To seek justice, they first had to convince Jiang Dahu.

With Father Jiang gone, Jiang Dahu was one of only two heads of their branch family.

Following the Jiang household’s custom, breakfast was eaten before dawn, followed by heading out to the fields.

So Ye Li had Jiang Liu grind soybeans while he went to find Jiang Dahu in the dark.

When he arrived at Jiang Dahu’s house, sure enough, Jiang Dahu, Liang Erxiang, and Jiang Yu were already eating breakfast: cornmeal pancakes, corn and spinach porridge, and half a bowl of pickled vegetables.

The three warmly invited Ye Li to join them, but he waved them off, sitting instead on a small stool nearby and getting straight to the point.

“Second Uncle, things aren’t easy for Eldest Uncle. Brother Datong is already twenty, and Xiao Da and Xiao Shun are also at the age where they should be considering marriage.”

Jiang Da was Jiang Tong’s third-youngest brother.

Jiang Shun was the fourth.

“Uncle had hoped Datong would learn a trade and support Xiao Da and Xiao Shun. But that Wang fellow was a scoundrel—he exploited Datong for ten years without compensation.”

As he spoke, anger flashed across Ye Li’s face.

Earlier, in front of Jiang Liu, he hadn’t shown much anger—after all, he wasn’t a Jiang.

But now, standing before Jiang Dahu, he radiated fury, determined to seek justice.

He intended to “seize the moment” and use this opportunity to confront Jiang Dahu.

He raised his arm, pointing toward Baxian Town: “Since this Wang fellow accepted the initiation gift, and Big Brother Datong served him tea and water like a son, what right did he have to withhold the real skills?!”

“What right did he have?!”

“Using the guise of taking on an apprentice to exploit someone for free labor—what is that if not fraud?! He can scam others, but if he tries to scam us, treating us like soft targets, I’ll break his hand!”

His words grew increasingly ‘passionate’ as he waved his arms, pointing toward the county seat: “Even if we take this to the authorities, we’re in the right! Who told him to deceive people in the first place?!”

“Datong paid his initiation fee and groveled for ten years, only to get neither his money back nor the skills. Second Uncle, I can’t swallow this injustice!”

Jiang Dahu: “…”

His brow furrowed tightly, and the cake in his mouth felt hard to swallow.

Liang Erxiang looked troubled but said nothing.

Jiang Yu watched Ye Li with curiosity.

Who would’ve thought Brother Li would follow his sister’s lead and demand justice from the Wang family?

Ye Li took in the expressions of all three. Seizing the moment, he pressed on: “Second Uncle, now that Brother Datong and his two brothers have nothing, what’s next? Both our families are poor—we can’t lend them money.”

“…We certainly don’t have any money.”

Jiang Dahu nodded immediately.

They hadn’t even saved enough for Xiao Ji’s travel expenses to take the imperial exams in the Prefectural Capital this autumn.

Though Brother Li earned a little each day, his expenses were just as high.

Every day, it was either bone broth or buns and pastries—all the hard-earned silver went straight into his mouth!

He sighed, his voice heavy with frustration. “Li-ger, of course, I’m angry too, but we’re outnumbered. The Wang family has seven or eight sons and grandsons combined. We can’t fight them.”

“That’s why having sons is so important. Without sons, you’re just destined to be bullied.”

At this, Liang Erxiang lowered her head.

Jiang Yu pressed his lips together and also cast his eyes down.

But Ye Li had been waiting for him to say exactly that!

Jiang Dahu was a good man in every way, but his constant favoritism toward sons over daughters was something Ye Li truly couldn’t stand!

Ye Li didn’t care if he got angry. Rolling his eyes, he retorted, “Second Uncle! That’s not right. Does Eldest Uncle’s family have few sons? They have three! Yet Eldest Uncle still chose to let things slide!”

“It’s not about sons, it’s about people! If my father-in-law were still alive, he’d have smashed the Wang family yesterday!”

“Besides, we’re not the only Jiang family in this village. We could rally the clan chief. With so many Jiangs in Yezaopo, if each household contributed one strong laborer, would we really be afraid of the Wangs?”

“Second Uncle, you don’t even have as much backbone as Xiao Liu! She may be a girl, but she’s stronger than all three of Daitong’s brothers put together!”

Jiang Dahu was the elder, and he owed Jiang Ji and his brothers a mountain of gratitude. Even if he wanted to argue, he could only do so in this manner, not too sharply.

