Chapter Sixty-Four: Each with Their Own Plans

When the three of them returned to the residence and saw that Gou Ye had come back safely, Yun Niang could no longer pretend to be calm. She rushed to Gou Ye and hugged him tightly. “Brother Gou Ye, I was so worried about you. They didn’t give you any trouble, did they?” She looked him up and down—aside from being somewhat dirty, his hands bore bruises from the shackles. Yun Niang cradled his hands with aching tenderness, tears welling up in her eyes.

Gou Ye gently touched Yun Niang’s cheek, smiling as if nothing had happened. “All right, Yun Niang, don’t cry. See? I’m fine. Thanks to the Duke’s help, they didn’t dare to do anything to me. I’ll go inside and say a few words to everyone; you wait here with the Guo brothers for me.”

The three entered the main hall, where Gou Ye politely bowed to Gu Yuan to express his thanks. “Gou Ye humbly thanks the Duke for your rescue. Had you not arrived in time, I would surely have suffered much more.”

Gu Yuan sat on his chair, took a hearty sip of tea, and looked at Gou Ye with a smile. “Very well, you’re not easily intimidated. I thought you, looking so frail, would have collapsed in fear before the magistrate, but you had the boldness to contradict him. Still, let me advise you: do not make enemies of those two. You may have some talent, but you lack the strength. I could save you this time, but I cannot always do so. You must look after your own future and plan ahead.”

“Thank you for your wise counsel, Duke. Gou Ye will remember it. The entanglement between myself and the magistrate and his wife is not something that can be resolved in a few words; I will plan ahead and try not to provoke them.” Gou Ye was already considering Wan Xiang’s suggestion—it seemed he needed to prepare a plan to connect the Duke to another line, for he was weak and alone, and though he had escaped this time, who knew what else they might do.

The three didn’t say much more. After offering his thanks, Gou Ye left the room with Gu Shen. For the first time, Gou Ye bowed to Gu Shen, knowing well his family’s situation, and that asking the Duke for help must have put Gu Shen in a difficult position. “Brother Gu Shen, I owe you my thanks. Without your help, the magistrate would have beaten me for sure.”

Gu Shen reverted to his carefree manner, smiling at Gou Ye’s seriousness. “Brother Gou Ye, I’m not used to seeing you so formal. It’s better if you don’t stand on ceremony with me. But as my father said, there’s only so much we can do for you. I’m worried they’ll keep giving you trouble. You’d best make plans early.”

“All right. Once I settle the villagers, I’ll think it over carefully. I might have to ask for your help again.” Gou Ye regarded Gu Shen as his first friend in this world and saw no need for further formality. He quickly gathered Yun Niang and the Guo brothers, and they boarded the carriage back to the village.

On the road, Yun Niang held Gou Ye’s hands in concern. Since losing her mother, she had come to see Gou Ye as her only family, and any harm to him would be catastrophic for her. “Brother Gou Ye, you really frightened me this time. I thought they’d torture you, and with your frail body, how could you endure it? If anything happened to you, what would I do?” As she spoke, Yun Niang began to sob quietly.

Gou Ye pulled her into his arms, joking, “Don’t worry, Yun Niang. Your brother Gou Ye is blessed; nothing will happen to me. I really need to think things over when we get back—if they keep coming after me, it’s a real problem.” As he comforted her, Gou Ye pondered his next steps.

Meanwhile, inside the magistrate’s office, Zhu Ling hurled her teacup to the floor and berated the kneeling bailiff. “Useless fool! Stupid! Where did you find that country bumpkin? The Duke was present and you acted so recklessly. If this is investigated, do you know how much trouble you’ll bring?”

“Your humble servant admits his fault, admits his fault. I saw the man was honest and didn’t require much payment, so I brought him in.” The bailiff trembled on the floor, looking very much like the false witness he had recruited—cowering in the hall, only he dared not even lift his head to look at the magistrate and his wife.

He was just a subordinate; blaming him served little purpose. The magistrate merely waved him away, and he fled the room.

Zhu Ling paced back and forth in the hall, then turned to the magistrate. “Since this boy can get the Duke to guarantee him, we can’t touch him for now. But what is rightfully ours, we must reclaim. We can’t just swallow this insult. Gou Ye—hmph. Husband, Tumen Village is under your jurisdiction, isn’t it? Shouldn’t you take measures?”

The magistrate heard her and sneered, already forming a plan.

During this time, Gou Ye returned to the village. The entire place was in chaos, everyone worried about what had happened to him. That afternoon, the bailiffs drove the villagers back, and word spread quickly about Gou Ye’s arrest. Without him, the villagers felt leaderless; even though Chief Li did his best to calm them, the uproar did not cease. Gou Ye’s return did not quell the unrest. Faces were clouded with worry, and with business at a standstill, some were already thinking of giving up.

Gou Ye could not find a better solution for the moment, and after spending half a day in the jail, he felt exhausted. He told everyone to go home and leave business matters aside for a few days, until he could devise a good plan and call them together again.

Seated in his kitchen, Gou Ye pondered his next move while Yun Niang massaged his temples. Wan Xiang’s suggestion was good, but as someone who loathed officialdom, Gou Ye did not wish to join any faction or get involved in political strife. The world of officials was perilous, and Gou Ye knew he lacked the cunning of other transmigrator protagonists, who emerged at the peak and controlled everyone. He was clear about his own identity: an ordinary homebody from the twenty-first century, with little experience, knowledge, or skill. His goal was simple—to find a foothold in this world, write his books honestly, and earn a decent living, nothing more.

He did not seek trouble, but trouble sought him. He had to face it. There was no lofty talk of unwavering virtue or refusing to bow to poverty; Gou Ye’s principles were not so high, and when necessary, he would bow his head. He decided that tomorrow, he would lay everything out openly—after all, they were only targeting him, and there was no need to let it affect the villagers' livelihoods. At worst, he could simply return all the money.