19: Chapter 19 Huang Family Land

When Huang Silang knelt down, Ye Xuan was so startled that he quickly helped him up.

It was no big deal for him to kneel, but they were at the village entrance. If people saw an old man kneeling to a junior, he would be criticized behind his back!

After being helped up by Ye Xuan, Huang Silang continued to wipe away tears, looking heartbroken.

"I am your biological maternal uncle after all; why would I harm you? It wasn't easy to find someone willing to lend me money. This guarantee is just a formality. As soon as I pay my tax silver, I'll return the money immediately. I definitely won't involve you!"

"Big brother, what should we do?" Ye Yi asked Ye Xuan in a low voice.

Ye Xuan began to consider it. Looking at the document, there didn't seem to be any issues. It clearly stated that the loan was for ten taels to be repaid at face value, and the borrower was Huang Silang.

However, this man had a terrible track record; he had even caused the deaths of his own wife and child to pay off debts. Ye Xuan decisively refused: "Uncle, this won't work. You should find someone else to be your guarantor!"

Huang Silang's eyes widened, and he hurriedly pleaded, "Xuaner, please have a heart! If you don't act as my guarantor, I won't be able to borrow the money! Can you really bear to let an old man like me be sent to the battlefield because I can't pay the tax silver?!"

Ye Xuan frowned. If he signed as a guarantor and Huang Silang couldn't pay it back, wouldn't the debt fall on them? Thus, he said righteously, "No! Uncle, I can't make the decision on this. You should talk to Father and let him sign it!"

Huang Silang saw that Ye Xuan was determined to refuse. If he went to Ye Jing, the man would be even less likely to agree.

Huang Silang's face darkened, and he grabbed the document and left.

"Big brother, Huang Silang came to us for a guarantee instead of Father. It seems he has ulterior motives. Let's go back and tell Father about this!" Ye Yi also felt something was wrong.

Ye Xuan nodded.

The two brothers hurried home together.

When they entered the house, Ye Jing was practicing his horse stance to exercise his body.

Seeing this, Ye Yi quickly shouted, "Father! What are you doing!"

Seeing his two sons return, Ye Jing smiled and said, "Am I not just taking advantage of my free time to exercise? You two brothers are back!"

Having absorbed the fourth wisp of Immortal Light, his body had returned to that of a forty-year-old, but he still looked like an old man. Therefore, Ye Jing thought to start with horse stances to train his body.

"Father! Stop practicing for a moment, something has happened!" Ye Yi said hurriedly.

Hearing this, Ye Jing slowly ended his horse stance. Although sweat was seeping from his brow, his breathing was steady. He walked to the side, picked up a coarse cloth towel to wipe his sweat, and asked in a deep voice, "What's the matter?"

Ye Xuan took a step forward and recounted everything about Huang Silang asking them to be guarantors.

"Huang Silang asked you to be guarantors, and someone is actually willing to lend him ten taels of silver?" Ye Jing was somewhat surprised.

"Yes! Father, I also find it strange. Huang Silang is a gambler, and his Family is so poor they can barely eat. Why would anyone be willing to lend him money?" Ye Xuan said quickly.

Ye Jing was silent for a moment before saying, "The officials came to collect taxes today, then Niu Gui came, and then Huang Silang tried to borrow money and wanted you to be guarantors. This is all too suspicious."

Ye Xuan and Ye Yi were shocked. Ye Xuan hurriedly asked, "Could it be that Uncle borrowed money from Niu Gui?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but nothing good will come of it regardless. Did you sign the document?" Ye Jing asked.

"No, I thought it wasn't right, so I didn't sign!" Ye Xuan said.

Hearing this, Ye Jing breathed a sigh of relief and said to Ye Xuan, "Xuaner, it's good that you didn't sign. I was afraid that document was a trap."

The two sons nodded repeatedly.

"Alright, let's not talk about that for now. Have you bought everything I asked for?" Ye Jing asked.

Ye Xuan lifted the wooden cage in his hand and said, "I've bought everything back according to your instructions, Father!"

Ye Jing looked at the five hens in the cage and nodded with satisfaction. "Put the hens in the coop. When they lay eggs, we can give the children a taste of meat!"

"You got it!" the two brothers replied with smiles.

"Father, you really dote on your grandsons!" Ye Yi couldn't help but tease.

Ye Jing laughed and said, "Indeed! So you two also need to work harder and give me a few more grandsons for the Ye Family, to properly expand our Family!"

