I didn't say anything superfluous, I took it with both hands, and the weight was not light. I know money is nothing to him, but even if this red envelope is lighter, it will be heavier than any congratulatory gift in my hand.

But this kind of weight will not overwhelm people.

I smiled at him, and he smiled.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside, as if someone had suddenly come, a sound of horses' hooves mixed with the stunned shouts of many people, and suddenly the atmosphere became a little chaotic, Huang Tianba and I glanced at each other, and hurriedly turned around and walked out.

As soon as I went out, I saw that all the guests in the courtyard stood up and looked out.

I held on to the door and looked out, and I saw that outside the courtyard gate, several people wearing official clothes stopped at the gate of the courtyard on horseback, all of them looked violent, and the sand and dust were blown in, and many people frowned and covered their mouths.

At the nearest table, several people said secretly: "I don't know what's going on." ”

Aunt Liu's health has been much better recently, and today is a happy event for me and Liu San'er, she also got dressed and combed her hair, and sat on the main seat, next to Queen Yin sat quietly with her, but when they saw this scene, the two old people were a little uneasy, especially Queen Yin, whose faces turned white. I hurriedly walked over and held the shoulders of the two of them, and Aunt Liu looked up at me: "Light, this is—"

"It's okay, San'er will take care of it. Don't be afraid. ”

As I spoke, I patted Empress Yin on the shoulder again. Since she went crazy, she was a little afraid of everyone except our family, and at this time she held Aunt Liu's sleeve tightly, I comforted her a few words, and then turned around and walked out.

Liu San'er had already greeted him, shook his sleeves and bowed: "A few big brothers are here, and the younger brother is polite." ”

"It's rare, Liu San'er," one of them was a person who had come to collect fishing tax money before, glanced at us, and said with a smile: "You poor boy actually put on a show." ”

"Hehe, it's a joke."

"It just so happens that so many people in this village are here, and a few brothers from the province are running around."

After saying that, they turned over and dismounted and walked towards this side, I walked to Liu San'er's side and grabbed his arm, looking at them with a frown, Liu San'er gently patted the back of my hand and led me into the yard.

All the blind dates stood up nervously, only Huang Tianba, who was sitting on the main seat, bowed his head and drank rice wine as if he hadn't seen anything.

The officials walked to the middle of the courtyard, unfolded a piece of yellow paper, and said loudly: "You all hear clearly, the new official document issued by the state government, from today onwards, each household will increase the head tax by one penny of silver per month, and it will be levied on a quarterly basis without delay. ”

"What, poll tax?!"

"A penny?!"

There was a sudden explosion in the courtyard, and everyone was shocked, and immediately made a fuss:

"How's that going to work? A penny of silver poll tax, we can't live anymore? ”

"That's it, the tax was just reduced a few days ago, why is it added now, how can the emperor change the decree?"

"You don't treat us like human beings!"

The small courtyard was suddenly noisy and shouting, like a boiling soup pot, and when I heard the order they issued, my heart also twitched, I looked at Liu San'er, and then looked at Aunt Liu, who was sitting on the main seat, and her face turned pale all of a sudden, and Queen Yin, who didn't know why at all.

The poll tax is levied according to the number of people in each household, which is very heavy, especially for families with few laborers, and it is almost a mountain that will crush people.

Liu San'er's thick black eyebrows also wrinkled tightly.

The noise around became louder and louder, and the white-haired village chief stood up tremblingly, walked in front of the official, and said, "Several officials, why do you suddenly have to collect such a heavy tax?" A few days ago, the tax was cut, saying that it was to let the people of the south recuperate, but now-"

"What do you know?" The official said unhappily: "There is a war in the north, do you know? Don't you use food and grass to fight, don't cast weapons, you can't let your brothers go into battle and grab the white blade empty-handed! ”

"This--I don't need it-"

"No more nonsense!"

The official waved his hand impatiently and said, "This is the official document of the state capital, the emperor's will, do you think you can change it?" ”

As soon as these words came out, all the people around them fell silent, and no one dared to speak again.

"Remember, on the fifth day of the first month of every month, prepare the tax money and silver, this is the emperor's order, if you delay the war in the north, it will be a crime of killing the head!"

After the officials finished speaking, they walked up to Liu San'er again, looked at me, and said with a smile: "San'er, marry a daughter-in-law, congratulations!" ”

Liu San'er's face was gloomy, but he still smiled and arched his hand: "You're polite." ”

The men laughed and laughed, grabbed a handful of peanuts and fruits from the table, swaggered out and got on the horse, and drove away.

The original cheerful atmosphere in the courtyard was also a little heavy at this time.

The poll tax of one dollar per person per month may not be much compared to the heavy tax before, but just now the reduction of thirty percent made everyone rejoice, and now the poll tax is immediately added, which inevitably makes people feel a little unhappy. Especially in our family, the four of us relied on Liu San'er's hands......

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but grab his arm and look at him sadly.

Liu San'er's eyebrows were also stained with a hint of trouble, but when she turned her head to look at me, she still smiled and said, "It's okay, it's not too heavy." ”

"But-" There is not only me in the family, but also Queen Yin, with four mouths and one hand, which will really tire him out.

He patted my hand and made a strong smile: "Shouldn't we also carry such a heavy tax in the past?" ”

I couldn't help but sigh.

