Chapter 28

Chu Lishi smiled bitterly and said, "Three years ago, the Feng family’s young master, who had been away for a long time, returned with a swagger, dressed in fine clothes. As soon as he got back to the village, he started going door-to-door to buy land... Sigh, that's when he began to wreak havoc in the village...!"

Chu Huan sneered coldly, "Blood is thicker than water, and the sweetness of the hometown's water is unmatched. They were once taken care of by the villagers. If they had become successful, they should have returned the favor. This land is the foundation of everyone's livelihood. By coming back to buy land, he was trying to cut off everyone's means of survival, wasn't he?" As he spoke, the coldness in his eyes intensified.

Chu Lishi sighed, "Who could say otherwise? When he came back to buy land, everyone naturally disagreed. No one wanted to sell, and they even drove him away. A few days later, he brought a group of ruffians from somewhere. They first went to the large farming households and forced them to sell their land at extremely low prices. If they refused to sign the documents, they would be beaten. The men in the village wanted to fight back, but those ruffians were ruthless, and many were injured. In the end, everyone had no choice but to sign the documents first, planning to seek justice from the county magistrate after they left."

Chu Huan smiled coldly but said nothing.

"But later, when your Uncle Liu led people to the county office to file a complaint, hoping the magistrate would take charge and arrest the Feng family’s young master and return our land, it didn't work out!" Chu Lishi shook her head, her face full of helplessness.

Chu Huan said, "But the magistrate didn't stand up for us?"

"Who could say otherwise? The magistrate summoned the Feng family’s young master and questioned him. The young master then produced the documents, claiming that the sales were voluntary and that he hadn't forced anyone to sell. The magistrate, seeing the documents, said that your Uncle Liu and the others were making trouble. Not only did he not punish the Feng family’s young master, but he also had your Uncle Liu and the others beaten...!" Chu Lishi smiled bitterly, "With no way to win the case, the Feng family’s young master became even more arrogant, bringing people back to force everyone to sell their land. If they refused, they would be beaten. These were all farming families, how could they match those ruffians? Many were beaten until they were bleeding and couldn't get up, and were forced to sell their land. Later, some people went to the county office to file complaints twice, but the complaints were rejected, and they were even beaten back... Our two acres of thin land weren't of interest to the Feng family’s young master at first, so he didn't bother us. After your elder brother left, I thought that without a man in the house, if the Feng family’s young master really came, I would just sell the two acres of land. But he never came...!"

Chu Huan interlocked his fingers and narrowed his eyes, saying, "Feng Ergou wouldn't do this out of kindness; there must be a plot."

"At first, I didn't know why, but since he didn't come, I and Suniang were naturally happy. Without a man in the house, but with many men in the village, if we rented the land, we could get some grain every year, and Suniang and I don't eat much, so the rent would be enough for us." Chu Lishi sighed, "The Feng family’s young master took over more than a hundred acres of land in our village and said that anyone willing to farm it could keep half of the harvest...!"

"There's no such good thing!" Chu Huan immediately said, "This kid has no good intentions!"

Chu Lishi said, "That's right. Although they can keep half, those who rent the land must pay the government's taxes. The government takes at least three-tenths of the harvest as taxes each year. After working hard all year, the Feng family’s young master takes five-tenths, the government takes three-tenths, and the family is left with only two-tenths, which isn't even enough for the family's food!"

Chu Huan clenched his fists.

"At first, no one was willing to do it, but... but everyone in the village is from farming families. They can't do anything else besides farming. Without land, they can't even eat. If they rent the land, even though the share is small, they can at least survive without starving." Chu Lishi said, "Most of the villagers later rented the land, but the two Hu family boys refused to rent and went out hunting with other young and strong men. Sometimes they would be gone for three to five days, and when they caught something, they would return to rest for a while, surviving by hunting."

Chu Huan understood. Hu Dashuan was killed by a bear because his land was taken, and he refused to continue being exploited by Feng Ergou. Out of desperation, he went hunting to survive, but was killed by the bear. The root cause was that he was forced by Feng Ergou.

