Chapter 66

Chapter 66

"Brother Zijun, what's going on between you and Xixi?"

On the way, Shen Yuan couldn't help but ask Song Zijun.

Song Zijun smiled and filled him in on what had happened. "I never expected your third brother would actually agree. He's a kid but sharp, full of his own ideas."

Then, his tone shifted, his face turning a bit serious. "Even though it might have seemed like a joke, I meant it when I asked him. Since he's willing and accepted my wooden bracelet, from now on, he's my little apprentice."

Song Zijun asked Shen Yuan, "Do you agree with your third brother learning strategic planning from me?"

Shen Yuan didn't quite know what to say.

In his view, Shen Xi was just a seven-year-old child. In his previous life, children that age, if starting school late, would only be in first or second grade. What could they possibly know?

But Shen Xi said he was willing, and Shen Yuan didn't feel right interfering too much.

After all, this wasn't a stable, peaceful era. People became parents in their teens, and everyone matured early.

At seven years old, he couldn't be treated as a child who knew nothing at all.

It's just that whenever Shen Xi was with him, he acted very much like the child Shen Yuan remembered.

A thought suddenly struck Shen Yuan: Was it possible Xixi knew he liked that kind of behavior and was deliberately acting that way?

Thinking this, Shen Yuan felt a pang of heartache for Shen Xi.

So young, yet having to consider so many things, treading so carefully.

Shen Yuan sighed softly. "If my brother likes it and is willing, then it's fine. But how do you plan to teach these things?"

Song Zijun said, "It's a secret lineage technique. Does A-Yuan want to become my apprentice too?"

Before Shen Yuan could speak, Ji Ping'an, who was beside them, said, "If it's a secret technique, aren't those usually passed down to descendants within the family? Shen Xi has no blood relation to you, nor any marital ties. Why would you teach him? What's in it for you?"

It wasn't that Ji Ping'an was overthinking; it was just that such a thing was unheard of.

Song Zijun said, half-jokingly, half-seriously, "I swore from a young age that I would never marry or have children. Since I have no parents or elders in my clan, there are no younger clan members to teach and pass on my knowledge. I think Shen Xi is good. I'm choosing my own successor. What's wrong with that?"

Ji Ping'an didn't know Song Zijun's true background. Hearing that his circumstances were like this, even someone who usually didn't have a good impression of Song Zijun softened a bit.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."

Song Zijun stared at Ji Ping'an curiously for a moment before saying, "It's fine. I know you're worried about A-Yuan and his brother."

It was only then that Shen Yuan learned that master-apprentice relationships here usually involved some blood ties.

He thought of the sect inheritance in "The Swordsman"; that model seemed contrary to the current practice.

After thinking it over during the journey, Shen Yuan still decided not to change his mind.

He also wanted to show something different.

Upon arriving at the yamen, Ji Ping'an was called away to conduct an interrogation.

Shen Yuan went to his usual office and found the courtyard crowded with people, all yamen guards.

Judging by the condition of their uniforms, they were the Martial Blades.

Someone sharp-eyed quickly spotted Shen Yuan and shouted loudly, "Registrar Shen is here!"

The Martial Blades gathered together all turned to look at Shen Yuan, each face filled with scrutiny and resentment. The scene was somewhat eerie; even Shen Yuan, battle-hardened from the entertainment industry, felt a bit uneasy.

He asked in confusion, "What are you all doing here?"

Guo Mingchen and Xu Kangfu struggled to squeeze out from among the Martial Blades and positioned themselves protectively in front of Shen Yuan. Just as Xu Kangfu was about to explain, Qin Shisong stepped forward and said, "What are we doing? Of course, we're here to give Registrar Shen the money for our official uniforms."

Shen Yuan was even more puzzled. "Wasn't that matter already settled?"

He was well aware of the current attitude of Qin Shisong and the Martial Blades—they disliked him.

The current situation was also thanks to Magistrate Pang stirring up trouble; otherwise, the Martial Blades wouldn't have such strong opinions about him.

But this matter had passed many days ago. Shen Yuan thought the Martial Blades had moved on; he never expected them to bring it up now.

Qin Shisong actually wanted to settle accounts with Shen Yuan as soon as he returned from the Ancient Tea Estate—a young punk who had caused him to be scolded by that old man Magistrate Pang for no reason.

But his injuries this time were quite severe. The bandits had used arrows with iron heads, not pure wooden ones.

Things only seen on the battlefield were now in the hands of bandits. During the two days Qin Shisong spent recuperating, he was also deeply worried.

