TFS – Chapter 83 Trouble

The atmosphere in the Zhao family was completely different from that in Li Feng’s home.

Outside the room, the sons and grandsons of Third Great-Uncle stood listening as he angrily accused Zhao Laosan of being unfilial and the clan members of being selfish and greedy. However, if one looked closely, none of them actually seemed sad. Instead, their expressions carried a sense of indifference, as if they thought, So what?

Even if they were branded as unfilial, as long as they weren’t planning to take the imperial exams, it wouldn’t affect their futures much.

In the past, they might have worried about how a bad reputation could impact marriage prospects, but now, the situation in Pingshan Village was flourishing. It was clear to everyone that more and more people would want to marry into the village in the future. Even their Zhao family wouldn’t have trouble finding suitable husbands.

“Do you think Zhao Laosan will cause trouble now that he’s back?” Third Great-Uncle’s youngest son whispered to the others.

“What trouble could he cause?” someone scoffed, glancing toward the house. “With his personality, even if he passes the exams, it doesn’t mean he’ll have a bright future. And even if he knows how to scheme, don’t forget—he’s got a bunch of useless baggage dragging him down.”

There was no need to clarify; everyone knew the “baggage” referred to Zhao Laosan’s family. Even when Zhao Daniu went missing, his family didn’t seem too worried or eager to find him. There was still no news, making it hard to believe that Zhao Laosan had put in any real effort to search for him in the city. His cold and indifferent nature was chilling—who would dare place their hopes on someone like him?

“Exactly. Over at Li Feng’s side, he’s backed by the imperial merchant Rong family. That’s not something a mere scholar can compare to. Even if Zhao Laosan becomes a juren (a successful candidate in the provincial exam), he wouldn’t dare openly go against Li Feng and Ming Ge’er. Have you ever seen him take the lead in anything before? He always hides behind others, only stepping forward at the last moment to play the good guy. It was only when Ming Ge’er exposed him that the old man became displeased with him.”

As he spoke, he gestured slightly toward the house.

“I really admire Ming Ge’er!” someone said. Back then, the Li family hadn’t yet lent their support, and Li Feng had only just returned to the village, still sorting out his own affairs. He wasn’t even connected to Ming Ge’er yet. Even so, Ming Ge’er had dared to stand against the Zhao family and Third Great-Uncle. Thinking about it now, that had taken real courage.

While they whispered outside, inside the room, Third Great-Uncle pounded his heated brick bed in frustration.

“Look at the state of Pingshan Village now! All anyone cares about is money, money, and more money! Does no one care about anything else? And yet, none of them understand my good intentions! They’d rather side with those Li family people! Laosan, you’re my last hope now. As long as you pass the juren exam, I can reclaim my position as clan leader and use the entire clan’s power to support your path to success!”

“Third Great-Uncle, do you really think the Li family has connected with the imperial merchant Rong family? How could they have such a connection? Could it be someone Li Feng knew from his past?”

Zhao Laosan was shocked by the appearance of the Rong family. Ever since entering the county academy, his perspective had broadened. He understood what kind of status the Rong family held. Even the wealthiest households in the county couldn’t easily establish ties with them. But Li Feng and Tang Chunming were just farmers from Pingshan Village—how was this possible? The only explanation had to be found on Li Feng’s side.

“Is the Rong family really that powerful?” Third Great-Uncle frowned, looking at Zhao Laosan.

Lowering his voice, Zhao Laosan said, “I’ve heard that the head of the Rong family is backed by His Highness Prince Zhao. Although Prince Zhao doesn’t hold power in court, he is the most trusted by the current emperor. If word spreads that the head of the Rong family has come to Pingshan Village, even the county magistrate won’t be able to sit still—he’ll personally come to visit. Connecting with the Rong family isn’t just about gaining ties with an imperial merchant family; the real benefit is securing the backing of Prince Zhao himself.”

Zhao Laosan was about to go mad. If only this opportunity had fallen into his lap! If he could gain Prince Zhao’s favor, he was certain his days of success and power would be just around the corner. What was a minor county registrar to him then?

