The autumn days grew colder, and another year was about to pass.

Normally, this would be the slack season for farming. The villagers could enjoy a few days of leisure, letting their weary bodies rest after a year of hard labor.

But this year was different.

In Da Liushu Village, life went on as usual only for the family of the landlord, Master Liu. Nothing had changed for them.

For every other household, anyone who could still draw a breath was either rushing to plant cold-resistant crops or foraging for wild vegetables and fruits in the surrounding area.

Some even ventured into the mountain forests, risking danger to search for mountain goods, medicinal herbs, and more.

The imperial court had raised taxes, driving the villagers of Da Liushu Village to the brink of ruin.

They had scraped together everything they had to pay the taxes, but now their homes were left without enough surplus grain to survive the winter.

As for those who couldn’t pay, the men were dragged away, and their homes were plundered by the constables. The remaining widows and orphans might not even make it through this winter.

And even if they survived this winter, what about next year? 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

With no able-bodied men left in the family, paying next year’s taxes would be impossible!

But even so, this year’s taxes hadn’t even been fully collected. What they had paid was merely the land tax; the head tax had yet to be levied!

When the head tax was demanded next spring, what would they do then?

For a time, the grim atmosphere hanging over Da Liushu Village grew ever colder and harsher.

Smoke from cooking fires rose.

"Husband, do you think Zhi’Er will come home today?"

Ms. Chen was eating breakfast, watching the autumn wind swirl dry, yellowed blades of grass outside the courtyard gate, when she spoke to Father Fang, who had his head buried in his food.

"Also, I heard that in the surrounding villages, some people who couldn’t go on have fled the famine and become bandits in the mountains. Do you think... do you think Zhi’Er might run into danger on his way back?"

Hearing this, Father Fang lifted his head from his bowl.

He looked at his wife, mopped up the last bit of vegetable porridge from the bottom of his bowl with a flatbread, and licked it so clean it looked like it didn’t even need washing.

Wiping his mouth, he said dismissively, "He’ll be fine. Zhi’Er learned real skills from Fang Hu; he’s not even afraid of tigers. You think those men are tougher than a tiger?"

"How can you not be worried at all? Even the old scholar who used to live in the village said that the human heart is more vicious than any ferocious beast!" Ms. Chen retorted, exasperated.

A little later, Ms. Chen took the bowl and chopsticks from Father Fang’s hands. She glanced outside a few more times, but after seeing no sign of that familiar figure, she turned, disappointed, to go wash up.

"Dad, I was just delivering grain to Mr. Fuquan, and someone saw me."

At that moment, a panicked Fang Cheng hurried in from outside. Seeing Fang Mu, he spoke at once.

When Ms. Chen heard this, she immediately grabbed Fang Cheng’s ear, her expression a mixture of anger and disappointment.

"What? How could you be so careless? I told you not to let anyone see you. If people start showing up to borrow grain, what do you expect to do!"

Every family was struggling this year. Even though their family had managed to save up some grain thanks to Zhi’Er, it was, in fact, only a little more than ten dan.

Over the past few days, Fang Cheng had already given his future father-in-law more than a hundred jin of grain.

And that was just for one family; it was nothing to speak of.

If a few more families came asking, even a mountain of rice and flour wouldn’t be enough to lend out.

That was why Ms. Chen had told Fang Cheng to avoid being seen when he delivered the grain.

Even if he was spotted, he was under no circumstances to admit he was carrying grain.

It wasn’t that their family was stingy.

It was that they couldn’t afford to show such kindness, couldn’t set such a precedent.

Once they started, it would be impossible to take care of everyone in the village who was in need.

Favoring some while neglecting others would inevitably lead to trouble.

"Mother, I... I..."

Fang Cheng knew he had been careless. With Ms. Chen twisting his ear, he wanted to beg for forgiveness, but being clumsy with words, he couldn’t form a complete sentence for the longest time.

"Wife, it should be fine. It was just this once. I doubt anyone will come," Father Fang said, scratching his head as he tried to defend his eldest son.

Ms. Chen had only been worried; she didn’t actually think anything would really happen.

So she let go of Fang Cheng’s ear and started toward the kitchen.

However, sometimes, the things you fear most are the ones that come to pass.

Ms. Chen had just stepped into the kitchen when seven or eight gaunt figures appeared outside the gate of Fang Yue’s Family.

The moment they saw Fang Mu and Fang Cheng, they swarmed forward.

"Uncle Fang Mu, I’m begging you, please lend me two sacks of grain! Otherwise, we won’t make it through the winter."

"Brother Fang Cheng, please help us. My family really can’t go on."

Da Liushu Village was dominated by two large clans, the Fangs and the Lius. Most people with the same surname were related in some roundabout way.

These visitors were all from the Fang clan, and a few were even cousins of Fang Yue’s Family.

"This... with how things are this year, my family has no spare grain either!"

Father Fang was a man of few words to begin with, and seeing this situation, he began to stammer.

"Fang, I saw it all. Your nephew was delivering grain to the Fuquan Family, and they don’t even share our surname. We’re still close kin! You have to help us!"

"That’s right, that’s right! If you don’t lend us grain, we’re not leaving today!"

These people wouldn’t take no for an answer. Their own families couldn’t even fill their cooking pots.

They had finally discovered that Fang Mu’s family seemed to have a surplus. Besides, everyone in the village knew that Fang Yue had learned martial arts from Fang Hu and went hunting.

And earlier this year, Fang Yue’s Family had traded meat with them for some grain.

So, Fang Yue’s Family definitely had extra grain!

"Exactly! You’ve already lent grain to outsiders. It wouldn’t be right to refuse your own clansmen."

"Fang Mu, if you refuse, you’re disowning your own Fang clansmen! You’re not even rich yet and you’re already so cold-blooded. It’s disgusting!"

Seeing Father Fang’s refusal, a few of them grew insistent, their tone turning grim and threatening.

They were making it clear that if Fang Mu didn’t lend them grain today, they would ruin his family’s reputation!

In this ancient society, the clan system was everything.

The emperor’s law didn’t reach the countryside on a daily basis, so many disputes between villagers had to be resolved within the clan.

For example, matters like who could use water for their fields or who could use the clan’s sacrificial vessels were all arranged by the clan.

Therefore, if a family’s reputation was ruined within the clan, they would essentially be ostracized at every turn and eventually forced to leave their home and seek a new life elsewhere.

"That’s right! Fang Mu, you have to lend us grain today!"

The more they spoke, the more agitated they became, until it seemed they were about to resort to robbery.

"What do you think you’re doing? Are you trying to rob us?! Get out, all of you! I’d like to see who dares to set foot inside today!"

Just then, Ms. Chen, having heard the commotion, rushed out of the kitchen with a cleaver in her hand.

She stood in front of Fang Mu and Fang Cheng, blocking the seven or eight Fang clansmen at the doorway.

Then, she looked at the clansmen before her and said:

"Fang Ming, if I recall correctly, two years ago your eldest son fell into the Xiahe River. It was my husband, Fang Mu, who saved him, heedless of the danger."

"And Fang Zhi, the year before last, when your family was short on food, you borrowed a hundred jin of grain from us. It’s been nearly two years, and you still haven’t paid it back."