As soon as he could get out of bed and walk, he hurriedly brought his brothers to demand an explanation.

They, the Martial Blades, were looked down upon in the yamen, just lowly hired muscle. They also knew that paying this money meant being exploited and cheated.

That was fine; at least after giving the silver, there wouldn't be any annoying, fly-and-dung-like troubles later.

When he first heard that the newly arrived Registrar Shen allowed them not to buy new summer official uniforms, he felt something was off.

If it wasn't money, then it was something else.

It couldn't possibly be out of genuine kindness.

Magistrate Pang's scolding and cursing that day was the best proof.

Today, he brought people here for two reasons: first, to find out what this newly arrived Registrar was really up to. Second, to teach this young punk a lesson, lest they really think the Martial Blades are easy to push around. Otherwise, their days in the yamen would be over.

"Settled?" Qin Shisong walked to the front, glaring fiercely at Shen Yuan, the beard around his mouth seeming to tremble. "You talk a good game, Registrar Shen. When we Martial Blades were being pointed at and cursed by Magistrate Pang because of this, you must have been hiding in a corner laughing, right?"

"I damn well can't understand what benefit you gain by scheming against us like this!"

Shen Yuan was also helpless; it was impossible to explain clearly.

"Actions speak louder than words. If Boss Qin wants to know the reason, dare you follow me?" Shen Yuan knew talking was useless; it was better to face it directly. "Come with me to see Magistrate Pang. I'll give Boss Qin an explanation."

Qin Shisong didn't believe Shen Yuan at all. In his view, all officials were the same—not a single good one among them.

After so many years in the yamen, he understood this principle well.

But since Shen Yuan said so, he wasn't afraid to follow him.

He wanted to see what medicine this kid was really selling!

The Martial Blades followed behind Shen Yuan in a large group, while Guo Mingchen and Xu Kangfu carefully protected Shen Yuan, constantly on guard against them as if they were thieves.

On the way, Xu Kangfu couldn't stand Qin Shisong and these Martial Blades glaring at Shen Yuan. He lowered his voice and asked, "Registrar, why bother being so serious with these men? If they say they want to give this money, we should just take it. Even if they think we're going back on our word, they wouldn't dare do anything to us anyway. At most, they're just showing off verbally."

Xu Kangfu wasn't saying this out of cowardice or fear of offending Magistrate Pang.

He had even entered the mansions of the noble and prestigious families in Youyang. In his eyes, a mere county magistrate wasn't much at all.

Whether these people acknowledged or misunderstood him, and even if they took action later, what did it matter?

Dealing with it would be simpler than drinking water, so why bother paying it any mind?

Shen Yuan understood the meaning behind Xu Kangfu's words—that he didn't need to give any response to the Martial Blades because they were utterly insignificant.

When someone walking along accidentally steps on an ant and is surrounded by a swarm of ants, who would crouch down to ask why the ants are blocking their way?

They would simply ignore them, as if they weren't even there.

Shen Yuan didn't answer Xu Kangfu's question; he just walked forward in silence.

When Magistrate Pang heard that Shen Yuan had come, he was initially pleased.

But upon learning that he had brought a group of Martial Blades with him, Magistrate Pang immediately sensed trouble.

The accompanying Martial Blades didn't all enter the room; they waited in the courtyard.

Only Shen Yuan, Xu Kangfu, Guo Mingchen, and Qin Shisong went inside.

Magistrate Pang pointedly ignored Qin Shisong and greeted Shen Yuan and the two clerks with a smile. After all, they were all under the patronage of Xie Yulin, so he had to treat them well, didn't he?

"Well, what brings Registrar Shen, Clerk Guo, and Clerk Xu here today?"

Shen Yuan, mindful of official etiquette, gave a slight bow to Magistrate Pang, adopting a strictly businesslike tone without any hint of small talk. "Your subordinate Shen Yuan pays his respects to the Magistrate. Today, I have come to report an important matter."

Magistrate Pang quickly glanced at Qin Shisong, who was watching coldly from the side. Even though he knew there might be trouble ahead, he had no choice but to brace himself and ask, "Registrar Shen, feel free to speak your mind."

At this, Qin Shisong let out a disdainful snort, thinking the two were putting on an act in front of him—one playing the good cop, the other the bad cop.

Did they really think he'd never seen a play before?

