Xu Mo usually attends classes in school, always returns home after school, and never stays outside.
Now that I am a master, even if I can't come back before dark, I still have to come back after it's late at night.
The five children stood waiting at the door. There was almost no one on the street, but Xu Mo was still nowhere to be seen.
Wen Zhiyun was the most considerate and whispered, "Brother, nothing will happen to the county government."
The whole family's heart skipped a beat.
Bian Wenxuan is here to help Fang Heng and will not harm Xu Mo, but what about the others, where is the Wang family?
Besides, why should they trust Bian Wenxuan, a person who didn't even dare to tell the inside story.
After figuring this out, several children could no longer sit still. Fang Heng grabbed the long stick and took the lead in running towards the county government office, chasing several children who were running huffing and puffing behind him, and almost fell down.
Fortunately, I finally saw Xu Mo at the corner.
"Brother, why are you back so late?" Fang Heng grabbed his sleeve, "Did Bian Wenxuan give you a hard time? I'll go find him right now."
Xu Mo quickly stopped this younger brother who had a bit of a temper.
"I'm fine." He whispered, "Go home first."
It was already dark, so two oil lamps were lit in the small courtyard, adding orange-red light to the dark night.
The hired aunt has left half a pot of rice, she just needs to heat it up and eat it.
The eight exhausted servants next door were already asleep.
As soon as Xu Mo sat down, Jiang Sheng grabbed his sleeve and asked urgently, "Brother, why did you come back so late? Are you being bullied? Did something happen?"
One sentence after another, giving no time to breathe.
Xu Mo knew that Jiang Sheng was really anxious, so he touched her head apologetically, "I won't do it next time."
He was just shocked when he came into contact with the dossier for the first time.
It turns out that Xieyang County is the only county seat. Every year, tens of thousands of people die of illness and old age, and tens of thousands of new lives are born. However, due to backward medical technology, many villages do not even have doctors. Once they get sick, they will die. I can only watch and wait for death.
If the child dies, the parents can still live again.
When the parents die, the child becomes a street child.
During this period, if villagers take the initiative to declare to the county government, the county government will settle the newborns and cross out the names of the dead. But if no one declares, homeless children like Jiang Sheng will appear.
They eat hundreds of meals, wear single clothes for the winter, grow up one year old if they can survive, and die in the snow if they cannot survive.
No one will declare it for them anymore, and they don't dare to declare it themselves, because the government records that for every head, one person's tax needs to be paid.
Why did Pang Pangshan still dare not settle down at the age of seventeen or eighteen? It was because he had no money and could not pay taxes. He could only be a nameless wanderer.
"According to the survey results of the last ten years, there are at least thousands of street children in Xieyang County." Xu Mo's voice trembled slightly. "They are nameless and have no household registration. They are not allowed to work or go to school. They were beggars when they were young. When you grow up, you will be a beggar, and when you are old, you will die in a mass grave.”
And this should have been Jiang Sheng's fate.
The night was still dark, and the little girl in a clean skirt sat on a stool, looking at her brothers' suddenly red eyes at a loss. She reached out and took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, but because she didn't know who to give it to, she quietly stuffed it back.
"Brother, at least Jiang Sheng is fine now." Zheng Ruqian sniffed, "With us here, she will be better in the future."
"Yes, she just needs to live a carefree life." Fang Heng turned his head.
Wen Zhiyun didn't say anything, but quietly held Jiang Sheng's hand.
Chang Yan took her other hand.
"Jiang Sheng is no longer a beggar." The little girl blinked her big eyes and said happily, "Jiang Sheng has five brothers."
"But..." Jiang Sheng lowered his head again, "They don't have five brothers."
She was talking about the beggars who had the same fate as her and were forced to wander.
This is also the key to Xu Mo's worries.
During the census that takes place every ten years, most of these beggars have no money to pay taxes, so naturally they dare not apply for registration. In such a vicious cycle, they can only remain beggars, without household registration, and hungry and cold all their lives.
And this is just a county town in Xieyang County. If you put it in the capital, and then put it in the entire Dayu Dynasty, how many such people are there?
Chang Yan's hand placed under his sleeve moved slightly, and his beautiful eyes were closed tightly, not daring to open them.
Fengjing is so prosperous, everyone wears gold and silver, and is unparalleled in wealth. Even the maids wear fine cotton clothes and gold, silver and jade ornaments. Vegetables they can't eat are thrown to the dogs, and clothes they can't wear are destroyed.
But it turns out that there are people in this world who can't even afford thin-wheat steamed buns, can't even buy coarse cloth clothes, can't even get fat pork, and even have to pick up vegetable leaves.
If a dynasty cannot clearly understand the lives of the people at the bottom, it will rise and fall in an instant.
After a long time, Chang Yan opened his eyes, and the emotions could not be discerned in his black pupils.
He hissed, "Brother, can you apply to the Sheriff to exempt the naturalized population from taxes this year?"
Give these beggars a year to work and earn money for themselves to pay taxes next year.
From now on, they will be people with names.
He is no longer a wandering beggar, left to be beaten and scolded, stolen from others, and has no dignity.
"It's best not to pay taxes if you are under ten years old." Fang Heng frowned, "Children under ten years old really can't work to support themselves."
This undoubtedly increases the difficulty.
But in order for thousands of homeless children to live in an upright manner, Xu Mo gritted his teeth and agreed, "I will discuss it with the county magistrate."
He is just a master, and the only one who can directly talk to the county governor is Bian Wenxuan.
Fang Heng's feelings about the new county magistrate were really complex, and he turned his head glumly when he mentioned him.
Jiang Sheng remembered what happened during the day, and hurriedly lay on Xu Mo's lap, whispering, "Brother, why was the third brother unhappy during the day?"
Several other people also looked over.
Xu Mo's lips moved and he explained what happened at the county government office gate during the day.
Finally, he said softly, "I think the county magistrate really has something to hide. As long as he is devoted to the people and does not persecute us, let him go."
Fang Heng remained silent.
Zheng Ruqian also felt that it was not a good feeling to keep the enemy in the dark and the enemy in the clear, and would never admit that he was motivated by gossip.
"Then shall we question the Bian County Magistrate again?" Jiang Sheng asked in a low voice.
This time it was Chang Yan who answered. He pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Have you ever thought that the things he doesn't want to say may just be difficult to say."
Either the relationship is hard to talk about, or the motivation for doing things is hard to talk about.
Why did he want to help the Wang family girl do this?
Based on Bian Wenxuan's temperament, it couldn't be a threat, it could only be friendship.
What kind of friendship can make it difficult for people to talk about it.
Judging from his age and attitude, he can only be shady, evasive of human ethics, and unethical.
Uncle and sister-in-law.
