Chapter 14: Long Lake and Xiang Ping

"Because he's ruthless enough."

Before Li Tongya finished speaking, Li Changhu felt a chill crawl up his spine. His pupils suddenly dilated, and the hair on his body stood on end. A profound sense of dread filled him as he stared at his brother's smiling face.

"Hahahahahahaha..."

Li Tongya chuckled, gently pushing Li Changhu's shoulder and tossing the wooden slip he held.

"Oh, you!"

Li Changhu exhaled slowly, assuming Li Tongya was merely joking. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "I'll go prepare for Xiangping's wedding."

With that, Li Changhu adjusted his clothes and stepped out the door towards the Tian family.

Li Tongya, however, dropped his smile and sat silently by the wooden table. "Father," he called out.

To his surprise, Li Mutian was already standing on the stone steps, unnoticed. His face was stern, lost in thought, and he turned his head to look at Li Tongya when he heard his son speak.

The previous night, Li Mutian had been sitting at the door, gazing at the moon, when he saw Li Xiangping rush towards the back mountain. Worried, he quietly followed behind the boy up the mountain. Unexpectedly, Li Tongya, also concerned about his brother, had secretly followed. The two met, shared an awkward moment, and then tacitly watched Li Xiangping kill the man. They then witnessed the wild beasts devour the body completely before Li Mutian finally descended the mountain.

"Xiangping acted for the safety of our family, Father, so there's no need to be angry..." Li Tongya tried to reassure him.

"Angry? What nonsense!" Li Mutian felt suppressed emotions, and his words became less refined. He narrowed his eyes and continued, "That brat did well to kill that good-for-nothing. If he had only intimidated him, I would have jumped down there myself and chopped that waste up! Good kill, good kill! Why would I be angry? Don't you dare try to cover for Li Changhu!"

Li Tongya sighed deeply and said dejectedly, "Big Brother is generous and kind-hearted. The villagers and tenants respect him deeply. He can protect our family's property."

"Nonsense!" Li Mutian slapped the table, a few more traces of anger appearing on his face. "They respect *me*, Li Mutian! They only gather around your brother because Li Changhu charges low rent! These people always fear power more than they appreciate kindness. Look at him; if I, Li Mutian, were to die today, Li Yesheng would dare to come causing trouble at our doorstep tomorrow. Would Li Changhu dare to kill him then?"

Seeing Li Tongya lower his head in silence, Li Mutian's tone softened considerably, and he said in a low voice, "Before, I wasn't afraid. With you two brothers, Li Changhu's generosity was perfect. Kindness and strictness combined, the future was promising. But now it's different. Our Li family is in a precarious situation, like carrying a valuable treasure that invites danger, walking on thin ice. If the one in charge isn't ruthless enough, we'll easily perish!"

He took a breath, his eyes filled with worry and unease. "Furthermore, I've had a nagging feeling these past few days, as if danger is lurking."

***

Li Changhu went to the Tian family and finalized all the wedding arrangements. He then sat blankly in the fields, his expression complex. He had walked through the village but hadn't seen Li Yesheng anywhere. Recalling his brother's low growl from last night and Li Tongya's hint, Li Changhu knew that Yesheng had likely been killed by Xiangping.

A pang of pain shot through Li Changhu's heart. When they were little, Yesheng and Tongya, two tiny figures, would always obediently follow him to the river to catch fish. He vaguely remembered Sheng'er, holding a large green fish, grinning and shouting, "Big Brother, Big Brother, look at me!" Tongya, clearly envious, would always turn his head and pout, refusing to look. When the three of them were tired from playing, they would stand by the river and urinate, competing to see who could pee higher and who could pee farther.

But then, their aunt died, and their second uncle fell ill and was bedridden. Within just a few months, Yesheng's personality drastically changed; he was no longer the boy he used to be.

"It didn't have to come to this!"

