Chapter 10: Sister-in-law, Forgive Me, But I Cannot Comply

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"Shiyi-lang, I went to see the spring," Ye Dan said, looking at Ye Chang with a rather peculiar expression.

Regardless of whether this grandnephew had truly encountered an immortal, one thing was certain: he was no longer the lad who had once been obsessed with seeking immortals, alchemy, and the pursuit of eternal life. Therefore, Ye Dan began to take this younger member of the family seriously. In his mind, there were still two possibilities: one was to suppress him, to prevent this collateral branch from threatening the main family line in the future; the other was to support him wholeheartedly, letting him soar with the power of the clan.

The art of martial cultivation had always produced remarkable people in blessed lands, and though many thriving clans existed locally, the Ye family of Wuze was not among them. Ultimately, it was because the Ye clan had produced no exceptional talents. Ye Dan had previously overlooked Ye Chang due to his mediocrity, but now, because of his experiences, he looked upon him with new eyes.

"The location of the spring isn’t quite right. The water over there can’t reach our fields on this side," Ye Dan continued.

"The clan elder is right—it can’t reach us here, so finding the spring is useless," someone sighed.

Ye Dan watched Ye Chang without betraying any emotion. His gaze made Ye Chang furrow his brow, sensing something amiss. Then Ye Dan added, "Speak no more of encountering immortals. For those favored by fortune, such meetings can be a step up in the world. But for families like ours, they too easily bring disaster."

With those words, he clasped his hands to those gathered in the courtyard. "My lords and neighbors, Shiyi-lang is still young and ignorant. Please do not praise him further lest he bring calamity upon himself and implicate you all."

At this, Ye Chang was surprised.

This great-uncle of his was indeed quite capable; no wonder he could hold both the position of clan elder and village chief. With just a few words, he cowed the crowd.

Who would wish to be implicated?

"Village chief, just now Shiyi-lang said he had a way to bring the water to our sloped fields," someone spoke up after only a brief silence. Future disaster was a distant matter, but if water could not be brought now, people would have to sell their fields and homes, even their children.

This news made Ye Dan’s brows knit tightly. "Nonsense! Boys like to boast, and you believe him?"

"Shiyi-lang is not just any boy—he’s been enlightened by an immortal!"

"Indeed, how else could a mere boy find a spring in this drought? Such a large spring! Village chief, you just went to see it yourself!"

"A mere coincidence. The night is deep—should you not go home? Must you all disturb Shiyi-lang’s rest?"

Ye Chang felt something odd in Ye Dan’s attitude, as if he did not wish him to help the village by bringing the spring water. He frowned, watching as the crowd, subdued by Ye Dan’s authority, gradually dispersed, and he could not help but feel displeased.

If the water could not be brought, his ten or so acres on the slope would yield nothing, and what would he and Xiang’er eat the rest of the year? Moreover, Ye Chang needed to use the matter of finding and channeling the spring to establish his own authority in the village, which would make future undertakings much smoother.

After the others had left, Ye Dan looked at Ye Chang in the dim night, his expression somewhat strange.

"Shiyi-lang, rest early and put such thoughts to rest. Let the matter of the spring end here."

"Clan elder, I truly do have a way to bring the spring water to the hillside fields."

Ye Chang arched a brow. His plan could not be abandoned merely due to the clan elder’s distrust. Besides, if he could win the elder’s support and mobilize the power of the entire clan, success would come much sooner.

"Shiyi-lang, do you not understand me? The matter of diverting the spring ends here!" Ye Dan said sternly.

"Why?"

Ye Dan gave no reason, only stared at Ye Chang, but from his grandnephew’s eyes, Ye Dan saw determination. Though he wished to subdue him with a severe look, the boy’s gaze remained clear and unwavering.

This young man, for some reason, had become so steadfast—he would not bend easily to others’ will now.

After a while, Ye Dan nodded. "Do as you please, but don’t expect a single man or coin from the Ye clan to help you."

With that, he left.

No sooner had he departed than some villagers came in, seeking Ye Chang’s advice. He gave few details, only telling them to bring their tools and await his word at dawn.

Having seen them off, Ye Chang thought he would finally have some peace, but as Xiang’er began to prepare supper, his elder brother Ye Shu and sister-in-law Lady Fang arrived.

