Once the clatter of the Officials’ horses faded from the village entrance, the surrounding villagers breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Although the soldiers hadn’t been rough, their armor and the long swords at their waists gave off an intimidating aura that warned others to keep their distance. For villagers who spent their lives working the land, this pressure from the authorities was a constant, heavy weight on their minds.

Yang Shouzhuo stood at his courtyard gate, looking at the sea of people before him. Even the deep ravines of his wrinkles seemed to smile. He raised his voice and announced, "Today is a day for celebration! My family is hosting a grand feast tonight. Everyone in the village, young and old, come on over so we can celebrate together!"

"Alright!"

The villagers immediately erupted in cheers, cupping their fists in unison. "Congratulations, Uncle Yang!"

"Yang Jing has really made something of himself! He’s a military scholar now, just like in the operas. Our whole village shares in his glory!"

The uproar was ten times more fervent than when the Officials had been present. Whether they were sincere or not, every villager was now shouting their congratulations, terrified that Yang Shouzhuo or Yang Jing might notice their voice was quieter than their neighbor’s.

Just then, a skinny, dark-complexioned figure pushed his way through the back of the crowd. It was none other than Yang Ji.

He kept his neck scrunched down, his gaze evasive, a stark contrast to the surrounding merriment.

All eyes instantly fell on him, and the clamor died down a notch.

Yang Ji was notorious in the village for being a freeloader who never passed up a chance to take advantage of others and refused to ever be on the losing end. He was utterly shameless, having once even snatched a cornbread bun from a child.

Many families had been swindled by the scoundrel Yang Ji, including the Yang Family. Everyone remembered how he had seized a plot of Yang Jing’s land last year. Now that he had shown his face, they were all waiting to see how he would handle the situation.

"Yang Ji!"

Yang the Third was sharp-eyed. He dashed in front of him in a few strides, his voice booming, "Don’t forget our bet from the other day! I won! Your wife’s hairpin—time to hand it over, right?"

Yang Ji’s face flushed, then paled. Under everyone’s stares, he reluctantly fumbled inside his robes and pulled out a cloth bundle. He unwrapped it to reveal a silver hairpin of a rather nice design, though the head of it was a little tarnished.

He shoved the hairpin into Yang the Third’s hand and snapped, "Take it, just take it! It’s just a worthless old pin. And stay away from my wife from now on, or she’ll get upset and take it out on me!"

Weighing the silver hairpin in his hand, Yang the Third grinned from ear to ear. "Don’t worry, I’ll sell it tomorrow when I go to town and get my old lady a new one. I guarantee your wife will never recognize it."

With the bet settled, Yang Ji took a deep breath, walked straight to the courtyard gate, and stopped a few steps away from Yang Shouzhuo and Yang Jing.

Just as everyone was wondering what he was going to do, he dropped to his knees with a THUD. His kneecaps slammed into the dirt, making a dull, heavy sound.

"Elder Yang, Yang Jing... I mean, Lord Yang," Yang Ji’s voice trembled, his head bowed low. "I was an asshole before. I took your family’s land and said a lot of awful things. I’ve wronged you, Elder, and I’ve wronged Lord Yang! You are a magnanimous man; please don’t stoop to the level of a petty person like me. Please, just spare me this once!"

He slammed his head against the ground as he spoke. THUMP. THUMP. His forehead was quickly caked with mud.

He had seen with his own two eyes how respectfully the Officials had treated the Yang Family just moments before.

In these chaotic times of war, the unmarked burial ground in the wilderness outside the village gained new graves every month. A person’s death was no different than a chicken’s.

Yang Jing now had official status and the means to back it up. If he truly wanted to deal with Yang Ji’s family, it would be child’s play.

He was truly terrified now. How could he dare to think about petty gains anymore? His only thought was to admit his wrongdoing and protect his family.

A hush fell over the courtyard gate. The villagers all stared at Yang Ji kneeling on the ground, their faces a mixture of expressions.

Yang Jing frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the kneeling Yang Ji.

He certainly remembered this man had seized a plot of his family’s land. He was also well aware of the man’s shameless, freeloading nature. But in the past, he couldn’t be bothered to deal with him, feeling it wasn’t worth the trouble.

Before he could speak, Yang Shouzhuo moved.

The old man walked slowly over to Yang Ji, bent down, and pulled him to his feet. "Get up," he said, his voice gentle. "The ground is cold."

"I’ve known your father since we were little boys. We used to catch fish in the river, naked as the day we were born. We were closer than brothers. You were a chubby little thing when you were a boy; I even used to hold you." Yang Shouzhuo patted Yang Ji’s muddy arm and sighed. "There was never any real animosity between us. It was just a matter of a small patch of land. What’s past is past. Don’t take it to heart."

As Yang Ji was pulled to his feet, he heard these words and froze, completely stunned.

’He had imagined Yang Shouzhuo would scold him sternly, insult him, maybe even kick him to the ground or demand a huge amount of land as compensation. He had never, ever expected Yang Shouzhuo to just let the matter pass so calmly.’

Yang Ji stared dumbly at the old man before him.

Elder Yang was telling the truth. His own father, who had passed away many years ago, had often talked about his youth, always following Yang Shouzhuo around as they ran all over the villages of Wazi Town. The two of them had been thick as thieves.

By all rights, their two families should have been as close as one. He had only himself to blame. He’d been blinded by petty greed back then and seized Yang Jing’s land, causing their relationship to grow cold.

"Un... Uncle..."

Yang Ji opened his mouth, and the guilt and fear that had been building up inside him instantly came pouring out. He couldn’t stop himself from letting out a loud WAIL, crying like a wronged child. Tears mixed with the dirt, smearing a messy paste all over his face.

Yang Jing stood to the side, watching with a detached gaze, saying nothing.

’He could see it clearly. While Yang Ji’s wailing was partly touched by his grandfather’s words, it stemmed more from his own newfound status and power.’ 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

’Did Yang Ji not know about the history between their families before? Why wasn’t he crying then? In the end, it was because the Yang Family’s circumstances had changed. That was what forced him to abandon any hope of getting away with it and bow his head in apology.’