Chapter 83: The Life Values of Young People

“Sir, may I ask your name?” Uncle An inquired.

“My surname is Yan,” Yan Huaiwen replied coolly.

“Sir Yan…” Uncle An sighed. “I can only say that times are tough. As for what you wish to inquire about, we don’t know much…”

Yan Huaiwen interrupted him. “Could we pass through first?”

He gestured toward the still-blocked exit.

Uncle An quickly said, “Everyone, step aside a bit.”

The crowd retreated, making space at the exit.

Boss Luo said, “Scholar, you wait here for now. We’ll go take a look.”

He led a few people forward. Once they passed through the gap, the mountain terrain gradually leveled out, with no further obstructions. He turned back and nodded to the others.

A few people wielding wooden sticks pushed back those blocking the path, clearing the way further.

Only then did Yan Huaiwen and his group proceed forward.

The positions reversed.

Now, they were the ones standing at the canyon’s exit, blocking the path.

“Tianyou, ride the ox back and call for reinforcements,” Yan Huaiwen instructed in a low voice.

Yan Lao’er nodded.

“Big Brother, be careful,” he said, tugging at his brother’s long robe.

Yan Huaiwen curled his lips slightly in reassurance. “It’s fine.”

Only then did Yan Lao’er ride the ox and head back.

Uncle An, upon hearing the title “Scholar,” immediately understood that this man was not only a learned individual but also bore official merit. His heart filled with unease.

Someone beside him muttered, “Uncle An, they’re being quite rude. We already made way, yet they pushed us back so far. And that one riding the ox—when you politely asked his name, all he gave was his surname…”

“Keep your voice down! Didn’t you hear how others addressed him? That’s a scholar! Have you forgotten what we just did? We blocked the path, demanding money and food. He probably doesn’t see us as good people. Why would he tell us his name? Just getting his surname was already decent.”

“Scholar Yan, our village is nearby. Would you like to rest there for a while?” Uncle An asked tentatively.

Yan Huaiwen declined, “No need to trouble you. We still have a journey ahead and will rest here briefly.”

Uncle An knew he couldn’t force it; this scholar still harbored misgivings about them.

He sent the others back, leaving only three or four young men to stand by.

This move indeed eased the tension on the faces of the men guarding the canyon entrance.

—

Yan Lao’er rode back on the ox, momentarily stunned.

The stance, the armament—everything was in place!

“Yan Er, why are you back alone?” Village Chief Luo asked anxiously.

“Village Chief, don’t worry, don’t worry! There’s no danger ahead. Just a group of mountain folk blocking the exit, hoping for some benefits. But when they saw we weren’t easy to bully, they stepped aside. Big Brother sent me back to bring everyone forward.”

The villagers breathed a sigh of relief. Just as they were about to put away their weapons, Yan Lao’er saw this grand display and thought—what a waste if no one witnessed it!

“Wait, don’t put everything away yet! This place is full of bandits and troublemakers. We need to make sure they know we’re not easy to push around. Once we get there, let’s do exactly what we did earlier. Let those troublemakers see—we won’t be taken advantage of!” Yan Lao’er encouraged the group.

Village Chief Luo and several village elders considered his words and found them reasonable.

They needed to put on a show. Let the mountain folk weigh their odds—just because they had elders, women, and children didn’t mean they were weak.

Yan Yu, of course, had to support her father’s reputation.

She kept her weapon firmly in hand.

Seeing that Yan Xiao’er hadn’t put his weapon away, the children naturally followed suit.

Especially the older kids—they felt they had performed a great service by rushing back with the news. Now, armed and proud, this was their moment to shine!

So, the group arrived at the canyon entrance.

And they certainly left an impression on the remaining mountain folk.

Even the children had bows in hand!

The elderly and women weren’t empty-handed either—hoes, rakes…

Meanwhile, the mountain folk looked at their own side—just bare wooden sticks.

It seemed… a little embarrassing.

A few young men blushed.

Uncle An, however, eyed those farming tools with envy.

Their people had lived in these mountains for two or three generations, forming a small mountain village. Though they avoided taxes and managed to survive off the land, it was hard to trade with the outside world. Entering towns was difficult, let alone purchasing iron tools, which required registered households.

Not everyone relied on hunting to survive—they had cleared land and planted crops, depending on the weather for their harvest. But this year’s drought had made life difficult, with few and scrawny wild animals to hunt. That was why they had thought of stopping travelers at the canyon, hoping to gain a little before the true bandits ahead robbed them clean.

San Tie eagerly ran over to help Yan Lao’er lead the ox.

San Bao turned his head away, refusing to let him touch it.

San Tie grinned and backed off, waiting obediently.

Yan Lao’er dismounted and asked, “What do you want?” Why the sudden flattery?

San Tie looked immensely pleased with himself. “Uncle Yan, didn’t you see? The way they looked at us was completely different now! Haha! So satisfying!”

He and Er Tie had been terrified when they first saw that group blocking the way—not quite scared out of their wits, but definitely alarmed.

Now, following Uncle Yan’s advice not to put away their weapons, they saw the shock on the mountain folk’s faces—wide eyes, slack jaws.

San Tie was beyond delighted!

Yan Lao’er gave him a sidelong glance. “That’s what excites you? Listen, they had numbers before. If we’d been standing off against them, your Uncle Hu could have shot an arrow with pinpoint accuracy! That would’ve stunned them. And once they heard my big brother is a scholar—well, that changed everything. They suddenly became very polite.”

“San Tie, do you know what this means?”

“What?” San Tie’s eyes gleamed with curiosity.

“It means you either need strength or intelligence. As long as you have one, people will take you seriously.” Yan Lao’er explained.

This wasn’t just talk—he was instilling the right life values in young people.

San Tie listened in awe. The more he thought about it, the more he felt Uncle Yan was absolutely right!

Uncle Hu was deadly accurate with both a slingshot and a bow. His sons had gained a lot from that—just look at the wild boar hunt! Besides the Yan family, the Hu family had gotten the most meat.

Scholars were respected by the whole village. Even the village elders, including his own grandfather, listened to them.

Uncle Yan was a capable man too—maybe he had a bit of that “intelligence” as well?

San Tie saw Uncle Yan and his big brother speaking with the mountain folk.

He stealthily crept closer, hoping to listen in and learn something.

He didn’t know exactly what he wanted to learn, but he just had a gut feeling he should stick around these capable people, listening and watching as much as possible.

Just as he was about to move closer—

Suddenly, he heard a “tsk tsk” sound nearby.

Turning his head, he met Yan Xiao’er’s gaze.

Yan Yu gestured at him, signaling him over.

San Tie walked over.

“Brother San Tie, want to hear what they’re talking about?” Yan Yu whispered.

San Tie nodded.

Yan Yu grinned. “Then hold my hand and walk over naturally. Once we’re close, don’t say anything—I’ll do the talking.”