Chapter 123: Silent Weeping

The wild boar meat at the Yan family’s small meat stall was initially ignored, but after Yan Lao’er’s persuasive pitch, it became a hot commodity.

His sales tactics were truly terrifying!

Yan Yu was about to head over when Liang Fengnian grabbed her arm. The little guy was shorter than her, and when she turned back, he quickly let go, glancing around cautiously before whispering, “Xiao’er… sister?”

Yan Yu chuckled. “Just realizing it now?”

Liang Fengnian nodded, then shook his head.

“I’m a girl. Are you disappointed? Don’t want to play with me anymore?”

Liang Fengnian quickly waved his hands, his little face filled with urgency. “No, no.” He had just been caught off guard.

Yan Yu explained openly, “The villagers all know I’m a girl, but it’s more convenient to dress as a boy when traveling. ‘Yan Xiao’er’ just stuck. I have an older sister, so by that logic, I’m second in line. Hahaha. But I’m not the second son.”

“You have to keep this a secret. The kids in the mountain village don’t know yet. I’m planning to surprise them in the future.”

Liang Fengnian asked curiously, “Then why tell me?”

Yan Yu said, “Uncle said that if I didn’t clarify, it could be considered intentional deception.”

Her uncle meant that since Uncle Liang had formally introduced his eldest son to them as a sign of sincerity, keeping this a secret would seem disrespectful.

By being upfront, there would be no misunderstandings later.

Yan Yu’s personal take on it? Scholars sure overcomplicate things. It was just kids playing, but they had to make it about integrity and trust.

If it weren’t for the fact that Uncle Liang was helping liaise with disaster relief efforts and easing the burden on her father and uncle, she wouldn’t bother humoring another kid.

“I won’t tell my dad!” Liang Fengnian promised loyally. “I’ll definitely keep your secret.”

“No need.” Yan Yu pointed toward the meat stall. “My dad is probably explaining it to your dad right now.”

“Then… can I still play with you?” Liang Fengnian asked hesitantly, clearly reluctant to part ways.

“Hahaha! If your family doesn’t mind, of course. But we don’t have much playtime anymore. We train and patrol daily. You saw earlier—sometimes they even help out at my house.”

“I heard! You keep track of their work points, and they can trade them for things from your family.” Liang Fengnian’s eyes sparkled. “Can I join? I want to work for points too.”

Yan Yu: …

She hesitated.

Letting the son of a scholar work for her family seemed… inappropriate?

“You have something you want to trade for?” It was the only explanation she could think of.

“I want elder Yan’s reward!” Liang Fengnian mumbled, suddenly shy. He lowered his head and whispered, “I actually already know a lot of characters and can write. Does that count as cheating?”

Yan Yu resisted the urge to pat his little head. How adorable.

But she held back.

“My big brother, big sister, and I all study, but at different paces, so Uncle has different expectations for each of us. Here, let me show you something.” Yan Yu pulled her small backpack forward and opened it to reveal several copper coins.

“These ten coins are a reward from Uncle. My big brother only got five. I’m first tier, and he’s third tier. If you want a reward, I’ll have to ask Uncle how to calculate it for you. But your parents have to agree first.”

“I’ll ask them when I get back.” He wasn’t sure if they would allow it.

“Does your uncle give you rewards often?” Liang Fengnian’s sharp eyes caught sight of more coins in her bag and pointed at them.

“These aren’t from him. These are from my dad.” Yan Yu thought for a moment. “He lets me help with certain things. It’s… like wages?”

Liang Fengnian’s eyes shone like stars. “Like how you helped distribute the coins today?”

Yan Yu hesitated before nodding. “Something like that.”

She did a lot for her dad—keeping accounts, managing finances, handling payments, gathering intelligence, solving problems.

Wherever there was a need, she was there.

The ultimate filial daughter!

“Xiao’er-jie, how long will it take for me to learn how to count money?” Liang Fengnian asked eagerly.

“As long as you grasp the method, not long at all.” Yan Yu furrowed her brows and added, “When we’re not alone, you can’t call me ‘sister.’ If there are outsiders, don’t get it wrong.”

“I understand, Xiao’er-ge(brother)!”

“You can call me Yan Xiao’er too.”

“You’re older than me, so that wouldn’t be right,” Liang Fengnian insisted stubbornly.

“Alright, suit yourself.” Yan Yu didn’t push it.

The two kids, with their short legs, moved toward the bustling crowd.

Suddenly, Liang Fengnian asked, “If my parents agree, can I train archery with you all?”

Yan Yu tilted her head. Now that was a tricky request.

The bamboo crossbows were exclusive to their village, and they didn’t want outsiders learning about them.

The villagers guarded this secret strictly.

After thinking it over, Yan Yu decided to be honest. “You’re not from our village, so you can’t use the bamboo crossbows.”

In the past, Liang Fengnian would have accepted the rejection without question.

But now, he was determined to get into the team somehow.

“Then I won’t touch them. I’ll just train alongside you.”

Yan Yu didn’t take it seriously. Boys probably just liked these kinds of activities.

So she casually agreed.

—

“That day, the mountain bandits only let us take the younger children. My eldest son….” Liang Manshan’s expression was filled with pain. Just recalling that day made it hard to breathe.

“My eldest son was left behind with his grandfather. My father had already been injured by the bandits, his bones damaged. That child… he was only six years old.

“My father told me that one time, Fengnian went out to find food and came back in a panic, his mouth full of blood. He had run far, holding his grandfather up the whole way, both of them covered in wounds.

“When we found them… ”

Liang Manshan choked up, unable to continue.

“I will never forget the look in my son’s eyes at that moment. It was like a knife stabbing straight into my heart—it hurt so much!”

“After that, he changed. He no longer depended on me or my wife the way he used to. I know he still resents us.”

Liang Manshan wept silently, his broad sleeves trembling as he covered his face.

Yan Lao’er looked up, holding back the tears in his eyes.

Hold it in! Stay strong! You have to hold it in!

He had felt sympathy for Fengnian’s tragic experience.

But what truly struck his heart was Liang Manshan’s silent, restrained sobbing.

That desperate attempt to maintain his dignity.

The mountain bandits were ruthless, not in killing, but in destroying souls!

“It’s in the past, Manshan. It’s all in the past now,” he consoled weakly.

“I have failed my family. I have failed Fengnian!” Liang Manshan took several deep breaths, forcing down his emotions. He carefully wiped his face and asked, “Can you still tell I was crying?”

Yan Lao’er examined him closely and replied seriously, “Your eyes are a little red.”

He glanced at the nearby heated iron pot, swiftly brushed it with oil, and began frying slices of meat.