Chapter 1695: Chapter 1695: Brawl

The women were furious, someone retorted, pointing at her: "Peh! What do you mean your family’s niece? Is she really your niece? Don’t flatter yourself, she’s just a niece from your husband’s clan. You’re acting as if Little Boss Gu is your own daughter. Don’t you have any shame? Just look at yourself, even if you came back to life eight times, you wouldn’t have a daughter as accomplished as Little Boss Gu in your lifetime!"

The women in He’an Prefecture were as gossipy as they were good at arguing. This Mrs. Gao was a notorious shrew in the marketplace, evenly matched with Mrs. Chen.

Mrs. Chen’s face turned green when she heard this, and she picked up a dustpan of trash from the door and threw it at Mrs. Gao. Luckily, Mrs. Gao dodged quickly and wasn’t hit by the filthy trash, which even contained chicken manure.

However, the women standing nearby weren’t so lucky. They got splattered by the trash and quickly spit and ran away, brushing off the garbage from their bodies.

"What are you brushing off for? This is our shop’s daily gathered gold, getting splashed by it is your good fortune," shouted Mrs. Chen. She then pointed at Mrs. Gao saying, "You think you’re all that? Everyone knows about your daughter’s sordid affairs throughout Prefecture City, people just don’t bother telling you. Are you still daring to act wildly in front of me? No wonder your daughter got married and still tried to flirt with Master Qi. Turns out that audacity came from you. But, your daughter is brazen but not pretty. Master Qi doesn’t fancy her!"

Mrs. Gao’s daughter was married to Butcher Liu and sent meat to Yingxian Square every day.

Master Qi was a scholar and liked visiting Yingxian Square to drink with beauties, sometimes bumping into Butcher Liu while leaving through the back door, and thus they became acquainted, occasionally greeting each other.

Mrs. Gao’s daughter would accompany deliveries, but as she was a woman she dared not enter Yingxian Square, only watched by the board cart outside, and had seen Master Qi.

She thought Master Qi treated people well, despite being a bit older, but cleaner and more handsome than Butcher Liu, and wealthy, thus started entertaining improper ideas, wanting to develop something with Master Qi.

But one morning, she fell into Master Qi’s arms and was seen by two guests of Yingxian Square.

Those two guests were also returning home early through the back door. Seeing her embrace Master Qi, they chuckled: "Master Qi, you are lucky beyond measure! Getting a young lady to throw herself at you. Just be careful, Butcher Liu is right inside Yingxian Square."

Heh, not a very discerning eye! The only thing younger about Ms. Liu is her age; she is truly not good-looking.

Master Qi just saw Ms. Liu falling toward him, instinctively held her, not daring to indulge with a respectable married woman. Hearing the teasing of those fellow guests, he hurriedly pushed Ms. Liu away, angrily saying, "Young lady, how do you look where you walk? And to fall onto someone? Don’t you have any shame?"

Master Qi didn’t want to speak so harshly, but Ms. Liu clung directly to his waist and seemed set on not letting go. He wasn’t stupid, naturally understood Ms. Liu’s intention, so only spoke harshly to scold Ms. Liu, making her fear and avoid doing it again.

After scolding, Master Qi left with his servant.

Just as he left, Butcher Liu came out and beat Ms. Liu on the spot.

Ms. Liu was Mrs. Gao’s daughter. Would she let Butcher Liu beat her for nothing? She immediately fought back. The couple battled, drawing a crowd which escalated the matter.

Those two guests of Yingxian Square were troublemakers, having heard about the incident, they spread the news of Ms. Liu throwing herself onto Master Qi.

The people of He’an Prefecture were all excited upon hearing the rumour.

"Ha, who would’ve thought of such gossip? Ms. Liu is really bold, taking advantage of her husband delivering meat to pursue a man, and still an old man. She deserved the beating from Butcher Liu."

"Heard Ms. Liu got beaten so hard, she lost a few teeth, her face swelled up, and might get disfigured. Poor thing."

