Chapter 44: Harsh Measures

Chapter 44: Harsh Measures

Du Yunjing paid no heed to the shocked and disdainful glances around him. He had long formed his own self-contained logic, making him both stubborn and laughable.

"Let me guess, are you going to separate my respected elder brother's family next? You probably had this planned before we returned from the prefectural city. Did my mother suddenly decide to uproot the crops because of your secret instigation?"

At this point, Du Yunjing finally shed all pretense, mocking the clan leader with unbridled sarcasm.

He pinned all the blame onto others.

The clan leader tightened his grip on his cane in disbelief, never expecting Du Yunjing to say such things. This man was fundamentally corrupt.

Bao Ren brought the clan register, furious and ready to argue with Du Yunjing, but the clan leader lifted his cane to stop him.

A scholar with warped thinking like Du Yunjing was not someone ordinary people could argue with. But they were in Du Village, and Du Yunjing's family was already at fault. No matter how much he argued, it wouldn't change anything.

The clan leader, instead of growing angrier, laughed. "As the saying goes, a little kindness can turn into a great enmity. I've lived so many years and nearly forgotten this truth. Du Yunjing, let me tell you this: in dealing with your family, I have always upheld my position as the leader of the Du clan and my own conscience."

"Since you say I had this planned, it would be illogical not to follow through. The life your elder brother's family has lived in your household is clear to everyone in the village. If I let them suffer and leave the village with you, I would be acting unjustly."

"Setting emotions aside, reason must prevail. Even brothers must settle their accounts clearly. Yunhu's family remains a part of Du Village. Zhao, Fu Bao, and you, the black-hearted one, should leave as soon as possible."

The clan leader had Bao Ren open the clan register and turned to Du Baoquan, who had been silent and meek.

"Baoquan, how should your family be divided? You speak first," the clan leader stated, making the division a fact.

Du Baoquan opened his mouth, trembling. "Clan leader, are you really making us split the family and expelling us?"

"Zhao made a mistake, but she was just momentarily misguided. Fu Bao is only a child, you..."

The clan leader interrupted Du Baoquan. "Even young children in the village understand the value of crops. Fu Bao is only a child? He's already ten, not an age of ignorance. What other child in the village is as spoiled and lawless as him, causing harm everywhere?"

"As for Zhao, I've given her many chances. She's been 'momentarily misguided' too many times. Should the village bear endless risks and losses for her repeated 'moments of confusion'?"

The clan leader looked at Du Baoquan, who still refused to reflect on his family's issues and only sought to plead, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"Baoquan, do you think you bear no responsibility in these matters?"

Du Baoquan was stunned. He had done nothing wrong, so how could he be at fault?

The clan leader raised his voice, speaking to Du Baoquan but also warning others in the village.

"You are the elder of the family, Zhao's husband, and the father of Du Yunjing and Fu Bao. You should have taught and restrained them. But you did nothing, allowing them to act out, staying silent and enjoying the benefits of their misdeeds. Now that things have gone wrong, you feel innocent and come to plead for them."

"Your family has been disordered for years, with a stepmother who is unkind, the eldest son's family suffering abuse, and the second and third sons taught to be narrow-minded and lawless. Do you really think you bear no responsibility in this?"

"..."

The clan leader's long speech left Du Baoquan speechless. He could no longer bring himself to plead, and others in the village with similar issues began to reflect.

"Since you won't speak, I'll decide the division for you," the clan leader said, not waiting for Du Baoquan to respond.

"Your family has eight acres of paddy fields and ten acres of dry land. These have always been tended by Yunhu and his wife, who worked tirelessly. As the eldest son, he should receive more. In this division, Yunhu will take five acres of paddy fields and five acres of dry land. The remaining land will be split equally between Du Yunjing and Fu Bao."

"From now on, you are no longer part of Du Village. The family house naturally goes to Yunhu, as the eldest son inheriting the ancestral home is only right."

After dividing the land and house, the clan leader wasn't finished.