Chu Huan pondered for a moment and asked, "Mother, who was that woman who came to the door today? I heard her outside, and it seemed like she wanted you to sign a document. What's going on?"

Chu Lishi's face turned anxious, and she hurriedly said, "N-nothing...!" Her expression was very unnatural.

Chu Huan held his mother's hand and said calmly, "Mother, since Second Son has returned, I will not let anyone bully you. I am now a grown man, the only man in the family. Whatever happens, don't hide it from me; I will take care of it!"

Chu Lishi's expression softened, showing relief. After a moment's thought, she finally sighed, "That was the eldest daughter-in-law of the Tie family, Huahua!"

"Huahua?" Chu Huan was unfamiliar with the name, but quickly recalled information about the "Tie family" in his mind and asked, "Is it the military household Tie family?"

The Great Qin Empire was divided into sixteen circuits, each circuit had states, and each state had counties. The Ministry of War had garrisons in each state.

The garrisons were the foundation of the Great Qin army. At the beginning of the empire, each state had three garrisons, and each garrison had five thousand-household units, with each unit consisting of 1,100 people. Each garrison had a commander, and each thousand-household unit had a captain, with lower ranks including hundred-household captains. The three garrisons were under the jurisdiction of the state's military governor, who was the highest military official in the state, not a noble title. The direct superior of the state's military governor was the circuit's military commander.

The sixteen circuits of the Great Qin Empire each had a governor, but the governor could only manage the civil affairs of the circuit and could not directly interfere with military affairs. The military commander could only manage military affairs and could not interfere with civil affairs. In name, the governor was the highest official in the state, but in reality, he was only the civil official, and the only military force he could mobilize was the governor's guard, limited to 5,000 people, and he could not directly command the military commander or the garrison troops.

However, although the military commander was the highest military official in the circuit and managed the garrison troops, without an order from the Military Council, he could not mobilize more than 500 troops. The military commander could mobilize his subordinates but had no authority to promote or demote officers above the rank of hundred-household captain. The appointments of the military governor, commander, captain, and even the hundred-household captain were made by the Ministry of War, and the military commander could only recommend or impeach, not make actual promotions or demotions, except for the lowest-ranking officers.

The garrison troops of the Great Qin Empire were the standing army of each circuit and state, and the soldiers came from military households, which were registered by the Ministry of War. Almost every village had a certain number of military households.

Military households did not have to pay taxes. Their existence was the foundation of the Great Qin army. The sons of military households, once they turned fifteen, had to report to their assigned thousand-household unit and officially become soldiers of the Great Qin Empire, beginning their military training to become qualified imperial soldiers. Once they joined the army, if they lived long enough, they could retire at fifty and return to their hometowns.

The emperor of the Great Qin Empire was a former soldier, so he treated soldiers well. Military household sons, if not during wartime, had two opportunities each year to visit their families, and their military pay was not low. If they distinguished themselves in battle, they could be promoted. Even if they did not get promoted, the accumulated military pay over the years would be enough for them to live comfortably after retirement.

Military household sons could still marry and have children, and during peacetime, their families could visit the garrison several times a year. However, if they had to suppress rebellions or fight enemies, they would have to go to the battlefield and fight for the country.

Liu Family Village had more than forty households, but only two were military households, one of which was the Tie family. When people mentioned the Tie family, they would always add "military household" before it, directly calling them the military household Tie family.

Chu Huan did not expect that the woman who was chased away by Suniang was the daughter-in-law of the military household Tie family.

"The old Tie family has three men in the army, and Huahua is the eldest son's wife," Chu Lishi paused and lowered her voice, "She married into the Tie family the second year after you left. But over the years, Huahua's belly has been unproductive, and she hasn't given birth to any children. In the early years, the eldest son of the Tie family would often come back, but later, seeing that Huahua's belly was unproductive, he only sent money back, rarely returning once a year. Huahua used to go to the garrison frequently, but she hasn't been there for the past two years...!" She sighed.

"What did she want from you?" Chu Huan asked.

