Chapter 102

When Chen Li arrived, his face was full of anxiety; when he left, his face was full of melancholy.

The conditions Chen Wuji offered were far too lenient, so lenient that they made him feel extremely uneasy.

He had endured a lifetime of hardship and had also witnessed a lifetime of human darkness.

This made him deeply understand a truth: when a person is impoverished, it is hard to see any beauty.

When even the words of the person beside his pillow turned sharp and bitter, he no longer harbored any beautiful fantasies about the outside world.

This belief persisted for most of Chen Li's life, and it was precisely this mindset that made him, like a hard‑shelled desert turtle, stubbornly struggle in the mire of life.

But today, Chen Wuji suddenly extended a tremendous kindness to him.

Even though they are of the same clan, a descendant of the great‑grandfather.

It still left him feeling somewhat at a loss.

He trusted Chen Wuji's character and believed that everything Chen Wuji had just said was true.

Yet he could not adapt, nor could he accept it with a clear conscience.

Back home, he called Chen Qun to his side.

Father and son sat beneath the peach tree in the yard, its branches already heavy with pink peaches.

This was their fixed spot for discussing family matters.

After Chen Qun became sensible, every important family decision was made here.

When he had just become sensible, Chen Qun only listened to his father speak here, and incidentally heard his father's complaints about his mother.

Now, he finally had the right to offer a few suggestions.

"Dad, what did Brother Wuji say?" Without waiting for Chen Li to speak, Chen Qun couldn't help but ask first.

"He agreed," Chen Li set the tone, then continued in detail, "but he only wants 30%, and additionally asks that we go to the mountain to cut trees whenever we have free time."

"Brother Wuji's conditions are this lenient? They're so good, why are you still frowning, Dad?" Chen Qun picked up a peach that had fallen beneath the tree, rubbed it casually in his hand, and took a bite.

Chen Li glanced and said, "You want to eat the bad ones; these good ones can at least be sold for a few coins. Eating them doesn't fill the stomach, so what's the point of a mouthful habit?"

In their impoverished household, even a peach from their own tree had to be weighed in money.

"The bad one, it has wormholes!" Chen Qun lifted the peach to prove to Chen Li, then muttered, "Dad, my eyes are still not bad; if it were good, I wouldn't be able to part with it."

Chen Li then said nothing more; his age‑wrinkled eyelids drooped weakly as he sighed, "But his conditions are too lenient."

【5】 "We previously could only take 20% when we farmed, and even in lean years we still had to pay rent. I know most of the neighboring tenant families; normally it's a 70/30 split, and some more benevolent landlords offer a 60/40 split."

"We could only get a two‑tenths share when we farmed before, and even in lean years we still had to pay rent Zi. I also know pretty much all the other tenant families nearby; normally it's a three‑to‑seven split, and some landlords who are a bit more kind have a four‑to‑six split."

"Now we're doing well, we get a 30% share, the benefits are too much, which makes me uneasy. If Wuji doesn't want it, I think we should be proactive. Your affairs in the county haven't been going smoothly lately; why not take a break and go help Brother Wuji at his place?"

Chen Qun chuckled lightly, "Dad, when you cut people down you were so decisive, why are you hesitating now? Whatever Brother Wuji says we should do, that's fine. Rest assured, there's nothing else hidden; Brother Wuji's character won't trap us."

"I understand, but we must act with conscience; Wuji gave such a great benefit, we can't just take it with a clear conscience," Chen Li rebuked.

"Dad, I understand what you mean," Chen Qun said, "but Brother Wuji hasn't had much going on lately. If I go, I'm worried I'll end up just begging for free food and not have any work to do."

"If you work harder, you'll get it!" Chen Li said irritably.

"Brother Wuji's wounds aren't healed yet; fetching water and chopping wood is still work, right? Today he even took the two Yuan Family boys up the mountain; the hunting hasn't been neglected either. Can't you do these? There's no reason for us to let two outsiders take over, especially since those outsiders are from the Yuan family."

"Alright, alright, I'll go. I'll go tomorrow!" Chen Qun hurriedly said.

Although his biological father hadn't studied much, his belly was full of sage teachings.

Having been a son for so many years, Chen Qun was clear about this.

If he answered a bit later, his father's reasoning might not have been clear by this morning.

"When you go, keep an eye out; don't let those two wild Yuan boys get ahead, understand?" Chen Li warned anxiously.

"Got it."

"You shall not go!" a sharp rebuke suddenly came from behind.

Chen Qun's mother, Chen Inkstone, suddenly rose from behind the low earthen wall beside them, her face like frost.

Behind the peach tree was a thatched latrine.

Chen Inkstone, while tying her skirt sash, stormed out of the latrine, "Chen Li, you wretched thing bitten by a wild boar? Are you ill? Chen Wuji already agreed, why are you making this extra move?"

"Qun'er's livelihood in the city may be sluggish, but he still brings back a few copper coins each day; over a month that's a decent sum. You let him not earn money, yet send him to Chen Wuji's house to work for free—what kind of matter is that?"

Chen Li, hearing this, flared up, "When you were a servant for Yuan Jintang's family, why didn't you say this? Back then, Yuan Jintang took 80% of the year's grain; Wuji now only wants 30%, and you can't see that?"

"I see it clearly!" Chen Inkstone shouted angrily.

"But Chen Wuji is one of our own, a member of our lineage; isn't it reasonable that he looks after us a bit? When he was a fool those years, you even sent away the old hen that laid eggs for the family!"

"Perhaps without that old hen he would have starved long ago; now he's repaying us. Not to mention the 30%, even a 10% share would be appropriate. That old hen lays twenty‑two eggs a month, worth eleven copper coins; over a year that's over a hundred copper coins!"

"It's been two years; over two years that's even more. That's a huge sum, a massive gratitude, and you treat it as a trivial matter, right?!"

Chen Qun silently covered his face, "Mother, this money doesn't seem to be as much as the wages Brother Wuji gave that day..."

Chen Inkstone choked out a harsh retort, waving her hand, "Shut up! I don't care; in any case it's a lot. That old hen saved Chen Wuji's life, so he should treat us better."

"30% is unacceptable; I don't accept this, he can at most take 10%. Chen Li, you go tomorrow and speak; if you can't bear this old face, I'll speak myself. He saved our lives, yet he still has the nerve to ask for 30%; that ten mu of land is practically given to us for two years, and I even think that's appropriate."

Chen Li's complexion grew darker; he turned to Chen Qun, gritted his teeth and asked, "Qun'er, would you mind going to your mother's grave a bit earlier?"

Chen Qun was startled, then quickly embraced Chen Li, "Dad, dad, no, no, no—please don't act rashly; this can't be done. I do mind, I truly do. My mother may have countless faults, but she's my own mother; I cannot be unfilial."

"It's fine, I'll take action; you just stay out of it!" Chen Li said viciously.