"Over the years, Du Yunjing has been studying in the county, spending a lot of money every month without earning a single penny. The money he used was saved by Yunhu and his wife. Now that he's made mistakes and is being removed from the Du clan register, he is no longer Yunhu's brother. The money should be compensated to Yunhu and his wife."

"I guess he can't come up with the money right now, so let's just mortgage the land he's been allocated to Yunhu, pay off the debt all at once, and be done with each other."

After the clan leader finished speaking, he allowed no room for questioning and directly ordered, "Bring the table and writing materials over. I'll draft the division document."

The villagers gathered in the courtyard whispered among themselves; the clan leader's method of division was essentially leaving Du Yunjing with nothing.

With this arrangement, Yunhu's family would get six and a half acres of irrigated land and seven and a half acres of dry land, and also inherit the ancestral home. Fu Bao would receive one and a half acres of irrigated land and two and a half acres of dry land, while Du Yunjing would get nothing.

Once they were expelled from the clan, they could no longer stay in Du Village and had to move elsewhere. Selling this land would bring them no more than three or four taels of silver.

Du Baoquan, Zhao, Du Yunjing, Li Guer, and Fu Bao—this large family would be left with no food, no clothes, no land to farm, and no place to live. How could they possibly survive with such a small amount of silver?

The clan leader's original plan for the division likely wasn't this harsh.

Tonight, Zhao and Fu Bao's act of uprooting the crops had completely infuriated him, and Du Yunjing's true nature had left him with no more compassion, leading to the decision to ruthlessly expel Zhao and the others.

Yunhu, who had been set apart on his own, looked at everything before him, feeling it was surreal and unbelievable, unsure of what to say or do.

He was glad that his family would begin a new life, but also worried about his father and others. The deep-rooted sense of filial duty wasn't so easily shaken.

Yunhu hesitated for a long time, gathering the courage to speak out, maybe to give his father a bit more to take with him, but his wife Wei Liuhua pinched him hard on the side.

He turned to look at his wife's tearful eyes and her tense, angry face, and after a long silence, he ultimately said nothing, enduring the harsh glares from his father and the others.

If it had been something else, he might have been able to beg for leniency, but for a serious offense like destroying crops, as a farmer who worked the land, he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

The clan leader completed the division document and had someone force Du Baoquan, Du Yunjing, and Fu Bao to press their fingerprints.

Du Yunjing wanted to resist fiercely, but his knee was suddenly hit by a cunningly angled stone, forcing him to kneel on the ground. His soft hands, which had never done farm work, were roughly grabbed, dipped in red mud, and pressed hard onto the document.

The clan leader raised a red brush and crossed out these people's names from the clan register one by one. From then on, Du Baoquan and his second and third sons had no relation to Du Village.

After completing the formalities of division and expulsion, the clan leader sighed wearily and waved his cane.

"Take Zhao and Fu Bao to the woodshed and lock them up. They will be sent to the county government tomorrow morning. Du Yunjing and Baoquan, go home and pack your things. You will be sent away together tomorrow."

"The land allocated to Fu Bao will be kept for now, later converted to silver, and after deducting the losses from Brother Hua's cotton field, it will be given to them."

After the clan leader arranged the final matters, the farce finally ended.

Before going home, Qiu Huanian took one last look at Zhao and Fu Bao, who were huddled together, shivering.

Being driven out of Du Village penniless, their good days were just beginning, and the revenge for the original owner who was killed by Fu Bao was finally avenged.

Returning home, Qiu Huanian wanted to ask sixteen what had happened tonight, but sixteen, seeing his tired eyes, shook his head.

"Go to sleep. We'll talk tomorrow."

Sixteen left just this sentence and turned back to the rear chamber.

The exhaustion in Qiu Huanian's body slowly built up, and the intense emotional fluctuations of the night made his head slightly dizzy. He was soon supervised by Du Yunse into sleep.

The next day, Qiu Huanian woke up late, and when he opened his eyes, the sun was already high. Du Yunse had not gone out to work today and had been guarding him in the main room. Seeing him awake, Du Yunse reached out and touched his forehead.