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Seeing Liu Gui cowering in a corner, Lady Fang raised her brows slightly and whispered something to Ye Shu. Ye Shu strode over to Liu Gui. "Liu Gui, come with me."

Liu Gui was startled and alarmed. With so much commotion in Ye Chang’s courtyard, he had tried his best to keep to the side, mentally noting everything that happened so he could later report to the long branch of the third house. Now Ye Shu wanted him to leave—he did not know why.

But he could not refuse; he was a household servant.

"Did the clan elder come just now?" Lady Fang asked quietly after Liu Gui had been sent away.

Ye Chang’s mind stirred. In his observation, Lady Fang was someone trustworthy. He could not understand why the clan elder was so indifferent about the water issue. Perhaps Lady Fang, being perceptive, could offer some insight. So he recounted Ye Dan’s reaction and finally asked, "Sister-in-law, why do you think the clan elder is so reluctant to let me divert the water?"

Because he was seeking an answer, and perhaps out of habit from his previous life, Ye Chang gazed intently at Lady Fang, causing her cheeks to flush involuntarily. She found it odd; before being struck by misfortune, Ye Chang had been quite bashful—he would blush if she so much as spoke a few words to him, let alone stare at her. But now, he displayed a strange, calm composure, almost forceful in a way that compelled her to respond.

"Sister-in-law?" Ye Chang prompted when Lady Fang lowered her head in silence.

"It’s actually quite simple. The clan elder has his eyes on those hillside fields," Lady Fang finally said, steadying herself and inwardly scolding her own thoughts.

Her words enlightened Ye Chang at once.

Why was it that, despite such severe drought in Wuze Slope, the village chief Ye Dan was not actively organizing drought relief? Why, when Ye Chang pointed out the location of the spring, was Ye Dan not pleased but rather displeased? Why did he refuse to lend clan support when Ye Chang said he could bring the water over the mountain?

Now Ye Chang understood deeply the era he lived in.

The equal-field system was already crumbling, and land annexation was on the rise. For landlords and gentry like Ye Dan, natural disasters were opportunities: in the wake of such calamity, he could buy up others’ land and homes at low prices and expand his retinue of servants. The loss such disasters brought to clan members like Ye Chang meant little to Ye Dan—a distant relative might be granted a way out if the elder was kind, but if he was ruthless, why care about their life or death?

Rage surged in Ye Chang’s eyes.

He could not bring himself to treat human lives as mere grass, especially those who bore him no ill will and were his neighbors, seen daily.

Lady Fang was surprised by his anger; she glanced at him, then quickly looked down. "It’s always been this way. Otherwise, how would our Ye clan own so much land? Even your allotted fields were bought by the clan in recent years."

Ye Chang’s anger faded at once.

Indeed, this was the norm of the age. To be angry over such things was to lose perspective—he, too, was a beneficiary of the very system.

Still, though his anger subsided, Ye Chang felt unsettled. To watch others sell their children and see their families destroyed left him deeply uneasy.

"Therefore, you should keep your head down. Even if you have some water-diverting method granted by an immortal, don’t step forward. Once those fields are claimed by the clan, you can offer your method to the elder. At that time, he will surely entrust you with managing the slope fields," Lady Fang finished.

"Sister-in-law… I cannot do it," Ye Chang said after a struggle. Her suggestion was best for him, but he simply could not follow it.

It wasn’t about nobility, just about having a bottom line.

"You have always been kind-hearted. If that is so, there may yet be a way," Lady Fang mused.

The light was dim, so by then Ye Chang could no longer see Lady Fang’s face, but he could sense her deep concentration. He nodded. When it came to the clan elder, Lady Fang understood him far better, and Ye Chang truly had no better solution.

"If you can bring the spring water here beautifully, do everything perfectly, the clan elder will look at you differently. In that case, perhaps he will not blame you for ruining his plans."

"Ah?" Ye Chang was puzzled.

"Our Ye family has produced no outstanding figures in this generation," Lady Fang whispered. "If this goes on, even the village chief’s post may slip away from us."

At this, Ye Chang finally understood.

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The way Ye Dan considered matters was no different from any clan chief or landlord of his age—whether disaster or clansmen, everything had to benefit him, either directly or in the long run. Lady Fang’s suggestion was for Ye Chang to set aside his reservations and display his full talents; at that point, Ye Dan would consider the longer term, and the Ye clan would need someone to succeed him as village chief.

