Free Web NovelChapter 360: Chapter 143: Regretted
The next day was the ancestor worship ceremony. Not only did Zhao Jing rise early, but Chen Wanqing, Mrs. Zhao, and Xiang’er were also all up before dawn.
Chen Wanqing hadn’t slept well and was exhausted from several days of travel. When she woke up, she felt as if she hadn’t slept at all; her entire body ached, and she looked completely drained.
Mrs. Zhao, on the other hand, had cried her eyes out the previous night. But perhaps just as Zhao Jing had said, a good cry could release all the pent-up frustration. Mrs. Zhao showed no signs of distress or fatigue. Instead, she was refreshed and energetic, as if she had never felt healthier in her life.
Although she still had dark circles under her eyes, it did nothing to stop the radiant smile on her face as she spoke to people; she was grinning from ear to ear.
During the ancestor worship, the women were not allowed to enter the ancestral hall and had to wait outside.
Everyone chattered away, their conversation lively and cheerful.
"This is wonderful! Now that Jing is a Scholar, our clan’s fields will get tax reductions again."
The benefits of being a Scholar were endless. Not only were they exempt from corvée labor and did not have to bow before officials, but they also received a tax exemption for twenty mu of land.
And Zhao Jing was not just any Scholar; he was a Stipendiary Scholar.
Stipendiary Scholars received an annual stipend of about four taels of Silver. In addition, they received a monthly grain allowance of one shi of rice, which was equivalent to about twelve to eighteen taels of Silver per year. There were also other miscellaneous incomes, such as study grants and examination awards. The actual annual income was quite considerable, enough to maintain a respectable lifestyle.
It was also worth mentioning that Zhao Jing had achieved a "triple-crown" in his examinations. Before returning to Qingshui County, Mr. Cheng, the County Magistrate, had given him a reward of fifty taels of Silver. Even the Lord Prefect had generously granted him a prize of one hundred taels of Silver.
There were also respectful offerings from other merchants, as well as congratulatory gifts from the Xie Family and the Wang Family. Zhao Jing, of course, did not accept the offerings from the merchants, but he took all the gifts from the Xie and Wang families.
All the miscellaneous Silver added up to a huge sum. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to worry about having no Silver to support his family for the next few years.
Furthermore, in the future, he could vouch for other exam candidates, earning guarantee fees and other considerable benefits. The Zhao Family’s fortunes were clearly on the rise again.
Some of the clan members knew about these things, while others did not. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
But since none of it would end up in their hands, they didn’t covet it.
Just the thought that with Zhao Jing becoming a Scholar, every family in the clan could take turns receiving tax exemptions on their land was enough to make them ecstatic.
The annual tax savings wouldn’t amount to much when divided among them. But every little bit helps, and even if it only saved enough money to buy a catty of meat, they considered it a huge gain.
"Wanqing’s brother also became a Scholar. With two Scholars, we can get even more tax exemptions."
This was how the tax exemptions for the fields in the Zhao Village were arranged.
First, back when the late Mr. Zhao was alive, he was the only Scholar in the village. To maintain stability and for ease of management, Mr. Zhao had arranged the tax exemptions as follows: besides the Zhao family’s few mu of land, which were permanently exempt, the remaining quota was rotated among everyone in the Zhao Village.
This served two purposes: first, it encouraged the entire village to work together, and second, it elevated the status of Mr. Zhao. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
That was how it had always been until the Scholar passed away. But now that De’an had also become a Scholar, they wondered if the Chen family would get other ideas.
After all, compared to sharing with the whole village, the Chen family would surely prefer to use Chen De’an’s tax exemption quota solely for their own family members.
If they truly thought that way, things would get complicated.
The clan members asked Chen Wanqing what her family was thinking.
The First and Second Aunts stepped forward to help her out of the awkward situation. "Wanqing only just got back yesterday. How could she have had time to ask about these things?"
"She’s married into our family now, so she’s one of us. She can’t control the Chen family’s affairs even if she wanted to, so don’t make things difficult for her."
After the ancestor worship was finished, it was time to visit the graves. This time, the women did not need to follow.
As the group was walking out, they passed a fork in the road and happened to see Chen Song returning on his ox cart with his wife and two children.
On their ox cart were firecrackers, joss paper, and paper-pasted models of oxen, horses, and mansions, all clearly prepared to be burned for the ancestors.
"Congratulations, Dasong! Your son has done well, becoming a Scholar too."
"Your son and son-in-law are both Scholars. You have such good fortune, Dasong."
"You must have been up since the crack of dawn. Have you eaten? Would you like to come to our place for a bite?"
Chen Song and his family got off the ox cart and exchanged pleasantries with the crowd.
"We’ve already eaten, and we’re not hungry, so we won’t impose."
"The fact that my boy was able to become a Scholar is all thanks to Jing. He deserves most of the credit."
