'Because he is ruthless enough.' <br><br> <br>Before the words from Thomas Li had settled, Charles Li felt a chill crawling up his spine, his pupils dilating, and goosebumps rising all over his body. Staring at his younger brother’s face adorned with a smile, his heart grew wary. <br><br> <br>'Hahahahaha...' <br><br> <br>Thomas Li gently pushed Charles Li's shoulder, lightly tossed the wooden slip in his hand, and smiled at him. <br><br> <br>'You, child.' <br><br> <br>Charles Li heaved a sigh of relief, dismissing it as a jest from Thomas Li, waved his hand lightly, and said, <br><br> <br>'I’ll go prepare for Paul Xiang’s wedding.' <br><br> <br>After saying this, Charles Li straightened his attire, stepped out of the door, and headed to The Field Family's house. <br><br> <br>Thomas Li, however, reined in his smile, sat quietly by the wooden table, and said, <br><br> <br>'Father.' <br><br> <br>It was then he noticed Matthew Lee standing silently on the stone steps, his face stern and lost in thought. Upon hearing Thomas Li’s words, he turned his head slightly and looked at him. <br><br> <br>Last night, Matthew Lee had been sitting outside the door gazing at the moon when he noticed Xander Li rushing towards the back mountain in a flurry. Uneasy, he secretly followed him uphill. <br><br> <br>Little did he know, Thomas Li, worried about his younger brother too, had also crept after him. When the two met, there was an awkward silence between them. They tacitly watched Xander Li kill someone and saw a wild beast devour the corpse clean before Matthew Lee finally descended the mountain. <br><br> <br>'Paul Xiang did it for the safety of the family. Father, please don’t be angry...' Thomas Li tried to console him. <br><br> <br>'Why would I be angry about that?!' <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee, suppressing his emotions, spoke with little restraint. He squinted his eyes and continued, <br><br> <br>'That fool did a good job taking care of that trash. If he had chosen only to intimidate him, I would’ve jumped down there and hacked that trash myself! Good kill, good kill! Why would I be angry? Don’t you dare shield Charles Li!' <br><br> <br>Thomas Li sighed deeply as he muttered, <br><br> <br>'Elder Brother is kind and broad-minded. The villagers and tenants respect him greatly. He can uphold the family legacy.' <br><br> <br>'Nonsense!' <br><br> <br>Matthew Lee slapped the table, his face showing a trace of anger: <br><br> <br>'They respect Matthew Lee! They flock to your elder brother because Charles Li’s rents are low! These people always fear power, not respect virtue. With his demeanor, if I, Matthew Lee, were to die today, tomorrow Leo Ye would dare to come rolling into the house. Would Charles Li dare to kill him?' <br><br> <br>Seeing Thomas Li lower his head in silence, Matthew Lee’s tone softened a bit. He whispered, <br><br> <br>'In the past, I wasn’t worried. With you two brothers, Charles Li’s kindness was the best complement—balancing both grace and might with great promise for the future. But not anymore. Our Li Family has become a target because of their wealth, treading on thin ice. If the one in charge isn’t ruthless enough, we will easily collapse!' <br><br> <br>'Moreover,' Matthew Lee paused, his eyes filled with unease, <br><br> <br>'in recent days, I’ve been plagued by an ominous feeling, as though a calamity might befall us.' <br><br> <br>——— <br><br> <br>Charles Li had gone to The Field Family to finalize the marriage arrangements for Paul Xiang. He now sat dazed in the fields, looking conflicted. During his walk through the village, he had not seen Leo Ye anywhere. <br><br> <br>Recalling his younger brother’s sharp rebuke from last night and Thomas Li’s insinuation, Charles Li realized that Leo Ye was most likely killed by Paul Xiang. <br><br> <br>A pang of sorrow hit Charles Li’s heart. He remembered how, as children, Leo Ye and Thomas Li were small and always obediently followed him to the river to catch fish. <br><br> <br>He could still vividly picture Leo Ye, beaming with joy as he held a giant green fish, shouting, 'Brother, brother, look at me!' Meanwhile, Thomas Li, clearly envious, would pout and turn his head away as if sulking. The three of them would play until they were exhausted, then stand by the river, seeing who could pee the highest or the farthest. <br><br> <br>But later, their aunt passed away, and their second uncle fell ill. Within a few short months, Leo Ye’s personality underwent a drastic change, and he was no longer the same person. <br><br> <br>'This wasn’t a crime deserving death!' <br><br> <br>Tears shimmered in the corners of Charles Li’s eyes. He felt they could have persuaded Leo Ye, helped