Ignoring Qin Shisong's scoff, Shen Yuan went straight to the point. "Magistrate, you previously instructed me to collect fees for the summer official uniforms. After learning that the court does not mandate purchasing new uniforms every season, I ordered that only those who needed them should place custom orders. The Martial Blades, acting according to their own needs, chose not to purchase. This is entirely reasonable and violates no rules or regulations."

"To avoid any misunderstanding on your part, Magistrate, and to prevent you from thinking they deliberately refused to buy them to obstruct my work, I have come specifically to inform you that their actions were permitted by me. They are not at fault, and there is no reason to blame them."

Magistrate Pang's eyes darted. So, it really was about this matter?

He had found it hard to believe at first, since this was speaking up for the Martial Blades.

These people held no value, nor did they have much more money to squeeze out. What use was there in speaking up for them? It was completely unnecessary.

Not only that, but they were also a bunch of ungrateful wolves.

If it weren't for him giving these brutes a chance to enter the yamen back then, would a dog like Qin Shisong even have the right to glare at him like that?

Pah! What did they think they were?

Magistrate Pang had already had some misgivings about Shen Yuan, and now he saw that Shen Yuan was firmly standing on the opposite side.

Since this young man was willing to associate with such lowly people, he had nothing more to say.

However, he couldn't afford to offend Xie Yulin's people, so he forced a smile and said, "Well, it seems this was all a misunderstanding. That day, I merely said a few words to them—how could that be considered blame? Can't a superior official say a few words to a subordinate? That's only reasonable, isn't it?"

"Ah, if you ask me, it's just that the yamen has become too lax. I've been too kind-hearted, which is why those below are acting like jealous roosters, thinking anyone can have a say. Oh, Registrar Shen, don't misunderstand—I'm not referring to you. It's just that you're young and inexperienced, so you believe whatever others say."

Magistrate Pang shot a cold glance at Qin Shisong, his teeth gritted in resentment. "It's those who sow discord who deserve the blame. You, on the other hand, are too pure. Clerk Guo and Clerk Xu, you're older, so you should keep a close eye on our young registrar. Don't let him be deceived and used by wicked people again."

Shen Yuan had repeatedly shown him no respect and stood against him. Magistrate Pang wasn't made of clay—he had a bellyful of resentment and was looking for a way to vent.

Even Xie Yulin couldn't control what he said.

Besides, his words were for Shen Yuan's own good. Hopefully, they would wake him up—not everyone was good, and he shouldn't be so eager to cozy up to others. He should be careful, lest those ungrateful wolves chase him with blades!

Magistrate Pang's words, veiled and insinuating, had criticized everyone in the room. After venting his hidden grievances, he felt somewhat relieved. After all, he came from a prestigious family in Qingyun County. No matter how much he had to humble himself, there were limits.

Did they really think the yamen was some village game of make-believe?

Qin Shisong had a fiery temper. He hadn't come here to be insulted, so he immediately flared up. "Pang, you coward! Have the guts to speak clearly! Who are you muttering to with all this vague talk?"

If he wanted to curse, he should do it openly. They could even fight it out. All this sneaky, indirect grumbling was suffocating.

Upon hearing this, Magistrate Pang's expression changed, his eyes turning dangerous.

Shen Yuan frowned slightly and immediately stepped forward, blocking the line of sight. "The Magistrate is quite eloquent, talking about deception and manipulation with every word."

"But you're overthinking it, Magistrate. I'm perfectly fine. Today, I came only to make things clear to you face-to-face: purchasing official uniforms based on need and paying for custom orders—that was my decision. I take full responsibility for this matter, and it fully complies with court regulations. If there are any oversights or mistakes later, I will bear all consequences. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

Shen Yuan spoke decisively, his words firm and resounding.

Upon hearing this, Qin Shisong, who had been fuming, froze on the spot. He looked uncertain, studying Shen Yuan with a strange expression.

"I will bear all consequences. It has nothing to do with anyone else."

These eight short words were enough to shake him profoundly.

Shen Yuan truly hadn't deceived him. This wasn't some hidden scheme he was unaware of—it was simply that the other party wanted only those who needed the uniforms to purchase them, and those who didn't to abstain.

That was all.

Magistrate Pang sneered. "Everyone knows Registrar Shen has Young Master Lin watching over him. Even if something happens, what could possibly go wrong? It seems I was at fault—I blamed the wrong person and worried for nothing."

He glanced at Qin Shisong, stroking his beard. "In that case, let this matter end here. From now on, all of you should listen to Registrar Shen. I won't say another word about it."

Previously, Qin Shisong had always believed Shen Yuan and Magistrate Pang were on the same side. Coming here, he had prepared for the worst.

