Zhou Yu looked at the sky, “They’re not reckless people.”

Yang Xi knew this, which was why she was especially worried, fearing something might happen. They were unfamiliar with this place; no, they also knew local bigwigs like the escort agency. Thinking this way, Yang Xi felt much more at ease.

Another quarter of an hour passed before Third Yang and the others returned, all with some injuries.

Yang Xi was extremely worried, “What happened?”

Third Yang’s lip was bruised from a punch, “We were dressed like thugs, and we were unlucky enough to be mistaken for thugs and beaten up.”

Zhou Xiaodi wasn’t as skilled as Third Yang; his face was bruised and purple. “That’s so unreasonable, ouch.”

Yan Bing’s eye was also bruised, “Pah, did they think I’m short of a few taels of silver?”

They only paid a few taels of silver after being beaten. If it weren’t for the rule against killing people in the city, he really wanted to stab these bastards a few times!

Zhou Yu looked at their miserable state without a trace of sympathy. “I think you guys were too relaxed. You deserved to join in the fun!”

Third Yang and the others remained silent. They had indeed relaxed; with their destination near, their tension had eased.

Yang Xi confirmed it was only minor injuries. “Let’s eat first.”

Third Yang and the others were starving; their stomachs were empty after the fight, and their eyes were fixed on the food on the table, their bellies rumbling.

After eating, Zhou Yu waited for them to apply their medicine, then wrote down math problems for them, even Yan Bing. “I think you guys are too idle. Since you have the energy, do these problems.”

Third Yang dreaded math problems. He didn’t know how his Jiěfu was thinking; the math problems were particularly difficult. Even with math books, he couldn’t cheat. “Jiěfu.”

Zhou Yu said calmly, “You think ten problems are too few? Fine, I’ll give you ten more later.”

Zhou Xiaodi covered Third Yang’s mouth; his brother was angry!

Yang Xi and the others returned to their room. “They’re starting to look like teenagers now.”

Zhou Yu snorted. “Their skin has gotten loose.”

He didn’t believe they’d been mistaken for someone else without reason; the boys hadn’t told the truth.

Yang Xi’s eyes crinkled. “It’s good that they’re more lively.”

Zhou Yu said, “Wife, give me ten questions.”

Yang Xi raised an eyebrow. “Really giving them questions?”

“To teach them a lesson.”

Yang Xi’s eyes gleamed with laughter. “Okay.”

The group left Yizhou, no longer in such a hurry. After passing Lizhou, they reached Ruizhou. The scenery was lush and green, the bleakness of the northern winter gone, and their spirits lifted with the greenery.

The children laughed more, and without restraint, they looked at the scenery. The little ones were curious about everything, chattering incessantly with questions.

Ziheng also kept asking questions, “Dad, why isn’t it cold in the south? Why is there a north and south?”

Zhou Yu didn’t try to fool his son. He drew a map and explained the different climates, trying his best to make his son understand.

Zhou Xiaodi was stunned. “Brother, how do you know so much?”

Zhou Yu replied, “Read more books in the future. The more you read, the more you’ll know.”

Zhou Xiaodi thought of how his older brother always had a book in his hand before the family’s upheaval. He wanted to hear his brother’s words, but then said, “Brother, it’s difficult for me to read more books now. Books are too expensive.”

Zhou Yu was speechless. Zhou Xiaodi chuckled dryly. “Brother, I’ll go and change to Li Zheng’s carriage.”

The journey was smooth, and the days passed quickly. In five days, it would be the New Year. They finally arrived in Ruizhou. Upon arriving in Ruizhou, they didn’t rush to leave. They wanted to find out more about Ruizhou and choose a place to settle down.

The group stayed in Shuixian County of Ruizhou, preparing to celebrate the New Year properly before setting off again.

The New Year had different meanings for the families. It was a new beginning for them. The families rented courtyards in the county town, preparing for a lively New Year.

The chaos in the north didn’t have much impact on the people in the south. The New Year atmosphere was particularly strong. The southern county town was densely populated, bustling with people, and the cries of vendors filled the air.

Yang Xi and her family went shopping alone. Their journey from Beijing to Ruizhou had been arduous, taking almost four months. Yang Xi’s belly was quite large, and recently it had grown particularly fast.

Zhou Yu carefully protected his wife, using a makeshift safety rope; there were so many people, he was afraid their son would get lost.

Yang Xi pointed to the sugar figurines, “Let’s go take a look.”

Ziheng was the most excited, “Dad, I want a sheep sugar figurine.”

Zhou Yu asked his wife, “What about you?”

Yang Xi smiled, “I want a monkey one.”

The family of three lined up to buy sugar figurines; the stall was very popular, and they waited quite a while before getting a turn.

After buying the sugar figurines, they bought a lot of pastries for the New Year, and finally, incense and candles for ancestral worship before returning home.

They were late; the other families had already returned.

Wu Shan came over to help carry their things, and as they entered the house, he said, “I met a fellow villager with a Northeastern accent today.”

Yang Xi was a little tired, rubbing her lower back, thinking that the Northeastern accent was too easy to recognize.

Zhou Yu poured water for his wife and sat down, asking, “What news did you find out, brother?”

Wu Shan replied with a bitter face, “I inquired about the registration fee, and I also found out that we have to pay the population tax again after registering.”

Yang Xi asked, “How much is the registration fee?”

Wu Shan held up his hand, “Five taels of silver.”

Yang Xi did the math. The imperial court collected a considerable amount of population tax; one was paid at birth, and another was paid after the age of seven. So they had to pay two population taxes, each worth five hundred coins, meaning one tael of silver per person!

After registering, those over fourteen years old would also have to pay a hundred coins of poll tax annually. Originally, the poll tax was paid after sixteen, but it was changed three years ago to lower the age.

No wonder Wu Shan looked so distressed; this was just the cost of registration. Registration also required accommodation, and each expense was considerable!

(End of Chapter)