Chapter 316

Su Dashan slung his bundle over his back, stepped out of the city under the setting sun, and hurried home.

He was used to walking at night; being able to leave the city at this hour and head home was a good thing for him.

Su Dashan walked swiftly, feeling for the first time how joyful walking could be; his already worn-out shoes grew even more ragged, his big toes poking out.

Yet Su Dashan walked faster and faster…

The sky turned completely dark, but the moon soon lit the road.

Tonight's moon was unusually bright, so bright that not a single cloud drifted in the sky, and not a single star could be seen around it; the ground seemed coated in a layer of white frost, letting him clearly see a fist-sized stone by the roadside.

By the moonlight, Su Dashan saw the village bathed in gentle lunar glow.

Only a few lamps flickered sporadically across the village, and several households still glowed with kitchen fires, smoke curling from their chimneys.

The Su family lived seven or eight houses into the village, the very ones with kitchen fires; Su Dashan quickened his pace, nearly running forward, and shoved open the wooden fence.

The little girl kneading rope in the yard froze, recognized the figure by the bright moonlight, dropped the half-finished rope in delight, screamed, and flung herself at Su Dashan, "Mama, Papa's back, Papa's back—"

Su Dashan swept the girl into his arms, spun her twice in joy, his eyes burning as he looked at the woman rushing out of the kitchen with a spatula, voice thick with tears: "My wife, I'm back—I've finished my service!"

The young woman's eyes reddened; she shouted into the kitchen, "Mother, Dashan's back—he says he doesn't have to serve this year!"

An old woman with snow-white hair leaned against the wall and stepped out, clutching a fire poker; upon hearing this, she nodded repeatedly, voice choked: "Good, good—daughter-in-law, go get a few eggs, bring all the eggs we've saved, boil them tonight."

Su Dashan hurried forward: "Mother, save the eggs—sell them. Don't cook them for me."

Only then did the old woman truly see him; her heart clenched with sorrow: "Only two months gone, how… how have you grown so old?"

Su Dashan wiped his face, shook the tears from his hand, and forced a smile: "Your son is useless—I served six months for a three-month term, and helped the family not at all."

The old woman immediately took her daughter-in-law's hand and placed it in her son's: "You know it well—thank heaven your wife is capable. While you were away, she handled every task in the fields. Now that you're back, you must cherish her deeply…"

In these six months, not only had Su Dashan aged greatly, but his wife had aged as well.

Su Dashan choked out his agreement, quickly unslung his bundle, yanked it open, shoved the tattered clothes under his armpit, and pulled out a string of coins and a single cash string, beaming as he showed them: "I earned money too—look!"

The mother and daughter-in-law stared in shock: "Where did you earn this?"

Su Dashan said: "The post station gave it to me. Today, while delivering letters to the county seat, I met three Daoists from Sanqing Temple. Those three young Daoists were kind—they gave me a ride. When they learned I'd been conscripted, they pleaded with the county magistrate, not only waiving my remaining service time but also paying me three months' wages as if I'd been hired, not punished. This is my three months' pay."

Mother and daughter-in-law: "Sanqing Temple?"

The grandmother said: "I know Sanqing Temple—next month is the Sanqing Mountain God Festival. They say anyone with sincere faith receives a blessing pouch from the mountain god—one pouch holds six jin and six liang of rice. Your wife and I plan to pretend we're two families and go, taking Niu Niu too—see if she counts as one."

Su Dashan: "... Mother, isn't that taking advantage of the Daoists?"

The grandmother: "You're right—we'll burn extra incense, make Niu Niu kowtow many times. We won't tell anyone—we'll just go and take it ourselves."

Su Dashan: …

The daughter-in-law: "Mother, your legs aren't steady—if Dashan's back, let him take us."

"Yes, yes—Dashan goes too. Get one more pouch. Too bad your father hates crowds—if he came, he could get one too."

Su Dashan: "Where's my father?"

The grandmother: "He's in the fields. It snowed again today—sleet mixed with snow. He feared the wheat would freeze, so he went to spread rice straw across the fields. He's still not back—he has to cover several plots."

The wife hurried to add: "We just got back—he's at the back hill plot, only three ridges left. He wanted to finish spreading straw while the moon's bright; frost is coming in two days."

Su Dashan nodded: "I'll go fetch Father. You keep the money safe."

The wife nodded.

The little girl, watching her parents with wide eyes, jumped up at once: "Papa, I'm coming too!"

"Alright, come along," Su Dashan smiled, his face wrinkling into folds; he crouched down, and the girl instantly leapt onto his back.

Su Dashan's waist throbbed—he staggered slightly, then steadied himself, lifted the girl higher, and walked out the door smiling.

A warmth spread across his waist—he knew the yellow talisman was heating up—and he walked even more steadily.

Su's father was brought back from the fields; his face, even older than Su Dashan's, beamed as he sat at the table listening to his wife recount the Sanqing Mountain God Festival again. Rarely agreeing, he now nodded: "Go if you want—but rise early, return early. I recall climbing Sanqing Temple takes a long time, doesn't it?"

