Promise

Half a month later, the mob that had robbed the grain shop appeared again.

A group of rioters gathered outside one of the shops managed by Steward Feng. This time, they did not spout lofty-sounding excuses about protesting the high prices. Instead, they scrambled to rush into the shop, snatching up any grain they saw and immediately running outside once they had taken it.

The streets, empty just moments ago, suddenly poured forth a large crowd as soon as they ran out. Every one of them was sturdy and muscular, glaring fiercely at the rioters, who were little more than skin and bones. The rioters were instantly dumbfounded. There had clearly been no one there just now... Someone immediately realized they had fallen into a trap.

It was not that there had been no one; they had simply been waiting for them to walk straight into the snare.

Among the crowd, a short, furtive-looking man kept rolling his eyes, seemingly searching for an escape route. Yet the surroundings had been sealed so tightly that not even water could pass through; whenever a gap appeared, someone immediately filled it. In the end, he could only pretend to be an ordinary rioter and dared not entertain any more ideas, lest he leave behind evidence against himself.

After the last grain-robbing incident, they had discovered that the An Family had neither reported them to the authorities nor taken any remedial action or pursued them. This finally put some of the previously trembling rioters at ease. Perhaps it really was as that person had said: the An Family simply did not dare report them, and even if they did, the county magistrate would not accept the case.

Clinging to this lucky hope, they spent half a month observing the situation. Only after confirming that the An Family truly had no reaction did they choose to strike again. Who would have thought they would be trapped here with no way out?

Most of those present were unarmed rioters. If a fight truly broke out, they would definitely be no match for these thugs. One by one, they panicked, too nervous to know what to do, yet their hands still clutched tightly to the grain they had snatched from the shop.

Just then, someone suddenly walked out of the grain shop that had just been stripped clean.

He looked rather hefty, and the moment he appeared, he drew most people's attention. They all turned to look at him. When they realized he was An Ziran, the eldest young master of the An Family, disgust and hatred immediately flashed through some of their eyes.

They were starving and freezing here, while the An Family sat comfortably, eating fine food and drinking rich wine. If An Changfu had not seized their land through underhanded means, they would not have fallen to such a state. If things went badly, they might even end up in prison. How was the entire family depending on them to survive supposed to live then?

Standing atop the steps, An Ziran looked down at the panicked rioters below. In truth, his weight had improved somewhat over the past half month. He had originally weighed seventy-eight kilograms, but now he weighed seventy-three. Although he had lost ten jin, the effect was still not very obvious. Only those who spent time with An Ziran regularly could tell.

"Don't be afraid of them, everyone! The An Family is rich but heartless, exploiting farmers. Sooner or later, Heaven will punish them. We are merely carrying out justice on Heaven's behalf! May the An Family die a terrible death!"

A loud voice immediately rang out from the crowd. It was that same short, furtive-looking man. Seeing that some of the rioters had begun to waver before anything had even started, he hurriedly shouted. His purpose was to stir up their will to resist. If the An Family laid hands on them, then the plan would already be half successful.

"That's right! Everyone in the An Family deserves a terrible death! We will bring down the An Family!"

"Make the An Family give our land back!"

His words were highly inflammatory. Some of the rioters slowly calmed down from their panic, their gazes gradually becoming firm. A thread of hatred was added to the way they looked at An Ziran. That was right—the An Family was rich but heartless. They were acting on Heaven's behalf!

With that thought, they immediately began to stir again, and the scene descended into chaos once more. Some people tried to rush up the steps and grab An Ziran, but the thugs quickly stopped them. They immediately began shouting curses, vile words tumbling out like beans poured from a basket.

Seeing that he had successfully incited the rioters, the short man immediately slipped back into the crowd. Little did he know that someone's gaze had long since fixed upon him, as though from the very beginning that person had known he was the rat droppings spoiling the whole pot of soup.

An Ziran's gaze calmly swept over them one by one, letting them shout. Only when their throats were nearly hoarse did he speak. "Under Da Ya's laws, your actions already constitute robbery. If you are sentenced, each of you will likely face three to five years in prison. Think of your families. Think of your children and your elderly mothers. They are still waiting for you to provide for them. If you go to prison, what will become of them?"

His voice carried with remarkable force. The scene was still clamorous, as endless as a marketplace, yet everyone heard his words with perfect clarity. Gradually, the crowd fell silent.

The rioters had originally been honest, law-abiding farmers. They had appeared here only because someone had used many pleasing words to incite them. At heart, they were still farmers. Many of them had never attended school, but they still knew Da Ya's laws and knew that robbery was a serious crime. Thus, upon hearing An Ziran's words, they became uneasy again.

"Do you know why the An Family did not report you last time? Because I did not want your families to lose you. I know you are all honest farmers, seeking nothing more than a mouthful of food. Taking this opportunity, I stand here today and solemnly promise that the An Family will no longer charge you exorbitant land rent as before, and all debts you owe the An Family will be forgiven."

Dead silence fell all around.

After An Ziran finished speaking, not a single farmer below said a word.

They were all moved. For no other reason than that they still had families to support, they would never have joined the ranks of those robbing grain. If they all went to prison, their families could only wait to starve to death alive.

The short, furtive-looking man stared in astonishment. He had not expected An Ziran to change the situation with only a few words. For the plan to proceed smoothly, he had no choice but to step forward again. "Don't let his words fool you! Think about it—haven't the An Family done enough evil over the years? We all know what kind of person the An Family's eldest young master is. His words cannot be trusted at all. He and An Changfu are birds of a feather!"

"An Changfu exploited us for so long. You are his son, so your words cannot be trusted at all!"

"That's right! How could the An Family possibly waive the land rent and forgive our debts? He must be lying to us!"

"I once went to beg An Changfu, but he had his servants throw me out. You father and son share the same blood. An Changfu is no good, and neither are you."

The short man smiled smugly, but the moment he raised his head, he met An Ziran's black eyes. He immediately shuddered, instinctively lowering his head and not daring to look at him again.

An Ziran slowly withdrew his gaze. "You need not believe me, but I will show you through my actions. Three mornings from now, here in this place, the An Family will return your promissory notes to you."

Having said that, without waiting for their reactions, An Ziran handed the remaining matters over to Steward Feng.