Chapter 3: The Ambitions of the Old Patriarch

Li Quan seemed like a shadow, following him all day long, impossible to shake off, which left Li Kui feeling quite helpless.

Li Quan naturally became the first friend of Li Kui in the village, and also his only friend

Li Quan was completely indifferent to the impact that the elder patriarch's gathering of people would have on him; after all, as a fool, his task was simply to live happily.

Even though the resources of Baizhang Village are limited, the old clan leader still encourages the entire village to invest their resources in the promising young members through frugality. In the event of success, the beneficiaries will then give back to the clan.

After the New Year, he is prepared to leave. However, before departing, he must come to a conclusion regarding this initial stage of his rebirth. It is not in the village, but outside the village, beyond the mountain across from it, where there is a small temple. He has not visited it for three to four months; will it still be there?

Through my efforts, the head of the constabulary has agreed to recruit one constable from our village, but it requires some financial facilitation. It's not much, just 30 guan. Everyone can tighten their belts, or the whole village can go hunting wild boars in the mountains, and that should suffice

As for entering the public office, it is much simpler; the state office is one thing, but the county office is already a significant blessing.

Being a clan leader is exhausting

Sigh—this seventy-year-old man, how old is the head of the county, fifty or perhaps forty? This brother's flattery is rather forced

The old man was so angry that he was almost about to blow his top. Fortunately, he was somewhat prepared for the matter of money; otherwise, he would have surely fainted from rage. Even so, he seemed a bit like he had gone mad with anger, trembling on the stage: "You short-sighted fools, do you not know how beneficial it is to have a constable in the village? Are you not aware of how important it is for our Baizhang Village to have someone in the government office? Every household in the village, without exception, must contribute money; not a single one can be left out. I will make my position clear first: out of the thirty guan, I will contribute eight guan."

Perhaps at this moment, the old man finally experiences a sense of enlightenment

Understanding in such a furtive manner will naturally be incomplete. Li Kui also developed a vague concept of this era. It was not until one day when he took his prey to Mengshan Town that he gained a thorough understanding of this era

Uncle, the eight strings are far from enough!

While cooking, Zhang took a piece of cured meat from the beam with a skewer, sliced it, and placed it in the pot to stew. The dish of stewed cured meat with radish and cabbage turned into a hodgepodge of everything. She is a woman with a sharp tongue but a tender heart; her husband passed away early, and she had to raise two children, leaving no room for her to be weak.

Indeed! Third Uncle, this is no small amount of money. It is enough to marry off a child, and if it is wasted, wouldn't that be a pity

Li Quan also became the only channel through which Li Kui could understand this world. Although Li Quan had some mental issues, it was precisely because of this that the entire village would not hold anything against him. Even if he took some things without permission, as long as they were not money, no one would bother him. For instance, when Li Kui asked Li Quan to go to the clan leader's house to fetch the imperial calendar, he could find some clues about this era through the reign title. The imperial calendar was not merely a book of fortune; more often, it served as an official guide for farmers in their planting endeavors. This was also the only written book in Baizhang Village, making it of great significance.

Being a clan leader who has ideals and also cares for the entire clan is even more exhausting

The old patriarch's gaze swept over the audience, and upon finding no reaction, he felt an inexplicable wave of discouragement wash over him. The absence of any enthusiastic response from the crowd filled him with a sense of concern for his descendants, coupled with a lingering anger at their lack of appreciation. Deep down, he could not help but roar in frustration: "Unworthy descendants, unworthy descendants!"

Having eaten to seventy percent full, with a straw in his mouth, Li Kui and Li Quan set out together towards the big locust tree in the village where discussions were held

"Third Uncle! My family is struggling to make ends meet, how can we possibly come up with such a large sum of money?"

Li Kui was not sad, which left him feeling quite helpless and frustrated. He could not possibly jump off the stone platform and shout in Li Kui's ear, "I have lowered my dignity to cultivate a relationship with the head constable, and is it not all for you, you rascal? Among the villagers, it is only Li Kui's martial skills that stand out the most. Isn't this job as a constable meant for Li Kui? Goodness, in the end, it turns out I was being overly sentimental, and it was all for nothing. Among the villagers, it is only Li Kui's martial skills that stand out the most. Isn't this job as a constable meant for Li Kui? Goodness, in the end, it turns out I was being overly sentimental, and it was all for nothing. Yet the main person involved appeared to be dismissive, showing great impatience. How unreasonable!

Especially at the moment when his gaze fell upon Li Quan and Li Kui, his heart instantly felt a chill.

The cost of education is certainly beyond the means of the people in Baizhang Village. However, sending someone to the military or into public service to become a respectable person living on the emperor's provisions is a possibility that everyone hopes for, especially when they tighten their belts and luck is on their side. For instance, if someone is sent to the military as a common soldier, becoming a personal guard to the generals would be a result of their ancestors' good deeds. Not to mention the unrealistic dreams of achieving military merit on the battlefield and being promoted to an official position, which is merely a fantasy. Nevertheless, a military salary provides a monthly expectation, making it a decent livelihood.

