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Chapter 86: Dividing the Silver
"Zhang Ye Ye," Lu Qing asked, "how do you plan to divide these two hundred taels of silver?"
"Of course, equally—every household in the village gets the same amount," Zhang Da Ye said, as if it were obvious.
Lu Qing nodded.
It’s not the lack of wealth that causes worry, but the imbalance. Silver was the kind of thing that bred resentment when distributed unfairly. Equal sharing was the best way.
"Still," Zhang Da Ye added, frowning slightly, "converting these Silver Vouchers into actual silver isn’t easy."
Lu Qing understood immediately.
Silver Vouchers could only be redeemed at a silver vault—places that existed only in the county seat. And sending villagers all the way there to exchange them? That was out of the question. Not only would they be afraid, but Lu Qing himself wouldn’t feel safe with such a large sum of money traveling so far. The risk of being ambushed by someone with ill intentions was too great.
"I forgot to consider that," Lu Qing admitted. "Zhang Ye Ye, give me the vouchers. I’ll go to Ma Ye tomorrow and have them exchanged."
"That’s the best idea," Zhang Da Ye said at once, handing over the two vouchers without hesitation.
"I’ll bring you the silver tomorrow."
Once Zhang Da Ye left, Lu Qing returned to his room and opened a small chest. A dazzling glow spilled out—entirely filled with silver.
This chest was one of the gifts Ma Gu had brought not long ago.
Last night, Ma Gu and his men had raided Kuai Hua Village with ruthless efficiency. No one knew how long the village had hoarded its wealth without sending it to the headquarters, but the haul had been substantial.
After counting, Ma Gu personally brought over what he considered Lu Qing’s share.
Lu Qing tried to refuse, but in the end, he accepted.
Now, Lu Qing began pulling silver from the chest.
Ma Gu had been thoughtful—the coins were mostly silver ingots: ten-tael ones and five-tael ones.
Lu Qing took forty of the five-tael ingots, emptying nearly all the smaller ones from the chest.
The next morning, Lu Qing arrived at Zhang Da Ye’s house, carrying the silver.
"Zhang Ye Ye!" he called from outside the gate.
"A Qing’s here! Come in quickly!" Zhang Da Ye had barely slept the night before, staying home all morning in case Lu Qing showed up and found him absent.
It wasn’t greed that kept him waiting—it was respect. This silver belonged to the entire village, and the matter was too important to take lightly.
Lu Qing entered with the silver, and Zhang Da Ye welcomed him in.
"A Qing, what brings you here?"
Just then, Zhang Da Ye’s two sons and their wife were also home.
Seeing Lu Qing, they all stood up, stunned.
Especially the two sons—they stared at him with a mix of awe and nervousness.
They had witnessed firsthand the previous day, when Lu Qing had killed the thugs without flinching.
Now, they couldn’t help but feel a deep, unspoken reverence.
"I’ve come to deliver the silver," Lu Qing said with a smile.
"Silver?" Zhang Da Ye’s son and daughter-in-law exchanged confused glances.
Lu Qing emptied the sack onto the table. A blinding flash of white light filled the room—the silver glinted like stars.
In the dazed silence, Lu Qing said, "Zhang Ye Ye, I’ve already exchanged the Silver Vouchers. Here are forty ingots—each worth five taels. You can distribute them among the villagers."
"Good, good! I’ll gather everyone right away!" Zhang Da Ye was momentarily stunned by the sight, but after a moment, he regained his composure. He’d lived through decades of hardship—he wasn’t easily shaken.
"Dad, what’s this about dividing silver?" Zhang Da Ye’s eldest son finally spoke.
"A Qing recovered Silver Vouchers from those bandits yesterday," Zhang Da Ye explained. "He decided to share most of them with the whole village. These silver ingots were exchanged from the vouchers at Ma Ye’s shop in the Big Market."
"All of it?" His son and daughter-in-law gasped. "Every last tael?"
"Enough talk!" Zhang Da Ye snapped. "You two, go and call everyone to the ancestral hall—don’t say anything yet. Just say I have something important to announce."
"Yes, right away!" The two sons hurried out.
"Zhang Ye Ye," Lu Qing stood up, preparing to leave. "I won’t be involved in the distribution. You handle it."
"Impossible!" Zhang Da Ye protested. "The silver is yours. If you’re not there, how will it look?"
"It’s just silver," Lu Qing said lightly. "Don’t make a fuss. Just divide it fairly. I have urgent matters to attend to at my master’s place. I can’t stay."
The purpose of giving the silver wasn’t for praise or thanks. It was to make everyone happy. If he showed up, he’d be surrounded by gratitude and formality—something he’d rather avoid.
Seeing Lu Qing so firm, Zhang Da Ye sighed. "Alright then. If Chen Laodaifu needs you urgently, go ahead and attend to it."
After Lu Qing left, Zhang Da Ye exhaled slowly.
He wasn’t blind—he could guess why Lu Qing didn’t want to be there. The boy was shy, embarrassed by the idea of being thanked by elders.
But how could one advise someone so young on such matters? He could only let it be.
Zhang Da Ye had great respect in the village.
When word spread that he had something important to say, people began gathering at the ancestral hall—those still working in the fields came back immediately.
"Old Zhang," someone called out. "What’s so urgent? Why summon everyone like this?"
At the hall, the villagers stared in confusion.
Zhang Da Ye had gathered every household head—something never done lightly.
They feared another crisis.
"Relax," Zhang Da Ye said, raising his hands. "There’s good news this time."
Behind him, a large, bulging cloth sack sat on the table—no one could tell what was inside.
Next to it rested a small scale and a pair of scissors, their purpose unclear.
"Good news?" The villagers exhaled, relieved.
"Yesterday, A Qing took Silver Vouchers from the bandits he defeated. He decided to share most of them with the village."
Zhang Da Ye carefully poured the silver ingots onto the table.
"Here is the silver he exchanged from the vouchers—two hundred taels total. Excluding A Qing’s household, there are thirty-seven families. That’s about five taels and a bit more per family."
The entire hall fell silent.
Then, as the silver gleamed under the light, a wave of stunned murmurs swept through the crowd.
Far away, on the path to Half Mountain Small Courtyard, Lu Qing paused and smiled, hearing the distant commotion.
(End of Chapter)
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