guò / qù / bǎi / xìng / cháng / cháng / shòu / dào / kē / juān / zá / shuì / de / yā / pò / shēng / huó / shí / fēn / jiān / nán

过去，百姓常常受到苛捐杂税的压迫，生活十分艰难。

In the past, ordinary people were often burdened by exorbitant taxes and lived in great hardship.