At most, he could do as Ji Ping'an had suggested. He might not excel in other areas, but he always kept his word.

If he really went through with it, Ji Ping'an would protect him as promised.

He never expected that Shen Yuan would actually give him an explanation and a resolution.

He had even resolved their future concerns—Magistrate Pang would no longer say anything to the Martial Blades about this matter.

This was the first time Qin Shisong had encountered an official like this, and he was genuinely stunned.

When the Martial Blades saw Qin Shisong walk out completely unharmed, without even a slap mark on his face, they were equally astonished.

They had expected a fight today.

"Boss Qin, take the Martial Blades back. The matter of the official uniforms has been resolved. After all, we all work in the yamen—we're colleagues. It's better for both sides to take a step back, maintain peace, and get along well. Isn't that better than constantly fighting, growing to despise each other, and feeling stifled?"

Upon hearing this, the Martial Blades in the courtyard collectively drew a sharp breath. Qin Shisong snapped back to reality, pointing at himself in confusion. "Registrar Shen, are you saying we're colleagues?"

Shen Yuan looked puzzled. "Aren't we?"

Shen Yuan's expression and reaction were genuinely sincere; such instinctive reactions couldn't be faked. Qin Shisong believed that Shen Yuan truly thought of them as colleagues at this moment.

He finally understood why Magistrate Pang said Shen Yuan was young and inexperienced, easily deceived and manipulated—his nature was indeed simple and naive.

Qin Shisong gave a self-mocking smile. Such a child, calling himself a colleague of the lowest Blade Officers in the yamen—wasn't that just degrading himself?

But regardless, he had misunderstood Shen Yuan. Qin Shisong admitted his mistake when he realized it; there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

He cupped his hands and said to Shen Yuan, "I won't harm you, Registrar Shen. And please, don't refer to us as colleagues from now on. Regarding today's matter, I apologize. It was my misunderstanding and my fault. In the future, if you have any need for me, send someone to the Blade Officers' Office to find me. No matter what it is, I will never refuse."

Shen Yuan didn't dwell on the term "colleague" either. Words spoken on the surface were less important than genuine recognition in one's heart.

In his heart, if he considered them colleagues, then they were colleagues.

"I understand, Boss Qin. Everyone, please return to your duties."

The Blade Officers came in a noisy throng and left the same way. They lowered their voices, discussing animatedly. Shen Yuan couldn't make out what they were saying, but he was certain it was all about him.

On the way back, Xu Kangfu seemed moved to reflect. "Everyone in the yamen says the Blade Officers are lowly, just used to fill in when the yamen needs lives. Yet you regard them as colleagues in your heart, Registrar. No wonder Boss Qin ultimately made such a solemn promise."

Although Qin Shisong was quick to anger, he was impeccable in how he treated his brothers; he valued loyalty highly.

Once he said something, he would definitely do it.

Xu Kangfu knew Qin Shisong somewhat, and for him to say those words was truly not easy.

Shen Yuan said, "If we work in the same place, just in different positions, what are we if not colleagues? Everyone only gets one life; there's no such thing as noble or lowly. Those who think themselves precious—could it be they will never die?"

"After all, everyone dies. Whose life is precious? Whose life is lowly?"

Xu Kangfu had never heard such words before and found this perspective interesting. He couldn't help but say, "The Registrar's words remind me of something that happened years ago. It has puzzled me for a long time, and now I'd like to take this opportunity to ask what you think and how you would act."

Shen Yuan nodded. "Go ahead and ask."

Xu Kangfu thought for a moment and then said, "In the Youyang region, the influential noble families are fond of horses. Whenever they acquire a new batch of foals, they take them out for races to display their splendor. In my youth, I witnessed a scene I could never forget. The steeds galloped swiftly, and the nobles on horseback were so dashing and imposing."

Xu Kangfu fell into recollection. The scene was bloody, yet his expression remained calm. "That child was struck into a pulp of flesh. The onlookers nearby hid far away; only his parents were unafraid, holding him tightly in their arms, wailing. Later, the man and woman were detained by the authorities for a simple reason: blocking the nobles' path. And that mangled mess was left unattended, lying on the ground."

"The remains blocked the road, making it hard to pass. Pedestrians were also furious and resentful. In the end, I don't know who cleaned it up, but it was gone by the next morning. Later, I heard the man and woman were beaten to death in prison. They had an eldest son at home, and this son planned for years to avenge them, entering the noble's mansion as a servant."