Even so, Jiang Dahu’s face turned pale, then green, and finally flushed red.

Jiang Dahu wanted to retort, but didn’t know how to respond.

He wanted to scold Ye Li for his audacity in disrespecting his second uncle, yet he dared not.

He still counted on the Jiang Ji brothers to support him in his old age. He dared not offend Ye Li, his nephew-in-law—this nephew-in-law possessed considerable influence.

After a moment of pent-up frustration, he muttered gloomily, “Even if what you say is right, could Xiao Tong and the other two really support your eldest uncle in his old age?”

“…”

Ye Li pressed his hand to his forehead.

He’d been thinking that if Jiang Dahu scolded him, he’d claim it was a rash outburst born of anger.

But who could have predicted Jiang Dahu would say this!

“Second Uncle, Jiang Ji will take care of you in your old age. You’ll have someone to look after you.”

“But you can’t just focus on old age care and ignore everything else, can you? As long as someone takes care of you in your old age, you’d just endure being bullied to death day in and day out?”

“Your uncle felt that the carpenter had the upper hand, after all, Xiao Tong had performed the apprenticeship ceremony.”

Jiang Dahu wanted to explain a few things to Jiang Dachuan and Jiang Tong.

It wasn’t that they were spineless men—it was that the other side had numbers and the moral high ground.

“It’s precisely because of this apprenticeship ceremony that we hold the moral high ground!”

“This ceremony doesn’t just bind Brother Datong—it binds the Wang family too. They took the silver and accepted his respect. If they don’t teach Brother Datong the craft, that’s fraud!”

Ye Li declared with forceful conviction.

So he lacks moral or ethical justification, huh?

But he has the law!

Fraudulent deception was a crime in nearly every ancient dynasty. Though the Great Xia he’d traveled to wasn’t a familiar era, there was an eighty percent chance this law existed here too.

Such offenses were far too common. A properly functioning dynasty would certainly have specific regulations against them.

Identifying the Wang family as the target would make it a legal offense.

Jiang Dahu hadn’t anticipated Ye Li’s perspective. He paused for a moment before asking, “Is that even feasible?”

“We’ll find out if it’s feasible by asking the clan chief. He’s the village head; he’d certainly know the law.”

“Even if someone else bought a servant, they’d still have to pay him monthly wages. And Datong isn’t just some servant for the Wang family. Normally, after working for them for ten years, the Wang family should have paid him at least three taels of silver annually!”

“We’re not asking for much. Let the Wang family give Datong thirty taels of silver, then let Datong give him a good beating. That should settle this matter.”

Ye Li held up three fingers and waved them at Jiang Dahu.

“Thirty taels of silver?!”

Jiang Dahu, Liang Erxiang, and Jiang Yu all gasped in unison.

Ye Li snorted. “And that’s still too little! At sixteen, he’s already a strong laborer. If he went to the county town or market towns to carry heavy loads, on busy days he could easily earn forty or fifty wen!”

“Over a year, making three or four taels during the farming off-season would be a breeze.”

“And besides, he’s beaten and cursed Brother Datong so many times—he deserves to be beaten back! If he refuses, make him pay another ten taels!”

“…”

Jiang Dahu and the others were utterly speechless.

They just stared blankly at Ye Li.

Ye Li pointed at the buns in Jiang Dahu’s hand: “Second Uncle, grab a bun. We’re going to find Uncle Jiang right now. If we’re late, he might not be home.”

Wheat harvest was approaching. Before the harvest, officials would come to verify each village’s grain yield.

As the village head, Jiang Fuzheng was responsible for accompanying them.

Jiang Dahu snapped out of his daze at the words. He hurriedly grabbed two cakes: “Alright, let’s go find the village head first.”

Forty taels of silver!

Even if we only get half, that’s still twenty taels!

We must go to the Wang family and demand justice!

By the time Ye Li and Jiang Dahu arrived at Jiang Fuzheng’s house, the sky was already turning pale at the horizon.

The Jiang Fuzheng household had just finished breakfast and was preparing to head to the fields.

Ye Li, a newlywed Fulang in Yezaopo, had no place speaking in such a setting by rights.

But who could blame him when his original self was such a piece of work?

Wearing that original shell, even if he acted out of line, others would only mutter a few complaints.

