Chapter 28: Uniting the People

“Unite the people!” Yan Yu exclaimed, her education wasn’t for nothing; she had some real insights.

“Think about it, Dad. In ancient times, families rarely split up. The elders made the decisions, and if Uncle treats them well, their families will surely treat us well too.

Our family doesn’t have anyone capable of hard labor, so we’ll need the villagers’ help to get by on the road.

If any elder feels they’re a burden and decides not to leave, the whole family might end up staying. This drought is really severe; if we don’t leave…”

Yan Yu now understood that they needed to leave before paying the grain tax to have more food supplies.

If they stayed, they’d have to pay taxes, and with the drought continuing, they’d have nothing to eat or drink…

“Can’t we buy some supplies and lend them to the villagers? That’s the money from selling our land!” Yan Lao’er said, distressed.

He had spoken boldly earlier because Old Yan had initiated the conversation, and as the younger brother, he couldn’t let him down.

Since they had already spent money, they needed to make sure the villagers remembered their kindness.

Old Yan was determined to take the villagers with them, so he had to support him, even if it meant painting a rosy picture.

But how could he not feel upset? They were already worried about having enough to eat and drink.

That money could buy food, and wouldn’t it taste better when eaten?

Yan Yu continued her analysis, “If we use our livestock for the villagers, they won’t care as much as if it were their own. If something happens on the road, they’ll abandon it if it’s not theirs. But if it’s everyone’s, and their parents are riding on it, they’ll definitely protect it.”

“Also, our family is the only one in the village with an ox. Physician Cui has a donkey, which stands out too much. A couple more animals would make it less conspicuous, don’t you think, Dad?”

Yan Lao’er thought for a moment. A whole village on foot, with only his family riding an ox cart… it didn’t seem right.

As his daughter put it, it stood out.

“Dad, didn’t you say that we can’t just watch our neighbors starve? That’s generous! Why are you being petty now?” Yan Yu teased her father.

“How is that the same? Your uncle only has the money from selling the land, and there’s not much left after all these expenses.

When we get to the north, we’ll need to settle down, and everything requires money.

He just gave away fifteen taels of silver without discussing it with the family.

That was money from selling the land! Half of that land was mine! So half of the silver should be mine too. He didn’t even ask me.” Yan Lao’er rambled, mostly just venting.

Yan Yu had a flash of inspiration.

“Dad! You’re absolutely right! When we get home, you should discuss it with Uncle and maintain your image as a reasonable person, unlike Yan Lao’er.”

Yan Lao’er: …

Can I just not have this troublesome image?

“Make a fuss, stir things up, listen to what Uncle has to say, and then pretend to be convinced. That way, we won’t have to guess,” Yan Yu continued to urge.

“But then all those noble and heartwarming things I said would be for nothing!” Yan Lao’er protested.

“Dad, from what I’ve gathered from my friends, you won’t make a fuss for nothing. Every time you stir things up, Uncle ends up giving you money. My uncle is too kind!”

Yan Lao’er would never admit that he was tempted by the money, “What if your uncle gets angry and splits the family?”

“That’s why you should make a small fuss, not too much, just to get some clarity.”

Yan Lao’er: This is definitely a bad idea.

…

“Brother, why didn’t you discuss such a big family matter with me?” Yan Lao’er asked quietly.

“Are you talking about selling the land to pay off debts or buying livestock for the Village Elders?”

Yan Lao’er lowered his head and braced himself, “Half of the money from selling the land is mine. Why should we use it to buy livestock for the Village Elders? We don’t even have enough to eat…”

Yan Huaiwen was silent for a moment.

“You didn’t say that at the wheat field.”

“Wasn’t that to save face for you in front of outsiders? You had already said it, and I couldn’t take it back. We had to make sure they remembered our kindness! That’s a lot of silver…”

Yan Huaiwen felt a bit conflicted.

Turns out his unreliable brother still knew how to maintain his elder brother’s reputation!

Just a bit narrow-minded.

He didn’t intentionally forget to discuss it with his brother; he was just used to making decisions on his own.

If Tian You hadn’t asked, he might have forgotten.

“Indeed, those ten acres of land are in my name, but since we haven’t split the family, the money from selling the land should be divided equally between us,” Yan Huaiwen said.

Yan Lao’er panicked upon hearing this!

“Brother, I…”

Yan Huaiwen interrupted him, continuing, “It was my oversight not to discuss it with you. It won’t happen again.”

Yan Lao’er listened dumbfounded as Old Yan explained that their family was small, and traveling with neighbors was safer, echoing much of what his daughter had analyzed.

And there were things they hadn’t thought of.

“Our village may not be related by blood, but we’re closer than family. To outsiders, we’re not easy to bully.

As we flee the famine, we’ll lead the way north. Other refugees will follow us to Guanzhou, seeing how we respect the elderly and care for the young. They’ll be more respectful too.

When we reach Guanzhou, scattered people will be assigned to various villages. If we have a large group and are willing to cultivate wasteland, we’ll likely be settled together.

Our village is full of honest folks, no thieves or ill-intentioned people, which is rare. You and I have few family ties, and we’ve relied on our neighbors’ support. If I have to leave in the future, I’ll be at ease leaving you in the countryside.”

Yan Yu squatted at the door.

She realized her uncle was thinking long-term.

She learned something new.

In the end, her uncle really did give them some money, ha!

Perhaps he was used to it; whenever his brother made a fuss, he would appease him with money.

But Yan Yu was still dissatisfied with her father’s performance.

His image wasn’t strong enough; overall, he just seemed cowardly.

…

“Dad, you didn’t perform well. You lacked presence!” Yan Yu said.

“I was feeling guilty, having just paid off my gambling debts a couple of days ago.”

“Dad, are you afraid Uncle will split the family?”

Yan Lao’er didn’t respond.

The more they lived together, the less he wanted to split. The three of them knew nothing and could easily be deceived.

Besides, Old Yan was genuinely a good person.

“Uncle won’t do that. Haven’t you noticed? Uncle has forgiven you! As long as we follow the rules and don’t do anything outrageous, Uncle won’t separate us.

When Uncle becomes a high-ranking official in the future, we’ll be part of his family, basking in his glory and making some money. Being a wealthy family sounds great, doesn’t it?”

“Your uncle really did give me money! You know, Yan Lao’er must have squandered a lot of money. He’s really something!”

“Dad, let’s use it to buy eggs. We can trade one for two.”

“No, eggs spoil easily. Let’s buy grain, all grain.”

(End of chapter)