Chapter 00247: Forcing a Meal
# Forcing a Meal
Chapter 247
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 247: Forcing a Meal
He Lingchuan did not beat around the bush: “Yes, this is the land contract for buying and selling land. The provincial government recognizes this as well. Therefore, the tenant farmers will continue to farm the land, as long as they pay the rent on time, they won’t be driven away.”
The village elders whispered to each other, nodding in agreement.
“Alright, let’s get to the main subject.” The crucial moment had arrived, “Villagers need the village’s consent to sell land. What is the legal basis for this?”
The owners of the land can collect rent from the tenants.
If these old-timers create obstacles, the Xinxiang government holding the land contract may very well fail to collect their rent.
Other villages might fear the government, but Shuangyu Village seems to be an exception.
The village head spoke slowly: “This is a customary practice. Before the establishment of the Great Kite State, Xinxiang followed this rule; it is not just unique to our Shuangyu Village.”
“Thirty years ago, twenty years ago, the Great Kite issued laws stating that any customs violating national orders would be automatically abolished.”
Village Chief Liang chuckled: “But the entirety of Xiazhou has always been like this, not just our Xinxiang. Young Master He, do you know that the law does not punish the many? If the provincial government intends to take action against us, then dozens of other towns and thousands of villages will need to change first and face punishment!”
He Lingchuan crossed his arms slowly, a mocking tone in his voice: “So you mean to say, you want to test the law?”
Village Chief Liang shook his head repeatedly: “We cannot bear that charge. We are merely maintaining village customs; it has been this way for decades.”
Those who have never lived in a rural area cannot truly appreciate the weight of the term “village customs and regulations.”
Outside, a villager shouted, “That’s right! Even if you can condemn us, other villages and towns cannot agree to this!”
A chorus of agreement rose from the crowd, their numbers large.
He Lingchuan sneered.
What did the affairs of other towns and villages have to do with him? His father had assigned him this task, and once it was done, it would be over.
These villagers looked simple-minded, yet their words conveyed a single meaning: If they wanted the village to agree, it would cost more money.
The villagers who sold their land to outsiders needed to collect an additional “kickback” from the village.
These folks were quite bold, daring to go against the government.
Of course, He Lingchuan understood that not every village had such courage.
Most rural areas, even if they didn’t entirely bow down, at least regarded the government with fear.
Otherwise, how could the government exploit them? Shuangyu Village had its share of heroes and martyrs, and having produced an elder from the Dao door, perhaps there were even powerful figures behind them advising this arrogance, willing to test the new governor's resolve.
The Four Families had recently received several scoldings from He Chunhua, feeling a loss in both flesh and bone; perhaps they wanted to reclaim some dignity.
Other villages were also watching.
If even the new provincial government had to bow to village customs, this trend would become even harder to quell in the future.
He Lingchuan suddenly stood up.
The seven men behind him placed their hands on their knife handles.
Shan Youjun even revealed half of his blade, the reflected cold light hitting the village chief’s eyes like a tacit threat of violence.
The faces of the village elders changed.
The villagers outside were roused, their emotions surging as they tried to rush into the house.
Shan Youjun cast a sidelong glance at them, coldly sneering at the foolish crowd.
The Rock Wolf suddenly stood up, poised to pounce, unleashing a roar that resembled thunder breaking the calm, shocking everyone's hearts.
With its bristled fur, the wolf was even larger than a lion, a continuous series of low growls echoing throughout the house.
The villagers and elders were startled, stepping back in unison.
The deep-seated fear that humans held toward monsters was born into their bones.
In terms of intimidation, the wolf’s presence exceeded that of the other robust men combined.
A villager yelled, “What do you want? Just because you’re the commandant's son, does it mean you can kill freely?”
No one dared to step forward.
“Which one of your eyes saw me kill?” He Lingchuan scoffed. “Village Chief Liang, what do you say about the sale?”
Under the wolf’s intense gaze, Village Chief Liang felt his spine grow rigid, yet he steeled himself and replied, “The customs—customs cannot be abolished. Young Master He, you’re using monsters and thugs to coerce us. We will complain to the provincial government!”
The other village elders hid behind him, saying, “Yes! If the provincial government protects you, we will appeal all the way to the capital!”
Zhou Sefu was also startled, trembling as he said, “Young Master, let’s talk this over!”
The fierce wolf’s mouth dripped with saliva, and he did not dare to approach.
Was he requesting reinforcements from the provincial government only to end up as a mediator himself?
“An appeal?” He Lingchuan was surprised, then suddenly burst into laughter, with his right hand behind his back, gesturing to his guards.
“Clang.” Shan Youjun sheathed his knife, and the others relaxed their grip, their stances no longer aggressive.
“Village Chief Liang misunderstood. Did I ever intend to coerce you?” He Lingchuan picked up a bowl of cool water from the table and drank it all in one go. “Since the business discussion is over, can’t I stand up and stretch a bit?” After saying that, he turned his head, cracking his neck several times.
The village elders exchanged puzzled glances, while Village Chief Liang frowned: “Over? What do you mean?”
“Indeed, if you don’t agree and we don’t wish to proceed, hasn’t this deal collapsed?” He Lingchuan smiled sweetly. “That’s it. I’ll report back now.”
“What is Young Master He playing at?” Village Chief Liang’s expression was not pleasant. “How does this land transaction end?”
“How does it end? It can’t end. The deadlock is here; we’ll just have to wait for another capable person to resolve it.” He Lingchuan took a step toward the door.
