Chapter 17

Hastily finishing dinner in the shop, Xiaoming spent twice the money to hire an ox cart to return home. In the dark night, the ox cart did not stop, heading straight for Ye Family Village.

Ye Qing lay in the ox cart, gazing up at the starry sky.

It was truly a clear night, the entire sky a deep indigo, and in this sky, there was the shared realm of immortals and deities.

Just as he was thinking, Qianqian tugged at his sleeve: "Young Master, we're almost at Ye Family Village."

In the dark, Ye Qing couldn't see her expression clearly, but he imagined she was feeling some fear at the thought of the murder, so he pondered for a moment and said, "Don't be afraid, everything will be fine!"

Comforted, Qianqian's heart steadied a bit.

"This young master, we've arrived at Ye Family Village. The main road is just ahead, but we dare not go further," the cart driver suddenly said.

Ye Qing looked and indeed saw some torches slowly patrolling, about five or six of them, which were the clan's patrol team.

"Go ahead, you won't find a place to stay at this hour of the night. You can stay in the side room of my courtyard for the night, and I'll provide food!"

The cart driver hesitated for a moment but still agreed and moved forward.

After a while, the patrol team could be faintly seen under the starlight. The torches were drenched in oil, crackling loudly. Though they weren't wearing armor, they all carried long knives, looking quite fierce.

The cart driver approached with some trembling. Entering the village at night, one could be a thief or a bandit, and if killed, there would be no place to seek justice. But as the ox cart approached, the leader, a middle-aged man, glanced and remained silent.

The ox cart passed without any questioning, and after ten paces, Ye Qing let out a sigh of relief in the dark, a smile appearing on his face.

"Don't light a fire, just eat the cakes we brought. Whatever happens, we can talk about it tomorrow." Ye Qing returned smoothly to the small courtyard and said to Qianqian, "Give the cart driver five cakes."

Qianqian agreed, and the night passed without incident as they each went to rest.

The next day, when Ye Qing woke up, it was dawn. The tall main courtyard blocked some of the morning light, and the sunlight fell on the window, the paper on the window making the light somewhat dim, creating a particularly quiet atmosphere. Qianqian's payment to the cart driver was heard clearly.

After a moment, Qianqian returned, her face showing some worry. She entered the room, bit her lip, and said in a small voice, "Young Master, the money for this exam has almost run out. I just went to ask the clan, but they said the autumn harvest hasn't come in yet, and your account is already in a deficit of fifty taels. They can't advance you more monthly expenses."

"Hmm, then let's sell it."

"Young Master, don't rush. They didn't say they wouldn't give it, just that it will take a few days. We can manage for a few days..." Qianqian's face scrunched up, suddenly coming to her senses, "Young Master, what did you say to sell?"

Ye Qing sat up steadily, closed his eyes, and rested: "I meant to sell the land!"

"Young Master!" Qianqian's eyes widened, looking at Ye Qing as if he were a wastrel. If not for the trust built over these days, she would have jumped up.

In an agricultural era, selling land was the last resort when all else failed. Without land, farmers became vagrants, losing their status as good citizens!

This was not just a matter of wealth but also a symbol of social status and family continuity.

Of course, Ye Qing wasn't that bad off, but if he lost the land for a long time, he would gradually decline.

Qianqian could stay in the courtyard because Ye Qing had over a hundred acres of land in his name, which he could reclaim once he came of age and had his coming-of-age ceremony.

"Qianqian, don't be upset, I have my reasons," Ye Qing sat up straight, a self-deprecating smile on his face. "These years, you've been managing the household expenses, and I've seen it all in my heart."

"Originally, we could have discussed this, but I killed someone openly for this exam. Wu Tiesi himself isn't much, but how will the clan's thousands of members and servants view it? They will surely feel兔死狐悲 (a sense of shared misfortune), and I will offend many people, inevitably gaining a reputation for being harsh and ungrateful."

"If I pass the exam, the land won't be sold, and the clan will likely try to appease me. If I don't pass, it will be difficult to stay in the clan, and they might cause you trouble. With the land, there will be many dealings with the clan in the future. Can I let you suffer and endure every time?"

"These years, you've already suffered a lot. I truly don't want my Qianqian to be so wronged."

Hearing this, Qianqian bit her lower lip, feeling a surge of warmth and bitterness in her heart. The grievances and sorrows of the past three years melted away, her eyes instantly reddening, but she held back the tears: "Young Master, don't say such things... What's a little suffering for me, as long as Young Master can pass the exam..."

At this point, she couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face.

Ye Qing didn't speak, just reached out and pulled her into his arms. She sobbed for a while, and when she calmed down, he said, "I have confidence in passing the exam, and then becoming a scholar, and eventually a provincial candidate. Selling the land is just a gesture, it won't affect the big picture, and the clan won't mind."

