CFRSIO Chapter 7

When Lin Yunliang returned, he saw a scene where the villagers were targeting Zhang Qing’an’s family of three.

Their demeanor made it seem as if the Zhang family had committed some grave offense of disloyalty, unfilial piety, injustice, or impropriety.

However… looking at Zhang Qing’an, who stood with his back straight and a composed attitude, Lin Yunliang felt a touch of emotion.

According to his memories, many people in this world endured humiliation and bullied the weak. This was especially true in villages, where larger families often bullied smaller ones.

Zhang Qing’an… such a person with backbone, why did he end up in the state Lin Yunliang had seen him in? It truly made him wonder.

Lin Yunliang had no intention of interfering. He had no apparent connection with Zhang Qing’an’s family, and he had kept what happened last time a secret. It was even more difficult to speak up now.

However, he would not stand by and watch the villagers act recklessly.

Tao Da Niu was a rogue in the village, who only knew how to idle about. His parents had injured themselves in their early years from working, and died within a few years, leaving him alone. If it weren’t for the village elders being his relatives, he would have been driven out long ago.

He was also among the crowd, his beady eyes slyly darting around.

In fact, Zhang Qing’an was quite sought after in Tao Village. Besides his good looks, more evident were the Zhang family’s assets and their considerable amount of land.

Many people had considered marrying into the Zhang family, which would allow them to soar to great heights.

Tao Da Niu was one of the covetous ones. His eyes darted around, as if he was hatching some scheme.

Lin Yunliang calmly stepped forward and patted the other person’s shoulder. Tao Da Niu originally intended to see who dared to lay a hand on his “Master Niu.”

But as soon as he saw Lin Yunliang, he instantly became timid. Lin Yunliang was not someone to be trifled with!

Although he used to be a notorious rogue in the village in his earlier years, his significant change in recent times was evident to the villagers. Moreover, this person was tall and strong, which made Tao Da Niu even more hesitant to harbor any intentions.

The commotion between Lin Yunliang and Tao Da Niu did not attract much attention.

Instead, the Zhang Qing’an family of three in the crowd became particularly conspicuous.

Seeing Tao Zhiyuan and his mother appear, and hearing their self-righteous words, Zhang Qing’an felt extremely indignant.

Nearby, there was a friend of Zhang’s mother, who was advising Zhang’s mother.

Fortunately, although Zhang’s mother was a woman, she placed great trust in her husband and son. Although she appeared timid, she stood firmly beside Zhang Qing’an and her husband.

The more Lin Yunliang thought about it, the more he felt that what he had seen might be false. This family did not seem like foolish people.

He had forgotten the suggestion he had made to Zhang Qing’an when they went up the mountain that day.

Yes, Zhang Qing’an’s sudden decision to create some sort of contract was because he had listened to Lin Yunliang. However, that was not Lin Yunliang’s original intention; he had merely recalled his collaboration with Manager Wang.

He hadn’t expected this person to be so clever and immediately thought of using it here.

How was it resolved in the end?

It was Zhang’s father who stepped forward with a cold expression, stating directly that he would stand by his son.

“What wrong has Qing’an done? You all seem so capable, yet why are you not paying rent on time? Even blood brothers have to settle accounts clearly! What are you people then!”

“Every piece of this land was cultivated by my ancestors, and my wife and I have painstakingly fertilized and nurtured it! Moreover, the land belongs to my Zhang family, and I can rent it to whomever I please!”

“Aunt Tao, you should also clarify. These two children are not yet married, and you are already taking this attitude. It seems I should reconsider the marriage between your son and my son.”

“If you have the backbone and truly disagree, then buy the land. I won’t be exorbitant; it will be at market price, ten taels of silver per mu.”

“If you cannot buy it back, then don’t blame me for disregarding our village ties. If you don’t want to rent the land properly, there are plenty of others willing to do so.”

