During the autumn harvest, the first major task is tax collection. This year, Qinglin County had favorable weather, and the common people’s harvest was quite good. Every household was planning to eat well this winter.

Initially, Shuangshuang thought tax collection should be simple. Bring the grain bucket, collect the grain according to quantity, and store it in the warehouse.

Unexpectedly, upon checking, she discovered the bucket was larger than the court’s specified size and had a deep pocket at the bottom, which alone could collect an extra ten pounds of rice.

Shuangshuang’s face turned cold after seeing this. These tools were specifically designed by the aristocratic family, initially used to exploit farmers renting land.

Later, tasting the benefits, they used such buckets for tax collection too, providing the court with the correct amount while pocketing the excess.

Thus, the large portion of the grain tax entered the aristocratic family’s pocket, and the common people’s lives echoed the poem: "No idle fields in all four seas, yet farmers starve."

Shuangshuang took a deep breath and told the equally grim-faced Ruibo and Ruiqi, "Destroy all these buckets and have new ones made quickly.

Also, notify each village to delay the grain tax collection so the common people can wait a bit before preparing their tax grain."

Of course, the constables from the county government ran the errands. Besides Ruibo, who held the arrest officer position, other Yan Team members returned to guard Shuangshuang.

The county government’s constables were replaced by people from Qinglin County and surrounding villages, which was inevitable; a constable is not a County Magistrate and cannot be replaced every three years.

If Yan Team members were always used, the constable and arrest officer would be gone when Shuangshuang left. The successor would have no one to use.

Local people are familiar with the local terrain, and if there’s any problem, like arresting someone, the local constable can easily catch them.

After all, they know every nook and cranny. Even the most skillful outsider may not be as efficient as a local constable.

Just like now, with Shuangshuang’s orders, these constables gathered and went to their familiar places to relay messages, completing tasks without her additional effort.

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This year’s harvest was good, making the common people happy, each with smiles. A woman saw her son, now a constable, unexpectedly returning home in broad daylight and was startled.

She hurried to grab her son’s arm, urgently scolding, "Why are you home in broad daylight!

You are no longer a farmer on field margins; you now eat the government’s food. How could you leave your post during the day to come home?

If you dare lose such a good job, be careful your father breaks your leg."

The constable showed a helpless smile and stopped to reassure his anxious mother, "Mother, what are you saying! Am I such a person?

Rarely am I chosen for my strength, given a constable’s role with good salary, of course, I will work hard.

I didn’t come home privately this time; the magistrate sent me to relay a message to everyone to delay their tax preparations until new buckets are made."

Speaking of tax buckets, the old woman’s heart trembled, nervously tightening her grasp on her son’s arm, her speech faltering, "Re...really make new...new buckets?"

The constable saw his mother tremble in speech, knowing her concern, couldn’t help but hit his mouth, quite annoyed.

"Oh, mother, you’re scared all because of my words without context, but mother, you know well our magistrate isn’t someone who disregards the common people.

Today the magistrate found the tax buckets not conforming to court regulations, collecting more from people, making her quite angry.

So, the magistrate ordered those buckets destroyed and new ones made as per the court’s regulations, delaying tax collection for a few days. This is a good thing.

Once the magistrate makes new buckets, after this year’s taxes, there should be much grain left, so no worry about starving this winter."

"Oh dear, such a good thing, but I, this confused old woman, wronged the magistrate; should be scolded. The magistrate is indeed Mr. Qing Tian."

From panic to joy, the woman clasped her hands prostrating several times towards the county government, filled with gratitude for Shuangshuang.

Similar scenes unfolded in each village, soon making all surrounding Qinglin County’s people aware of their magistrate being a virtuous official.

This year’s grain tax not only didn’t exploit them but reduced it significantly, allowing them to eat well, hence time filled with gratitude for Shuangshuang.

The grain tax collection process went smoothly, with people proactively preparing grain early for taxes, many embracing and weeping upon seeing plentiful leftover grain.

They lived too bitterly, enduring hard times with little remaining after taxes, seeing elderly and children starving in winters, their deepest pain precluded by the abundant grain.

Despite no exploitation, Shuangshuang calculated the collected tax was four times more than the annual accounts, angering her again.

Gao Ya placed a cup of Ying Chang’an’s special cooling tea beside Shuangshuang, seeing her anger, she couldn’t help but advise, "Magistrate, calm down; you’ve done very well.

My father, when he was an official, faced pressure from the magistrate above, clerks below bribed by aristocratic families, often moving with great difficulty, this anger I understand well.

My father often worried daily; the benefits for common people he managed were just a bit, requiring difficult struggles, unlike what you’ve done so well."

Shuangshuang took a deep breath, downing the tea beside her, "I want to not get angry, but as long as these aristocratic parasites aren’t eradicated, the common people won’t have good days.

Look, this is a bumper year, yet the common people’s lives remain tough. What about a disaster year? It’s just a better opportunity for corrupt officials from aristocratic births to exploit.

The court’s disaster relief funds and the common people’s grain, not a single one escapes their grasp, disregarding the common people’s life and death!"