After saying that, Ye Jing looked at his two busy daughters-in-law and smiled meaningfully.

Wu Guiyun and Liu Xianglan both blushed, feeling quite embarrassed.

In the evening, after the Family finished their meal, they all retired to their rooms to rest.

The two sons had been tired for so long, and now that they finally had a chance to rest, it was naturally a case of 'a brief absence makes the heart grow fonder.' They embraced their wives and shared intimate moments; the rooms were filled with warmth and affection.

The next morning, the two daughters-in-law naturally looked radiant as they got up to prepare breakfast, while the two sons slept in.

Ye Jing saw it all and chuckled inwardly.

Outside, the sun rose into a clear, boundless sky. It was a beautiful day, perfect for farming.

He ate a simple meal and then took Hei Feng up the mountain, while also telling his two sons to prepare for planting.

He was looking forward to seeing what surprises those enlightened rice grains would give him!

Meanwhile...

Huang Silang found Niu Gui with a distressed face. Niu Gui learned that the two sons of the Ye Family hadn't fallen for the trap.

He immediately cursed, "Useless trash!"

Huang Silang hurriedly knelt and begged, "Master Niu! Those two boys, Ye Xuan and Ye Yi, are too cold-hearted! Please, lend me some silver to pay off the tax silver! I... I will definitely pay you back in a month!"

Niu Gui sneered. His eyes darted around as he suddenly thought of something and asked, "I heard Ye Jing say before that his two mu of fields originally belonged to your Huang Family?"

Huang Silang was taken aback and nodded quickly. "Yes, Master Niu. But long ago, while my parents were still alive, my eldest sister and I split the Family property, and half of the land was given to Ye Jing!"

Niu Gui thought for a moment and then sneered, "Split the Family? Huang Silang, you are so muddled! That land was passed down from your Huang Family ancestors. Even if your parents split the property, you, the biological son, should have inherited the lion's share. Why should half be given to Ye Jing, a son-in-law with a different surname?

He merely married your eldest sister and then occupied your Huang Family property. Don't you feel resentful?"

Huang Silang froze in place, staring blankly at Niu Gui, and muttered, "But... but the division of the Family back then was presided over by the Village Chief, and the documents were all written in his name!"

"Documents? That was Ye Jing tricking the Village Chief and your parents, taking advantage of your honesty."

Niu Gui slapped the table, his voice suddenly rising. "Think about it. Once your eldest sister married him, Ye Jing got two mu of good land. Over the years, he's relied on that land for farming and lived a prosperous life. And you?

You sold your own land, couldn't protect your wife and child, and can't even afford the tax silver. Isn't this all because Ye Jing took what should have belonged to you?"

These words were like a spark, instantly igniting the indignation in Huang Silang's heart. He immediately nodded. "Right! Those two mu of land were originally mine! It was all because my parents were biased!"

Seeing that he was moved, a cruel smile curled at the corner of Niu Gui's mouth. He struck while the iron was hot: "It's not too late! You are the descendant of the Huang Family; how can you let an outsider occupy your land? I'll lend you five taels of silver to pay your taxes, and then I'll help you talk sense into the Village Chief's son to get those two mu of land back from Ye Jing!

When the time comes, you can pay off my debt, and the remaining money will let you live comfortably for a while. Isn't that killing several birds with one stone?"

Huang Silang's eyes suddenly lit up, as if he were grasping at a life-saving straw. "Master Niu, is what you say true? Will the Village Chief really help me?"

Niu Gui's tone was certain: "Don't worry, as long as I go and speak, the Village Chief will definitely help! As long as we lure Ye Jing out and take his life, won't the land deed signed only in Ye Jing's name become invalid?"

After all, the current Village Chief was his sworn brother; he would be willing to do such a small thing!

Going through the old records of the Huang Family genealogy and framing Ye Jing for illegally occupying the Huang Family's grain fields would be effortless!

According to the laws of the Yan State, those with a different surname who illegally occupy fertile land are to be flogged eighty times and exiled three thousand li. This punishment would not only allow them to take the Ye Family's land but also result in the Family being exiled, leaving them with no place to be buried!

"Master Niu, you... you want me to kill Ye Jing?"

Huang Silang asked with a tremble.

Niu Gui sneered and said to Huang Silang, "Idiot! What do you mean 'kill him'? The old man is getting on in years; it's common for something to suddenly happen to him on the road!"

The fierce light in his eyes made Huang Silang shiver with fear.