Mr. Jing and His Little Husband

Chapter 88

A Brief Transition

In the following month, Jing Yi didn’t encounter the fragrance of Hui ink – Cang Lan, and he gradually let go of it. Analyzing the situation, the probability of it being an ally was higher. He decided not to dwell on it for now and focus on living his life.

Days returned to their usual calm routine, and it was time for the autumn harvest.

The Jing family had acquired quite a bit of land—fields in the village and two estates, all managed by tenants and servants. During the final grain harvest and tax collection of the year, Jing Yi accompanied his father and Jing An to oversee the two estates in the countryside and Anchang County, respectively.

After collecting the grains and paying the grain tax, Jing Yi shifted his attention to this year’s business tax. Generally, business taxes in Da Yuan Dynasty were paid quarterly. Considering the peace and prosperity, the business taxes ranged from eight to fifteen percent of the turnover based on the industry and scale.

It was already September, and the third quarter business taxes were due soon.

However, this wasn’t Jing Yi’s primary concern. Their family never made the tax collectors and yamen runners make extra trips; Steward Tong, always visited the county office ahead of time, settling the taxes and offering some “benefits” to the officials.

So, the Jing family’s shops were always considered quality businesses in Anchang County.

This time, Jing Yi was contemplating taking advantage of the tax payment to transfer ownership of several shops to Steward Tong, to avoid exceeding the three-year limit and inadvertently being classified as a merchant.

In fact, the suppression of merchants by the Da Yuan court had eased significantly over the past year since the heroic deeds of Wu Guang during the snow disaster. He had entered imperial service and gradually gained favor from the emperor. According to what Young Master Li mentioned at the Qinglu Pavillion, the court had circulated information that they might restore the qualification for business-related examinations next year or the year after.

Although the authenticity of this information was uncertain, it had caused quite a stir. Jing Yi perceived the ambition of the emperor to rely on talents for the prosperity of the country. If the channels for talent were controlled by the aristocratic families and some individuals were excluded due to class reasons, the nation would be drained of its potential in the long run.

Jing Yi supported and admired this perspective. However, he preferred a low-profile approach for the Jing family, which was still a small household.

The issue of the merchant examination had become a heated topic of discussion lately, with considerable support among the common people.

However, in the court, where there were those who agreed, there were also those who opposed. The pinnacle of power was a narrow peak, and no one wanted to share a slice of the pie. Therefore, Jing Yi believed that this was likely a tentative signal from the emperor. The specific progress would still require careful navigation.

Jing Yi hoped that Wu Guang would show some effort.

While these considerations were somewhat distant, Jing Yi couldn’t wait that long. Although Xiao An currently had no intention of participating in the imperial examinations, Jing Yi wanted him to have options different from his. It was something he needed to carefully think about.

“What? Can’t I be happy?” Jing Yi retorted. He looked left and right, and seeing an opportunity with Aunt Cui in the kitchen, he hugged Chuxia tightly, “Come on, let’s make them jealous!”

“Ugh! You’re shameless!” Chuxia blushed even more, pinched Jing Yi’s arm, but it only hurt his hand because his muscles were firm.

Seeing that Chuxia was a bit angry, Jing Yi quickly changed his tone, “I was too hasty. Let me check if your hand hurts. Next time, just tell me, and I’ll do it myself.”

“Humph! Acting all sweet!” Chuxia paused, then mumbled softly, “I didn’t say I won’t go.”

Jing Yi felt that something was lacking whenever he entered, and occasionally, he felt a bit uneasy. Perhaps he had been too busy lately, and the stress was getting to him. Going out for a walk might be good, refreshing his mood, and making him feel more relaxed and energetic.

It had been a year since their marriage, and there was still no sign of any movement in Chuxia’s belly. Although the Jing family had never pressured him, he was starting to feel a bit anxious. Besides, due to his reserved nature, he was hesitant to talk to anyone about such matters.

This time, they were heading to Taoyuan County, the neighboring county of Qingzhou. This county was famous for its fruit trees, including apples, pears, oranges, and, most notably, peaches. It attracted numerous merchants from various states to purchase seedlings and fruits.

Even though Zhizhou was not as wealthy as Qingzhou, lacking giant cities like Qingzhou Prefecture, Taoyuan County was much more affluent than Anchang County. It was a prosperous county prioritized by Zhizhou for development, and it played a crucial role in tax revenue. The road to this county was well-built and safe, reflecting the government’s investment.

After some preparations, they set off.

Although it was supposed to be a romantic getaway, Jing Yi still brought some people along. Aunt Cui would certainly accompany them, and he also brought Carpenter Jing Ming, who had extensive experience with wood and knew a thing or two about the quality of saplings.

For safety, Jing Yi also brought along Jing Renyi and Jing Renhe, two strong men.

During the refreshing autumn outing, not only was the scenery along the way beautiful, but the people on the road also had cheerful expressions.

Although this year’s summer was hot, it had sufficient rainfall, resulting in a good harvest. Many farming families were not only busy with the harvest but also contemplating happy events, such as their children’s weddings or building new houses.

Sitting in the carriage, observing the pedestrians on the road, despite the hurried pace, most faces showed joy rather than sorrow. Seeing this, Chuxia couldn’t help but feel good, and his mood lifted.

These days, Chuxia’s mood had been fluctuating, and Jing Yi had long noticed it, feeling worried. Mental health was sometimes overlooked compared to physical health, and Jing Yi tried to cheer him up by acting silly and finding ways to take him out. After all, one didn’t need peaches from Taoyuan County specifically; they were running a small business in a town, and it wasn’t necessary to insist on eating nationally renowned peaches.

Now that he saw Chuxia’s mood brightening, he couldn’t help but feel relieved. Perhaps he had been too busy, and being overly tense could easily lead to emotional problems. In the future, he needed to pay more attention to Chuxia.