Only after entering the county did Zhao Laosan truly understand what it meant to struggle at every step when one had offended someone in power. But it was his own mother who had caused the trouble, leaving him with no outlet for his frustration. The more he suffered, the more determined he became to rise above it all—one day, he would return the favor to that county registrar. After all, Anping County was not a place where that man alone could dictate everything.

“So what do we do? Can we be sure that the head of the Rong family personally visited Ming Ge’er that day? What if he made it all up?” Third Great-Uncle still found it hard to believe. How could a farmer’s son possess such connections and insight? The Tang family’s ancestors had never produced any great figures, and for generations, they had been mere peasants scraping by. The best they had was Tang Chunming’s father, who had only managed to pass the entry-level scholar exam (tongsheng). As for the Li family, there was even less to say. If they had ever had an influential ancestor, they wouldn’t have been pushed aside by outsiders and forced to share land in Pingshan Village. In the surrounding villages, no foreign surname would be allowed to come in and dictate affairs.

And then there was Li Feng himself—if he had really achieved some impressive military rank outside, why would he abandon a promising government career to return to the countryside and farm? It wasn’t that Third Great-Uncle looked down on him, but realistically, no one would voluntarily give up climbing higher just to return to a lower position.

Third Great-Uncle refused to admit that he had ever misjudged a situation, becoming even more stubborn and obstinate.

Zhao Laosan frowned. “I wasn’t home at the time, and the head of the Rong family isn’t someone easily seen by outsiders. But from the villagers’ descriptions, something seems suspicious…” The most crucial detail was that the person who visited Pingshan Village was a ge’er, and according to those who knew the Rong family best, the head of the family was also a ge’er.

Regret began to creep into Zhao Laosan’s heart. He regretted not stopping his mother’s actions back then. If he had treated Tang Chunming well, he wouldn’t have left the Zhao family. Even if he remarried later, he wouldn’t have completely severed ties with them. And if that connection had remained, he would never have allowed his newborn son to take the Li surname. Now, if the rumors were true and they had truly connected with the imperial merchant Rong family, he could have simply asked Tang Chunming to put in a good word for him. Gaining the Rong family’s support would have been effortless.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that his mother’s actions had been dragging him down at every turn. He clenched his teeth so hard that he almost drew blood. What he conveniently forgot, however, was how indifferent he had been when everything unfolded. Back then, he had watched it all happen with cold detachment, without even a shred of sympathy.

While Third Great-Uncle and Zhao Laosan were busy plotting, and some Zhao family members outside were secretly considering warning the Li family to be on guard against Zhao Laosan’s schemes, a major incident shook the Zhao family—

Zhao Daniu had returned.

But he hadn’t come back on his own—he had been escorted back!

At that moment, the Li family had just finished seeing off Teng Yu and the Rong family representatives after finalizing their grain distribution agreement. Each party had hauled away a large cartful of grain.

Tang Chunming sat on the heated (kang), counting silver and calculating their profits from the transaction. At the same time, he was planning to grind some of the newly harvested wheat into flour to test its quality. Winter wheat, having a longer growing period and experiencing greater temperature fluctuations, didn’t yield as much as spring wheat, but its flavor was superior.

“Brother, making money like this feels almost too easy,” Tang Chunrong murmured, still in disbelief. After bringing in the harvest from their family’s five acres of wheat, he had insisted on selling at the same price as the other villagers, yet he had still earned nearly sixty taels of silver. And that was after setting some grain aside for their own use—if they had sold everything, the profits would have been even higher. And this was only half a year’s yield! After the Dragon Boat Festival, they would plant another crop. If things continued this way, their family could become rich just from farming.

“If there’s money to be made, just take it,” Tang Chunming said, ruffling his younger brother’s hair and making a mess of it. Tang Chunrong just grinned foolishly, completely unconcerned about his disheveled appearance.

Elder He strongly agreed with Tang Chunming’s suggestion and urged Li Feng to take the wheat to the mill to be ground into flour. He was also looking forward to trying this batch of winter wheat. Li Feng had no objections at all. He immediately packed up fifty catties of wheat and took it to the village mill.

