Curtain Falls

The three-day deadline passed amid everyone's anxious anticipation.

To verify whether An Ziran's words were true, many tenant farmers and gossip-loving townsfolk gathered outside Steward Feng's grain shop. Before the appointed time had even arrived, the entire street was packed solid with people.

The crowd buzzed with discussion, but most still did not believe the An Family could be so generous.

The rabble who had caused trouble that day were there as well.

As the time drew nearer, the grain shop remained silent. Just as the sun was about to reach its peak, the people An Changde had planted among the crowd began spreading rumors unfavorable to An Ziran.

Under the blazing sun, the townsfolk had grown impatient from waiting and were quickly incited. Believing An Ziran had deceived them, they began hurling all sorts of vile insults. There were even faint signs of a riot brewing, while that group of rabble started pressing toward the grain shop, clearly intending to loot it again.

At that moment, the grain shop's doors opened.

Ever since the last grain-robbing incident, the shop had remained closed for three days without even a crack in the doors being opened. Not a single sale had been made during that time, but the An Family owned more than one grain shop, so it did not matter much.

The shop was empty, containing only several neatly arranged tables and chairs, along with a large chest on the floor. Standing at the center was An Ziran, the current head of the An Family. He seemed to have grown a little thinner than three days ago, his features becoming more defined. Dressed in a blue brocade robe, he truly resembled a refined young gentleman, though no one was in the mood to admire him now.

When the townsfolk saw that he had truly appeared, they immediately surged forward, only to be stopped outside by the An Family's servants.

Steward Feng stepped forward. "Everyone, please remain calm. If you want your promissory notes returned, stand properly and quietly. No shouting or causing a disturbance. Later, follow my instructions and come up one at a time. When you hear your name, come forward to collect your promissory note."

After he said this, the townsfolk truly quieted down.

Steward Feng nodded in satisfaction and returned to the shop. "Young Master, there's no problem."

"Then let's begin," An Ziran said calmly.

Su Zi, standing beside An Ziran, immediately opened the chest and took out stacks upon stacks of promissory notes. The townsfolk outside craned their necks, wishing they could stretch them even longer. Even though the An Family had truly appeared, they still found it hard to believe that the family was actually willing to return the notes before they held them in their hands. It felt like a dream.

Although Anyuan County was only a small county town, its population was not small. Countless townsfolk owed promissory notes to the An Family. To distribute them all before sunset and avoid wasting everyone's time, An Ziran had four tables placed in the grain shop, with four stewards assigned to hand out the notes.

One name after another was called. When they received those familiar promissory notes, many nearly broke down in tears. Those slips of paper had tormented them for years. Many had believed they would never have the chance to reclaim them in their lifetimes.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, An Changde's people immediately left.

The moment they stepped out of the crowd, they were swiftly seized by people lying in wait and dragged into a nearby alley. Everyone was immersed in excitement and joy, and no one noticed what happened there.

More and more people received their promissory notes, but some grew so nervous that their palms began to sweat. They had not received theirs yet. Seeing everyone else already holding theirs, they did not know why, but unease grew stronger and stronger in their hearts.

Time passed quickly, and before long, the sun was about to set.

Only a small stack of promissory notes remained in the chest, yet many people were still gathered outside without leaving.

Su Zi handed the remaining notes to An Ziran. The latter slowly stood and walked to the steps, where he fixed his calm gaze on the dozen or so anxious faces below. "Do you know why I left all of you until last?"

The dozen or so tenant farmers who had yet to receive their notes immediately lowered their heads in shame. They were the rabble who had robbed the An Family grain shop twice. They had already vaguely guessed the reason when they realized that all those who had not received their notes were with them.

A broad, dark-skinned farmer gritted his teeth and suddenly walked up to An Ziran. Raising his voice, he shouted, "I'm sorry, Young Master. We already know that we were used by vile people and caused considerable losses to the An Family grain shop. It was our fault. Please forgive us. We'll never dare do it again."

The farmer's surname was Liu. His family had six members, including his elderly mother, and they were often short on food. Thus, he frequently borrowed grain from An Changfu. By now, he had accumulated debts of five or six dou of rice. Though that might not seem like much to some people—only a few dozen jin—it could be a debt his family would never repay in a lifetime. That was why he had been so easily incited into helping rob the An Family's grain.

Once he stepped forward, the others also admitted their mistakes one after another and promised never to do it again. Their attitudes were rather sincere.

Would An Ziran simply give them their promissory notes? Of course not!

Those who made mistakes had to bravely bear responsibility. If this matter were settled so easily, there would only be more people who pushed their luck in the future. Human hearts were difficult to predict. Just like that morning, when they could not wait any longer, they began cursing the An Family. He found it hard to believe these people would not cause more trouble later, so they had to be taught a lesson.

"I can return the promissory notes to you, but considering the losses and trouble you caused the An Family, I will not return the entire note. Whatever amount of silver or grain you owe the An Family, the An Family will retain one-third of it. You will need to repay that portion. If you have no objections, go to Steward Feng and sign a new promissory note. If you object, you may turn around and leave now."

An Ziran spoke each word clearly.

They had been delighted to see so many people receive their notes, yet they still had to repay one-third of their debts. The feeling of plunging from the clouds to the depths in an instant was not pleasant at all. Especially after seeing the comparison, they bitterly regretted listening to those people in the first place. Otherwise, they would not still owe the An Family one-third of the grain and silver.

The young master had made himself perfectly clear. If they protested, they would get nothing. What else could they do? Resistance would no longer win anyone's support. They could only blame themselves for being weak-willed and so easily incited. In the end, each of them signed a new promissory note.

An Ziran returned their old notes and swept his gaze over faces filled with every shade of joy and sorrow. "I have another piece of good news to announce. Starting today, the An Family will no longer collect seventy percent of your harvest as rent. It will be reduced to forty percent."

The moment he finished speaking, everyone fell silent.

An Changfu had been the harshest landlord. Every year, he collected seventy percent of the tenant farmers' harvest as rent, leaving many of them to labor without receiving a fitting return, so they often went hungry. Yet among all the landlords in the Great Ya Dynasty, even the highest rents generally did not exceed fifty percent. Upon suddenly hearing this news, everyone was dumbfounded.

"Is... is that true?" one tenant farmer asked, swallowing hard in disbelief.

The corners of An Ziran's lips curved slightly. "Of course. There has never been any taking back what I, An Ziran, have said!"

Some people immediately stumbled as they rushed home, eager to share the good news with their families. Others collapsed directly onto the ground and wept bitterly. Heaven had finally opened its eyes.

This matter soon reached An Changde's ears, and his entire face darkened.