Dongting Immortal Clan

The silver threadfin bream were sold and exchanged for some rice for the New Year.

Chen Chuansheng's health gradually recovered, but he lost his former spirit and his figure became much more hunched. He spent his days sitting in the courtyard smoking a pipe and watching Chen Changhe and Chen Xiaohu practice their martial arts.

Chen Dajiang did not forget his instructions, and every day he would go to the center of the lake and cast a few nets to see if he could catch some more spirit clams.

That evening, Chen Dajiang returned by rowing.

When the boat docked, Chen Xiaohu could tell from afar that his elder brother's expression was off.

Chen Dajiang is usually a quiet person; he's the same whether he's happy or not.

But today, his lips were downturned, as if he had swallowed a mouthful of bitter medicine.

Chen Xiaohu took a closer look and found that the catch was even less than a few days ago, with only five or six small crucian carp, the largest of which was no more than the length of a palm.

Chen Chuansheng accepted, poured the fish into the bucket, and asked:

"What happened?"

Chen Dajiang tied up the boat, carried the oar, walked back to the yard, and said in a muffled voice.

"Another person has died on the lake."

"There are fewer and fewer fish."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuansheng paused, but said nothing more.

……

The dinner table.

The family ate their meal in silence.

Chen Chuansheng divided the fish into four portions, with his portion being the smallest, consisting only of the fish head and tail.

Chen Dajiang picked up half of the fish belly meat and offered it to Chen Xiaohu, but Chen Xiaohu didn't want to take it and put it back.

After much back and forth, the bowl finally ended up in Chen Xiaohu's bowl.

After hearing what his elder brother had said about the lake, Chen Changhe realized that there were even fewer fish and something was causing trouble. Continuing to make a living by fishing was not a solution.

So he put down his chopsticks and looked at Chen Chuansheng.

"father."

Who's farming those two acres of paddy fields by the lake now?

Chen Changhe remembers that his family owned farmland, and he even helped plant rice seedlings when he was a child. Before his mother passed away, the farmland was mortgaged to buy medicine.

Chen Chuansheng paused for a moment with his chopsticks, without looking up.

Why are you asking this?

"I want to know if we can get that land back," Chen Changhe explained. "With those two mu of paddy fields, at least our family won't go hungry for a year."

"Now that Hu'er and I have started cultivating, our appetites have increased a lot, and it's really difficult for my elder brother to support us all by himself."

"Besides, things aren't peaceful on this lake right now..."

Chen Chuansheng remained silent for a while, then spat out the fish bones.

"If we want those few acres of land back, we have to pay back the money we borrowed from the Zhou family back then."

"How much did you borrow?"

Five taels.

Chen Changhe fell silent.

One tael of silver is equal to one thousand coins.

The family can't even scrape together five hundred coins, let alone five taels of silver.

Chen Xiaohu lowered his head and ate a mouthful of brown rice. The rice was dry, and it hurt his throat when he swallowed it.

His appetite has also increased. He used to be full after one bowl of rice, but now he still feels hungry even after eating two bowls.

The practice also provides an explanation for this.

"To achieve physical transformation, one must nourish the body with the essence of the five grains and nourish the spirit with the essence of the moon."

His older brother and father always saved their food for him, and although Chen Xiaohu didn't say anything, he felt very sad inside.

"father."

Chen Xiaohu suddenly spoke.

"How about I go fishing with my older brother tomorrow?"

Chen Chuansheng looked up at him, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment before he shook his head.

"Practice your skills well."

"I can fish during the day and practice martial arts at night, so I can do both without any problems," Chen Xiaohu said urgently.

"Nonsense!"

Chen Chuansheng's tone became harsher, "Do you think this is farming, where you work during the day and rest at night?"

"Practicing martial arts requires energy and spirit. If you spend the whole day floating on the lake, how can you practice at night?"

Chen Xiaohu opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something.

"Lake".

Chen Changhe interrupted him, shaking his head to stop him.

"You're still young."

"Don't worry about things at home, I'll figure something out."

Chen Dajiang responded sullenly.

"right."

"I'll work with Changhe to figure something out."

Chen Xiaohu looked at them, her heart filled with a bittersweet feeling.

He just wanted to help his family, but his father and brothers treated him like a child and wouldn't let him do anything.

Chen Xiaohu didn't say anything more. He lowered his head and ate all the rice in his bowl, leaving not a single grain.