The rent price that the Zhang family charged was quite reasonable. Their original intention was to maintain good relations with the villagers, but what happened? It turned into this.

Even the deepest of affections can be worn away, let alone the frequent conflicts that already existed between them.

Lin Yunliang thought highly of Zhang’s father and did not intend to join the commotion. At least not now.

With things becoming so unpleasant, there would be trouble later on.

Lin Yunliang always considered the worst-case scenario, and as it turned out, someone dared to cause trouble under the cover of night.

Lin Yunliang had been lying in wait nearby. Since the incident with the contract that day, many people had hesitantly approached the Zhang family and signed contracts.

They waited for three days. After three days, those who had not come to sign the contract, Zhang’s father took Zhang Qing’an to visit them one by one. He explained that he would no longer rent the land to them.

Regardless of their pleas and wails, Zhang’s father showed no mercy.

Lin Yunliang did not need to go out to inquire about these matters; the news naturally spread.

It was said that Mother Tao fell ill from anger after returning home. Tao Zhiyuan’s family did not have enough money to buy medicine and approached the Zhang family, but the Zhang family simply closed their doors and refused to see them.

They deserved it. Ever since Mother Tao arrived, she had pointed at Zhang Qing’an’s nose, accusing him of being unfilial and indecent, stating that he had nothing to do with the important matters concerning the land.

It was as if the land was purchased through the Tao family’s hard work. Zhang’s father himself had never scolded Zhang Qing’an like that, so why should this woman, who wasn’t even his mother-in-law, lecture him?

Moreover, Mother Tao’s greedy demeanor had never subsided, which further angered Zhang’s father.

He returned home that day and fell ill from anger.

The village chief was also vexed and overwhelmed. All the villagers who could no longer rent land rushed to the village chief, asking him to uphold justice.

However, Zhang’s father had done nothing wrong or said anything wrong. The land was theirs, and he could rent it to whomever he pleased. Even as the village chief, he could do nothing.

But this incident practically trampled his reputation into the dirt.

Therefore, he naturally pretended not to hear any of the subsequent rumors.

He intended to let them develop on their own, planning to step in once things had settled, so that Zhang Qing’an’s family would know that he was not just a village chief for show.

Lin Yunliang swiftly apprehended the person. Upon inspection, it was indeed an acquaintance, Tao Da Niu.

“Brother! Brother Lin!! You are magnanimous; please let me go!” Tao Da Niu was panicking. He had been lurking around here frequently in the past few days, specifically scouting.

Furthermore, his accomplices had helped lure away the Zhang couple. Currently, only Zhang Qing’an, the shuang’er, should be at home. Who knew that Lin Yunliang would suddenly appear.

Lin Yunliang smiled, saying nothing, and calmly walked to the back door and knocked.

The back door quickly opened. Standing there was Zhang Qing’an, whom Tao Da Niu coveted.

When Zhang Qing’an met Tao Da Niu’s surprised gaze, his expression turned extremely cold. He immediately came to his senses and handed Lin Yunliang a thick hemp rope.

Lin Yunliang quickly tied him up.

It was at this moment that Tao Da Niu belatedly realized something.

It turned out that these two had gotten together at some point. Tao Da Niu, who had considered Zhang Qing’an to be within his grasp, became furious and wanted to shout for the villagers to witness this pair of illicit lovers. Just as he was about to shout, Lin Yunliang, with a fierce expression, stuffed a rag into his mouth.

Then, he was directly thrown into the woodshed.

Turning around, he saw Zhang Qing’an still looking angry. He didn’t understand why his family had suffered losses so many times over the years, yet the villagers remained the same. They still had that sense of entitlement.

This time, they even… thinking of their scheme, Zhang Qing’an’s entire body turned cold. If it was fear, it wasn’t enough; there was also anger.

For so many years in a village, they could actually be so heartless! It was truly detestable!

“Still angry?” Lin Yunliang’s voice drifted over.