Thinking of his past life, the great calamity, the chaos of the world, the destruction of production order, and the land becoming the least valuable thing, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.

He continued, "If I don't pass, it will be hard to stay in the clan. It's not a big deal for me, but I have to consider your safety. I'd rather split from the clan and farm to support our family."

Qianqian opened her mouth, wanting to say something but couldn't.

"Calloused hands and feet, men plowing and women weaving, can't we support ourselves?" Ye Qing emphasized the words "our family."

In reality, it wouldn't be enough. He knew the risks of small-scale farming better than anyone, and in the great calamity, no one could remain untouched. But Qianqian didn't know.

"Don't try to provoke me." Qianqian went into the inner room, and soon came out with a land deed, her face puffed up with anger.

The deed was slightly yellowed, with rows of black characters and red official seals, signed by Ye Qing's father and himself.

Qianqian reminded him, "Though Young Master has this land, according to Ye Family rules, you must inform the clan before selling it. The clan has the right of first refusal. If someone in the clan wants to buy it, you can't sell it to outsiders... Be careful about this."

"I will be, don't worry, everything will be fine!"

"You are the master, what can I say?" Qianqian sighed.

Ye Qing carefully examined the deed: "The land is divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. These hundred acres are at least middle-grade. At the market price of nine taels per acre, selling it all would yield 1,500 taels of silver."

Thinking of this, he felt more confident. For this exam, Ye Qing was very confident. If he didn't pass, it would be a matter of fate, and the clan's attitude would be clear.

With the great calamity approaching, Ye Qing had no patience for these rules. With 1,500 taels, he could live for a few years without worry and directly seek opportunities.

The matter of the mountain god's bronze cup, though rare, was not unheard of. He remembered at least two or three cases.

Only the wisest and the most foolish could truly follow the path, ignoring others' opinions and directly taking what they needed.

With this in mind, Ye Qing no longer hesitated and left with the deed.

Qianqian silently leaned by the door, her eyes moving, clearly feeling down. No matter how well he explained, losing the land was a big deal for her.

When Ye Qing entered, he saw several people drinking in a side room, their faces flushed.

"Ah, it's Young Master Qing—" one of them looked over, hiccuping, "Are you here to borrow money or grain? Sorry, the autumn harvest hasn't come in yet, and your account is already in a deficit of fifty taels. You can't advance more monthly expenses. Don't make things difficult for me—"

Ye Qing remained calm, turned, and entered a room.

It was a refined room, the walls lined with mulberry bark paper, with a bookshelf inside. It looked very elegant, but the shelves held account books, not books.

An old man was playing chess with a young boy. Seeing Ye Qing enter, he didn't even look up.

Ye Qing bowed slightly and didn't disturb them.

The clan elder in charge of the land was Ye Hui, of the same generation as Ye Qing's father, a generation older, and held a significant position in the clan.

After finishing the game, Ye Hui slowly said, "Why aren't you at home studying the classics to fulfill your father's wish? Why are you here?"

Ye Hui spoke harshly but withdrew the chess pieces, dismissed the boy, and patted the stool, inviting Ye Qing to sit: "Is it that you've spent all your money and grain and are here to borrow more? This is a small matter, but things are different now."

"You, you act too impulsively. Going to the exam is one thing, but why did you kill Wu Tiesi? Even as master and servant, this is too much. Do you know how much trouble this has caused? Now, every servant in the family sees you as an enemy and makes things difficult for you?"

"Though we Ye Clan hold the power, the autumn harvest, transportation, meals, and inventory are all handled by the servants. If they unite against you, the clan will have a hard time speaking up for you!"

Though he scolded, his words carried a hint of concern.

Ye Qing felt a warmth in his heart, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "Uncle, it's been a while since I've seen you. I'm sorry for not visiting. But you look well, and you seem even stronger than before."

"But I'm not here for that. After the exam yesterday, I returned home today and found that my money is almost gone, not even enough for seven days. The clan won't lend me any more."

At this point, Ye Qing sat up straight, paused, and Ye Hui looked at him, not understanding. Wasn't he just complaining about being poor and asking for help from the clan? Why wasn't it about that?

Just as he was thinking, he heard the young man say calmly, "The clan has rules. I understand the difficulties. This time, I'm here to sell the hundred acres of land in my name. I believe it will fetch at least a thousand taels of silver, enough to last for ten years. Once I pass the exam and save some money, I'll buy it back."

"What?" Ye Hui, who had thought of many possibilities, was shocked to hear this. He stood up suddenly, the cup in his hand falling to the table, spilling half a table of tea!