The farming season was over, and the farming households should have been enjoying their leisure, guarding their grain with satisfaction, but the reality was quite different. While a plentiful harvest brought joy, it was soon followed by the obligation of corvée labor, and families unable to afford the commutation fee could only watch helplessly as their menfolk were taken away to suffer.

Things were no longer as they once were in this household. Wang Youfu’s family was certainly unwilling to see him endure hardship again. So, the moment the lizheng (village head) arrived with the notice, Yang Shi immediately handed over five taels of silver, explaining that they would pay the labor tax in cash. The lizheng accepted the silver, made a note on the roster, and then moved on to the next house.

While there were no disputes in Wang Youfu’s immediate household, the situation at the Old House was significantly more complicated.

Previously, the Old House had three male adults within the scope of corvée duty: Wang Youliang, Wang Qingshan, and Wang Qingyun; the others were either too old or too young. However, even though Wang Youliang, Wang Qingshan, and Wang Qingyun were all liable, the tradition in past years was that each household only needed one man to serve, unless the entire household had no male members over the age of fifteen. Consequently, only one person from the Old House was officially listed. In previous years, the Old House habitually paid the five taels of silver to commute the service, regardless of whose name was on the list.

But this year was different. Wang Qingshan’s branch had separated and established their own household, meaning they were now counted as a separate family unit. The division of the family had been kept quite secretive, but even though He Shi had promised not to speak of the split, she had demanded that the fields and land allocated to her family be formally transferred to their name to prevent the Old House from reneging later. Thus, the Old House had quietly completed the property transfer procedures. As a result, Wang Qingshan’s branch was recognized as an independent household, and Wang Qingshan himself was indeed on the list for corvée labor.

When Wang Qingshan and He Shi split off, they received very little in terms of wealth or land, making it impossible for them to scrape together five taels of silver to pay the commutation fee. The couple was agonizing over this very issue.

Finally, Wang Qingshan gritted his teeth and declared, “Let’s stop thinking about raising the money. It’s five taels! I’ll just go do the labor myself.”

He Shi vehemently disagreed. “Do you have any idea how hard that is? You could ruin your health! Then what am I to do, a woman with no children to rely on?”

Wang Qingshan lowered his head in guilt, wanting to say something, but ultimately held his tongue.

Seeing Wang Qingshan blame himself again, He Shi felt a pang of regret. “It’s all my fault. I insisted that Old Man transfer those fields to our branch. Now you have to go do the service. If I had known, I never would have asked for it.”

“You don’t need to blame yourself; this isn’t your fault,” Wang Qingshan said, lifting his head.

He Shi paused, considering. Although the Old Mistress and Tian Shi didn't favor her, they were fond of Wang Qingshan. They surely wouldn't want him to suffer the labor. Perhaps she should go plead with them?

Lately, the Old Man had been deeply disappointed in Wang Youliang’s character—his aversion to hard work, his idleness, and his constant desire to profit from others. No matter how much he lectured, Wang Youliang would just nod silently, only to return to his old ways the moment his father wasn't looking. Now, when the lizheng came with the list of those liable for service, the Old Man had a sudden inspiration: perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to send the eldest son off to learn some hardship and mend his ways. But before he could voice the idea, Wang Youliang was already loudly insisting on paying the silver to commute the service, with the Old Mistress and Tian Shi looking entirely agreeable.

The Old Man thought, if things continued this way, how would his eldest son ever reform? He immediately stopped the family members who were about to hand over the money and told the lizheng that they needed time to discuss whether to send the man or pay the fee, promising to inform him personally later that evening.

The lizheng, seeing disagreement in the house and not wishing to waste time waiting, agreed. “Very well, discuss it amongst yourselves and let me know. But you must tell me by tonight at the latest; I have to submit the roster tomorrow.”

“Ah! Thank you for your understanding, Lizheng Sir. We certainly won’t delay you further!” the Old Man expressed his gratitude.

Once the lizheng departed, Wang Youliang couldn't hold back. “Father, what is there to discuss? Haven’t we always paid the silver in previous years?”

The Old Man paused, realizing he couldn't directly state his intention to send his eldest son to suffer, as the Old Mistress and his daughter-in-law would never agree. He knew he had to approach it from another angle.

After some thought, the Old Man suddenly remembered his eldest grandson and announced, “Don’t be hasty. I stopped you for good reason.” He spoke slowly, “You all know that Qingshan and his wife separated and set up their own home. That was something few people knew about, but since I officially transferred the land allotted to them to their name, the magistrate’s office must now officially recognize them as a separate household. That means Qingshan is certainly on this year’s list for corvée duty.”

