hair before looking back at Qiao Changshun, “Dad, farming is too tiring and doesn’t yield enough. Let’s do business instead. Look at the Tong family and Jiang family in the village who are running businesses; they’re doing quite well.”

“All?” Qiao Changshun looked at Qiao Xiaomai in surprise, his mind unable to keep up, “Business? Are you serious?”

Feeling a bit exasperated, Qiao Xiaomai retorted, “Or you plan to farm for the rest of your life?”

“This… business… this…” Qiao Changshun opened his mouth but couldn’t get the words out.

He had spent his entire life toiling in the fields, accustomed to the daily grind of farming. Asking him to change, to embark on a completely new path, he instinctively resisted.

The word “business” was fearful and alien to him.

Qiao Xiaomai took a deep breath, mustering patience as she asked, “Dad, don’t you want us to eat white flour and drink white porridge every day?”

“I do.” Qiao Changshun’s reply was instinctive.

“Can farming alone allow us to eat white flour and drink white porridge every day?” asked Qiao Xiaomai again.

After a moment of silence, Qiao Changshun responded, “No.”

“Then let’s go into business,” Qiao Xiaomai made the decision, “We’ll grind the beans and see if we can make something like starch out of it. If we can, then we’ll sell it to Ji Wei Ju in the town. I think the shopkeeper there seems pretty decent.”

She originally had plans to set up a small stall in town but now that she had He Zhanggui as a potential customer, she was better off selling to him.

Running a stall seemed too much trouble. Once they earned enough silver, they could buy a shop front in the town and talk about the rest later.

Making money should be done one step at a time.

With that in mind, Qiao Xiaomai happily dragged the basket over, taking out the silver and copper coins and placing them on the small table.

The silver shone warmly in the dim light, attracting Qiao Dami’s eager gaze, “Wow, that’s a lot!”

“It is, but remember this, you absolutely mustn’t tell anyone that we have silver. Otherwise, Those people from the old courtyard will come and rob us.” Qiao Xiaomai cautioned her seriously.

Qiao Dami immediately nodded her head, “I won’t say.”

Her encounter where the Sun family forcefully took her things had left too deep of an impression on her. She would never reveal this secret, even if she were beaten to death!

However, recalling what Qiao Xiaomai had said yesterday, she couldn’t help but ask, “Sister, since we now have silver, can we bring mother back home? There’s no need for her to work and earn silver anymore..”

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Chapter 21: She Takes the Silver

Upon hearing this, Qiao Changshun, who was already quite confused, felt his mind go whirling into a blank nothingness.

Qiao Dami’s unintentional remark was like a sharp dagger, ruthlessly plunging into his chest.

They had been married for over ten years, but he would never again see that familiar figure at home…

Wiping his eyes, he slowly got up and limped towards the kitchen, “You two siblings go ahead and eat, 1 need to step out for a moment.”

Confused, Qiao Dami, his hand on the table while holding a vegetable bun that he was about to stuff into his mouth asked, “Sister, what’s wrong with Dad?”

“Nothing, let’s eat our dinner.” Qiao Xiaomai took the vegetable bun from his hand, instead stuffing him a piece of green bean cake, “Eat this, leave the vegetable bun for Dad.”

Qiao Dami’s sensibilities made her heartache. Such a small child, yet able to restrain himself to only eating one piece; what hardships had he experienced?

“Aren’t we saving this for later?” Qiao Dami eyed the green bean cake but didn’t take it.

“No need to save it, we eat this now and buy more tomorrow.” Qiao Xiaomai pushed the oiled paper package containing the green bean cake towards him. “Enjoy it. We have money now.”

Qiao Dami, now reassured, took the green bean cake and began to eat happily. While eating, he glanced at Qiao Xiaomai and exuberantly declared, “It’s delicious!”

“Eat as much as you like.” Qiao Xiaomai pinched his thin cheek, her smile dampened by the melancholy in her eyes.

Qiao Dami was easy to fool; he could be sidetracked by any simple excuse.