Su's mother snapped: "The mountain god shrine isn't on the peak—it's at the foot. No climbing needed."

Su's father chuckled: "No climbing's better, no climbing's better. Take Niu Niu too—let her pray hard. Ask the mountain god to bless her with health, safety, and nimble hands."

The family of three answered happily.

After more than half a year, the Su household finally rang with joyful laughter.

Nearby neighbors, hearing it faintly, murmured: "Is Dashan back? I heard their laughter."

"Probably—he's returned from service, right?"

"Dashan served over half a year this time—who knows who'll be next?"

"The village conscription's gotten heavier these two years—city life's better."

"Not necessarily—my cousin married into the city. Her son's been carrying a sedan chair this year, already for a month—no telling when it'll end…" Indeed, carrying sedan chairs, patrolling at night, even sweeping the streets—all were conscripted labor.

One man this day, another the next—rotating in units under the li, with the li chief assigning conscripts.

Lao Zhu wanted to keep the government office and the county running without spending a single coin.

Grain chiefs, li chiefs, and all basic clerks served without pay.

Those who knew how to maneuver could exploit their power for personal gain; others, unable to, bore the burden for nothing.

Especially the grain chief.

Many families collapsed—or were destroyed—after becoming grain chief.

When Ming Ren reviewed the conscription records, he found many problems.

Some used their connections with government office clerks to conscript laborers under false pretenses, forcing them to till fields for officials and landlords, repair roads, build irrigation canals…

Ming Ren stared at the list—conscription numbers exceeded his own by a third—and his face darkened.

The secretary watched his expression and whispered: "My lord, such things can't be stopped. Everyone sweeps—when conscripts sweep the street past the commandant's house, he tells them to sweep his yard too—how can you forbid that?"

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"Clear water holds no fish. We can only stop unjustified extra labor—these 'convenient' tasks, we can't stop."

Ming Ren clenched his fist: "These few—how many conscripts did they draft this year just to make silage for them?"

"Yes, the excuse is to prepare silage for the county office's oxen and horses."

Ming Ren: "Go yourself. Since this is a county labor duty, make them hand over the silage!"

The secretary: "..."

Ming Ren turned to him, his face dark with rage. "Don't tell me you can't do it. If you won't go, I'll go myself!"

The secretary immediately said: "I'll go right away."

"Wait," Ming Ren called him back, his expression blank. "This year, the county office pays each laborer a daily subsidy of twenty cash. I remember the money was already distributed when we conscripted them. Have them settle the accounts."

The secretary: "… Yes."

After the secretary left, Ming Ren angrily hurled the list from his hand.

The list slapped against the threshold with a sharp crack, scattering and fluttering.

Ming Ren took a deep breath, then silently rose to pick up the list and put it away.

The several elders were stunned—Ming Ren not only wanted to seize their silage, but also demanded they pay the laborers?

"Twenty cash a day? Is this even labor duty anymore?"

The secretary said, expressionless: "Gentlemen, this is a personal subsidy our county magistrate has granted the laborers. The money was already delivered into your hands—you withheld it yourselves."

"But, Master Secretary, isn't this putting us in an impossible position? Everyone knows how things really are..."

"How things really are?" The secretary glared at him. "I don't know. Perhaps Master Fang could explain?"

Everyone fell silent at once.

What could they say?

That they had bribed the clerks with a few meals and cheap gifts to secure labor conscription—gaining free labor?

This was something you could do, but never say. If Ming Ren pressed it, they would all face prison.

To avoid prison, they'd have to pay a heavy price—not something a batch of silage and a few coins could match.

Ming Ren was giving them one chance only because he sensed deep corruption in the labor system, fearing it would unravel far more than he could handle.

Moreover, the chaos in Yushan County's conscription was already the mildest. If this exploded and dragged in other prefectures and counties, even as county magistrate, Ming Ren couldn't contain it.

The secretary's meaning was clear: Ming Ren was offering them another chance—if they corrected their ways, he would raise his hand high and let it fall lightly. But if anyone refused to comply...

"Our lord isn't a man to be trifled with. He's about to be promoted and leave. He could just as easily pave a better future with blood. He's only holding back out of old ties, unwilling to let Yushan County run red. If any of you gentlemen wish to force the issue, our county magistrate will meet you head-on."

The men silently paid up to avoid disaster.

None of this had anything to do with Master Qian, but he knew every detail.

He had watched the shifting tides for a while, trembling with fear as he feasted on the gossip, and now he was going to Mount Sanqing to find Pan Yun.

Qian Dahong: "... Father, this whole mess was started by Pan Xiao. Why are you going to her?"

"Precisely because she started it—that's why talking to her is interesting." The gossip tastes best when eaten in front of the one who caused it.

Qian Dahong sighed helplessly and took him there.

But when they reached Mount Sanqing, they learned Pan Yun was not there.

Good night

(End of Chapter)