Crossing Over to Yamada Love

The Mohists weren't being domineering. If it were any other family, having already paid for the mountain, it would be their property. Who would willingly let strangers climb the mountain and take their possessions for free? Therefore, the Mohists' actions were actually quite generous.

If others are not grateful and insist on selling to other families, then they have no other choice but to prevent people from going up the mountain. In the end, others will have no grounds for complaint. For example, if the land belongs to the Mo family, and you go up the land and collect the Mo family's grain for free, and then sell the grain to others at a high price, no one would be willing to do that.

They first sent people into the town, and Mo Changhai and Mo Changhe also went to find the guard leader to explain things to them. They had to tell them that if they encountered resistance or fighting, they should be careful not to kill anyone.

Wang also equipped Mo Quan and Mo Jin with some gifts, and sent Bai Qi and two people sent by Xue Lingfeng to the clan chief's house.

Then, Qiu was instructed to take Aunt Bao to visit each household, to convey a message to those who had stock to sell to the Mo family. At the same time, this also helped Qiu keep track of which families in both the inner and outer villages were good and loyal, so that she could take better care of these families in the future.

After everything was arranged, everyone went about their business. Mo Lan then led Granny Bai and Xia Yu to the Mo family's warehouse where they stored goods, carrying paper and pens.

She needed to find out the quantity of mountain produce, how much grain had been harvested, and how much cattail fluff had been collected. She had two people help her check the quantity of each item, which she recorded and prepared in the accounts so that it could be allocated reasonably at the appropriate time. This year, there weren't enough mountain produce; if she couldn't collect more in a few days, she feared she would have to find another way.

In the afternoon, Steward Xue arrived and first told Mo Lan that Xue Lingfeng had asked him to convey that there were many things to do in the manor these days, and he would come over after he had made arrangements. He had already sent people to the yamen and told Mo Lan to go ahead and do it boldly, and that he would fully support her.

Mo Lan nodded, and Mo Changhe led his men away. Except for him and the steward, who were riding in a carriage, the rest of them rode horses and headed to Shangwan Village.

Mo Quan and Mo Jin returned first and recounted their journey. Several prominent figures in the village met with the clan chief at his house. They were very polite to the Mo family, given the Mo family's current status.

After Mo Quan explained his purpose, the clan leader and the others were not very happy. Firstly, they felt that it was too domineering for the Mo family to only sell to their family. Secondly, they had already accepted the benefits from the eight brothers of the Shang family and had promised them. They were afraid that if they went back on their word, the Shang family would cause them trouble. They would have to settle things later.

Mo Quan and Mo Jin felt a chill in their hearts. The villagers had become much better off thanks to their families, but all they cared about was profit. They didn't care about personal relationships with their families. Lan Ya was right. If others were good to their families, they should be even better to them. If others were not good to their families, why bother with face and sentiment? They couldn't be pushovers.

Mo Quan stated directly that Mo Changhe had led the guards and the Xue family to the Shang family's residence. He also mentioned that the mountain had been purchased by Young Master Xue, with the official seal and a written contract affixed by the government. The mountain was Xue family property, and the Xue family was furious upon learning of this and wanted to seal off the mountain. It was the Mo family who persuaded them to stay. However, if the estate owner refused, it wouldn't matter; the Mo family would simply let the Xue family seal off the mountain, and no one would be allowed to enter from then on.

The clan chief and his companions panicked upon hearing this. They had only received a small benefit; if they refused and the Xue family truly sealed off the mountain, wouldn't the people inside and outside the village curse them to death? At that time, they might lose their position as clan chiefs and wouldn't even be allowed to leave their homes.

They didn't doubt Mo Quan's words. He wouldn't have said the Xue family bought Dashan out of the blue; it must have been true for him to dare to say it. In that case, the Shang family would be in the wrong, occupying someone else's garden, charging fees, and then letting someone else sell it to another family. How could the owner of that garden stand for that? Nobody would stand for it.

After discussing it, the clan leader and the others agreed. Although the Shang family was a tyrant, they were no match for the Xue family and the old Marquis's guards; it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The clan chief hurriedly agreed and sent someone to inform all the households in the village that everyone in the village should come to the Liu family ancestral hall the next day, and each family should send one person. He would announce the matter at that time.

They expressed their gratitude to Mo Quan and Mo Jin, saying they had gone to great lengths and had done their best for the people on the estate. They asked the two to thank the Xue family on their behalf, as the Xue family had bought the mountain for them and even let them go up the mountain to collect things and earn money for free. They were truly kind people.

Although the matter was resolved, both Mo Quan and Mo Jin felt a little uneasy. They had always been very kind to the people in the manor, but how many of them truly appreciated their kindness? They would fawn over them, showering them with compliments, but once they were no longer needed, their kindness would fade. They had come to terms with the fickleness of human relationships.

They had finished their business here, and Qiu had also relayed the message from the manor. Only Mo Changhe's side was still silent. It wasn't until it was very dark that the sound of horses' hooves could be heard outside. Qiu, who had been looking around anxiously, smiled and hurriedly went to fetch water and heat up the food.

