Warmth
“Wh-what is going on?”
Lin Chucheng looked over his shoulder to see an elder with his bag.
“You are… tax officers, right? Why are you arguing with my wife? Have we not paid our taxes already?”
“Dear…”
The granny didn’t look relieved or get pushy when her husband arrived. Instead, she looked ghastly pale. Even Irena was so shocked that she quickly stepped back to avoid any mishaps. Her husband quickly ran over to her side and stroked her chest to calm her down.
“Sorry, but I do not know what you two mean. If there is an issue with my taxes, should you not have sent letters first? Why did you get physical with my wife? Are you really tax officers, or are you trying to mug her?”
“We are legitimate tax officers. Here is our identification. This is a misunderstanding!” Lin Chucheng quickly showed his identification.
Irena inhaled, then conveyed, “Perfect. Since you are her husband, I would like to ask if you are aware that you have delayed your taxes for two quarters.”
The man froze for a brief moment before shaking his head: “Sorry, I do not know. However, I have never delayed my company’s taxes.”
“We are referring to your personal taxes. You need to pay taxes for your personal income. We can confirm that you have indeed paid your company taxes but not your personal taxes. You owe a total of one thousand D for the two quarters you missed. Our tax bureau sent you many letters. We also personally visited a few days ago. Were you not aware of any of this?”
The man turned to his wife: “Is what they said true? Dear, why did you not inform me? We should pay our taxes… I admit that our recent situation is not the best, but I can go and work. I can still w-“
“That is precisely why. I… I don’t want you to be so tired…You’re almost seventy, yet you’re still working. Meanwhile, I… I can’t do anything… I’m worried about your health… I… I…”
The granny wept in her husband’s arms. The husband’s look of anguish, powerlessness and his crying wife troubled Lin Chucheng. He didn’t do anything, yet he resembled a villain who ruined their family. The reality was that Irena was just carrying out her duty, though.
Irena waited for the couple to calm down, then picked the envelope up and passed it to the husband: “Your wife does not want to burden you. And so, she loaned from a usurer. That is why I am returning this to you. I hope you repay them as soon as possible. Please do not loan from them again. If somebody is loaning illegally, please report them to the police.”
“That was rash of you. You can’t get involved with them. How were you planning to repay the loan? We can negotiate with tax officers. If those ruffians come knocking, though, you’d be in danger,” reproached the husband. “I am very sorry, officer. Can you wait for a while, though? We genuinely do not have much money at home at present…”
“It is okay. I just came to speak to you.” Irena sat down in a chair and expounded, “I suggest you file for bankruptcy, and then hand over your company to the tax bureau as collateral.”
“That… that…”
Irena coughed gently: “Your company’s profit margin is not great at current. Pragmatically speaking, it has lost the value you had in mind when you founded it. You are only giving yourself a burden by keeping it. That forces you to pay taxes twice; that is too much pressure for you. Once you give the bureau your company as collateral, the tax bureau will purchase it at its current worth. The remainder of the money will be yours to keep. You have always paid your taxes on time. This includes your employee benefits. You should be aware that your retirement funds are not for your employees but you. Once you sell your company, you will be able to receive a monthly retirement concession. In addition, if you are over seventy, you can file paperwork at the tax bureau to have your taxes waived. I believe that will ease up a lot of stress for you down the road.”
“D-does that policy really exist?!”
Irena affirmatively nodded: “As your company is also an asset, it is perfectly acceptable for you to pawn it. That will relieve you of second tax payment. You should spend time with your wife, instead. You have been working all this time; it is time for you to dedicate time for your wife.”
“B-but, Dear… that is your dream… You have run it for forty years… that is…” stammered the granny, desperately trying to express herself.
Her husband tightly hugged her to stop her: “You’re my dream, Dear. The officer is right. There’s nothing more important to me than you. I’ve already focused on work for forty years. It’s time I dedicate my time to you.”
“Dear!”
If love could be physically manifested, their embrace would’ve been its physical manifestation.
Irena tugged Lin Chucheng’s sleeve: “Let’s go. It’s settled.”
“Uhm, all right.”
That was love. Lin Chucheng was full of praise for the elder couple. The man was almost in tears. He felt love was beautiful – much better than his father’s “love” for sure. His father and mother weren’t in love; they were having an affair – reasoning he came up with since his mother never mentioned it. Nevertheless, his heart felt warmth after helping a couple find bliss.
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