Chu Lishi hesitated for a moment and finally said, "She was also forced by Feng Ergou to come and persuade me to put my fingerprint on a document...!"

"A document?" Chu Huan immediately asked, "What kind of document?"

"It's... it's a document to expel Suniang from our Chu family and send her back to her parents' home," Chu Lishi said sadly, "Feng Ergou didn't come to force us to sell our land, and I thought he had some good intentions. Our two acres of land were already rented to others, and we could get some grain every year. But after each harvest, someone would deliberately dig up the seeds from those two plots... At first, we didn't know who was doing it, but later we realized it was Feng Ergou sending people to sabotage, so we wouldn't have any grain. With Feng Ergou's interference, no one dared to rent our land. With no other options, Aunt Xu later found out that Suniang was good at embroidery and arranged for her to do embroidery to support the family. But after that, a few people came secretly to persuade me to let Suniang leave and find a new family. They said she was too young to spend her life with an old woman like me... I thought about it, and Suniang is filial and virtuous. Although I don't want her to leave, with your elder brother gone, I can't let Suniang stay like this. If I let her go back, she might find a good family. I can't ruin such a good girl's future...!"

Chu Huan sneered, "Those who came to persuade you must have been instigated by Feng Ergou!" He now understood that Feng Ergou must have had his eyes on Suniang and was plotting to get her.

Suniang's fiery temper made it difficult for Feng Ergou to act while she was in the Chu family. But if she were released and returned to her parents' home, her brother, as the head of the family, could decide her future. Feng Ergou could then more easily get Suniang with her brother's consent.

Chu Lishi said, "At first, I didn't know that the Feng family's heartless beast was behind it. I privately told Suniang that I wanted to let her leave the Chu family. But Suniang is stubborn. She said that if she left, no one would take care of me. She said that since she entered the Chu family, she would be a Chu family member in life and a Chu family ghost in death. She would take good care of me, and if I forced her to leave, she would... sigh, she would die in front of the Chu family's door...!"

Chu Huan was deeply moved and felt a surge of respect. Thinking of Feng Ergou's schemes and his intentions toward Suniang, the hidden ferocity in his eyes suddenly flared up.

Suddenly, he realized something. He had been talking with his mother for a long time, but Suniang had not returned. Normally, it wouldn't take that long to wash a few pieces of clothing. He narrowed his eyes, stood up, and said, "Mother, Sister Suniang hasn't returned yet. I'll go check on her!"

...

Suniang was washing clothes by the river at the western end of the village. The river was clear and bright, winding like a jade belt, and it was the lifeblood of Liu Family Village. From behind, her silhouette looked like a delicate gourd, with a slender waist and a round, plump bottom that was exceptionally full and firm, tightly stretched and full of elasticity.

Suniang didn't notice that, as she washed her clothes, someone was quietly approaching from the overgrown path behind her.

This person was none other than the utterly heartless and wicked Feng Ergou.

Coincidentally, Hu Xiaoshuan had caused a commotion at Feng Ergou's door, which put him in a bad mood. He thought about it in his room, becoming increasingly angry. Knowing that the Hu family was currently in mourning, he decided to go to the Hu family to show his power.

Over the past two years, he had realized that no one in the village dared to oppose him. Whatever he said, no one dared to contradict him. So he brought his advisor, Zhao Bao, and two dogs to the Hu family.

However, on the way, before he reached the Hu family, he saw Suniang's figure. His heart itched, seeing her alone by the river. He immediately handed the two dogs to Zhao Bao and sneaked over, intending to take this opportunity to tease Suniang.

Suniang was washing clothes by the river, and Feng Ergou followed, hiding behind a large tree, staring intently at her back. He knew Suniang's fiery temper and didn't dare to provoke her easily, so he stayed behind the tree, enjoying the view of her slender waist and plump bottom, not daring to come out.

As Suniang rubbed the clothes, her body moved, causing her plump bottom to rise and fall slightly. The sight made Feng Ergou's heart itch even more, his mind filled with lewd thoughts. The more he thought, the more excited he became, his throat dry. Driven by some unknown force, he crept out from behind the tree and approached Suniang.