Chapter 4: Supervision

“My ox!”

Zhang Yuan let out a sorrowful cry, ignoring his own situation. His first instinct was to check on the ox, which was his livelihood. The three women in his family depended on that ox for their survival.

Seeing that the ox’s leg was broken, he almost fainted. His face turned ashen as he slumped to the ground, crying and hitting the earth with his hands. “The ox is gone! We’re doomed!”

“Brother Yuan, are you okay?”

Xu Lian, who had been focusing on his work, looked up in alarm. His reaction was exaggerated, but at the moment, no one noticed him – they were all focused on Zhang Yuan. Many people even showed a bit of gloating. Ever since Zhang Yuan had become an ox cart driver, his arrogant attitude had rubbed many people the wrong way.

Xu Lian quickly rushed over, helping Zhang Yuan up and patting the dirt off his clothes, trying to comfort him. “At least you’re safe.”

Zhang Yuan pushed his hand away with a bitter expression on his face. “How can I be safe? My ox is gone, I won’t be able to earn enough food. My three wives will rebel if we don’t make enough money!”

Xu Lian asked, “Can’t you just buy another ox?”

Zhang Yuan bitterly replied, “That’s easy for you to say. This ox was bought with the savings of two generations of my family. How can I afford another one now?”

Xu Lian nodded silently in his mind, relieved that this wasn’t as bad as he had feared.

“What happened here?”

A burly overseer holding a vine whip walked over.

Zhang Yuan quickly grabbed the overseer’s arm and pleaded, “Brother Liang, my ox has broken its leg and can’t work anymore. Is there any way that the mine could buy it? Maybe it would help improve your food situation, too?”

Liang Yan looked at the injured ox. “I’ll ask the foreman.”

“Thank you, Brother Liang, thank you!” Zhang Yuan said, bowing repeatedly in gratitude.

Not long after, Liang Yan returned and handed Zhang Yuan a silver ingot. “I asked the foreman. They can buy your ox.”

Zhang Yuan carefully took the ingot, inspected it, and hesitantly said, “Brother Liang, five taels of silver is a bit low. Could you maybe get a little more?”

Liang Yan’s expression darkened. “It’s a crippled ox, do you still expect it to be sold as a healthy one?”

Zhang Yuan quickly explained, “I didn’t mean that, but even if I slaughter the ox and sell the meat, it’s worth more than five taels of silver.”

Liang Yan responded, “Then don’t ask me to have the mine buy it. You can slaughter it and sell the meat at the market. But with the current situation, how many families can afford beef?”

Zhang Yuan’s face turned pale as he hesitated for a long time. “I’ll sell it to the mine.”

“That’s the right choice.”

Liang Yan patted his shoulder. “Without the ox, you’ll have to work as a stone mover for now. Once you save enough silver, you can buy another ox and return to being a cart driver.”

Zhang Yuan had no choice but to nod repeatedly. “Thank you, Brother Liang.”

Liang Yan raised his hand, signaling to a few of the stone movers. “You guys, take the ox to the kitchen.”

Xu Lian noticed that he was among those chosen, so he had to put down his work and help drag the ox.

Liang Yan, holding his whip, walked alongside them. “Your name is Xu Lian, right?”

Xu Lian was taken aback by the sudden conversation. He paused for a moment, then quickly replied with a smile, “Yes, Brother Liang.”

Liang Yan said, “You are still young, not yet at full strength. Doing the heavy work of a stone mover will easily wear you out. Why not buy a beast of burden and become a cart driver instead?”

Xu Lian replied, “My family is poor, we can’t afford a beast.

Liang Yan thought for a moment. “I’m from the old street nearby, not far from your house. We’re half neighbors. I’m better off now. I can lend you some silver-about ten taels. You can buy an beast for the mine, and I’ll give you a job as a cart driver. When you’ve made enough money, you can pay me back.”

