Chapter 246: Forcibly Making Someone Stay for a Meal

Helingchuan was straightforward: "Yes, this is the land deed for the sale of the field rights, and the prefecture also recognizes it as such. So the tenant farmers will continue to farm, and as long as they pay rent on time, they will not be driven away."

The village elders whispered among themselves, all nodding.

"Good, let's get to the main point." The crucial part arrived. "What is the legal basis for requiring the village's consent for villagers to sell their land?"

The owner of the field rights could collect rent from the tenants. If these old men interfered, Xinxiang's office, holding the land deeds, might not be able to collect any rent at all.

Other villages might fear the authorities, but Shuangyu Village seemed to be an exception.

The village chief slowly said, "This is a long-standing custom. Before the founding of the Great Kite Dynasty, Xinxiang had these rules, and it's not just our Shuangyu Village."

"Thirty years ago, and twenty years ago, the Great Kite Dynasty issued decrees stating that crude and backward customs that violated national laws would be automatically abolished."

Village Chief Liang smiled. "But the entire Xia State has always been this way, not just our Xinxiang. Young Master He, don't you know that the law doesn't punish the masses? If the prefecture wants to make an example of us, then dozens of other townships and thousands of villages will have to reform and be punished first!"

Helingchuan slowly crossed his arms, his tone mocking. "So, you want to test the law?"

Village Chief Liang waved his hands repeatedly. "We cannot bear such a charge. We are merely upholding local customs; it's been this way for decades."

People who had never lived in the countryside could not truly grasp the weight of the words "local customs and village rules."

Outside, a villager shouted, "That's right! Even if you can convict us, other villages and townships won't agree to this!"

A chorus of agreement followed, with many voices joining in.

Helingchuan sneered. What other townships or villages did was none of his business; his father had only given him this one task, and once it was done, he could leave.

These villagers appeared simple and honest, but their words implied one thing:

Want the village's consent? Pay more.

If villagers sold land to outsiders, the village would charge an additional "nodding fee."

These guys were quite bold, daring to demand money from the officials themselves.

Of course, Helingchuan understood that not all villages had such courage. Most rural areas, if not completely submissive, at least feared officials like tigers; otherwise, how could the government exploit them? Shuangyu Village had families of meritorious heroes and had produced Taoist elders. Perhaps they even had guidance from a master behind the scenes, which made them so arrogant and daring to test the mettle of the new prefectural official.

The Four Great Families had recently been reprimanded several times by He Chunhua, feeling considerable pain, and might be looking to regain some ground.

Other villages were also watching, knowing that if even the new prefecture bowed to village rules, this trend would become even more ingrained in the future.

Helingchuan suddenly stood up. Behind him, seven men placed their hands on their sword hilts. Shan Youjun even drew his blade halfway, the cold reflection glinting directly into the village chief's eyes, as if they were ready to kill at the slightest disagreement.

The village elders' expressions changed.

Outside, the villagers were agitated, their emotions stirred, and they all wanted to rush into the house.

Shan Youjun looked at them askance, sneering internally, "A bunch of unruly commoners!"

The rock wolf suddenly stood up, poised to pounce, and let out a roar like a clap of thunder on a clear day, shaking everyone to their core.

When its fur bristled, it was larger than a lion, and a series of low growls echoed throughout the room. The village elders and villagers were terrified, retreating several steps in unison.

People's fear of monsters was ingrained, and in terms of deterrence alone, it was stronger than all the other strong men combined.

A villager shouted, "What do you want to do? Can the steward's son just kill people?"

For a moment, no one dared to step forward.

"Which eye saw me kill someone?" Helingchuan scoffed. "Village Chief Liang, what do you say about the sale?"

Under the wolf's intense gaze, Village Chief Liang's spine grew cold and stiff, but he still braced himself and said, "Vi-village rules cannot be abolished! Young Master He, you are using a monster and menacing soldiers to intimidate us. We will report this to the prefecture!"

The other village elders hid behind him. "That's right! If the prefecture protects you, we'll go to the capital and appeal to the Emperor!"

Zhou Sefu was also startled and now said nervously, "Young Master, let's talk this out peacefully!" The wolf's mouth was drooling, and he dared not approach.

He had requested reinforcements from the prefecture for mediation; was he now supposed to be the mediator himself?

"An appeal to the Emperor?" Helingchuan was momentarily stunned, then suddenly burst into laughter. He put his right hand behind his back and waved at his personal guards.

"Clang," Shan Youjun returned his blade to its sheath, and the others also released their sword hilts, their stances no longer aggressive.

"Village Chief Liang, you've misunderstood. When did I ever intend to intimidate any of you?" Helingchuan picked up the bowl of cool water from the table and drank it in one gulp. "Since we're done talking, am I not allowed to stand up and stretch my limbs?" With that, he rotated his head, producing a few crisp cracks.

The village elders exchanged glances. Village Chief Liang frowned. "Done talking?"

"Yes, you disagree, and we're unwilling. Doesn't that mean the talks have broken down?" Helingchuan said with a smile. "It's done. I'm going back to report."

"What game is Young Master He playing?" Village Chief Liang's expression was displeased. "What's the final word on this land deal?"