"Poor my foot! That Ms. Liu is fierce as hell! She bit off half of Butcher Liu’s ear during the fight, it’s Butcher Liu who’s gotten disfigured!"

For half a month, the gossip about Mrs. Gao’s daughter and son-in-law circulated around He’an Prefecture. Now that it had barely calmed down, Mrs. Chen brought it up again, enraging Mrs. Gao until her face turned blue, rushing at her: "You bitch, I’ll fight you to the death!"

"Someone help, the shopkeeper’s wife is being attacked by a vile woman, quickly come out and fight back!" Mrs. Chen jumped back and retreated into the shop, while several clerks rushed out, using brooms to block Mrs. Gao.

Mrs. Chen triumphantly pointed at Mrs. Gao and cursed, "Pah, so you want to hit me? While I fought shrews back in the countryside, you were still fighting pigs for scraps!"

Several clerks twitched at the corners of their mouths, their faces darkening... Shopkeeper’s wife, can’t you say a bit less? Every day, fed full with nothing to do, gossiping and brawling with the women in the alleys, calling them to your rescue when you lose the fight. They work for the workshop, not as your Escort Masters.

But just as Mrs. Chen was enjoying her triumph, a team of Government Officials started beating drums, shouting in the alleys: "Attention all large shops, a great victory in the Northwest, our soldiers have won! The Emperor has ordered to collect taxes of ten percent silver from all large shops to provide military salaries for the Kangrong Soldiers. All shops should immediately prepare their accounts from last year, awaiting inspections and tax collection by officials from the government office and the Capital!"

The Government Officials shouted continuously, their loud voices ensuring everyone in the alleys could hear clearly.

"What? What does this mean? Is Lord Emperor collecting taxes again?!"

The shopkeepers on the street panicked, rushing out to ask each other: "Did you all hear clearly what the Government Official said? Are they collecting taxes again?"

"I heard clearly, they’re collecting taxes, and it sounds like they’re only collecting from those of us who have shops and do business!"

Mrs. Gao, upon hearing this, was over the moon, pointed at Mrs. Chen saying: "You wretched woman, now you’re getting your comeuppance! The Lord Emperor is going to collect your taxes, but my family doesn’t have a shop. Hmph!"

Mrs. Gao’s family had a water well, and in the alleys, those who didn’t have a well at home came to her house to buy water.

A water well didn’t count as a shop.

"Peh! You wretched thing asking for a beating, I’ll beat you to death!" Mrs. Chen grabbed a wooden stick and beat Mrs. Gao several times before stopping.

Then she ran to ask a Government Official: "Constable Xiao Zhang, hold on, what’s the meaning of what you’re shouting? Why is Lord Emperor collecting our taxes again?"

Constable Xiao Zhang was Zhang Sanjin, Squad Leader Zhang’s clan younger brother from the government office. Thanks to the Gu Family’s achievements and their relationship with Gu Jin’an, the officials of the government office showed great respect to the Gu Family, instructing Zhang Sanjin and these Government Officials to take good care of the Gu Family’s workshops in Prefecture City. Thus, Mrs. Chen knew Zhang Sanjin.

The shopkeepers from nearby businesses also hurriedly asked, "Yes, Elder Jin, what’s going on here? Are taxes on shops truly being collected? We just paid the Kangrong tax recently. We truly have no silver left, if we pay again we won’t survive!"

Zhang Sanjin coldly sneered at them: "Don’t want to pay? The Emperor has sent officials from the Ministry of War, Ministry of Justice, and Da Li Temple along. Dare not to pay, the Ministry of War will immediately arrest you!"

He continued: "Don’t cry poor. Other places might not be able to pay taxes, but your shops have all earned silver. Sacrificing ten percent profit to provide military salaries for soldiers, at home you’d at most turn meat meals into plain ones, but life can go on."

But if Kangrong Soldiers don’t have silver to procure supplies, then they truly cannot survive!

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