Zhang Qing’an nodded, looking at Lin Yunliang with a hint of gratitude, “This time, it’s all thanks to you. Thank you.”

Lin Yunliang waved his hand dismissively, “The people of Tao Village are very exclusive. Do you need any suggestions?”

“What are your thoughts?” Zhang Qing’an looked at the person in front of him and asked.

“Since they don’t know what’s good for them, why continue to show them a good face?”

“You should know that I’ll be going to town to sell game during this time.”

“I’ve made many acquaintances in town,” Lin Yunliang said, revealing an extremely cunning smile.

Since they didn’t appreciate the Zhang family’s kindness at all, they would be shown what a true landlord was like. Lin Yunliang’s words were true; after he proposed a few ideas to Manager Wang of the Jade Pavilion, they became close friends.

Just teaching them a lesson was a minor issue.

Zhang Qing’an didn’t quite understand what this person’s smile represented, but he was willing to trust him. Strangely, since meeting Lin Yunliang, he seemed to have changed. However, he didn’t dislike this change.

“What about Tao Da Niu?”

Tao Da Niu had come with malicious intent, but they had apprehended him beforehand.

“Him?” Lin Yunliang said, a hint of fierceness brewing in his eyes, “Of course, he cannot be let off.”

Within a few days, news arrived from town that Tao Da Niu had stolen a treasure belonging to a noble in town and was arrested and put in jail. This news itself was not significant, but somehow, someone began to spread rumors.

They said that Tao Da Niu was rotten from the head down, instigated by others, and that everyone in Tao Village were bad people.

This rumor spread rapidly, and Village Chief Tao did not anticipate such rumors. He immediately sought out the village chiefs of neighboring villages to resolve the matter. The people of Tao Village were united this time.

However, one person never left his home, staying “honestly” at home, and that was Tao Wenyu.

Tao Wenyu had also gone to the scene that day. As the village chief’s son, he couldn’t afford not to go. When he arrived, he saw Zhang Qing’an’s family being heavily isolated by the villagers, and he was pleased and satisfied.

He also saw Mother Tao’s expression, which made him even more content.

But who knew that Uncle Zhang would so strongly support Zhang Qing’an, which was a real slap in the face. Moreover, Tao Wenyu had also seen Lin Yunliang’s gaze directed at Zhang Qing’an. He couldn’t understand that look, only knowing that things had changed, and many things had changed.

Therefore, a fire ignited in his heart, and that night he went to find Tao Zhiyuan, who was also angry about the Zhang family’s attitude. The two immediately hit it off and found Tao Da Niu.

Tao Da Niu was also foolish, and was persuaded by a few words.

However, Tao Wenyu and Tao Zhiyuan’s goals were similar but not entirely the same.

Tao Zhiyuan only wanted to teach them a lesson, to make Zhang Qing’an regret it, and to make him realize that his family was merely outsiders and still needed the support of the Tao villagers. He only planned to have Tao Da Niu harass Zhang Qing’an’s home, then he would appear and play the hero to save the beauty, and then he wouldn’t be afraid of not winning over Zhang Qing’an.

As for Tao Wenyu, he did not want this marriage to happen. In his opinion, that scoundrel Zhang Qing’an was already reaching too high even to be matched with Tao Da Niu, a rogue. Zhang Qing’an should not have appeared in Tao Village.

When the person lost their purity, they would certainly not be able to marry his Zhiyuan brother. At the same time, Tao Da Niu was a rogue, so he could definitely cause chaos within the entire Zhang family.

Then he would have his father step in and play the good guy, solidifying the matter.

Tao Da Niu himself already had his own intentions. Now that someone was coming to cooperate, he was naturally overjoyed.

Their scheme could be described as malicious, but none of them expected Lin Yunliang to overhear it. Lin Yunliang was more cautious and, after hearing about it, immediately informed Zhang Qing’an.