"Brother Hua, you had a bit of a fever at dawn. I wiped your sweat and didn't dare to wake you. Fortunately, the fever has finally subsided now."

Qiu Huanian felt his throat was dry, and Du Yunse handed him a cup of warm water, helping him moisten his mouth.

Qiu Huanian shook his head and smiled, "My body really can't take any grievances now. After a bit of a fuss last night, I felt unwell this morning."

Du Yunse tenderly smoothed his hair, "Zhao and Fu Bao were taken away early this morning by Uncle Bao Ren and his men. With that family out of the village, you can recover in peace."

Qiu Huanian lazily yawned, nuzzling into Du Yunse's arms like a kitten, "How things ended up was totally unexpected, but thankfully, the outcome was good."

He had thought the clan leader would take his time to wrap things up, but Zhao had basically brought this on herself.

Qiu Huanian still felt a twinge of pain thinking about the cotton ruined last night, but he comforted himself that the loss wasn't too severe since it was discovered in time.

After what happened to Zhao and her family, no one in Du Village would dare to mess with the crops again.

For people in those times, being kicked out of a village where their ancestors had lived for generations and having their names struck from the clan registry was a nightmare punishment.

Unless Zhao and her family got far away from Zhang County, they would likely be recognized and gossiped about wherever they went.

But with the little money they had, how could they even think of leaving Zhang County? Finding a stable place to make a living would be extremely difficult.

"Wei Liuhua stopped by this morning to see you, but I told her you were still sleeping. She left, saying she'd come back when you're better."

Qiu Huanian nodded, "Their family has finally turned a corner. Now Jiu Jiu can openly go to Wei Liuhua to learn embroidery."

Wei Liuhua had always been good to Jiu Jiu, and over time, she and Qiu Huanian had also developed a close friendship.

"Last night, I thought Yunhu might stick up for Du Baoquan and the others, but I didn't expect him to hold back."

Du Yunse said gravely, "He's not just a son, but a father and a husband too. When a father's no good, it's tough for a son to keep being dutiful forever."

Qiu Huanian nodded, thinking that human nature is indeed the most complex thing.

Everyone's got different sides to them; a person might be weak in one aspect but strong in another; they might be bad, but also have good moments. So, you can't just judge someone based on one thing but analyze them based on specific situations to truly understand them.

Hearing soft voices coming from the main room, Jiu Jiu and Chun Sheng knew Qiu Huanian was awake. The two kids brought a bowl of still-warm porridge into the main room.

Jiu Jiu set up a low table on the kang and placed the porridge and a refreshing cold dish of bok choy on it.

"Brother Hua, I made this rice porridge for you this morning. I added some chopped dried meat and poached an egg in it, just for you. Try it, and after you finish, you can take your medicine."

Chun Sheng, not making a fuss or sulking anymore, sat quietly by the kang, watching Qiu Huanian with slightly red eyes.

Qiu Huanian turned to Du Yunse, who nodded at him.

Qiu Huanian understood—Du Yunse had already spoken to Chun Sheng. He didn't know what Du Yunse had said, but Chun Sheng now looked at him with great care, as if afraid he might fall seriously ill at any moment.

The porridge was delicious and just the right warmth, with the chopped dried meat adding both nutrition and flavor. The egg white was soft like a cloud, and the yolk was perfectly tender, not dry at all.

Qiu Huanian ate about half the bowl of porridge and a little bok choy, making sure to balance his nutrition.

"Brother Hua, eat a little more," Du Yunse urged him.

Qiu Huanian shook his head, "I don't have much appetite. I'll eat this much for now. Lying around all day, eating too much would just make me feel worse."

Qiu Huanian shooed the two kids off to study in the study, while Du Yunse went to the kitchen to prepare his medicine.

After resting on the kang for a bit, Sixteen quietly appeared in the main room.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"So soon?" Qiu Huanian was momentarily caught off guard.

"I've got my orders. I can't stick around any longer than I have to." Sixteen walked to the edge of the kang, his fingers slightly lifting before dropping again, unnoticed by Qiu Huanian.