That year, every household that had grown wheat had saved a little for themselves, just like Tang Chunming’s family. Such precious wheat—how could they not at least have a taste? Even the most frugal families set aside a few catties, not necessarily for the adults, but because the children had worked hard in the fields too. It was a small reward for them. As a result, the mill was quite busy.

However, when Li Feng arrived, the villagers voluntarily stepped aside to let his family grind their wheat first. Li Feng didn’t refuse. He left the wheat with the mill owner and headed back home.

On his way back, he saw a group of people escorting a disheveled man into the village. At first, he didn’t recognize who it was. But the fierce, menacing expressions on the men escorting him made it clear that they weren’t good people. Since it involved Pingshan Village, he had no choice but to step in and ask.

When he found out who the prisoner was, he was shocked—it was Zhao Daniu.

“What a disgrace! Zhao Daniu took the Zhao family’s money and ran off to enjoy himself. Somehow, he got tangled up with the county’s gambling dens, and now he’s lost everything. He even wagered away his family’s land and house. The gambling house sent people to bring him back and collect their debt.”

“This has nothing to do with us,” a burly, scar-faced man beside Zhao Daniu said loudly. “He willingly put up his land and house as collateral. A debt must be repaid—it’s only right.”

Li Feng looked at Zhao Daniu, who was shrinking into himself, clearly wishing he could bury himself underground. His disgust grew. Not only had Zhao Daniu stolen the family’s silver and hidden away, but now he was addicted to gambling. Gambling dens weren’t places one entered lightly—at best, you’d get skinned alive; at worst, you’d lose everything, even selling off your own children or husband.

On the way home, Li Feng sent word to his family through a trusted acquaintance, then immediately headed for the village chief’s house. This involved land ownership—he couldn’t sit idly by. The timing of this incident was too suspicious. Just a while ago, Zhang Changming had mentioned that Zhao Daniu had only been frequenting brothels. How had things escalated so quickly, to the point where he had lost all his family’s land and property?

Pingshan Village’s affairs couldn’t be hidden from outsiders for long. Some time ago, there had already been attempts by outsiders to target Ming Ge’er, but their plans had failed. Now, with Pingshan Village gaining more prominence, those people were bound to try different methods to gain a foothold in the village.

Even if they hadn’t considered this possibility before, Elder He’s reminders had made them more aware. Was this gambling den deliberately targeting Zhao Daniu, or was there a deeper scheme at play? Li Feng couldn’t say for certain. But one thing was clear—Pingshan Village’s land must not fall into the hands of outsiders.

Meanwhile, at home, Tang Chunming and Elder He were discussing their plans. Once the flour was ready, they would make noodles and dumplings. Ah Lin was clapping excitedly at the idea. They had been busy all day and hadn’t had time to properly care for the children. Ah Sen clung tightly to his mother and refused to let go. No one else could hold him, or else he’d cry and make a scene. Though he was young, he was not easy to fool. Hmph!

Just then, someone rushed in with urgent news.

“Ming Ge’er, Zhao Daniu is in trouble! He got himself caught up in a gambling den and lost all his family’s land and house. Now, outsiders have come to the village to take possession of them. Feng Ge went to the village chief’s house and asked me to inform you.”

Tang Chunming, holding his son, turned to Elder He, who had been playing with Ah Sen. Elder He’s expression immediately darkened.

Why now of all times? It was too much of a coincidence. He wasn’t one to see conspiracies everywhere, but having spent time in the imperial palace, he had witnessed more than his fair share of deceit and darkness. And the darkest place of all was none other than the inner court of the palace.

“Let’s go and see for ourselves. Leave the children with Nanny Chen,” Elder He said. He patted Ah Lin’s head. “Ah Lin, stay home and take good care of your little brother. Grandpa and Mother will be back soon.”

“Mother and Grandpa, you go ahead. I’ll take good care of my little brother!” Ah Lin patted his small chest, promising earnestly.

Tang Chunming called Nanny Chen inside, gave him some instructions, and then left with Elder He. Naturally, Tang Chunrong followed as well. When they passed by Zhang Xiu’s house to call for him, they found no one home—he had probably already heard the news and gone ahead.

