Taming beasts starts with understanding bird language

But Wan Peng was very smart and saw through it but didn't say it out loud.

Gu Chan immediately changed the subject, pushed the jade cabbage in front of him and said, "This is your treasure, I got it back for you, remember! Not only do you owe me two hundred thousand taels of silver, you also owe me a big favor."

"Okay, I'll definitely return it to you when I have the chance in the future." Wan Peng said as he saluted with his fists.

Gu Chan smiled and nodded.

Wan Peng picked up the Jade Cabbage and stood up and said, "Then you should have a good rest. I won't disturb you."

"Go, go!" Gu Chan waved her hand and said.

Wan Peng said goodbye and left.

After he left, Ma Zhengcai said, "Boss, this young master looks a bit shrewd! I wonder what he was thinking just now."

"No matter what he thinks, if he dares to cheat me, I will deal with him and make him lose everything." Gu Chan said indifferently.

If she said this before, it might seem like she was bragging, but now she said this because she really has the ability to do so, so she is not afraid that Wan Peng will play tricks on her.

The most important thing is that since she has just arrived here and hasn't yet established herself, it is not a bad thing for her to make a friend like Wan Peng who is smart and capable.

Thinking of this, Gu Chan didn't say anything more, and instead told Ma Zheng, "Go to bed! Get up early tomorrow and go to Jiangnan City to get some information."

"Yes, boss." Ma Zheng nodded.

After saying that, he also got up and left, going to his room to sleep.

Gu Chan lay down on her bed, hugged the white fox and fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, when Gu Chan got up from bed, the sun was already shining on her butt.

The white fox was lying on its back beside her, still sleeping soundly.

Gu Chan laughed and thought that this guy didn't look like a fox anymore, but more like a Husky! His sleeping posture was also weird.

Not wanting to wake it up, Gu Chan quietly got up, dressed, and went outside to have breakfast.

Since the first and second floors of Wanyuanfang are places for entertainment and dining is only possible on the third floor, after Gu Chan came out of the room, she found a table in the lobby on the third floor and sat down. She called the waiter and ordered rice porridge and buns.

After the food came, Gu Chan began to eat it with relish.

Just when she was enjoying her meal, Ma Zheng ran up from downstairs panting.

Seeing Gu Chan sitting at the table eating, he quickly rushed over and sat down, poured himself a glass of water and drank it, then said to Gu Chan, "Boss, you are finally awake. I went out for a walk before dawn and now I am back."

"You are quite active! What makes you work so hard?" Gu Chan teased while eating.

In the past, when Ma Zheng followed her, he was even lazier than her. But now he has become diligent, which really makes her feel a little strange.

Ma Zheng said seriously, "Everyone is working so hard, I have to work hard too! I can't keep holding everyone back!"

"Well! It's good that you think so." Gu Chan said with satisfaction.

"Boss, everyone is out playing, aren't you going out today?" Ma Zheng asked.

Gu Chan shook her head. "I just dealt with Yan Li last night. I have to keep a low profile for the next few days. It's best to stay in the gambling house to avoid getting into trouble."

"That's true." Ma Zheng said.

"You've been out for so long. Have you found out any useful information?" Gu Chan asked.

Ma Zheng said with a bitter face, "Jiangnan City is too big. I can't walk far this morning. Besides, it seems that everyone here is very tight-lipped. No one tells the truth. I finally got some useful information from a beggar with great difficulty."

"Beggar?" Gu Chan was puzzled.

Ma Zheng nodded affirmatively, "Yes, Boss, let me tell you! After running around this morning, I have come to understand a truth. In Jiangnan City, if you want to hear the truth, you have to find the people at the bottom. Otherwise, even an ordinary citizen selling things on the street will not be willing to tell the truth."

"Why?" Gu Chan asked.

"It's very simple. There are many tax items here, and one of them is called the wrong speech tax. If you say something wrong and get into trouble, not only will you be beaten with a stick, you will also have to pay the wrong speech tax." Ma Zheng said unhappily.

After hearing this, Gu Chan suddenly lost the mood to eat.

It is said that the Jiangnan area is wealthy, but I didn't expect there are so many tax items here. Even if you say something wrong, you have to pay taxes. It seems that Yan Xishan's job as the Jiangnan Censor is really interesting.

Ma Zheng added, "Boss, we actually lost money last night."

"How did you lose money?" Gu Chan asked curiously.

"According to the rules in the Jiangnan area, if a thief is caught, the owner has the right to ask for compensation from the thief, and the compensation is calculated at five times the head tax here. For example, when we are at the border or in Zhongyuan City, the head tax for one person is 25 taels of silver per month, but here it is doubled to 50 taels of silver," Ma Zheng explained.

Gu Chan frowned, "I'm afraid this head tax is a bit difficult for ordinary people!"

"So there is a rule here! Only rich people have to pay a head tax of fifty taels of silver, and those who have no money only need to pay taxes according to the laws of Tiancang Country. Beggars on the street don't have to pay a penny." Ma Zheng said.

Gu Chan fell silent and thought to herself.

Although there are many tax items and the tax burden in the Jiangnan area is relatively heavy, it is different for different people. It is not like in the border areas or the Central Plains cities, where everyone has to pay taxes no matter what, and if they can't afford it, they have to get out of the city.

This was the case when she was in the refugee area. In order to pay taxes and support themselves, many people in the refugee area would choose to find work in the rich area. If they really couldn't find any work, they could only leave the refugee area and go somewhere else.

But these problems do not exist here. If you really have no money or income and can't find a job, you basically don't have to pay taxes.

After understanding this, Gu Chan couldn't help but sigh and said, "As expected, different regions have different rules. This place is more tolerant of the poor, but the taxes are also heavier. It's really hard for ordinary people to live a good life here."

"Yes! This leads to the situation that people who pay taxes normally dare not tell the truth easily, while people who do not pay taxes are outspoken and dare to say anything. If these people say the wrong thing and get into trouble, they will either be beaten and driven out of the city and never be allowed to enter Jiangnan City again, or they will be killed and their bodies abandoned in a mass grave. In short, if you want to live a good life, try not to talk nonsense." Ma Zheng explained the truth clearly.

"Damn! It seems that beneath the glamorous surface here, there is a lot of information to be dug up! No, I have to think of a way to dig up some useful information." Gu Chan said with a smirk.

Now she finally understood that if she wanted to make money here, she had to first smell the stench beneath the glamour.