"You should worry less. With your health like this, you might not have many years left."

"..."

Qiu Huanian felt both amused and at a loss for words. He could tell Sixteen meant well, but the way he said it was almost insulting. Though, not many people could get away with provoking Sixteen.

"What exactly happened last night? How did you know Zhao was going to uproot the cotton?" Qiu Huanian seized the opportunity to ask.

After spending time together, Qiu Huanian grew bolder and more at ease around Sixteen as his attitude softened.

According to Bao Ren, Sixteen caught Zhao in the act of plotting and took her down immediately. But Zhao was at her own home that night. Why would Sixteen show up there uninvited?

Sixteen calmly stated, "Last evening in the fields, I sensed a clear, hostile stare. To be safe, I decided to investigate."

Malice? Toward Sixteen? Zhao and Sixteen had no history of conflict—why would she target him?

Sixteen continued, "By the time I got to their house, the youngest son had already been sent away. Uprooting the cotton was just a side act of frustration—her real plan was something else."

"What did Zhao want to do?" Qiu Huanian didn't expect Zhao to have other plans.

"She planned to spread rumors about me and Du Yunse having an affair in the capital, tarnishing his reputation and causing trouble for you. With both issues blowing up, you'd be too distracted to investigate the rumors or the cotton."

Qiu Huanian was stunned, torn between anger at Zhao's cruelty and amusement at her audacity.

Spreading rumors about Sixteen? She was practically signing her own death warrant. Both he and Du Yunse tread carefully around Sixteen, yet Zhao had the nerve to plot against him—ignorance truly is bliss.

Sixteen's tone was calm, as if discussing a trivial matter, "Even if it's just a rumor, letting it spread would harm you. So, I cut Zhao's tongue to silence her permanently."

"...?" Qiu Huanian's brain momentarily failed to process this statement.

Cut her tongue? Was this a metaphor or...

"Literally. The secret guards have methods to remove half a tongue without killing the person."

Qiu Huanian was stunned. He’d assumed Sixteen gagged Zhao to silence her, but now it was clear he was hiding the fact that her tongue was gone.

No wonder Zhao was writhing in pain on the ground last night.

Sixteen stood bathed in morning light, his face shrouded in shadow, like an eternal darkness.

His tone was calm and unruffled, "It’s fine if you’re scared—this is who I am. You don’t have to accept it. The road ahead is long, and we may never cross paths again."

"..."

Qiu Huanian was at a loss for words. As someone raised in peaceful times, the brutality of it made his heart pound. But for Sixteen, a secret guard trained since childhood, this was just another day on the job. Zhao had messed with the wrong person, and she had only herself to blame.

Seeing that Qiu Huanian's expression showed no abnormality, Sixteen lowered his eyes and continued, "I found some things in their house. I’ll tell you, but it’s up to you whether to share it with others."

As Sixteen spoke, he pulled out several small packages wrapped in oil paper from his chest.

"What is this?" Qiu Huanian wanted to reach out and touch, but Sixteen stopped him.

"They’re knockout drugs and aphrodisiacs. Be careful—don’t touch them carelessly."

Knockout drugs and aphrodisiacs? Zhao's house actually had such things. Qiu Huanian was first surprised, then upon reflection, understood.

Clearly, Zhao’s family’s strange behavior in the city, and Du Yunjing and Li Guer’s scandal during the Hundred Flavors Trial, were all tied to these drugs.

These drugs likely belong to Li Guer. Qiu Huanian spotted her twice in the village heading to the back mountain, concealing something in her hands—likely these drugs.

Sixteen warned Qiu Huanian not to mess with them, yet he handled the drug packages nonchalantly and said, "I’ve already checked them. These drugs are poorly made and require long-term use to be effective. Plus, they’re really bad for your health. If you don’t need them, I’ll dispose of them."

Naturally, Qiu Huanian wanted nothing to do with such trouble, nor did he have any use for such harmful substances.

"Thank you, Brother Sixteen."