As for whether Zhang Qing’an would inform Zhang’s parents, it was not his concern.

As for him, he only sought peace of mind.

With such a character emerging in the village and bringing a very bad reputation to the village, the person most affected was Tao Zhiyuan, who was about to participate in the imperial examinations.

If the village gained a bad reputation, other scholars would refuse to vouch for him for the sake of their own reputation.

Fortunately, Village Chief Tao decisively removed Tao Da Niu’s name from the clan registry. Afterward, he even spent a great deal of money to appease the village chiefs of several neighboring villages, barely managing to suppress the matter.

Lin Yunliang was not surprised; he had other matters to attend to. If it weren’t for Zhang Qing’an’s situation, he would have left Tao Village long ago. But for now, he couldn’t leave.

Therefore, he finally remembered his dilapidated hut. His recent training had also been effective. The villagers knew that he had earned money from hunting, so they were not surprised when they saw him hiring people to repair his house.

However, someone was surprised, and that was Uncle Zhang.

Zhang Qing’an thought about it and eventually told Uncle Zhang about Tao Da Niu’s matter. After all, Uncle Zhang was the head of the family, and they needed to discuss it.

“Lin Yunliang?” Uncle Zhang frowned, surprised that it was because of that fellow. Strange thoughts arose in his mind, “That rogue isn’t interested in you, is he?”

“An’an, what are you thinking?”

Zhang Qing’an was visibly stunned when he heard Uncle Zhang’s words. “No, I…”

What did he mean? Zhang Qing’an was momentarily speechless. After all, their interactions had indeed become somewhat frequent recently. As for this incident, to be precise, it had nothing to do with Lin Yunliang. Lin Yunliang had never rented land from their family either.

Unable to figure it out, Zhang Qing’an awkwardly changed the subject, “Father, let’s leave Tao Village.”

“These people have always been very unwelcoming to us.”

“You’ve seen their faces and attitudes. If we sell the land, combined with the money we already have, we can go to town and do some other business.”

“It’s better than being bullied in the village.”

Zhang Qing’an didn’t need to say it. Uncle Zhang had already started considering these matters during this time.

Zhang Qing’an’s sudden proposal to sign contracts was because some villagers repeatedly defaulted on rent and intentionally brought out their young children to evoke sympathy when they were asked for it. Zhang Qing’an couldn’t understand it. The land was bought by their family, and it was originally barren land. It had finally become fertile.

Their family kindly rented the land to the villagers, and even the rent they charged was much lower than outside, yet they took it for granted. Where did the people of Tao Village get the nerve?

Zhang Qing’an also understood that due to the relationships among villagers, it was not good to make the situation too unpleasant. However, those people’s greed was too ugly. They often defaulted, slandered the Zhang family’s character behind their backs, and even had money to eat and drink instead of paying rent.

Countless incidents like these occurred. Therefore, after hearing what Lin Yunliang said, Zhang Qing’an immediately came up with this idea and implemented it immediately.

“What else did Lin Yunliang tell you?” A father knows his son best. Upon hearing Uncle Zhang’s words, Zhang Qing’an paused, then truthfully relayed everything Lin Yunliang had told him to Uncle Zhang.

Listening to these words, Uncle Zhang felt a bit surprised. Lin Yunliang placed such trust in his An’an that he could directly tell him who he was collaborating with in business? However, Lin Yunliang didn’t seem so cunning before; now he was so…

He also recalled something, something from a long time ago. At that time, he was concerned about Zhang Qing’an’s safety, so he had overlooked it. Now, perhaps because he had heard Lin Yunliang’s name several times, he recalled it.

It was about the time Zhang Qing’an went to West Mountain alone and injured his foot. Lin Yunliang went to West Mountain? Lin Yunliang should have a deep aversion to that place, after all, his father had died in West Mountain.

Knowing that there were many secrets between the two that he didn’t know, he sighed inwardly. His child had grown up and had his own secrets. However, with Lin Yunliang being so cunning and capable, how could his An’an outwit him?

