12dz Chapter 29: Remember to pay the business tax!
Chapter 29: Remember to pay the business tax!
Gao Mengli looked around and picked up the fire tongs from the corner by the door.
Relying on her years of tacit understanding with Gao Mengli, Lin Xi immediately released her neck and jumped down, shouting and yelling as she nimbly ran into the next room.
But Da Niu didn't know that he was hanging on Gao Mengli's back, tightly holding onto his mother, watching helplessly as his mother "carried" him and used fire tongs to pick up "Old Suo" from the stove.
The triangular-headed, striped "Old Suo" raised his head, hissing, and Da Niu nearly lost his soul at just one glance.
"Ah, a snake—"
His hand loosened, and he fell off Gao Mengli's back.
He scrambled and stumbled his way to the door of the next room, but then tragedy struck: his father, Lin Xi, was inside, blocking the door tightly, and he couldn't push it open even a fraction of an inch.
"Dad, open the door! I know you're in there! Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!"
Da Niu patted and shouted in terror.
No matter how much he cried and howled, he couldn't call out for his father or open the door.
Gao Mengli walked out of the kitchen with the snake between her legs, glancing at her eldest son who was slumped on the floor, looking at her with a terrified expression—or rather, at her holding the snake in tongs and drawing circles with its head.
Her lips twitched, but without lingering, she took the snake and released it outside.
Da Niu watched helplessly as his mother carried the snake away, his fear still lingering.
He slumped to the ground, his eyes glazed over, the image of the writhing snake constantly flashing through his mind.
I felt a chill all over my body and kept shivering.
Lin Xi opened the door a crack and watched as Gao Mengli removed the snake, then glanced at the large ox in front of the door.
He curled his lip, stepped over him, and didn't forget to stab Da Niu in the heart, "You're spineless!"
Then he happily ran back to the kitchen and looked around again. Finding nothing else "suspicious," he started kneading dough to make elm seed buns, humming a little tune as he did so, in an extremely pleasant mood!
Big Bull: ? ? ? ?
When Gao Mengli returned home, the two men in the house were already busy in the kitchen.
This family would probably fall apart without her.
She quickly went to the well, drew water, washed her hands, and went into the kitchen to help.
The three, who usually get up early and are yawning all the time, are unusually energetic today.
The people boarding the oxcart felt their spirits lift as they smelled the rapeseed flowers blooming by the roadside. A gentle breeze rippled through the golden rapeseed flowers, their delicate fragrance filling the air.
Gao Mengli enjoys this "safe" rural life, but asking her to work in the fields is out of the question; she shouldn't even think about it.
When they were almost at Pingyao County, Gao Mengli first took out a nut-shaped bun from her basket and handed it to Zhao Chen as payment for the two copper coins for the carriage fare, and then paid him three copper coins.
If he doesn't pay now, he probably won't get anything when he gets to the county town.
Sure enough, as soon as the oxcart arrived, the villagers who were lying in wait by the roadside immediately shouted, "Look! The oxcart is here!"
Then a group of people rushed towards Gao Mengli and Lin Xi.
The scene was so realistic that no one would disagree that it was a zombie apocalypse.
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi quickly grabbed the gauze wrapping in their hands and moved the steamed buns to their stall location.
Today, however, the fire at the stall was already lit and burning brightly. They were just waiting for them to arrive so they could start cooking!
Bah! It means that as soon as their cornbread arrives, we'll start boiling water and heat up the elm seed cornbread.
As the steamer began to emit heat, the noisy crowd quieted down and lined up to buy steamed buns.
Because of his "heroic act" yesterday, the bearded man was granted permission to buy five steamed buns.
This made the people who helped set up the stall every day extremely envious, and even more so those who didn't get any work and could only buy two steamed buns.
He, on the other hand, was quite something, carrying five elm seed steamed buns and showing them off from the front of the line to the back.
Gao Mengli's lips twitched as she watched the bearded man's behavior. This bearded man was sure to attract hatred, and she was a little worried that he might get a sack put on him that night.
"The head, it's right there!"
Suddenly, an excited shout broke the peaceful morning atmosphere at the small stalls.
Upon hearing this, everyone thought, "We've got work to do."
Their eyes lit up, and they turned to look at the place where the sound had just come from.
Upon seeing the three men dressed in police uniforms, they immediately looked up at the sky and down at the ground, whistled, and their eyes darted around, avoiding eye contact with them.
The people can't fight against the officials; they're all "civil servants"!
The three of them arrived at the stall and looked at the bright green elm seed buns in the steamer. The fragrant aroma made them unable to resist taking a few bites.
The elm seed steamed buns, like alluring fox spirits, lay in the steamer, reaching out their fingers to the three of them, beckoning and enticing them, almost making the three of them lose their souls on the spot.
"Give me fifty elm seed steamed buns!" the lead constable said generously. There was no way to escape today, so he would buy them!
Gao Mengli and Lin Xi were stunned when they heard this.
Oh, sir, is it really okay for you to cut in line...?
"Sir, you have to wait in line!"
Gao Mengli pointed to the back of the line with the bamboo clips, indicating that the officials should line up.
She had to quickly make a statement, because normally it was impossible for "civil servants" to queue. However, she needed to seize the opportunity and say this first to shut up the gossips currently in line!
"queue??"
The fat constable leading the line frowned. What kind of line was he standing in? Did he look like someone who was queuing?
This proprietress must have bad eyesight; he'll never be able to queue in his entire life.
Da Niu was a little afraid of officials, even constables were officials. He tugged at Gao Mengli's clothes from behind, wanting to persuade his mother to "face reality" and sell her to the officials first.
Gao Mengli shoved him away.
Da Niu: I feel like crying right now. Sure enough, in his family, his opinion doesn't matter.
The head constable looked at Gao Mengli smiling at him and thought he was incredibly charming.
He cleared his throat, maintaining his "approachable" demeanor, and since one shouldn't be rude to a smiling face, he had to give the proprietress face!
He pointed to the customer at the front of the line, "I'll cut in line, you don't mind, right?"
Gao Mengli's smile faltered slightly, and she secretly sighed inwardly, "Just as I thought."
The customer shook his head vigorously, a forced smile on his face, and forced out two words through gritted teeth, "Please!"
The fat constable pulled up his trousers and strode to the front!
"Fifty elm seed steamed buns!" He held out his palm and waved it in front of Gao Mengli, but his eyes weren't on her; instead, he was staring at the steamed buns with drool in his eyes.
If the customer who cut in line didn't have a problem, then why would she have a problem?
They quickly and efficiently packed it up for him, while Lin Xi and Da Niu counted the copper coins handed over by another official!
The three of them, satisfied, returned to the city with fifty elm seed buns in hand, amidst the grumbling of the other customers in line.
After taking only two steps, the fat constable remembered something else and turned to Gao Mengli to remind her, "Oh, right, boss, remember to pay the commercial tax. It's 10 copper coins for every tael of silver. If you don't pay, it'll be 10 large rods!"
Gao Mengli: nm……