Plus, he was bringing in decent daily earnings now. So when he stepped forward, Jiang Fuzheng family didn’t look down on him.

Hearing his purpose, Jiang Fuzheng’s family members were both shocked and furious.

This was truly intolerable.

They thought Yezhaopo was defenseless!

Though Jiang Fuzheng wore a face of fury, what filled his heart more was frustration at Jiang Dachuan’s family—frustration at their failure to rise to the occasion.

To endure such bullying and still plan to swallow it? Utterly pathetic!

Not even as good as Ji Xiaozai’s family!

Don’t judge Ye Li by his past recklessness. He’s reformed now—not only courageous, but strategic too!

Emotionally speaking, the Jiang Dachuan family might not fare well in this matter.

But legally speaking, this Carpenter Wang must pay compensation! Otherwise, he’d better prepare to rot in jail. The Great Xia Code equates fraud with theft.

He, Jiang Fuzheng, was at least a village headman. With the moral high ground, how could he possibly lose to a commoner?

He praised Ye Li a couple of times, and since Ye Li hadn’t made the tofu yet, he sent him home.

This matter, he, Jiang Fuzheng, would handle.

With Jiang Fuzheng’s assurance, Ye Li felt at ease. He gave Jiang Dahu a few more instructions, telling him to emphasize the forty taels of silver when he saw Jiang Dachuan.

With silver as the incentive, he wasn’t worried about stirring up the Jiang Dachuan family’s fighting spirit.

By the time Ye Li arrived home, Jiang Liu had already finished grinding the soybeans and returned.

Jiang Mai had also prepared breakfast, but he and Jiang Ya hadn’t started eating yet. The two little ones were straining the soy pulp while waiting for Ye Li to come back.

Ye Li was delighted—such sensible children! He pinched each of their little cheeks before pulling them down to eat.

After breakfast, he and the two youngsters each went about their tasks.

Yesterday they’d agreed to fry thirty doughnuts today, so he needed to grind the wheat he’d washed yesterday into flour.

Thirty doughnuts weighed less than five catties.

That would require a little over three pounds of dry flour.

One pound of wheat yielded eight ounces of flour, so grinding five pounds would suffice. The extra portion would be perfect for steamed buns.

As he pushed the stone mill for the first time in days, Ye Li made up his mind:

He would save money to buy livestock first.

Once he had the animals, he could find work for Jiang Liu…

Hmm… Though Jiang Tong hadn’t mastered the trade, he’d certainly picked up the basics. These days, what else could a carpenter do to earn a living besides making furniture?

After grinding five catties of wheat into fine flour, Ye Li emerged from the millhouse, his face and hair drenched in sweat.

It was rather warm today, so he skipped returning to the heated bed to rest.

He dragged a stool over and sat listlessly beneath the jujube tree by the courtyard gate, regaining his strength.

A breeze stirred the vibrant green leaves, rustling them softly. Leaning against the trunk, listening to the sound, a new idea suddenly struck him.

Perhaps he could have Jiang Tong craft some wooden wind chimes?

As far as he knew, wind chimes emerged relatively late. Initially used for warning purposes, they later found their way into architecture, valued more for utility than aesthetics.

Ancient people believed wind chimes brought good fortune, carefully considering their orientation when hung.

He searched the memories of his original self but found no trace of wind chimes. Yet, the Great Xia Empire should have such objects.

Thus, instructing Jiang Tong to craft wind chimes wouldn’t seem out of place.

Besides, the countryside wasn’t so particular about such things. Buying a pretty wooden wind chime to hang up, bringing a pleasant mood to those entering and leaving, would suffice as good feng shui for the home.

The more he thought about it, the more brilliant the idea seemed. He rose, picked up a stool, and stepped into the courtyard.

Before Jiang Tong returned, he would design several wind chime prototypes!

At noon, Ye Liang arrived punctually.

Ye Li busied himself, frying puffed tofu and deep-frying dough balls.

After seeing Ye Liang off, he locked the courtyard gate, intending to visit Jiang Fuzheng’s home.

It was already so late—why hadn’t Jiang Fuzheng and his group returned yet?

But before he could take a few steps out, he saw Jiang Dahu, Jiang Dachuan, Jiang Tong, Jiang Da, and Jiang Shun approaching together.

He looked closely and confirmed that all of them wore smiles on their faces.

He felt relieved.

Looks like they got the silver.