Chapter 397: Tax Avoidance

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

Qin Zhenzhen and her companions returned to the Qian Family Village to celebrate the New Year, and the villagers greeted them with newfound admiration.

Their gratitude towards Qin Zhenzhen knew no bounds. The villagers showered them with local specialties and generous offerings of chickens, ducks, and pork.

Qin Zhenzhen had not only illuminated their path to prosperity but had also extended opportunities for the village’s youth to work in the city. As a result, numerous young individuals from the Qian Family Village had relocated to the prefectural city, finding employment within Qin Zhenzhen’s workshop. Some among them had proven their capabilities and ascended to junior managerial positions, even relocating their families to the city. They had, in essence, transcended their humble beginnings in the small village.

Once in the city, these individuals, with the support of Qin Zhenzhen and her associates, embarked on entrepreneurial endeavors, rapidly establishing themselves. Subsequently, they initiated a movement, gradually drawing in fellow town and county residents to the prefectural capital. Over the past year, they had formed a tight-knit community, comprising individuals from various walks of life.

These spirited individuals often remarked with confidence, “Meijiang Prefecture City will soon be under our dominion!” All of this progress could be attributed to the combined efforts of the Su and Qin families.

However, it should be noted that Qin Zhenzhen and Su Bin did not accept the villagers’ generosity without reciprocation. They, too, presented substantial gifts to the villagers as a token of their appreciation, and these offerings were far from modest.

When the villagers encountered Su Bin, they greeted him with deep respect. Su Bin had already attained the esteemed title of High Scholar, deserving of the reverence bestowed upon him by all.

He had already become a revered figure, setting an example for all the scholars in the county.

In every examination, he consistently clinched the top spot—a feat that was far from ordinary.

The tax burden on the land owned by the High Scholar’s family had been entirely waived.

The newly appointed village chief, Qian Youfu, was highly impressed by this and promptly paid a visit to Su Bin’s residence.

Upon Su Bin’s success in the High Scholar examination, he had also revisited the Qian

Family Village. The former village chief wasted no time in discussing the possibility of transferring his family’s and clan’s land to Su Bin, thus securing the tax exemption.

However, Su Bin declined the offer.

The former village chief had a notorious reputation for mistreating the villagers. He had even colluded with Su Bin’s uncle to exploit Su Bin’s family and sell their land.

Su Bin had exercised remarkable restraint not to retaliate against such a person. It was inconceivable for him to offer any advantages to the former village chief.

Su Bin had a somewhat stern demeanor and was certainly not inclined to play the role of a benefactor. Even though he had contemplated his sister and brother-in-law’s future, he had initially attempted to avoid antagonizing the village chief to prevent him from using his influence within the clan to target his relatives.

However, the situation had changed drastically. The entire village, and even the entire town, had come to rely on their family’s financial resources. His brother-in-law, Qian Shanmin, had ascended to a position of prominence within the village.

The yams and herbs cultivated by the villagers now had to pass through Qian Shanmin’s hands to fetch a favorable price. Their family was no longer subservient to the village chief; on the contrary, the entire Qian family had begun to look up to them.

Su Bin had made up his mind that, unless the village chief underwent a profound transformation, the Qian family would not grant him any concessions.

After Su Bin declined the proposal, word quickly spread among the Qian Clan members regarding the rationale behind his decision. In the interest of the clan, the clan leader convened a meeting with a few clan representatives.

Ultimately, they reached a unanimous decision to depose the current village chief, known for his unethical behavior, and select a more responsible member of the clan to take his place.

In antiquity, clan leaders typically wielded more authority than the village chief, sometimes even having the power to determine who would assume the role of village chief.

Qian Youfu assumed office after garnering the highest number of votes during the election.

Upon taking the reins as the new village chief, his inaugural task was to engage in discussions with Su Bin regarding the utilization of deceptive accounts to evade tax obligations..

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