The Rock Wolf followed closely by his side, and no one dared to approach.
The village elders were baffled by his tactics, feeling that someone sent by the provincial government wouldn’t easily give up.
But today, the failure to reach a deal was a good thing; the longer it dragged on, the better it would be for Shuangyu Village.
In any case, the land continued to be farmed by their own people, and for every day the provincial government delayed in mediating the matter, it meant one less day of profit.
But just as He Lingchuan reached the door, he paused, suddenly saying, “Oh right, it’s already noon. Village Chief Liang, will you take care of the guest’s lunch?”
Village Chief Liang truly did not want to, but since the other party had brought it up and it was common for local officials to dine in the village, he could only respond, “Sure, but we don’t have anything special in this rural place.”
“Not at all. I think the food here looks quite rustic,” He Lingchuan approached Village Chief Liang, ignoring the wary eyes of those around, and patted his shoulder. “Don’t look at me like that; business is done, and privately, I’m quite a friendly person.”
He was a head taller than Village Chief Liang, and when he patted someone’s shoulder, it was from a position of superiority.
Village Chief Liang didn’t believe that their business was over; he felt the youth was trying to employ some different tactic.
If harshness didn’t work, he would resort to softness.
This was a strategy he often employed himself.
However, since the other party held an official title and was the son of the new commandant, he had to give some face.
Furthermore, the Rock Wolf had retreated to the corner, laying down, and the fierce servant behind the young master was no longer imposing.
This young master wanted to put on a show, so Village Chief Liang was willing to play along to the end.
Thus, Village Chief Liang forced a smile and responded a few “consider its,” then turned to the villagers saying, “There’s nothing to see here; you all should disperse.”
The village elders exchanged glances; the two oldest headed home first, while the rest stayed to accompany.
They sensed that the young man might still pull some tricks.
Yet, for the next while, He Lingchuan did not act out of line; he merely guided Village Chief Liang around the village and fields, asking questions from time to time, followed by a large crowd, genuinely resembling an upper-level leader inspecting a rural area.
As noon was warmer, seven or eight village children were playing.
Upon seeing them, He Lingchuan took out a handful of candy from his pocket and smilingly announced, “Who wants some candy?”
The candies he produced were wrapped in bright colorful paper, looking quite appealing.
The village children were not shy; they rushed forward, stretching out their hands.
He gave each child two pieces.
In truth, he found himself facing a dilemma; there were five boys, three of whom were round-faced and nearly bald, with only tufts of hair left at the front and back of their heads.
With the same hairstyle, similar ages, and the faces of young children looking almost identical, how was he to tell them apart?
He glanced at Shan Youjun, who also blinked, offering no hints.
Thus, He Lingchuan peeled another candy by hand and handed it to the youngest child.
“Little friend, what’s your name?”
This child looked about four or five years old, popped the candy into his mouth, and mumbled, “I’m Liang Yu.”
“Oh.” He Lingchuan immediately set his sights on another target, handing another piece of candy.
The next child was named Liang Su.
That must be the one, He Lingchuan smiled even more kindly, “Whose child are you?”
The child pointed at Village Chief Liang.
The latter said to He Lingchuan, “This is my third grandson.”
He Lingchuan picked up the child, “How many grandchildren do you have?”
“Three grandsons; this one is the youngest. I have four granddaughters.”
“What about your children?”
“Two sons and three daughters.”
He Lingchuan, while amusing the child, laughed, “Village Chief, you are truly fortunate to have such a full house at a young age.”
He seemed to really like Liang Su, carrying him all the way.
He had no experience, and after the child finished the two pieces of candy, he felt uncomfortable in his arms, wriggling and unable to escape.
Seeing this, Village Chief Liang’s heart began to pound: “The child is naughty; please set him down, or he’ll get his clothes dirty…”
“I find this child quite amusing; let’s hold him a little longer.”
He Lingchuan noticed the expression on Village Chief Liang’s face but didn’t care about the dirt on his clothes.
Liang Su squirmed a couple of times before suddenly bursting into loud tears.
They had already walked close to the village cottage, and the child’s loud cries resonated throughout the village.
A woman emerged from a large house not far ahead, wiping her hands as she hurried over, “What’s wrong, why is he crying?”
She came rushing towards the child, so He Lingchuan simply handed the boy over.
As soon as the woman held the child, she soothed him a couple of times, and Liang Su stopped crying, burying his head in her embrace.
He Lingchuan flicked the dirt off his hands, “May I ask who this is?”
Village Chief Liang introduced, “This is my third daughter-in-law and also Su’er’s mother.”
The woman held the child, bowed her head with respect to both Village Chief Liang and He Lingchuan, and quickly turned to leave.
However, He Lingchuan's gaze remained fixed on her back.
Village Chief Liang had long grown accustomed to seeing such looks from men toward their daughters-in-law and could only cough a couple of times, feeling disdain in his heart.
He then heard He Lingchuan say, “Village Chief Liang, no wonder your grandson is so cute.” Turns out, the mother is beautiful.
Village Chief Liang was at a loss for words, simply managing to smile in response.
Fortunately, at that moment, his daughter-in-law turned back and added:
“Lunch is ready.”
It was meal time, and the scent of fragrant food wafted throughout the village.
He Lingchuan intended to stay and have lunch at the Village Chief’s house.
The village elders and villagers felt awkward about continuing to surround the Village Chief’s home, so they could only disperse.