"Have you heard? If you go to the governnt to register, you can receive a tael of new salt."
"Really? Can you really get salt?"
"Does this salt cost money?"
"No, not a penny."
"It really doesn’t cost a penny, are you sure it’s not a trick?"
"No trick, it really doesn’t cost a penny. It was Old Niu Head who said so. Didn’t Old Niu Head take his family to register a few days ago? Just yesterday, their family received new salt. I’m telling you, this new salt is as white as snow, and it tastes very good, not bitter at all."
"Lao Li, are you lying? How can this salt not be bitter?" Usually, the people of the Swamp Prefecture had to eat extrely bitter salt.
"Why would I lie to you? Yesterday, I personally saw the governnt people deliver a tael of salt to Old Niu Head’s house. I’m on good terms with Old Niu Head, he gave a piece of salt to taste, and the flavor is truly good, not bitter at all, very salty, saltier than any I’ve tasted in my lifeti."
"Isn’t all salt bitter?"
"The people from the governnt said that truly good salt isn’t bitter at all, and they also said the salt we usually eat is the worst kind. The new salt was made by Prince Han so that we common people could eat good salt." Lao Li spoke with great excitent, "The governnt people also said that the new salt made by Prince Han will be sold at four hundred coins a stone. They also said that people who register not only receive a tael of new salt for free, but when they buy new salt for the first ti after registering, it will be fifty coins cheaper, aning three hundred and fifty coins a stone."
Those around who heard that the new salt was three hundred fifty coins a stone inhaled sharply, their faces filled with disbelief.
"New salt is actually this cheap!"
"How can there be such cheap salt?"
"Is such cheap salt really good? Lao Li, are you tricking us?"
"What do you know? The people from the governnt said that salt outside sells for four hundred coins a stone. It was the previous corrupt officials who intentionally raised the price to sell the salt to those Foreigners, making it unaffordable for us commoners. The governnt people also said the salt we’re eating now sells for very cheap outside, one hundred coins a stone."
"What, the salt we’re eating sells for that cheap outside?!"
"Those damned corrupt officials!"
"Those corrupt officials deserve a thousand cuts!"
"No wonder Prince Han cut down those corrupt officials as soon as he arrived."
"Prince Han did well to kill them!"
"These corrupt officials really don’t treat us as humans."
"We’ve truly been fooled by the corrupt officials left and right."
"Lao Li, what else did the governnt people say?"
Lao Li saw everyone gathered around him, eagerly looking at him, feeling quite proud inside.
"The people from the governnt said that Prince Han asks us to register not to bully us, but to protect us."
"Protect us?" The surrounding people were filled with doubt, "Having us register the number of people in our families is to protect us, not to sell us?"
"Isn’t Prince Han trying to find out how many people are in our hos, how many n, and how many won, so he can sell us?"
"Lao Li, how could Prince Han possibly protect us?"
The surrounding people didn’t believe what Lao Li said.
"What do you know, Prince Han isn’t like those corrupt officials. The people in the governnt said that if we register, they will know how many people we have in our families. If soone from our family gets taken and sold, we can report it to the governnt to help find them. If the governnt doesn’t know how many people are in our families, how could they help us find them?"
Over the years, many people have gone missing annually in Swamp Prefecture. Many families have soone "go missing" every year. These "missing" people are basically taken to Foreigners. Sotis, the governnt forcibly takes people from the common folk’s hos, such as when a family has a pretty girl, she’ll be taken away by officials and never return. Thus, the people of Swamp Prefecture are scared and often hide family mbers to prevent them from being taken.
"The governnt also said we are currently low-status citizens, but registering can change us from lowly citizens to reputable citizens." Lao Li, feeling tired from standing, sat down, smoking while saying, "There’s no need for to say which is better between lowly citizens and reputable citizens. Once one becos a reputable citizen, they can avoid a year of taxes or labor duties, which is what the governnt people said as a benefit before."
"What other benefits are there, Lao Li?"
"You can study."
"Study?" The surrounding people were not interested in studying. "What good is studying?"
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