Chapter 3

Li Qingshan lay contentedly in the hay, stretching his limbs. Unconsciously, he fell into a deep sleep. That night, he did not dream of his past life again.

In a thatched hut not far from the cowshed, Li Da and his wife were kept awake by the smell of meat, tossing and turning until late at night before they finally fell asleep.

The next morning, just as the rooster crowed for the third time, a short, plump man dressed in emerald silk came to the fields. He was none other than the largest landowner in the small village of Woniu, Lord Liu, also known as Manager Liu by the villagers, because he had once been a manager for a wealthy family in the city. In his old age, he was granted the favor of returning home in glory.

But he still insisted on being called Manager Liu to highlight his superior status over the peasants and to distinguish himself from ordinary landowners. Due to his various schemes, he had swallowed up most of the land in the village, earning him the nickname "Liu Half-Village."

If Liu Half-Village had any ambition, it was to become Liu Whole-Village, but he knew he couldn't rush it. As he had heard from the scholars in the city, he needed to proceed gradually. He believed he would achieve this goal in his lifetime, and when he did, everyone in the village would be his laborers, and he would be the lord of Woniu Village, able to do as he pleased.

But Manager Liu was now somewhat displeased. He saw that few laborers were working on his land and waved his fat hand, "Why are there so few people? Where are the others?"

A laborer smiled and said, "Manager Liu, they're all helping Li Er build a house."

"Li Er, which Li Er?"

"The cowherd!"

"Of course I know. Where did he get the money?"

"That boy had a stroke of luck, he caught a large wild boar for free. Anyone in the village who helps him build the house gets a big piece of pork. It's happening right now at the foot of Woniu Hill, and it's quite lively."

"Why didn't you go?"

"I had a falling out with him." The laborer said with a sheepish smile, feeling extremely regretful. Meat was not something one could easily come by.

Manager Liu stroked his mustache, "Let's go and take a look."

After waking up, Li Qingshan began to handle the division of the family. His top priority was to build a decent house for himself, so he wouldn't have to rely on others anymore.

In his previous life, he didn't have the means to do this, but with the large wild boar, many things became easier. With a little call, many people came to help, and he also realized the magic of pork in this world.

At the foot of Woniu Hill, the scenery was beautiful, and if it were in his past life, such a place would either be a tourist attraction or a rich man's villa. It was far from the village, which made it convenient for him to keep his secrets and communicate with the green ox without worry.

Li Qingshan stood among the people, directing them, feeling an indescribable sense of comfort. He began to understand what the green ox meant by eating meat, which was not just about strengthening the body.

If a person was struggling to make ends meet, how could they have the time to do other things, let alone achieve enlightenment?

Manager Liu stood at a distance and muttered to himself, "So, they are dividing the family." He then saw Li Da and his wife watching from afar. They were not happy to see their brother building a new house; instead, they were gnashing their teeth in hatred. Manager Liu had a plan and walked over with a smile.

In just over ten days, a new house was completed, and the people who helped took their share of the pork and left.

Li Qingshan looked at the new house with satisfaction. Although it was just a simple mud house with a thatched roof, it was his new home, the first step in establishing himself in this world. Over the past few days, he had been eating meat regularly, and his complexion had become rosy. He stood there with more confidence, and in just ten days, he seemed to have grown a few inches taller.

Just as Li Qingshan was happy, an old woman with gray hair and wrinkled skin walked into the yard, startling him, "Li Er, your house is built poorly, it's very inauspicious!"

Li Qingshan frowned. This was the shaman who used to give him talisman water when he was a child, always pretending to be a spirit and deceiving the ignorant villagers. He never had a good impression of her, but she had a high status in the village, and all weddings and funerals required her divination, which, of course, included offerings to the gods.

Li Qingshan did not dare to be rude and bowed, "Why are you here?"

The shaman did not even look at him, looking around the house and saying, "There is yin energy and evil spirits here, but I am prepared." She held a clay pot in one hand and a willow branch in the other, dipping the branch in the water and sprinkling it around the house and yard, chanting, "Go away, go away..."

Li Qingshan could not stop her and had to let her do as she pleased. Although he believed in the existence of spirits, he did not believe there were any yin energy or evil spirits here. He had a real spirit, the green ox, by his side. If anything were wrong, the green ox would have told him.