In fact, no matter what we say or do, the imperial order has been issued, no matter how we say it, it makes no sense to do it, because it is the imperial order, and it is the words of the man who is high up and can make people live and die.

Compared with what he experienced in his hands before, these are really not worth mentioning now.

I couldn't help but smile bitterly in my heart -- this "congratulatory gift" came at a really good time.

At this time, I suddenly remembered something and looked back at Huang Tianba.

I thought he would say something at this time, but he kept sitting calmly at the table, holding a bowl of rice wine and drinking it carefully. His identity used to be the uncrowned king of Jiangnan, and he didn't know how much elixir and jade liquid he had drunk, and the mountain rice wine was not a good wine for him, but he drank it very slowly, tasting it carefully, and all his thoughts fell on the bowl of amber light in front of him.

I had a secret feeling in my heart - why was he so calm?

Before he had time to think about it, Liu San'er had already walked back to the center of the courtyard and said to everyone: "It's time for the banquet, let's serve the food!" ”

Although everyone was disturbed by this sudden news, but in the end today is still a good day for our newlyweds, the cooks brought up the wine and meat one after another, and the strong smell made everyone a little happier, and a few young people said loudly: "If you have wine, drink it, what are you afraid of." We have a pair of hands, what are we worried about! ”

"That's it, drink!"

The common people seem to have such resilience, wind, frost, snow and rain, harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, all the heavy burdens are on their shoulders, but no matter how hard and difficult the days are, they can survive, and some people can even survive with a smile. After such a trouble, the atmosphere became lively again.

Liu San'er turned his head and smiled at me, and said, "Let's go, let's go toast." ”

Looking at his smile and the fearless appearance of the villagers around me, I seemed to be infected, smiled and nodded, then picked up the wine bowl and followed him, and began to toast table by table.

The newlywed's banquet is filled with the groom and bride, but everyone knows my physical condition, and there are few things to embarrass me, so all the toasts came to Liu San'er, and a few good young people walked up to him with wine bowls.

"San'er, come on, come on, today is your big day, let's have a drink."

As soon as he saw the bowl of rice wine that was slowly filling, he was also embarrassed: "This, this is too much." ”

"What is that?"

"Yes. Today is your big day! ”

"Why, San'er, don't you give us this face?"

As soon as I heard this, I knew that I was going to come over on purpose to get drunk with him, and I secretly screamed in my heart, so I hurriedly went over to persuade him to drink, but I saw those young people laughing and saying, "Sister-in-law, don't worry." ”

"I can't get it wrong."

……

I still wanted to say something, but I saw that Liu San'er had already taken the wine bowl in the hands of one of them, and said with a smile: "Okay, let's not get drunk today!" ”

I knew that he was happy, but after a few drinks, his dark face was dyed red, and his eyes were foggy, and the young men still didn't let him go, so I hurriedly blocked in front of him: "Okay, okay, don't drink." ”

"Ouch, the bride is distressed?"

"Hehe, don't worry, you can't miss something."

Liu San'er was so drunk that she couldn't stand on her feet, leaned on me, and said with a smile: "It's okay, I can drink again." ”

Seeing that he was about to get the wine bowl again, I hurriedly grabbed his sleeve: "San'er-"

Before he finished speaking, he burped, suddenly shook and was about to fall, I hurriedly reached out to help him, and the people around him also hurriedly helped, and everyone laughed: "Haha, why did the groom get drunk so quickly." ”

"Hurry up, help in."

Everyone hurriedly helped him into the house, but Liu San'er was still holding a wine glass and shouting: "I-I'm not drunk!" Keep drinking! Come on, drink! ”

The young men helped him stumble into the house, and finally put him on the bed to lie down, and he was still shouting for a drink, and several people came out and laughed at me: "Sister-in-law, let's go first." ”

"Congratulations."

I secretly complained in my heart, and I couldn't help it, so I reluctantly smiled and said hello, it was getting late, and everyone left one after another.

Aunt Liu's health was not good, so she had already gone back to the inner room with Queen Yin to rest, and the people in the courtyard slowly dispersed, and in the end, only Huang Tianba and Mu Hua remained.

At this time, the two of them also got up and walked over.

I looked at Huang Tianba, his handsome face looked very calm under the slightly gloomy sky, calm as if nothing had happened, although I had always had doubts in my heart, but I couldn't ask at this time, plus Mu Hua's face was not very good-looking, but she still reluctantly made a smile and said to me: "It's not early, let's go back first." ”

"Okay, go slowly."

Huang Tianba said: "You have also worked hard for a day, rest early." ”

I nodded, only to see him glance into the room, with a smile on the corner of his amorous eyes, as if showing a little smile, but fleetingly, "Happy newlywed." ”

"Thank you."

I smiled and sent them out of the courtyard gate, Mu Hua walked out two steps, but turned back and said, "If you have anything to help, just come to us directly." ”

I also understood what she meant, and my heart warmed up, and I smiled gratefully, "Thank you." ”

She nodded, but there was not much joy on her beautiful face, perhaps because too many eyes were on the man beside her today, which exhausted her patience, and I was already wishing to go back early, I watched them get into the carriage, and the coachman whipped and galloped away, leaving only a cloud of smoke, and I couldn't help but sigh.

Turned around and went back to the house.