By the time the three of them arrived outside the Zhao family courtyard, Li Feng had also just arrived with the village chief, accompanied by the village elders. This wasn’t the first time trouble had erupted in the Zhao family, but this time, the number of people involved was unprecedented. The fact that outsiders were meddling in Pingshan Village’s affairs had put the villagers on high alert.

Even the Zhao family’s Third Great-Uncle had climbed out of his sickbed, supported by Zhao Laosan, to come and see what was happening.

Inside the Zhao family courtyard, the wailing was deafening, mixed with sharp, shrill curses.

Sure enough, Zhang Xiu was already there. When he saw Tang Chunming and the others arrive, he hurried over and explained what had been happening.

“You wouldn’t believe it—Zhao Daniu actually took the family’s land and house deeds with him when he ran off! Now they’re all in the hands of the gambling den. The people from the gambling den are demanding either repayment or the land itself. Listen to all that shouting—it’s Zhao Mother and Wang Chunhua cursing him out. Even Wang Chunhua hates him now!”

“Unbelievable! Zhao Daniu is utterly disgraceful!” the village chief bellowed angrily. He had always thought of Zhao Daniu as useless, but never imagined he would cause such a disaster. Not only had he stolen the family and clan’s money, but now he had gambled away their house and land. If this were his own son, he would have broken his legs already! If he was useless, he should have just stayed home instead of ruining the whole family!

The entrance of the Zhao family courtyard was completely blocked by a crowd. But when the villagers saw the village chief and the clan elders arriving, they stepped aside to clear a path.

Inside the courtyard, Third Great-Uncle Zhao had arrived earlier and was so furious that he was struggling to breathe. Zhao Laosan was helping him catch his breath while simultaneously shouting at Zhao Daniu in anger. When they had first received the news, Zhao Laosan had been in the middle of discussing the Rong family business with Third Great-Uncle, only to be told that Zhao Daniu had gambled away the family home and land. It felt like the sky was collapsing around him. Without their home and land, they would have no roots—where would they go?

Was Zhao Daniu trying to destroy their entire family?

Zhao Laosan had felt dizzy with rage. Why was he working so hard to improve their standing while his own family members kept dragging him down? Only now did he realize that among his mother and brothers, his second brother, Zhao Dahu, was the only reliable one.

If only he could turn back time, he would have done everything in his power to stop Dahu from going into the mountains. If that had never happened, Tang Chunming wouldn’t have remarried either.

Meanwhile, Wang Chunhua was strangling Zhao Daniu in fury, while Zhao Ama was beating him with a door bolt, cursing with every strike:

“Why didn’t you just die out there? What did the Zhao family ever do to deserve a disgrace like you? You heartless wretch! You’re so useless you should’ve been thrown into a manure pit the moment you were born!”

Zhao Daniu cowered on the ground, clutching his head, not making a sound. His entire body was filthy, and he looked like he hadn’t bathed in ages—nothing like the man Zhang Changming had described earlier.

The scar-faced man from the gambling den stood by, arms crossed, watching coldly. “Enough already. A few beatings won’t change anything. Even if you beat him to death right here in front of us, the land still has to be collected.”

“Aw—” Old Madam Zhao wailed loudly and collapsed onto the ground. “What kind of sin have I committed? How am I supposed to keep living like this…”

Tang Chunming watched as Old Madam Zhao cried and wailed. Zhang Xiu had told him that earlier, Old Madam Zhao had been trying to throw himself at these people, acting as if he wanted to die. But these people were ruthless and didn’t care about the life of an old ge’er like him. They simply pushed him aside, sending him tumbling to the ground.

Silver was his lifeline, and the house and land were even more crucial to him. Tang Chunming watched coldly, knowing that Old Madam Zhao wouldn’t give up so easily. Sure enough, he quickly scrambled up, crawled to Third Granduncle, and started kowtowing desperately. “Third Granduncle, Lord Lizheng, esteemed clan elders, this is the land and house left behind by his grandfather! You can’t let them take it away! If they do, how will I, an old ge’er, survive? Even Lao San, a scholar, will have his future cut off! I beg you all, save the Zhao family, save Lao San!”

