Chapter Thirty-Six: Gou Ye’s Charity

After Gou Ye finished making arrangements, Da Li could truly be said to be wholehearted in his efforts. Just past noon, Da Li was already bustling throughout the village, running from one household to another. Not particularly well-versed in reading or writing, he marked crude circles and crosses on paper as notes. Despite being drenched in sweat, he remained tireless; whenever he thought of Gou Ye’s trust in him, he felt as though wild horses were galloping in his heart, filling him with strength.

Standing on the second-floor balcony, one could take in the entire village. Yun Niang leaned her chair against Gou Ye’s side, smiling as she said, “Brother Gou, look at how hard he’s working. You’ve truly found yourself a good attendant.”

“I never expected him to be so capable,” Gou Ye replied. “With our ice business about to close, we can’t simply cut off his livelihood. I’m wondering whether there’s any other work he could do. If not, perhaps he could stay with us as a steward. What do you think, Yun Niang?”

Yun Niang tightened her embrace around Gou Ye’s waist and said, “I’ll follow your lead in everything, Brother Gou. You are truly kind-hearted.”

By evening, Da Li arrived at Gou Ye’s house, panting heavily. Gou Ye glanced at Da Li’s list and was both amused and exasperated—there were few words, but countless circles and crosses, leaving Gou Ye baffled. Only after Da Li patiently explained did Gou Ye finally understand what each symbol represented.

After hearing Da Li’s report, Gou Ye frowned, “So many… I never imagined our Tumeng Village had so many struggling families. No wonder the village chief came to me for help.”

Gou Ye took up pen and paper, and solemnly said to Da Li, “Listen, Da Li, I’ll write the shopping list out for you. If you don’t understand anything, just ask. Mark them in a way you can remember. I’ll give you two days—within two days, you must buy everything on this list.”

Gou Ye spent quite some time compiling the list and patiently marked each item for Da Li. After Da Li left, Gou Ye leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh. Glancing aside, he saw the few manuscripts on the table and, with another deep breath, picked up his pen to continue writing.

For the next two days, besides writing, Gou Ye did not allow himself any leisure. He and Yun Niang visited, one by one, all the families listed by Da Li. Some households were truly pitiable—elderly people, frail and alone, huddled in bed, with the entire house reeking of a strong stench. Gou Ye and Yun Niang were so overcome that they hurried to the doorway and retched for a long time. Only after recovering did they re-enter and realize the smell came from the old man's inability to move, urinating on the bed. On what barely passed for a bed, there were a few broken bowls, with some blackened dried sweet potatoes inside.

Gou Ye remembered this man—he was Uncle Wang, who used to hunt in the mountains with the villagers. A few years ago, Gou Ye could still recall him returning to the village with a rabbit in hand. Now, he never expected to see him living in such hardship. Yun Niang, upon seeing this, ran out of the house and wept in sorrow.

This was perhaps the most destitute case. The others, though better off, still deeply moved Gou Ye. He thought of his own days in the thatched cottage—wasn’t it much the same? Back then, he was lucky to have Yun Niang, her mother, and the villagers’ support. Without them, he could hardly imagine what his life would have been. His journey through time had ended the wretched life of the previous Gou Ye. Now, with no worries for food or clothing and happiness at hand, surely the departed soul could rest in peace.

Whenever Gou Ye encountered lonely elderly or decrepit households with children, he would take out silver to help. All those who received Gou Ye’s kindness were moved to tears. After two days, both Gou Ye and Yun Niang felt a heavy weight on their hearts. This was their home village—seeing so many people suffer brought them deep discomfort.

On the third day, Da Li returned to the village in grand fashion, accompanied by two large ox carts and a horse-drawn carriage. Gou Ye’s acts of charity had already become the talk of the village, with everyone loudly praising him. Even Chief Li made a special trip to Gou Ye’s house to thank him repeatedly.

Gou Ye handed the horse-drawn carriage to the village chief, donating it to the village free of charge. Now, whenever anyone needed to travel to the county urgently, they would no longer have to worry about inconvenience. The supplies Da Li brought—cotton quilts, straw mats, grains, and more—were distributed, with the help of several young villagers, to all those in need.

For a time, Gou Ye became the great benefactor of Tumeng Village. Every day, a familiar scene played out: families who had received aid knelt before Gou Ye’s house, tearfully expressing their gratitude. Each time, Gou Ye and Yun Niang would immediately come out to greet them and soothe their emotions.

That evening, gazing at the peaceful and harmonious village, Gou Ye smiled contentedly. Though he had spent nearly five hundred taels over these days, the sense of fulfillment he gained made it all worthwhile. He turned to Yun Niang and said, “Yun Niang, do you think these people will get better?”

“They surely will, Brother Gou. Your help will surely bring them better days.”

No one could have foreseen what happened the next day, which left Gou Ye feeling not that things had improved, but rather that they had worsened.

Early in the morning, Gou Ye was awakened by a clamor outside. Without bothering to wash, he hurried out, thinking perhaps someone had come to thank him again. Instead, he saw dozens of villagers gathered outside, some he had helped, others he had not.

Gou Ye approached them with a cheerful smile, “Uncles and aunties, what brings you here today? Why does everyone look so displeased?”

Aunt Wang, whom Gou Ye knew well, stepped forward, “Gou Ye, you ungrateful thing! Have you forgotten how I once brought you meals? Hmph, now that you have money, you ignore us all. You give out money to other villagers—have you forgotten us?”

Another person stepped forward, criticizing him, “That’s right, Gou Ye! Don’t think that just because you have money, you can do as you please. You’re buying everyone’s favor, making them all praise you. You don’t deserve that…”

Then someone whom Gou Ye had helped spoke up, “Gou Ye, not to complain, but you gave Zhao Ling and her son ten taels of silver, yet only gave me five. Isn’t that unfair?”

Gou Ye stood there, trembling in anger. He never imagined the villagers would gather here and speak to him like this—even those he had helped were among them. He felt his heart bleeding, the pain so overwhelming that he couldn’t help but shed tears.