"No big deal, just doing my part," Sixteen said as he put away the drugs. After some thought, he added, "Even though these drugs aren’t top-notch, they’re not the kind of thing regular villagers should be messing with. Even though that family’s been kicked out, the fact that they had these drugs suggests there’s a source nearby Du Village. Keep an eye out from now on."

Qiu Huanian nodded in thanks. Sixteen then requested the unfinished cotton farming manual and diagrams. Qiu Huanian agreed and, once he felt better later that afternoon, worked with Du Yunse to organize and copy a version.

In the evening, Bao Ren and the others who’d taken Zhao’s group to the county town came back. Before Qiu Huanian could ask, Meng Fuyue showed up at his place with the news.

"Magistrate Wang said that in his over ten years of service in Zhang County, he’s never handled a case of malicious crop destruction. This isn’t something to take lightly. Zhao and Fu Bao were thrown in jail for now."

"Zhao’s eldest daughter, Qiaoxing, is married in the county town. Bao Quan and Du Yunjing went to crash at her place. Bao Ren and the others dropped them off at Qiaoxing’s doorstep and left. Word is, Qiaoxing’s husband wasn’t too happy about it, and even Qiaoxing probably felt embarrassed about her family’s mess."

"If not for Du Yunjing being a scholar, her husband might’ve slammed the door in their faces."

Qiu Huanian, recalling the drug packages Sixteen had found, specifically asked, "What about Li Guer?"

"Li Guer is still with Du Yunjing, but I think it’s only temporary."

Meng Fuyue saw things clearly, "That Li girl’s a gold digger. She latched onto Du Yunjing and even pulled some crazy stunts in the city, all because Du Yunjing’s family was wealthy and he was a scholar with a bright future."

"Now that Du Yunjing’s broke and going nowhere, and his temperament is as bad as his mother’s, how could Li Guer stick around without causing trouble?"

"I give it a few months before they’re at it again. However, Li Guer has thoroughly offended her own family and can’t return to them. She’s got no skills to fall back on, so ditching Du Yunjing won’t be simple."

Meng Fuyue patted Qiu Huanian’s hand, "Brother Hua, my father-in-law’s too ashamed to say it himself, being the elder. He asked me to apologize to you and Yunse. He said that protecting Zhao was one of the most foolish things he’s ever done in his life."

Qiu Huanian smiled and shook his head, "It’s been a long time since that happened. Zhao’s family ultimately couldn’t escape, and I also took the opportunity to move my mother’s grave. Let’s consider the matter closed."

Meng Fuyue sighed in relief, "Brother Hua is indeed broad-minded, not like that despicable Du Yunjing."

After discussing the serious matters, Meng Fuyue changed the topic.

"By the way, Brother Hua, I also wanted to ask, is your Yunse planning to study at the county school?"

Du Yunse had passed the scholar examination, and studying at the county school not only exempted him from tuition fees but also allowed him to receive a stone of rice each month if he ranked in the top three in the monthly exams and became a stipendiary scholar.

Qiu Huanian shook his head, "Originally, we planned for him to go, but now that my health is not good, someone needs to take care of the family’s land. Yunse thinks he can study at home, so he decided not to go."

After all, the level of the teachers and classmates at the county school was not sufficient to significantly benefit Du Yunse.

However, all scholars in the county were eligible to take the monthly exams, and attending the county school was not a requirement. Du Yunse still planned to go to the city once a month to take the exams.

This way, the family wouldn’t need to buy rice anymore, and he could also maintain his exam skills and check his learning progress.

Meng Fuyue expressed some disappointment, "I was hoping that if Yunse went to the county school, he could take care of Yuncheng."

Meng Fuyue was increasingly realizing how outstanding Du Yunse was and wanted her son to learn more from him.

Qiu Huanian smiled, "Although Yuncheng is still young, he is smart and sensible. He will surely take good care of himself at the county school. Auntie, don’t worry."

Just as Meng Fuyue was about to speak, Chun Sheng suddenly ran in from outside, "Brother Hua, the servants from Song Juren’s family in Peach Blossom Town are here again."