“Right! The debt was all incurred by Zhao Daniu. Take him and sell him, along with his son and ge’er! Sell them to repay the debt—is that enough?” Old Madam Zhao dragged his grandson, Zhao Dong, and grandge’er, Zhao Mei, out from the corner where they had been hiding and shoved them toward the gambling den’s people. He then pointed at Wang Chunhua. “Go after the one who owes you! The land and house were never Zhao Daniu’s! Give me back the land deed and house deed!” He lunged forward frantically, trying to snatch them back.

“Ah—” Wang Chunhua froze for a moment, and when he realized what Old Madam Zhao was saying, he let out a sharp scream before his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed unconscious.

“I don’t want to! I don’t want to!” Zhao Dong, for the first time, felt true fear. He actually clung to Zhao Mei—whom he had always bullied—shaking uncontrollably.

Some people had initially felt sympathy for Old Madam Zhao, thinking that, at his age, it was pitiful for him to be driven to such desperation by his scoundrel son. But seeing this scene, they felt a chill in their hearts. They recalled the events of last year—hadn’t he also tried to trade Ming Ge’er and Ah Lin Ge’er for silver back then? This old woman didn’t deserve sympathy. Clearly, in his eyes, only Zhao Lao San mattered. Whether Zhao Daniu or Zhao Dahou lived or died, he wouldn’t shed a single tear for them.

A mother who could act like this—it was truly abhorrent.

Third Granduncle, his body trembling with rage, picked up the wooden door bolt that Old Madam Zhao had tossed aside and struck him. “What kind of nonsense are you spouting? If anyone should be sold first, it should be you!”

Old Madam Zhao yelped and leaped away. But Zhao Dong and Zhao Mei didn’t step forward to protect him—how could they, when he was willing to sell them off? They had no reason to care about him anymore.

The burly man with his arms crossed sneered. “Just these few? How much do you think they’re worth? Even if you sell all of them, it still wouldn’t be enough to cover Zhao Daniu’s debt.” He extended two fingers and said, “Two hundred taels. A full two hundred taels of silver. Do you think your family’s ‘merchandise’ is worth that much?” His tone dripped with disdain—they were nothing but a bunch of worthless wretches.

“Mother, shut up!” Zhao Laosan’s forehead throbbed with veins bulging. He truly didn’t want to acknowledge this ge’er as his mother. Forcing down his anger, he turned to the man and cupped his hands respectfully. “I am Zhao Pingchuan, Daniu’s third brother. I am currently studying at the county academy. We will not give up the house and land. Can we discuss another way to redeem the property and land deeds?”

The man scoffed, and a thug standing beside him sneered in a mocking tone, “Oh, so you’re a scholar, huh? Never would’ve guessed you had such a useless elder brother. But even if you’re a scholar, paying off debts is only right and just. Even if you take this to the county magistrate, the law is the same—either hand over the property or bring out the silver. Two hundred taels. And if you delay for a few days, that number will only go up. We’re doing you a favor by reminding you now.”

Third Granduncle and Zhao Laosan felt their vision darken again. These were ruthless loan sharks, sucking the life out of people like parasites. The two of them turned in unison and glared viciously at Zhao Daniu, who was still pretending to be dead, wishing they could hack him into pieces.

“If you’re going to sell someone, at least don’t pick these worthless rejects. Doesn’t your family have any prettier young men? If we find one we like, maybe we’ll reduce your debt a little and return the land deed. What do you think, big brother?” Another thug leered as he spoke.

The leader’s gaze swept around the courtyard, searching for a suitable candidate. Among these farm folk, there weren’t many who caught his eye—until suddenly, his eyes lit up. He spotted Tang Chunming, who was standing with his head lowered, speaking to Li Feng. He never expected to find such a fine specimen hidden away in the countryside. The thug beside him, who had called him “big brother,” followed his gaze and immediately revealed a greedy, lustful expression. He pointed straight at Tang Chunming and said, “See that one? That’s what we’re talking about. If you give us someone like that, maybe we’ll waive the entire two hundred taels. Big brother, don’t you agree? Hahaha…” He let out a filthy, depraved laugh.