Ye Chang had no interest in becoming village chief. His only ambition now was to cherish those who cared for him and to enjoy this second life.

"I understand. Thank you for your guidance, sister-in-law," Ye Chang said, bowing in gratitude.

The night passed without further incident. At dawn, before Ye Chang had even awoken from his dreams, there was already a clamor outside. Drowsily opening the door, he saw nearly a hundred men, women, and children waiting with tools in hand.

Upon his appearance, everyone greeted him—some called him Shiyi-lang, others Shiyi-brother, and some, playing on their seniority, called him Shiyi-nephew. Ye Chang greeted them all with a smile, never tiring of the courtesies. His demeanor made everyone feel at ease, and, with their hopes resting on him, the flattery was endless.

Hearing that he had not yet had breakfast, many offered him their own rations—everyone had come prepared to do hard labor and brought food. Ye Chang politely declined, sipping his millet porridge as he began to assign tasks. He quickly selected eight older men by age and rank, dividing the hundred or so people into eight groups. The old, weak, and women without strength were placed in two groups for logistics and miscellaneous tasks; the able-bodied men formed the other six.

Such a commotion naturally reached the ears of the long branch of the third house. Upon hearing of it, Lady Liu burst out, "Ha! That little wretch really has taken the bait! Stirred up by a few words, he’s actually going to divert the water… We went to see it yesterday—no way he can bring the water!"

Ye Lian also looked pleased. "Even if he does, he won’t come out unscathed. The clan elder shares our views—he’s just waiting to use this drought to consolidate all those scattered fields. If Ye Chang succeeds, he’ll offend the clan elder!"

At this, Lady Liu was even more smug. "I’ll go visit my family. When the time comes, let my father decide—I don’t believe we won’t succeed this time!"

They expected the clan elder to be furious that Ye Chang might ruin his plans for land consolidation. But Ye Dan was not angry; on the contrary, his face showed more surprise than anything. "Ye Chang really arranged things this way?"

"Indeed."

"Who would have thought…" Ye Dan murmured. Ye Chang’s methodical organization amazed him—after all, Ye Chang had never managed people or affairs before (managing that little girl Xiang’er didn’t count).

"Follow them and observe. If there’s any change or progress, report to me at once," Ye Dan instructed.

The one sent to spy was a distant cousin of Ye Chang’s generation named Ye Shen. Upon receiving the order, he hurried to Ye Chang’s house, only to find it empty—the people had already left.

He guessed they’d headed to the site, so he hurried after them and soon saw a scattered crowd on the outskirts of the village. As he followed, he heard their boisterous chatter. At first, they were a disorderly throng, but gradually, eight distinct groups formed.

The elders chosen by Ye Chang, perhaps following his instructions, periodically gathered their respective groups, so although things were still loose, there was some order. This seemed unremarkable to Ye Shen, but had Ye Dan been there, he would have noticed the difference.

For simple country folk, used to doing as they pleased, to maintain this level of order on a communal labor project was already remarkable.

Ye Chang kept a close eye on the groups. Coming from an era of large-scale industrial production, he understood the importance of labor discipline, but he knew these peasants, used to subsistence farming, couldn’t be expected to behave like modern workers overnight. He didn’t believe he had some magical charisma to transform them instantly.

Instead, he focused on the eight chosen leaders. Since the spring was limited, irrigation would be allotted in sequence; whether a group’s fields would be watered first depended on how well its leader managed the group. With livelihoods at stake, none dared be careless.

Thus, though the eight leaders were all elders of virtue, none dared defy Ye Chang’s wishes. Each wracked his brains to keep his people in line. As a result, Ye Chang expended little energy, and the work that should have taken much longer was substantially shortened.

Their first task was to dig ditches on the slopes, which struck Ye Shen as pointless—water was still several miles away, separated by a few low hills, and yet they were already digging? It seemed almost laughable.

The able-bodied dug the ditches while the old and weak piled the excavated earth to the side, forming a yellow clay path. Because the work was divided into sections, progress was swift. Before long, one group finished first and sat down, chatting and resting.

"Uncle Cui’s group is first! When the water comes, they’ll get an extra five shares in the allotment," Ye Chang announced promptly. "By our agreement, water will be distributed according to shares. The more shares your group earns, the higher your priority. So let’s all give it our best!"

The other groups responded with a cheer.