Xu Lian’s eyes flickered. Even in a civilized society, he wouldn’t trust something that seemed too good to be true. In such a turbulent world, why would this overseer, Liang Yan, be so kind as to offer him a loan along with a job? What was his real intention?

He was poor and had nothing to offer, except perhaps his connection to Xiya.

Could it be that the accidents – the original Xu Lian’s death and his own near miss with the falling rocks – had something to do with Liang Yan?

In the blink of an eye, Xu Lian thought through many possibilities, but his face and tone betrayed none of it. He immediately expressed his gratitude. “Thank you, Brother Liang.”

Liang Yan patted his shoulder. “Fifteen taels should be enough to buy a donkey. I’ll bring the silver tomorrow.”

The other stonemasons looked at Xu Lian with envy. With the overseer’s favor, he was about to become a cart driver and live a better life.

Zhang Yuan’s eyes were red with fear. “Brother Liang, what about me? I want to borrow ten taels of silver as well! I need to buy a donkey!”

Liang Yan furrowed his brow. “I don’t have that much silver. I’ve already helped you by suggesting that you become a stone mover. I also have to take care of the other neighbors on the old street. For now, continue to work as a stone mover. When I have the silver, I’ll lend it to you.”

Zhang Yuan hung his head, looking utterly defeated like a wilting plant.

Under Liang Yan’s guidance, Xu Lian, Zhang Yuan, and several other stone movers, drenched in sweat and exhausted, managed to drag the injured ox to the mine’s kitchen. They returned and continued loading the stones onto the cart.

As far as the miners were concerned, the mine provided only one meal at noon. They were on their own for dinner, and of course the ox meat wouldn’t go to the miners.

“Brother Lian, I need to talk to you. Tomorrow, Brother Liang will lend you fifteen taels. Can you lend me ten taels first? I want to buy a donkey.”

Zhang Yuan, out of breath from carrying stones, leaned closer to Xu Lian.

Xu Lian shook his head. “But I also want to buy a donkey. If I lend you ten taels, what will I do?”

Liang Yan’s sudden generosity was suspicious. He offered to lend Xu Lian the money and promised him a position as a cart driver, but Xu Lian was suspicious. He suspected that Liang Yan’s intentions were far from pure. Maybe this was all part of a trap, like using the debt as leverage to get close to Xiya?

Xu Lian wasn’t really interested in the silver; he only agreed to it to keep Liang Yan calm. He intended to take the silver and use it to buy the leather to upgrade his cultivation, thus advancing to the Skin Refining Stage Warrior. Once he had that, he wouldn’t need to fear any tricks from Liang Yan. With enough strength, no scheme could stand in his way.

Zhang Yuan begged, “You only have Xiya to look after, and Aunt Wang is old, she won’t live long and doesn’t eat much. You could make a good living as a stone mover. But I have three wives to support. The expenses at home are high. Only by being a cart driver can I make enough money to support them”.

If Wang Cuiyun heard this, she’d probably thank you… Xu Lian thought. He said, “Brother Yuan, without your job as a cart driver, it’ll be hard to support three wives. How about this – one of your younger wives can come to my house for now, and I’ll take care of her. When you buy a donkey and get back to being a cart driver, you can bring her back.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan’s face darkened and he fell silent.

Xu Lian didn’t bother trying to engage with him further and returned to his work.

As night fell, the mine manager announced the end of the workday.

The hundreds of miners quickly lined up to collect their rations.

The amount of grain each miner received depended on the type of work they were doing. Stonemasons and cart drivers received more, while the basic stonemasons, like Xu Lian, received only one and a half pounds of grain.

Zhang Yuan, like Xu Lian, received only one and a half pounds of buckwheat.

The miners silently carried their small bags of grain home, all of them exhausted and hungry, and no one said a word.

When most of the miners had left, Xu Lian went to a secluded place and hid in the trees. He waited until the area was empty before he emerged, quietly turning back to retrieve the ox leather.