After thinking for a moment, he said, “I will handle this matter.”

“During this time, you stay at home peacefully, do you understand?”

“Okay.”

Lin Yunliang was not surprised by Uncle Zhang’s visit. He politely greeted him, “Uncle Zhang.”

Uncle Zhang looked at the person in front of him and realized how much this person had changed. The former Lin Yunliang did not have such charisma. Although he was still wearing coarse cloth clothing, his demeanor was even more extraordinary than that of the young masters he had seen in town.

He became even more convinced of one thing: his An’an definitely couldn’t outwit this guy. It would be better not to let An’an contact him further.

Siam was originally rolling around, entertaining himself. He didn’t expect to suddenly hear such a conversation. He flipped over and twisted his body, looking at Lin Yunliang.

No, Contractor, do you know what you are saying?

But Siam dared not speak. He still dared not offend this person. What if he really went mad? Every time a wish mission started, it began with the simplest tasks.

This ancient plane was also relatively low-level. If this mission failed, he would be laughed at by the people in the department!

He hoped he wouldn’t go crazy randomly!

Uncle Zhang directly expressed his thoughts, “Regarding the family’s land matters, Uncle will handle it himself, so I won’t trouble Little Brother Lin.”

“You seem to be ambitious and will achieve great things in the future. My family is just farmers.” Uncle Zhang was implying to Lin Yunliang that he and Zhang Qing’an were not a match.

“Even with the villagers’ attitude, Uncle can still live a colorful life. You naturally don’t need to limit your vision to a small village.”

“If Uncle needs any help in the future, please be sure to tell this junior. This junior will definitely help.”

This young man was impervious to reason. Uncle Zhang looked steady on the outside but was cursing inwardly.

Lin Yunliang took time to go to town and find Manager Wang.

Manager Wang was not at the Jade Pavilion. However, there was a different guest at the Jade Pavilion. Although the guest had changed into simple robes, Lin Yunliang’s eyesight was better, and he quickly realized that this person was unusual.

【Siam.】

【Yes, dear. Is there anything you need help with?】

【Your system should be able to see his identity, right?】

【?】

【In the corner by the wall, who is that person?】 Lin Yunliang asked while borrowing the kitchen from the waiter.

Siam was confused but followed Lin Yunliang’s instructions to find the person’s identity. He quickly found the corresponding identity and was somewhat shocked. What kind of good luck did this Contractor have? He had encountered He Jun before, and now he had encountered this person.

【Host, what kind of luck is this!】

【I have taken on so many Contractors, and you are the first Contractor I have seen with such good luck!】

【Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! You are too amazing!】 As expected of the descendant of that Grim Reaper, he was indeed extraordinary!

Siam suddenly spoke a series of words, but none of them were key points. His chatter disturbed Lin Yunliang, who couldn’t help but groan and stop what he was doing.

The chef from the Jade Pavilion, who insisted on helping, immediately leaned over with concern, “Master Lin? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Lin Yunliang took a few breaths and felt much better.

Siam knew he had made a mistake. After quickly providing the answer, he hid: 【That person is the prince, Xiao Shenglin, who appears later and insists on marrying Tao Wenyu.】

After saying that, he immediately disappeared, not daring to show himself again. Lin Yunliang didn’t care about Siam’s whereabouts; he only cared about what he wanted to know. He found that he had indeed guessed correctly, and his mood improved even more.

Two hours later, after leaving a message for the waiter to convey to Manager Wang upon his return that he wanted to see him and that he should not leave town, he left the Jade Pavilion and went to East Willow Lane. He had bought a house here as a place to stay in the future.

As for what would happen at the Jade Pavilion, he also didn’t care.

Unexpectedly, the power of fate was significant. He Jun accidentally encountered Tao Wenyu and fell in love at first sight. He was determined to marry him.