"After lying low for a while, he set fire to the noble's residence, starting the blaze from the inner courtyard. However, only some servants and maids in the outer courtyard were burned to death. The masters, though choked by smoke a few times, were unharmed. The young man was then wanted, and his village suffered a great disaster. Over a hundred villagers, regardless of gender or age, were all pressed into corvée labor."

"All these years, I've been thinking: if the young man hadn't set the fire, the villagers might have been safe. But if he hadn't set the fire, the rage in his heart would have had nowhere to go." Xu Kangfu asked, "In such a situation, what would Registrar Shen do?"

Shen Yuan pondered for a moment. "If I were that young man, I would first lie low and strengthen myself. I would befriend the ordinary folk, build a wide circle of contacts, and gradually place people I know into that noble's mansion. Once I'd made a name for myself, I would then spread stories that favored my cause. After shaping public opinion, I'd create some bizarre, unexplained occurrences to make people think that family was plagued by ill omens. At the same time, working from both inside and outside, I'd have people pull small tricks within the household. I'd make them think vengeful ghosts were seeking their lives, keeping them awake all night. When people can't rest properly for a long time, they make mistakes. At that point, even if I stopped taking action, their political rivals wouldn't miss such a good opportunity to tear them apart and destroy them."

Shen Yuan looked at Xu Kangfu seriously. "Never look down on anyone, especially so-called 'little people'—the commoners in the mouths of the nobility."

Xu Kangfu and Guo Mingchen were stunned; such methods had never occurred to them.

So that's how it could be done!

"However, what I said is based on my ability to guide and manipulate public opinion. That young man didn't know these things; the path he took was the best one he could find." Shen Yuan sighed softly. "Unfortunately, those who deserved to die didn't, while innocent people suffered."

Guo Mingchen suddenly asked, "Registrar, don't you think the young man's actions caused those unjust deaths and the villagers' disaster?"

Shen Yuan countered, "If that young man knew the nobles would act that way in the end, would he still have set fire to the mansion? Perhaps yes, perhaps no. But right and wrong, the twists and turns of the matter, require both parties to stand on equal footing, present evidence, and have officials judge the case impartially. Who is right, who is wrong, where the fault lies, and how to punish."

"But such a situation is impossible. So, judging this young man—is that even important? I can only say that the young man's approach was, under those circumstances, the only way he could avenge his family."

After a brief silence, Guo Mingchen said quietly, "If you were the official judging that case, Registrar, such an 'impossible' situation would likely occur."

Hearing this, Shen Yuan waved his hands repeatedly. "Please spare me! I have neither status nor background, and I'm still relying on Fifth Granduncle's protection. How could I judge a case involving nobles?"

Moreover, being an official is too tiring—not physically, but mentally.

He still preferred writing stories and building wealth through them.

Now he had a small courtyard in Dashu Village. In the future, he would have his own courtyards in Qingyun County and the prefectural seat.

When his younger siblings grew up a bit more, he could hire guards and take them and his aunt to travel and enjoy the scenery.

If he had enough money, he could even tour various countries.

Thinking of this, Shen Yuan felt a surge of joy. In the afternoon, he would go to the teahouse and write two more chapters of *The Swordsman*.

He wanted to earn lots and lots of money!

Now, relying on his share from storytelling sessions, the share from desserts, and the fifty-fifty split with the storytellers, he could earn over ten to twenty taels of silver daily.

Initially, Shen Yuan hadn't wanted a share of the tips from other storytellers; it was Ji Ping'an who insisted on it.

Now, in Qingyun County, apart from those disguised as storytellers (the undercover guards), the storytellers at the Chen and Xu family teahouses, and Wang Sanhu, all the other storytellers were Ji family servants.

Ji Ping'an felt that the high tips relied entirely on good stories. Otherwise, why couldn't the Chen and Xu families manage it? They had even had their teahouses smashed by customers.

Besides not wanting Shen Yuan to suffer, he also wanted to spite his father. He forced Shen Yuan to sign a contract for a fifty-fifty split of the tips from the Ji family storytellers.

Wang Sanhu had no objection; he was eager to give Shen Yuan money. Before the contract, he and Fang Zaoshang had both tried to force money on him.

Now, with a legitimate contract, he acted faster than anyone. Otherwise, holding so much silver made his hands feel like they were burning.

Shen Yuan's daily income wasn't fixed, but it was substantial.

However, Shen Yuan wanted to buy land. Only with land would he truly feel secure.

Aside from his savings for land, the remaining silver allowed his family to have white rice, vegetables, and meat every day.