him turn over a new leaf, and earnestly protected his younger brother Leo Sheng to live a good life. <br><br> <br>'Charles!' <br><br> <br>A voice snapped Charles Li out of his thoughts. He hurriedly lowered his head to wipe away the tears at the corner of his eyes and looked toward the source of the sound. <br><br> <br>It was an elderly farmer with white hair, who had a simple and honest appearance. His skin was dark, and he was dressed in coarse cloth with baggy trousers. <br><br> <br>'Uncle Xu.' Charles Li stood up, dusted off his trousers, and asked with concern, <br><br> <br>'How is your family’s food supply holding up?' <br><br> <br>'We’re managing, we’re managing!' <br><br> <br>Old Xu couldn’t help but tear up upon seeing Charles Li. Though he himself was still rather robust for his age, his eldest son was bedridden, leaving much of the land uncultivated. <br><br> <br>Charles Li had reduced his rent and provided him with grain, allowing Old Xu to barely get by. As someone who had watched Charles Li grow up, Old Xu already thought of him as his own child. After receiving Charles’s help, his gratitude only deepened. <br><br> <br>'Please don’t stand on ceremony!' <br><br> <br>Charles Li quickly shook off his earlier melancholy and said solemnly, <br><br> <br>'Father instructed me a few days back to look out for your fields, so I came over.' <br><br> <br>Old Xu, wise from years of experience, knew this was Charles Li doing Matthew Lee’s bidding. He chuckled, bowed slightly to Charles Li, and said, <br><br> <br>'Please thank the family head on my behalf! My family owes him greatly.' <br><br> <br>'There’s no need to talk of owing. It’s what we should do!' Charles Li waved his hand dismissively. <br><br> <br>While the two chatted in the fields, Paul Xiang had reached The Swamp of Reeds, carrying a cloth bundle. He silently observed Leo Sheng, who sat by the bank. <br><br> <br>Leo Sheng was counting on his fingers, speaking softly to himself: <br><br> <br>'I went to Third Uncle’s the day before yesterday, to First Uncle’s the day before that. Fourth Uncle drove me away yesterday. Today, I can only cook some wild vegetables and catch some shrimp for a soup.' <br><br> <br>He gazed at the swaying reeds before him, the land that had nurtured and raised him. Without the generosity of The Swamp of Reeds, Leo Sheng didn’t know where he might have perished. <br><br> <br>'There’s still First Uncle’s family.' He thought quietly. But before he could act, a figure emerged from the reeds. <br><br> <br>'Brother Xiang!' <br><br> <br>Leo Sheng exclaimed with joy as he jumped to his feet. Ever since the main household built its grand courtyard, Paul Xiang rarely ventured outside. Rumor had it he spent all his time in the courtyard reading, and Leo Sheng could only see him when he went to the main house for meals. <br><br> <br>'Here, here.' <br><br> <br>Paul Xiang smiled as he took a white steamed bun from his cloth bag and handed it to Leo Sheng. The boy quickly grabbed it, chewing voraciously as he said unclearly, <br><br> <br>'Brother, you’re the best!' <br><br> <br>'Hahaha.' <br><br> <br>Paul Xiang had always been close to Leo Sheng. As children, he often secretly brought him food from home. Under Matthew Lee’s tacit approval, Paul Xiang had truly shared quite a lot with him. <br><br> <br>'Here.' Paul Xiang, looking somewhat conflicted, pushed the cloth bundle into Leo Sheng’s hands and said, <br><br> <br>'These were my textbooks when I started schooling. You can read them while tending the ducks.' <br><br> <br>'Thank you, Brother!' <br><br> <br>Leo Sheng was moved to tears. He cupped some water from the river to wash his hands before carefully storing the cloth bundle. <br><br> <br>'In a few days, I’ll talk to Father and ask him to speak with the teacher. When you’re free, you can go study there and ask if you have any questions.' <br><br> <br>'Oh, I couldn’t possibly!' <br><br> <br>Leo Sheng was overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude, repeatedly declining out of unease and excitement, waving his hands incessantly. <br><br> <br>'I heard you need to present a Token of appreciation to study. My elder brother wouldn’t give me any money for that.' <br><br> <br>Paul Xiang, however, scrutinized him briefly and said lightly, <br><br> <br>'No need for formality between us. I’ll ask Father to pay it for you.' <br><br> <br>'But…' <br><br> <br>Leo Sheng wanted to say more, but when he saw Paul Xiang’s calm expression, a sense of reverence welled up in him. He thought inwardly, <br><br> <br>'Brother Xiang is just like First Uncle!' <br><br> <br>Unaware of Leo Sheng’s thoughts, Paul Xiang patted his shoulder, instructed him about studying, and then left for home.")