The three towering thugs were clearly men who regularly came to collect debts, their strength evident. But in the next instant, they felt an icy chill run down their spines.

A shadow flashed.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Before they could even react, all three were sent flying, crashing into a pile with screams of agony.

“If I ever hear such words or see such looks again, you’ll be leaving your eyes and tongues behind!”

A voice filled with murderous intent rang out in front of them. These men were used to being fearless, but at this moment, an unprecedented chill spread through their bodies, making them tremble uncontrollably.

Gasps rippled through the crowd. Everyone already knew that Li Feng must have exceptional skills to survive the battlefield, and with Yu Mu’s inhuman strength as a reference, they had assumed Li Feng wasn’t weak either. But no one had expected his abilities to be this formidable. Thinking back to those fools who had once tried to provoke him—it was nothing short of seeking death. No one believed that Li Feng’s warning was just an idle threat.

However, the men who had previously gone into the mountains to hunt wolves with Li Feng were not surprised. They had witnessed his skills firsthand—he had single-handedly slaughtered those wolves, to the point where even the wolves became fearful of him. They had always respected him deeply, but seeing his strength again now still filled them with admiration.

Tang Chunming’s eyes sparkled with awe. My husband is incredible! He only snapped out of it when Elder He next to him lightly coughed. Right, there are still important matters to handle. I’ll admire him later when we get home. Meanwhile, Tang Chunrong wasn’t faring much better. He had always known his brother-in-law was strong, but this was beyond anything he had imagined. Thinking back to how his brother-in-law had urged him to train, yet he had often slacked off due to slow progress and academic commitments, he now deeply regretted it. I should’ve asked him to teach me more. Even if I can’t reach his level, at least I could have the skills to hunt wolves in the mountains.

Tang Chunming walked up to Li Feng. The moment he did, the murderous aura around Li Feng dissipated, and the cold killing intent in his eyes faded. Tang Chunming tugged at his arm and said, “No need to waste your energy on people like this. A good beating is enough. Let them learn their lesson so they’ll know not to mess with Pingshan Village again. Not just anyone can step foot into our village.”

“Yes, yes!” Old Madam Zhao, as if seeing his savior, scrambled over on all fours, trying to hug Li Feng’s leg. But was Li Feng someone so easily touched? With Ming Ge’er in tow, he effortlessly sidestepped. Undeterred, Old Madam Zhao continued wailing at them. “I was wrong before! It was all my fault! I’ll kowtow and apologize to you!” He slapped himself repeatedly, his face swelling instantly. “Feng boy, Ming Ge’er, Ming Ge’er! For the sake of our past family ties, please help the Zhao family! I beg you, have mercy…”

“Enough!” A voice rang out in anger from the crowd.

A lean, middle-aged man stepped forward.

The villagers were both disdainful and furious at Old Madam Zhao’s behavior. Why should Ming Ge’er and Feng boy save the Zhao family? The Zhao family brought this disaster upon themselves. Was he trying to guilt-trip them into stepping in? And if they didn’t help, they would be the ones at fault? That was outrageous! Ming Ge’er had nothing to do with the Zhao family anymore.

The new clan leader of the Zhao family could no longer stand by and watch. If he allowed this to continue, putting Ming Ge’er in a difficult position, Li Feng might hold their entire branch responsible. Their relationship with him had only recently improved, and he wouldn’t let Old Madam Zhao ruin it. Unable to tolerate it any longer, he finally spoke up.

The people from other families darted glances between the new Zhao clan leader and Third Granduncle.

“I am the new Zhao clan leader,” he declared firmly. “This matter has nothing to do with Ah Feng or Tang Fulang. You two don’t need to feel pressured by Old Madam Zhao’s nonsense. A person must bear the consequences of their own actions. Now that he’s desperate, he suddenly wants to beg for help? Where was he before? If elders hadn’t indulged their children, would they have kept making the same mistakes over and over?” His tone was harsh and unwavering.