“What? My poor grandson is on the list too? Oh dear, what are we to do?” The Old Mistress favored Wang Qingshan above all the grandchildren and immediately panicked.

Seeing the Old Mistress so distressed, the Old Man was secretly pleased; it made his next move easier. He continued, “You all know how little Qingshan and his wife received when they left—not much money, and very little land. Where are they supposed to raise five taels of silver now?”

The Old Mistress and Tian Shi exchanged a glance, seeing worry reflected in the other’s eyes. The Old Mistress chimed in, “That’s right, they have almost no income. If they can’t produce the money, are we really going to let the boy go do the labor?”

Tian Shi was equally anxious; after all, this was the son she had carried for ten months. She suggested, “Why don’t we help pay the silver fee?”

The Old Man and the Old Mistress both nodded in agreement, especially the Old Man, as Tian Shi’s suggestion aligned perfectly with his own intentions.

Just then, He Shi arrived at the doorway, hesitating over how to broach the subject with the Old Mistress and Tian Shi. In that moment of consideration, she overheard the conversation inside and was suddenly overjoyed. It seemed the family elders did care about them after all. He Shi then stood quietly by the door to listen further.

Inside the room, Wang Youliang was already indignant. “What? Us paying for them? What kind of business is that? They set up their own house!”

Tian Shi, hearing Wang Youliang’s tone, grew displeased. “What do you mean ‘they set up their own house’ so you don’t have to pay? Even though they separated, Qingshan is still our son. I won't stand by and watch my son suffer.”

Wang Youliang saw the signs that Tian Shi was about to lose her temper. While he wasn't afraid, it certainly annoyed him. He relented with a sigh, “Fine, do as you please. I won’t interfere, is that acceptable?”

The Old Mistress and Tian Shi were mollified. However, the Old Man’s true objective had not yet been achieved. He coughed twice and then said, “If we pay the five taels for Qingshan, that means we have to pay a total of ten taels, which is quite a sum. I was thinking that since he is just a boy, he certainly cannot go. Why don't we just pay the five taels for Qingshan, and you, his father, can go do the labor instead? That way, the household saves five taels.”

The other three in the room froze, clearly unable to believe that such words had come from the Old Man’s mouth. Didn’t he know how grueling corvée labor was?

The Old Man seemed to have anticipated their reaction and brushed it off. He continued, “Think about it. Second son [Wang Youliang] has gone several times for the labor, and nothing bad ever happened to him. Look at him now—how hardworking and capable he is, and he’s amassed such a fortune. I was thinking if the eldest son also went to experience some hardship, it might change his temperament, and maybe he too could build a fortune someday.”

Hearing this, the Old Mistress and Tian Shi appeared thoughtful. What the Old Man said seemed logical. Second son had gone several times without incident, and just as the Old Man claimed, he was now very capable and the family holdings were substantial. Although most of Second Son’s wealth was earned by Qingchen, Second Son deserved credit too. Take the shops and fields, for instance; it was Second Son who managed them initially, and he managed them meticulously. If the eldest son were sent to serve now, never mind whether he could amass wealth comparable to Second Son’s, at the very least, some of his bad habits might be corrected.

While the Old Mistress and Tian Shi contemplated the possibility of Wang Youliang serving the labor, Wang Youliang was practically jumping up and down after hearing his father’s words. “Father, how can you think like that? Is corvée labor something a person can survive? Aren’t you afraid I’ll work myself to death?”

“It’s not as severe as you make it out to be. Second son has gone several times,” the Old Man countered.

“Am I as strong as Second son? He goes often, so naturally, he doesn't care. I’ve never been before!” Wang Youliang protested indignantly.

“Stop with this nonsense. He can go, and you can’t? He’s your younger brother! Are you saying you, the elder brother, are weaker than your brother?” the Old Man said angrily.

“Absolutely not! In any case, I’m not going. I can’t handle that kind of suffering,” Wang Youliang whined stubbornly.

“You…” The Old Man was so furious he pointed at Wang Youliang, “I have decided! You will go whether you want to or not!”

Wang Youliang snorted, turned his head away, and fell silent.

Seeing the father and son locked in a stalemate, the Old Mistress and Tian Shi both came over to mediate, but clearly, neither side would budge. This worried not only the Old Mistress and Tian Shi inside but also He Shi, who stood outside, fearing that if they failed to reach an agreement, no one would volunteer to pay for Wang Qingshan.

After a brief standoff, Wang Youliang suddenly seemed to remember something, then pretended to yield with resignation. “Alright, Father, don’t be angry anymore. I’ll go, it’s settled then!”