Mo Changhe entered the backyard and instructed that the food be sent to the front shop. They all ate in the front yard, while he himself carried a bowl of rice and two plates of vegetables, eating and talking with the Mo family.

When they arrived at the Shang family's residence, the eight Shang brothers were gathered together, scolding someone. There were quite a few people in the courtyard, all of whom they had hired to help them patrol the mountain. The first two men had failed to stop Mo Lan and her companions and were being scolded. The fifth brother of the Shang family even said that they had to find the person and go to their house to smash things up in order to vent their anger and have a deterrent effect.

When they met Mo Changhe, they were quite surprised because Mo Changhe had only brought 3 or 4 people with him at first. After they explained their purpose, the Shang brothers were extremely arrogant. After a few words, they wanted to order their men to beat him up.

Only after all the guards entered did they become obedient. Later, when they couldn't reason with them, the Shang family became quite arrogant, each grabbing a machete and threatening to fight to the death. But they were no match for the guards. After being beaten, they were all arrested.

The eight Shang brothers and all the people they recruited were arrested. Mo Changhe didn't hold back and, accompanied by Steward Xue, sent them to the yamen, where the county magistrate punished them according to the severity of their crimes.

The Shang brothers were the most severely punished. They were not only flogged and forced to pay fines, but also imprisoned. Even the constable was implicated, unable to continue his work, flogged, and forced to hand over all the ill-gotten gains.

After this incident, those who had been eyeing the mountain gave up their plans. Many people were preparing to follow the example of the eight Shang brothers, but after this crackdown, no one was willing to offend the Xue family or the Marquis, and no one dared to make any moves. The government also issued a notice stating that the Xue family's young master had bought the mountain and that he would have the final say on the future of the mountain. Anyone who still had any plans to take it would be punished with a beating, a fine, and a sentence.

After Mo Changhe finished speaking, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The matter was resolved smoothly. Although many people were punished, it was only right. They had caused a lot of trouble and injured many people. According to the investigation, the Shang brothers earned more than 500 taels of silver in one month. The total income of the entire mountain was about 800 taels, and they took more than 500 taels. You can imagine how domineering they were.

Although the matter was resolved, the things that the Xue family in the capital had taken away could not be retrieved. Mo Lan thought for a moment and asked Qiu Shi to start talking to the people in the manor about buying potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans and dried vegetables.

"Why would we need to collect that? We have enough for ourselves. That's enough to eat," Qiu asked, puzzled.

“Mother, these potatoes and sweet potatoes are for making starch and vermicelli, which need to be transported to the capital. Although the capital also has them, they are quite different from what we have here. The same goes for beans; the red beans and soybeans here are the best. The soybeans can be used to make tofu when the time comes. We also need to collect radish greens and string bean shreds. Anyway, the guards are going to transport these back, so it doesn’t matter if we bring a lot more,” Mo Lan explained to her.

"Making rice noodles is fine, and string bean shreds can be considered a dish, but this tofu is out of the question. It's something we only make when there's nothing else to eat. It's for poor people. Would rich people spend money to eat this?" Qiu asked with some doubt.

Mo Lan smiled and said, "Mother, you're right. We often ate tofu during those hard times, but it didn't taste good back then. Why? Because it lacked oil and salt, so it was definitely bland. Now we can put anything in it, add some radish greens, and after it's cooked, we pour some soybean paste and chili oil over it and mix it up. It tastes so good!"

"The last time we made a whole pot of it at home, it was all eaten in one meal. This stuff is so addictive; you can't stop eating it, spoonful after spoonful, it's so delicious. When the restaurant serves it, they definitely won't bring out a whole pot; they'll just give you a small plate per table. Imagine, the tofu is white, the radish greens are green, topped with soybean paste and chili oil, and served with a carved carrot flower on the side—it looks quite appealing. We even have to limit the quantity; one plate per table. We won't sell more, otherwise people will probably fight over it. But it's not good to eat too much of that stuff; it can cause bloating. So you can't just eat as much as you want."

Although Mrs. Qiu couldn't imagine the scene of her daughter's tofu being popular, she still believed her daughter's words. Her daughter's ideas had always been correct, and she just listened to them.

"Actually, it's not just tofu; I'm also planning to serve spring pancakes. I'll improve them a bit, making the pancakes thinner and adding more variety of fillings: stir-fried bean sprouts, stir-fried shredded potatoes, pickled cabbage with vermicelli, stir-fried dried green beans with shredded pork, stir-fried shredded radish with pork, and topped with shredded scallions and soybean paste. Rolled up, they'll be incredibly fragrant. I think they'll be very popular." Mo Lan felt her mouth watering as she finished speaking; she hadn't had spring pancakes in a long time, and she was really craving them.

Mrs. Qiu looked at her daughter and burst into laughter. She pointed to her daughter's mouth and said, "You silly girl, wipe your drool. We'll make spring pancakes for lunch tomorrow. That way you won't be so hungry."

Mo Lan hurriedly raised her arm to wipe her mouth. She was so embarrassed that she had drooled. When she wiped it, she found that her mouth was dry. It turned out that her mother was just teasing her.

Mo Lan glanced helplessly at her mother, and her actions made everyone burst into laughter.