After the shaman finished sprinkling the water, she acted as if she had done Li Qingshan a great favor, rambling on about how his good fortune was a gift from the gods and that it was time to repay them. The best offering to the gods, of course, was the large pig's head left from the wild boar.

Li Qingshan finally understood her intention, "I doubt the gods want to eat it; you do."

The shaman was furious at Li Qingshan's slight disrespect, straightening her body and speaking in a different voice, "Li Qingshan, if you do not listen to my advice, you will suffer."

Li Qingshan knew this was her trick of invoking a spirit, which would terrify even the bravest villagers, making them kneel and beg. Even the original Li Qingshan would not have taken it lightly, but things were different now. He crossed his arms and said, "Fortune and misfortune have no door; they are summoned by oneself. What does it have to do with the gods? Please leave!"

Seeing that her trick did not work, the shaman sheepishly returned to her normal state and said menacingly, "You wait!"

Not long after the shaman left, trouble indeed came.

A villager came to invite Li Qingshan to the ancestral hall. Although the village was small, there were many rules. The division of the family should be done in the ancestral hall, with the elders present. However, it should be initiated by him, not his brother.

Li Qingshan felt a vague sense of unease, and the green ox was nowhere to be found. He had no choice but to go.

The so-called ancestral hall was a small house with a deep doorway, one of the few brick and stone buildings in the village, where the ancestral tablets of the Li and Liu families were enshrined.

In the dark room, several elders were seated on either side, with the village chief of Woniu Village, an old man over sixty with a hunched back, leading the way. By seniority, Li Qingshan should call him grandfather.

Li Da and his wife were already waiting there, glaring at Li Qingshan as if he had wronged them, with a hint of satisfaction in their eyes.

Li Qingshan ignored them, bowed to the elders, and the division of the family began under the chief's supervision.

Li Qingshan had thought his possessions were just the green ox and a few acres of land, but it turned out to be more complicated than he imagined.

The chief, with a fair and serious expression, divided many miscellaneous items to Li Qingshan, down to a spoon and a pair of chopsticks.

Every time an item was mentioned, Li Da's wife would wince in pain, her gaze toward Li Qingshan becoming more venomous.

Li Qingshan remained calm, and the household items were useful, saving him the trouble of buying new ones.

The division took over half an hour before the chief stopped and looked around with his cloudy eyes, "Do you have any objections?"

Li Da and his wife said they were satisfied, but Li Qingshan felt something was wrong, "Grandfather, what about the few acres of land?"

"What land?"

Li Qingshan was stunned. When his parents passed away, they had clearly stated in front of this man that the land should be protected from his brother's bullying, and this respected elder was to ensure justice.

Li Da's wife said, "You are too young to understand. Those two old people borrowed money and couldn't pay it back, so they had to give the land as compensation."

Li Qingshan was furious, "What did you call my parents? Say it again!" Although he did not have a deep bond with them, they were his parents in this life, and he could not tolerate such public humiliation.

Li Da stepped in front of his wife, and a few men walked into the hall, clearly prepared.

Li Qingshan noticed that these were the village troublemakers, known for their petty theft and bullying, who would not show mercy.

The chief cursed the foolish woman and sighed, "I have already checked the documents."

"Where are the documents?"

Li Da said, "We burned them after we got them back."

"Who did they owe money to?"

Li Da's wife said smugly, "Manager Liu of the village. If you have the nerve, go ask him. See if Manager Liu doesn't skin you alive. How dare you, you ungrateful little beast." The few acres of land were good farmland, and they had sold them for a good price, compensating for the loss of not eating the pork. She was determined to buy a chicken as soon as she got home.

Li Qingshan was so angry that his whole body trembled, his nails digging into his palms.

With his experience from two lifetimes, how could he not see through this? Farmers viewed land as their lifeline and would not give it up easily. His parents had worked the land all their lives and would not have borrowed money.

This was clearly a scheme to bully him. Without the land, if he wanted to survive, he would have to work as a laborer on Manager Liu's estate, enduring any humiliation. What a cunning plan.

In his home, his brother and sister-in-law treated him poorly, but it was bearable. However, this was a complete reversal of the truth. In his past life, he had seen many dark sides of society online and had been angry and shouted about them. But when it happened to him, he found it unbearable.

If he agreed, he would accept the village's decision and lose the chance to appeal.

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