If he were a local of Wu Country, he would think this life was wonderful. But as a transmigrator, this was just his former standard.

Currently, he had just brought his life up to a passing grade. To improve further, he needed to earn more.

Arriving at the teahouse that afternoon, Shen Yuan bounded up the stairs. Auntie Chun had prepared a bowl of steamed sugar pastry for him.

Over the past two days, Shen Yuan had thought of several plot points. The next two chapters would reveal the identity of the youth in the coffin and why he was nailed inside for burial.

Shen Yuan wrote three chapters' worth in one sitting. By the time he stopped, it was already dark.

Rubbing his sore wrist, he took a sip of tea to relax.

Ji Xingwang was called upstairs, his eyes shining brightly.

Shen Yuan replied, "There's no hurry to copy it. It's a bit late today; tomorrow will do."

As he spoke, Ji Xingwang had already sat down at the table and buried his head in his work. "It's fine, not late at all! Storekeeper, I'm full of energy—I can finish it all tonight!"

Now, Ji Xingwang felt no weariness from copying so many bamboo slips, only excitement and anticipation for the rest of the story.

Shen Yuan had no choice but to let him be. When he went downstairs, he asked Auntie Chuntian and the others to go up from time to time to refill Ji Xingwang's tea.

Two more days passed, and Shen Yuan had completed two more chapters.

He decided to take a break for a day. This day was also for setting up the memorial graves for Shen's father and the body's former occupant.

In "Love Between Human and Ghost," Shen Yuan had explained the concept of a cenotaph clearly.

At first, it was mostly townsfolk in the county who held memorials and set up cenotaphs, but recently, more and more surrounding villages were following suit.

The story "Love Between Human and Ghost" was also being told by storytellers at the village entrances.

Most villagers had no land of their own. When someone in the family passed away, they could only be buried in the wild hills.

Every village had a plot of mountainous land set aside for burials.

The area designated for Big Tree Village was a bit deeper into the hills, but not too deep, to minimize the risk of wild beasts as much as possible.

Village Chief Liu, Auntie Ping, and Xu Dagui's family followed them into the mountains to help with the work and handle everything that needed doing.

Wang Sanhu had also specifically taken time off to come and help dig the grave.

Here, only Shen Yuan really knew the procedure, so they all did as he said.

Many hands made light work, and soon the grave was dug.

Clothes Shen's father had worn in life were placed in a wooden box. These clothes had originally been kept for the younger children to wear. But the family had become so poor that if Shen Yuan hadn't arrived, these clothes would have been exchanged for some bran to eat.

Though tattered and worn, they were still linen and could be traded for a bit of food.

Shen Yuan placed the wooden box containing his father's clothes into the grave.

Shen Anniang and Shen Dong also held boxes in their hands.

The box in Shen Anniang's hands contained the clothes of the body's former occupant. Shen Yuan couldn't set up a separate memorial for him, so he had to make do with placing them together with his father.

The boxes in the three children's hands held funerary offerings.

After everything was placed, they began filling in the soil.

Once everything was done, Shen Yuan chanted softly, summoning the spirits. Then he led everyone on a walk around the mountain, up and down, so the spirits would know their way.

Finally, they set out offerings and burned spirit money.

Not far from the cenotaph were the graves of the other Shen family members. Shen Yuan's grandparents were buried together.

Back then, after the grandmother went into the wild mountains alone, her family had gone looking for her.

In the end, they only brought back her body.

Shen Yuan and the others placed offerings at the graves of the other Shen family members—white rice and meat dishes.

Shen Anniang knelt before her parents' grave, her eyes red and tears streaming down her face. "Dad, Mom, it's time to eat. From now on, you won't go hungry anymore."

Everyone wiped their tears in silent, bitter grief.

Thinking back to those years, so many people had died of hunger.

The current situation wasn't much better, but thanks to Shen Yuan, they could at least eat their fill.

Shen Yuan stood before the Shen family graves, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

"Please rest assured, everyone. I will take good care of my younger siblings and aunt."

"If you, 'Shen Yuan,' have become me... my brothers and sisters are quite numerous, but they are all very, very good. May you find happiness."

A gust of wind rose, swirling the ashes of the spirit money that had been burned on the ground.

Shen Yuan opened his eyes, and what met his gaze were the worried expressions of his three younger brothers.

"Big brother, don't cry. Xixi will never die and will stay with big brother forever," Shen Xi said earnestly, looking up at him.

Only then did Shen Yuan realize he was crying.