Li Kui yawned and did not pay attention to the words of the old clan leader; he was merely compelled by the Zhang family to attend the clan meeting. Fortunately, women are not allowed to participate in the meetings where significant clan decisions are made, which reduced the noise around him.

The key issue is that there is no land at home for Li Quan to work hard after being well-fed. If there were land, after meals, Li Quan could be tossed into the fields to plow or fertilize, and if he wanted to eat meat, he would have to work for it. However, the Li family does not have land; it cannot be said that they have none, as there is only a small vegetable plot. With a fool like Li Quan, going to the vegetable plot might ruin many of her precious crops, wasting so much grain without yielding any benefits, which makes Zhang feel extremely frustrated. Yet, the Li family does not have land; it cannot be said that they have none, as there is only a small vegetable plot. With a fool like Li Quan, going to the vegetable plot might ruin many of her precious crops, wasting so much grain without yielding any benefits, which makes Zhang feel extremely frustrated.

When it comes to contributing money and effort, despite the fact that the old clan leader holds the highest prestige and seniority in the village, it is of no use. Everyone is living their own small lives, and the clansmen cannot expect others to suffer without food.

More than a month ago, Li Kui hunted a wolf outside the village. The people of Baizhang Village do not eat wolves, believing that they are man-eaters and that consuming wolf meat shortens one's life. However, they do value wolf pelts; a high-quality wolf pelt in winter can be worth over ten strings of cash, which is no small sum. Li Kui, on the other hand, did not care. He skinned the wolf, seasoned the meat, and set up a fire to roast it. Coincidentally, Li Quan, who was starving, saw him. At that moment, Li Quan did not say a word; he simply sat obediently beside Li Kui, his pitiful little eyes fixed on him. When someone tried to snatch food, Li Kui's fists were not to be trifled with. However, when a silent giant with pleading eyes approached, it disgusted Li Kui. "You, such a big guy, still trying to act innocent to gross me out, do you have ulterior motives?"

The village places great importance on the cultivation of young people, as is characteristic of a clan society

But why is this fellow not enthusiastic at all

... ...

Although one's status may not be high and one may not be considered an individual in front of the officials, when conducting affairs in the countryside, who does not seek to gain a benefit of one or two guan

With a swift motion, the old man threw the staff in his hand off the platform, aiming directly at the uncle who had spoken. The old man was infuriated; could it be that this entire sum of 30 guan would have to be borne by his family alone

It is one thing for others to be indifferent, but even Li Quan... Well, Li Quan is just a fool; is it not normal for him to not react? But what about Li Kui? This fellow may be a bit irritable, but he is not foolish, is he

Being a family patriarch with ideals is exhausting

In a moment of helplessness, Li Kui invited Li Quan for a barbecue. After one meal, Li Quan was convinced that Li Kui was a good person, and then he followed Li Kui from day to night, unable to shake him off.

This is also why he looked at the collapsed roof without making any repairs

Standing under the large locust tree at the entrance of the village, the old clan leader, leaning on a jujube wood staff, nearly seventy years old, with gray hair and a weathered face, reflects the rapid aging of mountain folk. To live a long life is already a blessing bestowed by heaven. He then joyfully announced to the entire village his grand plan: "The old and young men of Baizhang Village, this year, our children are fortunate. When I attended the Li clan meeting, I had the honor of befriending County Head Li, and through the family genealogy, I discovered that we are actually brothers of the same generation."

Li Kui declared that he would not continue to live in this wretched place. If he wanted to prosper, he could not remain cooped up at home, especially in such an isolated mountain hollow. The seclusion of Baizhang Village was as evident as being excluded from the splendor of the Song Dynasty; the tranquility of a paradise was hardly visible, overshadowed by the adversity of poor mountains and treacherous waters. Surely, he could not spend his entire life as a farmer and hunter in this place

In the late Northern Song Dynasty, the emperor was not Huizong of Song, but rather his elder brother, Zhezong Zhao Xu.

Speaking of their acquaintance, it is quite interesting

His attention was entirely focused on the bubbling stew, and he instinctively guarded the pot of steaming meat with his gaze. While eating, he foolishly chuckled, saying, "Delicious, truly delicious!" The scene of him eating with great enthusiasm was so overwhelming that it made Zhang feel annoyed. The family was already poor, and now there was a big-bellied man coming to eat for free; how could they continue living like this?

Baizhang Village

Third Uncle, although it is said that wild boars come down from the mountains in the cold winter months, capturing such creatures is very dangerous. If someone gets hurt, the pillar of the family would collapse

It should be only a few years since Emperor Huizong of Song ascended the throne, yet there remains a question that troubles him: is this truly the Water Margin, or is it really the late Northern Song Dynasty?

The old clan leader successfully established connections with the county office, securing a position for a constable for the village

However, the old clan leader had to continue speaking, for the head of the village would not appoint a young man with little experience as a constable without good reason. There was also a need to provide a certain level of respectability, which was represented by the meeting gift that the head of the village would offer to the scribe to facilitate their relationship. This money could not be provided by the old man alone; it required the collective effort of the entire village.

Fortunately, the speed at which Li Kui's family eats is astonishingly fast, primarily because there is only so much food available. When faced with two big-bellied men, it disappears in just a few scoops.

What a wonderful job it is to be a constable