"What's there to say? Nothing to say. It's a deadlock here. Maybe someone more capable can resolve it another day." Helingchuan started walking towards the door.

The rock wolf followed at his side, and no one dared to approach.

The village elders couldn't figure out his tactics. They felt that someone sent by the prefecture wouldn't give up so easily, but the failure of today's negotiations was a good thing; the longer it dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for Shuangyu Village.

In any case, the land had always been farmed by their own people, and every day the prefecture delayed mediating the matter meant one less day of income for the prefecture.

However, Helingchuan paused at the doorway and suddenly said, "By the way, it's already noon. Village Chief Liang, will you provide lunch for your guests?"

Village Chief Liang genuinely didn't want to, but since the other party had brought it up, and it was common for village officials to eat in the village, he had no choice but to say, "Yes, but it's a rural area, so there's not much good food."

"Nonsense, I think the meals here are quite authentic," Helingchuan said, approaching the village chief. Ignoring the wary glances of others, he reached out and patted his shoulder. "Don't look at me like that. Official business is done. Personally, I'm a very approachable person."

He was a head taller than Village Chief Liang, and patting his shoulder was a condescending gesture.

Village Chief Liang didn't believe for a moment that the official business was concluded. He just felt that this young man was about to try other tricks. If the hard approach didn't work, he'd try the soft one – a tactic he often used himself.

However, the other party was an official, even if a minor one, and the new steward's own son, so some face had to be given. What's more, the rock wolf had already retreated to a corner of the room to lie down, and the menacing servants behind the young master no longer appeared aggressive.

If this young master wanted to put on a show, he would play along to the end.

So Village Chief Liang forced a smile and uttered a few "alrights," then told the villagers, "There's nothing exciting to see here, everyone can disperse."

The village elders looked at each other. The two oldest went home first, while the rest stayed to continue accompanying them.

They also felt that this young man would still play some tricks.

However, Helingchuan made no unusual moves afterward. He simply took Village Chief Liang on a tour of the entire village and the fields, asking questions from time to time, with a large group of people following close behind, looking exactly like a high-ranking official inspecting the countryside.

It was still a bit warm at noon, and seven or eight village children were playing. Helingchuan saw them, pulled out a handful of malt candy from his sleeve, and said with a smile, "Who wants some candy?"

The candies he produced were brightly wrapped and very appealing. The village children, not shy at all, swarmed forward, reaching out for them.

Helingchuan gave two to each child.

Actually, he found himself in a bit of a predicament. There were five boys, three of whom had round heads, mostly shaved, with only a small tuft of hair left at the front and back fontanelles.

With the same hairstyle and similar ages, the faces of these young human cubs looked identical, making it impossible for him to tell them apart.

He looked at Shan Youjun, who also blinked, offering no hint. So Helingchuan personally unwrapped another candy and offered it to the youngest child.

"Little friend, what's your name?"

The four or five-year-old child took the candy and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "My name is Liang Yu."

"Oh." Helingchuan immediately changed his target and personally offered candy again.

The next child was named Liang Su.

"That must be him," Helingchuan smiled even more kindly. "Whose child are you?"

The child pointed to Village Chief Liang. The latter then said to Helingchuan, "This is my third grandson."

Helingchuan picked up the child. "How many grandchildren do you have?"

"Three grandsons, this one is the youngest; four granddaughters."

"And your sons and daughters?"

"Two sons, three daughters."

Helingchuan, while teasing the child, laughed, "Village Chief, you're truly blessed to have so many children and grandchildren at such a young age."

He seemed to be very fond of Liang Su, holding him the entire way. Helingchuan, having no experience, found that Liang Su, after finishing both candies, became uncomfortable in his arms, wiggling around but unable to break free.

Village Chief Liang's heart pounded even harder as he watched. "The child is naughty; please put him down, so he doesn't get mud on your clothes..."

"I find this child quite amusing; I'll hold him a bit longer."

Helingchuan saw his expression and paid no mind to the mud spots on his clothes.

Liang Su twisted two more times, then let out a loud "Waaah!" and burst into tears.

They had approached the village houses, and the child's loud cries spread throughout the village. From a large house not far ahead, a woman emerged, walking quickly while wiping her hands. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She came rushing towards the child, so Helingchuan handed the child to her. As soon as the woman held the child and comforted him twice, Liang Su stopped crying, burying his head in her embrace.

Helingchuan flicked the mud from his hands. "And who is this?"

Village Chief Liang introduced, "This is my second daughter-in-law, also Su'er's mother."

The woman, holding the child, curtsied and nodded to the village chief and Helingchuan, then turned and quickly walked away.

Helingchuan's gaze, however, remained fixed on her retreating figure.

Village Chief Liang was long accustomed to men looking at his daughter-in-law in such a way. He coughed hard twice, feeling contempt. Then he heard Helingchuan say, "Village Chief Liang, no wonder your grandson is so adorable." It turned out the mother was beautiful.

Village Chief Liang didn't know what to say and could only offer a perfunctory smile. Fortunately, at that moment, his daughter-in-law looked back and added:

The meal is ready.

It was mealtime, and the aroma of food wafted throughout the village.

Helingchuan was staying for a meal at the village chief's house, and the village elders and villagers felt it would be improper to follow him and continue watching, so they dispersed.