……

the next day.

Chen Changhe went out.

He told Chen Chuansheng that he wanted to talk to the Zhou family about the land.

Chen Chuansheng knew he couldn't stop them, so he just gave them a word of advice.

"Don't get into conflicts with people."

Chen Changhe agreed, pocketed a few coins, and walked along the lake embankment towards Zhoujia Village.

Zhoujia Village is located north of Baiyukou, separated by a dirt slope, and is only seven or eight li away.

The Zhou family was a well-known wealthy family in the area, owning a grain shop, a butcher shop, and employing more than a dozen tenants.

The five taels of silver that the Chen family borrowed back then were borrowed from Zhou Yeming, the third son of the Zhou family.

By the time Chen Changhe arrived at Zhoujia Village, the sun was already high in the sky.

Several idle men were squatting under the wall at the village entrance, basking in the sun. When they saw him coming, they looked him up and down.

"Hey, isn't this the youngest of the Chen family from Baiyukou?"

A burly man with a fierce face stood up and dusted himself off.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Find Zhou Yeming, the third master of the Zhou family," Chen Changhe said.

"Third Master isn't here; he went to town."

The man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"It's the same if you tell me something."

"I am the steward of the Zhou family, my surname is Zhao, you can just call me Steward Zhao."

Chen Changhe recognized this person.

Nicknamed Zhao Mazi, he was a lackey of the Zhou family and had done many things like bullying men and women.

He suppressed his displeasure and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Manager Zhao."

"I'd like to ask how much silver it cost to redeem the two mu of paddy fields my family mortgaged to the Zhou family back then?"

Zhao Mazi looked him up and down, then sneered:

"Your home?"

"The land deeds for those two acres have long belonged to the Zhou family. What's this talk of mortgages or collateral?"

"The five taels of silver your mother borrowed for her medical treatment back then, now with compound interest, are worth at least twenty taels."

"If you can produce twenty taels, the land will be returned to you."

"If you can't produce the money, stop daydreaming."

……

Twenty taels!

Upon hearing this, Chen Changhe's heart sank.

Before he came, he estimated that it would be at most ten taels, but he didn't expect the Zhou family to calculate the interest so harshly.

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his tone calm.

"Manager Zhao."

"When we borrowed the money, it was agreed that it was a mortgage, not the sale of the land. The land deed also says 'pawning'."

Zhao Mazi's eyes darted around, and his expression changed as he said:

"Oh ho, I didn't expect you, Chen Lao Er, to know a few words."

"What's wrong with pawning? In all these years, has your family paid a single penny in interest?"

"Third Master has been more than kind to your family, and yet you have the nerve to come and ask for land?"

The group of idlers also stood up and surrounded Chen Changhe, blocking him in the middle.

Chen Changhe clenched his fist, then relaxed it.

He knew he couldn't beat these people, and even if he could, he shouldn't fight them.

The Zhou family has connections in the city. After they beat up someone from the Zhou family, they could no longer stay in Baiyukou.

"OK."

Chen Changhe took a step back.

"I'll redeem it when I have the money."

"rich?"

Zhao Mazi laughed, his voice grating.

"Your Chen family has been fishermen for eighteen generations. How could you possibly save up twenty taels in your lifetime?"

"Why not sell your little brother to the city to be a page for the young master of a noble family? Maybe if you serve him well, you can even get some copper coins as a reward."

Chen Changhe suddenly stopped and turned around to look at Zhao Mazi.

There was no anger on his face, not even any expression, but the light in his eyes changed.

It became cold and hard, even colder than the ice on the lake.

Zhao Mazi felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

"What are you looking at? Get lost!"

Chen Changhe didn't move. He stared at Zhao Mazi for a long time, making the few idlers feel a little uneasy.

Suddenly, Chen Changhe smiled.

"Manager Zhao is right."

"Our Chen family is poor. We've been fishermen for generations, and we might never be able to save up twenty taels in our lifetime."

"But Manager Zhao, don't forget that the lake has been very rough lately. Many have already been taken away by the Dragon King and can't be retrieved."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Zhao Mazi stood there stunned, his face twitching, but he quickly realized what was happening.

"Damn it, this is outrageous!"

Zhao Mazi spat.

A mere sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid dared to threaten him.

But I don't know why.

He always felt a chill down his spine, as if something was watching him.