Chapter 361: Chapter 189: The Ruthless Man’s Punishment
Thanks to the Jishui River and Jishui Lake, the land for over a hundred *li* around Linji City was a vast expanse of flat, fertile fields.
Even in this year of drought, these fields still yielded a decent harvest.
The carriage slowly made its way along the mountain path. All along the route were sprawling manors and commoners busy at work within them.
After a few more *li*, the manors grew sparse, replaced by low, gentle, rocky hills and forests.
Once they reached the barren hills of Ten-Mile Slope, the manors became even rarer.
This area was far from the Jishui River. The terrain was quite high, and the soil was sandy and gravelly, making it very barren. Only drought-resistant crops like sorghum and millet could be grown here.
With this year’s great drought, it had hardly rained at all in the entire Linji City region. The crops in the nearby manors were all short and frail, withered and yellow. Their heads of grain were shriveled, promising a poor harvest at a glance.
Gradually, the road surface became rough and uneven, the sides overgrown with thorns and weeds. It was becoming difficult for the carriage to proceed.
"Master Chen, the carriage can’t go any further."
Jian Luchuan pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt.
"It’s fine. We’re almost there."
Chen Cheng gave a slight nod, then helped Mu Xiaowan down from the carriage.
In his memory, Chen Cheng had rarely left the city. He had only been to the barren hills of Ten-Mile Slope a few times.
Mu Xiaowan, on the other hand, had often followed the neighbors from Locust Tree Lane out to the mountain forests beyond the city to gather dry branches for firewood, so she had actually left the city more often.
She was in high spirits. Pointing to a rather dense forest in the distance, she said with a grin,
"Brother Cheng, that over there is Tiger Mountain. Back when Auntie Cuihua and the others and I came out of the city to gather firewood, we always went to those forests.
A few times, I even found mushrooms!"
The Chens’ daughter-in-law was naturally a diligent person. Even at twelve or thirteen, she could already handle all sorts of household chores.
There was a time when she, like all the other young women and new wives from common families, worked tirelessly to give her family a better life.
Though their days were a bit hard, they were also happy.
"Mm," Chen Cheng nodded slightly and said softly, "I always told you to gather less, but you never listened. With your small frame, you were always lugging a huge bundle of firewood."
Mu Xiaowan chuckled. "It was fine. They were just dry branches, not heavy at all."
The two of them walked toward a nearby hillside, talking and laughing.
Jian Luchuan watched the carriage while Ji Qing and Gou Yi followed behind, carrying their packs.
At the foot of the slope, some commoners had cleared a few plots of land where they grew soybeans.
From the halfway point of the slope upward, the ground was all gravelly soil and rock, completely unsuitable for farming. The trees were short, and even the thorns and weeds were sparse.
A group of people was already on the hillside. They looked like a family, with members both young and old, gathered together eating pastries and drinking wine.
A few servants in coarse cloth clothes were busy clearing away thorns and weeds.
Seeing Chen Cheng and his group ascend the slope, the family hurried over to pay their respects.
The one in the lead was a portly, middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in a long gown.
Chen Cheng actually recognized this man. His surname was Yang and his name was Yunsong. He was from a gentry family and owned quite a few properties.
This stretch of barren hills was one of Gentry Yang’s properties.
Some years ago, Gentry Yang’s second son, Yang Xingye, had gotten into trouble and was thrown into the South City Prison.
Thanks to the care of Chen Cheng’s father, Chen Ping, Yang Xingye didn’t suffer much in the Prison.
Because of this, Chen Ping and Gentry Yang had a good relationship.
After his wife passed away from illness, Chen Ping bought this plot of land on the hillside from Gentry Yang to bury her. Later, when Chen Ping himself passed away, he was also buried here.
Gentry Yang was a decent man; the amount of silver coins he charged was even slightly lower than the market price.
"I, Yang Yunsong, pay my respects to Lord Chen!"
Yang Yunsong and his family all kowtowed respectfully.
A Purple-clothed Guard of the Demon Suppression Department was a high-ranking official from the Inner City. For an ordinary gentry family from the Outer City District like Yang Yunsong’s, it was a rare opportunity to build a connection.
No wonder Yang Yunsong was so deferential.
Chen Cheng waved his hand in an easygoing manner. "There is no need for such formalities."
Only then did the crowd rise. Yang Yunsong and his sons, Yang Xingzhong and Yang Xingye, all recognized Chen Cheng.
Learning that he had gone from a mere Prison Guard to a universally admired Purple-clothed Guard of the Demon Suppression Department in just two or three short years, one can only imagine their shock.
Meanwhile, the women and children of the Yang Family stole furtive glances at this young, handsome, and very approachable Lord Chen, their hearts filled with curiosity.
This was especially true for the few youngsters who had entered Martial Arts Halls in the Outer City District and begun Cultivating Martial Dao; their hearts swelled with admiration.
When Chen Cheng had Liao San buy this barren hill, he hadn’t wanted to be too conspicuous, so Liao San never mentioned that Chen Cheng had already risen to the rank of Purple-clothed Guard in the Demon Suppression Department.
At the time, Yang Yunsong hadn’t thought much of it.
However, Liao San was a Chief Constable, after all, and Chen Cheng himself had already been a Chief Constable for the City Guard Department back when he was in the Ruyi District.
Yang Yunsong hadn’t dared to ask for too high a price; his asking price was even a bit lower than the market rate.
But today, seeing Chen Cheng in the uniform of a Demon Suppression Department Purple-clothed Guard, he was clearly a lofty, high-ranking figure.
Yang Yunsong immediately felt uneasy. After exchanging pleasantries, he offered to return the silver coins to Chen Cheng.
Chen Cheng told him to just keep the money and offered a few words of encouragement.
Only then did Yang Yunsong feel relieved.
The Yang Family also had relatives buried on this slope and had come to pay their respects today as well.
Learning that Chen Cheng was here to pay respects to his parents, Yang Yunsong didn’t dare to disturb him. He sent two servants to help clear the weeds and such from in front of his parents’ graves.
Yang Yunsong and his family resumed eating their Double Ninth cakes and drinking their chrysanthemum wine.
However, everyone’s gaze frequently drifted to Chen Cheng, who was paying respects to his parents not far away.
Yang Yunsong was in high spirits. He downed several cups of wine in a row, his face flushing red. Emboldened by the alcohol, he murmured to himself,
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