Tears welled up in Li Changhu's eyes. He always felt he could have persuaded him, helped him mend his ways, protect his younger brother Yesheng diligently, and live a good life.

"Changhu!"

A shout startled Li Changhu awake. He quickly lowered his head, wiped his eyes, and looked towards where the sound came from. It was an old, white-haired farmer. He had an honest, simple face, dark skin, and was dressed in homespun clothes with very wide pant legs.

"Uncle Xu." Li Changhu stood up, patted his trouser legs, and asked with concern, "How are things? Is there still enough food at home?"

"Enough, plenty!" Old Man Xu's eyes welled up with tears when he saw Li Changhu. Though old, he was still healthy, but his only eldest son had fallen ill and couldn't get out of bed, leaving their fields unplanted. Li Changhu had reduced his rent and provided grain, which barely allowed them to get by. Old Man Xu was an elder who had watched Li Changhu grow up and already regarded him as a child; after this difficult period, he felt extremely grateful.

"Please don't mention it!" Li Changhu had quickly moved past his sadness, and said earnestly, "My father recently instructed me to pay more attention to Uncle Xu's fields, so I came right over."

Old Man Xu was wise with age; how could he not know Li Changhu was doing a favor on behalf of Li Mutian? He smiled faintly, cupped his hands to Li Changhu, and laughed, "Please thank the family head for me! My family and I are deeply indebted for this kindness."

"Oh, don't say you're indebted! It's simply what should be done!" Li Changhu waved his hand.

While the two chatted in the fields, Li Xiangping arrived at the edge of the reed marsh, carrying a cloth bag. He silently watched Li Yesheng, who was sitting by the bank.

Li Yesheng was counting on his fingers, muttering to himself, "Two days ago I went to third uncle's place, three days ago to oldest uncle's place. Fourth uncle kicked me out yesterday, so today I can only boil some wild vegetables and catch some shrimp for soup." He gazed at the reed marsh swaying in the wind before him, the place where he was born and raised. If not for this generous reed marsh, he, Li Yesheng, would have long since died in some forgotten corner.

"And Uncle's family," he thought silently, when he saw a figure emerge from the reed marsh.

"Brother Xiangping!" Li Yesheng stood up in pleasant surprise. Since the main family built the grand courtyard, Li Xiangping hadn't often ventured out. It was said he spent his days reading in the courtyard, and Li Yesheng only saw him when he went to the main house for meals.

"Here." Li Xiangping smiled, took a white bun from his cloth bag, and handed it to him. Li Yesheng quickly took it, ravenously taking bites, and mumbled indistinctly, "Brother, you're the best to me!"

"Hahahahaha." Li Xiangping and Li Yesheng were very close. When they were young, Li Xiangping would secretly bring food from home for Li Yesheng to eat. With Li Mutian turning a blind eye, Li Xiangping had indeed brought him many things over the years.

"Here," Li Xiangping said, his expression somewhat complex, as he placed the cloth bag into Li Yesheng's hand. "These are the books I used when I first started my studies. You can read them often while you're tending to the ducks."

"Thank you, Brother!" Li Yesheng was deeply moved. He scooped up a handful of river water to wash his hands, then carefully put away the cloth bag.

"In a few days, I'll ask Father to speak with the teacher, so you can go there and read whenever you have free time. Feel free to ask us if you have any questions."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly!" Li Yesheng was a mix of surprise and delight, repeatedly declining. He felt both uneasy and expectant, waving his hands continuously. "I heard that studying requires tuition, and my brother won't give me money for it."

Li Xiangping, however, looked him over for a moment, and said calmly, "There's no need for formalities between us. My asking Father will serve as your payment."

"This..." Li Yesheng wanted to say more, but looking at Li Xiangping's calm expression, an inexplicable sense of awe rose within him. He secretly thought, "Brother Xiangping is just like Uncle!"

Li Xiangping, unaware of Li Yesheng's thoughts, patted his shoulder, gave him instructions about his studies, and then went home.